Middle Aged Cheesecake

The pace at work has been relentless which is not a great thing if you're someone (such as me) trying to recover from a weekend of over indulgence.  It does make the day fly by though and I’m getting a glimmer of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, projectwise.

My wife and I went to the movies last night to see The Wolverine which could be re-titled “Hugh Jackman Without his Shirt On”.  This was indeed a pleasure for my wife who spent the entire movie sighing every of the multiple times Hugh was called upon to divest himself of his shirt.  There’s even a scene of Hugh in a bath tub where he flashes his long admired (by my wife) posterior.  I thought she would faint.

All this being said, this was a pretty good action flick.  I’ve never been apprised of the X-Men mythology outside of my kids’ failed attempts to educate me.  I’m sure there were lots of hidden meanings known only to the initiated but Jackman is an incredibly good actor.  He defines the role and even I have to admit that he got himself in scarily good shape for the movie. (PED testing coming to the cinema?)

For the Wife in Case She's Reading

I was left reflecting that we seldom get big movie dramas anymore because they don’t sell.  This movie could have been made fifty years ago without all the X-men Sci Fi trappings and made a very good dramatic movie. 

I heard later on in the night that the Red Sox made a huge trade landing a stud pitcher in Jake Peavy for the measly price of light hitting Jose Iglesias.  This is an awesome move by the Sox but will unfortunately end the constant spirited debate between my son and brother in law.  I think my son wins in the end because the Sox parlayed Iglesias’ one month of hitting into a front line starter.  Is someone smoking something in Chicago? 

Welcome To Boston

 

You Better Not Be As Good as my Son Thinks You Are - Good Luck in Chitown The Motor City

Mortality Costs

I was still recovering from the Baltimoreexperience yesterday and work was less than sympathetic. At least it made the day amble by at a very respectable pace. I had to tackle the neglected lawn after work. The back lawn especially was staging a mini-coup in my absence. It took the better part of two hours, well into the twilight to subdue the rebels.

I was just about finished when my wife came outside with the phone, never a good sign. It was one of the elder cousins from my father’s side calling to report the death of the ex-husband of one of our cousins. Since he was a former in law of the cousin and a bit older I never knew him well, but that kind of news is always jarring. I do know his kids who are more of an age with me and they are excellent people which speaks to their father’s influence. My cousin and I talked for a bit realizing our generation is now entering an age group where we’ll have to expect this relentless advent of mortality. I find it hard to believe that the shining group of elder cousins I so idolized as a kid are starting to leave us – tough to abide by that. My thoughts are with a grieving family today as they deal with unexpected loss.

R.I.P. Jeff

While in transit to Baltimore I finished up the second book in the Crimson World Series by Jay Allan, Cost of Victory. This was a direct sequel to the original book that I enjoyed so much last week. It takes the main character of the first book and walks him through the events of a massive interstellar war.

I didn’t like this as much as the original because the author wanders into the area of high level politics which pales in comparison to the military action Allan does such a good job of describing. That being said, he’s created some very intriguing characters and he gets the military code of honor – spot on.

I finished the book as we were boarding the plane to Baltimore. I discovered a new reason to love the Kindle. While on board I connected to the internet with the Kindle and purchased the next book in the series. Five minutes after finishing the second book I was already reading the third. I still miss going to the book store though.

Charm City Cavalcade Day 2

My Wife in Sunday Morning Recovery Mode

The fun continued yesterday in Baltimore.  Even though we didn’t get to bed until nearly 2am on Saturday night we were up moderately early to take advantage of the free breakfast offered at the hotel.  I’ve found that traveling on a keto diet can be challenging at times but I was able to load up on scrambled eggs and sausage while our gang slowly achieved consciousness.

Myself Likewise

On Saturday we had some lofty expectations on Sunday morning activities that were sacrificed to the reality of the morning after.  We did mange to get packed and turn our baggage over to the hotel for safekeeping after we checked out.

Eutaw Street Yesterday

We planned on getting to the ballpark early to see batting practice.  After a much less fragrant bus ride to the ball park (my sister breathed a sigh of relief), we were some of the first few fans to enter the park.  Unfortunately we couldn’t go to our seats because they only opened the touristy Eutaw Street for the first half hour.  My sister and wife departed for shopping venues.  Since thunderstorms were forecast for the game, I purchased a rain slicker to ensure that it wouldn’t rain (plan that worked out perfectly).  I conducted a raid on Boog’s Barbecue and retired to Orioles Hall of Fame park where I consumed my dead animal flesh surrounded by statues of Oriole greats.

Statue of Babe Ruth

Lunching With Oriole Greats

The ladies returned disgusted with the shopping opportunities and we all made a very round about way to our seats.  My brother in law had overachieved again in respect to the seats.  Our trip was roundabout because there was an exclusive area that we walked past before we realized our seats were in that exclusive area.  We were escorted to our seats and an attendant even wiped the seats down for us.  A truly nice guy came over and welcomed us to Orioles Park and gave us a menu and said all we had to do was raise our hand and someone would come over to serve us.  He said we paid a lot for these seats and we would be treated well.  My brother in law sheepishly confessed that he hadn’t paid a lot of the tickets, but that is in comparison to the highway robbery of buying Fenway Park tickets.

View From Our Seats

Our seats were in the front row of the second level along with the luxury boxes. We were literally hanging right over the field.  The teams were warming up but there was no batting practice (day game after a night game).   The view gave my wife the opportunity to admire her favorite player, Saltamacchia’s posterior.  She was oohing and ahhing while Salty stretched right in front of us and she provided a somewhat graphic description on how she could assist with his stretching routine.

The Target of My Wife's Fascination - Salty, Warming Up

Thanks to my rain coat purchase the sun came out and baked us fairly consistently throughout the game.  My wife even retreated back a few rows to get into the shade.  I was under heavy peer (her) pressure to join her but I was loath to abandon the prime view our seats delivered along with my brother in law’s scintillating analysis of the game. 

My Wife Escaping the Sun

Big Papi was roundly booed by the Baltimore fans for his lack of appreciation of the Baltimore phone system.  This turned out to be a good thing as he blasted an opposite field home run right in front of us.  Lester finally seems to have rediscovered his mojo and the Sox rolled to another victory.

We had to leave in the 7^th inning to retrieve our bags and make our way to the airport.  We followed the end of the game over the I-phone.  It was kind of strange hearing the sounds from the park as we waited for the bus and then hearing the time delayed radio report what the Oriole fans were all groaning about.

The plan was to repeat our initial deployment plan of bus to train to airport.  After retrieving our bags and looking at the time we made a decision to hail a cab.  We were shortly flying to the airport in a Prius driven by a nice Arabic gentleman.  Our timing was perfect as we cleared the congested area of the ballpark just before the Sox completed their win so we beat the crowd and accompanying traffic gridlock.

Southwest was once again on top of their game.  They apparently have discovered the technique of taking off and flying even though there are thunderstorms within six hundred miles.  I wish they would pass on this technological breakthrough to US Air.  While waiting to board the aircraft my wife commented on the rosy hue large portions of my skin were demonstrating.  Since my skin cancer issues of last year she’s been severely supervisory when it comes to my skin/sun exposure.  My rain coat solution had worked so well that I was the proud owner of very red arms and knee caps; a small price to pay for the excellent afternoon.

At the Airport - The Wife Felt the Need to Document the Sun Burns

All too soon we were back in Rhode Island and the fun part of the trip was over.  We had to say goodbye to our wing “men”; my sister who braved the lions and her husband of excellent ticketing.  More than that, they were a hell of a lot of fun to just hang out with, something I can never get enough of.  We recovered the still energetic Buddy from where he had been terrorizing ice cream delivery men and any citizen of Cranston who had the temerity to walk by my sister’s house.  He was exhausted!

Buddy Back Home Tired from His Exertions

So were we when we finally got home and feasted on some late night burgers.  A great weekend in Baltimore and I made it all this way without a single Omar or Stringer Bell comment, it’s just the way I’m wired. (you may now start groaning).

"These Guys!" So Much Fun to be Around

This One Also

Charm City Cavalcade Day 1

Yesterday – so much fun and so loooong!  Which was a very good thing!  My wife and I awoke at home with a house full of our son and MEF family from the memorable birthday dinner on Friday.  We snuck out of the house early leaving the breakfast fate of our guests in the hands of our son (feel bad for that).  We had to load Buddy and head to Rhode Island to join my sister and her husband for a weekend dash to Baltimore to watch not one but two Red Sox games!

Wife, Sister, and Bro in Law at Providence Airport

Upon arriving at their house Buddy promptly assumed control of all dog bones while we jumped back into our car and were off to the airport.  We were flying out of Providence using Southwest Airlines which I hadn’t flown in a long time.   They’ve made some improvements to their line up and it has to be the smoothest process in all the airline industry. 

Surrounded by my Wife and Sister Waiting for the Train at BWI

We arrived in Baltimore-Washington Airport with no plan on how to get into Baltimore.  We followed signs to the light rail station at the airport which took so long to walk to it seemed like we were already halfway to the city.  There wasn’t a lot of info posted but we bought tickets – only $1.60!  The train ride into Baltimore was uneventful except for meeting some really nice Ravens fans (who knew they even existed!). We got off the train right outside the Orioles ball park and now faced the task of finding our hotel.

Off the Train While My Bro in Law Tries to Pinpoint our Hotel Location

It was located adjacent to the Inner Harbor which is the tourist center of Baltimore.  My brother in law had his I-phone out and we were shortly hiking our way to the hotel.  It turned out to be a little over a mile which was a long way on a very hot day but the company was great so the mile flew by, well almost flew.  My sister has some knee issues and she fell back a couple times which exposed her to leonine attacks trying to cull our herd (inside joke – you had to be there).

The Gang Crossing at Bridge Near the National Aquarium

We reached the hotel which was an ancient brewery where the Star Spangled Banner flag was sewn.  Our rooms weren’t ready so we set out walking again to find some lunch at the nearby Inner Harbor.  The place was mobbed and every restaurant had a long waiting line.  After our long hike we weren’t looking to donate any more shoe leather so we declared victory and headed back to the hotel and it’s resident sports bar. 

Wife at the Inner Harbor

The bar tender was by himself as the hotel was trying to accommodate the massive influx of Red Sox fans and everybody else was upstairs cleaning rooms – hopefully ours.  We settled in for a simple lunch accompanied by several adult beverages (actually more than several).  We spent a very entertaining afternoon and my resourceful sister discovered there was a free bus shuttle between the street outside our hotel and the ball park.  In other words – our earlier hike was unnecessary.

Hotel Courtyard

Our rooms were finally ready and a short nap was called for before game time.  We jumped on the free bus and made our way to Camden Yards – the most fabulous baseball stadium in the US.  The Orioles are finally good again so there was some real competition between the Baltimore fans and the rabid Sox legions.  We were waiting in line to get in and it the heavens opened up and poured.

Waiting for our Free Bus Ride (wife, Bro in Law and Sister)

Everyone was soaked except my wife who has a sense about these things and was safely encased in a hasty rain coat.  That rain turned out to be the only rain we had for the entire game and the only time we were exposed to the elements, kismet.

My Soaked Sister on Eutaw Street Prior to the Game

We had the best seats I’ve ever had for a professional baseball game and were surrounded by that mix of fans which spent the whole game yelling at each other.  A foul ball was hit just a couple feet away – the closest that’s ever happened to me.  The game was memorable for a great Sox win and a Big Papi meltdown where he destroyed a dugout phone after being thrown out of the game.

Nervously Waiting for Tarp to be Removed

View from Our Awesome Seats - Big Papi Batting While Still in the Game

We Felt So Close to the Action

After the game we jumped back on our free bus and were shortly back at the hotel sports bar.  But not before my sister became acquainted with the single most pungent Baltimorean bus rider.  My sister left the bus with a whole new level of appreciation of public transit.  At the bar, we were surrounded by other Red Sox fans celebrating the Sox finally figuring out how to beat the Orioles.  Before we knew it the bartender declared last call and we were summarily escorted out of the bar.  Not to admit defeat we took up residence in the hotel lobby with our drinks now in plastic cups.  Such a fun day, lots of travel, great companions, and a Sox win, what’s not to like!!!!

The Crew at the Hotel Bar Ending a Fantastic Day in Charm City

Birthday Boy Supreme!

Yesterday the cosmos aligned.  The MEF maneuvered forces so that everyone came together to celebrate my son’s birthday.  She and her parents were heading down to New Jersey enroute to a North Carolina wedding.  Expert map reader that she is, she noted that our house was on the way.  She cajoled her fiancé to spend part of his birthday fighting summer Friday afternoon traffic to meet her parents at our house.

I made reservations at Chuck’s Steak House which I discovered earlier in the year with the assistance of my sister and her husband.  It was fitting we went there because my wife and I were having dinner there when we heard the news that my son and he MEF were engaged.

Our Table at Chuck's

It was such a good time at dinner.  The MEF’s parents already feel like family and there’s no better way to spend an evening than with family.  When I made the reservations I may have mentioned that it was my son’s birthday so after we finished the meal he was serenaded by the assembled wait staff and presented with a huge dessert, all the while staring daggers at me for inflicting this on him.  The MEF scared the hell out of me when I tried to pay the tab, insisting this was her idea and she would be insulted if I paid.  I think my son is going to have his hands full with this dynamic young lady.  An absolute great problem to have.

My Son Shortly After his Serenade

We returned home for yet another birthday cake, this time my son’s favorite – brownies.  I briefly left the keto zone to sample the cake – so…….. good…….  We got his sister on the phone for a video chat which made the evening a little more complete although it did point out how much we missed having her around.

Around the Brownie Cake, His Sister on the Phone Next to teh Cake

Instead of firing up the television we sat down around the kitchen table and played a semi-lively game of Go Fish; my first game in several decades.  The simplest pleasures of sitting around a table with excellent people can make for the best kind of times.  Last night was one of those and I have my future daughter in law to thank.  She really does get it.

Presents to be Opened

This morning we’re heading out for another adventure as we journey to Baltimore to watch the Orioles torture the Red Sox.  Once again, we will be around excellent people in my sister and brother in law – I could not be more psyched.  Sunday’s blog will be late at night upon our return because I’m not lugging this computer around with me for the weekend.

Son Being Decorated by His Mother With the MEF Next to Him

Big Guy Day!

My Son Helping Me Wash the Car About 26 Years Ago

Today my son is 28.  I find that incredibly hard to believe, not only for the age that fact inflicts on me.  I still want that tow headed tyke running out to greet me as I came home from the field or frolicking with Skyla and Estrella.  However, nowadays I have something even better, something I should find hard to believe after just reliving those fond memories.

Chilling in Hawaii in the 1990s

I’m blessed with a son who makes me proud every waking moment.  He’s found his pace in life and a true partner to spend to rest of his life with.  A confident, mature man has sprouted out of that tyke and while that may date his old man (a lot) – I feel truly blessed. 

I called him “Big Guy” when he was very young and it tugs at my heart to see how much he has grown into that appellation.  He’s big in spirit and soul, just a very good person.  Happy Birthday to the best man I know.

Good People

We’ll see him tonight along with the MEF and her parents.  They’re coming in for a birthday dinner with us.  The wife and I head to Baltimore tomorrow with my sister and brother in law to watch two Red Sox games (very excited), otherwise I would seriously contemplate hiding my son’s keys so he’d have to stay the weekend. 

 I finally drove a stake in the heart of the run cut at work yesterday.  I apologize for the small forest of trees sacrificed for the paper needed for the process.  I think I’m about Excel-ed out.  It’s kind of cool after an intense two weeks of work to have handed it off (electronically and ahead of schedule) to the various agencies that need it. I couldn’t be happier though with my weekend prospects – starting with dinner tonight.

Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Resting With Future Marines

The crazy pace at work continued yesterday but at least it was Wednesday and that meant a mid-day lunch with my favorite son where he tortures me with popcorn and French fires.  I took the obligatory picture and my wife later remarked upon viewing it that he was wearing the same shirt a couple weeks ago.  I’m sure he’d be as mystified as I was why that was a big deal, but apparently it is the height of fashion faux pauxs, who knew.

Non-Keto and Fashionably Challenged Son Yesterday

When I got home the news media was all flutter because Coach Belicheck finally went in front of the sports media to talk about the Hernandez disaster.  I thought he did a credible job without playing to the media’s need to sensationalize.  While I was watching the news broadcast I spied my brother in law in the crowd and snapped a picture of the TV screen – feel to cool to know someone so important.

Bro in Law Seated (left center) in Red Shirt Turned Around Talking With Guy Behind Him

Since the rain held off the wife and I went on our date and saw the movie RIPD.  It was okay but I held out much bigger expectations given the concept of deceased cops policing the supernatural back on earth.  I thought going in that the casting was superb with Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges as the leads.

Could Have Been........

This should be right up Reynolds’ alley where he could be at his smart ass, wisecracking best but for some reason he was called upon to play it straight and serious.  I don’t know if it was the writing, direction, or this movie was shot during his breakup with Scarlett, but he was pretty one dimensional which surprised me. 

This movie just misses because they don’t mine the deep well of comedic possibilities the concept presents.  It’s tough to like a movie where the lead isn’t that likable.  On the up side Bridges obviously had a lot of fun with his over the top cowboy ghost and Mary Louise Parker was delightful in a supporting role.

On the reading front, a few days ago I finished reading the book, Marines, by Jay Allen, the first in his Crimson Worlds series.  Apparently my wandering through Amazon resulted in this as a recommended read in military science fiction.  It was a great find because it reminded me a lot of the Starship Troopers (book, not the movie) which is one of my favorite all time sci fi books.

It follows the early career of a young gang member who’s brought in the future space marines.  Allen must have spent some time in uniform because he gets the underlying motivations and traditions of the military spot on.  I really enjoyed the read and as soon as I finished I immediately ordered the second book.  Thirty seconds later I started reading that – Kindles rock!

Rain or Shine

Yesterday was about a weird day, weather wise.  We finally got the rain we needed but it was like an episode from the twilight zone.  I was buried deep into the computer with the scheduling software and I would glance up to find a tropical like downpour saturating the parking lot.  Literally thirty minutes later I looked up and the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky.  This went on all day back and forth.

View out my Office Door Yesterday

30 Minutes Later

I don’t know if it’s global warming or not but the weather has certainly gotten weirder than when I was growing up.  I can’t believe we’re using air conditioning all summer now.  I didn’t see or need my first air conditioner until I arrived in Fort Benning, Georgia when I was 24.

Date night was also a casualty of the rain.  My wife declared since she just washed her hair that she couldn’t risk exposing it to the elements.  This is a woman who grew up n the tropics!  We rescheduled for tonight but I was left shaking my head.

We did get to watch the Red Sox game together and this plucky team once again rebounded from a  bad loss with an inspired effort and solid win.  Inspired from everybody except Boras’ latest prima donna client – Ellsbury.  He apparently needed another day off less than a week after the four day All Star break.  Don’t look now Jacoby but this team is leaving you behind.

Wake Up!

Ketoing Two Months In

Well, it’s been two months now on the ketogenic diet and maybe time to reflect.  The results are amazing.  I’ve lost forty pounds and feel incredibly better.  The almost constant pain in the knee is gone and I’ve tightened my belt by four notches.  I now weigh less than I did when I left the military.  It’s kind of scary and a comment on how far I’d let myself go that I had forty pounds to lose.

I’m feeling a little greedy and want to keep losing until I’m under 200 pounds for the first time in almost thirty years but my wife is starting to comment on the disappearance of my ass.  I’ll need to consult with my keto guru son-in-law to find out about maintaining. 

The hardest part about the diet is the almost constant bickering with the wife about the amount of red meat I’m eating.  She’s concerned its not healthy but her constant barrage on my blood pressure levels is not helping either.  I know she means well but she’s never heard of the word, “subtle”.  Almost as hard is bypassing Zorba’s pizza, chocolate chip cookies, and of course, donut cakes.  I go to a lot of movies and smelling the siren’s call of popcorn is a true aid test.   

I like the routine I’m in now but eating celery and cheese sticks instead of popcorn each night while watching the Sox is definitely a big price to pay.

Although you wouldn’t know it by the national news coverage yesterday but there were other things going on in the world other than the royal birth.  This is yet another indication of the sick fascination the world has with the cult of celebrity.  Why was this such a big news story outside of Britain?  The big oil companies have their hands so deep into our pockets they could administer a hernia exam but that gets bare notice on the news where they're all a gush about the latest royal progeny.

News, Because??????

I popped my head out of the computer yesterday at work long enough to attend a really fascinating presentation on route modeling for our eventual electric buses.  When I first head they were bringing in consultants to recommend which routes to use the buses on I was a little miffed.  I thought this was something I could do without spending all the money on consultants.  How wrong I was. 

These were some really big brain guys who used some cutting hedge technology to measure some of our routes and then asses whether they were a good match of the electric bus capabilities.  It was cool to see the statistics generated and seeing the familiar routes depicted in various and sundry ways.  It turns out the money was well spent.  Of course, they did recommend every single one of the routes I predicted ahead of time but now we have the science to back it up. 

Trust Me - It Was More Exciting in Person

Religious Pilgrimage

The wife and I were ready to get back into action yesterday after the Saturday down day.  The most excellent family of my brother in law invited us down to Rhode Island for the Saint Mary’s Day Festival.  If you’re not Italian (very few Rhode Islanders are not), you, like me, probably never heard of this festival but it is a big deal in the Ocean State and a great excuse to get together once again with some truly remarkable people.

First I had to survive another of my wife’s vanity projects, namely - me.  She really enjoys dressing me up like a Panamanian even though I would never be mistaken for one, except in a heavily drugged nightmare.  When I rushed upstairs to get ready for church I found a neatly pressed “guayabera” shirt which is formal Panamanian attire.  I was trapped since there was not enough time to modify expectations.

Me, Masquerading as a Panamanian

The Panamanians do know how to dress for the heat and it was very comfortable, except for my wife telling me how distinguished I looked.  Well, maybe south of the border somewhere, but I’m a card carrying gringo for life.  She even insisted on taking a picture before I could divest myself of the church going attire.

 

While she prepared the food we were bringing to the party I discovered a treasure trove of beer left over from the party.  I thought the "kids" had disposed of every last drop but apparently had overlooked one of their own caches.  I jury rigged the basement refrigerator so it could accept the added population.  That should be the last of the clean up from the epic get together.  I'm still feeling bad for our rubbish man, who on Friday had to load an overflowing dumpster of the party trash that had been baking all week in the heat.  If I'm killed, add him to the suspect list.

My New Stash

The "Kids" at the Party - Newly Discovered Photo

The trip to Rhode Island started off a little dramatically as my wife was truly in the Panamanian mode and that meant, being late.  We were already a half hour late and I was steaming in the car when she finally showed up and declared she was going to go out and cut some of her flowers for the host of the party.  While this was a very nice gesture the twenty minutes required to do this had been timed out.  She grudgingly entered the car while pointing out several of my shortcomings.



The Party Scene

This continued for the entire ride down but entering the party house was enough to snuff out the feelings.  It’s impossible to stay angry when surrounded by such outstanding people.  A large percentage was at last week’s engagement party so there was a semi-faithful re-telling of some of the salient points of that evening.  Most of all it was a chance to sit around and enjoy the feeling of family.  We specifically forbid the curse lady from saying anything about the Red Sox although she probably did doom some poor lady to a life of caring for a developmentally challenged child, but I digress.

The Curse Lady Holding Court - Dispensing Justice

This was the same house I faced the most serious threat to the keto diet - a donut cake, a couple weeks ago.  Yesterday, in a move straight out of Clausewitz, they deployed another doomsday weapon - peanut butter blossom cookies.  I escaped by literally the skin of my teeth, although I think I dreamed about them last night.

Extreme Cruelty

Recharged with the good feelings any time spent around this family seems to transmit we were back home in time for the final Red Sox – Yankees game of the weekend.  It started out poorly, got much better, and then settled into a quagmire.  They were tied and extra innings loomed on a school night.  For some strange reason, I hung with them through some truly inept batting against the Yankee’s Triple-A team.  I was rewarded shortly before 1am with a Napoli bomb to center field for the win.  Impossible not to like this team.

Worth Staying Up For