I Do … Want an Update on Game 6

The Lions Have Lost Last 4 of 6 on Thanksgiving
Originally uploaded by eharrison3

Was at the lively nail-biter of a Celtics game last night … a big Game 5 win for the C's over the Pistons, with a trip to the Finals (first time since 1987) just one game away.

This coming weekend, I'm heading to Juliet's cousin Pablo's wedding in D.C. Despite growing up in greater DC, Pablo is a huge Detroit sports fan (he lived his formative years around the Motor City) … in fact, given the Lions universally horrid play on Thanksgiving, most of the time when I see him (which tends to be Thanksgiving), he's pretty miserable — he's gotten better as I think he understands that they will perpetually suck, but I admire his plucky dedication. (Check out the shot of him decked out in a Joey Harrington jersey from Thanksgiving 2005). It should be interesting given that Game 6 of the Celtics/Pistons will be during his wedding reception. Will the TV be on? Will Pablo be getting updates he can share with us?

It reminds me a bit of our wedding, when the Yankees and Mariners played their epic Game 5 in the ALDS and my brother-in-law kept ducking into the kitchen to get updates.

Reppin’ Davis Sq.

Reppin' Davis Sq.
Originally uploaded by eharrison3

A cute shot of Mr. Colin from our little Memorial Day get-together yesterday. It is just like the BBQs from the old days, except less passing out, fewer kegs and more sippy cups. About the same amount of crying though. Click on the picture to see more.

Posterized

I alluded to this kid last week — he’s on the team Jacob’s Blue Sharks play every week (there are only two teams in the mini basketball league — familiarity shall breed content). Check out how he throws it down here. More to come when I get a few minutes …

Bourbon makes everything better

RE: The birthday party we attended on Sunday, evidently the hostess found a way to make a relatively fun party significantly more fun. Kudos Tammy! Did you ever know you are my hero?

Things I find funny that Juliet does not

(First in a series)

1. Replacing the lyric "bring on the juice" in James Brown’s "Funky Drummer" with "bring on the Jews."

   To be fair, we were driving to see my in-laws when the song came on, and well, it seemed appropriate.

Back from a whirlwind trip to the Big Apple. Highlights include a trip to the Central Park Zoo and me being allowed to watch the Red Sox 9-1 ALDS clincher in relative peace and quiet (thanks Juliet, I know that took some work on your part!). Lowlights include the 4 hour drive home tonight; despite my efforts to hypercaffienate, I still had to stop at the Charlton Rest Stop on the Pike for a 10-minute catnap (the rest of my passengers were all asleep). Luckily, now that it’s time for bed, I’m wide awake.

I have both boys tomorrow, solo, for the first time for more than 2 hours or so. Pray for me.

Reppin’ 508

Some highlights from our active day yesterday out in Central Mass under crystal-clear sunny skies on a wonderful example of Indigenous Peoples’ Summer:

• Using the new 146 Connector between the Mass Pike and I-290, finally providing a direct link between Boston and Worcester via Interstate highway without all sorts of backtracking. I always found it odd that Springfield gets 3 Pike exits, Wormtown none, but I digress.
• An excellent brunch with many old friends (4 couples and, let’s see, 8 kids, wow) and lots of great food at Chez Lindberg-Paradiso in Worcester. Hard to believe that friendships bourne of the fact that no one else would hang out with the 4 of us in high school still go strong today. Among topics of discussion: 1) It’s not smart to tell your female spouse that, in re: to childbirth, "Honey, if I could carry the child for you, I would," because should they ever invent time travel and the technology to allow men to carry children, you’d be screwed; 2) Yes, Tintin au Congo appears to be pretty racist, even given the excuses offered up for the time in which it was written; and 3) An update on Tammy and Family’s efforts regarding the Eat Local Challenge;
• Some wholesome apple picking and goat-watching with my folks at Tougas Farm in Northborough; try the galas, you won’t be disappointed.

Got back late, put the boys to bed and blazed through the recording of the Pats clobbering the hapless Buffalo Bills while cranking out an analyst presentation. Yay Sunday night.

Laboring Through Clams, Missed No Hitters, and Taunts Inspired by my Forbidden Love of Willie Nelson

  Woodman’s – 2 
  Originally uploaded by eharrison3

It was a good Labor Day weekend for food. With Lydia, Zachary and Stephanie in town, we decided to trek up to Essex and Ipswich for a fried-clam crawl. First stop, Woodman’s, for a taste (a large order of fried clams, a lobster roll and something else best described as a "clam donut" split amongst us all). Wow.

After a little walk around Essex, we meant to hit The Clam Box in Ipswich later that afternoon for Lunch Part Deux, but 1) the line was really long and 2) the boys were getting restless (someone should have also said 3) fried clams twice in a few hours are pretty bad for you, but no one did) so that will have to wait for a future trip. I can’t believe that, even though I have been a Masshole for more than 3 decades, I had never gone to Woodmans or the Clam Box (I always got my fried clam fix at Harry’s Restaurant in Westborough).

Today we had a BBQ to celebrate Dad’s birthday at Sean and Wei. On the menu were some outstanding slow-cooked ribs and sausages from DePasquale’s in Newton. Those sausages have changed my life.

Managed to watch a movie with Lydia and Stephanie on Saturday. Good part: it was Everything Is Illuminated, an excellent film from Liev Schreiber that managed to take a rather complex narrative from Jonanthan Safran Foer and make it into a visually stunning work. I really liked it. Bad part: we turned off Clay Buchholz’ historic no-hitter to watch it. Oh well.

Tomorrow night, I’ll be seeing Willie Nelson at the Harborlights. I have been taking some ribbing from my other fantasy football league, as I guess that was the only night everyone could do a draft. Hey, when the Red-Haired Stranger calls, you don’t say "no" because you have a fantasy football draft.

Key numbers as I return from one of the best vacations ever

1,212 — total number of e-mails that were confirmed as legitimate by our permissive spam-filter since I left last Saturday morning (not counting 468 more on my personal Gmail account)

19.8 — MPG on the Volvo XC-90 throughout the trip. My friggin’ carbon footprint is huge.

0 — days of rain this week. Some rainy nights, but otherwise sunny days. HUZZAH! More to come.

Strangers with Candy

A very funny post from FoodontheFood on the challenges of talking to your pre-schooler about strangers.

Things I Learned This Weekend

It’s been awhile since I rapped at you. Here’s a few notes after my weekend in the Berkshires with the Salomon/Rodriguez/LaBelle branch of my in-laws:

Tanglewood is not a particularly kid-friendly place. We learned that not only are kids under 5 not allowed in the covered seating (which makes sense; people there actually want to hear the show), they are actually only allowed behind a row of trees way, way back on the lawn. Wow.

If you are getting a massage by a relatively attractive masseuse and are fearful of, well, arousal, it helps to imagine that Donald Rumsfeld is giving you the massage.

Also, if the masseuse is beating the crap out of you, you should probably tell her to ease up on the pressure rather than trying to tough it out so she won’t think you’re a wuss-bag.

If I ever need to be rescued swimming in Lake Garfield in Monterey, Mass., please may it not be on the day when the lifeguard I overheard discussing her dislike/fear of getting wet in cold water is on duty.

Pre-school boys don’t have the same disdain for sand when walking from the lake back to your towel that I do.