Perspective...

I'm a little better now. My wife has helped me take off my black and purple glasses so that I can see things a little more clearly.

What a season! I know, I know...I have a separate blog for my sport addiction...sue me!

This was one of the most fun I have had as a Rockie fan for an entire season in a long time. Sure there was the inaugural season, and that was fun, but it was only the "first season" once and then reality set in; we will be a bad team for a while. Then there was the opening season of Coors Field and the first time that we went to the playoffs, but we lost too much in the off season. 2007 was insane, but that was all concentrated in the last 2 months of the season, 2007 was a rather blah season over all. But this year, this year we were battling and in the race all season! All the pieces are in place to be contenders for a while. This year, we have battles at positions for play time. We have 8 legit outfielders we have 2 legit 3rd basemen, 2 legit 2nd basemen, the pitching staff is solid (starters and relief). Wow!! We even finally have a manager that has a clue!

This is also the year that my mini-Rockies fans have really became fans. They are getting into the game. They each have their favorite players. The Legomaniac even asked how they did as I kissed him goodnight(he never really cared before!).

Yeah, our closer fell apart in the last two games, but he was solid in 36 save situations this year. Yeah, our bats fell silent in the playoffs. But, we went to the playoffs! There are twenty-something other teams that could only wish they could be in the playoffs, and we have been there two times in the past 3 years. So life in the Rockies Nation is not so bad...not bad at all!

Besides, my orange and blue glasses fit very nicely right now!

Until next time...
the Lockedawg

Um Huston, we have a problem...

I'll be back after my wife takes me off of suicide watch...

Another album...

Hey gang, Lockedawg back with another music review. This time I have two to (yes, I did just say tu-tu) talk about. I will review them in separate posts.

The first is by a band that has been on my radar for a few years. I never liked what I heard enough to by an album from them...Thousand Foot Krutch. Yeah, they have had some okay songs, but like I said, nothing that grabbed me. Then I was in the car with my son (he just turned 10...yikes!!!!!) and the song "Fire It Up" came on. Then from the back seat I hear, "Woh...this is sweet". I think that sums up TFK's (I am a fan now, I can call them that!) new album, "Welcome to the Masquerade"!

TFK released two singles from "Welcome to the Masquerade" this summer (as did Skillet) and like Skillet's, the singles were awesome. "Fire It Up" was already discussed my my son, the second single was "Bring Me to Life". This time I am the one who said it, "This is sweet!" At this point, I started getting excited for the album to come out. Skillet has two awesome singles, TFK has two great singles...man, I can't wait for the albums!

Skillet's came out first, my review is below (to be honest, Awake is growing on me, there are only two songs that I skip...I'll talk more later)in short, the two singles are the best songs on the album. At this point, I was very skeptical about TFK's newest...not wanting to be disappointed again!

After hearing "Welcome to the Masquerade", my fear quickly disappeared! "Welcome to the Masquerade" is everything that I was hoping from "Awake". "Welcome to the Masquerade" is a great album, from beginning to end!

The lyrics are very upbeat...a very in your face..."Yeah, we are Christians and or God is better than anything...period" feel. I like that. My God does rock, in fact He is THE Rock! "Welcome to the Masquerade" basically says, "We as Christians need to stop hiding and live for Him!" "Fire It Up", "Bring Me To Life", "Smackdown" need I say more!? Awesome...I am now a TFK fan!

Until next time...

the Lockedawg

Music review

Okay, now that I am back, I will try my hand at a little music review. (Yes, Jerod, two in a row...shut up!)

Yesterday, one of my current favorite bands (Skillet) released their newest album (Awake). All summer I have been anticipating this album. I started getting into Skillet last year when I heard Comatose. For those of you that really know me, you know that I love the harder stuff (but my guilty pleasures are some of the "Poppy" stuff...that is for a later post), and I found it in Skillet. "Voices in the Dark" was what got me hooked and I had to pick up the entire album (Comatose).

This summer, Skillet released a new single, "Hero". It felt like it picked up where Comatose left off. The same grinding guitars, course vocals...it had great lyrics, great message (Christ is the only true Hero that we are all looking for), a great song. Then they released single #2, "Monster". Almost better than "Hero", "Monster" was a touch harder and also with great lyrics (about the 'secret' battle with sin and the struggle to keep it hidden). Two great songs!!

Yesterday, the rest of the album came out, well, it has two really great songs...which I already have...

The rest of the album is in my opinion fluff stuff thrown together to make an official album. Don't get me wrong, there are some enjoyable songs "Awake and Alive" is a good song, but over all it wasn't what I was hoping for. It feels like they were reaching out to the angsty heartbroken teens, not so much the overweight, balding, "I still want to rock" 30-somethings (okay...38-somethings).

Having said that, the more I listen to "Awake" the more it, as an album, grows on me, it is a good one for some back ground music while I grade.

Over all, as and album, "Awake" gets a 3 out of 5 ("Hero" gets a 4.5, "Monster" gets a 4.75).

Until next time...

the Lockedawg

Spilly

I know, I have a separate "Blog" for my sports ramblings, but I am just too excited! Last night the Rox (the Colorado Rockies) just loudly announced that they are for real and the rest of the Major Leagues should take notice!

Two years ago, the "experts" would have attributed it to "Lo-Do Magic". Last year, the Rox would have lost that game. This year, they have been winning like that all year!

The Dodgers are currently in first place, but we (the Rox) have overcome an 11 game deficit to now being 3 game out of first. That is not a "magical fluke" like 2007, it is playing great baseball for the majority of the season (take out April and May)! The Dodgers started out REALLY hot and built up a great lead. We started out REALLY bad and dug a huge hole. Once we dealt with some bad locker room "ju-ju" (okay...fired Hurdle) we actually started playing some great baseball...day after day...slowly digging ourselves out of the hole we dug.

Here's to a Fun September!!! Go Rox!

Until next time...

the Lockedawg

Daily Dose of Donald

Kids!!! Way too literal!

Daily Dose of Donald

Once again, not knowing his own strength...

Until next time...

the Lockedawg