Duck Boats Revisited

For the sixth time in the 21st century we here in Boston are having a Rolling Rally. Yes, it’s three times for the Patriots, twice for the Red Sox and now our beloved Boston Celtics today was your turn. Pride is alive and well in Boston and would Red Auerbach be ever so proud. These Celts are his kind of players from the tenacious defense of Kevin Garnett, to the sixth player exploits of James Posey, to the unselfish play of Rajon Rondo, to the big man prowess of Kendrick Perkins, to the pure shooting ability of Ray Allen, to the veteran presence of BJ Brown, to the three-pointers of Eddie House, to the pure fun of rookie ‘Big Baby’ Davis and most of all to the consummate Celtic of them all, Paul Pierce.

Pierce stuck with the team that drafted him out of Kansas State through the dreadful lean years and those eighteen straight losses last year to the MVP trophy of the 2008 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. How very appropriate that Paul, who grew up in the shadow of the LA Forum, a huge Laker fan who would sneak into the Forum as a kid to see his hero Magic Johnson, would be the one to lead his team to glory and to keep Red’s record of nine championships as a coach intact.

I remember when the Celtics won their 16th championship. There was a bumper sticker that Summer of 1986 which I loved and which said 16 Going On 17. Who knew that it would take 22 years to reach that goal which seemed so doable at the time! I had season’s tickets in those days and reveled in the original Big Three of Bird, McHale and Parrish. My favorite, other than Larry, in those days was DJ who always did anything it took to win. Paul Pierce is in that tradition with his ability to drive to the basket, pull up and shoot, nail a three-pointer when needed and perhaps most importantly play great defense. Did you see him shut down Kobe Bryant , as much as anyone can, in that unforgettable come from 24 points down victory in Game 4 of the Finals?!?

I can not resist revealing that I have something in common with Pierce. We both owned a Datsun 210 hatchback. Mine in the 70’s while teaching 4th Grade in Massachusetts and Paul when he was at Inglewood High School using his to pick up friends at 5:30 AM in order to work out at the high school gym. That intense drive and commitment to hone his skills served him well on Tuesday June 17, 2008 when he and his Celtic teammates secured their place as World Champions. Thank you, Paul and all your teammates for giving us back our Celtic Pride.

Pray Paul Pierce Doesn't Get Hurt

That was the final announcement given by the new pastor at the 10:30 Mass this morning. We have come a long way when we get to hear just what is on the minds of the parishoners. I am a forever Boston Celtics fan. I even got to see Cooz, Tommy, Russ, Havlicek etc. play. I was fortunate enough to be at the triple overtime game between the Celts and the Suns. I saw people leaving thinking the game was over. Good for us as we moved into the better seats. Then I had season tickets for a decade. Yes, it was during the fabled Bird/Magic Era. We had great seats third row to the right of the basket looking over at the Celtics bench. I can still see ML Carr waving that towel and Larry stealing the ball right in front of us with DJ getting the hoop. Those were the glory days of the big three, Bird, McHale and Parish. Now we have another marvelous three, Pierce, Allen and Garrett with a chance to win our 17th championship. Happy days are here again – GO CELTS/BEAT LA!!!

Courage Personified

Much has been written and more has been said in recent days about the twenty-four year old Boston Red Sox pitcher, Jon Lester. His is an uncommon story of courage and inspiration. Lester came to the majors with great promise and a better arsenal of pitches. He won his first five games handily, the first left-hander to do so with the Sox. Then he began to struggle both on the mound and with back and neck pain. In September, 2006 Lester was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, a blood cancer.

The dreadful diagnosis was shocking especially to Jon and his family. Treatment began in Boston and later continued in Lester’s home state of Washington. None of us had any way of knowing what the outcome would be but we knew that Jon was a fighter and he vowed to lick it and get back on the mound.

Sure enough Jon Lester was declared cancer-free and back pitching for the Sox a little over a year after his diagnosis. Then in Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, Sox/Rockies, there was Lester the winning pitcher. The Red Sox were world champions again and Lester was able to celebrate much more than a ball game. His courage and tenacity in beating back the cancer have been an inspiration to more people than he will ever know.

The rest reads like a Hollywood script. For on Monday, May 19, 2008 Jon Lester carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning of a game at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals. After walking the first batter he induced two infield ground outs and then the final out, fittingly his ninth strike-out of the game. Of course he smiled and celebrated with his teammates and the fans. But it was the emotional hug between Sox manager, Tito Francona and his ‘other son’ Jon Lester that brought tears to my eyes. Lester has often said that Francona was like a ‘second father’ to him especially during his recovery. So, all the best to you Jon Lester as you continue your career in baseball and more importantly as you continue to inspire those who have their own struggles with catastrophic illness.

Unfortunate Dining Experience

I’m sure we all have moments when we feel like or wish we were a restaurant critic. I had just such an experience on Friday, May 16th. With a good deal of anticipation I made a reservation and went to a much hyped restaurant on Cape Cod which opened about a year ago. I had heard so many good things about it and my sister had gone the first week it was in business as well as many times thereafter. The restaurant itself is very tastefully decorated, even classy. I was looking forward to the early menu which I had heard so much about. You get three courses, appetizer, main and dessert for a very good price. This is a nice marketing touch giving most people a chance to experience fine dining. The owner/chef was previously at a highly regarded upscale restaurant of long-standing on the Cape.

Well, my friend and I ordered the fancy pear martini special. We were just about to take a sip and relax when our first course soup arrived literally simultaneously – not acceptable. We immediately felt like we were being rushed and that reality increased as our dinner progressed. We never had a chance to enjoy our cocktails but I will say the soup was a cut above. Now maybe I could have let go of the unfortunate beginning I’ve described but not after what happened next.

I was still enjoying the soup course when the main course arrived. I think the waiters could see the look on my face as they began to set the food on the table. It was then that they offered to take the main course back to the kitchen. This was done without any prompting. Let me tell you I wasn’t inspired with confidence as I finished the first course and wondered how the main course was faring staying warm in the kitchen.

When my steak dinner arrived I will say that the meat was tender but the sauce it was served with was awful. It was tart and reminded me of A1 steak sauce. I tried to avoid it on the plate. Now, I realize that the latter is a matter of taste unlike the previously described shortcomings relating to the pace of the meal and the service. Dinner ended with a tasty dessert. Sadly, the overall experience at Heather’s Restaurant in Mashpee, MA was very disappointing - another case of the anticipation surpassing the realization!

PS Please read my second review written on June 28, 2008.

Unceremonious

Unceremonious! That is how I would describe my final day on a part-time job I held for almost a decade. It happened this past Wednesday, May 14th. The first five years I worked only once a week for a few hours. After I retired from my real job, as an elementary school teacher for 36 years, my work week would vary from three to as many as fifteen hours. The work was enjoyable with the opportunity to meet with and to help people. In addition to this interaction certain tasks would involve balancing funds and completing paper work. I must say that I met some wonderful people along the way. Will I miss anyone? Not really!!! So there you have it a few reflections on a second job and how I chose to leave it.

Castle Island - A Tradition Continues...

April 20, 2008

Gwendolyn Lillian, named after her great-grandmothers, is a force of nature. Gwen is a bright, charming, loving, and full of fun two year old. It was my distinct pleasure to spend some time with her this weekend. Our destination was South Boston specifically Castle Island. Whether walking around watching the airplanes come and go from Logan, enjoying the sailboats on the water, or just riding those swings you know it’s an exciting time. Then to top it off you must have an ice cream at Sullivan’s.

My memories, at a young age, of the same kind of fun day at Castle Island are vivid. Later in life as a fourth-grade teacher for years I would take my class on a field trip to the John F. Kennedy Library/Museum and follow it up with a picnic lunch at you guessed it – Castle Island! I’m certain that Gwen’s first experience at the Island was just one of many more to come.

Forty-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Six Cents ($49.96)

April 5, 2008

I try to write from emotion and or respond to events. Well yesterday provided such a forum. I was cents shy of $50.00 to fill my gas tank. That most certainly got my attention. I am required to use the 91 or above grade of gasoline. How convenient that the grade goes from 89 to 93 with a $.10 or more increase thrown in. Now my automobile gets 26 mpg and has a 16 gallon tank. I use a gas station whose charge averages $.10 a gallon less than the other local stations. It’s not a name brand but performance is great nonetheless.

After filling-up as I was getting back in my car another customer in disbelief, as we all are, was muttering words to the effect that the people must do something, this must stop. My sentiments exactly - can’t help wondering what the summer will bring. Is the dreaded $4.00 a gallon just around the corner!?!