More Red Sox

The Red Sox were in Oakland this Memorial Day weekend for a series against the As. I went to the game Friday night with my friend Paul and his friend Mike; Wakefield was up to no good and the Sox lost. I had to cope with this annoying As fan next to me with green and yellow streamers in her hair, who literally clapped or commented on every pitch. Maybe the meditation is paying off: I did not make any snide comments to her.

I also went to the game Saturday night, this time alone, although you're never really alone at a baseball game and I made friends with all the Sox fans around me. Have I mentioned that Red Sox games in Oakland are always at least a 50/50 split of Sox fans to As fans? Or that the As didn't sell out either game I went to? Anyhow, Saturday night Beckett was pitching and he was phenomenal, but apparently the Sox left their offense back East. They lost again. I exhibited extreme restraint by making no snide comments to the toolbag sitting behind me who was ranting and raving about the Patriots cheating and how much he hates Boston teams.

I didn't go the game yesterday, but they lost that game too. Swept by the As. Maybe I should feel depressed but it is still so early in the season, no reason for frustration yet. We New England fans know the importance of perseverance.

Wisconsin

Yes, I have now been to Wisconsin. It is a lovely state, although the reason I went was not necessarily personal choice but rather for work.

Backing up, last Monday I awoke at 3:45am to commence this journey. Apparently many other people also woke up this early, evidenced by the security line at San Jose wrapped all around the baggage carousels. My three co-workers and I fortunately made it through Security in a timely manner, with even enough time to spare for a stop at Starbucks (I ordered the largest Awake tea possible). The flight attendants were then apparently missing/delayed, so we got off the ground a little late, but we did manage to arrive in Chicago on time. Side note: I really am not a United fan, particularly in a middle seat, but I had 1.5 weeks notice for this trip and options were limited.

Once we arrived in Chicago, the four of us met up with two more co-workers who came in from San Francisco and Sacramento. After one rental car swap - we traded a foul-smelling, dirty Saturn from Texas with no head room for a brand new Ford Taurus - we were on our way. Wisconsin was not the first stop; we had an afternoon meeting in Lake Forest, Illinois, about 30 miles north of O'Hare.

We reached Milwaukee around dinner time and opted to eat at The Water Buffalo in what appeared to be the downtown, right by the river. Milwaukee was a surprisingly quiet city with an equally surprisingly dirty river, but the food was outstanding and I had my first ever Spotted Cow beer (excellent). Navigating out of the city was a bit challenging even with the Hertz Never Lost woman and her constant recalculations. We did see Miller Park where the Brewers play, but no home games that night. Side note: the Red Sox swept the Brewers the previous Friday through Sunday games and Jon Lester pitched a no-hitter that Monday night - I was in a happy state of mind.

Our hotel for the two-night stay was a Towne Suites by Marriott, one of those extended stay type of hotels. We were in a fine mood after the Spotted Cow, cheese, and rocking out to XM satellite radio (have I mentioned I have fun co-workers?!), and the party continued through the check-in process. I think these two women working at the Towne Suites may have been indulging in something in the back room. We finally all managed to get checked in, I did some work, then passed out from exhaustion.

The two days of meetings in Wisconsin went well. Dinner Tuesday night was at a place called Prime Quarter. For $19.95 you select your cut of meat, they cook it for a $2 charge or you can cook it on the open grill, plus you get a baked potato, Texas toast, and a trip to the salad bar (which entailed not much more than iceberg lettuce, cukes, pasta salad, hard-boiled eggs, and bacon). We had to order the wine by its number, just like ordering food at a Chinese restaurant. I knew for sure by this point that I wasn't in California any more. One of my co-workers is vegetarian and I think he lost 5 pounds on this trip. After dinner I worked until my mind just froze up from fatigue.

Wednesday morning we made a quick stop at Brennan's to buy cheese. Our supplier was kind enough to refrigerate the cheese all day for us during the meetings. We departed a little after 3pm on Wednesday and our flight to Denver left at 5pm out of Milwaukee. The plane was tiny and the conditions were turbulent, but we made it. Our layover in Denver permitted us to grab dinner there before the connecting flight to San Jose. That flight was delayed so we arrived in California a little after 11pm. By the time we got our bags and I dropped my manager off at his house, it was midnight before I got home. It was 1:30am before I went to sleep due to the unpacking and email damage control. All in all, I was up for 22 hours that day and went into "fake it 'til you make it" mode at work the next day. And that was a 12 hour day due to all the catch-up I had from the trip.

All in all, it was a great trip with productive meetings, I enjoyed Wisconsin very much - definitely many thriving suburban communities, and it was good to have a change of pace. But I was overjoyed to have a long weekend this weekend in order to recover from the lack of sleep!

Gas Price Update

I failed to mention when gas hit $4.00/gallon (awhile ago now). This Saturday I paid $4.15/gallon. Man, I really miss car pooling, a subway system that went where I wanted to go, and being able to walk to the grocery store.

First Giants Game

Last night I attended my first San Francisco Giants game with the 20s/30s group from church and some other friends. The stadium was gorgeous and had a huge variety of food to buy (I opted for the turkey burger and sampled someone else's garlic fries). If you have never been to a Giants game, be advised that you should bring a heavy coat or blanket when going as the park's proximity to the bay means lots of wind and cool temperatures at night.

I had a great time but I must confess that I did not pay much attention to the game, focusing more on catching up with people, eating, and trying to stay warm. I did, however, register the fact that the Giants lost the game to the Phillies. While there were some die-hard fans there, most people seemed as disengaged as I. The game seemed more like a hang-out spot, rife with unruly people in the bleachers and teens wandering aimlessly. Perhaps this is due to the fact that tickets are inexpensive and plentiful. Overall there just did not seem to be the intensity or fervor that I know and love from Red Sox fans, which took away a little from the modern ballpark. Nonetheless, I would certainly go back, if only to socialize and enjoy the city. (Side note: I saw several people sporting their Red Sox gear at the game so rest assured that the citizens of Red Sox nation have infiltrated all stadiums, even if the Red Sox are not present.)

Following the game, a few of us headed to the North Beach area of the city, where we found some gelato. We then went to Vesuvio, a bar known as being a central gathering place for the Beat Generation, including Jack Kerouac. By the time I got home, I had been awake for nearly 22 hours, a surprising feat given the week I had at work. I slept well.

Me with Paul and Dan

On the left is Steve Naylor, the Acting Minister of Programming and Outreach at church. Also in the picture are his friends Brady and Gwen and my fellow South Bay-er, the other Steve.

At Vesuvio

Back to New England Again

Since I last wrote, I have been to Maine, Boston, and Urgent Care. My apologies for going radio silent but when I have not been working or traveling, I have been trying to recover!

The long weekend in New England began with a red eye flight from San Jose to Boston the evening of April 24, followed by a 6am bus ride to Portland, Maine. Friday was a quiet day of relaxing, ending with my favorite grilled chicken salad in Falmouth with my mom, a visit with Grandpa (who celebrated his 89th birthday 3 months ago), the latest episode of "Lost" on DVR with my dad, and a Red Sox loss. Saturday started early with an 8am 5K for Safe Passage which I completed with my friend Mary. That afternoon I made the requisite trip to LL Bean (and replaced all my Nalgene water bottles), baked cookies with mom, and generally just basked in the joy that is being in Maine. We had a family dinner that night - including dad's famous "beef dish" - and then watched the Red Sox lose again.

At 2:30 am on Sunday morning, all the bad stuff started. I awoke with the worst sore throat I have experienced in recent memory. Once it was daylight, I decided a trip to Urgent Care was necessary, both for the throat and for a cyst on my head. As Urgent Care did not open until 9am, I first went to breakfast with my parents - to my childhood favorite, Down East, which is closing this year (a Walgreen's will soon grace the property). By this point the fever had set in. Fortunately Urgent Care was moving quickly once I arrived and I was seen right away. Sure enough, my cyst was infected causing my whole sinus/lymph/drainage system not to work properly. I did not have strep throat but received a prescription for antibiotics to heal me up. Mom and I filled the prescription, bought me some lunch at Amato's, and then I finally boarded the bus to Boston.

I arrived in Boston a few hours later than planned, meaning I did not get a visit in to Old South Church. Fortunately Matt and Leslie's wedding celebration (the whole reason I planned the trip) ran from noon to 8pm. I met up with Anthony and Chris at their apartment and we headed over to the party. While I most certainly was not in top form, it was fantastic to see the happy couple. That night I relaxed with Anthony and Chris, ate plenty of frozen yogurt, and slept soundly on their couch. The next morning Anthony dropped me off on Beacon Street in Brookline, where I spent the morning with Emily, who also had a vacation day, and we lunched at Mr. Sushi. Despite being under the weather, I had a great visit to New England although these trips are always a little bittersweet. Thank goodness for Jet Blue and their affordable direct flights!

My flight from Boston arrived in California around 7:15pm local time on Monday night. Surprisingly I was still fairly functional - I unpacked and readied myself for the work week. Yup, I worked all week and for the most part am now feeling better, although my sinuses are emptying so much it is very embarrassing to be in public. I even burst some vessels in one eye due to all the blowing of the nose. Super.

As for my next trip to New England, it is not set in stone, but I might go back in July. Stay tuned...