Fifth Annual Y2K Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza

Two items of note before we kick this thing off.

First, is it really possible that we have fifth annual anythings around here? Have we really been doing this thing that long? We won't reach the official half-decade mark until next October, but since we had our fourth anniversary on October 12, I suppose we're in for a year of fifth annuals... pretty crazy.

Second, sorry for the lack of posts this week. We just moved back into our newly renovated apartment and the internet service is shot. Time Warner Cable is coming by on Saturday so we should be up and running again next week.

That all said, let's focus on this grandest of Y2K traditions, the annual Thanksgiving Day post. As I've had reason to comment the past two years, each time I write this post the list seems to get more and more depressing. In 2005 we were riding high, promise and potential were everywhere. In 2006 we'd fallen just short but you knew the team was on the right track.

Then 2007 happened and that was terrible. And then 2008 happened and that wasn't quite as bad but still, pretty painful.

None of it compares to 2009. There is virtually nothing as far as the on-field product is concerned to be thankful for this season.

But in the spirit of the holiday, we'll give this thing a go anyway. Sure enough, there are things to be thankful for. True, most have nothing to do with the Mets, but I promise some do. So without further ado and in no particular order...

1. Jeff Francoeur

That goofy smile. The awesome post-game interviews. The run through a wall mentality. The impossible-to-spell last name. Yes, we've been waiting for a player like Frenchy since Doug Mientkiewicz flamed out as a Met four years ago.

Frenchy was a hit almost immediately upon arriving at Citi Field; he was a breath of fresh air, somebody who didn't seem to care that the walls were high or that the team was shitty, he just wanted to play. I don't care how you perform, if you play like Francoeur, the fans are going to respect you. But when you can produce like Francoeur did as a Met, there's the potential they're going to love you.

He's not there yet, but he's off to a solid start.

2. The Idea of Ike Davis

Honestly, after following this team forever and watching them develop players of significance about once every 20 years, I'm fairly certain there's no hope that Ike Davis blossoms into the first baseman we've been waiting for since John Olerud and his helment held the position.

That said, everything you read about this kid is positive. He's raking in the Arizona Fall League, but what has me so excited is the .951 OPS he put up at AA Binghamton in 207 at-bats.

They say he won't be ready for the bigs until 2011, which means that when September comes and the Mets have no chance at the postseason at least we'll have some reason to show up at Citi and cheer. There's like an 86% chance he turns into a latter day Jorge Toca, but for now he gives us, if nothing else, hope.

3. Mex Back in the Booth

In this altogether devastating season where we lost about every meaningful player to injury, the thought that we would lose Keith Hernandez in the booth for good was almost too much to bear.

I think Ron Darling said it best in an interview after Hernandez's extension, which will keep him calling games through 2012 at least, was announced. I can't find the quote unfortunately, but essentially he called Mex the key to the vaunted Gary, Keith, and Ron lineup, saying he (Darling) and Gary would be too rigid without Keith mixing things up.

I think Ron and Gary are great, but as they are the first to say, no two of them are ever as good as all three are. In an offseason that is bound to be full of disappointment, this is one transaction that worked out well.

4. Brooklyn Heights

We dodged a bullet there mid-year when me and the wife were looking for a new apartment. We stuck our toe in the Manhattan waters, but ultimately we settled upon a new apartment just a block and a half away from my old one.

Someday, I imagine, I'll want to come back to Manhattan, but for now I'm really happy out in BK (particularly with Jay-Z dropping a new album; half the point of living in Brooklyn is saying "What!!" when a rapper says something about the borough). My sister lives in my old apartment now too so I've got my siblings in a 2-block radius... it's convenient.

5. Eastern Athletic Softball League

Last night I dropped the bomb on Sip... A.F.O.M.G. had been named Rookie of the Year for our softball league. I'm not one to brag but it was pretty fun rubbing that one in.

The whole league was awesome, everything I'd been looking for in a softball league since I graduated from college. The spring season can't come soon enough. I feel like Shaq in those Icy Hot commercials -- I want another ring so bad I can taste it.

6. Day & Age - The Killers; Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne

In a sense, this is my favorite part of these Thanksgiving Day posts. Writing about the albums that defined my year makes these posts snapshots in time that remind me instantly of where I was and what my life was like when I wrote them.

It's tempting to call Day & Age, the Killers' third disc, a return to form after Sam's Town, but that doesn't give Sam's Town enough credit. Opinions were mixed on the Killers' second album, but with Day & Age they returned, in large measure, to the synth-driven formula that made them stars with their first album, Hot Fuss. Highlight tracks include "I Can't Stay", "Spaceman", "A Dustland Fairtytale", "Losing Touch", "Tidal Wave", and "Forget About What I Said".

As for Tha Carter III... well, I was new to Weezy before this year. Driving home/to Ohio for Christmas last year, B.O.A.F.O.M.G. recommended I give the album a listen. From the first time I heard "Got a million duffled up / for / the / fuck / of it / shit" I was hooked.

The New Orleans Nightmare's third album is so packed with memorable lyrics that my friend Shabasito makes a regular habit of texting me lyrics that he finds hillarious. My personal favorite is "You better keep payin' me / cuz you don't want my problems / I be wilin' like Capital One / what is in your wallet?" but there are so many contenders that could change at any time.

Anyway, since listening to Tha Carter III I've downloaded the other two albums and a few mix tapes. Highlight tracks from Tha Carter III include "A Milli", "3 Peat", "You Ain't Got Nuthin'", "Got Money", ,"Phone Home", and "Let the Beat Build". Other standout Weezy tracks include "Best Rapper Alive", "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", "Tha Mobb", "Feel Me", and "Walk In".

7. My Health

Ever heard of intestinal metaplasia?  Neither had I; I'm still not entirely clear what it is, but for 6 months there was real concern that I had it.

I had this recurring stomach pain earlier in the year so I had an endoscopy done. To quote the doctor, I had the stomach of a "70 or 80 year old man"; not where you want to be at 26. In response it was no caffeine or alcohol for the next six months.

When he first handed own the prescription I didn't think there was a chance I could do it, but it ended up being a lot easier than I expected. The six months went by and when I went back in for my follow-up exam, the doctor, who said he was "stunned" and had not given me a chance, reported that I had staged a full recovery. No sign of metaplasia anywhere. The stomach of a 26 year old again.

If the 2009 Mets taught us anything it's that health is the most important thing. With the Mets succombing to injury all around me I had my own scare. More than anything else this Thanksgiving, I'm most thankful that I still have my health.

8. Readers Like You

The salvo I close each of these posts with, while cheesy, really is true. There's nothing I love more than checking the site and seeing that a lot of people have tuned in for that day's post, or that they've commented on the board.

Thanks so much for your continued patronage of Y2K. We lost Sip and Ched, but I like to think we've had a content-rich year all the same. Here's to five more years (at least).

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. 

- A.F.O.M.G.