When a series ends, the team leaves straight from the ballpark to go to the airport. Once they arrive at airport, they sit on the plane for about an hour before take-off. The flight to Cincinnati from Chicago is only about an hour but by the time we got back to the ballpark on that particular day, it was around 9:40. We then had to wait for our luggage to arrive. This process makes for kind of a long day after going to work between 9 and 10 am…

Not only was the flight during “dinner time”, most restaurant kitchens in Cincinnati are closed by 10 pm on Sundays so getting take-out for dinner that late at night isn’t really an option. The other dinner option would be to just eat at home. Unless a player (or staff member) has a significant other at home or a personal grocery shopper (I don’t know any players who do, I’m just throwing this out there to cover my bases) odds are, their refrigerators are pretty empty (or maybe pretty gross) after 10-11 days on the road.

So… Odd to the average onlooker? Maybe. Totally awesome to the average onlooker? Probably. Convenient for players? Heck yes. Ridiculous? I wouldn’t quite call it that, but to each their own…

This topic getting so much media attention leads me to remind you all one thing… No matter what you think an athlete’s lifestyle is like, there is one definitive term that we can all agree on- it’s just different.

- D

You’re funny. We like your style.

Congrats on winning the fan contest!

Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to those of you who ignored the contest rules but still sent me photos of awesome signs anyway…

I’m looking at you, Matt Diller.

It looks like the girls are having a blast and that’s what it’s all about.

I like their style too!

I received many other fan sign photos that would be politically incorrect for me to post here but it seems that most of you know my sense of humor so just know that I appreciate the laughs.

Happy cheering on the Reds this season!

xx

D

To make this request fun, Mat and I decided to announce a contest. Rules: Email me a picture of you with your sign showing support for the Reds at the ballpark on Friday to enter for a chance to win tickets to a future game.

Email address: DallasLatos@Reds.com

Odds are, you guys will come up with too many awesome signs for us to declare a single winner and I’ll have to treat this situation like a Halloween costume contest. “Funniest”, “Creepiest”, “Cutest”, etc. No matter what, someone will win. Just don’t be surprised if I get too excited.

Entries will be accepted until Saturday at midnight, standard Ohio time. Winners will be announced on Monday.

Come at me, bro.

Xo

D

(p.s. who says that? HA!)

Official Rules for So I Married A Baseball Player… Giveaways:

The more I thought about how many times I skip working out because I only have 30 minutes (or the hotel gym sucks) and cardio is no longer the hip way to get fit, I realized that reading too many health studies published by non-experts has taxed my spirit. Everyone is a guru with a magic trick. Everyone has the key to looking better than you did when you were 9. Everyone makes you feel like a loser if you aren’t being a freaking lunatic and counting your almonds into snack baggies (I totally do this).

You cant out-train a bad diet and this is the part of the realization where I really got pissed… I found myself looking at restaurant menus and thinking, there’s a bad choice I won’t really like or a worse choice that I will- screw it… PIZZA! (etc.)

I can’t explain why I suddenly had a rational thought in my mind because we all know these are isolated incidents, but I can say this… If you’re still reading my jibber-jabber, you might understand where I’m coming from. If you don’t, you might find yourself in psycho shoes one day so hear me out..

BALANCE IS KEY.

Health is a personal journey that everyone is trying to sell you. The good decisions you make will all add up eventually just like the bad ones did. Cut corners where you can. Get that extra action in even if it means using the stairs when there’s an escalator. Don’t let people writing about the right way to do things make you feel bad.

For example:  I had anxiety about eating a banana while traveling the other day because of “ALL OF THE SUGAR” that most “health” writers warn you about. That is not even cool.

STOP FREAKING OUT AND START MOVING YOUR BUTT, ‘MERICA.

xo

D

One of my golden rules is to not discuss money with strangers but rules were made to be broken and there’s no other way to bring this situation to light. In 2010 (Mat’s first full year in the big leagues), we left tickets for every long lost cousin’s estranged best friend without even thinking twice. It didn’t seem like a big deal and we were just happy and excited to have support in the stands. At the end of that year, it was brought to our attention by our financial advisor that we had spent a collective $14,000 on tickets. Fourteen. Thousand. Dollars. That’s a huge insanity pie no matter which way you slice it.  It was at that moment and without hesitation that we decided we would never do that again.

Before the start of the 2011 season, we unapologetically explained the situation to our family. We offered to leave tickets by request to people who were willing to pay us back what we were charged for a ticket at any given ballpark and everyone was more than happy to do so because hello- discount! Also, in most cases, even our family and friends had no idea that we pay for tickets and most felt a little guilty- totally not our intention. You live and you learn.

If you are a baseball wife and you’re reading this, I strongly advise that you lay down the law quickly. It is one thing to leave tickets for parents and close family but it is quite another to pay $90 a ticket for someone you haven’t seen in 6 years to bring Jolly Jilly Loud Mouth on a first date to root against the opposing team in your own family section. I won’t get into that one but you can use your imagination to figure out how annoying that experience was.

The bottom line is this- no matter how much money you make you should always be mindful of your spending and to quote the late and great over-used phrase, “Nothing in life is free”.

Stay humble. Stay grateful. Be kind. Be mindful.

Xo

D

Because I like to believe that negative thoughts are draining and should be avoided at all costs, I have decided to post a list of positive things that happened this spring.

1. Mat and I successfully watched seasons 1-5 of Big Bang Theory from start to finish. I may not have a 6 pack but my butt probably looks more like a couch and couches are comfy. Bazinga!

2. We all shared that really fun comradery during MLB Network’s Face of MLB competition on the Twitter. It showed me that we can all get along and agree on something as a fan base- refreshing and RAD! (get it, comRADe?)

3. I potty trained our cats to use the toilet while we were in Arizona. Now there is no need for speculation, I really am a crazy cat lady.

4. I may have had a panic attack and 3 too many vodka drinks in the 7th inning alone but Mat didn’t break his ankle in his last start. Thank goodness.

5. They still haven’t been able to find Bigfoot on Animal Planet so we don’t have to really worry about him eating us or seeing us naked (since he’s obviously invisible) any time soon.

6. Connecting with fans via the jersey signing thing was a really fun experience for Mat and I. After all, who doesn’t like cat toys and vodka showing up in their husband’s fan mail?!

7. This list is getting silly so let me say something kind of serious…

While I’m borderline disappointed with the things that I did not achieve since we arrived in Goodyear, I believe in the power of being able to laugh at one’s own short-comings and above all, let go of the wish to please everyone at once- it is impossible and I have finally accepted it so.

“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world and there’s still going to be someone who hates peaches”. – Dita Von Teese

I could have said that in my own words but this quote is perfect and if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

Bottom line- things don’t always happen as we plan and the most important person who will ever love you is yourself.

Have a happy week, friends.

SEVEN DAYS.

xo

D

No matter where I turn, it seems kale is what the kool kids eat.

The other day a friend reminded me of an awesome leafy green veggie- rainbow chard. It’s so much more fun than kale, it’s no wonder vegetables want to pretend it doesn’t exist. It’s way more colorful than kale… Prettier than kale… And why doesn’t Brutus just stab Caesar?!  (Mean Girl reference, not very fetch, I know.)

Anyway… Rainbow chard is fun because it’s colorful and you can cook it any way you’d cook the old green staple, spinach or the new girlfriend, kale.

I cooked  it in the following steps and then I ate it all. Do you dare?

Ingredients:

1 bunch rainbow chard

1/2 cup veggie stock

1/4 cup white whine

2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Pepper to taste

(Note: if you use a sweet wine, skip the sugar or reduce one ingredient)

(Note 2: I was trying to keep fat intake down/avoid oil but if you’re feeling froggy, leap)

Step by step, day by day:

1. Buy rainbow chard

2. Chop the leaves and separate the ribs. Cut them how you want but you’ll see my method in the upper right hand figure.

3. Turn stovetop to just above medium heat and add veggie stock and pepper to pan.

4. Put stems of chard in pan and cook for 4-5 minutes

(Add the rest of the ingredients some time within this period as you see fit)

5. Start adding chopped chard to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes.

6. Place lid on pan & steam for 2 mins.

7. Put on plate.

8. Eat.

7 eight 9.

Yum.

I’m not good at recipes but if you’re lucky, you’re good at remixes.

Namaste.

-D

While I was shopping near the meat section, I came across cedar wraps. I asked a butcher if he had ever used them and he replied in a rather short, snappy tone , “No. But they keep things moist. Moist is good. *grunt*”. I may be making up the grunt part but the dude clearly wasn’t in the mood for polite conversation. I cheerfully annoyed him by saying, “Cool! I’ll totally have to try them!” in my best “I’m as dumb as I look” voice.

Side note: playing the overly enthusiastic blonde card is always a good idea when people are grumpy and you’re temped to be grumpy back. You end up feeling better and they feel more confused.

Moving right along…

By the time I made it home to put away the groceries and cook dinner, I had no idea what we actually had in the kitchen. I knew one thing- I was using that stinking cedar wrap no matter what.

After little deliberation, I decided I would marinate some chicken breasts in a marinade I frequently concoct for the grill, wrap those breasts in bacon, put some asparagus on top and wrap that whole shebang in cedar wraps. While it would have been way more delicious on a grill, this is spring training and I’m limited to a stove top and an oven- I just make it work.

The following is what I came up with on a few hours of sleep and with little brain power. You could stretch this recipe to the moon and back. Use prosciutto instead of bacon. Add some goat cheese. Maybe some brown sugar. Baby spice. Sporty Spice. Posh Spice. Get creative! Recipes aren’t meant to instruct, they’re meant to inspire. (Unless you really suck in the kitchen… In that case, read this post carefully and follow it like food paparazzi).

You need:

2 large Chicken breasts

6 strips Center cut bacon

12 stalks of asparagus

Cedar wraps

Butcher string

Water

(Forgot to tell you.. Cedar wraps are usually near the meat department. If you don’t see them, ask the butcher & hope (s)he’s more friendly than Mr. Moist)

For marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons mesquite seasoning

1 tablespoon minced garlic (or about 2 cloves)

1. Mix all ingredients for marinade

2. Rinse & trim fat from chicken breasts

3. Combine. Marinate chicken breasts for 30-60 mins

4. Soak cedar wraps and butcher string for 30 mins

(In order to keep the cedar wraps submerged, you may have to get as crafty as I did and put something on top of them. I marinated the chicken in a smaller Pyrex than the one I soaked the cedar wraps in so I stacked them. BOSS)

ALERT: DON’T FORGET TO PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 375!

5. Lay your cedar wraps out with the bacon on top. The following photo was my first idea… It was awful. If the chicken breasts I was working with hadn’t seen Dr. 90210, this might have worked. 

It didn’t.

This idea however… much better.

The bacon is laid so that it’s flush with the right edge, I put the breast on top, then I wrapped the bacon around.

NOTE: smaller breasts wont require 2 pieces of cedar wrap but these breasts did.

6. Add a bit of the marinade on top of the bacon.

7. Lay 6 asparagus spears on each bacon wrapped breast.

8. Add another cedar wrap on top and wrap it all around the meaty short stack.

9. Tie the butcher string to make it appear like a parcel of foodie goodness.

10. Put them in a Pyrex dish with about a cm of water at the bottom.

11. Bake your breasts according to size. Like I said, these were on Pam Anderson’s level so I put them in at 375 for an hour.

12. Serve. 

I left the bottom cedar wrap on the plate to make it seem like I did something fancy. To my knowledge, that tactic didn’t have much impact.

Lesson notes:

-Cedar wraps seem more suitable for grilling but does cool tricks in the oven too. Mat said the flavor was phenomenal and cooked all of the way through the meat.

-I should have put the breasts back in the oven for 5 minutes on broil to make the bacon a little more crispy but no one complained.

-I now have 49842 million ideas for cooking with cedar wraps. It was fun.

Let me know if you find yourself experimenting and I will do the same. I need a broader audience. My one picky eater is starting to stifle my creativity.

That’s all for now folks!

Peace, love and I miss bacon.

Xo

D

Chris is 39 years old and has been married to his wife Laurie for 15 years.  They have three young children; Chase (8) and in the 2nd grade, Rickson (2) and Alani (infant) who was just adopted this past September right before Chris became sick.  Chris has worked for the Cincinnati Reds the past 15 years and was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare form of blood cancer.  His only cure is a bone marrow transplant.  Presently, no donors in the bone marrow registry match Chris. A match must be found to save his life. Without it, his wife and children will lose him to this battle.

Chris and others need a matching Tissue Type…not a blood type match.

MARROW DONOR REGISTRY DRIVE, AGES 18 TO 44

Friday, February 22nd

11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Cincinnati Reds

Great American Ball Park

(Reds Hall of Fame Museum)

Event flyer: Bethematchdrivereds

Fill out a Registration form and have the inside of your cheek swabbed

to have your Tissue Type tested

Contact info: Dannie Terre Moore, Be The Match Recruiter dmoore@nmdp.org or Michael Anderson at manderson@reds.com

_________________________________

Additional drive:  Pattison Elementary School, Milford

Saturday, February 23 from 9am – 3 pm

Event flyer: Bethematchdrivepattison

_________________

And if you don’t live in the Cincinnati area you can still register for the Bone Marrow Registry here:

www.bethematch.org  Use promo code: REDS03MATCH

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