Visiting with Carolyn and Dayton

After Pat and I attended Hilary's wedding, we met up with my college roommate Carolyn and her husband Dayton. Pat had to fly home Sunday so he just had breakfast and a bloody Mary with us, and then headed for the airport. I took this picture of them in the Ithaca Commons, a nice pedestrian area.

Then we drove way, way out into the country to Dayton and Carolyn's house in Northern PA. Their house is beautiful but yet very comfortable. They had the house built several years ago, and they have added lots of thoughtful personal touches. And, what a place to be a guest! I had the entire upstairs to myself--a space that is probably bigger than our Long Beach apartment. I told them that if things ever go badly for Pat and I, we might just move in!

Here is a view of the back of the house.

And this is a view from the backyard. They have something like 25 acres of land (this might be a little off), and Dayton's uncle owns the 125 next door so they have lots of space.

One morning Carolyn and I took a walk down to the woods on their property. It was very beautiful, and I had a hankering to take some "artsy" pictures.

"What is this?" asked the Californian. "Why, it is the changing of the seasons," replied the Pennsylvanian.

They also have three really cute puppies: Bennie, Bacchus, and Barkley. They were really sweet and loved to cuddle up with me on the sofa. Carolyn and Dayton warned me that Barkley might eat me alive but he only barred his teeth once because I made the mistake of eye contact too early.

Carolyn and I went up to explore Watkins Glen one day. The Glen is beautiful--a one-mile canyon with a series of waterfalls along the way.

Pretty views.

Had it been summer, this would have made a great swimming hole. Forbidden, of course.

The trail was comprised of over 800 steps, and we felt every one of them by the end.

Here is Carolyn by one of the falls.

And here is another artsy picture--from behind the waterfall.

After our hike, we went up to one of the many wineries located on the Finger Lakes. We just looked at the scenery. We didn't even sample any wines. Who are we?

At the airport, I had to take one of my "close up" pictures of Carolyn and I. We haven't aged a bit in the last 16 years, have we?

Hil Gets Hitched

Last weekend, Pat and I traveled to Ithaca, NY to see our old friend Hilary get married. We met Hilary in 1994 when we spent the winter in Portland, OR. It was so long ago that Pat and I weren't even a couple yet. Hilary and I worked together waiting tables at a local restaurant. At that time, Hilary was a recreational rower who would often get up at the break of dawn to row on the Willamette River which runs through Portland. I, of course, spent a good portion of my time keeping Hilary out very, very late which often resulted in her missing those a.m. rowing sessions. So, I am in no way responsible for what happened next: Hilary got serious about rowing, made the U.S. rowing team and eventually rowed for the U.S. in two Olympics. At this point, you may be wondering why I am blathering on about all this. Here is why: I think it is fascinating the way life goes: unpredictable! Had you told me back in 1994 that I would be married to Pat and living in Long Beach, CA fourteen years out, I certainly would have thought it absurd. Likewise, had you told me that Hilary would be the rowing coach at Cornell with two Olympics under her belt, I would have laughed even harder. Ain't life grand?

We got into Ithaca late Friday night but still managed to meet up with Hil and her future husband Matt. Even though we only had one drink, it was well after 2 a.m. when we got back to our hotel room.

The next morning we came upon one of our favorite East Coast features: Dunkin' Donuts! We are almost obsessed with their coffee and donuts and get very excited when we have the opportunity to indulge.

Then we walked around the Cornell campus. It was very interesting: many of the buildings were traditional but then there were a few very modern buildings as well

We were wondering where this pile of snow came from until we realized it was right in front of the hockey rink!

We also stopped to watch a field hockey game. I had almost forgotten about field hockey--it is a regional sport played only in the northeast.


Then we headed over to the wedding site at a local inn. The setting was spectacular.

When I saw this little pot-bellied pig wandering around, I had to take a picture. I didn't yet know that he and a friend would later crash the wedding.

And there were chickens, too!

Doesn't Pat look handsome under the apple tree?

The reception was lively although Matt and Hilary hardly had a chance to dance.

And, this pig and his little buddy (pictured above) wandered freely through the tent begging for leftovers. Nobody seemed to mind at all. In fact, we all took pictures.

Dodgers Vs. Diamondbacks

Continuing with our recent baseball theme, we went to the Dodger's game last weekend. While the Angels game was a family-friendly wholesome outing, the Dodger's game was more of a spectacle in debauchery. First, we went to this bar near the stadium. There wasn't any sign at all on the building but, luckily, Raul and Audra had been there before.

When we left, I tried to take a picture of this "BAR" sign because I though it was somewhat funny--the only sign of what was inside. However, I kept accidentally taking people's pictures as they came out. This is Melissa, who didn't mind too much.

However, this stranger was no too pleased. At least she didn't beat me up. We were in LA, so maybe she thought I was paparazzi.

Inside, they were serving $2 PBRs.

The bar was crowded but we found a place to sit.

Audra was in a hurry to get to the game so we had to chug our beers.

We walked over to the stadium which, unfortunately, wasn't very photogenic. Here is the "Think Blue" sign, the equivalent of the Citgo sign in Boston.

The stadium.

Inside the stadium we found our seats after crawling over several tolerant people.

We had to take some funny pictures.

I always think it is funny when everyone at the ballpark wears team gear--like they are huge baseball fans (even when they aren't at all). So, when Raul and Audra showed up all decked out in Dodger blue, I had to make fun of them, dubbing them "Fake Fans." However, they claim they are "real fans." Raul is from Idaho and Audra from Arizona. You decide.

And the game was good. Derek Lowe (a former Red Sox) pitched a great game, and the Dodgers won.

And, of course, there was another former Red Sox in the house: MANNY!

Angels Vs. Rangers

On Sunday afternoon, we went to the Angels game. They were playing the Rangers--our old home team. This is a picture of the stadium taken from the parking lot.

Here is a closer view.

This picture of Raul, Audra and Pat makes me laugh because it looks like Pat is just some stranger who jumped into the picture.

The line for beer (a ballpark necessity even at $12) was really long. When it was finally Pat's turn the National Anthem started, and the woman wouldn't sell him a beer until it was over. Raul had already gotten his beer, but not before being carded (at 30, he is a young pup). Pat asked the girl if she wanted to see his ID, and she asked "Are you over 40?" He said "yes," and she said she didn't need to see it. He was offended!

Our seats were very good but, as the afternoon wore on, it got hotter and hotter.

Raul got bored and started taking close up pictures of everyone.

There were some pitching changes eventually.

The Rangers led for most of the game but the Angels had a chance to rally (RALLY MONKEY) in the eighth. I thought Mark Teixeira, who was with Texas when we lived there, would come through but, alas, no luck. The Rangers won the game by a run or two. In the end, it didn't much matter because the Angels are in first place by something like 16 or 17 games.