We knew at the end of last season (which was terrible) that the Evansville Otters would be receiving a new manager. Personally, I've not been looking forward to who the candidates were or who the City would finally decide on, but I think I'm happy. Just taking a look at this guys experience gives me goosebumps at the opportunities next years team will have.

Jason Verdugo is the new Otters manager and with him he brings experience from:

Verdugo was named head baseball coach at Division III Hamline before the 2002 season. He overcame an 8-28 record in his first year to post a 21-19 mark in 2003. His record over the last five seasons with the Pipers is 100-96, including marks of 26-14 in 2006 and 22-18 in 2007. Verdugo was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coach of the year in 2006.

Since 2005, Verdugo has also served as pitching coach and first base coach of the Saints. His 2007 staff posted a 4.11 ERA en route to a 57-39 record. St. Paul reached the American Association finals in 2006 and 2007.

Information lifted from the Evansville Otters Homepage.

So, who else is excited to start some more Thirsty Thursdays next year? I'll be the one holding 4 brewskies in a carrier and partying with my friends in the stands, feel free to come over and say hi.

What does Halloween in Evansville Indiana mean to you? To me it means keeping a watchful late night eye on my front yard, to keep the neighborhood kids from TPing me like they did last year. It also means it's time to start keeping up on the falling leaves, because last year I did them all at once to the tune of over 70 HUGE bags(I eventually just gave up).

But this year will be special, because I plan on starting a new tradition for my family and most importantly my daughter. Tonight we will be going to Boo at the Zoo at Mesker Park. The activities they have for little kids sounds like fun and a chance to take my daughter to her first ever Halloween event sounds too good to be true, at least for my wife. Although she is too young to really experience now, it's a tradition worth starting and enjoying.

Boo at The Zoo Info

Boo at the Zoo (1st Session)

Don't miss this spooktacular event!

Date: 10/21/2005 6:00 PM - 10/22/2005 8:00 PM

Cost: $6 with $1 discount for members

Location: Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden
2421 Bement Ave.
Evansville, Indiana 47720

Hopefully I'll see you there, tonight should be perfect temperatures for one last warm walk through the zoo.

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I'm not sure about all of you, but I was dreading last night. According to Weather.com and our friends at WFIE the red blog of nastiness was going to hit Evansville hard. Luckily, my side of Evansville, the East Side, was only rained on hard for about 20 minutes. Despite all the tornado warnings going off for Spencer County, Henderson Kentucky, and our friends in Tell City all I got was a little bit of rain and a reminder to clean out my gutters.

Today it looks like the storm brought fall weather back to Evansville, we'll see how long it lasts.

In the vein of this post topic I just want to say my thoughts and prayers still go out to the families that were effected 2 years ago next month in the Tornado that passed through Evansville and Newburgh. I wish that no one would have to endure the things that those families had to suffer through. Remember, use your weather radio, keep batteries in it and always on and turned UP!

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I love public transportation, when I visit big cities it's all that I use, however in Evansville, I do not. I'm lucky enough to afford a vehicle, pay for expensive gas, and feel comfortable enough to navigate the Lloyd Expressway at rush hour. But just because I don't use it, does not mean it is not needed or better yet, need to be FIXED!

My pet peeve of Evansville Public Transportation is that there appears to be a bus stop on every single block, at least on main street. Is it too much to ask that people walk a block or two so that they can get on the bus? It's actually a hazard, when you consider cross traffic pulling out in front of buses, people trying to pass buses picking up people, and then the idiots riding bikes that don't obey any laws.

My plea to the city of Evansville:

• cut down number of bus stops.(make people walk)
• by cutting down stop you can increase frequency.
• hire some polite drivers. (I've been subjected to buses in a hurry running stop signs.)

Perhaps this is a jeer because I deal with it every single evening M-F on my way home from work. I travel south on Main Street to the Lloyd Expressway and every few seconds I need to dodge a bus. Make the fat walk a few feet...please!

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I do believe this is the first day of the year that it actually feels like Fall. While technically it's a few weeks late, the cooler temps are more than welcome in my life. What a refreshing feeling to feel first thing in the morning on my way into work.

Today's high is only supposed to be something like upper 60's. Now I can start thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even...eeek, Christmas Shopping. Of course, if your anything like my wife you started thinking about Christmas during July and watching QVC.

Well, the Westside Nut Club Fall Festival has finally come to a close and the mess already swept up. The damage has been done to my stomach and things are beginning to look like normal in the city of Evansville. Hard to imagine on Franklin street last Friday night there were an estimated 90,000 people. Really amazing when you consider the entire population of Evansville to be in the 130,000 range. The entire event was estimated to have a half million during the week long event.

If you missed out on the food, fun, and general festiveness then head over to It's Evansville for a generalization of the goodness. Jenna Walker does a bang up job of reviewing the many foods that were available.

I've been living in the great city of Evansville for about 8 years now and every year I enjoy going down to the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival. It's a blast to socialize, stuff my face, and even get a peek at some of the freaks that come out at night, but this year I learned something new.

It appears that the EVSC closes down on the Friday of the Festival every year. Now, it's called a built in snow day, fall break, excuse to get out, or something or another, but essentially it's to allow people a chance to eat deep fried twinkies. Awesome!

See ya on Franklin Street, I'll be the one with pig toes in hand choking down a creme puff.