Congrats all-around to Your Dodger Blue, who are off to their most fantabulous start in 10 years or so. Giddyup! I hear they won today on some last-second heroics by Milton Bradley - heroics that didn't involve Bradley punching the umpire in the face, strangely enough.

The incompetent Darth DePodesta really shook things up in the off season, getting rid of Green and, unforgivably - Adrian Beltre. I still maintain this success is not by design, and the team is totally bailing DePodesta out.

So what's changed? What's the variable, here?

You've moved out of Los Angeles.

Shut up, inner voice. I hate you. *sigh* But it does make me miss the usual tradition at Chavez Ravine.

Normally, it would go something like this:





Then Clayton and Vogl would get escorted out by the ushers in the fifth inning for smuggling in their own Bud Light. Idiots.

Then, to celebrate victory (God-willing over Bonds and the Giants) it's off to Taylors for the best steaks in LA. If you disagree, we have no choice but to duel to the death.





At this point in the action, Nacho the waiter patiently tolerates us as several bottles of wine are stolen from the rack, and we inevitably wind up shocking a family sitting nearby when they learn we went to the same high-school as their boys.

I don't think you got a good-enough look at the culotte. The delicious-delicious culotte. It's enough to turn even the most militant vegetarian:





Mmmmm....remember: It has to be medium-rare. This is very important. (And don't forget the cottage fries.)

Then, talk turns to stealing the portrait of Tex and Marge Taylor: (As always, we manage to talk Danny out of it.)





Just another weekend at the Ravine.