tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15241936239127822112024-02-18T17:50:40.214-08:00Finishing Nick's Big Adventure(s)My adventures & misadventures trying to complete the adventures my brother startedConstant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-1394523034279453202013-01-22T18:52:00.003-08:002013-01-22T18:52:45.321-08:00Season #2...So, I have some news, and it involves adventures... and diamonds, but not those of the baseball variety-- I'm getting hitched on June 15.<br />
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Unfortunately, it detracts a bit from my ability to continue the adventures-- so I have to scale back a bit on my plans for this season. I'd still like to make a swing through Cleveland, Detroit, & Cincinnati later in the summer (perhaps in August) on a week long road trip. We might be able to hit up Boston, too.<br />
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And did I mention that there's a Pirates game on Nick's birthday again this year? Since it coincides with me being in Pittsburgh anyway because it coincides with CMU's carnival and all... it just seems logical to go. I'm not sure if enough other folks would want to go along with me to justify setting up another group event, but that's okay.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-67979969846179674312012-09-21T07:12:00.000-07:002012-09-21T07:12:23.076-07:00Last game of the seasonBack to New York, New York tomorrow for the last game of this season-- Marlins at Mets. I can empathize with Mets fans, with the Bucs needing to go 8-5 in the last 13 games of the season to eke out a winning record and avoid a 20th losing season.<br />
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(On a side note, I've been feeling old lately with my birthday and all, but it really drives home the point when I think that the last time the Pirates had a winning season, I was in eighth grade.)<br />
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Our games in Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia all featured boy scouts. Which was just fantastic, because Nick was an Eagle Scout, so there's nothing like being surrounded at baseball games by kids my brother would have judged mercilessly on behavior, merit badges (or lack thereof), OA regalia (or lack thereof), and so on. Trust me, I know-- he did that every time we saw a boy scout troop, including at the last game we attended together. And then, at the Yankees game-- without a doubt the hardest, most emotional game bar the Pirates/ 30th birthday-- there weren't boy scouts, but there were blood cancer awareness hats and swabbing to join the bone marrow donor registry. Which was just awesome, because we never had enough time to even try a bone marrow transplant with Nick.
Just when it looked like I was going to dodge a weird emotional coincidence, it hits me again. I checked the Mets schedule. I don't see boy scouts. I don't see any kind of disease awareness. But, great-- it's a Bark in the Park fundraiser for an animal shelter and there's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle wristband giveaway. I swear I'm not making the latter up-- and it certainly wasn't there when I bought the tickets-- but I should note that like virtually all kids of that age my brother freaking loved TMNT. To the point where mom actually bought the terrible cereal so that Nick could get the promotional cereal bowls.<br />
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Yup. Looks like the good old family luck is doing its thing.<br />
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<br />Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-72697676322081192162012-08-12T17:37:00.001-07:002012-08-12T17:37:32.749-07:00We're DEFINITELY going to need a bigger shelfTaking stock of my mementos from the games/ stadiums visited so far. My O's crab is pretty cramped now.<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF3Bk_aBXnKfAbdONWl3xIo08EwBSF6b4li_NDxSH3yNZYRpzl784yQifmYOHfChdRpfPwQ5pPGKpIVAz4ky70PfMym_hUsaRMJzAfF1abnXwQoj3_WztF3XyFovzHLofc-P-JOf9-LkM/s640/blogger-image--298835323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF3Bk_aBXnKfAbdONWl3xIo08EwBSF6b4li_NDxSH3yNZYRpzl784yQifmYOHfChdRpfPwQ5pPGKpIVAz4ky70PfMym_hUsaRMJzAfF1abnXwQoj3_WztF3XyFovzHLofc-P-JOf9-LkM/s640/blogger-image--298835323.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-69481377585081820772012-08-06T05:58:00.001-07:002012-08-06T05:58:53.125-07:00Sailing into the sunriseOne last shot from New York Baseball Trip #1: Parrot on the Staten Island Ferry just after sunrise.<br />
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We're returning for New York Baseball Trip #2 next month (to see the Mets on September 22). While every game has had a certain amount of emotion associated with it (which I expect to continue), I'm kind of glad that I have the two big minefields out of the way. Not that I expect that a visit to, say, PNC Park will ever be NOT be fraught with emotion, but I cling to a tiny bit of hope that it won't be as bad in the future. <br />
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Maybe. At some undefined point in the distant future. Very distant.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcipa/7721932732/" title="Yankee Stadium by jcipa, on Flickr"><img alt="Yankee Stadium" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7119/7721932732_ec207e6fde_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well. This happened. We spent 27 hours away from home, during which we must have trekked at least six miles plus untold number of stairs in the subway stations plus the 6+ hours on the Megabus, so we've been recovering all today.<br />
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It was indeed as expected-- really, really, REALLY fricking hard. I couldn't even look at the tickets without tearing up, so you can only imagine how it felt to be there. We first got intimately reacquainted with the subway system (feces and vomit and urine, oh my) and did a little silly touristy-on-the-cheap stuff (like the Staten Island Ferry back & forth), but then there was the main event.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcipa/7721938318/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Hall of Greats by jcipa, on Flickr"><img alt="Hall of Greats" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/7721938318_22bbe9907f_m.jpg" width="160" /></a>The gate staff were super nice, even more so when they saw the Parrot and we told our story. Our coincidence stream continued. But his time, instead of the boy scouts making an appearance, it was a blood cancer awareness/ bone marrow donor registration drive (for those of you following at home, blood cancers include lymphoma & leukemia--Nick also developed leukemia in addition to Evans syndrome), and we now have hats to that effect. <br />
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The stadium itself is really nice-- and REALLY big! The climb to our peanut heaven seats was really, really long-- and oddly not ventilated really well, as the ramps are completely enclosed with cinder block (very unpleasant on a hot and extremely humid day), but the levels were nice. The food & beer were about as expensive as I expected, but too far off from ball park prices we've encountered elsewhere (and the garlic fries were fantastic!). I couldn't get to Monument Park (it's only open for about an hour and closes at least 45 minutes before the game starts, which is a little tough to make), but the team store's air conditioning was blissful. Instead of pierogies or presidents, there was a subway race (but seriously-- live mascots are far better than animated condiments or subways on the scoreboard!). No vocalist for the national anthem, and they used Danny Kaye's version of God Bless America-- really odd, as I'd have figured that there are PLENTY of aspiring vocalists in New York. They also sang "Root, root, root for the home team" instead of "Root, root, root for the Yankees" during the seventh inning stretch. The bleacher seat folks were raucous and the large group of folks that sat near us were nice, but the sun and heat and humidity were brutal.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcipa/7721937090/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Scoreboard by jcipa, on Flickr"><img alt="Scoreboard" height="160" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8291/7721937090_b826b5af6b_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcipa/7721935520/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="View from our seats by jcipa, on Flickr"><img alt="View from our seats" height="160" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7721935520_07b2a515c9_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Not to mention the emotions. It was too much to stay for the entire game without constantly thinking either that I need to tell/show/get something for/ call Nick or how much I wished that he was with us, or how I needed to find him the in the team store or in a crowd. Luckily, my companion on the adventures thus far is extremely supportive, able to provide hugs faster than a speeding bullet and wipe tears in a single bound.<br />
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So, here's to you, Nick. I'm sorry I couldn't make it past the 8th inning, and I'm sorry the Yankees lost, and I'm sorry that the hall of monuments was closed and I couldn't recreate your picture. And I'm sorry I didn't do this with you when I had half a chance-- I always thought there'd be more time. But I hope that, in some small way, you'd approve of what I did manage.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-32525572307503289642012-08-04T17:22:00.001-07:002012-08-05T11:07:27.056-07:00New York, New York...We made it. We're also exhausted physically & I'm exhausted emotionally. More later.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXhK_CPyRHLVf3o9bgZDxg8dK2-a-KEIqCb4jmbitnQm9pS3EpA9VJp5v4VubbiAh_CfTbRTIwNE_3OqHynDfqaIHDh6T634PBWYP-t07yzpDtM_fYHNaeGoKmxN18JJCNOfGRiabdh6w/s640/blogger-image--1758357755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXhK_CPyRHLVf3o9bgZDxg8dK2-a-KEIqCb4jmbitnQm9pS3EpA9VJp5v4VubbiAh_CfTbRTIwNE_3OqHynDfqaIHDh6T634PBWYP-t07yzpDtM_fYHNaeGoKmxN18JJCNOfGRiabdh6w/s640/blogger-image--1758357755.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-25646087885900442682012-07-31T07:16:00.001-07:002012-07-31T13:22:32.114-07:0092 hours and counting...We're Megabussing (if that isn't a verb, it is one now) it to New York for a very long but still whirlwind day Saturday. I mean it-- we arrive at 5am and depart at 10pm for a 1pm game.<br />
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There is a method to this madness- I never feel like I have enough time in that oh-so-big city, plus (and even more importantly) I'm hoping to mitigate the inevitable pain from visiting Yankee Stadium by doing a few fun things. Nick was a HUGE Yankees fan in addition to his devotion to the Pirates. Yes, he was somehow able to maintain simultaneous fandom for a pair of polar opposite teams. It may have been my fault- well before he became a fan, I bought him a Yankees hat as a souvenir on a high school trip. And the obsession grew from there- including some ill-advised accessory choices. <br />
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So two years ago, when Megabus came to Pittsburgh and made such a trip semi-affordable on my teeny grad student budget, I took him to New York so he could finally see a Yankees game at Yankees stadium. It was a trip on the extremely cheap- think hostel on 103rd and eating cheap pizza cheap- but he actually hugged me when I told him we were going. It was cool because we did some things on our own- I hit MOMA & Chinatown, he did the Intrepid & the game- and it worked out perfectly. Then.<br />
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Of course, now I regret not going to that damned game with him in ways I can't begin to express. Which is why I really need that cushion to do lighter, more fun things-- because I'm already in tears, and I have no idea how I'm going to bear being in the vicinity of that stadium, let alone watch that game.<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0mGNckaWc_gE4KC8shpGHzDtVDb_gy0NFZ2INOi3edd3tL8vWsh6gagKirsdCxWhRe3HJ1KHkgPrNO6yL-QJB5ZpCNV7txHDxsT8Xs6ZJCiFy6nF_ZoGtPTX7c3xdx3Vk_qa1jfn9qtE/s640/blogger-image--98806436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0mGNckaWc_gE4KC8shpGHzDtVDb_gy0NFZ2INOi3edd3tL8vWsh6gagKirsdCxWhRe3HJ1KHkgPrNO6yL-QJB5ZpCNV7txHDxsT8Xs6ZJCiFy6nF_ZoGtPTX7c3xdx3Vk_qa1jfn9qtE/s640/blogger-image--98806436.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-2744159083520604622012-07-26T16:12:00.001-07:002012-07-26T16:12:36.848-07:00Special delivery!Look what the UPS guy just delivered-- Yankees tickets! Because apparently Will Call isn't an option for US billing addresses (but it is for Canadian billing addresses), the regular mail option takes 10-14 business days to print (oddly enough, half that for Canadians), and I have to have the real tickets like Nick, I paid another $16 to have them shipped. <br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCE5oDzX3OioF1AkucDf58RzppDTNPUfcSYJTacDm7UJiZg5NPzMvBnhRJtOTwMI0QPUuQ4iKQv8rfKWfKxwPHEunlg3NHgyp8oQpALjV_hvp0VZP8mhAdoIql9P-rGx5hWxS2HTjMAQr/s640/blogger-image--361726763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCE5oDzX3OioF1AkucDf58RzppDTNPUfcSYJTacDm7UJiZg5NPzMvBnhRJtOTwMI0QPUuQ4iKQv8rfKWfKxwPHEunlg3NHgyp8oQpALjV_hvp0VZP8mhAdoIql9P-rGx5hWxS2HTjMAQr/s640/blogger-image--361726763.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-3794310129534352082012-07-23T17:30:00.001-07:002012-07-23T17:44:44.651-07:00Now batting fifth, the New York YankeesIt's a little hectic in my life right now. Weekend before last, I was in Pittsburgh. This weekend, we had Baltimore (and Batman) business, with a day trip to Philadelphia. This coming weekend, we're doing a quick trip to Rhode Island on the super cheap. And two weekends after that, we're in Pittsburgh (well, Butler) for the Bantam Jeep Festival.<br />
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Which meant that, when looking at the calendar, our window for squeezing in a New York game-- either Mets or Yankees-- was closing <i>fast</i>. So I ordered Yankees tickets for August 4th today. Less than two weeks away from what's arguably the second most important stop after PNC Park in terms of Nick's baseball fandom.<br />
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And I just ordered Mets tickets for September 22. I think that'll be the last game of the season, and officially put me at 1/5th of the way through... of course, that was the easiest 1/5th because it's literally the 6 closest teams, all but Pittsburgh doable as a day trip. The remaining 24 teams are going to require a lot more planning, a lot more coordination, a lot more vacation time, and frankly, a lot more money with travel and hotel on top of tickets. Using Megabus could help with the midwest swing, but I still need to start saving and budgeting for airfare and the like for next year. Years.<br />
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Ugh. Time to start evaluating hostels and similar options for travelling on the cheap.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-86863902444464763522012-07-22T19:34:00.001-07:002012-07-22T19:42:24.117-07:00Squeeze play?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We're gonna need a bigger shelf. Only four parks in, and my O's crab is getting crabby for lack of space.</div>
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Today was a strange day-- the first time visiting a park I probably wouldn't have ever visited in the normal course of things were it not for this little endeavor. The resultant emotions were a bit... heady.</div>
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We managed to leave our apartment in the west Baltimore suburbs (in Unfinished Business World Tour shirts, natch), make a fuel and breakfast stop, marvel at the tolls on 95, get gassed by the chemical plants in Delaware, let me breathe a hesitant sigh of relief at being in my native state (though on the<i> wrong side</i>), and managed to get to the park by 11am-- a full two-and-a-half hours prior to game time. Which was okay-- we snagged a decent parking space and had plenty of time to scope out the place-- including the giant inflated Phanatic outside.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA5MI6mDUwYarsrcaKW8RM1ETQptZ121JuP2szwMNN7JrwLjMDGQY0mI7q0cfrwhCxJx7Q86YRGe3323XAjwA0l_o8xXWt8hAAUZ0F424YMR0iLadhoCqDsKP9wDc1_WC8bvagQUYPTVI/s640/blogger-image--2036105719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA5MI6mDUwYarsrcaKW8RM1ETQptZ121JuP2szwMNN7JrwLjMDGQY0mI7q0cfrwhCxJx7Q86YRGe3323XAjwA0l_o8xXWt8hAAUZ0F424YMR0iLadhoCqDsKP9wDc1_WC8bvagQUYPTVI/s640/blogger-image--2036105719.jpg" /></a></div>
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It was a little tricky to get a picture with the inflatable and NOT the insides of our nostrils. And I kind of like how he's standing on R's head. Sadly, we didn't encounter the real Phanatic in the stadium, either (he didn't seem to make the same kind of random appearances as the Pirate Parrot or the Presidents in DC), so we made do with his cardboard doppleganger.</div>
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The park was nice enough, though even pricer than Nationals park. I'm not sure Nick ever got to visit this one. The last time he-- or I-- were in the city proper was in 2004 for my Jeopardy! tryout. I remember that he took a ride out to see it, but I don't think he actually saw a game there.</div>
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Note that this was NOT the view from our seats. Contrary to popular belief, being a humble civil servant doesn't pay nearly that well. Our seats were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay up high, in the topmost, lastmost, highestmost row in the park. The actual view was more like this</div>
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And this</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ob37dVnzQqxaJdhzKeFV23LH8C2SI68xhTA2N6BrM1-_WEt2_wV0O2hyphenhyphenE86ggdt9VLozWpANoZL6mhptHj43pJBA-1U-HeRqPORPEcwuNcOvCnBBASwath1vZ3Zx4lHX35EU4jo8hoZ-/s640/blogger-image--685948903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ob37dVnzQqxaJdhzKeFV23LH8C2SI68xhTA2N6BrM1-_WEt2_wV0O2hyphenhyphenE86ggdt9VLozWpANoZL6mhptHj43pJBA-1U-HeRqPORPEcwuNcOvCnBBASwath1vZ3Zx4lHX35EU4jo8hoZ-/s400/blogger-image--685948903.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Definitely nosebleed seats, but not too bad all things considered. And even better, we were under the cover in the shade and benefited from the near-constant breeze. One thing that was a little weird was the complete lack of real soft pretzels-- all we saw were the same Super Pretzels that are in every ballpark, which was definitely odd for Philadelphia. But we did find the "Pennsylvania Dutch" funnel cake concession, so we managed to get some kind of local flavor. All in all, not too bad a day at the ballpark despite my heavy heart. But because we both have work tomorrow, we had to leave in the 9th (the Phillies eventually managed to scrape out a W in the 12th). </div>
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I'm wrapping this up on a cutesy note, because I really can't share what R did on Nick's behalf in Philadelphia in this forum. It's just our little secret, but I think he would have made Nick proud. Or at least laugh. We made pretty good time heading home, so we made a quick pit stop in Havre de Grace, to see the tiniest most adorable lighthouse on the Chesapeake. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx9oKwcatHJQkZABDTtOvUUaSAnhbhHANtsQ7UttN513Sy2ta_bStp8Ni3D9eYV9NdqHMx-hyjNDtvAbRFOFpEyFtuDc-ap5tHBDQu-LgMEOhrXGxp1xMgEyiGJdbxil5FoQ7JUzVGyLu/s640/blogger-image-366273006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx9oKwcatHJQkZABDTtOvUUaSAnhbhHANtsQ7UttN513Sy2ta_bStp8Ni3D9eYV9NdqHMx-hyjNDtvAbRFOFpEyFtuDc-ap5tHBDQu-LgMEOhrXGxp1xMgEyiGJdbxil5FoQ7JUzVGyLu/s640/blogger-image-366273006.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiyuWwe2wz9ikJlanxXpDeehBJPjShzdn_OuGryoNgQGw36-KbURsnHBm4yRDEviqHSXOLHymJOD99ZDI4gvAEf-6gQta6JxNMbhMNWK6CgA93jgAvscubs9g508G1QqUlVVnz0EM53lE/s640/blogger-image-1475907273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiyuWwe2wz9ikJlanxXpDeehBJPjShzdn_OuGryoNgQGw36-KbURsnHBm4yRDEviqHSXOLHymJOD99ZDI4gvAEf-6gQta6JxNMbhMNWK6CgA93jgAvscubs9g508G1QqUlVVnz0EM53lE/s320/blogger-image-1475907273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-79763919271551468302012-07-22T09:09:00.001-07:002012-07-22T09:09:48.379-07:00Look where we are todayStop #4: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Let's see if I can get out of the city a little less battered than the last time I was here...<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE-GwOwfK51oO1ezCrpsoHA_yFaP12ZSzNMnKPloSq8uZ74uzvbO10sNZ9LZ_wPmAksrkW1yTHo34ciNoChEAAIlqmyt9x4MBg37rhN7cLYaaveAxTxmxVagbHj2bHR-a4efS4luJcSae/s640/blogger-image--311339734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE-GwOwfK51oO1ezCrpsoHA_yFaP12ZSzNMnKPloSq8uZ74uzvbO10sNZ9LZ_wPmAksrkW1yTHo34ciNoChEAAIlqmyt9x4MBg37rhN7cLYaaveAxTxmxVagbHj2bHR-a4efS4luJcSae/s640/blogger-image--311339734.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-23636319824498430842012-07-16T18:23:00.000-07:002012-07-16T18:37:41.036-07:00Next in the lineup....Well, it took forever (and three failed order attempts) but I finally got the Phillies tickets reserved. We'll be there this Sunday, July 22 in section 427. Yeah, I know, crappy seats. But despite popular belief, federal workers aren't paid <b>that </b>well.<br />
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I'm not sure how much of it is big huge new job with big huge learning curve and big huge new responsibilities (and the accompanying stress), or the big huge new life changes that involve a big huge boyfriend moving in (and the accompanying stress), or what, but things have certainly been a little rough lately with respect to big huge reminders of Nick (like the day my mailbox contained both the Civil War journal I now receive thanks to my donations in Nick's honor AND a Central Blood Bank postcard with his face on it), upsetting nightmares, and so on.<br />
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I mean, there have been a few really great developments in my life, but in this corner? Things just continue to suck, and I don't know how they'll ever get better. I desperately wish he was there to call, to bullshit about the Pirates performance as of late and how long this apparent miracle will last. To see what he thinks about JoePa's fall from grace (the guy he frankly always felt was inappropriately idolized), about the campaigns (always funny when you actually got him to express a political opinion), about The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises and to crack wise about the Megadeth/ Rob Zombie show (and the, um, interesting audience). It just... sucks that I never get to hear his voice, hear him crack wise, argue with him, have a mundane I'm-bored-and-stuck-in-traffic call or anything again. I know I'm lucky to have someone willing to handle what's hiding in the mailbox when I simply can't handle it, to be goofy or as supportive as he can, and to hold my hand each time I walk into a baseball stadium and the tears start. But it doesn't stop it from sucking, or mean that my grief has truly lessened in any way.<br />
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So, anyway. Stop number 4 will be Citizens Bank Park on Sunday.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-76424130260230710362012-06-04T19:22:00.001-07:002012-06-04T19:26:02.270-07:00Oof.I just updated the little scrapbook my mom gave me for this little endeavor (filled with well-wishes from everyone who attended our kick-off/ Nick's 30th birthday party at PNC Park) with the stubs and notes from the Nats game. I had the end of The Green Hornet (Seth Rogan edition-- it's a pretty awesomely awful travesty of a movie) on for background noise, when it hit me that this was the last movie Nick saw in a theater.<br />
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Sigh. Oh, those precious moments of emotional sucker punches right in a spot already tender as hell. Those moments when my desperate but tenuous grasp on my emotional control slips completely. At least I was in private-- unlike those moments at Camden Yards or yesterday at Nationals Park where, surrounded by thousands of people having a grrrrrrrrrrrreat time. Those are the times the grief likes to cling, the invisible anchor weighing me down. It's almost like my own personal emotional humidity-- sapping my strength and occasionally erupting into a violent storm, after which it worsens as often as it eases.<br />
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I know, I know. One step at a time, it's a process, etcetera, etcetera, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.<br />
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At some point, I will actually write up each of the stadiums (can I say stadia? I <i>really</i> want to use stadia, but I'm afraid of sounding pretentious). But each visit is emotionally taxing-- heck, each time I update this blog, it's emotionally taxing-- so my write-ups will have to wait a little longer.<br />
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But it's okay, I think. It's going to take a while to visit the stadiums (stadia!) outside of my metro area(s), so there will be plenty of time to catch up.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-34044525766282651682012-06-03T11:05:00.001-07:002012-06-03T16:31:37.731-07:00Nationals Park today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnZH-O1ZO6VCEQAp64E8-BnKS1Y0t3T1LEDeyj25v40dqQvKDFtvJKPjjHLl5TfkeVKafMY8Ij7DiO0wIOJflsCrDshQzi6SnKH3uXNuAG4qa8T_k_mpbLha36WoT1t_AWPooQCNBEA6e/s640/blogger-image--1960877053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-Cy7v60tQfzrO6rXS-yDdZ7xeq5o3ijJnJKO6xszhUnwNUcnN1k_ekDNKUpF7CR34PSpN5xgc1dEPAF2iN6ooGmQFJWs3DrnmBV7TtHoHE94vYQm6iInOYUjaJsDTSaoOImDNzV0Sp1n/s640/blogger-image-292064988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-Cy7v60tQfzrO6rXS-yDdZ7xeq5o3ijJnJKO6xszhUnwNUcnN1k_ekDNKUpF7CR34PSpN5xgc1dEPAF2iN6ooGmQFJWs3DrnmBV7TtHoHE94vYQm6iInOYUjaJsDTSaoOImDNzV0Sp1n/s640/blogger-image-292064988.jpg" /></a></div>
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We're at the first park Nick never got to visit today. He did see the Nationals at home-- when they played at RFK. We were supposed to come to DC to see Nationals Park, but our schedules didn't quite work out with the Nats' schedule that summer. And then he was gone.<br />
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Very nice park. Al & the Parrot enjoyed clowning around, as you can see. <br />
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Three down, 27 to go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXr11bq6f-gOseJ63xdg6_tjiI1CYastLn0NmG3kNI4BATjfu-fexyAng4WtBYzoO7GGTHGjaDtbHoFqLMJn_XD1dHnk5ywo84vK2vGrRJpwii1i11L0aVBQGwIgqdGGwM6G4AofQQsvo/s640/blogger-image-883193482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXr11bq6f-gOseJ63xdg6_tjiI1CYastLn0NmG3kNI4BATjfu-fexyAng4WtBYzoO7GGTHGjaDtbHoFqLMJn_XD1dHnk5ywo84vK2vGrRJpwii1i11L0aVBQGwIgqdGGwM6G4AofQQsvo/s640/blogger-image-883193482.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnZH-O1ZO6VCEQAp64E8-BnKS1Y0t3T1LEDeyj25v40dqQvKDFtvJKPjjHLl5TfkeVKafMY8Ij7DiO0wIOJflsCrDshQzi6SnKH3uXNuAG4qa8T_k_mpbLha36WoT1t_AWPooQCNBEA6e/s1600/blogger-image--1960877053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnZH-O1ZO6VCEQAp64E8-BnKS1Y0t3T1LEDeyj25v40dqQvKDFtvJKPjjHLl5TfkeVKafMY8Ij7DiO0wIOJflsCrDshQzi6SnKH3uXNuAG4qa8T_k_mpbLha36WoT1t_AWPooQCNBEA6e/s640/blogger-image--1960877053.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-67761986549665736052012-05-12T15:10:00.001-07:002012-05-12T15:10:48.371-07:00Made it! Kinda...Tickets bought, at least?<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOSWYxU2IxTzdnkRT4wQeu2QKMFjd6zc1_jAID4vCmsN5KauPL7hWkjYTQ1KHq7l4jbVVCkijwS8s7DQta-57WsJYhv17nqHtrCbA3xTVPptm36tjPRgJ3ogtSHrNB_mWlqtOGwNr0rvY/s640/blogger-image-461990373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOSWYxU2IxTzdnkRT4wQeu2QKMFjd6zc1_jAID4vCmsN5KauPL7hWkjYTQ1KHq7l4jbVVCkijwS8s7DQta-57WsJYhv17nqHtrCbA3xTVPptm36tjPRgJ3ogtSHrNB_mWlqtOGwNr0rvY/s640/blogger-image-461990373.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-1041811621786390542012-05-12T04:45:00.001-07:002012-05-12T04:45:27.381-07:00Tonight: Stop #2Things on the other side of my life have been a bit hectic (new job, that sort of thing), but today's the day for Stadium #2 of 30- Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That's a long, oddly formal name for a ballpark, and for a ballpark in Baltimore. I mean, it's so much like Pittsburgh here, something I can't no matter how bitter the rivalry is between the two. Even the accents are similar. True, Pittsburgh's got the high fairly new glossy veneer of medical & tech industry while Baltimore is decidedly lacking in what one person called "Midwest nice" (and let's face it, drivers here are terrible- my car has been dinged so many times, no matter where I park). But Baltimore is like Pittsburgh's rough and tumble cousin, enough commonalities that you know they were cut from the same cloth.<br />
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Tonight's game won't have anywhere near the level of emotion as our Pirates game, but I think it'll still be pretty tough. No group, no recognition on the scoreboard, just going to a baseball game, like normal people. Like Nick. Like the last time I went to an O's game- with Nick. Mercifully, it shouldn't be 106 today like it was then, but still... just like a few weeks ago, there's some part of me that will feel fundamentally wrong going to a game without my brother.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-84219394103035339192012-05-01T16:12:00.000-07:002012-05-01T16:12:10.291-07:00Batter up?I am not arranging group tickets, but should anyone else care to come along, the next stop in this little endeavor is here in Baltimore on Saturday, May 12. I'm actually just buying tickets that day, so I can get the actual stubs a la Nick's preference.<br />
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I took it as a sign when I saw that it's "Boy Scout Night," because 1. Nick was an Eagle Scout, and 2. when I took Nick to see the O's, it was 106 freaking degrees (I am not exaggerating) and it was... Boy Scout Night. So, yeah. Seems appropriate enough, no? Let's just hope that the weather doesn't repeat.<br />
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So. Let's see if I can get through this one without choking up too much. I mean, it was a pretty hilarious time the last time I was there.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-9265863380108032822012-04-26T20:18:00.000-07:002012-04-26T20:40:36.213-07:00What happened to you, what happened to you?Aside from a health crisis in my boyfriend's family, it's been a relatively quiet few days since the game. And the game was more or less a success. And yet...<br />
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I've been feeling incredibly down since Sunday. I was plugging along, but somewhere along the line while getting ready that morning I was hit with this strong feeling of deja-vu that reminded me of getting ready the morning of Nick's funeral. The I-have-to-go-put-on-a-good-face-for-all-of-these-people-even-though-I-feel-like-running-away-to-cry feeling. So I put on my brave face, but once we were <i>there</i>, actually <i>inside</i>, and there were <i>people</i> that came... I did not trust myself to speak, not hardly a word, for fear that I'd just completely lose my shit.</div>
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Oops, that's a swear. Meh.</div>
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But my instincts were right, because once I had to talk to the very nice woman who introduced us and we did the live shot-- yes, my ugly mug up there, larger than life, on the Jumbotron, encouraging folks to donate blood to help people like Nick and advertising this silly little endeavor-- once I got through that? I did lose my shit. Completely.</div>
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It's not like I thought that doing this would bring my brother back. But maybe I thought that the catharsis could help to serve as a kind of grief capstone, subconsciously clinging to the notion that we'd have this event, and... transition to the next phase of Dealing With It. </div>
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Of course not. Things never work out the way you think or hope or wish they will. Life isn't a move that wraps everything up with a tidy bow, at least not if you're from my little patch of gene pool. Instead of a capstone, I feel like the scab of grief has been ripped off and the wound bleeds anew. Something about realizing that this was indeed likely the last time any number of these friends and family would be gathered for something around my brother, it just completely demolished whatever sense of healing I might have had.</div>
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Sigh.</div>
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Given my mood, let's wrap this in old skool LJ style with some song lyrics.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">One more year that you're not here has gone and passed you by </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">What happened to you, what happened to you? </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">One more tear that you won't hear, has gone and passed you by </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">What happened to you, what happened to you?
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-<a href="http://youtu.be/ZrRbJRTRGeM" target="_blank">Foo Fighters (Resolve</a>)</span></i></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-76530379026740253492012-04-23T16:12:00.001-07:002012-04-23T16:33:02.621-07:00One down, 29 to go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We did it. It was chilly and drizzly, and not everyone could make it (or tough it out the whole time), but we did it. More pictures are forthcoming, but here are the boys across the river from the park. Aww.</div>
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I can't write this as a full blown ballpark review a la Ballpark Chasers because frankly, it was an incredibly emotional day and I was having a hard time just talking, let alone do anything else yesterday. But PNC Park was as usual a wonderful place to see a game, even if the Buccos did lose 5-1 to the Cards. Even better, almost all attendees signed a book put together by my mom with memories of my brother and well wishes for this silly little endeavor of mine.</div>
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29 to go. Camden Yards-- I'm sorry, <i>Oriole Park at Camden Yards--</i> is next.</div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-88889358622324916592012-04-22T09:02:00.001-07:002012-04-22T09:02:55.779-07:00Today is the day!We're on our way to PNC Park!<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIIOdZ2KmKO72pOVcMDYsBgQ6XoBUk4oF9UBRoDdeRKR4Vyxt6pBK72zqc0je3Ydj2qvBF-ZMs79bZin7_YvRg3gcC7TFLgPyOW5Y6uiMgqIlZ_TlVEPj1VH_gZ6lYAKI1GYq1VKCtEXN/s640/blogger-image-1650147602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIIOdZ2KmKO72pOVcMDYsBgQ6XoBUk4oF9UBRoDdeRKR4Vyxt6pBK72zqc0je3Ydj2qvBF-ZMs79bZin7_YvRg3gcC7TFLgPyOW5Y6uiMgqIlZ_TlVEPj1VH_gZ6lYAKI1GYq1VKCtEXN/s640/blogger-image-1650147602.jpg" /></a></div>Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-67899165398523057342012-04-19T12:47:00.001-07:002012-04-19T12:49:49.631-07:00Three more days!?Three days to go. The boys are packed for their first road trip. We have (l to r) Steamer & Al Tuna from the Pirates' AA affiliate <a href="http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t452" target="_blank">Altoona Curve</a>, and the Pirate Parrot. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbByyp36-pkepzmiImoA4-4z_erp9vQG58i8dI3r8xr1yF6aS9C-3ujXZW_BHfHQd8USslbeUn0RU-emSEOnJN1kP03KggYU5poOvDL_UHKJwGV5wnnvtdglmBnDnLSQArg7gjcXXedJJ/s640/blogger-image-1138067485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbByyp36-pkepzmiImoA4-4z_erp9vQG58i8dI3r8xr1yF6aS9C-3ujXZW_BHfHQd8USslbeUn0RU-emSEOnJN1kP03KggYU5poOvDL_UHKJwGV5wnnvtdglmBnDnLSQArg7gjcXXedJJ/s320/blogger-image-1138067485.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Steamer and the Pirate Parrot were gifts from Nick, so they have a lot of sentimental value- and they're coming along for the ride.<br />
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<br />Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-74302132360215775992012-04-19T03:41:00.001-07:002012-04-19T03:41:15.167-07:00Happy birthday, NickToday Nick would have turned 30. Happy birthday Nick, wherever you are. I hope we can pull off your party, though the weather forecast looks a little threatening.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-22669741851788758192012-04-18T16:10:00.001-07:002012-04-18T16:11:33.207-07:00Four days to go!Lots of laundry and packing tonight, because I'm heading home (to my real home) after work tomorrow for <a href="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~sc0v/" target="_blank">Spring Carnival</a> (I really hope I get to hear pipers-- like virtually all CMU alumni I have a weakness and it's been a really long time)... and the game. Right now, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_in_the_Outfield_(1951_film)" target="_blank">Angels in the Outfield</a> (the original, not the corny remake) is on TCM. You know, the comedy about heavenly intervention helping the Pirates.<br />
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I don't expect any heavenly intervention will cause the Pirates' 19 year old losing streak to end this season, like in the movie. I actually don't really believe in angels (at least, not in the sense of the movie and popular culture in general). But it does warm the cockles of my heart to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Hamerschlag" target="_blank">Hamerschlag Hall</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_learning" target="_blank">the Cathedral</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Museums_of_Pittsburgh" target="_blank">the Carnegie museum/ library complex</a> (all sooty and dark!) lurking in the background in the scenes filmed at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_Field" target="_blank">Forbes Field</a>, It's like a little slice of comfort pie for this child of the Mon Valley that considers Oakland & Squirrel Hill her real home.<br />
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I'd better go put my wash in the dryer. Four days to go!Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1524193623912782211.post-10544355647976376542012-04-17T18:59:00.000-07:002012-04-17T18:59:01.993-07:00Five days to go!?!Five days to go until the game!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehNP2e4yU0IQ_2JxEVSNMKNNs73dazrEMLRbHzHtiGg7299IB-PgST3CiNViLBSZLIXmpoi7iPN0Yb72J8fq-Ffw-R3hrj72Tpm37v2umOO_fp6lA_zJYQf7jXLh_BsetH8Mni4ZGYz5s/s1600/parrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehNP2e4yU0IQ_2JxEVSNMKNNs73dazrEMLRbHzHtiGg7299IB-PgST3CiNViLBSZLIXmpoi7iPN0Yb72J8fq-Ffw-R3hrj72Tpm37v2umOO_fp6lA_zJYQf7jXLh_BsetH8Mni4ZGYz5s/s320/parrot.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I can't pretend that Sunday isn't going to leave me an emotional wreck. But I feel much better facing it with the understanding, support, and love from so many for me and for my parents. I don't think I would have ever started this whole project of doing the things Nick wanted to do without my parents. I don't think I ever would have started this blog without the suggestion from a friend to journal about losing Nick (and all of the other losses that scarred 2011). I wouldn't have had the courage to set up this HUGE event, including the tee-shirts and approaching the Blood Bank, without the encouragement of a few friends in particular, reassuring me that at the very least, they would come. And I definitely couldn't have done this without my boyfriend's constant supply of hugs and encouragement when I'm feeling down and incredible enthusiasm and humor when I'm feeling up.Constant Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00773400570805939973noreply@blogger.com0