What's New?...Alot!

Happy Summer, everyone. It's officially that time of year as the days continue to fly by. As for Kim and me, things are going very well. We're busy, of course, and Kim's back to work, but we were finally able to spend a week(end) in Brooklyn without heading out of town on Friday to race up to Maine. Well, I guess that isn't completely true; while Kim and I did spend this past weekend in Brooklyn, we didn't spend the entire week here.

Tuesday afternoon, Kim and I drove down to see Kris and Kirstin AND take in the Red Sox game that night. The Sox won, rebounding from the previous night's embarassing loss, and we made it home in time to watch the Celtics win their first World Championship in twenty-two years. The fact that they beat Kobe and won the clinching game by a Finals-record 39 pts. only added to their glory.

Kim and I also went to the Wednesday, 1pm game, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, again. Although Citizens Bank Park is a nice one, we enjoyed Wednesday more because we had seats for that game, whereas Tuesday’s tickets were standing room only. Although we enjoyed wandering around the park, going to Harry the K’s, and hanging out with drunk Philly’s fans on Tuesday night, it was nice to be able to take the “Crab Fries” back to our seats on Wednesday.
Kim was back to work on Thursday morning, while I waited for our new furniture to be delivered. We are now the proud owners of an enormous and comfortable sectional that features a 36” by 86” chaise and a queen-sized sleeper sofa. Though it might seem insignificant to some, we’re happy we don’t have to ask our friends and family to sleep on the floor when they come to visit.
Speaking of visits, I went out to Eric and Jenn’s new house today which he’s excited to have for a lot of reasons, including that it will allow for family to visit for holidays or at other times of the year. The house was INCREDIBLE! Not only is it easy to get to, it’s also aesthetically pleasing, spacious, clean, and accommodating. Oh, and it comes with an in-ground pool, small basketball court, and ample yard. As for the inside, it has a fire place, four bedrooms (though three other rooms could easily serve as additional bedrooms), four and a half bathrooms, and some interesting stylistic choices from the previous owners.
Although I want to be very clear about the fact that this is an impressive home in many ways (beautiful landscaping, serene, large deck area out back, enormous kitchen, outdoor speakers, heated pool, etc.), I cannot resist giving you, the reader, two examples of the aforementioned curious “stylistic choices from the previous owners.” With that said, please consult the pictures that follow. You’ll note the last two stand out as really something else. The penultimate photo is of one of the downstairs bathrooms. I would not have known it was there because it was built into a wall of mirrors (with all the mirrors in this home, narcissistic does not begin to describe the former owners). However, one of the mirrors has a handle along its edge and, if you pull the handle, you can discover the mirror is actually a door which leads to a bathroom. This isn’t just any bathroom, however. This is a special bathroom. This is a most revealing…and honest…bathroom. This bathroom…is wall…to wall…to wall…to wall…TO CEILING…MIRRORS!!! Wow. I get chills just thinking about it.
But I won’t tell you what I get when I think of the artwork in the Master Bedroom’s bathroom. You’ll note in the final picture a stone relief from the wall near Eric and Jenn’s Jacuzzi tub. Now, we’ve all seen a stone relief before: at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on TV, in magazine stories on ancient Greece. But this relief is a little different. In this “relief,” there are two women holding onto a gentleman’s…how should I say this? Well, let’s just say the ladies don’t need to “get a grip” because they already have something in the hands. You think I’m making this up? See for yourself.
As for the upcoming week, I have a couple meetings at Poly tomorrow, one at grad school in the afternoon, another couple meetings on Tuesday, and I really need to get to work on what I hope will become my article on “the aesthetic experience” for a particular classroom exercise I already wrote a paper about. Meanwhile, Kim’s trying to get over a cough she’s had for about three weeks and make it through the week at work. She had to work this past Saturday, but we’re hoping that a trip to see Adam and Rita this weekend will do everything to help forget about that.
In the meantime, I hope everyone’s well and look forward to hearing from you as possible.

Note that the following pictures include the new furniture Kim and I got this week and Eric and Jenn's new house (outside, backyard, fire place, master bedroom, bathroom, artwork).

The Day the Music Died: 6/9/08

Filomena, "Mamie," and "Nan" were all the same person, though many also knew her as a friend, mother, grandmother, Catholic, Italian, quilter, card-player, kind person, or some combination of these and other terms. On June 9th, 2008, those memories were made imperviable and stoic as there would be no new memories to solicit or obfuscate those we already carried; Nan passed away, quietly, at 4:40am, at 86 years old.

As the family, which had gathered by her solemn bedside and diligently fought off fatigue with undying devotion, retreated from the hospital room, we could not help but notice the brilliant sun which rose to conquer the dark and bring a new day. As Kim and I drove to her mom's house, it occurred to us what a fitting tribute this apparition was to Nan; one to start her day at about this time, it seemed ironic that she might end her last day at the time she'd normally begin anew. Similarly, this body, orb, solstitial star of empyrean, seemed an exact manifestation of Nan; just as she had been the center of our universe, so was the sun the center of everyone's, and in spite of its apparent right to dictate, dominate, and command, this sun (like Nan) was more noted for the way it complimented the world around us and brought out the best in everything. This was Nan's way...to appreciate the best in each of us and love us unconditionally for that reason.
It was a beautiful day and the beginning of moving past Nan's end and towards "Our" future. The family was together throughout it all: services, social events, meals, mournings, and the formation of new memories, now sadly devoid of the love we all knew as Filomena, "Mamie," "Nan,"...
Here's a link to her online memorial and some pics to remember her by: http://www.mem.com/Story.aspx?ID=2482244

Nan had her favorite flowers at her funeral.
Nan had visited her late husband, Rene, on Memorial Day weekend. Two weeks later, Nan was in the hospital and surrounded by her loved ones...who loved her right back.

At the end, it was time to remember and, then, "begin the world all over again."

Manny's 500th (I Was There)!

Kim, Kirsten, Rita, Amanda, Chad, Kris, Adam, and I were all in Baltimore this weekend, hoping to see Manny hit his 500th homerun. We were not alone. Baltimore has slowly turned into a "home away from home" for the Red Sox who now draw the majority of fans to Orioles Park at Camden Yard.
Kim and I started the trip on Friday when we went down to Philadelphia to stay with Kris and Kirsten and watch the Celtics clinch a spot in the NBA Finals. Saturday, we got to Baltimore around noontime, along with an accompaniment of foul weather. But a hearty lunch and vast libations did much to cure our worries...and the weather.
By 7:05pm, we were ready for the game and the Sox did not disappoint! Not only did they play a lot of "longball," but the atmosphere was uncanny. Manny's quest only added to the fortuidous tension and when he connected, in the top of the 7th, the adrenaline rush was unbelievable. I don't know how else anyone could feel such intense ebullience in a 5 second period. There aren't words to describe the sensation, but it was awe-inspiring. For the rest of the night, Sox fans shared an even closer bond, readily greeted each other, and shared the good company of Orioles fans who could not deny their appreciation for witnessing baseball history first hand.
Following the game, it was back to the hotel for some late night eats, water to rehydrate, and sound sleep so that we could all recuperate before Sunday's afternoon game. In any event, let's get on with the photos. Please enjoy them.
The first photo shows us at an Irish bar overlooking Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The drinks were cold, the company was warm, and the view was beautiful. The second photo is a view from our seats while the third and fourth photos are of the emblematic Mark Hathaway. As you might have seen from the video, he exemplified the fervor all Sox fans felt. Originally from Newburyport, MA, and now living in Virginia Beach, VA, he's been a "Die Ha'ad" Sox fan for 28 years and came into town just to see the Sox. He left immortalized: a person you'll see on every video you'll ever watch of Manny hitting his 500th homerun. Don't believe me, see for yourself not only in my video, but on this one, offered by RedSox.com: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805312811215.
The last two pictures were from the Sunday game. Please excuse any inaccuracies of the last pic; I'm working on a "splicing" technique and it's always better from a tripod. Anyways, best regards. Thanks for the memories, family, friends new and old. Can't wait to do it all again!

Still Here, Congrats, and See You There

It's been two long weeks since I last posted anything and that seems a fair indication of how things have been going for Kim and I. She's very busy with work and trying to find away to remain amicable and affable while working with a new, unqualified, and unprofessional supervisor who is threatened by Kim's ability. That ability, by the way, continues to surprise and delight. Most recently, Kim got her semester grades back from her graduate program and discovered she'd earned "Honors" in all three of her classes. Just so you all understand, an "Honors" is meant to denote work that 'far exceeds expectations and readily surpasses work that would otherwise be deserving of an A.' Wow!

And speaking of academic accomplishments, Rita is currently enjoying her sixth day of being an accomplished college graduate. As proof of her intelligence, she's celebrating by taking a day off of work. And this is a well deserved respite, I should add, as there's only a few months left until Rita begins her graduate career at the auspicious Boston University. Wow (again)!

Other than that, Kim and I have been putting miles on the car by driving to Maine as often as we can. We were up there last weekend and hope to make it back within the coming weeks. Nan's doing well and seems to be as comfortable as anyone could hope. Kim and I won't be "up 'Noth" this weekend, however, because we'll be down in Baltimore watching the Red Sox take on the Orioles. Not only are we thrilled to watch the games, but we're also excited to be there with so many friends and family (in alphabetical order):

Adam (my buddy from high school, also known as "The Commish"),

Amanda (Chad's wife),

Chad (Kim's friend and neighbor from growing up),

Kris (Kim's twin brother),

Kirsten (long time girlfriend of Kris),

and Rita (Adam's wife, recent college graduate, and soon to be "BU Terrier").

Mike (Kim's oldest brother) and Luana almost made it, but Mike had to head out to Colorado at the last minute.

All and all, it should be a wonderful time and I look forward to blogging all about it soon.

Other than that, I found out yesterday that I've been asked to present at a national conference in Houston, Texas, later this year. I should qualify that statement by noting that I'm one of 400 people that have been asked to do so, but it remains a wonderful honor, nonetheless. Anyone out there ever been to Houston? Can you recommend some "must see" tourist attractions, etc.?

Well, that's the "still here" and "congrats." All that's left is the "see you there." Look for more to come following the Baltimore trip! See you there.

Dude!...What?!? (Again)

This is a video of Yves Rossy flying at 180mph by virtue of a single wing, jet-powered device. This is absolutely amazing. Anyone reading this interested in trying it out?

Manny Being the New Manny

For all the complaining people used to do about "Manny being Manny," this play from last night's game was really incredible. Here, Manny makes a great catch only feet from the outfield wall, takes another couple steps to climb the wall, high five's a Red Sox fan while atop the wall, and then returns to the field of play to "double-up" a base runner trying to get back to first.

I don't want to say Manny's the only one that could do something like this, but he's about the only one that would find himself in this position.

Here's the link to the video (which has already been pulled from YouTube because of copyrighting) and some pics from the catch:

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805142699480

Dude!...What?!?

Just quickly, I want to make it clear I have no problems with Clay Buchholz as a person. I'm even completely over the fact that his last name has two, count 'em...two, consecutive "H's." But I just saw something I never thought I'd see and Buchholz's name was attached to it. Tell me you ever thought you'd see this:

Yes, this does lend itself to every horrible, stereotypical, hyper-masculine joke you can conceive of, but honestly....

And again, I understand that there is a fundamental and practical legitimacy to this, but if Buchholz's value is that he's been doing everything he can to help "the Boys," then what is this all about? And does it mean that in order to continue helping out he needs to get a manicure before games?

Ughhh. Not that I want Buchh picking up habits from Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, but if you're going to have personal beauticians follow you on road trips, let it be someone that's going to be giving you "cornrows" rather than someone who specializes in filing, tissue enamels, and "hang nails."
But, in support of the Boys, I must admit I did do some research into this and found some potential help for Buchholz. Please enjoy, to the extent we can celebrate something like this.

Mother's Day

Kim and I just returned from Maine. On Friday, we were ready to spend a quiet weekend here in Brooklyn, catching our breath, when we got a phone call that her grandmother, Nan, was sick and in the hospital. We were on the road 30 minutes later.

Nan is doing much better now then when we first saw her, but it was a solemn visit in a lot of ways. Being there, however, gave us a real opportunity to enjoy Mother's Day with our family in Maine. The weather was beautiful and nearly as warm as the love in the hospital room. We also had plenty of time to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company. Additionally, there was time to interact with, reflect with, and photograph Nan.

Kim and I are both very tired right now (we arrived in Maine at 1:30am on Saturday and left Sunday at 1pm), but had a wonderful time and were glad to be with her family this weekend. Additionally, we're looking forward to getting some time off around Memorial Day, perhaps making another trip up to Maine to check on Nan, and the upcoming trip to Baltimore at the end of May so we can watch the Red Sox with our friends and family.

As you look over the photos, enjoy this intimate look at such a beloved matriarch. The following image has a small sign in the background, "Luiggi's," which marks the restaurant Nan's family started so many years ago. There's another one of Nan with "Abey," a stuffed monkey Kim and I bought her in honor of a long-standing family tradition, and a picture of Nan's hands which seem to tell the story of her entire life. The remaining photos speak for themselves.

Lots of love to all the mom's out there, the children that love them, and the adults that realize they'll always be children...at least in their mother's eyes.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Everything You Need to Know

Kim and I are doing well and getting tantalizingly close to the end of our respective semesters. That, combined with the fact we both got a lot of good work done on our papers today, has us in pretty good spirits. Consequently, I'm happy to share with you two useful pieces of information I found on the Brooklyn Daily Eagle's website. First, here's an update to "Sweet Lily," who I mentioned in my last blog: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=31&id=20116. She continues to be doing well and made it to another Poly Prep girls' lacrosse game today. Lily got to dress herself and showed up in a white, zip-up, hooded sweatshirt and a purple dress. For footwear, Lily wore a shiny silver "magic shoe" on her left foot and a "Sleeping Beauty" slipper on her right foot. I guess having greater concerns than fashion allows one more flexibility than is otherwise conventionally exercised.

In other news from the paper, I found out where not-to-stay when visiting Bay Ridge: The Gregory Hotel. Here's a link to their article on the establishment, explaining that they just found their third dead body within the last six months: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=7&id=20178. Regrettably, I recommended this site to the Figuereido's when they came to visit in March. I'll be sure not to make that mistake again and plan on using this as good reason to continue encouraging visitors to stay with Kim and I, rather than spending their money and "taking their chances" elsewhere.

In the meantime, best regards to all and a big congratulations to Adam and Rita who finally found out Rita's been accepted to Boston University's School of Social Work for the upcoming Fall. Yeah!!!

The Sweet Stench of Rejection

I am no good.
I am a dog.
I am...a reject.

But I couldn't be happier.

Let me explain.





Monday, April 21st, the Head Girls Lacrosse Coach at Poly Prep announced the team was going to be the first high school in the country to take part in the "Friends of Jaclyn" organization (www.friendsofjaclyn.org). This group pairs children with brain cancer with girls lacrosse teams that "adopt" the child. Here, "adoption" means the host team serves as "big sisters" to the afflicted child. On Monday, Poly Prep welcomed Lily and her amazing parents (Olivia and Dennis) to our community.
They spoke, along with the founder of Friends of Jaclyn (another Dennis-this one not Lily's father), about Lily's experience with cancer. It was a polite, general conversation that didn't make anyone feel uncomfortable or sad.
It would have been quite impossible to feel sad, though, because of Lily's ebullience. She was a manifestation of the sun: bright, cheerful, radiant, and good for you. She made it clear to all that she loves Snow White, counts pizza as one of her favorite foods, and was excited to be at Poly. Because Lily's only 4 yrs. old, she doesn't understand that her experiences are exceptional, in that they are exceptions to what most people experience most of the time. Therefore, she didn't seem to feel strange or self-conscious about being celebrated by the Poly community. She might even think that everyone has had such an experience.
I won't get into the details much beyond that and, frankly, Olivia, Dennis, Lily, and Dennis don't bother much with them, either; though they're well aware of Lily's circumstance, it doesn't fit Lily's vivaciousness to pay too much attention to medical charts, drug trials, or approaching MRIs when there's a perfectly good playground nearby and lots of new friends to meet.
Hopefully, you now understand why, when I got home Monday night and found my rejection letter from the James Madison Foundation, I wasn't terribly disappointed. I might have been, however, if I hadn't been able to make it to yesterday's lacrosse game (a 15-6 Poly victory) where I took the following pictures:

The Knicks Appreciate Their Fans?

Kim and I went to Madison Square Garden last night to watch the Celtics take on, and beat, the Knicks. I can only begin to tell you what an unbelievable night this was. Please understand that this entire experience is simply inexplicable, but I will try to do my best.

Kim and I started the night by getting a quick bite and having a couple drinks before heading over to MSG. When we arrived and made our way over to the escalators, someone who appeared to work at MSG said to us, "Hey, grab a soda on your way. They're free." Kim and I, feeling somewhat suspicious, grabbed a free 20 oz. bottle of soda apiece after someone who was taking sodas out of the cases they were delivered in restated the earlier gentleman's offer.

Kim and I continued up, up, and away to the top of the Garden. When we got there, another vendor promptly offered us popcorn, Cracker Jacks, Twizzlers, etc., saying again the concessions were free. Kim and I passed and went to our seats.

Only when we entered the arena's interior did we hear something we could not believe. Yesterday night, the final Knicks' home game of the season, was "Fan Appreciation Night." All concessions were free, all night! We could get pizza, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, candy, soda, water, ice cream bars, etc., all for free, all night long. It was a complete surprise to us and I struggled to comprehend this apparent reality for much of the night. I don't think it helped that, by the end of the game, vendors were trying to get rid of their merchandise by walking through the crowd and throwing free ice cream bars, boxes of popcorn, and other items to whomever wanted the items. It was really something.

As for the game, that was really..."something,"...too. The night started with "Uncle Junior" of the HBO-hit Sopranos singing the National Anthem:

After that, New York Knicks' star David Lee addressed the entire MSG audience to thank them for their support over the season. I wish I had been filming it because it turned out to be more of an apology speech; he said something about, "Sorry the season hasn't been more like what we'd hoped for, but I promise we'll continue working hard so that we might improve our situation in the future." I couldn't believe I was there to witness such a public apology.

But that was not all, folks. The Celtics were introduced to a fairly warm reception (due to the large presence of Celts fans), Isaiah Thomas was more enthusiastically boohed, and then the Knicks were introduced. I have to tell I was very surprised by what I saw next. The Knicks, following their individual introductions, literally took their outermost shirts off and, as the public announcer said, gave the shirts off their back to families that were selected to receive them at halfcourt:

I'm not sure what that was supposed to accomplish, of course, but they did it. I don't know, but Kim and I thought it was so weird.

Anyways, it all continued along. There was the opening tip, the "Juggling Pianist," the "Knicks' City Dancers," and the game. "The Boston Three Party" did not play, but it was still a fun atmosphere, a Celtics' win, and a fun place to spend a Monday night. Overall, the game was outdone by all the strange events, sights, and sounds, but I'd go back again to see whatever it was I saw last night. I don't know what to say about it,...but I doubt I'll soon forget it. Oh, speaking of forgetting, I nearly failed to mention that during a TV-timeout, the Knicks honored a NYC school teacher who found and resuscitated a student in the public school where the teacher worked. Sounds like a feel good story, right? The student was near-death because he'd been stabbed repeatedly by another student with a pair of scissors. Now you understand why I think it's so weird they publicly recognized this at half-court of a Knicks game. The guy deserves the applause, to be sure, but is that the time or place to remind 20,000 sports-enthusiasts of what's wrong with NYC's public schools?

Kris and Kirstin: thanks for the tickets. You guys should have seen it. Unbelievable.

Here are some more highlights:

Sign, Part IV: I just don't have the words

In honor of this fan's devotion, here's a musical tribute to Sox fans. I apologize in advance for this fan's failure to take his ADHD meds. on this day, but enjoy.

Current State of the (Livingstone) Union

Things are going well for Kim and I now that we're through the toughest parts of our respective semesters. Kim has only a few more classes left and, I believe, just one paper and one presentation remaining. Not only does she finish up soon, but she also plans on being able to take the summer off from school. Good for her. She is excited about these items, but also plans on taking a trip to Maine during one of the approaching weekends to help overcome the homesickness, exhaustion, and other stressors she's recently faced.
I, meanwhile, am comforted by the fact that whatever I have left to do, there is at least some finite end in sight. In mid-March, I was busy turning in papers and preparing for my major professional responsibility at Poly Prep: the Ancient Civilizations Festival. I just turned in two lengthy assignments for my graduate class (a 20 pg. assessment of one of my lesson plans and a 27 pg. assessment of one of my evaluations). And presently, I find myself faced with having three more assignments due during these last five weeks of the course. I'm writing this "post" as a break from a 4-6 pg. "critical reflection" of a classroom observation I recently did, will have to turn in one more such paper between now and May 7th, and then have only one other assignment to complete. This last assignment is the major one for the term: an Annotated Course Map. It should include a brief daily lesson plan, weekly syllabi, and a curriculum "map" for a course of my choosing. It can be for either a year-long or semester-long course. That will be an incredible challenge and, I expect, an amazing amount of work.
As I said, though the workload doesn't seem to be getting much easier, I can at least find solace in the fact that I'm done with this grad. class on May 7th and Poly ends on June 13th. As much as I'd like to look to the summer for some rest, I won't know my plans until I hear back about my fellowship application. That won't be until the end of April.
In the meantime, wish Kim and I luck and please understand if I'm hard to reach.

Sign of Eden or Apocalypse? Part III

When I started this segment, "Sign of Eden or Apocalypse," I never would have guessed it would become a running series. But here, faithful Reader, we are. Today there were a confluence of events that aligned themselves at the great conduit: Fenway Park. The three anomalies were, in order: Bill Buckner's heroic return to Fenway, the Detroit Tigers sporting an 0-6 record, and Manny Ramirez nearly scoring an inside-the-park homerun (he scored on a throwing error after hitting a deep triple).

What should we dare expect next?
Here's a link to more info on Buckner's return:http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080408&content_id=2504342&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos&partnered=rss_bos and please note the image (attached to the start of this entry) contains the play-by-play text explaining Manny's way around the bases (in the bottom right corner of the image). Another article, even more poignant and thoughtful, on Buckner's rebirth as a hero is available from ESPN at the following address: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3335928

The Sox went on to win today, beating the Tigers 5-0, but that can in no way compare to warmth of the moment shown in this clip: Bill Buckner's emotional return to Boston (finally).

3 Sox Blast Solo Shots, Beckett's Back (All for Not)

The Sox made a surprise national television appearance today, finishing the series with Toronto on TBS.

The Sox started out strong from the word go. Beckett was nasty through the first three innings, hitting 98 mph with his fastball, and Jacoby Elsbury went ya'd in the 3rd. Things got tough in the bottom of the fourth, however, as Beckett's pitch count went from 45(ish) at the start of the inning to 70 by the end of it. He also gave up a two-run shot to Wells. Luckily, Manny showed a real flash of leather in the bottom of the 4th and 'Tek put one out to straight away centerfield at the top of the 5th to tie things at 2-2.

Unfortunately, the same fatigue the forced two Sox errors early in the game (and Lugo to have four in the game), forced Beckett out after he loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning (see image). On the next pitch, Manny Delcarmen offered Frank Thomas a pinata and Thomas broke the game open, recording his 11th career grand slam.

JD Drew's 7th inning solo shot, his second of the series, was of little consolation at the time, but is hopefully a sign of good things to come as Drew tries to rebound from his first year in Boston.

Today's game brings the Sox's 15,840 mile road trip to an end and will start them on an "off day" that precedes TWENTY consecutive games starting Tuesday. Fortunately, 13 of them will be at home.

Week in Review

Celtics get the nod on this week in review. They quietly claimed the top seed in the East, set the NBA record for biggest turnaround in one season, and are in position to sit the "Big Three" (Garnett, Allen, and Pierce). Well done, boys.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have dropped two in a row to the Blue Jays and sit at 3-3, overall. At least Beckett comes back today. Hopefully, we can take one from the Jays before finally making our way back home (after visiting California, Japan, California, and Canada).

As for me, it was my first week back to school after two weeks off and what a week it was; parents complained about grades (some about failing grades and others about why their child only got an A-); I completed a 20+ page paper for graduate school; Kim had two people die from her work place (in separate incidents); and there are nine (?) more weeks left to the school year. Thank goodness I can somehow measure the time remaining in this hectic part of my life.

There is a lot of good news, though. First, Kim and I have the six year anniversary of our first date coming up (4.9.08). The Red Sox next nationally televised game is coming up on the 12th (Sox at Fenway against the Yanks). Kim and I are going to see the Celtics take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 14th. It looks like next year I'll be teaching both middle school and upper school (which will be great for my resume). Kim's nearly done with her classes for this semester and she's strongly considering taking the summer off. And finally, I just found out this week that I've received an academic scholarship from my grad school. It's only a partial scholarship, but I'm still thrilled to know it'll be that much less I need to borrow and I'm also flattered to be recognized by such an august, erudite institution.

I guess that's all for now, but I hope everyone's well. Look for more pics soon, particulary as Kim and I head out to MSG on the 14th.

Sign of Eden or Apocalypse? Part II

This is almost too spooky to be true. This image, of a hawk attacking a visitor to Fenway Park, happened to a young girl who is eerily similar to a particularly loathed member of the New York Yankees.
ALEXa RODRIGUEZ, whose age is the same as A-ROD's jersey number (13), was attacked during a school field trip to Fenway Park. Alexa, a student at a Connecticut middle school, is reportedly fine, but was rushed to a hospital by ambulance.
Can you believe this?
Consult the following link for more info: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7986154?MSNHPHMA