Futures At Fenway 2010

Yesterday we made the trip to Boston for the annual Futures game at Fenway. Brought along our buddies Kris and Jason for a day of double header baseball fun. Arrived at the park as the first game was getting started. The best seats yet. So close to homeplate you could hear the umpire bark. Other than the fact that it was hotter than all get-out and Lowell Spinners were losing, it looked to be a fun day.
Sure, there had been some reports of possible thundershowers, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We became focused on what to eat. I love Fenway Park, but the food stinks. Had the mandatory hot dog and settled in.
One of the Jamestown Jammers proposed to his girlfriend on camera between innings. The crowd went wild...
and then the rain began....



*sigh* Sure wish I was able to make the game in Toronto.

Patti envy

After reading Patti's blog post about her new, hot sunglasses, I said to myself (see, Patti, I do that too) "self, you should share your new, pretty stuff".
Some of you may be unaware of my like of nontraditional pretty things. I believe I have done a post in the past about my new, sparkly gear.
After having my ribs broken...twice in six months, my physician became rather more insistent that I wear some type of rib protection while sparring. Something about healing slower as you age, early risk of osteoporosis, blah, blah, blah. The master black belt instructor took him more seriously.
My sparring nights now had me wearing the bulky, cumbersome, not so pretty tae kwon do chest/rib protector. I was bubble boy. I adjusted.
Time came to order new gear to supply the dojang. The big boss has become more serious about raising the bar for protective gear. Head gear with face shields are now being worn by some...and I have new, pretty gear. *sigh* If it only came in sparkly purple.

Alana's Day

Alana's birthday is July 6th. Unfortunately, this year her birthday was the same day as my mother's funeral service. We had celebrated a few days early with the family cookout, but being off my game, I never took my camera off of my desk. What is up with that? I am known for being the obnoxious person who is always taking pictures.
The morning of the 6th Alana got dressed nicely to show respect for her grandmother. Hair out of her face; wore a skirt. Not one complaint during the early morning 90 mile trip to her grandparents' town for Mass. Was perfect in church and brought up the gifts.
Burial was 90 miles away at the National Cemetery. The day was now heating up to record breaking temperatures with heavy humidity. There are not enough thanks for a working air conditioner. Things were starting to catch up with my birthday girl. She plugged into her iPod, pulled the hair back, and dozed a little during this leg of the journey.
More perfect behavior at the cemetery. She helped pass out drinks to the family so that noone would get fluid low during the day.
Afterwards we bowed out of visiting with everyone so that we could begin the 170 mile return trip home and try to have a few minutes for Alana to have her birthday dinner. She was back into her "real" clothes and cooling off at the Outback over a huckleberry iced tea.

If I had known

If I had known that this would be the last picture, I would have brought my real camera rather than my cellphone. I would have fixed her hair. I would have done her nails (I always tried to have them look nice for her). I would have smuggled Coco in to see her along with the substitute that Alana got for her. I would have brought her pretty wrap that she liked. There are other pictures. Many of them over the years. Truth is, I guess there are never enough.
Mom