Today, there's no excuse for not learning how to get our financial houses in order. Some of us close our eyes, take a deep breath and say a prayer when it comes to managing our finances.

The London police have discovered that the best way to neuter demonstrations is not to move everyone on, or disperse troublemakers, but hold them close, cordon them into a diminishing space for hours and hours, as a sort of arbitrary al fresco arrest.

Anything looked at closely becomes wonderful.

That's your dream, to play professional baseball. When you get the opportunity like that, getting drafted - especially by Oakland, a California team, pretty close to home - it was tempting. At the time, I just didn't think I was ready or mature enough mentally or physically to start pro ball.

I know I can't plan in this business, but I'm going to keep going as long as I keep getting close... So far, I feel lucky and infinitely grateful for the successes that I've had. I'm just going to keep working hard, and whatever happens, happens.

I moved back to Idaho when I was 6 or 7 and then lived in a little town called Twin Falls and then moved to Boise. So quite different from L.A. I'd been to Disneyland a couple of times, and that was the closest I'd been to L.A.