Pleep Spends Holiday Celebrating & Adopts Ducks

Even with the loss of Morales from the Monkeybutter lineup, Pleep found reasons to celebrate over the long holiday weekend. Once the victory over Team Murph was assured on Sunday, Pleep took Peggy, Ed & Tammy to Barley's for a little celebration and strategy. After several furious text and email exchanges, Pleep settled on a strategy for the Sunday night pickups. This resulted in Peggy spending quite a bit of time on the IPAD making all the moves. It was a bit awkward but Ed & Tammy entertained themselves with the bartenders. Pleep joined in and was pleased to learn about the Adopt a Duck program. After learning there was a chance to win $1 million dollars in the duck race, he was in for a bunch of ducks. The duck race will be on the Plaza with proceeds benefiting the Children's TLC. Pleep is already planning on how to use the money to acquire quality players for the MBs. He thinks with this kind of budget, he can out bid any of the Steinbrenner wannabe owners in the league.

Monday being the conlcusion to the holiday weekend and the start of the game against the Arizona D-Backs, Pleep decided serious strategizing was in order. He felt the best place to do that was in Lawrence. There are a number of new bars and restaurants on the main street. Pleep headed into a new one called The Dynamite Saloon. He spotted a large poster of one of relatives and declared it was a good omen that the Saloon would be a good place. It turned out to be great and even had several of Ed's favorite IPAs on tap. Pleep spent the afternoon sending smackdown texts to Beau. After a long afternoon of texting, he decided it was best to head home and take a holiday nap.

Pleep Rants About Morales

Pleep was very excited for about 30 seconds yesterday when Morales hit a grand slam walk off to win the game. Excitement quickly turned to a rant about Morales being a moron. Delete tried to calm him down but it didn't last long when the LA Times report of a season ending fracture that requires surgery surfaced. After only one week on the Monkeybutters, Morales is headed to the DL list. Pleep has instituted new rules about celebrating home runs.

Pleep has been working the phones since the injury in search of a replacement first baseman. In a desperation move, he called his favorite hometown first baseman, George Brett to try and talk him out of retirement. Pleep tried everything, including telling him it would give him a chance to repeat his pine tar incident when the team plays the Yankees. No luck yet and George's boys aren't ready for the majors either.

The Monkeybutters wrap up against Team Murph this week and are heading into a matchup with the very hot Arizona Diamondbacks. Pleep is very worried about facing Beau's team without his key player.

Pleep Enjoys Southwest Airlines

It was a bit rainy as we departed Daytona so leaving was not as difficult as it might have been on a sunny day. Because it was not as nice, Pleep thought it would be a good idea to let potential guests see a bit of the indoor amenities at the new digs. The exercise room is fully equipped including tvs and a view of the ocean. The indoor lap pool is very nice plus it has 2 showers and a whirlpool. Delete noted that the showers would be mandatory for anyone coming off the beach.

Pleep was sorry to leave the beach but he thoroughly enjoyed his trip home on Southwest. He thinks they are a very monkey-friendly airline. The trip was a bit bumpy so he had to stay buckled in but he was able to use his free drink coupons. The July trip down will be by car so there will be no beverages allowed.

Disappointing Night & Now It's Departure Day

Pleep had been looking forward to his last night at the condo. The Celtics were playing (he was hoping for a sweep), the Delta IV rocket was supposed to launch (again), and the Monkeybutters were gearing up for the match with Team Murph. Things were very exciting around 11:15 for about a minute. The countdown was proceeding and had hit the last 10 seconds, the Celts had the ball with a few seconds left in regulation, and the Monkeybutters were beating Team Murph. Then all hell broke lose. Someone at Cape Caneveral hit the abort button at the 5 second mark and the Celts blew the shot, sending the game into overtime. The launch is now scheduled for Thursday (after we leave) and the Celts lost in OT. The only good thing was the MBs held on to their lead over Team Murph.

Pleep supervised the shutdown procedure at the condo. As he pointed out, he is better at keeping to a schedule than the folks down the road. Floaties in the doors; check. Doors locked; check. Hot water heater & water main off; check. It's a long list but Pleep made sure Ed got it all done. He didn't want any second guessing from KC about "are we sure we did (fill in the blank)? Hurricane season starts June 1 and Pleep wants to make certain the place is secure. He has several visitors queued up for July and wants the place ship shape when everyone shows up. He noticed there are a lot of German residents in this building which means the place is run by the rules. Even though Pleep is a bit of a rule breaker, he likes being in a place where everyone keeps things tidy.

There were a lot of bags for the trip down but only one small roller bag for the trip home. Traveling lighter should make things much easier navigating the Orlando airport. Pleep is a bit concerned that there might be too many kids hanging around the airport who might want to bug him. Unlike Mickey, Pleep doesn't do autographs. He did want to take a side trip over to Tampa Bay to check out Zobrist in person and scout the other players. Delete told him to forget about any chance the Packers would trade Longoria. Tomorrow is back to work for Ed & Peggy. Pleep and Delete will no doubt spend the day resting after the big trip.

Pleep Celebrates Trade With Harry

After concluding a successful trade with Harry Parker for Kendry Morales and Ricky Romero, Pleep headed out to scout out a few new bars/restaurants on the island. First up was Boondocks. It turned out to have a giant marlin on the roof that reminded Peggy of the one HOC had installed at the cabin. Boondocks is a great place in a marina on the intercoastal. It is basically a Quonset hut with picnic tables. It was a great place and the crowd was very friendly. After a couple of drafts, Pleep said it was time to head to the next stop, Racing's North Turn.

North Turn is located on the ocean at the point where the cars that raced on the beach would turn to head back south. It is also a great place. Because it is right on the ocean, the crowd there is a mix of people in street clothes and bathing suits. They have a shower right at the top of the stairs so anyone coming in from the beach can hose off. They have live music every night. Sunday night featured a one man band who was great with guitar, keyboard, sax & harmonica. He did a lot of Jimmy Buffet and other beach music. Pleep enjoyed the young bikini clad ladies hanging out at the bar and the dance floor. The only issue was the tattoos again. Ed had to stop Pleep from trying to pass off his monkeybutting as dancing. Pleep also spotted the Kona Brewing Company surfboard hanging up at the bar. He has decided it is the perfect item to hang over the couch in the tv room. This time Ed and our interior designer, Pat Connor, approved his decorating idea. Now, Delete is surfing the internet to find one for delivery in July.

Upon returning from the bar, Pleep found out that the launch had been scrubbed again. He was happy it at least wass scrubbed early so he didn't have to stay up late again. Finally, he checked the free agent pickups and learned that Peggy had traded the newly acquired Ricky Romero for Mike Leake. Pleep pointed out that it was screwing up the Ricky Romero trades earlier in the season that led to Peggy;s firing. He warned her that if this trade doesn't pan out and if Ricky does better than Mike, it will be back to the locker room duty.

Pleep Has Very Busy Weekend

Pleep has had a very busy weekend. First, he's been waiting for the launch of the Delta IV rocket since Thursday night. The Delta IV is a very large rocket and it's payload is a GPS satellite which Pleep is very interested in because his Garmin is very important. The night launches are spectacular and he was very excited about seeing one. This launch has been scrubbed three times already and Pleep is very irritated. He's been keeping the team up late to view it only to have it scrubbed at the last minute. If they don't get it lit tonight, he will be heading to Cape Canaveral to monkeybutt the crowd down there.

Ed's foot is improving somewhat. Delete has been icing it and making him stay off it as much as possible. However, Pleep said enough is enough and it was time for Ed to do a bit more. After a short 1 mile walk on the beach, Pleep put Ed to work doing a bit of repair and maintenance on the sliding glass doors. He wants to make certain the place is ship shape in case of a hurricane.

The weather has been perfect all weekend - sunny, mid 80's with a nice easterly breeze off the ocean. Of course this did bring a lot of people to the beach. Pleep is nearly worn out from monkeybutting the various characters. He focused on people who had tattoos, inappropriate swim suits or navel piercings. The ones who sported all three got a double dose. The main reason he wanted to patrol the beach was to scope out activities future visitors would enjoy. He thinks the jet skis, golf carts, bikes, boogie boards, surf boards and kayaks are enough to keep anyone busy. A favorite attraction was the ice cream truck that drives up and down the beach ringing it's bell. He likes to see the kids go nuts and beg their parents for ice cream. Delete thinks a variation on this with a truck that sold frozen daiquiris would be good.

The final, and most important, activity of the weekend involved managing the Monkeybutters. Pleep promoted Peggy from towel girl to assistant coach and charged her with making a trade happen. He wanted a new first baseman and insisted she get one at any cost. After much negotiation with various other team owners, she finally landed one from Harry Parker's Hattiesburg Eagles. Pleep is going to let her manage the free agent picks and the roster against Team Murph next week. Beating Team Murph is required for the promotion to be permanent. Pleep told her if she loses, it will be back to cleaning the locker room.

Pleep Puts Ed On the DL List

In a move that will have no impact on the Monkeybutters game this week, Pleep moved Ed to the DL list after he turned his ankle. It seems that the 3 mile jaunt on the beach following the initial injury was not such a good idea. When Ed returned from the walk, Delete stepped in as trainer to ice and elevate the leg. Pleep thinks an adult beverage or two might help with the pain.

Pleep observed that the ice was only on for 20 minutes and then had to come off. Therefore, Pleep felt that Ed was not so disabled and that certain household chores could be done. The cabinets and areas under the sinks required a dusting and then installation of a plastic protective liner. When Pleep saw the measuring tape come out, he immediately reached for the cellphone to text Papa Carnicelli. There was a lot of measuring and cutting to be done. Pleep felt Ed needed more expert guidance than he was getting from Peggy, who seemed to think measuring to 1/4 inch was precise enough for the purpose at hand. After all the shelves were handled and dishes, pots, pans, etc. put back in their places, Delete insisted Ed re-ice the foot. It was indeed a bit swollen and rather purple.

It was another perfect evening and a nice Rogan Josh Chicken curry with Naan bread made for a perfect dinner. Ed managed to get up off the couch to do the cooking while Pleep made certain the Budweiser products were kept cold.

The launch of the rocket tonight from Cape Canaveral is scheduled for 11:35 pm. Pleep studied it and found out the payload is another GPS positioning satellite. It is a clear night and the countdown is on schedule. Pleep is a bit concerned that everyone might fall asleep before the launch so he is setting several alarm clocks to make certain there is plenty of advance warning.

Happy Hour & Dinner Party

Pleep declared Thursday to be another day off from chores. The trip to Walmart yesterday was too much for him. He tired himself out monkeybutting everyone in the parking lot and the store. It was a perfect weather day at the beach. Sunny with a nice breeze off the water. Ed & Peggy had a nice 4 mile jaunt on the beach and a good day in the lounge chairs at the pool. A short walk down to the Publix to secure food for happy hour and dinner rounded off the activities. Pleep enjoyed the evening happy hour on the deck with nice views of a very quiet beach.

Ed decided it was time to christen the dining room so Pleep and Delete organized a nice dinner of Caesar salad and chicken tortellini with tomato herb sauce. The local Publix has a great selection of fresh pastas and sauces. Pleep is very anxious to put a good foot forward to all of the potential visitors and wants everyone to know how nice and easy life on the beach is. Finally, there is another rocket launch due tomorrow night around 11:30. The night launches are spectacular because you can really see the flames from the take off and early stages. This means Pleep will want to hit the hay early tonight so that he'll be ready for a late night.

Hanging Around WIth New TV

Pleep and Delete had a big morning. First they had to discuss the Daytona Beach Cubs and what they learned that might help the Monkeybutters. Not much came of that discussion. Then the talk turned to discussion of hanging the new LG 46" tv in the living room. Pleep wanted to make certain it was hung high enough and properly. They finally ended up texting Chris Carnicelli to ask him to get advice from Papa Carnicelli. Pleep remembered talking with Papa C from Nebraska Furniture Mart and was impressed with his ability to measure everything, especially distances and heights for proper tv viewing.

While Pleep and Delete were deep in discussions, Peggy & Ed snuck in a bit of beach time, including a 4 mile jaunt. The install crew showed up and got to work. Pleep insisted the tv be mounted a couple of inches above his head while he was sitting on the chest. The chest includes a wine rack on the lower shelf and Pleep felt it was important to keep the wine far away from any heat generated by the tv. He supervised the entire effort including Ed's hoovering up of the dust. The install crew did a great job running the cables inside the wall and allowing for both HDMI or regular coax cable hookups.

When all the tv work was complete, Pleep took charge of the remote and made himself comfortable in the "Harry" chair. He named the living room chair the Harry chair because it is made with Sunbrella fabric so should hold up well when Harry Parker and others visit. Peggy & Ed had to head to Walmart to cocontinue buying items for the condo and helping the Daytona Beach economy. Pleep thought it was a good idea to follow Mike Power's advice and leave the tv on while everyone was out. That way, when everyone returns home as long as the tv can be heard when you open the door, you know it is still likely on the wall.

Delete Scouts The Daytona Beach Cubs

Pleep was very tired of watching all the moving, organizing & cleaning. After studying the Daytona Beach Cubs schedule, he felt a trip to tonight's game against the St. Lucie Mets was a must. Delete was put in charge of the entire event with the specific charge of observing the management and marketing of the team. He liked the Cubs Players Only reserved parking and spent a lot of time studying the board of former DB Cubs. Where is Jeff Samardzija now? Pleep think he might be better off picking up Randy Wells.

There were a lot of ideas that caught Delete's eye but the one he's trying to sell Pleep on is antlers with Go Monkey on one side and Butters on the other. He also liked all the special promotion events. Tonight was the Silver Sluggers. Anyone over 60 was admitted free and they were out in large numbers. The Silver Sluggers are a particularly rowdy crowd who were enjoying the 32 ounce beers, hot dogs, bingo and tossing beach balls around the ball park. There appeared to be a contest for who could hit someone's beer with a beach ball from the upper stands. Even Pleep thought it would be a bad idea if they ever combined Thirsty Thursdays with the $1 beers and Silver Slugger night.

The highlight of the night for Delete was his conference with Cubbie Bear. The two of them had a lot of strategy to discuss. Pleep is a bit concerned that Delete may be lobbying for a transfer to the DB Cubs.

A Day Of Rest & Relaxation

Pleep was up early this morning because he wanted to enjoy a full day of rest, relaxation and no chores. The first thing he noticed was the traffic jam on the beach. Hundreds of Jeeps, every make and model, including half ton trucks from WWII were out in force. Most had a lot of scantily clad humans hanging out of them. Evidently, we were smack in the middle of Jeep Beach 2010. Knowing our rental vehicle was a Jeep, Pleep was very excited and tried hard to convince Ed to join the parade. He saw it as a prime opportunity to monkey butt everyone in the parade, on the beach and in the water. Under no circumstance was Ed getting involved in the activity. We settled for a long walk and made better time than the Jeeps. Pleep commented that he could see a lot of candidates for the Darwin Club in this lot.

By early afternoon the Jeeps were gone and the beach in our section was fairly quiet. Just the right time for Delete to head out and enjoy the late afternoon sun. Pleep was still grumbling about not getting to be in the parade. He commented, "If Kate, Harry or Beau were here, one of them would have badgered Ed into getting into the parade." He did stop grumbling enough to rearrange the pillows in the guest room. The first arrangement was not to his liking so he kept mixing things up until he felt the combination was right. Now that the guest room is ready, he is moving on to the final touches in the guest bathroom tomorrow. Pleep figures the sooner everything is ship shape and ready for guests the better. Maybe the next time there is a car parade he will have more support for joining it. His final tasks of the day are going to focus on the Monkeybutters. He thinks they need improvements in the batting area and hopes to pick up a few good free agents in the Sunday night picks. If nothing else, scouting opportunities at the Daytona Beach Cubs vs. the Saint Lucie Mets look promising.

Sorting Out The Condo

Pleep was not very interested in most of the Saturday activities which started out with a trip to Macy's to exchange one color of sheets for a different color of sheets. As Pleep said, "What the sheet is going on here!?" However, now that it is all done he is very happy with how the master bedroom will eventually look. Once the proper color of sheets are on the bed, everyone will rest easier.

After the Macy's exchange, the day included Bed, Bath & Beyond, HH Gregg, Marshalls, Home Goods and Target. Pleep thought the trip to HH Gregg was worthwhile because it involved buying more tvs and arranging to have one hung on the wall in the living room. Very nice for watching sports plus a good place to hang while eating bananas. The only other thing Pleep enjoyed about the rest of the stores was the one set of bathroom decor items. Ed drew the line at kitting out either the master or guest bath with the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil wastebaskets, cups, toothbrush holders etc. Finally by 3 pm, Pleep had had it. Even though there was more to do, he balked at going to Walmart and insisted it was time to head to Our Deck Down Under for adult beverages and dolphin viewing. Tomorrow is Sunday and has been declared a day of rest and relaxation - no stores, no cleaning, no organizing. The only likely activities will involve the pool, the beach, and perhaps the Deck.

Pleep Watches Shuttle Launch & Move In

Pleep was up very early this morning in anticipation of the launch of Atlantis & the arrival of the furniture. The local tv station covered the launch all day. Pleep thought they should have made mention of his relatives who were key in the early days of the space program. The launch went off without a hitch and everyone stopped work on the move to watch it from the balcony. The view down to the Cape was perfect and Pleep was cheering as he saw things ignite and then take off.

The move in also went very well with everything coming up in the elevator and getting placed in the right rooms. The moving crew was very organized and Pleep thought the fact that they even hung the pictures up was a big plus. He was very good at supervising the placement of everything, especially the bar stools. Once the living room was sorted out he thought the new look was indeed an improvement from the lawn furniture. He really liked the koi pond oil painting that went over the couch. The dining room area turned out very nice too with plenty of room for Pleep to swing from the chandelier while eating a banana or two.

After the long day of watching everyone work, Pleep thought it was time to do a bit of cocktailing on the deck and watch the tide roll in or out. He rolled out the Diet Blueberry Pomegranate Juice, soda water and Svedka for Peggy and the Yuengling for Ed. Depending on how much time is spent in the cocktail portion of the evening, Pleep does not anticipate an early rising to hit the opening at the Farmers Market. He said there will be plenty of bananas even at 9:00 a.m.

Pleep Heads To Minors In Search Of Players

Pleep is very excited about the upcoming trip to Daytona Beach.  He isn't really that interested in the furniture or organizing the condo.  As far as he is concerned, the airbeds, 52 inch plasma tv and lawn furniture are all that is needed.  

In a desperate effort to jump start the Monkeybutters performance in the California Baseball Nuts League, Pleep and Delete have decided to scout the Daytona Beach Cubs.  After studying their roster and the schedule, he wants to attend Thirsty Thursday and Belly Buster Monday.  An added incentive for Monday is the fact that the Cubs are playing the Mets.  Pleep thinks he might be able to spot talent on the Mets even more than the Cubs.

With cash in hand, Pleep is heading south.  If he doesn't spend it on player acquistions, he figures the $1 beers on Thirsty Thursday will at least provide entertainment value.

Pleep Celebrates Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is one of Pleep's favorite holidays for several reason. First, he gets to monkeybutt everyone who asks, "When is Cinco de Mayo?" Second, it involves something bad happening to the French. Lastly, it gives him an excuse to drink margaritas, Corona and other Mexican specialties even if it is the middle of the week. To insure none of his fans risk receiving the dreaded monkeybutt, Pleep wanted to provide a bit of history on the day. Most importantly, it is not Mexican Independence Day.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for fifth of May) is a voluntarily observed holiday that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. It is celebrated primarily in the state of and in the United States. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

Benito Juárez stopped making interest payments to countries that Mexico owed money to. In response, France attacked Mexico to force payment of this debt. France decided that it would try to take over and occupy Mexico. France was successful at first in its invasion; however, on May 5, 1862, at the city of Puebla,Mexican forces were able to defeat an attack by the larger French army. In the Battle of Puebla, the Mexicans were led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Although the Mexican army was victorious over the French at Puebla, the victory only delayed the French advance on Mexico City. A year later, the French occupied Mexico. The French occupying forces placed Emperor Maximilian I on the throne of Mexico in 1864.

The French, under pressure from the United States, eventually withdrew in 1866-1867. Maximilian was deposed by President Benito Juárez and executed, five years after the Battle of Puebla. The Battle of Puebla was important for at least two reasons. First, although considerably outnumbered, the Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army. "This battle was significant in that the 4,000 Mexican soldiers were greatly outnumbered by the well-equipped French army of 8,000 that had not been defeated for almost 50 years. Second, it was significant because since the Battle of Puebla no country in the Americas has been invaded by an army from another continent.

Dissent In the Clubhouse

It has been contentious this week in the Monkeybutters clubhouse. It all started when Pleep learned the Douglas Packers were unmanaged. He proposed a new owner from the Steinbrenner contingent in New York but was rebuffed. Delete did not take kindly to adding more New Yorkers to the league so he recruited a local Kansas Citian and former KC Chief, Dan McDonough without telling Pleep.

McDonough has now assumed ownership and management of the Packers, quickly making a few roster moves to get Longoria and other star players off the bench. Still disgruntled over the Posednik trade, Delete is considering an offer from McDonough to leave his position as Coach of the Monkeybutters and move over to the Packers. When asked to comment, Pleep replied, "I would hope sibling loyalty would be enough to keep Delete with the MBs but if he leaves, we will never trade with the Packers. We look forward to meeting them later this season and intend to beat them."