Boston Trip-Fenway Day!!

Thursday arrived, and with it our primary reason for vacationing in Boston. We got up, ate a quick breakfast at the hotel, then went to the train station to go to Fenway (It's at this point I wish we would have known the geographic layout of Boston better. We could have walked and avoided being packed into the T like sardines). Matt used to watch Red Sox games with his grandfather while he was growing up, so he has been a fan his entire life; going to a game at Fenway was a dream come true for him. I adopted the Red Sox back in 2004 when they came back from an 0-3 defiicit to beat the Yankees and Curt Schilling, a former Dback was pitching through his bloody sock to break the curse of the Babe.

We arrived at Fenway just before they opened the gates, which meant we had plenty of time to grab a few beers and enjoy the history of Fenway park. We meandered through, looking at all the old memorabilia, and eventually stumbling out onto Yawkey Way, which is closed off during games and considered part of the ballpark, so all ticketed fans can enjoy the shops and restauarants on that street.

It was a beautiful day for baseball, overcast and cool, with no rain. Unfortunately Verlander threw a shutout for the Tigers, and I only got to see Captain Varitek when he came out inbetween an inning to warm up the pitcher, but it was still amazing to be at the ballpark and watch a Red Sox game in person.

After the game we walked back to the hotel, enjoying the parks, architecture, and feel of the city. We had dinner at the oldest pub in Boston, Jacob Wirth's, with a delicious lobster macaroni and cheese. The bar has been open in the same spot since 1868, and it has a beautiful Mahogany bar, lots of great beer, and a friendly atmosphere.

Sisters at Chase Field, new digital camera

I share season tickets to the Diamondbacks with several of my coworkers. On July 9th, my sister Danielle and I went to the ballpark to enjoy the game. I also had my new camera, so it was fun to test it out and see how well the 12x zoom worked. I was impressed, and it confirmed that I had picked the correct camera for me. I have the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, and absolutely love it. It takes great photos and is the most intelligent point and shoot I have owned. This camera corrects for everything, which is great since I have a tendency to shake while taking photos and always wind up with red-eye.





The game started out fantastic. There were a couple home runs, and the Dbacks took an early 7-0 lead. Then a Dbacks hitter sent a line drive at the pitcher, and it was all downhill from there. The pitcher left the field hurt and the Marlins rallied to have a 10 run 8th inning and went on to win 14-7. Even though the Dbacks lost (shocking, I know), we still managed to have a great time. Thanks Danielle, for driving and buying our beers!!

End of a Season

The last Dbacks game was a home game, and happened to be on my birthday! My best friend Becky and I went to the game. I had season tickets this year, and the seats were a small luxury I allowed myself (and Becky for most of the season!). At the beginning of the game, each player had a child or 2 with him, and they got to walk out onto the field with the player to the players position, play catch, and get autographs!!

The colors were presented by the Mesquite High School JROTC unit. As a side note, I was the commander of the first HS JROTC team to present colors for the Dbacks back in 1998. . .

It was a great game, pitched by Randy Johnson. He had a complete game and 9 or 10 strike-outs. The Dbacks won, and that was at least a good ending to an otherwise disappointing season. I am hopeful that the Dbacks will be back in the playoffs next year!!

The other good news is Birthdays are sponsored by Cold Stone Creamery and with an ID proving it is indeed your birthday, you get a free full size Ice Cream!! Hooray!!