It’s been an amazing season for the Tampa Bay Rays. They went from being a black spot on our sunny map to the most celebrated team in the region. Tampa Bay Rays apparel can be seen everywhere you go. There is a lot of pride in the team, and a day of celebration has even been named in their honor.

And, even though the Rays did not quite take the World Series, they did win the American League title. And much like a tasty cherry on the top of an already delicious cake, our own Evan Longoria has won American League Rookie of the Year today.

The much loved third baseman won in a unanimous vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. This is the first time in the Rays’ 11-year history that they have had a Rookie of the Year on their roster.

Since yesterday was my birthday, I have been thinking about birthday cake. My mother took the time to bake me an old-fashioned heavy cake with lemon chiffon on top. Yum. That icing made me think about my Great Grandpa Watson and his favorite birthday cake – a traditional 1-2-3 Cake, with bananas and 7-Minute Frosting.

1 cup butter or Crisco
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
3 eggs
pinch of salt
3-4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and bake in three greased and floured 9-inch layers at 350º until tester comes out clean (approximately 25-30 minutes).

Ice with Seven-Minute Frosting between each layer and on top. Slice bananas lengthwise to prevent turning brown and place them between the layers.

NOTE: With almost all of Grandma Watson’s cakes, she made a little “test cookie” to see if it needed more flour.

I know the Iron Man competition is a big deal. I realize people train for the event for years. There are tons of reasons people challenge themselves to the event – to realize personal goals, overcome adversity, compete with other athletes. It’s admirable.

It’s also annoying. Traffic here in Clearwater was tied up for hours this morning and afternoon. I took my daughter to a stage version of Sleeping Beauty down in Largo this morning and forgot factor in the bikes. It was insane. There were only a few places you were allowed to cross Route 60. I could not go south and once I turned West, I could not make a left so I could continue south. I ended up making a U-turn when I saw a clear spot on 60 and it was clear sailing from there. I did look on the Iron Man website for the traffic tips, but I found intersections unavailable way past the times that were posted. I could have just used US 19, but I thought I was hitting the intersections I needed during clear times.

I guess I do not understand how in our economy we can justify events that tie up a good portion of our police force and keep thousands of residents from being able to go about their day. The St Petersburg Times even put out an entire section on how to survive the Iron Man, and it was not directed to the athletes, but rather those of use who had to share our city.

A Fever. Yes, I got sick.

I woke up tired, but that is nothing new. I have to get up around 5:30 each morning in order to have my daughter to pre-care in time to get to the High School. I’, tired. The students are tired. The other teachers are tired. It is nothing special.

However, by 4th period I was bushed. I went to the nicer of the two teachers’ lounges and was thrilled to find it empty. I left the lights off and had a nap on the leather couch. It did not help much. In 5th period I was getting chills and by 6th period I was flushed and running a definite fever.

Even so, I managed to go to Arigato with my mom, daughter, sister and nephew. That was a exercise in confusion. I had called about their free meal policy and they told me to bring my “red card”. I assumed that was my points card, which I had in my wallet. They had meant some sort of red card you are mailed. I never received one of those. So, no free birthday meal ? The food was still decent.

Anyway, here it is Saturday morning and I feel much better. I went to bed shivering before 8 last night, even though my daughter assured me the bedroom was hot.

I just hope the fever stays away.

I am disheartened by how many Americans voted for big government last night. I cannot imagine using my precious vote to say that I want the government to have their hands in even more of my business. I’m an adult. I can handle my own finances, moral decisions, and other major decisions. I don’t need the government to tell me how to love on every, single issue.

I think we will be surprised at how much more of our lives become legislated in the next few years.

He seems genuinely shocked about the way the Obama campaign is forcefully trying to muzzle him. Was he busy watching old Laverne and Shirley reruns when the same campaign suddenly pulled Michelle Obama out of the spot light after she opened her mouth in public and showed us all her inner angry woman? What about when they kicked The New York Post, the Washington Times, and the Dallas Morning News off of Obama’s press plane just days after each paper’s editorial sections had endorsed McCain?

As a comical aside, two of the seats vacated by those journalists who have been kicked off the press plane will now be filled with writers from “Ebony” and “Essence”. Wave Goodbye to hard-hitting investigative journalism and Hello to fawning feature articles.

He and his wife are in Florida today and will stop in Gainesville. It is not as though Gainesville needs a lot of convincing. They are a tiny blue dot in the middle of a sea of read during every presidential election. You can thank the University of Florida for that. The students and professors make up a tiny puddle of liberalism in an otherwise conservative county, and surrounding. So, it is not as thought Biden is being given a very difficult task in Gainesville. It is the equivalent of giving your “slow” uncle a pity job bagging groceries at the family supermarket.

Do people really think that Obama’s censorship tactics will stop if he in the White House? If anything, they will become more strong-arm and aggressive. The Obama campaign is staffed by a throng of Thugs.

Go ahead, you bleeding heart liberals, drink your Kool-Aid. And while you are at it, get a job.

Ironic, isn’t it? Florida’s early voters are out in droves, but only 15% of them are under 35. That’s odd, coming from such a whiny, loud, pushy, outspoken generation. They love to talk trash, but when it comes to getting out and actually taking a few minutes to cast a vote, young voters would rather stay at home and play on their Wii.

So many people seem in awe of the fact that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie raise six children together – the three they adopted and the three they had naturally.

Me, I just roll my eyes? Why? Well, listen to this little bit of info:

“During a recent trip to New Orleans, the couple – who raise three adopted children, a biological two-year-old daughter and three-month-old twins together – originally flew out with four nannies but had to jet in an extra two after reportedly struggling to manage their large brood.”

Seriously? They need one nanny per child. I have friends with 5 and 6 children who do everything quite well without any help at all. In fact, I know casually one family who has 11 children and never use outside help. Even so, they have things well under control. It’s not impossible.

So, go ahead and send the Jolie-Pittsgift baskets to congratulate them on their stunning child rearing abilities if you must, but I will save my kudos for the day when they stop acting out the roles of privileged brats and run their won family without the help of hired hands.

And we wonder why our nation is debt the way we are? We spend SO much money on public programs and when it comes down to it, a large number of people using such services are not even in the country legally. Take, for example, the case of Barrack Obama’s aunt.

It turns out that Obama’s aunt, Zeituni Onyango, has been living in PUBLIC HOUSING here in Boston, even though an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago. She is living here illegally. She is living in publically subsidized housing, which also raises the question of HOW she secured such housing with a standing deportation order in place.

There are estimates that show there are more than 10 million such immigrants in the United States – people who have been told to leave and willfully decided to disobey the order, to willfully break the law.

So, while many Americans are unable to find affordable housing, people like Obama’s aunt are taking up valuable room in our social programs. And, what does Obama want to do? He wants to expand these kinds of broken, corrupt programs. He wants to spend more of our tax dollars of programs that will inevitably go to benefit people living in the United States illegally instead of the Americans who deserve the assistance.

Deplorable.