WAY Past Due ...

** This is a picture I took at the lake a few weeks ago - we were out on our houseboat and docked on an island - isn't it beautiful? **

Wow. Where does one begin after such a long absence?

Well, I left Wisconsin and moved back to Minnesota at the end of May due to changes in my job ... I took most of the summer off and spent time readjusting to small town life and enjoying my now 9 year old son and bonding with all of his new friends. I got a dog (will show pics later) and have been busy teaching him to be a good boy for Mama.

I start my new job in just 13 days!! I'm excited to be moving forward with my life. I have 10 weeks of training to go through, but I look forward to the challenge.

So, I said I got a puppy. It's a shih tzu, he's just over 3 months now. His name is Beckett. I know, I know ... but I just love Josh Beckett and thought - How fitting is that???? LOL!!!

This is a picture from the day I brought him home...

Uh, I guess I don't have any recent pictures online just yet, so once I do I will show you how big he is now!! In this picture he was 1 pound 6 ounces ... 3 weeks ago he was 7 pounds 3 ounces - - he's a little piglet and I can't wait to see how much he weighs next week when I take him to the vet.

I have been going out a lot with friends and family. Sadly there is not a TON to do around here that doesn't involve booze or the bar, and I have been doing my fair share of spending time doing both so working full time will keep my ass outta those situations!

I have been trying to follow my favorite Boys of Summer as often as possible ... my love for the Red Sox has to be obvious with this picture below ..............

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my license plates!!!!! Spending the money on vanity plates was so worth it ... I just can't tell you the happy feeling I get when I see my car. Does that make me pathetic???

I love fighting in baseball!

This is one of my all-time favorite Red Sox / MFY moments of all time!

BoSox tickets ...

Oh - I did just want to mention that 2 weeks ago TODAY ... My 14 tickets to see the BoSox play the Twinkies came in the mail. I am taking the DS to all 4 games and a friend is coming with ... and my stepdad is going to join us for 2 games.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
very excited about all of this ...

Can you tell???????????????????????????

Delays ...

So - I said I was going to be around more. I lied. At the time. I am trying to get here more frequently and fully feel that I will live up to this vow now that baseball season is upon us.

The DS has kept me so busy with hockey ... seriously. We had our last league game tonight - lose in overtime. We finish up next weekend with a tournament out of town.

So - I just have to say - I love to peruse other blogs. All sorts of them. I feel dirty while I am reading everyones biz-nas! So - I love this blog Getting Single ... it's even podcasted ... I love it.

I especially love this song "Single Life" by Carrie Cunningham. You can find her on MySpace HERE

Thoughts ...

... I am capable of having them ya know!

So, the DS still has another 2 months or so of hockey and hockey commitments. YAY! I have enjoyed the season thus far, but it gets to be so long.

I am very excited for Spring Training to begin. You have no idea - unless you are a Red Sox fan then you can understand where I am coming from.

Living in WI in the winter sucks. It sucks even more in Northern MN, which is where I grew up! However - I am pumped that the BoSox are coming to MPLS to play the Twinkies for 4 games in May! I have gotten tickets to all 4 games ~ the only thing more expensive than the tickets at the Dome is the hotel stay! My stepdad is going to come for a few games this year as well; back when the Metrodome was being built he worked on it's construction, but has never seen a game played there - so now's the time since 2009 brings a new stadium.

The DS has begged and pleaded to go to Boston for a game or 2 at Fenway this season ... I haven't decided on that one yet. I plan on taking him there at some point ~ I just don't know that this is the year. Maybe I should start saving now -

i.e. the Mastercard commercial:

2 airline tickets to Boston ~ $900.00
2 tickts to Fenway Park ~ $200.00
2 night hotel stay in Boston ~ $600.00
Taxi fare to Logan Intl ~ $50.00

Seeing your favorite team at the most beautiful place on Earth with your Son ~ PRICELESS

We'll see what happens - but I should really start planning now ....

2 months ...

... it has been 2 months today that I have not blogged.

So much has happened and been going on in my life ... I just haven't had the time or the want.

I'm still in a bit of a depression with the death of my father ...

My son is keeping me so busy with hockey you just have no idea! Games and tournaments and practices; oh my!

The news on the Red Sox doorstep has been so quite ... I need the BoSox action to be back!

Here's to hoping I stop by more frequently ... happy wishes to everyone!

Off again ...

The DS and I returned from Cape Cod / Boston on Tuesday.

My father recognized me and the DS when we got there on Wednesday. I made peace with him - he hadn't been able to talk but he choked out that he loved me and cried. I will never forget that moment. Ever.

That was the last time I saw him open his eyes or hear his voice - he was unresponsive the rest of our visit. I spent 12 hours a day at the hospital, holding his hand or talking, reading him any news on the Red Sox that I could find ...

The DS was wonderful while we were there. I even got to see my enclavian sister Belle for drinks one night. I needed a night away.

He was transferred to a hospice house on Tuesday. I got to view it twice and it was lovely, I was comfortable with him being there.

So, Wednesday morning after returning to work I got the call. My father had passed away Wednesday morning. He went very peacefully.

I had debated, due to lack of funds, about being able to fly out for the funeral. My coworkers were great and provided a beautiful sympathy gift to help towards travel expenses ... I value them all so much.

I am leaving tomorrow morning and will return on Tuesday.

catching up ...

I have a lot of stuff going on in my personal life right now ...

The DS and I are heading to the Cape on Friday to spend some time with my father. He's been in the hospital for 2 weeks now and I worry about him. He has cancer, well, just about everywhere, and my stepmom is a Saint and God has been answering her prayers. The cancer has spread or is growing; and they have now found a tumor in the brain. I was planning on taking the DS to Boston to go to Fenway this summer but I have decided to up our trip to now so we can spend time with family. Hopefully I can still take him this summer as Boston is truly my most favorite place to be.

I was going through my camera and found some fun pictures from this summer ...

This is the DS at his 8th birthday party ... he loves being an ARMY guy ... his teacher tells me his passion for writing Army stories is the most intense she has ever seen ....

Here is the DS rock climbing at the Children's Museum ... this was a fun day!

I have a million more pictures to upload ... I have been busy snapping away! I need to start scrapbooking again; I just haven't had the time.

Sing with me now ...

"We are the Champions, my friends ..................."

YAY !!!

The 2007 Boston Red Sox SWEEP THE ROCKIES !!!!

Does life get any sweeter?

The first thing I noticed when Tek ran to Paps was that be put the game winning ball in his back pocket ... that gave me a nice chuckle amongst the joyous tears I was shedding ...

Does this team get any better? Seriously? Does it?

Bobby Kielty comes in to pinch hit and friggin homers ????? Rock On Brother !

Lester proved to be the man ...

Lowell dominated ... I was happy to see him chosen as MVP ... It could have been any of them ...

I am so overwhelmed with happiness right now; it is making the bad things in my life float to the back of my mind ...

Enjoy fellow members of Red Sox Nation ... we always kept the faith!

Proud Moments ...

Well, Game 2 of the WS was a nail biter for me. The Lord shined down upon us and gave us a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies at Fenway. I will take whatever win I can get for my favorite boys (other than the DS).

My favorite moment of the game: When Papelbon outed Holliday on 1st base ... got the call from the dugout - and M.H. didn't have a prayer ...

I am off to Madison, WI this weekend ... it is my final birthday in my 20's ... so I am going to do it up right ... what better place to go for Halloween weekend ... I will have to throw together some kind of costume before we leave ...

I have set the DVR in the offchance that I will NOT get to watch Game 3 ... however my friends said we can go SOMEWHERE to watch the game ... which is good thinking on their part if they ever want me to talk to them again (only kidding) ...

Have a good weekend ... Boston is off to Colorado ... I hope to hear some Red Sox Chants ... Red Sox Nation is EVERYWHERE !!!!!

I want 2004 Schilling !

We all know Beckett's the Red Sox Ace ... and we all know Schilling likes to compete with him. If Beckett can do it, so can he ...

I am hoping that is the attitude Schilling goes out on the mound with tonight. I want to see him strike out the first 3 batters in the 1st inning tonight ... I want to see Pedroia homer again in the 1st ... I want big runs scored ... I want a WIN tonight ...

These Rockies are nothing to us ... I want to smash them into oblivion ... I want to make them cry to their mommas and daddies ...

So, we know I will be in front of the TV wearing a Red BoSox shirt, my RS socks, hat, and a pair of yoga pants ... sexy huh? I have worn this outfit for the past 4 games and we have won those said games ...

So, Schilling, show us another stellar performance tonight ~ please channel that 2004 Schilling - the one with the bloody sock !!!!

And let us Pray ...

Our Father, who art at Fenway...
Baseball be thy game,
Playoffs need to be won,
On earth, then on to the Cask'n'Flagon.
Give us this day, the perfect Papi,
And forgive us our losses,
As we forgive those,
Like Eric Gagne.
And lead us not into desperation,
But Deliver us from any loses.
For thine is the power
And the Glory
To beat the Rockies
Forever and ever...
Yankees Suck.

Amen

We Rocked You !

Wow.

The 2007 ALCS Champs are none other than the Boston Red Sox. My Boston Red Sox.

They completely dominated the past 2 home games against the Cleveland Indians.

Saturday 12-2 (B)
Sunday 11-2 (B)

Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youklis rocked my world last night. They "filled in" for Papi & Manny ! Coco made an amazing final catch to win the game on Sunday ... Papelbon's facial expressions are friggin priceless. P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S.

There are so many words and emotions right now - I am completely and purely elated. I had tears of joy. The DS looks at me last night and says "Mom, I have tears too." This is such an amazing feeling. NEVER count this team out - ever. They were down 3 games to 1 ... and came back to win the next 3 to become the AL Champs !

How cute was Kevin Millar throwing out the first pitch ??? In case some people didn't see it, here's Millar's Rally Cry ...



Ok - I will have to come back later - I am so happy still ... I am at a loss for words !!!

~ Zip, Zilch, Nada ... ~

I have nothing to say.

I am pissed at the world.

Thanks, have a nice day.

** ClapClapClap ** Come on boys ... Let's clean house!

So tonight we have Game 1 of the ALCS at Fenway.

I am so happy our boys made it here - they deserved it ... now let's just stomp the crap outta Cleveland and things will be going just the way they thought they would.

My lover boy Josh is on the mound tonight ... this boy has HARDLY ever let me down - he made a big promise earlier this season and he's stuck to it ...

So, I will be going home in 38 minutes, have to pick up the DS from school, buy munchies at the grocery store, and pop on a Red Sox hat, shirt, and socks - sit on the couch - and ... "root, root, root for the home team ..." YAY !!!

GO RED SOX !

beatings and MFY's ...

A child custody case was held in court. The judge felt that the mother and father were both fit to be parents and therefore couldn't decide who he should grant full custody to. So he asks the little boy, "Would you like to live with your mother?"

"No." said the boy.

"Why not?" said the judge.

"Because she beats me.

"The judge says "Okay, then you'll go live with your father."

"Oh No," cried the boy, "He beats me too."

Dumbfounded, the judge asks "Okay who do you want to live with?"

"I want to live with the New York Yankees."

"Why?" asks the judge.

"They don't beat anybody!"

Leave it to a man of God ...

There was Red Sox fan who was feeling pretty down on himself. For whenever saw a Yankee fan in their obnoxious pinstripe jerseys walking down the road, he would swerve and pretend to hit them.

As the man is driving on he sees a Priest walking down the road. Feeling he should do something good, he stops next to the priest.

"Where are you heading Father, can I give you a lift?"

The priest replied, "I'm heading to the Mass two miles down the road."

As they are driving along the man sees a Yankee fan walking down the road, instinctively, he swerves to hit them. He knows he did not hit them, but still hears a loud THUMP.

He says, "I'm sorry Father, I should not have tried to hit that Yankee fan."

"That's ok," replied the priest, "I got him with the door."

Singing all day long ...

I woke up singing this song this morning ... it's a good day ... PLUS I am going to see Dropkick Murphys in a month !!! I can't wait !!!

Tessie is the Royal Rooters' rally cry
Tessie is the tune they always sung
Tessie echoed April through October nights
After serenading Stahl, Dineen and Young

Tessie is a maiden with the sparkling eyes
Tessie is a maiden with the love
She doesn't know the meaning of her sight
She's got a comment full of love
And sometimes when the game is on the line
Tessie always carried them away
Up the road from Third Base to Huntington
The boys will always sing and sway
Two! Three! Four!

"Tessie," "Nuff Ced" McGreevy shouted,
"We're not here to mess around
Boston, you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you
Tessie, you are the only, only, only"

The Rooters showed up at the grounds one day
They found their seats had all been sold
McGreevey led the charge into the park
Stormed the gates and put the game on hold
The Rooters gave the other team a dreadful fright
Boston's tenth man could not be wrong
Up from "Third Base" to Huntington
They'd sing another victory song
Two! Three! Four!

"Tessie," "Nuff Ced" McGreevey shouted,"
We're not here to mess around
Boston, you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you
Tessie, you are the only only only"

The Rooters gave the other team a dreadful fright
Boston's tenth man could not be wrong
Up from "Third Base" to Huntington
They'd sing another victory song
Two! Three! Four!

"Tessie," "Nuff Ced" McGreevey shouted
"We're not here to mess around
Boston, you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you
Tessie, you are the only only only"


** also, this is my MAIN ringtone on my phone :) **

A Prayer for the Red Sox !

A Prayer for the Red Sox

Our Father, who art at Fenway...
Baseball be thy game.
Thy Kingdom come,Playoffs need to be won,
On Earth, then on to the Cask 'n' Flagon.

Give us this day, a perfect Papi,
And forgive us our losses,
As we forgive those,Like Bill Buckner.
And lead us not, into desperation,
But deliver us from any losses.

For thine is the Power,And the Glory,
To beat the Angels,Forever and ever....the Yankees suck

A-men!GO SOX!




I don't know who to give kudos to for writing this ... but I love it !

Birbigs toots ... his own horn !

I love this guy. Mike Birbiglia for PRESIDENT !!! My Secret Public Journal is the funniest thing since New York Yankees Toilet Paper !!!!!

M.B. ~ This is for you !!!! “Mike Birbiglia is skinny and his new CD is hilarious!”

~ quiet times ~

While I was home on the Range this summer, my family and I went out on the houseboat to watch the fireworks for the 4th of July. It was a beautiful calm sunset out on the lake ... I found these pictures that can help calm the soul.

lapse ...

I have had a lot going on in my personal life as of late, and have not had time to update here !!!

I am going to try and change that now ...

Things to come ...

• Thoughts on the Red Sox
• Pictures from 2nd Annual Redneck Reunion
• The DS in school
• Upcoming events and trips with friends
• Family
• Personal junk
• Complete Randomness

Ball Busting ...

I have been busy in trying to incorporate MG and the DS into my life – together – trying to see if we can be the “happy family”. It takes a lot of my energy to make these 2 males feel all important in my life – and to make them both feel comfortable in sharing me with the other. All seems to be going well on that front.

I am an anal person. I like things done a certain way – I am sure we all have little quirks like that. Well, MG decided to do a little housework yesterday.

* Made himself some good ol’ Mac & Cheese for lunch – which he burned. How do you burn M & C ??? Then he didn’t even wash the dishes from his lunch cooking experience.
* Emptied out the brownie pan. They needed to be tossed as they were getting old and hard. After hearing about the M & C fiasco I had to ask how he emptied the pan. Why, using a METAL spoon of course – in my brand new Teflon pan … we all know you don’t use metal in these, right?????
* Laundry. The last time he was here he did my laundry too, and washed some of my new work “dry clean only” blouses. *sigh* But this time was ok – no work clothes – but they all had to be refolded as he basically just balled them up.

Ok – enough picking on him – it’s not nice of me … it just felt good to vent.

So – how about those Red Sox? So much has happened since I last “posted” … Buchholz had a no hitter … AMAZING – I read about it in the newspaper while the DS, myself, and MG were out of town at the waterparks … I was very thrilled !

Happy to see we had won the past 4 games (excluding last night) after being swept by the MFY … which, by the way, I do NOT want to discuss – at all. I hate the MFY.

So, we are now squaring off against the O’s – I hope it’s a clean sweep by us in Baltimore … then the D-Rays come to Fenway … where we then have to play those damn MFY’s again … but on our home turf …

My man is on the mound tonight !!!

* Disclaimer: Mellie, if you are reading this - we can share!*

So - tonight's game is in the hands of Sir Josh ... ya know, we go back ... WAY BACK ... (lol) ... and he promised me something in Spring Training - see said promise here ...

Let's Go Red Sox !!! clap, clap, clapclapclap

Let's Go Red Sox !!! clap, clap, clapclapclap

Let's Go Red Sox !!! clap, clap, clapclapclap

Re-Post

I am just going to "modify" the 2nd post I made yesterday ... since it doesn't make sense if I post it verbatim today ... because it was meant for yesterday. Did that make sense to anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Uh-hmph ... yesterday was a day off for my beloved team of MLB ... so I can skip that whole paragraph! This weekend I was fortunate enough to get to watch 3 of the 4 games we played against the White Sox ... on TV that is - not in person unfortunately ... not for a lack of trying either - just, ya know ... life takes over and mother nature sucks and the trains were not running into Chicago due to flooding and such ... hey wait, this is not the point ... LOL !

So, (clears throat, gets serious) we head into NYC to battle the MFY for a 3 game series starting today. We lead the MFY's by 8 games so regardless of what happens this week, we are still ahead. I have such complete faith in our team ~ we have an amazing pitching rotation and our bats have been working as of late. I mean, seriously, we have Matsuzaka, who is 2-0 against the MFY, vs. Andy Pettitte today. My baby, Josh Beckett, will be battling his "idol" Roger Clemens on Wednesday. Schilling will be pitching against Chien-Ming Wang on Thursday afternoon.

I'm praying, as is Red Sox Nation, for a series sweep. I want to put as much distance between the MFY and ourselves as possible ...

lil bit frustrated ...

yesterday I made 2 new posts ... and they WILL NOT appear on my blog ... I am getting a tad bit frustrated and a lot pissed off.

~ thank you from your regional anger management group ~

Just another reason why the MFY's suck!

I am SO far behind in life, it's not even funny. My friend "E" posted this article in my home away from home, The Enclave, and it is disturbing.

Read HERE for yourselves ...

Lack of words ...

I have been pulled in a few other non-blog directions this past week so I haven't been around to destress myself; personal or Sox related.

So we are playing the DRays - and Wakey came out victorious ~ 7 scoreless innings ! YAY !!! Ya know, Wake is one of my ALL-TIME favorite pitchers - and I think he's pretty damn hot for being 41 years old !

• Mike Lowell had two hits and three RBIs ...
• Dustin Pedroia had a run-scoring single ...
• Manny Ramirez collected a pair of RBIs in the second ...

Can't complain with last night's game ... Lester is on the mound tonight - good luck Jon !!!

Personal life ... the DS will be home in only 5 more days ... I miss him so much - I can't wait until he gets here. MG is coming back and will be here next Friday.

I booked a hotel for us - we are going to go to a waterpark for Labor Day weekend - it should be a fun time and gives the "boy's" time to bond and hang out ...

I can't believe school starts in 2 weeks !!! Where did the summer go? I have just about finished all of the back-to-school shopping for the DS now - he'll just need some pants and possibly a new pair of shoes. I love back-to-school shopping!

Hilarious !

Does anyone faithfully read The Dugout like I do ??? I love it ... I love when they feature our BoSox boys - but I also like it when they feature the MFY man lovers ...

read here to see what I find so amusing !

Cute message to God ....

My friend Belle went to Baltimore to watch the Sox play ... she brought home this picture:

Bonds to take on Boston's Schilling ...

Please read article HERE ...

Bonds began seeking civil rights representation three weeks ago after Schilling criticized him in an interview with HBO's Bob Costas.

"This is directed at Schilling more than anybody," said criminal defense attorney Michael Rains, who is representing Bonds in a grand jury investigation stemming from the BALCO case.

"Schilling said some things that were inappropriate and potentially defamatory. I know it was upsetting to Barry. We talked about the issue and I know he was talking to some civil lawyers to put people on notice that he has someone defending him." ...

"While pursuing Hank Aaron's home run record, Barry felt that it was more prudent to remain silent," the release stated. "Now that the record has been broken, Burris and Schneider will evaluate any and all statements attributed to him that are false. His attorneys are particularly concerned about individuals profiting from his accomplishments by attributing statements and/or conversations to him that never occurred."

Give me a break !!! BB will have to prove to a court of law, or a jury, that the statements made by Schilling and ANYONE else are false - he will have to prove that he has NEVER used steroids - which we know he can't do - and there is to much speculation (yes I know what the word means) that he has used HGH and other substances ... he didn't sue the author of the book Game of Shadows and that's pretty incriminating !!!

Oh well - he surpassed the home run king - and has tarnished a beloved record ... I pray the record is broken (unfortunately it could be gay-rod) and we can forget about him.

I have a lot on my mind today - it's going to be a multi post day I think !

Wha ... Who ... HUH ????

Joel Pineiro worked seven scoreless innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.

WTF !!!! Our Joel Pineiro ??? Jebus ... good for you I guess ...

The Pastors Ass ...

** this is one of the stupid email forwards we all get, but I liked this one ! **

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again. The local paper read:
PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT!

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race. The next day, the local paper headline read:
BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day:
NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10. The next day the paper read:
NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild. The next day the headlines read:
NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is . . . being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery ... even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

Have a nice day!

Let's have everyone play ...

Jebus - who in the world DIDN'T pitch last night?

1. Lester
2. Tavarez
3. Timlin
4. Okajima
5. Gagne
6. Papelbon

Am I missing anyone?

Dusty Pedroia hit a homer in the 7th giving us the final lead ... thank you !

Today is a day of rest then we are off to Baltimore ...

I still am suffering with this damn cold - I am miserable and I am not getting enough sleep at night. It can go away anytime.

Only 17 more days until the DS comes home. I am so excited. I started doing some back-to-school shopping for him; picking up some new clothes, backpack, school supplies ... he grew a lot this summer so I waited to buy pants as I don't know what size he'll take now.

I miss MG. He calls everyday and we are discussing the details of him moving here. He's going to need to find a job locally as I refuse to support him. I am more than happy to "share" expenses but he is going to have to pull his own weight. I think it will stress me out if he's at home all day. So, he's looking online for some ideas or opportunities. I am really happy that he is willing to try it here. This will be a fresh start for him and for us.

Buh-Bye D.W.

What do you do if you are David Wells formerly of the beloved Boston Red Sox in this situation ?

My return ...

I got back to Novyland at about 1:00 am today. I'm beat !!!

The drive East was nice - except for the fact that I was really sick - I couldn't drink or eat anything because I had a wicked sore, swollen throat and let's not forget the fever. The drive was great - until we got to Chicago - 2 hours of crappy traffic. Then it was smooth sailing through Indiana & Ohio ... Pennsylvania was a different story - we got lost - sorta. He didn't listen to me and missed our exit - but was too stubborn to go back ... so it was just an extra 200 miles we had to drive.

Meeting the family was wonderful. His mother is truly a joy - I just loved her ... we got along great. His father was very warm and kind - but OMG - he's a MFY fan !!!! He even offered me a MFY jersey to wear to the game ... No thanks - LOL ! A Red Sox fan can NEVER wear pinstripes !

The trip to MFY stadium ... ugh - what a nightmare !! :) Took the train to Penn Station - and hopped on the subway to 161st st ... I had never been to NYC before - so it was - uh - different. I saw some truly BIZARRE people - but I didn't stare ... I was too scared to stare. LOL!

We had decent seats - I was about 30 feet from where Gay-Rod's 500th HR ball landed - the stadium was electric ... I was like "eh, who cares ... he's a MFY." It was SOOOO hot too ... we were just melting ... the KC Soils - uh, Royals - but up a bit of a fight in the 5th - they tied it up 7-7 .... plus my former beloved was 0-3 I believe ... that was nice ...

After the game it was a quick trip home and a relaxing night since I was leaving the following afternoon and we had to drive to JFK ...

Overall - I had the most wonderful time I ever thought possible ... I was so sad to see it end ... :( I hope to go back again soon ...