Mad Dogs and Bostonians

With apologies to Noel Coward for co-opting his song title.  We, along with mad dogs and Englishmen were out not only in the mid-day sun, but the late-morning sun, the early afternoon sun, and the late evening sun.

It sounded like such a logical, fun thing to do when I first suggested flying to Boston to see Paragon Park.  We would see the show and then, if Jeri could get tickets, we would go to a Red Sox game.  Walt loves going to Fenway Park and I'd never been there.

I didn't stop to think:  baseball.  open park.  Boston.  August.

But Jeri got tickets and off we went this morning, after a delicious healthy breakfast, during which Jeri read us the comics, which she does for Phil all the time.

The trip to the stadium starts with a 3-4 block walk from here to the bus.  It was warm and muggy, but surprisingly not bad.  We got on the air conditioned bus, which was the best part.

As you can see, Walt is wearing his red Berklee College of Music baseball hat.  I am carrying my rolled up floppy hat from China.  I've always wanted a baseball hat, but have not been able to find one to fit my big head.

We got off the bus and started walking to the stadium, which Jeri said was about a 10 block walk, but that we had an hour to get there, so could take it slow (she remembers shepherding me around France and Italy!). 

We stopped mid-way for an iced coffee and while we were sitting at a table sipping, I noticed her baseball cap, which didn't have that plastic hole-and-tip thingy that most baseball caps have, it had something that looked like Velcro.  I took it from her, adjusted it to make it larger and...by golly...it fit me!

Jeri was thrilled, gave me the hat, and said she had another one in her office, just a block away.  She went and got her hat and told me I could keep the one I had taken off her head (it also has a bit of history to it.  There is a tiny splotch of purple paint on the brim, which is from her stint working on a Habitat for Humanity house in New Orleans).  

I am thrilled with my new hat.

We continued on toward the stadium, passing the "fen" in "Fen-way" park.  I always thought it was for some guy named Mr. Fenway, but no...it's the fen that runs right past the park.  (fen:  low land that is covered wholly or partly with water unless artificially drained and that usually has peaty alkaline soil and characteristic flora)

Shortly after, we came to the park itself.

We had box seats, a ways down from first base and out in the open.  The announcer said that the official temperature at the park today was 86 degrees. We had no shade.  

I wondered how it was going to go, but really, it wasn't as bad as I expected thanks to this...

Big heavy black clouds rolled across the sky all afternoon, bringing a cool breeze and the threat of rain (but never more than a couple of drops).  After they passed through it was hot again, but not unbearable. 

I couldn't see a lot of the game because we were so far away and there were so many people in front of me, but as the day progressed more people left and I got the see the last part of the game, which was the best part anyway.  In the end...

Beat Minnesota 6-4.  That's a good day.

We came home to wait for Jeri, who had left early to go to rehearsal for a Berklee concert tomorrow (we are going), and then out to Doyle's pub for dinner.  Now we are all exhausted and it's time to sleep!

All in all, a really good, fun day.

 Dinner at Doyle's