June 2006 Archives

It's hot and bright and breezy outside. Yesterday evening Keri and I were reading on the back porch, and I remarked, "I think I can safely say that weather doesn't get any better than this."

"This is the ideal weather," she agreed.

"This is what heaven will be like," I said.

The air isn't still most of the time. It doesn't feel dead when you walk through it. My step is a bit livelier, my countenance fresher. I think people look the most attractive in this weather, especially around dusk, when the lighting's good and the wind musses their hair.

On Monday night, Hope and I walked down to the river at Watertown Square and encountered several fishermen biding their time at the dock. One middle-aged professional Asian man called to us from the other side. "Do you wanna see some big fish?"

"Sure!" we called back.

"Tug gently on that rope down there." He pointed to a line of rope leading into the water. It was tied to a spoke. For some reason I was timid about pulling it, for fear of some predator leaping out to eat me alive, but instead a large cod appeared, struggling for dear life. "Oooo," we chorused. The chatty man came over and tugged harder, revealing another fish, which also appeared vulnerable and clueless about its immediate future.

"These guys here, they'll eat this fish, "said the man, "but I won't."

"What will you eat?" I asked.

"Nothing from the Charles River!" he smiled. We conversed more and parted ways.

Other activities from last week: dressed up and ate at fancy Grill 23 in downtown Boston with Ryan's gift certificate; attended our very first Sox game at Fenway and gorged on cotton candy (I couldn't find the "monster dogs"! So disappointing) and felt surrounded by history and love and sunshine; put a deposit down for an apartment in Dorchester (for Heidi and me, starting in September); sold CD's at a Dave Brubeck show, watched most of the show, set up Dave's food, cleaned up his food, and met him briefly in the process; went shopping for beach gear and ate at a yummy Thai restaurant in Chinatown with Tami's friend Mark. I do, after all, prefer just about every Asian cuisine to Chinese.

Cardinals: no comment. As I promised, I won't pay attention until after the All Star Break. Ask my roommates how successful that's been. Or don't.

Finally, last night we shuffled around and now I'm in Hope's old room. All of us girls live on one side of the house now. It's like a perpetual sleepover! Just give me all 3 seasons of Arrested Development, and I'll be set.

I won't tell you that Radiohead was a good show, because that would be redundant and unnecessary.

They are still my favorite band. I wonder how long that will last.

They played new songs, about six, and I liked them, but they aren't in my heart yet like some others they played, namely - No Surprises; There, There; Planet Telex; Knives Out; Fake Plastic Trees; Like Spinning Plates.

Unfortunately, most of my favorites were played Sunday night at their first Boston show - National Anthem; How to Disappear Completely; Karma Police; Paranoid Android. What can you do?

It was a loud, raucous, crowded show, and Thome Yorke is such a funny dork. He dances like Evan Donovan.

Wish you all could have been there with me. Next year, when their new album comes out, let's go again!

Let me just preface this by saying that there are more important things in the world than Pujols' strained oblique.

You know, like Darfur, North Korea, Iraq...

And let me just say, I acknowledge those situations, and I care and pray about them. I also want to do something about them.

But who can deny that the media has jinxed Jose Alberto Pujols? I'm not much of one for superstition. This time, though, I can't help believing that all the publicity, all the predictions of record-breaking greatness, all the analysis of the perfection of his swing, all the accolades of his spotless character, have landed him on the 15 day DL. Just before he got there, he struck out four times in seven at-bats. That's unlikely, you say. But inevitable. This unfortunate turn of events will prove, however, his loyalty to his team. Winning is his priority, though I'm sure he only half-minds all the attention he gets. If he's sitting for a month and the Cardinals win, he will be just as elated for his teammates as he will be enthusiastic about getting out there again to help his team win. My prediction: they won't falter as the Cubs have, but will grow stronger through adversity (particularly with the return of Carpenter and Edmonds). And then the Pu will resurge and carry them through to...ah, the NLCS? My confidence ends there.