Daughter Departs But Beard Still Rules

Yesterday I thought I was going to catch a break.  It was always going to be a downer day because my wife and I were called upon to release our daughter back to her real life after an extended weekend of nest filling back home.  My wife refuses to make the drive to the Connecticut train station alone (would that I had that affliction due to my well chronicled hate for Connecticut driving).  She couldn’t line up a co-pilot so it looked like my daughter would have to wait for my return from work – in other words – I would get more time with her.

I’m sure she wasn’t as excited about that possibility (hitting NYC at rush hour) but one of the Panamanian mafia showed up to fill the right seat and they were off.   She was back in her Brooklyn apartment just in time for the first pitch of the Red Sox game.  The game was another taut pitching duel against arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Justin Verlander. 

My wife and I watched continued Sox batting futility but this at least was expected against Verlander.  On the other hand the Sox pitcher, Lackey, the re-invented Sox pitching hero, was every bit as effective if not as artistic.  In the biggest surprise (well, next to Verlander trying to pick Ortiz off first base based on a lead measured in millimeters) was Napoli hitting a home run to produce the only run of the game.  Napoli hadn’t been swinging in the same area code as the ball for the rest of the playoffs until he cranks one out to win the game against the best the Tigers had to offer.

Last Pitch of the Game - Canine Shenanigans Follow

I’m sure the high priced Tigers are sitting back and wondering how they can be losing to this bunch of scruffy dirt dogs.  The rest of the league, and not a few of the pink hats if they’re honest, have been wondering the same thing all year long.  I love these guys; not pretty but effective.  The beard lives!

The playoff beard is now into its third week of existence and sports a 5-2 record.  My sister recently pointing out that her husband could produce the same beard in less than two days did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm, besides my Mediterranean brother in law has genetics working for him.  I was denied a beard by the military for my entire adult life and although it’s exceedingly gray it’s kind of growing on me (yeah – go ahead – groan away).  My wife is certainly not a fan and will be hovering with clippers when the Red Sox season ends – hopefully on November eve. 

Playoff Beard (Actually the Sox) Continues its Awesome Run

We actually had to watch the last two innings via DVR since date night waits for no baseball game.  We purposely turned off the radio and didn’t check phone messages until we got home and watched to see if the 1-0 lead held up.  There was more dancing in the family room in which Buddy enthusiastically joined in.  We then checked messages to find one from our daughter about the game and missing the atmosphere at home for the game. Apparently her cat didn’t step up the way Buddy does for post-game celebrations. 

We went to see Captain Phillips for date night.  I screwed up here because I thought my wife had refused (actually was my daughter) to see Machete Kills which I wanted.  When the opening credits rolled she informed me of my mistake and we missed out on the latest offering of that noted thespian, Danny Trejo in his signature role (tonight!?).

Captain Phillips is an excellent movie but since it stars Tom Hanks that’s kind of redundant.  He can elevate any role and he certainly does here as the ship’s captain dealing with Somali pirates.  I was worried going in that Hollywood, as it is wont to do, would become apologists for these pathetic idiots.  To the film makers credit the pirates are portrayed justifiably as the cretinous hoodlums they are, although victimized by their own society as well. 

The climatic scenes are extremely well done as the filmmakers capture the dichotomy of the relationship between special forces operators and the line military officers when working together.  I wouldn’t want one of these guys pissed off at me.  The last scene of the rescued Hanks should get him into the Oscar conversation.  An impressive flick.