Thursday, August 31, 2006

Hershey, PA

My post of yesterday referenced staying at a motel. My family had gone to Hershey, PA. The main attraction was HersheyPark, but we spent as much time looking at other attractions on this trip.

One of the bigger hot weather attractions is this flume ride.

This is the result at the bottom.

Many years ago, Hershey's replaced their actual factory tour with an edu-tainment pseudo-factory tour. It's a bit commercial and simplistic, but the kids love it (and it's tolerable for adults...once).

There are a pair of real chimneys at the factory and these fake chimneys at Chocolate World.

One of the things that admission to HersheyPark buys you is admission to ZooMerica, a zoo containing North American animals, such as this Elk.

Since Blogger is misbehaving AGAIN, this post will be done in segments.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Clueless!

I went for a run yesterday morning from a motel. I knew I was at risk as soon as I asked about a running route and I got a blank look. The guy behind the counter's name was Vinny, sounds Italian, right? I think he was actually Indian.

Anyway, once I'd asked about if there was a not to busy road, perhaps heading off into farmland, he just looked blank. Eventally, with some coaxing, he told me of a park, about a mile up the raod. It turned out to be a private picnic ground, posted "no trespassing", so I continued up the road, eventually getting to a very busy area and feeling a bit ill at ease. I turned back there.

When I returned to the motel, I suggested that next time, he send runners into one of the two industrial parks that were on either side of the road before the picnic ground.

I'm often amazed at how running can possibly seem so alien to people in the hospitality industry. I'd think any motel would get requests about where to run at least a few times a week.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

A Couple of Solid Days And A Morning Treat

On Friday evening, my son and I took a bike ride. We saw two deer, one was on the left side of the road, just munching on grass as we rode by. It was kind of nice (though I was a tad nervous...what if he bolted?).

Yesterday, I ran for a bit over an hour over a hilly route. Just a solid, grind it out kind of run. It felt OK, but I struggled a little over the big climb. I don't know if it was from having given blood this week, from the humidity (not very hot, but really humid) or just the effect of the hill.

I woke up this morning and put on WABC TV. I watched Thomas Nyariki win the NYC Half over Meb and Abdi and Catherine Ndereba hold off a challenge from Benita Johnson.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

An Elegant Product

A few weeks back, I'd taken my son to a camp activity and went to the cafe in a Wegman's market. I got a coffee, and was delighted to find it topped with a simple solution to an age-old problem.

When the cup was given to me, I glanced down at the cup in order to line up the drinking hole with my mouth. I did a double-take - there was no drinking hole. Another glance drew my attention to a raised bump and by sliding it sideways, the drinking hole opened.

The nuances to this simple product were even greater. If you look closely at the closed drinking hole, you'll see a slight dome. It struck me that that dome locks the inner lid in place if coffee is pressing against it. I'm sure this lid costs double a normal lid, but that extra penny can save a lot of hassle if the cup topples inside your car or on your desk.

OK, so call me a design geek. This is good design. It virtually eliminates spillage (at least when closed), and this is a significant advantage over a conventional lid.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Last Sunday

On Sunday, I took advantage of being a bit further north to go running in Essex County, NJ's South Mountain Reservation. As a kid, I was unaware of it, but my older sister had made a class trip to Turtleback Zoo, which is housed in the park.

After my run, I walked back over a portion of my run, and as I walked in, there was a group of three people walking in. It turned out that it was a soul singer (apparently a very good one), her husband and her grandaughter. The singer's name was Bettye LaVette (well, at least that's her stage name). Her website is here and you can see one of her performances on YouTube (I don't know about the copyright issues.)

Anyway, I took a few pictures, though it was too humid for any good vistas. It was a nice experience.

I tried to get on Blogger to post earlier today and it was REALLY doggy! I'm getting annoyed.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Harriers

I was recently asked to review a book, Harriers by Joseph and Paul Shivers. I agreed, with the understanding that I'd tell my true feelings, and the person making the request was ageeable to that, so here's the first book review in my blog.

As I began to read Harriers, my first reaction was "What have I gotten myself into?" The prose felt stilted and overly loaded with modifiers, reminding me of the Hardy Boys books I'd read in my youth. That feeling soon passed and I was drawn into a tale that was both enjoyable and even somewhat informative to me, a 30+ year running veteran.

I don't want to give much of the story away, but were it not presented as being true, I'd have thought it was fiction. Some of the stories related in the book are unbeliveable. Once you're into it, you'll be hooked, too. You'll ride the roller coaster that was these boys' high school cross-country careers, and like a real rollercoaster, some parts will have made you feel sick, but you'll have loved the ride.

Some key points made well in the book are that cross-country is a team sport, and why running as a pack is usually beneficial (this was a point that was an education to me, having run cross-country on a mediocre team).

While the book is generally solidly written, there are mistakes; an error in reporting scores, occasional incorrect word choices, and so forth. Nothing huge, but distracting to an attentive reader and things that a good proofreading should have corrected. I'd have also liked to know who is who in the cover photograph. (I'm assuming, since some descriptions fit, that this is the actual Salem team.) I hope that this book is reprinted, as it deserves to be, and that these points can be corrected.

This story is set in northeastern Ohio. A rust belt region that has suffered in the face of jobs being lost to overseas manufacturers. The book carries a VERY low cover price ($5.99), and the book's website seems to imply that this was done to make it more accessible to students. Still, I found it disturbing that the book was printed in India, instead of in the U.S.A., where its production would have employed Americans, rather than Indians. I think a higher cover price would have had two benefits for the publisher and authors: it would have created the perception that the book is quality (it is, but I feel the low cover price erodes that perception) and it would have allowed sufficient margin to permit Harriers to be sold in running specialty stores.

I'm in no position to judge whether a non-fan of running would find this book of interest. What I can say for sure is that this running fan found the book, despite its flaws, to be a very pleasant and engrossing read. I'm sure it would prove both informative and enjoyable to high school harriers, their parents and many runners.

A Pint Low and Mr. Burfoot Cuts To The Chase

Yesterday, I gave blood again. Yes, it probably will hurt my running performance for a couple of weeks or so. I don't have anything coming up that really matters, so, I did some good and I'll be a bit slower for a while, I'm fine with that.

In his latest blog post, Amby Burfoot writes an amusing column of analysis on sports drinks (and saves me the effort of trying to perform such analysis myself). (My little confession - I know too much history of this sport. I can't say Amby's last name without imagining Jock Semple, the man who kept the Boston Marathon going in its dark years, saying, in his Scottish bur, "Now, Mr. Burrrrrfoot,...") Amby cuts to the chase in the Accelerade vs. Gatorade battle, read his post to find out who he feels is the clear winner of this round.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

A Couple Of Good Runs

Since my trip to CT two weeks ago, I've been pretty stoked. It's let me get in some solid training. Tonight, I ran a 5K, ran my best race of the season, around a 21 flat. No great shakes, but at least it looks like I'm getting the hard work dividend. Meantime, my son, who'd had a low 28's PR popped off a mid 26 run. I'd been after him for a while to start faster. He did it tonight and it paid off big. I'm tired - it's bedtime!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Baseball Pictures

On Thursday night, we'd gone to a Lakewood (NJ) Blueclaws baseball games. The 'claws are a Philadelphia Phillies farm club. They were playing the Hagerstown (MD) Suns, a NY Mets affiliate, though they dress like the Baltimore Orioles. Here's the entry to the stadium.
The scoreboard.
The Blueclaws warming up.
An Las Vegas entertainer named Christopher did several Village people songs. He's in the middle, all the other "people" are essentially marionettes.
A local optical place had a race between giant eyeballs and a hotdog. Why a hot dog? I have no idea. (The hot dog is at the far left of the picture.)
As we pulled in, this Mercedes arrived. Aside from the obnoxious green color, it runs on used vegetable oil, it's a "grease car". (I'm told the exhaust smells like french fries, though I didn't notice.) It's apparently the work of a baseball writer named Joe Connor. His website is here.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Third-World Driving and Yes! Deer

We took my son and some of his friends to a minor league ballgame on Thurday evening to celebrate his birthday. We had a nice time. I'll get some pix up this weekend.

Meantime, yesterday morning, I was taking my nephew, who'd slept over, back home. I heard a horn honk and in my rearview mirror see a car right up on my tail. The woman driving (No, I'm not trying to be sexist, the driver WAS a woman.) waves me over. I pulled aside because I didn't know what other stupidity this driver would do. She continued driving maniacally, and I quickly lost sight of her. I hope she doesn't cause anyone serious injury before her license gets revoked.

Last night, I went to a local linear park to do some speed work. As I was finishing up, I turned around to see if anyone was closing on me and I saw a doe staning on the path behind me. She looked at me, then meandered into the woods. I decided to follow and was treated to seeing her and a buck (stag? - I'll have to check the difference) in there. We had a bit of a staring match. The buck had horns about a foot long. After a few minutes of watching, I headed back out of the woods. It was just a nice, fun moment with wildlife.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

My Weekend - Part Two - Coney Island

The other interesting part of my weekend was our trip to the New York Aquarium in Coney Island. I have to say that I think I enjoyed Coney Island more than the Aquarium. This is true for a couple of reasons, most notably that the Aquarium was too crowded and noisy for me to find it pleasant.
The most visible icon of Coney Island is the parachute tower. It's visible from quite a long distance away, in fact, if you're ever crossed the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, you can see it from the bridge. (Yes, NYC Marathoners, it's up ahead on the right as you start, but you won't get close to it.)
For many New Yorkers, the Cyclone roller coaster is THE icon of Coney Island.
Another great icon is the Wonder Wheel, a Ferris Wheel.
We arrived hungry, so a visit to the original Nathan's for a hot dog was in order. (Yes, it's not healthy food, but "When in Rome...")
Every July Fourth, Nathan's hosts their hot dog eating contest.
This gate marks the entry to the aquarium from Coney Island's boardwalk.
The sea otters are one of the most enchanting animals on display.
There were also seals.
This shot of a jellyfish was my favorite aquarium shot.
And, finally, lest we forget, the reason it's all here is the beach.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Part two - part two

I must've broken blogger again. It ain't workin' for me. at least not for posting pix.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Bicycle Racing Photos

You'll see how crowded the track was during warm-ups. Track riders are noted for excellent riding skills in close quarters.
This is an example of a track bike. Note the single chainring up front and the single cog without derailleur at the rear. There's no freewheel, nor brakes, so you slow by pedaling slower.
This is a set of rollers. In order to warm up, a rider can get on these. You'll see a pair of rollers close together, the rear wheel goes on them. The front goes on the single roller. The front rollers is connected to the forward rear roller by a belt. This causes all the rollers to turn when the bike is ridden. There is also some slight dishing of the rollers to tend to keep you centered. (Don't think riding them is easy, it's easy to ride off the side of rollers and severely injure your pride...or worse.)
You can't have a bell lap without a bell. That black thing above is a lap counter.
This is the start of a keirin race. Bikes are held by a holder, with the rider strapped into pedals. As the motorcycle passes, the holder shoves the bike forward and the racers begin to pedal.
Here you see the motorpacing in the keirin race.
Here you see the large crowd in the men's ten-mile main event.

Monday, August 14, 2006

My Weekend - Part One - Bicycle Races

On Friday night, I took my son to Trexlertown, PA to watch bicycle races at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome. We got to see some excellent races, a few crashes, and I think he learned a thing or two.

I pointed out to him that the track bikes have a single, fixed gear. That means that when the bike moves, the pedals move. There's no freewheel.

Most of the races were quite short, being youth developmental race, so, they were usually between 1 and 2 km. The track, apparently nicknamed "the concrete crater", is 1/3 km in length. There were also several kierin (sp?) races. These are motor paced in the early stages, then with 1.5 laps to go, the motorcycle pulls off the track and the racing begins. Some racers would try to break from the front and hold it, while others used the "ride the leader's wheel and nip 'em at the line" strategy.

There were two longer races, a women's 5-mile and a men's 10-mile. It was pretty remarkable seeing the leg turnover of the racers. The fixed gear means that to go faster, your only option is to turn the pedals faster. These guys could turn some amazing cadences, and more remarkably, sustain them for a long period.

It was my first time at the velodrome, and it was great. I have pictures, and you'll see them soon.

Friday, August 11, 2006

More Legends Lounge Pictures

For those of you who read my blog, that title may sound a bit presumptuous. It exists in that form because one place I hang on the web is on the Patti thread at the Legends' Lounge in Dyestat.


A shot of Tom Fleming with Nina Kuscsik.


Nina Kuscsik with Amby Burfoot.


Tom Fleming recently celebrated his birthday...I think his 39th was getting Bar Mitzvahed.


The Dillon kids with Nina Kuscsik.


Would you let you kids hang around this man? The Dillon kids pose with Wineturtle.


This is one of the few times you'll see me on my blog. The guy on the left with the beard is InStride. That's me on the right, wearing the "chick repeller" hat.


This is Wineturtle, TFFlyer, Patti, and MoMo at one of the water stops in the Johnny Kelley Race. I think this was the water stop near mile 2.5.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Olde New London

On my return from New London this weekend, I took a slightly less direct route back to I-95, going through downtown New London.

On a previous trip to the area, I'd seen a set of very stately buildings with colonnaded fronts, and I wanted to try to find out a bit more about them. It turned out to be Whale Oil Row, a series of homes built for sea captains.

There's also a neat old theater, the Garde, which is done in a Mediterranean style.

The New London library was also there, and on the porch, there was a plaque to the founder, Henry Philemon Haven. What I was struck by was that the plaque was made by Augustus St. Gaudens, perhaps the top sculptor of his day, and designer of some of the most beautiful coins the U.S. has produced.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

The Kelley Race

Yesterday, it was my birthday,
I hung one more year on the line,
I should be depressed,
My life is a mess,
But I'm having a good time.
- Paul Simon - Have A Good Time

For the last 3 years, I've gone up to Connecticut to run in the John J. Kelley Ocean Beach Race as a "birthday special." I'd planned to meet up with RBF Northeast Social Director Running Chick With The Orange Hat. As I sat down to put on my shoes, I glanced up at an attractive blonde, it was her. We greeted each other and she rushed off to try to chase down April Anne, another blogger who hadn't yet arrived. As the race began, I made brief eye contact with Running Chick, and in retrospect, I should have moved back to join her. After the race, knowing she hadn't passed me, I moved quickly to the area before the finish, expecting to cheer her in. After 30 minutes, mostly spent trying to get runners to finish hard, I figured I must have missed her. I headed over to get some chowdah (chowder) and a few minutes later, I saw the Running Chick again. It turned out she'd finished about 20 seconds behind me. She introduced me to April Anne, and I introduced her to Mr. Kelley. They then headed off onto the beach. It was the last time I was to see her that day. I'd intended to introduce her to Patti and Dan Dillon and invite them to the picnic, but I never got the chance. I feel like I barely met her and I let her down by not letting her meet the crowd I got to hang with. Both Running Chick and April Anne have posts about the race.

And yesterday really was my birthday.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The Passing of Time

I ran for about an hour this morning. Maybe I should have run for 47 minutes, after all, that would be a way to mark the milestone that I pass today. Another year has been completed in the story of my life. Alas, I didn't do that.

I did take a moment to check the time as I passed the sundial outside the observatory at the local junior college. It showed 8:20, but was an hour off, the function of our use of daylight time.

I read a trio of stories about the 70th anniversary of John Woodruff's Olympic victory in the 800 meters. Woodruff is 91 years old, lives in Arizona, has had both his legs amputated. He's the only living American Olympic medalist from the Berlin Games. His victory, along with those of Jesse Owens, was a slap in the face of the theories of Aryan superiority espoused by Hitler and the Nazis. Woodruff's race was remarkable, finding himself boxed in, Woodruff stopped, allowed the field to pass, then took off, passing the entire field with the 10-foot stride that earned him the nickname "Long John" Woodruff. Some of the stories pointed out Woodruff's level of comfort with his now legless life. I think he sets an example of grace we'd all do well to follow.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Some Photos From My Weekend

This weekend, Patti Dillon got quite a few fine runners to come to the Johnny Kelley Ocean Beach Road Race to pay tribute to Mr. Kelley (Boston winner 1957, US Marathon Champ 1956-63). It was probably one of the finest assemblies of American marathoners not at a marathon. (Photos to Follow - blogger seems to be having technical problems)


This was my humble abode for the weekend.


This couple, Rick Villareal and Shirley Iselin, is pictured after the race. What's unusual is that although they're in bare feet, they haven't taken off their running shoes. Both ran the race barefoot.


Amby Burfoot (Boston winner 1968) ran the race, while Dillon (4-time Honolulu Marathon winner 1978-81) and Fleming (New York winner 1973 & 1975) gave water to the racers. I'm sure an awful lot of them had no clue that they were taking water from legendary runners.


This was the group at the picnic.


Here's a shot of my hosts, Dan (multiple U.S. National Cross-Country team member) and Patti Dillon, along with Nina Kuscsik (first official women's winner at Boston -1972), and Tom Fleming.


Finally, a shot of Nina Kuscsik and Amby Burfoot.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

At The Feet of the Masters

Yesterday, I ran a race and went to a party afterwards. To say there was a plethora of running talent there would be an understatement. I am a guest at the home of Patti and Dan Dillon (and their kids, Aaron and Raven). In this house, it's Patti who is the better runner. Those of you who are old-timers may know her as Patti Catalano or Patti Lyons. I am unsure of all the details - there are so many that missing one or two is an easy mistake to make, so please don't consider this authoritative. I tend to consider Patti's biggest achievement to be her three consecutive Boston Marathon seconds, but it may well be her 5 wins in the Honolulu Marathon, or her similar handful at Ocean State. For a time, she held the American record at most distances from 5K to the Marathon. She's also held world records. Dan only made the US National Cross-Country seven? times, placed eighth at Boston in 1985, so that makes him the running lightweight.

The race yesterday was held in honor of Johnny Kelley, the younger. Kelley won Boston in 1957. He was on two Olympic teams, 1956 and 1960. He won the US Marathon Championship eight times IN A ROW. To say that he was the dominant American marathoner for most of a decade would probably be understating things a bit. Kelley was at the race yesterday. Kelley's career was mostly as a teacher, and he coached at the high school level. One of his proteges won the Boston Marathon in 1968.

At the party was Nina Kuscsik, who is in the books as the first woman to win Boston. She might have more than one, but Boston didn't permit women until 1972?

Also at race and the party was Amby Burfoot. You likely know him as a senior editor at Runner's World, but he was the Kelley protege who won Boston in 1968.

Also at the party was two-time New York Marathon winner, Tom Fleming. His list of accomplishments is also huge. He also was the first openly professional runner in many years.

One person who'd likely have been there, but had a prior commitment was Bill Rodgers.

These great racers had come out to pay tribute to Kelley, who'd offered support and encouragement to many of them in various ways through the years. As I understand it, the Kelleys often hosted visiting runners, with Mrs. Kelley making them comfortable while they consulted with the master. Their contribution to the sport of running in the U.S. was huge. Mrs. Kelley had passed away a few years back, and much of the local running community misses her greatly, with many wearing shirts emblazoned with WMLK (for "We Love Mrs. Kelley"). It was a special race.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Running With The Big Dogs

This weekend, I'm spending some time with some running friends. I think two of them were sub-2:15 marathoners, another was a sub-2:30, the slow one is a woman! Today, one of these guys doesn't run (except up and down the basketball court, the other can crush me on the road during a jog, so can that woman. I'll be out of my league. Only the guy who runs will be in the race with me. I'm not racing well, but he'll probably go sub-1:10, while I'll be finishing in 1:35ish. Simply put, I'm out of my league.

Of course, they're the nicest people ever. I'll also be meeting up with The Running Chick With The Orange Hat. I'm also likely to meet several other true legemds of the sport of running.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Being Stupid Isn't A Crime

But maybe advertising it ought to be!

On Monday evening, my family went to a local eatery that hosts a weekly cruise night. As we were wandering around looking at the cars, a car pulled in. I read the writing on the driver's side rear window, it said, "If its too loud your too old (sic)." Now, ignoring the fact that sticking letters on the window is illegal (well, it makes operating the vehicle illegal) and the fact that what he's saying is offensive, he obviously doesn't know English very well. Take another look at that statement, it should be: ""If it's too loud, you're too old." Pretty impressive, three errors in seven (nine if you count contractions as two) words. I know if I was a cop and had stopped this dope, he'd get the ticket.

(Picture to follow)

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

On The Trail

This morning, I went out for a trail run. Time wasn't critical, so if I got lost, aside from the extra demands on my body, there'd be no price. I arrived at the park and started my run at 6:50 AM.

The park I was in was Watchung Reservation, a Union County Park. I started out with a couple of simple goals; to learn some other trails and more geography of the park, and to get a good workout. I began my run by following a simple rule as I looped the end of Lake Surprise and began my journey west, keep to the right. The early stages of the run found me using some narrow trails that are often shared by horses, so I had to sometimes avoid a "squishy." (Let's just say that aside from horseshoe prints, I didn't want to plant a foot in the other thing they leave behind.) Several times, I got the burst of adrenaline as a chipmunk went wild or a bullfrog splashed as they realized my approach.

Eventually, I found myself passing the road to Feltville, then I was quickly onto single track. Some of which seemed to have seen little or no traffic this season. Through much of this section and occasionally later, the wild roses and blackberries were writing of their presence in scratches on my legs.

At one point, I passed a little tent, with PVC pipe for supports, a solid roof and screen sides. I'm not sure if it's the home of a homeless person or some debris from a careless camper. Just after that, the trail bent downhill, following a wash over a fairly solid surface of the schist? (shale?) that makes up the Watchung ridge. It's some type of rock that breaks into very angular pieces, that seem to favor a size in about the 3" range. On hitting another trail, I made the right determined by my plan.

I eventually made my way to a roadway, if my interpretation of the map I looked at is correct, I was at the corner of Valley Road and Glenside Ave, and the body of water should have been Seeley's Pond. I headed up the hill on the roadway, and was soon overtaken by a woman riding a bike up the hill. I greeted her, and she replied. She was to be the only person out of a car I'd see until the end of my workout.

Some 80 meters up the road, there was a break in the guardrail on the road. I went in, ignoring the "Construction - No Trespassing" signs. I followed the roadway into the park (they seemed to be doing drainage work, and were installing catchbasins with manholes in the road). After some dancing over downed trees in the bottoms of the park, I found a steep hill rising to my left. I thought this may be the hill that Feltville is located on, and sure enough, shortly, a bridge over the stream on my right appeared. It was behind Feltville, and recognizing terrain for the first time in quite a while.

I crossed the bridge, then began climbing the trail on the other side. I'd taken this trail once before, so when I got to a split, rather than following the ravine that would take me back to Lake Surprise, I headed to the right, up over the top of the edge of the hill. My choice to explore was quickly rewarded, as I suddenly found myself running trail perched on the edge of a steep gorge that was about 25 feet deep. From its appearance, it became a cataract in times of heavy rain. The trail suddenly cut right, following the gorge, and the far end of the bend was a wall of rock. This whole section was a bit startling to see, yet quite delightful.

As I continued along the path, I was eventually faced with a choice, I'd intersected a bigger trail, marked with yellow blazes, do I go left or do I go right? Although my gut said that left was the short way back, I chose right. I followed the yellow trail. It seemed to follow an out and back routing. Here I saw one of the very few pieces of trash on my journey, a Poland Spring water bottle stuck on the branch of a sapling, I think to mark an sudden and not very well marked turn. Along this section of trail, I found myself turning my ankles a bit more than on the wilder sections. I think the more worn trail tends to erode more rapidly, leaving more rocks half exposed.

As I continued, I came to another decision point. I could either follow the yellow trail or transition to a trail marked with green and white. On looking at their routes, the green and white seemed to approach an open area sooner. I was guessing that that open area meant civilization. I followed the green and white, and soon was crossing a bridge and ascending a flight of stairs made of logs with crushed rock behind. I went through a log gateway and arrived on a paved road. I immediately recognized the spot, I was just about 300 meters from my car. I popped onto the roadway, and started to head towards my car. I passed camp counselors heading to work in the park and two older women walking. Then I retrieved my keys, got some water from the car, and did some stretching. The time I arrived back was 8:04 AM.

I guess the one really interesting point was how easy it was following the little used single track. I guess once a path is well worn, it takes a long time to wipe it out. Sorry for the rambling nature of this post, I guess I felt a ramble in the woods deserved a ambling post. Now, it's time to shower, both to rid myself of stink (and in the 100°F weather, that'll last about an hour) and to reduce the chance of an outbreak of poison ivy in case I'd met up with any.

He's Baaaaack!

Why, Fat David Wells, of course! Wells didn't have a very good night, but at least he's playing again. Even when he was playing for the damned Yankees, he was a character. I'm pretty sure he shouldn't be held up as a role model for kids, but he's a real guy. He's got a bit of a weight problem. He apparently pitched his no-hitter drunk. I think he rides a motorcycle (not the safest activity). I liked him as a Yankee, I love that he's playing for the Sox.

Another Sox note - when out at the local Chili's with my son last Thursday, I spotted a sporting a tattoo of the socks on the outside of his right shoulder. He was kind enough to take a moment to show it to my son. It was just a nice moment shared by Sox fans in Yankeeland.