Showing posts with label shalar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shalar. Show all posts
Dear readers, I know many of you feel like you've asked questions and made comments that have floated in cyberspace with no attention paid to them. Trust that we have been gathering these queries and ruminating on our responses and now we will answer some of the most pressing pieces of viewer mail.Q: What happened to the cycling blog? Or more specifically, the race itself? Did you do RAGBRAI? Are you stopping off in P-town?
—Janet, Seattle
A: The bulk of this question is directed at Kristina, whose ill-fated cycling blog lasted only a few months. Its premise was based on Kristina's declaration that she intended to ride RAGBRAI, a weeklong bicycle ride across the state of Iowa. Here's what happened, Janet (and all others who have wondered): A lack of training happened. Kristina's reunion with the RAGBRAI folks is now scheduled for July 2008. When trying to make the final decision about whether or not to try to do RAGBRAI this year, Kristina's very good friend — who shall remain anonymous until further notice — said, basically, "Forget the ride, come to Martha's Vineyard instead." It was not a hard sell.
We do not have plans to visit P-town (Provincetown, for those of you not hip to the lingo), but it's always hard to predict what we'll do. We're just wacky that way!
Q: I'm just sayin' there better not be any personal stuff about ME in that blog!!!!!
—Anonymous, Washington, D.C.
A: As if I would violate your anonymity and confidentiality like that.
Q: I think your middle name is resourceful.
—Ann, Silver Spring, Md.
A: Actually, it's Kay. (Shalar's is Marie.)
Q: Do you think the first hitter in a batting order should be spelled "lede-off man"? It's very important to avoid confusing anything with the element lead, you know, or with leading. Does a base runner take "a long lede at second?"
—Matt, Takoma Park, Md.
A: No, I do not think so. Spelling this baseball term "lede" would confuse journalists everywhere, who would think the reference was to the first paragraph (or "graf") of a news story, and these journalists would be distracted from the game trying to figure out where the graf in question was.
Q: Uh, Sunday is almost over. Where is Saturday's news?!?! You are falling behind ...
—Kim, Takoma Park, Md.
A: Geeeeeeeeeeeeeez! We didn't have Internet access on Saturday night and Sunday was a very busy, very hot, very long day. Have you bathed the dog since I've been gone? OK THEN.
Q: Where IS that best McDonald's in the world? I must go there.
—Lisa, Wellesley, Mass.
A: Lisa, you're in luck. The best McDonald's in the world, in Shalar's estimation, is just down the road from you in Norwood, Mass. They have a fantastic playland there so you can take the whole family and have a blast.
Q: Hope Kris found some underwear. Aren't blogs *made* for long stories though?
—Craig, Iowa City, Iowa
A: Fear not, readers; I am not writing this post or any others in a "commando" state. Underwear was obtained; I am attired like a proper lady and not a dime-store hussy. Blogs may be made for long stories, but this blog is not made for that long story.
Q: Are you f-----g IN Boston?
—Stephanie, Iowa City, Iowa
A: Yes, we f-----g were IN Boston, where we saw Paul Konerko blow it for the White Sox in the top of the 9th.
Q: Where can I buy Nor'easter merchandise?
A: Stay tuned, readers. Stay tuned.
As I write, I'm sitting in what I'm pretty sure is the Best Damn McDonald's in the country, or at least east of the Mississippi. As the incredulous dude who was just here said, "Man, this is the best McDonald's EVER! You'll never see one like this in the 'hood! You're lucky if you can even get a SEAT in the city." And I agree. It's tastefully decorated, it has a fun-looking kids' play area, and most importantly, free wifi. I'm here because we're getting a much overdue oil change so we don't end up stranded somewhere in New England.
So, let's see. I want to talk a bit about Fenway.
I realize I haven't been in all that many different major league ballparks. Obviously I'm trying to remedy that. But Fenway is so far my very favorite. It's really too bad I'm not a big Red Sox fan because I would be happy to have season tickets (I also don't want to give up a kidney or other organ). Our Fenway experience is a rare case in which all of the dire predictions we received from caring friends or read in books turned out to not come to be. We expected the traffic would be horrible around the park, that it would be difficult to find parking, that the bathroom lines would be miles long, that we wouldn't be able to buy beer without a Mass. driver's license, that fans would be obnoxious (okay, maybe that one was a little bit true...). No, not really - they were all extremely welcoming and friendly, especially the guys on the street outside bars when I was walking back to the car to meet Kris who was trying to buy underwear (long story). Hmm. Anyway, the warning that we would "bake in the sun" was pretty accurate, but other than that, our experience was completely positive. Getting around inside and around Fenway felt as easy as Community Field where I see the Burlington Bees play in the town where we grew up. Seriously. I've been in much longer concession lines there than we ever encountered at Fenway. The way the park is set up is very interesting - with a plaza, which gives the feeling you're on a street in a little community. See photos: 
Our seats were in the bleachers, which is a notorious party zone. It was fun because we had nice people around us and were thrilled to be in the first row which meant that the Red Sox bullpen was directly in front of us. We can now identify any Boston middle reliever for you should you wish. The starting pitcher for this game was Tim Wakefield, which meant Doug Mirabelli was catching because he's the only one who can catch Wakefield's knuckleball. This allowed Jason Varitek
to be close enough for us to spit on through a good portion of the game. He caught in the bullpen for Manny Delcarmen who was not terribly impressive this outing, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon who scared the crap out of the Red Sox fans when, with the score 8-5 he loaded the bases with no outs in the 9th. He struck out Jim Thome then got a double-play off Paul Konerko batting and ended the game. So no riots, but it was close.
The only complaint we might have about the location of our seats is that at every break a kajillion little kids would scramble to the bullpen and ask for autographs, all claiming it was their birthday (true for some, their names got on the board and everything).
At one point, one of the kids seated near us tossed his hat over the bullpen so that Julian Tavarez could sign it. The kid lost it trying to pull it back through and Tavarez didn't see. Varitek tossed it back over at the next break and a young woman who had come up to the bullpen grabbed it and started to run off. We all jumped up and screamed at her, causing a small scene, Kris went after her and the frightened 20-something woman handed it back and the hat was safely returned to its rightful owner. Crisis averted.
My McDonald's break has come to an end and we need to get on the road to catch the ferry to Martha's Vineyard so I must close my post. We don't know how available internet is where we'll be so I hope we'll be giving more news soon but if not, we wish you all a good week. Until then, here's a photo of us at our New Favorite Ballpark. I apologize that any photo of me that you'll see here will be horrible.
So, let's see. I want to talk a bit about Fenway.
I realize I haven't been in all that many different major league ballparks. Obviously I'm trying to remedy that. But Fenway is so far my very favorite. It's really too bad I'm not a big Red Sox fan because I would be happy to have season tickets (I also don't want to give up a kidney or other organ). Our Fenway experience is a rare case in which all of the dire predictions we received from caring friends or read in books turned out to not come to be. We expected the traffic would be horrible around the park, that it would be difficult to find parking, that the bathroom lines would be miles long, that we wouldn't be able to buy beer without a Mass. driver's license, that fans would be obnoxious (okay, maybe that one was a little bit true...). No, not really - they were all extremely welcoming and friendly, especially the guys on the street outside bars when I was walking back to the car to meet Kris who was trying to buy underwear (long story). Hmm. Anyway, the warning that we would "bake in the sun" was pretty accurate, but other than that, our experience was completely positive. Getting around inside and around Fenway felt as easy as Community Field where I see the Burlington Bees play in the town where we grew up. Seriously. I've been in much longer concession lines there than we ever encountered at Fenway. The way the park is set up is very interesting - with a plaza, which gives the feeling you're on a street in a little community. See photos: 
Our seats were in the bleachers, which is a notorious party zone. It was fun because we had nice people around us and were thrilled to be in the first row which meant that the Red Sox bullpen was directly in front of us. We can now identify any Boston middle reliever for you should you wish. The starting pitcher for this game was Tim Wakefield, which meant Doug Mirabelli was catching because he's the only one who can catch Wakefield's knuckleball. This allowed Jason Varitek
to be close enough for us to spit on through a good portion of the game. He caught in the bullpen for Manny Delcarmen who was not terribly impressive this outing, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon who scared the crap out of the Red Sox fans when, with the score 8-5 he loaded the bases with no outs in the 9th. He struck out Jim Thome then got a double-play off Paul Konerko batting and ended the game. So no riots, but it was close.The only complaint we might have about the location of our seats is that at every break a kajillion little kids would scramble to the bullpen and ask for autographs, all claiming it was their birthday (true for some, their names got on the board and everything).
At one point, one of the kids seated near us tossed his hat over the bullpen so that Julian Tavarez could sign it. The kid lost it trying to pull it back through and Tavarez didn't see. Varitek tossed it back over at the next break and a young woman who had come up to the bullpen grabbed it and started to run off. We all jumped up and screamed at her, causing a small scene, Kris went after her and the frightened 20-something woman handed it back and the hat was safely returned to its rightful owner. Crisis averted.My McDonald's break has come to an end and we need to get on the road to catch the ferry to Martha's Vineyard so I must close my post. We don't know how available internet is where we'll be so I hope we'll be giving more news soon but if not, we wish you all a good week. Until then, here's a photo of us at our New Favorite Ballpark. I apologize that any photo of me that you'll see here will be horrible.
This has to be quick because I've been playing chauffeur to Shalar (or shalar to Chauffeur?) for days now and today she forced me to bake in the sun for nearly four hours. I am a fair-skinned lass of Irish heritage; the sun is my enemy, not my friend. So I'm wiped out and can't write much at this hour. That's what mornings are for!
I'll just take a few moments to say we're in Wellesley, outside Boston, staying at the home of our extremely gracious hosts Lisa and Sheilah. And Sam, their blond, blue-eyed, adorable and precious 3-year-old boy. And Murphy, the sweetest dog in the commonwealth. For those not in the know, Lisa was my boss for many moons at the Blade; she gave me my first big break in the biz, and as if that weren't enough of a favor, here she is feeding and housing me on extremely short notice.
I'll take another moment to add that today was, from a logistic and atmospheric point of view, absolutely perfect. More on that later. But I'd go back to a game at Fenway in a heartbeat.
I've posted some photos from Saturday's Yankees game, with more to come later ... sorry for the brevity but your narrator is so tired. So, so tired.
Brief photo explanation: First photo is the iconic and historic Yankee Stadium. They're building a new one soon, so this was a good year to make a first visit there.
Second photo is me outside Yankee Stadium, to go in my collection of photos of me outside ballparks I've patronized. I have Dodgers and Giants photos from earlier this season, and of course a Nats photo somewhere. And then you have the road buddies, Shalar on the left and yours truly on the right. Shalar hates every photo ever taken of herself, mostly because she is delusional.
And finally we have an action shot from the Yankees game, right after Alex Rodriguez hit a homerun and drove in Bobby Abreu. Here are the happy dudes giving high-fives at home plate.
Scoreboard:
Harrisburg Senators 12, Altoona Curve 6 (MiLB)
Yankees 17, Tampa Bay 5
Boston Red Sox 8, Chicago White Sox 5
I'll just take a few moments to say we're in Wellesley, outside Boston, staying at the home of our extremely gracious hosts Lisa and Sheilah. And Sam, their blond, blue-eyed, adorable and precious 3-year-old boy. And Murphy, the sweetest dog in the commonwealth. For those not in the know, Lisa was my boss for many moons at the Blade; she gave me my first big break in the biz, and as if that weren't enough of a favor, here she is feeding and housing me on extremely short notice.
I'll take another moment to add that today was, from a logistic and atmospheric point of view, absolutely perfect. More on that later. But I'd go back to a game at Fenway in a heartbeat.
I've posted some photos from Saturday's Yankees game, with more to come later ... sorry for the brevity but your narrator is so tired. So, so tired.
Brief photo explanation: First photo is the iconic and historic Yankee Stadium. They're building a new one soon, so this was a good year to make a first visit there.
Second photo is me outside Yankee Stadium, to go in my collection of photos of me outside ballparks I've patronized. I have Dodgers and Giants photos from earlier this season, and of course a Nats photo somewhere. And then you have the road buddies, Shalar on the left and yours truly on the right. Shalar hates every photo ever taken of herself, mostly because she is delusional.
And finally we have an action shot from the Yankees game, right after Alex Rodriguez hit a homerun and drove in Bobby Abreu. Here are the happy dudes giving high-fives at home plate.
Scoreboard:
Harrisburg Senators 12, Altoona Curve 6 (MiLB)
Yankees 17, Tampa Bay 5
Boston Red Sox 8, Chicago White Sox 5
Moments of Panic; or, Why Keisha is the Most Awesome Librarian in the WORLD
1 comments Posted by Shalar at 10:39 PMFunny story. You're gonna laugh. This is Shalar. I'm not going to post much, I expect, because Kris is obviously a much better writer than I. But I will relate some interesting tidbits from our adventure getting to Yankee Stadium on Saturday. To catch up: Friday night we stayed in Jonestown, Pennsylvania. After oversleeping the free hot breakfast we got on the road to New York just fine. Went back and forth a bit about how to best make use of the always efficient and convenient public transportation system. At first we thought in order to save some time on the late night end, we would park in Connecticut where we were staying that night, take the Metro North and connect to the subway. Eventually we decided that wouldn't want to take the time that requires (NOT because we were running late! Oh no!) and settled on parking at a PATH station in Jersey City (mostly because that's the city we were in when we made the decision).
Here comes the funny part: about 9 blocks into our ride on the D train Kris looked up at me and asked, "Um, do you have the tickets?" Now, some of our dear readers may have been with me in the past when this very situation happened so you may not be surprised. Actually, I can only think of one instance of it happening to me (Guster in Chicago). And it happened at least once to Kris as well too (Nats at Cubs a year ago). I should mention that we can place no blame for this situation on any one person, we both just remembered everything we needed for the game except for this one teentsy detail. But even if you are much more organized than we are you can imagine the panic that grabbed us both. But don't worry! Kristina's middle name is Resourceful. Our tickets were the email type so we started thinking of places where we could go access mail and reprint them - library, coffee shop, copy place possibly. At that VERY MOMENT we were approaching the Bryant Park stop. Kris said, "This is the library stop." We hopped off and walked right up the stairs to the New York Public Freaking Library.
As I am a library geek, this place is like a temple to me, but it was closing in a half-hour so we needed to scoot and find some internet. After consulting the map we figured "General Research" might be a good place to start. We went up to the information desk and asked the nice young woman with the nametag that said "K Campbell" on it. Sure that this was a sign from the Higher Power, we related our predicament. Now, normally to access the internet in the NYPFL you have to sign up for a card, sign in, and pay for print. Turns out the "K" stands for "Keisha," and Keisha calmly said, "Hang on just a sec." She typed a bit on her keyboard then turned the monitor toward us, inviting us to do whatever world wide webbing and related printing we might require.
We reprinted the tickets, took a quick photo of the famous lions guarding the library, hopped back on the train and rode with not a bit of anxiety remaining to the famous 161st Street/Yankee Stadium stop.
I must apologize because I'm struggling a bit to remember many details from the game itself. I mean, it was more than 24 hours ago and we've been to a whole other game at Fenway since then but here are some thoughts:
1) Yankee Stadium is really an amazing piece of baseball history.
2) "Why is it called the World Series when it's always played in the Bronx?"-Anonymous. Yankee fans are very proud about the 26 championships thing. You see reference to it everywhere.
3) Shout out to the kid behind us who apparently must have worked really hard to shake up his bottle of Coke before opening it so that it could impressively spray pop all over the back of my white shirt.
4) It was awesome to see A-Rod knock out a homer.
5) Games are not so interesting when the home team blows out their opponent 17-5. It makes you want to leave in the 7th to beat the traffic.
6) I would recognize Rodriguez and Derek Jeter even if they were just in silhouette by the distinctive way each of them moves. Oh, Lordy.
7) Vegetarians are allowed to eat hot dogs only when they are in a historic stadium that opened in 1923.
8) When you have EZ Pass and you want to cross the George Washington Bridge in less than an hour, take the lower deck. Don't listen to Jason. Jason doesn't know you have EZ Pass (more about Jason at a later time).
SO, Day 2 is done! (Day 2 is the new Day 1). Next up, Boston's Fenway Park.
Here comes the funny part: about 9 blocks into our ride on the D train Kris looked up at me and asked, "Um, do you have the tickets?" Now, some of our dear readers may have been with me in the past when this very situation happened so you may not be surprised. Actually, I can only think of one instance of it happening to me (Guster in Chicago). And it happened at least once to Kris as well too (Nats at Cubs a year ago). I should mention that we can place no blame for this situation on any one person, we both just remembered everything we needed for the game except for this one teentsy detail. But even if you are much more organized than we are you can imagine the panic that grabbed us both. But don't worry! Kristina's middle name is Resourceful. Our tickets were the email type so we started thinking of places where we could go access mail and reprint them - library, coffee shop, copy place possibly. At that VERY MOMENT we were approaching the Bryant Park stop. Kris said, "This is the library stop." We hopped off and walked right up the stairs to the New York Public Freaking Library.
As I am a library geek, this place is like a temple to me, but it was closing in a half-hour so we needed to scoot and find some internet. After consulting the map we figured "General Research" might be a good place to start. We went up to the information desk and asked the nice young woman with the nametag that said "K Campbell" on it. Sure that this was a sign from the Higher Power, we related our predicament. Now, normally to access the internet in the NYPFL you have to sign up for a card, sign in, and pay for print. Turns out the "K" stands for "Keisha," and Keisha calmly said, "Hang on just a sec." She typed a bit on her keyboard then turned the monitor toward us, inviting us to do whatever world wide webbing and related printing we might require.
We reprinted the tickets, took a quick photo of the famous lions guarding the library, hopped back on the train and rode with not a bit of anxiety remaining to the famous 161st Street/Yankee Stadium stop.I must apologize because I'm struggling a bit to remember many details from the game itself. I mean, it was more than 24 hours ago and we've been to a whole other game at Fenway since then but here are some thoughts:
1) Yankee Stadium is really an amazing piece of baseball history.
2) "Why is it called the World Series when it's always played in the Bronx?"-Anonymous. Yankee fans are very proud about the 26 championships thing. You see reference to it everywhere.
3) Shout out to the kid behind us who apparently must have worked really hard to shake up his bottle of Coke before opening it so that it could impressively spray pop all over the back of my white shirt.
4) It was awesome to see A-Rod knock out a homer.
5) Games are not so interesting when the home team blows out their opponent 17-5. It makes you want to leave in the 7th to beat the traffic.
6) I would recognize Rodriguez and Derek Jeter even if they were just in silhouette by the distinctive way each of them moves. Oh, Lordy.
7) Vegetarians are allowed to eat hot dogs only when they are in a historic stadium that opened in 1923.
8) When you have EZ Pass and you want to cross the George Washington Bridge in less than an hour, take the lower deck. Don't listen to Jason. Jason doesn't know you have EZ Pass (more about Jason at a later time).
SO, Day 2 is done! (Day 2 is the new Day 1). Next up, Boston's Fenway Park.
... and ye DO know who ye are. Look, I'm posting! Here's the one-word summary of today's adventures: ugggggg. To everyone who thought Pittsburgh was too ambitious, it turns out that you were right, especially given a certain
lost luggage. By the time we were on the road, there was no real prospect of getting to the game before it ended. So we Plan B'd it, and it was, if I may say so myself, a pretty nice plan B. We went to Harrisburg because it was near the lodging I'd arranged for the night (wanting to cut Saturday's drive to Yankee Stadium) and we caught a few innings of a Harrisburg Senators game. They are the AA minor league Nationals affiliate, and you all know how I love me some Nationals. It was lots of fun, and I had a giant beer and bought a cap, and a good time was had by both. There were fireworks at the end of the game (which the pre-Nats won) -- they were cool! (Yes, I am rather easily amused.)That is, mark my words, the first, last and only game we'll miss due to lollygagging and poor planning. Everything else should fall into place nightly. Please, all, do some anti-rain dances and sacrifice a virgin to the traffic gods.
If there were an advice columnist who addressed problems faced by people on road trips with close friends, here's what I would ask:
Dear Travella,
I love my friend and road buddy Sholor (not her real name), and I wouldn't trade this vacation for anything in the world. But what can I do about our incompatibility on the important issue of what to watch on television when we're not at a baseball game? So far I've been appalled to learn that she would rather watch "America's Next Top Model" than something more intellectually fulfilling. What can I do to wrestle the remote from her so that I can make sure we are watching documentaries and other programs that will better us as citizens of this world?
Thanks for your help,
-Troubled Viewer
Tomorrow's plan: Get to Yankee Stadium well before the game starts. There are some other tasks to tend to, though, so efficiency will be key. Which means I'd better step away from the laptop and catch some zzz's. someone's work habits and a certain someone else's
Well, we're not gone just yet, but we're hours away from departure. When I say we, of course I mean this blog's creator, Kristina, and her esteemed and awesome high school pal Shalar. When I say gone, I mean on the road, logging some serious miles in the Civic Hybrid, hitting six major league baseball stadiums and enjoying five beachy days on Martha's Vineyard in the middle of the excursion.
Here's an overview of the agenda:
7/20: Houston Astros @ Pittsburgh Pirates
7/21: Tampa Bay Devil Rays @ New York Yankees
7/22: Chicago White Sox @ Boston Red Sox
7/23: Arrive in Martha's Vineyard
7/24: ____________________________ (insert leisure activity of choice here)
7/25: Krismas in July! Much festivating will occur!
7/26: Nurse hangovers from Krismas in July festivations.
7/27: WASHINGTON NATIONALS (go Nats!) @ New York Mets
7/28: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Philadelphia Phillies
7/29: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles
Then home! It should be an awesome adventure, and lucky lucky LUCKY you, you get to read about it all right here. Follow along as we find out if Kristina gets herself together in time to get on the road with ample travel time to Pittsburgh. Tune in while we see what exactly will be the tipping point to bring the harmonious camaraderie shared by our heroines crashing down. Will it be Kristina singing along with one too many Dar Williams songs? Will it be Shalar pouting when she doesn't get her way? There's really no way to predict. Also, what about the baseball? Who's going to win those games? (Place your wagers now.)
So many questions. Right now it's time for a piece of sleep so I'll be well rested for the first leg of THE NOR'EASTER.
Here's an overview of the agenda:
7/20: Houston Astros @ Pittsburgh Pirates
7/21: Tampa Bay Devil Rays @ New York Yankees
7/22: Chicago White Sox @ Boston Red Sox
7/23: Arrive in Martha's Vineyard
7/24: ____________________________ (insert leisure activity of choice here)
7/25: Krismas in July! Much festivating will occur!
7/26: Nurse hangovers from Krismas in July festivations.
7/27: WASHINGTON NATIONALS (go Nats!) @ New York Mets
7/28: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Philadelphia Phillies
7/29: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles
Then home! It should be an awesome adventure, and lucky lucky LUCKY you, you get to read about it all right here. Follow along as we find out if Kristina gets herself together in time to get on the road with ample travel time to Pittsburgh. Tune in while we see what exactly will be the tipping point to bring the harmonious camaraderie shared by our heroines crashing down. Will it be Kristina singing along with one too many Dar Williams songs? Will it be Shalar pouting when she doesn't get her way? There's really no way to predict. Also, what about the baseball? Who's going to win those games? (Place your wagers now.)
So many questions. Right now it's time for a piece of sleep so I'll be well rested for the first leg of THE NOR'EASTER.
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