random rantings

So the puppy goes to the vet tomorrow all day. They want to monitor him and check to see if we need to give him more or less insulin. This takes all day and costs over $200. And we get to do it again and again over the next month. Same cost each time.

When I go over to my parents' house, I notice that he is a lot less energetic than the other dog, choosing to lay in his bed or on the couch rather than hang out with people. He has his moments of energy, but they are few and far between. Poor puppy. I know how he feels.

I love it when I go over there and both dogs are so happy to see me and they both want to be held and petted like mad. They may weigh under 20 pounds each, but they are very persistant in demanding affection if you make the mistake of not greeting them right away when you walk in the door. Harry gives in to the other dog, Rudy, every time, lets him go first in the receiving of affection. Then he (kind of shyly) will cuddle up to me with an attitude like "I know you love Rudy best [NOT TRUE], but do you think you could give me a belly rub too? If it's not too much trouble."

Yes, my dog has low self-esteem. We were obviously made for each other.

In other news, I have been calling for the ouster of Clay Buchholz for the past month and FINALLY Terry Francona has heard me. Tonight's Red Sox loss to Baltimore was ridiculous. I feel bad for the guy, I really hope that the no-hitter he pitched last year is not the peak of his professional career, he's too immature yet. Compare him to Jon Lester and you see who is the pro baseball player and who is not.

Not like the Red Sox can afford to lose any more pitchers. Beckett is resting, he has something going on with his hand, Tim Wakefield and Bartolo Colon are both on the disabled list, Lester and Dice-K are the only ones keeping it together lately. As for the relief staff, tonight Timlin threw over 60 pitches for the first time in SIX YEARS but that was in only TWO INNINGS, Del Carmen and Okajima are either perfect or all over the place, Papelbon is just not being his usual ice-cold strike-throwing machine....it's like the shit has hit the fan since the all-star break. The only really good relief pitching I've seen in the past 10 days has been Justin Masterson and they're hardly using him! The whole pitching staff seems to be in a tail-spin. I think this is going to require some band practice (just ignore the Manny Ramirez part of that article, he IS dead to me, after all).

And don't get me started about Mike Lowell getting injured and the revolving door that is first base over the past few games. GET WELL SOON MIKEY!

Also, congrats to Jason Varitek on his two-game home run hitting streak. Thanks a lot, Terry, for giving him the NIGHT OFF tonight. Sheesh!

I have resigned myself to the idea that the Red Sox will probably not make the playoffs. I hope to be pleasantly proven wrong.