mOdem

wayward O is in horse country, aka western howard county, at house where internet connection is MODEM DIALING. reminds wayward O of ancient times when whine of modem was sound of progress writ large and each day brought new beer coaster to mailbox. and team was ONLY ONE IN MID-ATLANTIC REGION and team was in playoffs and team was being robbed by umpires bearing lingering grudges against expectorating second basemen!

amazingly, grumpy little modem is still relevant in these parts, friend. because there is NO DSL here and there is NO CABLE HERE. just horses, chevy silverados and lingering sunsets that twinkle amid bare branches of forested hills. wayward O feels like he should be listening to PEARL JAM or something, just to make experience more authentic.

also arguably relevant despite national ongoing media blackout is black and orange baltimore orioles team. so many breaths of fresh air down in ft. lauderdale so far as the lOst season begins earliest congealings and team looks to see who will make big club to play alongside young savior and the deadwoods.

• adam jones says all right things, check.
• matt wieters says all right things, check.
• jamie walker says all right things. wayward o wondered if he used astronaut diapers to make time during drive from flatlands down to spring training facility but was too shy to ask. check.
• even BROB says all right things!
• markakis says he would say all right things except he doesn't say things, so -- yes that's a check.
• luis hernandez, aka the latino second coming of mark belanger, says all right things.
• dennis sarfate says all right things in eloquent fashion! check.
  
• and trembO says ... we're going to play hard and try to win us some ball games. check.

maybe old man roberts will stick around and play second base and anchor offense. it's not like he's methuselah, exactly. he could play his career here and if team plays cards right he'll probably sniff playoffs in '09 or so. for unlike dial-up internet, team's rebuilding phase seems to be showing real promise finally. also showing promise is washington post, which has a beat reporter covering spring training for orioles. washington post seems to struggle with relationship to non-DC baseball team but seems to have made decision to continue acknowledging existence of Orioles.

all good things. pretty much. except for troy patton's labrums or whatever those things are.

no graphics today or shiny Interweb dingdongs because modem is very creaky and it's unclear at press time whether post will actually make it from computer screen onto cyber space womper tubes.*

wayward O is quite curious about readers' impressions so far as young spring gets under way so if, dear reader, if you have inclination please let fly in the comments section below...

* seems to have!!