Monday, August 1:
STATE COLLEGE, PA -- This is my first visit to Happy Valley and the scenery is gorgeous. Penn State is right in the middle of beautiful mountain country and the drive here was a treat. We'll drop by Beaver Stadium today and then head home.
Pretty good ballgame after all between the Orioles and Yankees (although they both understandably skipped batting practice). But I guess the game of the day was in Detroit where Justin Verlander and the Tigers beat the Angels 3-2 and L.A. ace Jared Weaver lost his cool and was tossed. Both teams are in pennant races but Weaver didn't do his mates any favours. He felt the Tigers were showing him up by admiring the two home runs they hit. Maybe. But the time to fire a high, hard one at the head of a Detroit batter was not immediately after both benches had been told by the home plate ump to cease and desist all hostilities. An immature reaction.
I felt like the world's biggest huckleberry the other night in Philly. Upon presenting my camera bag at the gate, I was told by the security guy that they don't allow Canons in the ballpark. I tried to explain that my Canon wasn't a professional model and that the lenses weren't the huge ones the accredited photogs use. Finally, it dawned on me that he meant they don't allow cannons in the ballpark and that he was just giving me the gears. We both got a good chuckle out of it but he must have wondered if I was a complete bag of toys.
Tuesday, August 2:
Yesterday was just the second time I had driven U.S. 219 from the Pennsylvania mountains north to Buffalo. And the first time, 15 years ago, it wasn't a pleasant drive as 1) I was massively hung-over from a party weekend in Johnstown, and 2) I ran into some severe lake-effects snow that made the New York state portion of the drive treacherous. But it's a lovely excursion, much of it by two-lane road, winding through woods and forests and at one point touching the highest American peak east of the Mississippi River. I can only imagine how glorious the drive would be in mid-to-late October. Maybe I should go to a Penn State game at that time of year. By the way, Beaver Stadium is the first building that greets you when you drive south onto the Penn State campus. It's a fantastic structure and -- like most other behemoth homes of U.S. college football (i.e., the Horseshoe, the Rose Bowl, Neyland Stadium and the L.A. Coliseum), it's as imposing on the outside as it is on the inside. All of which makes me wish the Big House wasn't so underwhelming, especially before its renovation, from the outside. But that's what happens when you dig out a hole and have the top of the stadium virtually at ground level. Looks great inside. The exterior? Meh.
Thursday, August 4:
OK, I'm thinking, as I watch Jacoby Ellsbury bat against Cleveland's Joe Smith with two out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth of a 3-3 game. Ellsbury's got some pop for a lead-off guy and, having just watched Detroit survive another nail-biter, this would be the perfect time for him to display a bit of power. Boom! On the next pitch, he drives it into the centre-field bleachers at The Fens and Boston wins 4-3. All of which means a four-game lead for my Tigers in the American League Central. Will it be a long-sought after division title or another year of heartbreak? Stay tuned!
She is likely 16 or 17, pretty and surely has so much to live for. She's blond and I know that because she was not wearing a helmet. I have no idea who she is but she almost wasted it all away today when she decided to petal her bicycle at full speed on a sidewalk in the wrong direction and through an intersection I was about to legally enter. She smiled at she roared by. I'm glad I have good brakes and reasonably good reflexes for my age. Because if this is a habit for her, I may see that smiling face again on an obituary page. Hope not.
When the clock strikes 12 noon today, I'll be free! The next 27 days will be all mine. The Bride and I embark on a summer vacation and we have friends joining us for the first week of our stay at the cottage in the Laurentians. After a summer-long heat wave, yesterday was wet and cool here. We needed the rain but I sure hope it's not a sign of things to come!
Friday, August 5:
Ahh, vacation! Sweet, sweet vacation. And this is my down-time break. Twenty-seven days off, the bulk of which will be spent at the Laurentians retreat. Sleep, eat, swim, read. And repeat. We head off tomorrow and for the first week, we'll be joined by friends who are making their first trek up to God's country. I know they'll love it!
Aw rats. The Punxsutawney Pirates (yes, I know, Punxsutawney Phillies would have been a better pun) popped their noses into first place, saw their respective shadows and have now lost seven in a row. Pittsburgh was just swept at home by the Cubbies and no contender wannabe does that. Seems as if the Bucs never got over that terrible call in Atlanta that cost them a game. Too bad.
Monday, August 8:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- Well, this is about as perfect as it gets. The sticky, humid days appear to be behind us, leaving wall-to-wall sunshine and low humidity here at the summer retreat. And yet, with July's relentless and baking heat, the water is as warm as I can ever remember it up here. Even an overnight thunderstorm Saturday and a rather coolish Sunday did nothing to adjust the water temperature. And with our good friends Phyllis and Doug and their 10-year-old daughter Tara here to share our first week, life doesn't get much better than this.
The routine of 1) sleep, 2) eat, 3) swim, 4) read and 5) repeat has meant a delay in this week's pic of the week. That, and the fact our internet service is dial-up (which we hope to have upgraded this week). Normally, I'd feel bad about that but with this weather, feelings of guilt are just not happening. Sorry!
Tuesday, August 9:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- Glory be! We have high-speed internet up here at the summer retreat. The Bride tells me that it wasn't all that long ago that the cottage didn't have electricity. I do know that when we were married in the early 1980s, her aunt and uncle's place at the other end of the lake had no power. And it used to be an iron-clad guarantee that a thunderstorm would mean a power outage. The region has come a long way.
Clouds today and the promise of rain tonight, tomorrow and Thursday. All of which makes high-speed internet a very welcome addition.
Thursday, August 11:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- The euphoria of high-speed internet lasted all of one day. It was down yesterday and we were back to dial-up. Today, intermittent service. Nothing for minutes at a time and then full speed. Very strange.
We're eating like kings up here. Our friend Doug can whip up a fancy feed with the best of them and refuses to sit back and relax. And we're all the better for it. No swimming today as someone decided to invite October to the party. Brrr! But they say it will warm up tomorrow and be hot again by Saturday.
Justin Verlander to the rescue tonight in Cleveland after the Tigers dropped the first two games of their key series in Cleveland, allowing their four-game lead to be sliced in half. This, after contract extensions to general manager Dave Dombrowski and skipper Jim Leyland. What was the rush in doing that? I would have done so only if the Tigers win the division. With their pitching and defence both in the bottom third of the majors, I still think that is a long shot -- despite their two-game lead in the worst division in baseball.
Sunday, August 14:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- High-speed internet is as reliable as the weather forecasts up here. In place some days (like today), invisible on some others (like yesterday). But the sun is out, the water is warm and the vacation is going (pardon the pun) swimmingly.
Three straight wins for the Tigers, including what could be a signature 6-5 win last night in Baltimore after trailing 5-0 early. And kudos to umpire Tim Timmons for his fine work Friday night in preventing what could have been a bench-clearing brawl in Atlanta. Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was immediately tossed by Timmons after throwing a far-too-inside-to-be-anything-but-intentional pitch at the Braves' Chipper Jones. Timmons then immediately confronted some angry Braves emerging from their dugout and told them in no uncertain terms to retreat. Peace was restored, thanks to the ump's quick thinking.
Detroit 34 Cincinnati 3. Yes, it was just pre-season and yes, it was at home and yes, it was against a Bengals team that is a playoff long shot. But an attitude of winning has to be in place with the Lions and every little bit helps.
Soccer is back and Manchester United's season opener is today (UPDATE: a tough 2-1 road win at West Brom). Both Liverpool and Arsenal were held to draws by inferior opponents yesterday, so help arrived early. (And Chelsea managed only a single point today)
Monday, August 15:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- Our friends, who departed Saturday, made it home without incident, as did our nephew and his wife, who dropped in Friday and spent the night. They're days away from being parents for the first time! A boy. And I've promised them that I'll help the toddler become a Lions fan. This is only funny when I explain that our nephew is a die-hard Bears fan and his bride loves the Packers.
We won't be alone for long. We'll tackle painting the boathouse early this week and then we're getting a surprise visit from Jim -- our best man all those years ago -- and his wife Janine, who will detour north on their way from London, Ontario to Halifax. We haven't seem then in years and we're really looking forward to it!
Thursday, August 18:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- When I was about 15 or 16, a bunch of us who spent summers at our cottage in Lake Erie would play baseball seemingly every day until Labour Day and then football on weekends until we closed it all up on Thanksgiving. And on one of those football weekends, the dads decided to play a game against the sons. Most of the fathers were in their 40s, some in their 30s and one or two -- like my dad -- were in their 50s. And aside from losing the game (we whupped 'em), many of the dads could barely get out of bed the next morning. I'm reminded of that right now, after two days of painting the boathouse, especially the front that faces the lake. I had to balance on two-by-fours, stretch to reach the highest peaks with a paint brush extender and then bend down to my toes to paint the bottom of the doors. Today, my hamstrings are saying things to my brain that are not fit for a family newspaper. My back feels broken with the same sort of aches that Tillsonburg tobacco pickers (yes, some still exist) face every fall. In short, I finally have sympathy for those fathers back in the late 1960s. Gentlemen, I feel your pain.
Sunday, August 21:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- There are friends and there are friends. I've known my buddy Jim for almost 47 years -- we were/are a pair of crazed Tiger fans who became pals just before the 1968 World Series. He was the best man at our wedding and his wife Janine is as fun-loving as he is. (The five of us who used to hang out together in high school and college all married well). We've just spent a fabulous weekend with Jim and Janine, who sadly, have to leave today. And the crazy thing is, we hadn't seen them for 10 years. Ten years! That's just wrong, and won't ever happen again.
Monday, August 22:
LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, PQ -- This will be the last full day at the summer retreat. For the most part, the weather has been sensational. But after a couple of rather strong thunderstorms roared through Saturday, we were left with one of those "all-day rain" days yesterday. Today is supposed to be better but tonight's low up here is predicted to be five Celsius (or 40 Fahrenheit) Ouch!
Tomorrow, we'll head to Ottawa to see our nephew and his wife who are still waiting to be parents. The baby is fashionably late (due on Saturday). I know all about that. I was two weeks late 'way back when.
The pictures from Goderich, Ontario are rather shocking after yesterday's tornado and our thoughts are with the people in that lovely town. Usually twisters strike suburbs -- this one took dead aim at downtown.
I was wrong about the Minnesota Twins -- they won't win the American League Central. But I still think the White Sox will come from third place to take it. Despite that, I'm rather elated (and surprised) the Tigers swept second-place Cleveland over the weekend to open a four-and-a-half game lead. And they did it without ace Justin Verlander, who pitches tonight at Tampa Bay.
Tuesday, August 23:
OTTAWA -- Canada lost a good man yesterday when cancer claimed NDP Leader Jack Layton. Whether you agreed or disagreed with his politics, he was someone who never backed down from a fight and firmly believed he was championing the masses. But he never held a grudge with those in the media who publicly disagreed with him or questioned his finances. And I say this as someone who repeatedly tore into him on local radio in the 1980s when he was a Toronto councillor. Yet, we had some intriguing chats over beers in the intervening years. He was the most down-to-earth politician I ever met, a "regular guy" if you will. The only thing we can all agree on is to condemn that blasted disease. I've known a warehouse full of fine folks who, like Layton, fought the good fight in an unwinnable battle. RIP, Jack.
Wednesday, August 24:
Eight o'clock is what they predicted and eight o'clock is when the massive thunderstorms started to approach. We arrived back home at six o-clock so I was able to quickly cut almost three weeks worth of rain-saturated lawn (the neighbours were a bit stunned to learn that we had relatively dry and warm weather in the Laurentians) and share a quick, beer-accompanied dip with bride into the hot tub before it started getting quite dark. Then we watched cell after cell after cell roar through with a two-and-a-half hour (and counting) light and rumble show. We're still under a tornado watch as I type this but the winds have been relatively light, so no worries so far.
I've had a shaved head since 1996 -- done on a dare in Los Angeles and kept, on 1) a tribute to the people I saw in the cancer ward two years earlier who I knew weren't going to make it out as I was fortunate to do; 2) The vain me who warmed to comments suggesting I looked far younger than my age with this look, and 3) a smooth head for Mandy The Wonder Pooch (sadly, she is late in extra innings), who loves nothing more than to lick my head until it`s almost raw. But in an effort to cut back on shaving chores at the cottage, I grew my extremely limited hair out and grew a moustache. Grey I expected, white I did not. Job two upon arriving back at home, after the cutting of the lawn (followed by the dip in the hot tub and subsequent shower) was quickly removing the head and upper lip hairs. I'm back to being young (ha!) again!.
Saturday, August 27:
I don't know what demons sent Mike Flanagan to suicide but I do know that the urge to take one's life can hit, regardless of how well-adjusted a person appears to be on the outside. I've lived the life of lives but have been in the throes of depression three times -- once in college and twice in the workforce. Finally, I was properly diagnosed and treated and now I'm happy as a lark. Sadly, whatever tortured Flanagan resulted in death by his own hand. I'll remember him as a sterling pitcher for both the Orioles and Blue Jays (his duel with Detroit's Jack Morris in the penultimate game of the 1987 season was one of the best baseball games I've ever seen live), a good broadcaster and a very funny human being.
I have friends in New Jersey and New York City (treasured members of "The Indy Gang") and my thoughts are with them as Hurricane Irene approaches. The fear is not so much the wind but the fact that this storm is huge and moving at a snail's pace. Coupled with high tides, the water this hurricane brings could be devastating.
I'm planning to head down to Cleveland for tomorrow's matinee against Kansas City and the plan was to drive east after that game to NYC for a Mets-Marlins doubleheader Monday. The twin bill is still scheduled and the Monday forecast looks good but who knows what will lie in Irene's wake? Mets' manager Terry Collins, a survivor of many a Florida hurricane, says he doesn't think they'll get it in, figuring New York could need a few days to properly recover from this storm. So we'll see. This might end up being a trip on a whim -- or we might just scrap travel plans altogether and stay home.
Sunday, August 28:
CLEVELAND -- It must be driving Indians fans nuts. The Tribe has started winning again, and often in rather dramatic fashion, but they can gain no ground on the Tigers. Detroit has been on a tear thanks to some much improved starting pitching. In fact, the shakiest outing of the week was probably yesterday's by Justin Verlander of all people. But he did just enough and was rewarded by his offence in an eventual 6-4 win at Minnesota -- Verlander's 20th of the season.
Another gem from Dodgers' radio announcer Charley Steiner yesterday. In describing a slow runner, he said coaches used to claim a guy "was running as if he was angry at the dirt." Speaking of the Dodgers' broadcast team, it's great to hear the news that the master, Vin Scully, has signed up for one more year. We're all the richer for it.
Monday, August 29:
NEW YORK -- Seems they've had a slight storm here. Irene wasn't half as bad as some were predicting but it was still a major storm nonetheless with lots of flooding. But the subways and planes are back in operation here today and the Mets' doubleheader against Florida is still on.
Bruce Chen must drive batters batty. He throws slow, slower and slowest and unless you get him out of his rhythm, you'll end up like the Indians yesterday -- one run (that on a bases loaded walk) and just five hits in a 2-1 loss to Chen and the Royals. Both teams had the bases full in the first inning yet only managed a run each. But if you'd suggested then that the game would end 2-1 and the last six-and-half innings would be scoreless, I might have had a hard time believing it.
Manchester United 8 Arsenal 2?! Some major angst in North London, methinks.
Tuesday, August 30:
BALTIMORE -- It's a boy!!! Well, we knew that. But the newest family member arrived today (10 days late). Our nephew's wife gave birth to a lucky 7 pound, 11 ounce baby boy this morning in Ottawa. I can't wait to see him (and whisper in his shell-pink ear that since his mom and dad cheer for the Packers and Bears respectively, he should follow his great unc and become a Lions fan!
Driving here last night after the Mets swept a doubleheader, I was again entertained by the Dodgers' radio crew. They started talking about old catchers and the hand injuries they dealt with. Charley Steiner said if you looked at their hands, their fingers point every which way. Whereupon Rick Monday replied, "just don't ask them for directions." Later, Monday commented on how a player lit up when he was asked about the thrill of competition and he said, "it was like his eyeballs were just plugged in." Great stuff.
There are about 20 or so Mets fans in the high reaches of Citi Field who do their best to get the crowd in gear. They sing, they chant, they have the time of their lives and when I suggested that they'd be right at home at an English soccer game, the group leader said, "that's the idea." Some diehards don't like their act but I thought it was refreshing.
Just after I praise the Tigers starting pitchers, Brad Penny and Max Scherzer gave up seven runs apiece in consecutive blowout losses to weak sisters Minnesota and Kansas City. I still say Detroit's not going to make the post-season.
Wednesday, August 31:
BALTIMORE -- I can't believe this is the 20th season for Baltimore's Camden Yards and I also can't believe no one goes to games there anymore. Yes, the Orioles are all but doomed in a small market with limited financial resources, trying to compete in the American League East. But folks who passed on last night's game missed a gem, won by the home team with a 10th inning rally, in a ballpark that is still arguably the best of the retro-parks, even though it was the first. Hard to improve on a trail-blazer.
Back home today in what should be a lovely drive in great weather. And upon arrival, vacation comes to a bittersweet end.
