By the end of 2006 and before I leave again, I should finally get it up to par. Even after you get it all cleaned up, you have to find stuff to replace. I was hoping it wasn't very bad, but I got shocked once I got home. Everyone was in the same boat. Those who don't want to start over in New Orleans lost everything and have nothing to come back to.

I know it's one day, one place, one day, another place. It's a lot of traveling but I'm very excited. We'll see how they grill me and what happens.

I know he was fine (Sunday) morning and he felt like he needed a glass of water and that's when it hit him. He spilled it and that was it.

I grew up in Highland Heights (housing development) just down from the store. If we didn't make three trips, we made five.

I left out of here and ran over there, and got him outside in the hallway. I broke down and cried a little bit. I don't cry. My wife says there's something wrong with me. I hold it in. But it was hard to hold it in yesterday. That really touched me.

I've known him since 1984. We talk every so often. We're close. He's a strong guy, a fighter and I want to think the best. We all know the bad part, but I don't believe in the bad.

I told them when they were doing it, I can take care of my family. But they insisted. I realized, when I talked to other people about it, they said, that's all you can do is say thank you. You can't have no pride with something like this.

It is remarkable, but if you know the makeup of Mark Ellis, you knew he was going to make it. I'm not surprised. It's obvious he's put it all together. He has an unimpeachable work ethic. What's happening for him now, he earned. That's how you like to see ballplayers have success. He's special.

As long as I can remember, that store had been there.

There's not a big market out here for housing. You don't find what you need, but you find what you can handle and be comfortable in.