Awaiting spring thaw

Doug:
Christ, I don't know what's wrong with me …

 

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Bill:
Getting that burning and itching sensation when you urinate again, Doug?

 

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Doug:
It's like this … I didn't even realize Papelbon was arbitration eligible until I read that he'd signed the one year deal.

 

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Doug:
Worse, Truck Day is announced as February 6th and my reaction is "Meh"

 

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Doug:
I've nevah felt this little enthusiasm for a new Red Sox season in my life.

 

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Bill:
Look, it's OK to feel this way.

 

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Bill:
We no longah have to metastasize every single hope and dream and fear of failure into the coming season.

 

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Bill:
We've been to the friggin' mountaintop, guy.

 

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Bill:
So we no longah need to wait until next. Every year is this year and next year simultaneously.

 

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Doug:
Yeah, you're probably right.

 

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Bill:
And besides we're firmly in the clutches of a cold wintah … you'll come 'round once spring comes

 

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Bill:
Right now we are like snow-whipped sugah maples, dormant, looking dead …

 

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Bill:
But noons when the sun prevails, ovah late March's gales, will come the multiple dull drum of sap in empty pails.

 

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Doug:
I like that. But if we Red Sox fans are sugah maples, what are Yankees' fans?

 

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Bill:
Oh, that, well I do believe they are the common chokecherry.

 

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Comments

[h.b]

I seem to have whacked the "Author's Notes" functionality during the redesign, so I'll put the notes in the comments for now.

Bill's "dull drum" lines are derived from these stanzas in the poem "Spring Thaw" from the collection Knee-deep In Blazing Snow: Growing Up In Vermont by James Hayford.

Of signs that spring is come,
One, less remarked than some,
Is the multiple dull drum

Of sap in empty pails.
Noons when the sun prevails
Over late March's gales.

[louclinton]

aside from not knowing what "cluthes" is, I agree.

...just waiting for the sap to rise...

lc

[Ryan O'Neil]

We have indeed been to the mountain top and our victories have rolled down like waters and our righteousness like a mighty Beckett sinker.

I had a dream that one day this nation would rise up and cast off the chains of Yankee inequities.

And it was all friggin' sweet.

Chokecherry. Nice.

[Harwich Rich]

I feel my sap rising already,oh wait a minute...never mind :D

[h.b]

"cluthes" now correctly reads "clutches"

[louclinton]

kindly note the subtlty of my typo observation.

you're all welcome.

Time to get training for the season ahead, because they can't do it without us losers.

lc

[louclinton]

oh, and i can't wait to hear what "venue" the blissful couple chose for their nuptials.

I'm hoping for the batting cage underneath the bleachers myself.

[h.b]

BTW I think it's OK to mention this now: The Soxaholix will be appearing on the back cover of the 2009 Red Sox Annual from Maple Street Press.

Stay tuned for possible more news on the Soxaholix in print later in the spring.

[Bob]

Why the hell are you all up and commenting so early?

Anyway, Fenway was fun yesterday. Got to walk through all the executive office areas (John Henry says, "Hi" to all Soxaholix except Jason), and check a few "venues" out.

For the reception, looks like it'll be the EMC Club. The wedding ceremony itself will probably be on the Budweiser right field deck thingy.

LC, open bar all day...(email me your damn address).

BTW, LOTS of construction going on at the park.

Tacos at La Verdad on Landsdowne afterwards. Tongue, tripe, sausage and pork. Muy deliciouso.

[Bob]

BTW, very cool, H.B. Other than their disturbing obsession with Duke basketball, Maple Street is a quality publisher.

[Ryan O'Neil]

hb, Congrats! But how will we click on links in the paper edition?

[Kaz]

Nice, Bob. I have been up to the administrative offices before a few times. Nice place, considering where they're crammed into. Haven't been by J Henry's office yet though.

Congrats on the publishing, h.b. Maybe I'll see if I can get a copy of the annual this year.

One more correction to today's strip, btw, the chokecherry link is missing the htt from the http.

[NolaSox]

They could also be Ashes and Beeches

[Natalie]

Awesome, hb. Let us know how to order... hopefully they can ship across the pond.


Bob- when's the big day? Right field roofdeck, eh? I think I MAY have been there once on a late September day... but I couldn't say for sure :) Many congrats from Londontown to you and Abby...

[Bob]

Email me an address Natalie. It'd be great to have you there since Abby is already jealous of you, and I can use that to my advantage.

[yazbread]

My sister-in-law teaches baking in a culinary institute. I'll ask her to come up with a recipe for a sirachhi-based frosting.

[Scott]

Congrats Bob if I haven't said that before. Very cool that you are having the celebration at Fenway. That just about tops the list for a "destination" wedding. Nice job.

When are the Sox going to resign Manny?? 1-year deal keeps him off the Yankees and/or Angels.

[Bob]

Funny, Yazbread. Abby actually loves red velvet cake. Perhaps a version that's just a touch spicier?

[Bob]

Thanks, Scott. Wanna come to the festivities? I kind of feel bad for singling out certain Soxaholix over others. It's just that a few of us have either actually met or have a creepy H.B.-related online relationship. So, anybody who knows my email address can send their address and get an invite. Well, almost anybody, BigBri.

Warning: Abby's registering for La Creuset cookware.

[h.b]

No links in the print version of course, which is one of the things that makes print so difficult and why these print versions will always be a once in a while deal and never a daily.

With no links not only is a lot of the context lost, but also I risk not being able to attribute lines the characters are using that were actually written by someone else.

Finally, the print stuff has to be more "timeless" in that it could be read months and months after it was written, which is more or less the opposite of the online version where any given strip only has a few days of shelf life at best.

To that end then the print stuff will be different and probably seem a lot "less" than what you online readers are used to. Also they'll most likely be a medley of lines and panels you've already read before and are just repackaged for print.

Sucks on one hand. On the other hand, the chance to reach a whole new audience is something that is hard to resist.

[louclinton]

Click Rip Off!!!

[h.b]

l.c.,

Do you remember when there was actually a "www.soxaholics.com" rip?

It mysteriously appeared a few months after I went online.

It didn't last very long. The name is still registered though.

People who start blogs, be they ripoffs or of the pure of heart, typically have no idea of the work involved.

Meanwhile this this creepy site continues to plod along in it's 6th year.

[Ryan with a capital "R"]

Le Creuset? Good luck to you, Bob :) At least it's quality stuff. And that's a super-cool and very enviable location.

[Bob]

L.C., it's not the first time H.B. has been ripped-off. I had a physical the other day and my doctor called me an "Alcoholic."

I'm here all week. Try the veal.

[sonomasox]

Congrats to HB - although I (we) may become a little obsessive having our creepy site parlayed to the masses

I'm thinking HB can also work on a Bob/Abby montage for the reception or maybe the invites - you know, because he has so much extra time.

How 'bout Doug and Susan figurines to top off the cake?

[Jason O.]

I was thinking a while back about a Yankxaholix parody site.

But then I ordered another Schneider Aventinus and moved on to something else. Like how to play a phonograph record with a peanut.

I remain your obedient servant,
Jason O.

[Jason O.]

Incidentally HB, I'm begging you, I dig New England poets as much as the next guy, but give me some broad-shouldered Carl Sandburg one of these days.

[Rob in CT]

** "Le Creuset? Good luck to you, Bob :)" **

Actually, Ryan, I was thinking just the opposite. As I read that post I thought to myself, "La Creuset?! Damn! Abby must be some kind of cook to be looking at that high end equipment. Bob is some lucky guy..." She going to be using that on top of the new commercial Viking range you're getting her, Bob? Oh, and of course congrats to the both of you! Wish you both all the best.

And Hart, that's really cool news on the publishing. Although I'll admit to feeling the same way people used to feel about moving to Colorado when I grew up: As soon as they arrived, they wanted to close the gate and not let in any other "Outsiders". ("Others" to you Lostaholix.) Just the selfish boy in me with two pieces of candy who doesn't want to share coming out, I guess.

[h.b]

I wouldn't worry too much about being overrun with new readers and all that comes with that.

I can't imagine the creepy things here ever appealing to the masses.

[h.b]

"on top of the new commercial Viking range"

Oh, hell, yeah. "Get the butter."

[scott12xu]

RE: "metastasize": Always nice to see a fellow Naked Raygun fan here.

Jason O: That's nothing, Tommy Lee can honk a boat horn with his... oh, you said PEANUT... never mind.

[Bob]

//How 'bout Doug and Susan figurines to top off the cake?//

Cool. Also, maybe Lisa off to the side pining for the groom, and Marty buried face down into the pasty cream with a tiny toy axe in his head.

His strawberry couli blood running down the cake to form the Red Sox logo completes my ideal cake.

Oh, and the bottom tier could be a cross-section of a basement, with BigBri watching a Lifetime movie and maturbating meringue into his mom's face while his "uncle" looks on.

Abby, dear, what do you think?

[Bob]

Oh, and Rob, I'm the cook in the family. Abby's only skill on the stove is peeling off a ramen lid prior to microwaving.

Abby, dear, I love you...

[Ryan with a capital "R"]

Rob, I was thinking more along the lines of "Well, that's REALLY expensive stuff." But, of course, if it's used properly, well, enjoy Bob.

[Rob in CT]

Veiled Parisian tango comments, HB?

Have you no shame, mes ami?

[Rob in CT]

Would those be "kanoodles" she's making on that stovetop?

Nothing? [*crickets*] I know you're out there. I can hear you mouthbreathing.

Sorry, Ryan. I read too much ~sarcasm~ into your post. I see what you were saying now. (Hey, nobady said I was the brightest noodle in the ramen bowl.) And I trust Bob to know exactly how to use all the appliances in his house.

[soxdownunder]

Hey Bob, it sounds too good to miss. I'm scouring the interwebs for a later conference. Never say never. I'm with lc on the batting cage but...

[Bob]

It'll be sometime in September, SDU. Either the 5th, 6th, 19th, or 26th. Fenway can't confirm anything quite yet until their summer concert date is official.

Love to have a Soxaholix table at the reception. Shite, I'd sit there. And H.B. would be lurking...somewhere...perhaps in his Baseball Tavern hot girl outfit.

[soxdownunder]

mmmm ... Baseball Tavern hot girl ..

[soxdownunder]

mmmmm...Baseball Tavern hot girl ...

[Rob in CT]

Really like your Baseball Tavern hot girls, huh, SDU?

They wearing teal bridesmaid dresses or something? :D

[Bob]

You had to be there, Rob. H.B. was smokin' hot.

[h.b]

And I cut my nails.

[Rob in CT]

Phew! The sap was rising, huh?

[Bob]

Okay, I'm starting Beer Cart a tad early. Because the last client of the week just left and today's featured beer is Pacifico.

Was just fiddling around on Wordle.net and made up the name plate for the Soxaholix wedding table (my apologies if I left somebody out. Abby.):

SoxaholixWeddingTable

Anyway, have a great weekend all. Hopefully we'll have something fun to yak about on Monday.

[NolaSox]

With all the wedding cake talk, I get to introduce y'all to my other guilty pleasure blog. cakewrecks Warning you can spend ages at this site looking at confectionary disasters.

Bob, I think this is the baker who can pull off that cake for you. http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/07/names-wreck-cake-wreck.html

[sonomasox]

Bob - If can get those cake & pasta dishes...I'm thinking a lot of Soxaholix will show.

Do they make clip art of greasy, gold chain wearing basement dwellers? Hey, I'm just looking out for Bob's reception motif.

[Billy Mahty]

Congrats on the new exposures for Soxaholix, h.b.

[SAC]

RAYS=Weepin' Willows

[Genghis Ortiz]

blah blah blah blah blah

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/sports/baseball/26review.html?ref=sports

As if we didn't know this all, already? Heh.