Staci's Graduation Weekend

Staci graduated from UVA this weekend, earning her doctorate in special education. It was a weekend filled with family and friends from all over, celebrating an event that you rarely see- earning a doctorate is such a rare feat, and it was accomplished by a special person.

During one of my first conversations with Staci 5 1/2 years ago, she told me of her hopes to start working on her doctorate. And she never let go of that dream- she left a good-paying job in her industry, moved away from her friends and new boyfriend (me), and started working on her dream of becoming a doctor. And even as challenges arose, as life continually changed around her, as other life goals were reached (engagement, marriage), Staci kept her eye on the ball. She wrote an amazing dissertation, and she is going to do amazing things. I am so proud to call Staci my wife, and am constantly amazed to know someone who actually makes a difference in this world.

My Bucket List Has One Less Entry

I've never seen the movie "The Bucket List," but the concept is simple- the things you haven't done in life that you want to do before you die. Everyone has one, mostly in their mind. Some things on the list will take time or money (climbing through the Alps, maybe?). And other things should never have taken so long, but when you finally scratch it off your list, it still makes you feel as good. This is one of those items.

I have been to hundreds of baseball games, and not one of them had been with my Dad, inarguably my first baseball influence. Through circumstances beyond my control, my Mom and Grandfather were the ones who took me and Mary to games. My Dad gave me my love for the Dodgers, explained stats, history, baseball cards, watching and listening to games, everything baseball- except the physical act of going to a game together. It's amazing, looking back, that I didn't further question this paradox. But my Dad was sick during alot of my childhood, and as an adult, time and distance just pushed it to the back of the line.

Then the last couple of years it had really started to bug me- why weren't we getting to a game? It was time- so I put my idea to my siblings, and we picked a Dodgers game in Philly to celebrate my Dad's upcoming 55th birthday.

And on this past Tuesday, my Dad went to his first game in nearly 40 years, and got to see his favorite team for the first time. And all 6 of his kids, his daughter- and son-in-law, and 2 of his grandkids got to share it with him. It was mostly unspoken, but something that I think we will all look back on as one of those little things in life that means so much. And much, much more important than climbing any mountain could ever be.

Mansfield Graduation- 12 Years Later

It's cliche to say, but, really, where does the time go? 12 years ago today, I graduated from Mansfield University. It was the culmination not only of my education, but the relationships that I would carry with me for the rest of time. Looking through old photos, I'm reminded of people who I wish I were still close to, but more importantly, to those I am still tight with, who remain as close as family.

So what would the 23-year-old me think of where life has led the 35-year-old me? I'd like to think that he'd be fairly happy. Even in those days, I wasn't some crazy dreamer-and the fact that I was expecting my first child 3 months after graduation kept me in check. No, '97 BK would see that I was married to a beautiful woman, working in baseball and still friends with many of the people in those pictures, and he'd smile and pass me his bottle of Cisco. And what would I want to say to him? Only two things- enjoy your fleeting moments in the greatest place you will ever live. And watch out for that Kim girl.

Some pics from memory lane:

Jinx'ed!

Most people believe in some sort of jinx. My belief is that you don't mention how good the weather is if you're trying to avoid rain, you don't say how little traffic there is when you are on a long road trip, and you never mention how well your team is doing if you want them to continue to do so. I broke my own rule yesterday, and I paid dearly.

I had avoided talking about the Dodgers' great first month, record-breaking home start, or anything about them, for fear of making something go wrong. Until yesterday, when I mentioned the 13-0 home start on this very blog. I figured with a 6.5 game lead, the worst that could happen is they would lose a few games. Within 2 hours of my post, Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for violating MLB drug policy. Do I think this is a death knell for LA? Maybe not, but it doesn't help matters. And it's all because I showed some optimism. Which is why pessimism is always the way to go.

We're Goin' Streakin'!

The Dodgers set the modern MLB record for most consecutive home wins to start a season last night, winning their 13th in a row by defeating the Nats 10-3. While this is very impressive, what does it actually mean? Not much, judging that the teams that have had long streaks like this usually don't even make the playoffs. I am much more excited about the fact that we now have a 6.5 game lead in the West.

In other streak news, Nats 3rd basemen Ryan Zimmerman hit in his 24th consecutive game, the longest streak in nearly 2 years. A long way to 56, though, especially on a team as awful as the Nats.

Xanadu 1994-2009

My sister called me yesterday to tell me of the passing of Xanadu, my Dad's cat. Well, actually, my cat who my Dad and brothers have taken care of for over a decade. Confused? Let me start at the beginning.

I was not, and am still not, a cat person. But in my initial days living in Mansfield, I was a bit lonely. And my girlfriend at the time, Anne, was a huge cat person, and thought it would be great if I had one too, to keep me company when Anne was not around. Never having had any pet, this sounded good to me. So on March 20, 1995, we drove to the Mansfield SPCA and picked out an "applesauce" cat.

The road was bumpy for Xanadu and I. For a cat, she was very needy, and took to waking me up at all hours and meowing at everything. It was almost as if she wished she were a dog. This was not good for me, and our pet-owner relationship soon was icy. But we worked through it (slightly). A couple of years later, when I moved into a different apartment that did not allow pets, I turned to my Dad to take Xanadu in. My brothers were only 4 and 3 at the time, so Xanadu would have kids to play with. It was a perfect match. And that's where she spent the next 12 + years of her life.

Xanadu may not have the smartest cat, and may have even thought she was a dog, but she lived a long life, and brought much joy to my family. And what more could you ask for?

Second Homestand, Same As the First

Just when you thought it couldn't get rougher, this homestand that ended on Sunday was nearly as rough as the first, if not more so. We ended every night putting the tarp on, and most days were multiple pulls. The good news is that we got 5 of the 6 games in, the weekend was good attendance, and the store was busy. I finished most of my inventory report today, and our next 18 days we have only 3 games. So time to catch up on sleep and relaxing.

200 Minor League Games

Last night was a small milestone in my baseball games odyssey. It was the 200th minor league game that I had attended. I have a long way to go to see all stadiums, but it's still an accomplishment. I have seen games in 33 minor league parks, and in 11 states (PA, NY, NJ, VA, MD, FL, TX, KY, NC, SC, DE). And it is fitting that my 200th was at the stadium that I have attended the most games, the Pfitz. Hopefully, in a few years, I'll be able to look at this number as quaint as I go to visit my final stadium.

Rainy Day Videos

With rain, tarps, and all-around stress, time for some comic relief. Enjoy.

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan

Batman Garage Sale with Adam West from Adam West

MLB Stadium Visit #27

Staci and I made the long drive to NY on Sunday to see the new Mets' stadium, Citi Field. The stadium itself was great, but the Jackie Robinson Rotunda took my breath away. It was designed to resemble the historic Brooklyn Dodgers' stadium, Ebbets Field. And it did not fail to disappoint, as they missed no detail, down to the light fixtures. The tribute to Jackie was everywhere, from the old games playing on big screens, to pictures and a giant "42" that you can take pictures with. Definitely a must-see for any baseball fan.