The Salad Days

Ted Kennedy, August, 1971

"Hey Corrie, what's the capital of Minnesota?"

"M..."

I'll reveal who said it tomorrow, 8/28...

"While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized — the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old."

We have had a glorious summer in Minnesota. The temperature has not risen above 85 too much. I think we have had less than five days in the 90s. The sun is shining, yet it is not warm. These are pristine days to be enjoyed. After all, we go through a long and cold winter. However atmospheric winter may be, summer and fall offer a welcome respite, as we can enjoy the out of doors without the necessary layers of clothing. As I write, the weather posted on the Minneapolis/St/ Paul Star Tribune is 76 and mostly sunny. In a word, it is perfect. You would think that this would elate Minnesotans.

But for hearty midwestern folk, elation is not a word in any known vocabulary. Read this exchange I had yesterday while operating a cash register.:

Me: "Hello."

Him: ".........."

Me: "Certainly is great weather outside!"

Him: "Lousy"

Me : "?!?"

Him: "We need rain...we're 7 inches below normal..."

Me: "OK...Well...."

I had nothing. I am not exactly a man of few words, but I had no words for this man. Also, the local weatherman declared his bitterness over the lack of exciting weather this summer. Sunny today....sunny tomorrow...boring!

This is the same man who spent a good part of June declaring how concerned he was at the amount of severe weather we would have this summer due to climate change. It just goes to show that some people will never be happy. Last August, we had plenty of rain in August. In fact, we had so much that entire communities were destroyed in Southern Minnesota. In light of the alternatives, I'll take the brown grass and the calm skies. Last summer, we were awakened most nights by our daughter due to sever weather and thunder, while this summer's nights have been peaceful. I do not wish for hard times for our farmers who need rain, but can't we please enjoy this weather, since all we will hear in 5 months are the desperate cries for a return to July?

Hard to believe, but Wes is one today. Now that we are a year removed from the ordeal of his arrival, it seems strange to think we may not have any more children. He has been such a wonderful addition to our family. He is the mellowest of the three, and
he always seems to be the calm in the middle of the storm of his siblings. He is such a sweet little guy that it's hard to say good bye to him as an infant. But, that disappears when you see him climbing the stairs and becoming a little explorer.



We are so proud of him, and we can't wait what God has in store for our first native Minnesotan. L'chaim Tov! You betcha!

We had a great getaway in Chicago. We ate a lot, we stayed in way too nice hotels, and we enjoyed great weather.

Some of you may know that I went to Yankee Stadium a week and a half ago. That coupled with watching some highlights of the Dodgers defeating the San Francisco Giants last night reminded me of the three most beautiful sounds in baseball:

1) The sound of a crack of the bat.
2) A silent Yankee Stadium crowd.
3) And a silent San Francisco crowd watching the Dodgers pummel the Giants.

These are beautiful sounds indeed :)

I went to New York a week ago with my dad and his friend Jim to visit Yankee Stadium one last time. As I have written before on this blog, I have had a general disdain for New York in the past. I have always thought it to be an amazing city with too great of a picture of itself. This was mostly manifested to me by the exploits of the New York Yankees and their fans.

Well, I am here to say that both me and (I think) the city have changed since '99. On this visit, I found the place exhilarating. I love walking the streets at 2:30 AM and having them still be full of life. I love that sense you get in NY, SF and Chicago of a genuine world class city. Here, you can put aside you car and use transit and your feet to get around.

The trip made me want to go back with my wife (who as of yet has never been there). Here are some snapshots:

I started my time in NYC with a 12:30 AM pastrami on rye at the Carnegie Deli:




















We spent the next morning in Greenwich village and, then walked up to the Trader Joe's at Union Square. The view of the Chrysler building is from TJ's looking north































After visiting TJ's, we went back down to Little Italy for some pizza at the oldest pizzeria in America, Lombardi's



















Next,we made our way up to the Bronx to Yankee Stadium via subway, stopping off to see the cathedral of St. John the Divine in Upper Manhatten:































The next morning, I made my way up to the Upper West side, had breakfast, and stopped by the Museum of Biblical Art on Broadway. Then, I went through Columbus square and down Broadway past the Ed Sullivan Theater:
















All in all, a great trip, and I can't wait to go back someday with Steph.

I have a feeling that these words have been uttered in the Dodger club house many times lately. What I think is funny right now is the joy in the Dodger Stadium crowd that someone with a Dodger uniform on can actually hit. It is as if the Dodger fans have no idea what to do with a Dodger who can hit.

I am no Manny Ramirez fan, but he is not Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. He is a flake, and I am sure he will cause trouble at some point. But just once, it would be nice to see the Dodgers again be a threat again rather than an after thought. They used to be a powerhouse. They have won more NL pennants than any other team. With Manny on board, who knows, maybe that could happen again.