tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15581912653311573362024-03-17T07:23:38.020-05:00Baseball BywaysMelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-61540609853650352152023-07-09T01:59:00.101-05:002024-03-12T21:50:35.014-05:00Wehler Walks Off<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Byways Boys Grounded</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://x.com/DunedinBlueJays/status/1673043330840645632?s=20" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1703" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IYd881-O6VALL3JhU0jTukh6BlB7ss8yk_ChdXVhyPH6hQGZox1jna19Eu1Xn-syLTGaNkfApDpYtzBZjOVW0WjxfNOoe_VmrJntyTH-eJIiOWl51ou_vLzc6LaXvi9Op72uHytgp_gRdU8AmL_9V_R8Ogv3GDWbpyPSzyDPUuEWl8QdBPhbH7Ohd3I/w254-h400/Screenshot_20240310_180932_Chrome.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Walk-off wins hit different"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Our circuitous spring trip through the southeast ended with <a href="https://www.milb.com/player/jeffrey-wehler-694292">Jeff Wehler</a> hitting a walk-off home run. If you know what to look for, you can spot Melvin, Haldeman and me in the stands as the third baseman rounds the bases. Wehler's heroics came 16 days after <a href="https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2023/6/10/baseball-former-panther-jeffrey-wehler-signs-with-toronto-blue-jays-organization.aspx">the Blue Jays purchased his contract</a> from the independent Staten Island FerryHawks.</p><p>Post-game, Melvin, Haldeman and I headed to TPA where we learned that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/06/26/dca-dulles-ground-stop-faa/">air traffic up and down the East Coast was a mess</a>. My flight, scheduled to depart at 4:45, was delayed by over four hours. Haldeman didn't get home until 2:00 am on Monday morning. Oof! Let's go back to the beginning...<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I met Melvin in Washington DC, where he was attending some conference. (My notes say, "The most rewarding flavor in this man's world, for people who are having fun.") Melvin finagled a free evening and we watched the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/marlins-vs-nationals/2023/06/16/717749/final/box">Washington Nationals lose to the Miami Marlins, 5-6</a>, arriving in time for above-average pulled pork and four Blackhawk helicopters in formation. Two days later, we picked up Haldeman and we were on our way.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday, June 18</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0t-GRMpz8mSz-10zqYjsz3fjqSfDU5RmekuH-xeVqEW3pyFZNFNTj18GFm79HnXl1ile1ZnzKpvgOsOWTOoXAeJOgV_gEAcUDeTRrox3L8MbDU-bDYseehgm7jfiAY1264NPsQM9XhJczEiABFVlx4_VF6k1Z9HfWw0zXgtQhPZ0_pCbYi7qiNfo1dlY/s2228/20230618_134704.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2228" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0t-GRMpz8mSz-10zqYjsz3fjqSfDU5RmekuH-xeVqEW3pyFZNFNTj18GFm79HnXl1ile1ZnzKpvgOsOWTOoXAeJOgV_gEAcUDeTRrox3L8MbDU-bDYseehgm7jfiAY1264NPsQM9XhJczEiABFVlx4_VF6k1Z9HfWw0zXgtQhPZ0_pCbYi7qiNfo1dlY/w400-h300/20230618_134704.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cage worked in a variety of styles</td></tr></tbody></table><br />First stop, <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/76609">Bob Cage's "sculpture farm"</a><br />followed by a return visit to <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781627798624/soulcity">Soul City</a><br />then <a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2014/06/reminiscing-giant-ode-to-marilyn.html">"Reminiscing"</a>, where the bush is a bush.<br /><a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/knights-vs-bulls/2023/06/18/723725#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=723725">Durham 15, Charlotte 8</a>, with catcher <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hunt--001bla">Blake Hunt</a> hitting three of the Bulls' six home runs<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">dinner at <a href="https://tandooribites.net/mp_menu/">Tandoori Bites</a>, 4.3 stars on yelp</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday, June 19</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoVcNfKNbp2uVN9OMeQlcnOHhCutbhvR303jSN3s4U8rSlrhjy691PSP7r8g1KXsVXAdERtSI5KI6haavaZNpNs_Ifiy5tvHI-yeWg7Ss4tT2BDtFPWU46I1JxzzW7BRrYU34g3vPyI06cTAPJuNgxLe9S89DS9Nt8vYqRZSozBD7MP7ZowxzaovVhyphenhyphen0/s1330/20230619_093104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoVcNfKNbp2uVN9OMeQlcnOHhCutbhvR303jSN3s4U8rSlrhjy691PSP7r8g1KXsVXAdERtSI5KI6haavaZNpNs_Ifiy5tvHI-yeWg7Ss4tT2BDtFPWU46I1JxzzW7BRrYU34g3vPyI06cTAPJuNgxLe9S89DS9Nt8vYqRZSozBD7MP7ZowxzaovVhyphenhyphen0/w400-h400/20230619_093104.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bacon in the Sun" made to order! no duck but maple icing, chopped bacon, salted caramel drizzle</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Melvin had breakfast with his bud' Marvin so he missed <a href="https://www.duckdonuts.com/durham/">Duck Donuts</a><br /><a href="https://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu/between-the-lines/satellite-park-launches-at-the-duke-arts-annex/">Satellite Park</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">a low bridge, where sadly we didn't see <a href="http://11foot8.com">this</a><br /><a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2017/02/gene-dillards-fantasyland.html">Gene Dillard's Fantasyland</a><br /><a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2016/03/bronto-trail-brontosaurus-durham-nc.html">Bronto Trail Brontosaurus</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdyUGt76EJgczqQPQsgERtblMaHz2VimYTMydNG7ij1JH2b1pi7JZENWcLgrBXtSSJkOQI8NinRXVP4awsoBsCb1YmfKq04yTLYlY7jYxJ4IHbEShRq5oQp4kr0fIsdr_wG64sPDkdQqlIr-4tVvhb-HYSIZ5EpBpi-vR1DCwpFsK_ZNEu6caC71lur0/s3194/20230619_120115.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="3194" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdyUGt76EJgczqQPQsgERtblMaHz2VimYTMydNG7ij1JH2b1pi7JZENWcLgrBXtSSJkOQI8NinRXVP4awsoBsCb1YmfKq04yTLYlY7jYxJ4IHbEShRq5oQp4kr0fIsdr_wG64sPDkdQqlIr-4tVvhb-HYSIZ5EpBpi-vR1DCwpFsK_ZNEu6caC71lur0/w400-h225/20230619_120115.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">almost camouflaged</td></tr></tbody></table><br />excellent lunch at <a href="https://www.smokehouseatsteves.com/#home">Smokehouse at Steve's</a><br />former <a href="https://www.ncdcr.gov/explore/tripstravel-ideas/moonshine-and-motorsports-trail/moonshine-motorsports-trail-sites/occoneechee-speedway">Occoneechee Speedway</a>, where Haldeman was in his element</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQzSwXczJ2draMqqLe5vEmPtCCk2vIJjgpK2FFKymVd36BsV64Q-rBYo1NcOL1ke3G4-ZGR3BFWzzbRP4wx7ewRj8e5tMfkbKul_uinF3lErBoPtCpxJYT0EiIOZ7LplE3ejNFZXGvpF2dszsnbOHPOmcLwvWF_XsBR3pIflrr8h_hmwrceA48f2Ml3k/s3194/20230619_141741.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="3194" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQzSwXczJ2draMqqLe5vEmPtCCk2vIJjgpK2FFKymVd36BsV64Q-rBYo1NcOL1ke3G4-ZGR3BFWzzbRP4wx7ewRj8e5tMfkbKul_uinF3lErBoPtCpxJYT0EiIOZ7LplE3ejNFZXGvpF2dszsnbOHPOmcLwvWF_XsBR3pIflrr8h_hmwrceA48f2Ml3k/w400-h225/20230619_141741.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ol' Number 72</td></tr></tbody></table><br />even <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g49217-d6725405-Reviews-The_Shops_at_Daniel_Boone-Hillsborough_North_Carolina.html">Daniel Boone</a> has left Daniel Boone Village<br /><a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2019/07/harrison-mayes-prepare-to-meet-god-sign_12.html">Mebane "Prepare to Meet God" sign</a><br />large <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/19171">auto parts figure</a><br /><a href="https://luchaicecreamchurros.com">Lucha Libre ice cream and churros</a> instead of a proper dinner<br /><a href="https://www.joymongers.com">Joymongers</a>, where the beer is excellent and the trivia easy</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday, June 20</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bagneralexasbreakfast/">Bagner and Alexa's</a> for breakfast</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/charlotte-hawkins-brown-museum">Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pulp.town/memory-wall-is-sanfords-time-capsule/">Memory Wall of Mr. Imagination</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeydCxlqHegNWX7fn4nV3ri20R0l5peNsgIvrAyCn9HudXYX4Py8Uk9is3IDwYTdtWfyzMkg70farOrTUPgIL10rsfSXfB2eQ50axnT6eXXN5M5fFewMpaFeN1rfbFzNZOKdVBP1Mtn5z3BtHwfc7amoPwo3jAeCAXgxwUP0eXZb-DQIxCYmkdLj1qLAs/s4000/20230620_134500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeydCxlqHegNWX7fn4nV3ri20R0l5peNsgIvrAyCn9HudXYX4Py8Uk9is3IDwYTdtWfyzMkg70farOrTUPgIL10rsfSXfB2eQ50axnT6eXXN5M5fFewMpaFeN1rfbFzNZOKdVBP1Mtn5z3BtHwfc7amoPwo3jAeCAXgxwUP0eXZb-DQIxCYmkdLj1qLAs/w400-h180/20230620_134500.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memory Wall detail (Poh-nies!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2014/08/the-mickey-coffee-pot-winston-salem-nc.html">Mickey Coffee Pot</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><a href="https://www.rcrracing.com/rcr-museum/">Richard Childress Racing Museum</a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2019/06/the-mocksville-bigfoot-mocksville-nc.html"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinNt9btQM75ww90bRtnqPoXxtK1vf-ViDhAxgBHzcvBSXMEQ-cwhdCqXm2zu8o0TcWkPaXSfyYRwJo5DzreF0mmpEABYpV4A9EHqiAFaLWRn7LDVKdPwacVhVVgj529sYvmy29iGAS5dXJ9H_k5oz8iIex55MD-EVIYLG-TCqCvZTGKscBBtQP1laKfg/s3651/20230620_145937.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="3651" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinNt9btQM75ww90bRtnqPoXxtK1vf-ViDhAxgBHzcvBSXMEQ-cwhdCqXm2zu8o0TcWkPaXSfyYRwJo5DzreF0mmpEABYpV4A9EHqiAFaLWRn7LDVKdPwacVhVVgj529sYvmy29iGAS5dXJ9H_k5oz8iIex55MD-EVIYLG-TCqCvZTGKscBBtQP1laKfg/w400-h185/20230620_145937.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more than cars at RCR</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><a href="https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2019/06/the-mocksville-bigfoot-mocksville-nc.html">Mocksville Bigfoot</a> and friends</div><a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2020/02/28/hidden-cemetery-in-concord-explained">Misenheimer Family Cemetery</a> at the Carolina Mall</div><div style="text-align: left;">impromptu dinner at <a href="https://www.kingskitchen.org/copy-of-menus">The King's Kitchen</a><br /><a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/bats-vs-knights/2023/06/20/725468#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=725468">Charlotte 11, Louisville 5</a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday, June 21</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;">drive over the Great Smoky Mountains for a return visit to <a href="https://www.sweetpbbq.com/downtown-dive/">Sweet P's</a> barbecue</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.museumofappalachia.org/museum-exhibits/">Museum of Appalachia</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CrBlOntzN10TqchN_rWcDE6lQGN6LrRK5ngk5h3nDQL29W1ORNlMwTA1QZ85WB1oxae8vRlZlgG-WM6eoLY4Z-cQ17GN9APinfRAljQKIzezEDAPzXEX1owwO0N87sK3VHj_S2wdKTcRCufBXWaqylIj4AdCBSXHjXULze-hmUSR3LzjcZh4dutm31I/s1869/20230621_130942.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1389" data-original-width="1869" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CrBlOntzN10TqchN_rWcDE6lQGN6LrRK5ngk5h3nDQL29W1ORNlMwTA1QZ85WB1oxae8vRlZlgG-WM6eoLY4Z-cQ17GN9APinfRAljQKIzezEDAPzXEX1owwO0N87sK3VHj_S2wdKTcRCufBXWaqylIj4AdCBSXHjXULze-hmUSR3LzjcZh4dutm31I/w400-h297/20230621_130942.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like this photo but don't let it lead to you to thinking that the museum is boring</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.jackbrownsjoint.com/locations/germantown-nashville/">Jack Brown's</a> for dinner with <a href="https://www.belmont.edu/profiles/peter-kuryla/">Pete Kuryla</a><br />with <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theumpirechannel/video/7255011992883170602">Jen Pawol</a> behind the mound, <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/tides-vs-sounds/2023/06/21/723220#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=723220">Nashville 3, Norfolk 8</a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday, June 22</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;">leisurely <a href="https://www.silversandsnashville.com/breakfastmenu">breakfast at Silver Sands</a><br /><a href="tomb of James Polk">tomb of James Polk</a> <i>et ux</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/XcvAA7zC4iZESeMw8">drive by Ryman Alley</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">although staff at the <a href="https://www.mtpleasantmuseum.com">Mt. Pleasant Museum of Local History</a> promised to "be back soon," they weren't<br /><a href="https://www.tva.com/energy/our-power-system/hydroelectric/wilson">TVA Wilson Dam</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">tour of <a href="https://muscleshoalssoundstudio.org/pages/history">Muscle Shoals Sound Studio</a>, which was "schtunning"<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqzQxjIaNGuxZaY7WSmKOmo_kFqrTCNsGsJwnlZ6WjcYoJzWrHBnLrC7ZjSpjk_7xo_G3JdHF3BDP9s-8aHb8kM8oCexlOZDV1-i3rxIggxQ3h4sQtMCX_7TL7p0CMIr0Xe8SvKsQ9QuO3B9GYSCu5yIJcQkiHxsuJTYAqbLyXFbSL2VzjWQrvYi0csk/s4000/20230622_140854.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqzQxjIaNGuxZaY7WSmKOmo_kFqrTCNsGsJwnlZ6WjcYoJzWrHBnLrC7ZjSpjk_7xo_G3JdHF3BDP9s-8aHb8kM8oCexlOZDV1-i3rxIggxQ3h4sQtMCX_7TL7p0CMIr0Xe8SvKsQ9QuO3B9GYSCu5yIJcQkiHxsuJTYAqbLyXFbSL2VzjWQrvYi0csk/w400-h180/20230622_140854.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we had to chose between the <a href="https://www.wrightinalabama.com">Rosenbaum House</a> and Muscle Shoals</td></tr></tbody></table><br />uninspired lunch at the <a href="https://www.rattlesnakesaloon.net/s">Rattlesnake Saloon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/biscuits-vs-trash-pandas/2023/06/22/725049#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=725049">Rocket City 2, Montgomery 3</a>, Game 2 of a doubleheader</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/biscuits-vs-trash-pandas/2023/06/22/725049#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=725049"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJDtYBGURO43S4o69cwefJ8hcz9GXKJiTwLqcxRV8xgWCvFyrNofKJcQx2BC_eVbl8m0jmoBomzjPz5JojR5ejGTmULnzeTIq0JMpFJ-L1bg8tkdTG_HVjxsqK6r60utAIwFJ5DBmh3ldAbRTcsX03QIKd3zkYJ2UukmY5Ie7TQC2oP0pWlB3jRYCUtg/s1133/20240311_220525.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="1132" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJDtYBGURO43S4o69cwefJ8hcz9GXKJiTwLqcxRV8xgWCvFyrNofKJcQx2BC_eVbl8m0jmoBomzjPz5JojR5ejGTmULnzeTIq0JMpFJ-L1bg8tkdTG_HVjxsqK6r60utAIwFJ5DBmh3ldAbRTcsX03QIKd3zkYJ2UukmY5Ie7TQC2oP0pWlB3jRYCUtg/w400-h400/20240311_220525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buzz and Neil in the ballpark "astronaut race"</td></tr></tbody></table></a><br />post-game supper at <a href="https://oldblackbear.com">Old Black Bear</a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday, June 23</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;">breakfast at the awkwardly named <a href="https://thebakingtist.com">Bakingtist Bakery & Cafe</a>, a portmanteau of baking and scientist</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10621868/miss-baker">grave of Miss Baker</a> <i>et ux</i><br /><a href="https://www.avemariagrotto.com/about.html">Ave Maria Grotto</a>, a return visit for Melvin and me</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7L9ZP8kOEBxvw5CzeIHQRrOzo6fHRs35YiTM1MgLjfnlGTGpHqbwNCC72WmXf5Evqy-hpbrO-P3kMqOCp8VgTyhE629Jpf6_K2ZR9cetcu_1FiZeSPth_rC-kIez8Aqo6e-s6aI6oAngJ0VnK__A2KjXAJomwiJpFwzxgsJIwCtHpvm9pYxvltk659o/s1297/20240311_220830.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="965" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7L9ZP8kOEBxvw5CzeIHQRrOzo6fHRs35YiTM1MgLjfnlGTGpHqbwNCC72WmXf5Evqy-hpbrO-P3kMqOCp8VgTyhE629Jpf6_K2ZR9cetcu_1FiZeSPth_rC-kIez8Aqo6e-s6aI6oAngJ0VnK__A2KjXAJomwiJpFwzxgsJIwCtHpvm9pYxvltk659o/w298-h400/20240311_220830.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother Joseph, the creator of the Ave Maria Grotto</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.millersofficefurniture.com/history">"World's Largest Office Chair"</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/lots/FtMcClellanEPW.asp">Fort McClellan EPW Cemetery</a>, where a minivan with government plates and tinted windows arrived shortly after we did and no one got out of the vehicle<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66n6m6CtXP_nBprR5foQcccSoSzW-I3OJW3KNKnJEMm-x3iZbrl1ieuhypXuM09QNAWxbrBpHW6p3qRNNB9QL2GEPKxPCxIaSgtehmgNBmNw2g479MUjAgHleTIyoipwwT-wlla7bDeITNesjBK1zfzOz8eKVpG5YJjW7RdR1meUBxpDejqmgNMyWrwU/s3216/20230623_124838.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="3216" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66n6m6CtXP_nBprR5foQcccSoSzW-I3OJW3KNKnJEMm-x3iZbrl1ieuhypXuM09QNAWxbrBpHW6p3qRNNB9QL2GEPKxPCxIaSgtehmgNBmNw2g479MUjAgHleTIyoipwwT-wlla7bDeITNesjBK1zfzOz8eKVpG5YJjW7RdR1meUBxpDejqmgNMyWrwU/w400-h179/20230623_124838.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the only military cemetery in the United States that contains only graves of enemy combatants</td></tr></tbody></table><br />outstanding dinner at <a href="https://northernchinaeatery.com">Northern China Eatery</a><br /><a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/jumbo-shrimp-vs-stripers/2023/06/23/723648#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=723648">Gwinnett 5, Jacksonville 4</a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday, June 24</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;">Guatemalan for breakfast at <a href="https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/norcross-ga/food-drink/xela-pan">Xela Pan</a><br /><a href="https://www.atlantawhitehouse.com/#about">three-quarter scale White House</a><br /><a href="http://www.clarkashton.org/mechanicalriverfrontkingdom.htm">Mechanical Riverfront Kingdom</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pasaquan.columbusstate.edu">Pasaquan</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJZjw2x0NrcXta3t1Iaq3v7WaU7yE33YknlZ31wTVls5cDU-lE3RJeUjkvsu66Dea2YqscLeb9yBa8EKXdlWGNgXNgbWMd_nnZZA65a2oUdJZ4wOM-xl2sg6BM04LI7pa7uCqx1fqbZY2REjgsPfTxnDLL6cM-004BPpqMKILdpQSQIO6_5V0jr7qVaQ/s4000/20230624_134300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJZjw2x0NrcXta3t1Iaq3v7WaU7yE33YknlZ31wTVls5cDU-lE3RJeUjkvsu66Dea2YqscLeb9yBa8EKXdlWGNgXNgbWMd_nnZZA65a2oUdJZ4wOM-xl2sg6BM04LI7pa7uCqx1fqbZY2REjgsPfTxnDLL6cM-004BPpqMKILdpQSQIO6_5V0jr7qVaQ/w400-h180/20230624_134300.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pasaquan was a highlight of the trip</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.nps.gov/ocmu/index.htm">Ocmulgee Mounds NHP<br /></a>underwhelming dinner at <a href="https://www.freshairbarbecue.com/history.cms">Fresh Air Bar-B-Que</a><br /><a href="http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=594643">Macon 10, Boone 0</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">long drive to Lake City, Florida</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday, June 24</span></b></p><div>After an almost-quick stop at <a href="https://www.ellianos.com/locations/lake-city-fl-hwy-90/">Elianos Coffee</a>, we hightailed it south. We arrived in time to check out the <a href="https://mosaichouseofdunedin.com/">Mosaic House of Dunedin</a> before seeing the <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/threshers-vs-blue-jays/2023/06/25/730119#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=730119">Blue Jays beat the Threshers, 3-2</a>, on the aforementioned dinger. Our tortured flights home notwithstanding, this was an excellent tour.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-B-dQqk1jKCAwDEIOqwo5gTjoX-lK3TEesm9oKfkO370BK2VBSywBQQB98-TQvEmuSKj3fM9bPTqD9pAOEEUYEkDEe4Uj1tjZGFUXpJytjbYOORaniMLyXsOYe0t49slZJp3TN7mqK7pZdu5vRD_xe_dLw553v4AHUj6jA0LfdnbEQ776zemNh3en8c/s939/20230625_175838.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="811" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-B-dQqk1jKCAwDEIOqwo5gTjoX-lK3TEesm9oKfkO370BK2VBSywBQQB98-TQvEmuSKj3fM9bPTqD9pAOEEUYEkDEe4Uj1tjZGFUXpJytjbYOORaniMLyXsOYe0t49slZJp3TN7mqK7pZdu5vRD_xe_dLw553v4AHUj6jA0LfdnbEQ776zemNh3en8c/w345-h400/20230625_175838.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it would get worse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-25724693688664563842023-05-31T12:06:00.002-05:002023-06-01T07:42:15.947-05:00It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B-cDoHnuueTwa5pdDP4zUSkZ8MDFM2kFuL-UzRwRVhJdfysHWlYMIwtVKXVl7qmDdlCUIL2SzRDpjmPczvFHrYU6jYIiXrCNtFBuQ4xuBT1iWWZ3M62eVyqPHHN81-wbMJ51Ig9PimAL7Qc-I5JHvYZbOQVrsyWxc7ybS8SIIrRIDA5SLLlOvubL/s4032/IMG_4826.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B-cDoHnuueTwa5pdDP4zUSkZ8MDFM2kFuL-UzRwRVhJdfysHWlYMIwtVKXVl7qmDdlCUIL2SzRDpjmPczvFHrYU6jYIiXrCNtFBuQ4xuBT1iWWZ3M62eVyqPHHN81-wbMJ51Ig9PimAL7Qc-I5JHvYZbOQVrsyWxc7ybS8SIIrRIDA5SLLlOvubL/w400-h300/IMG_4826.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />We've been told a few things over the years: "You were speeding" (Texas; I was); "There may be nudity" (Oregon; there was); "Hey! No photographs!" (Massachusetts; OK, fine). But this was the first time, I think, that we've been pressured to leave a public place. That place was Fuller Field, in Clinton, Massachusetts, on the back end of our recent <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2023/05/patriotic-so-to-speak.html" target="_blank">Patriots Day Weekend trip</a>.</span><div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt a little bad for the young and doughy camp counselor who asked us to leave. He seemed genuinely pained, confused, and maybe even a little scared. He was wrangling a cluster of, I don't know, maybe twenty little kids, and <span>I get that the sight of a couple retirement-age dudes emerging from a dirty old </span><span>sports car to wander around nearby wouldn't necessarily fill him with joy.<span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>But we were there to see what has been billed as the oldest ballpark in continuous use. And not only is it in a public park, but the town of Clinton itself trumpets </span><span>its place in history on the <a href="https://www.clintonrec.com/?page_id=15912" target="_blank">park website</a>. There's a nice big sign on the road next to the field, too, pointing out the historic attraction</span><span>—a veritable beacon to baseball tourists like ourselves!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>I'm actually not clear on whether this was a private camp that was renting public space or whether it was a <a href="https://www.clintonrec.com/?page_id=16785" target="_blank">town program</a>. Either way, the </span><span>problem is, public space is public space. </span>To quote from the Town of Clinton's Parks and Open Spaces Rental Agreement (emphasis added): "All parks are open to the public <b>so the facility will not be closed during your event,</b> however with the rental
agreement from the department you will have the ability to exclusive use of the facility/space designated for your
rental and may kindly ask the public to vacate the space during your rental time."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">And ask our interlocutor did—well, not so much ask as implore: "Please leave," he said. After I asked, "Isn't this a public place?" he replied, "No. We have this reserved." Beyond being untrue—and a very odd thing for a public employee to say, if he was one—this was also unnecessary. <span>The little kids were all clustered together in a small area near some bleachers. (N</span><span>otably, they were perched mere feet from that sign proclaiming the field's place in history.) </span><span>They weren't even using 95% of the field, so there was plenty of room for us to snap a couple photos in peace. Alas, it was not to be in today's America, where we assume the worst of strangers and, out of fear, assert rights we don't have. Frankly, we're lucky the dude wasn't armed. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We did visit some other places where we were at least not not-welcome: among them, the land closest to Busta Rhymes Island, the Wachusett Dam (shown at the top), and the <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12707" target="_blank">Ruins of Bongoland</a> — sorry, the Ruins of <a href="https://connecticuthistory.org/waterburys-holy-land/" target="_blank">Holy Land USA</a>, overlooking Waterbury, Connecticut.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwkmm8M3wxII4teC22r7_772WHmy3hHTa1iv-Oj58pVN6e1NKugQIFE2ycFf0tf_wSPXvJwBwGA8Z5bPpfGFi1uEZEdMkA1n6RTcv6Po_gwXirljOFIrJ5aq3Z2wGIi8BAKEJNXWuO134qgaOhGVZK4R6ybBtN7JI9E0ieDJT4lewigYAdSDZs0tT/s4032/IMG_4841.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwkmm8M3wxII4teC22r7_772WHmy3hHTa1iv-Oj58pVN6e1NKugQIFE2ycFf0tf_wSPXvJwBwGA8Z5bPpfGFi1uEZEdMkA1n6RTcv6Po_gwXirljOFIrJ5aq3Z2wGIi8BAKEJNXWuO134qgaOhGVZK4R6ybBtN7JI9E0ieDJT4lewigYAdSDZs0tT/s320/IMG_4841.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We eventually made it to Somerset, New Jersey, for a double-A game. It was cold as hell, so we gave up after seven innings, with the hometown Patriots down 7–4. In the event, they scored 13 runs after that and won, 17–9. Obviously, they had just been waiting for us to leave.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-52051774418589330602023-05-01T01:59:00.002-05:002023-05-26T11:41:52.847-05:00Patriotic (so to speak)<p>Melvin, Watson, Bragdon and I attended the <a href="https://www.boston.com/culture/boston-marathon/2023/04/16/how-patriots-day-became-holiday-massachusetts-battle-lexington-concord-boston-marathon-red-sox/">Patriots Day</a> game at Fenway, the middle game of the three that comprised the first tour of 2023.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrAgrb9QqUFmhAtxe5EDgz6FMJZxS5aUXffNdcLzDUyy2Y7gNhDM8jvcvi6Op2OUn7vJvy7CDxxOS5QjQhqeXwdFIVAwAJFZpdhqmeLLMKvABmVlMrtL8r2QfA4iYZuiD7e-yHdQ06i4IOQZocK_V39OMlPOp_xISOvs1-Sn-f_CNjZ-3_yJyZ4_w/s2084/20230417_120000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="2084" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrAgrb9QqUFmhAtxe5EDgz6FMJZxS5aUXffNdcLzDUyy2Y7gNhDM8jvcvi6Op2OUn7vJvy7CDxxOS5QjQhqeXwdFIVAwAJFZpdhqmeLLMKvABmVlMrtL8r2QfA4iYZuiD7e-yHdQ06i4IOQZocK_V39OMlPOp_xISOvs1-Sn-f_CNjZ-3_yJyZ4_w/w400-h300/20230417_120000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Our day-trip to Boston was bracketed by minor league games in Worcester MA and Bridgewater NJ, the latter being the home of the Somerset –– wait for it! –– Patriots.<span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p>Bragdon and I drove to Worcester from Metropolitan New York, stopping at the <a href="https://ancientburyingground.com">Ancient Burying Ground</a> in Hartford, where a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of his is buried.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEzOd-fpzk848iJJS0HZJ1dMQvg2vl4U81dEB5y8IBLza5zcSdH3855BAAidOgwoWOYPwH-0s92__UY208WFkGp4Va0KnRVfD4m_qkS75ul9fXibxSVV611cTWBJMNRUQ2ucUn3ts2cA7fJGY6322D-FnzcdyQ3Wj1RDO6QevxBU-ScSUQIwnuy6A/s4000/20230416_100405.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEzOd-fpzk848iJJS0HZJ1dMQvg2vl4U81dEB5y8IBLza5zcSdH3855BAAidOgwoWOYPwH-0s92__UY208WFkGp4Va0KnRVfD4m_qkS75ul9fXibxSVV611cTWBJMNRUQ2ucUn3ts2cA7fJGY6322D-FnzcdyQ3Wj1RDO6QevxBU-ScSUQIwnuy6A/w400-h180/20230416_100405.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford</td></tr></tbody></table><br />If a culture ends up becoming dominant, colonial can become a cousin of patriotic, but lets sidestep the problematic aspects of this ... I am justing mining a semantic theme.<p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTe8rZtK2zfhSMZvXFc2kce45gocTIcEBCb0r7fAW7PPzJQak_jyuv8pJukpDQ-S-bTlS86Q8RJrTPRmecVuyX_DJb0Dxw1Ngnl1fmTtVK5OSviLVerpkJY8CvqTMfyLH2MFxnd3GLO-IUWHglorqf0_mljs-SjnOM3C4VA4P7LjSUvxWh-7a54wD/s611/20230526_102343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="611" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTe8rZtK2zfhSMZvXFc2kce45gocTIcEBCb0r7fAW7PPzJQak_jyuv8pJukpDQ-S-bTlS86Q8RJrTPRmecVuyX_DJb0Dxw1Ngnl1fmTtVK5OSviLVerpkJY8CvqTMfyLH2MFxnd3GLO-IUWHglorqf0_mljs-SjnOM3C4VA4P7LjSUvxWh-7a54wD/w400-h400/20230526_102343.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hibernians</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Bragdon and I got to Worcester early and before heading to Polar Park, we saw Hibernians observing the 107th anniversary of the <a href="https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/easter-rising">Easter Rising</a> –– more patriots! (if you're an Irish Republican) –– as well as <a href="https://www.worcestermag.com/story/opinion/2021/06/10/worcesteria-nothing-gets-worcester-fired-up-like-turtleboy/7643520002/">Turtle Boy</a> and a <a href="http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/statue.shtml">monument</a> honoring Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor, also known as the "Worcester Whirlwind," the first Black international sports superstar.</p><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAkCN86NRJjM-622pQtrgz-09sTXbeeLdr0MMIQGLh3Al-WXtJ7AskRDxA3LNVtDd7Do6REDZmrEzxsXkJqH0Ej1tKLLI3H-1rQr1guB-60XyghZ65L2-E4L3LbkqBKMJEpM-0V049TDTU72-gA9l_CvbsbvzJ2eLUCu8wegMsHADs5sRAVOAxflA/s4000/20230416_123216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAkCN86NRJjM-622pQtrgz-09sTXbeeLdr0MMIQGLh3Al-WXtJ7AskRDxA3LNVtDd7Do6REDZmrEzxsXkJqH0Ej1tKLLI3H-1rQr1guB-60XyghZ65L2-E4L3LbkqBKMJEpM-0V049TDTU72-gA9l_CvbsbvzJ2eLUCu8wegMsHADs5sRAVOAxflA/w400-h180/20230416_123216.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Major" Taylor monument (detail)</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The two of us met Melvin and Watson at the stadium, along with their friends Ellen and <a href="https://calebbrown.art/About">Caleb Brown</a>. We enjoyed ourselves; the Worcester Red Sox, not so much. The Columbus Clippers beat up on the WooSox, <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/clippers-vs-red-sox/2023/04/16/722651#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=722651">10-1</a>, winning their fifth game of the week and outscoring the home team, 59-17 for the six-game series.</p><p>The Browns went home and the core-four ate dinner at <a href="https://armsbyabbey.com">Armsby Abbey</a>, then retired. By the time we were on the <a href="https://www.mbta.com/schedules/CR-Worcester/timetable">MBTA commuter rail</a> in the morning, it was already raining. Watson and Bragdon stowed their luggage in a locker outside Fenway and we settled into the <a href="https://www.lansdownepubboston.com">Lansdowne Pub</a> for an early lunch.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zvSaG8okn18EfsM8Z-jZVe0bChxzzdqT7P6hY-b-kBhJZV_qq8t7I9opdXoW3VUoxnY4DDW3VypD76ttyzUxCIhAnjQdpScchu9PS5bzli6-YpDpyhvXlZXGPuR2SV6OUSLQ9uJ59CF_WPrz1arbrzIH7waY2XKvne9IX-HS_H5KcbAE2qlwBHe5/s2514/20230417_111700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2514" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zvSaG8okn18EfsM8Z-jZVe0bChxzzdqT7P6hY-b-kBhJZV_qq8t7I9opdXoW3VUoxnY4DDW3VypD76ttyzUxCIhAnjQdpScchu9PS5bzli6-YpDpyhvXlZXGPuR2SV6OUSLQ9uJ59CF_WPrz1arbrzIH7waY2XKvne9IX-HS_H5KcbAE2qlwBHe5/w400-h233/20230417_111700.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these bobbleheads are displayed on vibrating platforms so...</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Start of game was delayed, so we whiled away the time touring the oldest stadium in major league baseball. An hour later, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml">Shohei Ohtani</a> took the mound, pitched a couple of innings, and was replaced by the tarp. Bragdon left for North Station; Watson checked the status of her repeatedly delay flight; we all exercised patience.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAit8Ck-t6617PYra3rIGtibVCxaI5lRBQiNXgV3RBoVzpGfghoNUgg8XLWBcn7QrS9zRTDNbjN-oM77qyCzznuopI-p2J9ZZ6JkLQVQ8sbNUKS6ow_kRx__GkfTot70nPYGZiPwhkKK8r8G_hoW0HEhFDMBED_sINxgRGcu9Qy2q2uvUlok6NEUh/s4000/20230417_134057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAit8Ck-t6617PYra3rIGtibVCxaI5lRBQiNXgV3RBoVzpGfghoNUgg8XLWBcn7QrS9zRTDNbjN-oM77qyCzznuopI-p2J9ZZ6JkLQVQ8sbNUKS6ow_kRx__GkfTot70nPYGZiPwhkKK8r8G_hoW0HEhFDMBED_sINxgRGcu9Qy2q2uvUlok6NEUh/w400-h180/20230417_134057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shortly before the resumption of play</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The Angels had taken a four-run lead before the second rain delay. Afterwards, the Sox would score three but ultimately <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/angels-vs-red-sox/2023/04/17/718540/final/box">fall short, 5-4</a>. (Time of play, 3:03; rain delays, 2:26) We weaved our way through the <a href="https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon">Boston Marathon</a> crowds, bidding Watson adieu at South Station. Melvin and I looked at this and that in the North End, had supper at the <a href="https://thebellinhand.com">Bell in Hand</a>, and returned to Worcester.</p><p>After breakfast at the landmark, 1936 <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=boulevard+diner+worcester&tbm=isch&source=univ&fir=dntel6237TNpaM%252C2JvvAuVx6A475M%252C_%253BNcI9HQKfg9SIlM%252CkBi48YW0YgrOVM%252C_%253B8bN-y89dBPhF3M%252CPIiC0DBrvp4xrM%252C_%253BfCZgurCuCmKnUM%252CqbpRH3edO7u1gM%252C_%253Bg_t-2zA7JTrpIM%252CM2Oc_qz8RT5HXM%252C_%253B_STmPfF8R9isvM%252CpqIO9ni8OCzpxM%252C_%253BuPKFyYyi_PNMaM%252CPIiC0DBrvp4xrM%252C_%253BoV6YpNkw0WcwrM%252CX54uOgm7VjovJM%252C_%253BU4Grp6BhJld_EM%252CDf4FDd65wEgXAM%252C_%253BIez3bfXEMeQToM%252CfJj_Aazp9VDbIM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kSpg6zN200Yvr1B6AVQn0T9VRUwaQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFtc__qJP_AhVetIkEHfWuDJEQjJkEegQIFhAC&biw=1217&bih=720&dpr=2">Boulevard Diner</a> –– <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_Lunch_Car_Company">Worcester Lunch Car</a> #730 –– Melvin and I toured some more, finally ending up at the semi-restored <a href="https://www.holylandwaterbury.org">Holyland</a>, in Waterbury CT.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs57cNiDJgN5E6FgmOx8D7zHuBiLdeO-nG9wK27fhKqj4hQSafdylCGzSEAEt_P6WKfl00mKCtvUJqZ9_ppFqOXPFT0O0IwwYokDLkOxGH2kvGhSrvupOKQy8eap07W92CKXZYn2aC4TNGINNBirfnAIAFQsCMRwtckKREsfiUiWus_KaIkn6bTtGV/s3531/20230418_143556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="3531" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs57cNiDJgN5E6FgmOx8D7zHuBiLdeO-nG9wK27fhKqj4hQSafdylCGzSEAEt_P6WKfl00mKCtvUJqZ9_ppFqOXPFT0O0IwwYokDLkOxGH2kvGhSrvupOKQy8eap07W92CKXZYn2aC4TNGINNBirfnAIAFQsCMRwtckKREsfiUiWus_KaIkn6bTtGV/w400-h180/20230418_143556.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">perhaps the right balance of restoration and ruin</td></tr></tbody></table><br />From there we dashed to Bridgewater to see the Patriots host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Cats dominated early but <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/fisher-cats-vs-patriots/2023/04/18/723957#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=723957">the Pats came back</a> to win, 17-9. Unfortunately, we didn't see the home team score five in the seventh and eight in the following frame. The game time temperature was 53º, with a brisk 13 mph breeze, and we had decamped at the stretch.</p><p>Next stop: Charlotte Knights at Durham Bulls with Haldeman!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-66986319855482641122022-09-13T13:34:00.003-05:002022-09-13T13:43:22.021-05:00Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here<p>Or many of them, anyway, when Melvin and I toured the Upper Midwest in late-August, early-September.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplI8Cj7FN_GwdI57UmYwa5RBXzPt5wl90TyPcrfWV3wlOigMXUcprnPxl_Bnk0ZTT_DT5Ecev6_wKdBh8wvKnABPzAjm1Pe0gsHT2YtA8siZIQP7ZBLfovY6s_jvkL0hreNJ4DFZgUxUW3LPICKYPInjZxiAAa66RntT4xHO9arIIin7H_mEbVwm5/s4000/20220830_143801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplI8Cj7FN_GwdI57UmYwa5RBXzPt5wl90TyPcrfWV3wlOigMXUcprnPxl_Bnk0ZTT_DT5Ecev6_wKdBh8wvKnABPzAjm1Pe0gsHT2YtA8siZIQP7ZBLfovY6s_jvkL0hreNJ4DFZgUxUW3LPICKYPInjZxiAAa66RntT4xHO9arIIin7H_mEbVwm5/w400-h180/20220830_143801.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haldeman, behind the wheel, and Melvin</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Watson was along on the first and last days, and Red joined us for <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/red-sox-vs-twins/2022/08/30/661648#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=661648">a Twins game</a>. Haldeman, who made cameo appearances in 2017 and 2019, went the distance this year.<div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span></span><h3 style="text-align: center;">Highlights</h3><div style="text-align: center;">(in chronological order)</div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeepRiverGrindersBaseBall/">Deep River Grinders</a> vs. the Vermillion Voles, playing according to the rules in place in 1858.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8fVLapHpv_g_LJ79aX6Pub7zJXm_I5WRvgeL0Lpm-RGgRNsFyOpP3eUwO-p8k6xulaDk1rl4tCEnVJEIuC-YOsAjYGf0H4ak6WdXdhRHCAvg8i2i29eyRvAnKZl6f3AKH6_Aa0yeOecMFviEG7PdbP-OAjNTD0UkBtzmueTUjEaGlo9R07VJ-Bit/s1068/20220828_144757.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8fVLapHpv_g_LJ79aX6Pub7zJXm_I5WRvgeL0Lpm-RGgRNsFyOpP3eUwO-p8k6xulaDk1rl4tCEnVJEIuC-YOsAjYGf0H4ak6WdXdhRHCAvg8i2i29eyRvAnKZl6f3AKH6_Aa0yeOecMFviEG7PdbP-OAjNTD0UkBtzmueTUjEaGlo9R07VJ-Bit/w399-h400/20220828_144757.jpg" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Leg it, sir."</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Despite the threat of torrential rain, we ate Chicago dogs, fries, milkshakes and malts at <a href="https://superdawg.com">Superdawg</a>. A drive-in with carhops, we dined al fresco during a break in the weather.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialWTyjxa-xW9rQnr1bEVHRBm_ew8a4YNKddzaxQ-PnmJ0hEprhZfhTsJMdFzeqq27TbZp1DQz-XVXNZ7gTH2LSFu_HTMaz5E_wf5orIcPSSS0cFo-zslnwoPHToZtO_FMIwW4Kx37KejD5fuUEWPa7lYZHMb5YaSyvHMqWvMMEGOD_D65M1ROKWqk/s2398/20220829_161507.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2398" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialWTyjxa-xW9rQnr1bEVHRBm_ew8a4YNKddzaxQ-PnmJ0hEprhZfhTsJMdFzeqq27TbZp1DQz-XVXNZ7gTH2LSFu_HTMaz5E_wf5orIcPSSS0cFo-zslnwoPHToZtO_FMIwW4Kx37KejD5fuUEWPa7lYZHMb5YaSyvHMqWvMMEGOD_D65M1ROKWqk/w400-h300/20220829_161507.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">left to right on the roof, Flaurie and Maria</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Serendipitously, we were in St. Paul at the same time as the <a href="https://www.mnstatefair.org">Minnesota State Fair</a>. Cheese Curds! Butter carving! <a href="https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/about_us.html">Kenny!</a> Not so tricky dog tricks! Stories from outer space!</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zf8NYPGXwk-MpIwSvnaPVTsQWcLNodgOWY4i6cC46fnOk43ZoIXWU7OcNRJ8m-W01mNU1wiKjr-oxekk2jiS1DbhsPOZ7lmLJQXDKXMB_oEN4W2Q4RIolA5RE773OYZZajrkrPr0m3IimrlRaXXEuvu-uHcPwL-gU3R8QK6oPTYgfzzcsKRpA7Pe/s4000/20220831_151238.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zf8NYPGXwk-MpIwSvnaPVTsQWcLNodgOWY4i6cC46fnOk43ZoIXWU7OcNRJ8m-W01mNU1wiKjr-oxekk2jiS1DbhsPOZ7lmLJQXDKXMB_oEN4W2Q4RIolA5RE773OYZZajrkrPr0m3IimrlRaXXEuvu-uHcPwL-gU3R8QK6oPTYgfzzcsKRpA7Pe/w400-h180/20220831_151238.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">award-winning processed meats</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://waldmannbrewery.com/the-beer-2/">Waldmann Brewery</a>, even if the <a href="https://www.thebump.com/b/mckenzie-baby-name">"fair and handsome one"</a> brought the wrong beer when I ordered a second round.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt4TPuofxmUqS5NuwgMVO9CJsWPvJJttK-7g6VvxgDTF4jW7uVd3hiAWjfHjVp6rJZgRQXOUZdexI2lKqz3ih9iaP7kQbwP4GlKFifKWtrSAFqo64C0DotzbqZb_yxj_Jt-Am5l94aieU2qqD5oiSPc8v4B0r6QArxiSH5j8NT_edAeXkPudcjxHu/s4000/20220831_170036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt4TPuofxmUqS5NuwgMVO9CJsWPvJJttK-7g6VvxgDTF4jW7uVd3hiAWjfHjVp6rJZgRQXOUZdexI2lKqz3ih9iaP7kQbwP4GlKFifKWtrSAFqo64C0DotzbqZb_yxj_Jt-Am5l94aieU2qqD5oiSPc8v4B0r6QArxiSH5j8NT_edAeXkPudcjxHu/w400-h180/20220831_170036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">but, oh man! the Berliner Weisse!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The White Sox walked off the Twins ... <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-top-twins-with-walk-off-in-the-ninth?game_pk=661439">twice</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWaHx0SgXxVHpghbnntibNXuG6QG2KDQUEof4GGGhq6t5B9h-u1ayzIE6amVrhXT1S8V8vjWGnuv0obgrfxYYjZesKCbmvjBWVHFFYTWXpn5JcXNVS-ddO18PXHPUTRpqEadli7sCjteUTFuhMIWbGXL3NiMJKZKEo69JLiu5HUyhra54bCtNOWe9/s1758/20220912_094337.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1735" data-original-width="1758" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWaHx0SgXxVHpghbnntibNXuG6QG2KDQUEof4GGGhq6t5B9h-u1ayzIE6amVrhXT1S8V8vjWGnuv0obgrfxYYjZesKCbmvjBWVHFFYTWXpn5JcXNVS-ddO18PXHPUTRpqEadli7sCjteUTFuhMIWbGXL3NiMJKZKEo69JLiu5HUyhra54bCtNOWe9/w400-h395/20220912_094337.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">either the first or second time</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We also saw the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/pirates-vs-brewers/2022/08/29/661167#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=661167">Milwaukee Brewers</a>, the <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/storm-chasers-vs-saints/2022/08/31/664729#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=664729">St. Paul Saints</a> and the <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/river-bandits-vs-sky-carp/2022/09/01/672803#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=672803">Beloit Sky Carp</a>; six games in six days.</div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Lowlights</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A shorter list. Someone smashed the windows of three cars in Milwaukee, including ours...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEwDWSb4oM5uVjLxo33XQxa_NIebx8A6SP12Ql-Mk1sbOWV6TYJRU5j3qBJNwDr7uqtNP4O0aT-hIru54lCxOTrlPlP3pz3CL8Krm422puC7-ZonLeGgTzYpFGmWfniLSEPgxX9pOJwnJcGdrzDdKXVADVg7rXnDdYTtzL0iBtTzMJrkYPG3UAVH2/s2048/IMG_4589.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEwDWSb4oM5uVjLxo33XQxa_NIebx8A6SP12Ql-Mk1sbOWV6TYJRU5j3qBJNwDr7uqtNP4O0aT-hIru54lCxOTrlPlP3pz3CL8Krm422puC7-ZonLeGgTzYpFGmWfniLSEPgxX9pOJwnJcGdrzDdKXVADVg7rXnDdYTtzL0iBtTzMJrkYPG3UAVH2/w400-h300/IMG_4589.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nothing was stolen; there was some other motivation</td></tr></tbody></table><br />...and the water pump failed during our return from Minnesota.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-VLS2BULyX6MPTo7Yw8HEMjCy8DOj4H-RV2UlzOP2H-05p3jb3KHYuFiZE4BWkKSokE92nz2YRaOUuiQ21GK-npRMGvWvKGvTebvqEa7NnhlJmniI06di2OUV9_vdIvmdLoROKhRgCj2L7a44LWkcpicrS9PjvCCcC2yyMLiDIwtWXHc-Q5G_hLC/s472/20220905_130558.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="472" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-VLS2BULyX6MPTo7Yw8HEMjCy8DOj4H-RV2UlzOP2H-05p3jb3KHYuFiZE4BWkKSokE92nz2YRaOUuiQ21GK-npRMGvWvKGvTebvqEa7NnhlJmniI06di2OUV9_vdIvmdLoROKhRgCj2L7a44LWkcpicrS9PjvCCcC2yyMLiDIwtWXHc-Q5G_hLC/w400-h309/20220905_130558.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">thankfully, the dealer had a replacement in stock</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There was, of course, much more to the trip but that will hopefully suffice.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-50685331671008410092022-07-03T01:59:00.046-05:002022-08-09T17:07:20.197-05:00We went.<p>If you read <a href="http://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2022/04/season-preview-2022.html">the previous post</a> and were wondering if we went to Nevada and California, we did.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwEQ-PHUdH-lKCIPPoRAYPTwHG8Pd7POukrGAGcmuHBu4_J-1W1605xySWdT3LG6rDglP7D031Vc7QVsMhOmjwX0y0EYHwGO_pM5uPPgHqplX2r8llrePZNLVGT5UbQlLxIGlJEjbBfp0Ex8lzLMqxYdwOIqVUnUFbObW4TxDDdtkW-GypCDPZLhB/s2414/20220627_234947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2414" data-original-width="1359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwEQ-PHUdH-lKCIPPoRAYPTwHG8Pd7POukrGAGcmuHBu4_J-1W1605xySWdT3LG6rDglP7D031Vc7QVsMhOmjwX0y0EYHwGO_pM5uPPgHqplX2r8llrePZNLVGT5UbQlLxIGlJEjbBfp0Ex8lzLMqxYdwOIqVUnUFbObW4TxDDdtkW-GypCDPZLhB/w360-h640/20220627_234947.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />And we went to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm">Manzanar National Historic Site</a>, as mentioned.<p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Melvin and I met in Las Vegas. While taxiing to my gate, I spotted <a href="https://www.planespotters.net/airline/EG-G">one of the Boeing 737-600s</a> operated by AECOM on behalf of the United States Air Force to shuttle military and government employees and consultants to certain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_access_program">special access program</a> facilities, including Area 51 and the Tonopah Test Range.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf_BFAQt6-h0C9Gr5OmBF9rvTgSN8DuT2Ya31jIWvmGERoRF0AwQuDdSNNFozFG30kik-mB_k2rAV8Tj85UmqJADHr34ow7jqWZrtWnWy_W8NE1pjqhoIoSR6muc27MNFtP7PBTJc74psP911UZknW8GnoAisFPgZ8vsxpyiIckxQWu5TwTpd2Msb/s454/20220531_075054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="454" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf_BFAQt6-h0C9Gr5OmBF9rvTgSN8DuT2Ya31jIWvmGERoRF0AwQuDdSNNFozFG30kik-mB_k2rAV8Tj85UmqJADHr34ow7jqWZrtWnWy_W8NE1pjqhoIoSR6muc27MNFtP7PBTJc74psP911UZknW8GnoAisFPgZ8vsxpyiIckxQWu5TwTpd2Msb/s320/20220531_075054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boeing 737 operating under the call sign of "Janet"</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It's not every day that you see an open secret out in the open.<div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">As I said, we met in Vegas, specifically at the rental car counter, and we hopped into our Manager's Special and hit the road, stopping first at <a href="https://nakedcitylv.com">Naked City Pizza</a>. To our surprise, the <a href="https://www.prizmoutlets.com/art">mural oasis</a> at Prizm Outlets, just east of the California border, was much more interesting than Ugo Rondinone's land art, <a href="https://sevenmagicmountains.com">Seven Magic Mountains</a>, which we have wanted to see since it was created in 2016.</div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qhhseXS0N_foVOPhg9MeDuhHV4vsQZPvWzExpLiSln-ofsiPIVIsZGuT2w61gfqWJKHX2ffIbkgmJ9fk4E8SLiNxafdzm47FSFRj-bp-3nivGdL5XED0JzqGFmKUA6qVW2edzaHJvQJeuBYGQLRkT9hgmSDi11t_1FxDLw2OL6Pdfv4pql7Dyd_y/s4000/20220531_135304.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qhhseXS0N_foVOPhg9MeDuhHV4vsQZPvWzExpLiSln-ofsiPIVIsZGuT2w61gfqWJKHX2ffIbkgmJ9fk4E8SLiNxafdzm47FSFRj-bp-3nivGdL5XED0JzqGFmKUA6qVW2edzaHJvQJeuBYGQLRkT9hgmSDi11t_1FxDLw2OL6Pdfv4pql7Dyd_y/w400-h180/20220531_135304.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Marsh</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Back in town, we checked into the <a href="https://downtownerlv.com">Downtowner</a>, one of the individual projects of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/28/obituaries/tony-hsieh-dead.html">the late</a> Tony Hsieh's $350M <a href="https://dtplv.com">Downtown Project</a> (DTP). Hsieh was a fan of <a href="https://burningman.org">Burning Man</a> and we visited a couple of the artworks he brought from the annual desert gathering, <a href="http://www.mikerossart.net/bigrigjig">Big Rig Jig</a> and the <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2012/9/26/20507316/giant-praying-mantis-sold-will-be-part-of-las-vegas-redevelopment-project">The Mantis</a>, to East Fremont Street.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Both are on Atlas Obscura, as are the last remaining <a href="https://www.thed.com/casino/sigma-derby/">Sigma Derby</a> machine; the <a href="https://www.goldennugget.com/las-vegas/casino/hand-of-faith/#/">Hand of Faith</a> gold nugget, from which the Golden Nugget Casino takes its name; and <a href="https://secret.vegas/berlin-wall-las-vegas/">a section of the Berlin Wall</a> in a bathroom at the Main Street Station Hotel and Casino. We were very efficient.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_1FgXy4RB1JUYnuBhUiJC3lFTHB1BWztTzeDd8s_ZJyeNMUTa6ac7-E-SsNmNwx3zIayEdw-Y0NbzD_wxVnNHA5drn1beZqTzpau0HJSUKTsIc_kK-A7ZdXEvFfxSa2Wgj8wmwSoxvN0sQbHaOSw9iPacfqZlDV7yRZQG8sCgp-jJSCDxPrX87Y_/s4000/20220531_180556.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_1FgXy4RB1JUYnuBhUiJC3lFTHB1BWztTzeDd8s_ZJyeNMUTa6ac7-E-SsNmNwx3zIayEdw-Y0NbzD_wxVnNHA5drn1beZqTzpau0HJSUKTsIc_kK-A7ZdXEvFfxSa2Wgj8wmwSoxvN0sQbHaOSw9iPacfqZlDV7yRZQG8sCgp-jJSCDxPrX87Y_/w400-h180/20220531_180556.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnson's J-Bar-B Stables</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We then drove to Summerlin to see the Las Vegas Aviators, stopping at Johnson's J-Bar-B Stables, a hybrid if you will of Howard Finster's <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11320">Paradise Gardens</a> and <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60768-d14781603-Reviews-Casa_De_Azucar_Sugar_House-El_Paso_Texas.html">Casa de Azucar</a> in El Paso. The Aviators -- who we saw with Norton at Cashman Field in 2011, then playing as the Area 51s -- bested the Sacramento River Cats, 8-7. It took <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/river-cats-vs-aviators/2022/05/31/665732#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=665732">11 innings</a> but we boycotted the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/baseball-mlb-ghost-runner-extra-innings-11650289096">zombie runners</a>.<p></p></div><div><p style="text-align: left;">After breakfast at <a href="http://www.publicuslv.com">PublicUs</a>, we hit the road. It was a long day of driving but that did not prevent us from making several rewarding stops:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.goldwellmuseum.org">Goldwell Open Air Museum</a></li><li><a href="https://www.roadarch.com/h/rhyolite.html">Tom Kelly Bottle House</a></li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyX2XHDPeMGbwgaDPRwoYRbFyq7Z3SHste6_KS1oaZGwT7JhVhw3gs2YvMEXmqwleblRzMQyd_JYT2EhAlwXBBQCKERUJZS-2AuntiSOO4CTkVEiUxQ9_1d-GRvRrkRf7qDCjaKukyPHWgldMuqcBDcn4VICZaRGjnw5detqz-97XbhhbuwNlle7g/s4000/20220601_115322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyX2XHDPeMGbwgaDPRwoYRbFyq7Z3SHste6_KS1oaZGwT7JhVhw3gs2YvMEXmqwleblRzMQyd_JYT2EhAlwXBBQCKERUJZS-2AuntiSOO4CTkVEiUxQ9_1d-GRvRrkRf7qDCjaKukyPHWgldMuqcBDcn4VICZaRGjnw5detqz-97XbhhbuwNlle7g/w400-h180/20220601_115322.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Kelly Bottle House</td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the ghost town of <a href="https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/rhyolite-ghost-town.htm">Rhyolite</a></li><li><a href="https://www.lpmuseum.org">Museum of Western Film History</a></li><li>Manzanar National Historic Site</li><li><a href="https://mercadomexico.business.site">Mercado Mexico</a> in Bishop for supper, and</li><li>a brief stop (no tufa) at <a href="https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514">Mono Lake</a></li></ul><p></p></div><div><p style="text-align: left;">(It should be mentioned that neither were we deterred when the brakes and steering started to malfunction on the "Manager's Special" as we crossed Death Valley. After the fact, it's a funny story, really a cliche, but at the time it was stressful.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">It was after dark when we checked into the Travelodge in Hawthorne, Nevada, that is affiliated with the <a href="https://elcapcasino.com">El Capitan Casino</a>. (It may be "<i>THE</i> hot spot between Reno and Las Vegas" but perhaps for lack of competition.) The desk clerk made an incorrect assumption about Melvin and my sexual preference and relationship but she had only the best intentions, which was not the case in Valley Head, Alabama, in 2007.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We continued on like this for another eight days, traveling from the desert to the Bay Area (or the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley Metropolitan Statistical Area, if you go in for that kind of language). In total, we saw two major league teams, three Triple-A ball clubs, and three California League <strike>franchises</strike> licensees, which had been demoted from High-A to Low-A when affiliated baseball reorganized.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSMB6qWGBCPUS4a1YDPeVWeViQaTD6rKKXqu-hSUSK-_b4ozoC9o8yYBHjac82PbRD8U3SeELqclEJpVxhjqs2D8i9CoWW8O7YCM88l7QlgBMHzBUz3lv0BVr5TudbDXn3JIQOKU4I7WQu6kIeTaycLiGOxMQtTShHXA5Zl7wJ9Y3hgSdBckpxpoF/s4000/20220605_121343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSMB6qWGBCPUS4a1YDPeVWeViQaTD6rKKXqu-hSUSK-_b4ozoC9o8yYBHjac82PbRD8U3SeELqclEJpVxhjqs2D8i9CoWW8O7YCM88l7QlgBMHzBUz3lv0BVr5TudbDXn3JIQOKU4I7WQu6kIeTaycLiGOxMQtTShHXA5Zl7wJ9Y3hgSdBckpxpoF/w400-h180/20220605_121343.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remembering <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eckerde01.shtml">Dennis Eckersley</a> at the Oakland Coliseum</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">The trip had its disappointments -- hello, volunteer staff at the <a href="http://bighouseprisonmuseum.org">Folsom Prison Museum</a> -- and the usual frustrations but the itinerary was worth the wait and an outstanding post-Covid (so to speak) return to the baseball byways.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-32913757964050310472022-04-14T07:14:00.002-05:002022-08-09T17:24:11.502-05:00Season Preview 2022<p>Okay, yeah, it's been a long time and a lot has changed. Let's leave it at that.</p><p>Like the Mets, Rob started the season on the road, watching the team outlast the Phillies <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/mets-vs-phillies/2022/04/13/661643#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=661643">yesterday</a>, 9-6, in an ugly, four-hour, 12-pitcher, matinee. On Sunday, Melvin will see the White Sox host the Rays, the first of many games he will attend at Guar'rate Field. Let's hope that goes better. (<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-white-sox/2022/04/17/661462#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=661462">It didn't</a>.)</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mgeE33CP8e12TVnVUl_2RHr8TBQaWZRWFLT_AA79jv3QsevrNe3gd4mugZ-8aKnHt0Zr0w8trAagYXaa5UClhNipnRWU5KSKgy4W2HJa-pgr_3TlWOzcDkFiVDScVWY0R6CClZ7wM_X63iMMJhU-26b_PAJUjp_wr6SI-jZwfD9ekks01L2iRTZd/s1600/2B47C1AD-BF8B-6339-6C3E1617679F8FF3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mgeE33CP8e12TVnVUl_2RHr8TBQaWZRWFLT_AA79jv3QsevrNe3gd4mugZ-8aKnHt0Zr0w8trAagYXaa5UClhNipnRWU5KSKgy4W2HJa-pgr_3TlWOzcDkFiVDScVWY0R6CClZ7wM_X63iMMJhU-26b_PAJUjp_wr6SI-jZwfD9ekks01L2iRTZd/w400-h225/2B47C1AD-BF8B-6339-6C3E1617679F8FF3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of the National Park Service.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After a couple of aborted attempts, it looks like we will at last get to Northern California and Nevada this June. Trip planning has prompted questions like, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm">Manzanar National Historic Site</a> or the <a href="https://www.theclownmotelusa.com">Clown Motel</a>? How stark a choice is that?<div><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>That itinerary will open with our return to Las Vegas -- new stadium, new team name -- and includes a couple of other repeats for Melvin. Eight games total, over half at Triple-A or higher.<div><br /></div><div>Still only penciled in, there might be a late-August, early-September, Upper Midwest circuit featuring lots of Sox, Twins home and away (that's fraternal), Saints and <strike>Snappers</strike> Sky Carp and Slammers, Dogs and 'cats.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.milb.com/fredericksburg">Fred Nats</a>. Nuff said.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Rob bought the smallest ticket package offered by the Mets and quickly unloaded one-third of the games. Melvin proved a better fan, purchasing a quarter-season of ChiSox. Lots of baseball to look forward to.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Headline writers across America, apparently suffering from some creative block, proclaimed in unison, "Baseball is back!" (Whose fault was it that the 2022 season was ever in question?) We're back too, at least at the ballpark. It's too early for any predictions about the blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>Answers:</div><div>1. Manzanar NHS.</div><div>2. Pretty stark.</div><div>3. The owners.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-19175545094395896122020-12-11T15:18:00.009-06:002020-12-27T07:04:10.865-06:00New Roads to the Show<p>On Wednesday, the 30 Major League Baseball teams "invited" four teams each to form their respective minor league systems beginning in 2021. (Whether or not there will be a minor league baseball season next year has yet to be determined.)</p><p>The next day, as it so happened, I wore my Kansas City Royals "The Road to the Show" t-shirt. This wasn't a statement. It simply reflected a need to do laundry and the casual dress code that goes along my staff working remotely due to COVID-19, leaving me the only one in the office.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59hCcTPO2ZOLaSRaa3_YOII1xnTydiaBJ_v88tT1Xv86wB04ussisw_bwqEeOYctk87krA497B3SedsJ2cqO4WP4uet6_LllvDYphopce_0nHPqFuQcN3AjoaVkRxVQI8fsy9juwzCyw/s1836/the_road_to_the_show.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="1836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59hCcTPO2ZOLaSRaa3_YOII1xnTydiaBJ_v88tT1Xv86wB04ussisw_bwqEeOYctk87krA497B3SedsJ2cqO4WP4uet6_LllvDYphopce_0nHPqFuQcN3AjoaVkRxVQI8fsy9juwzCyw/s320/the_road_to_the_show.jpg" /></a></div><br />When I undressed that night, I noticed that my shirt has become a record from another time.<span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p>Starting at "9 o'clock" in the printed image, the Idaho Falls Chukars, like all of the teams in the rookie Pioneer League, will cease to be a part of affiliated baseball. The league, operating under the same name, will become independent but also an "<a href="https://www.milb.com/idaho-falls/news/pioneer-league-named-mlb-partner-league">MLB partner league</a>," an oxymoron if there ever was one.</p><p>Continuing clockwise, the Burlington Royals, where I bought the souvenir t-shirt, will also leave affiliated baseball. The entire Appalachian League will cease to be an MLB rookie league and instead become a summer collegiate league, with all teams rebranding as a result. Melvin and I will never get a chance to see the Elizabethton Twins, Greeneville Reds, or Kingsport Mets. </p><p>Further up the former developmental ladder, the Lexington Legends, part of the Low-A South Atlantic League since 2001, were not invited to associate with any major league franchise. They may eventually join an existing independent league but for now, the Legends are out of baseball. I bet the bonds on Whitaker Bank Ballpark aren't even paid off.</p><p>The Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Royals' affiliate for all but two of the 28 years they have existed, were invited to become a part of the Washington Nationals' system. Much of the reconfiguration of the minor leagues is intended to bring teams closer to the parent franchise. Wilmington is two hours by car from DC. For now, the Blue Rocks will continue to be in the Carolina League, although it appears that the High-A league structure is still in formation.</p><p>The Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Triple-A Omaha (really Papillion) Storm Chasers will remain a part of the Royals' player development system.</p><p>The changes at most of the other MLB organizations were less extreme. A dozen teams kept the same affiliates at Single-A and above. (The previous statement acquiesces to the fact that the rookie and short-season leagues have for the most part been expunged.) Another 10 teams have only one new minor league team, although in many cases the Low- and High-A licensees&#8212;new contractual terms! new nomenclature!&#8212;swapped places in the hierarchy.</p><p>In addition to Lexington, perhaps as many as nine other Single-A and higher teams will not operate in 2021. Like the Legends, some may find a home somewhere, in independent ball or an MLB-sponsored showcase league. The Fresno Grizzlies stayed in the game by accepting a demotion to the now Low-A California League, a move facilitated by a renegotiation of the stadium lease. The Staten Island Yankees turned down a $5 million stadium renovation and handed the keys back to the New York City Economic Development Corporation.</p><p>The Midwest League, previously the largest with 16 teams, will lose three. Clinton, Iowa has a great history of baseball going back to the late-19th-century and a charming WPA stadium from 1937. Although a bit of a drive, Melvin and Watson go see the the Kane County (Geneva, Illinois) Cougars at least once a year. Burlington, Iowa is where a great uncle of mine got his start in baseball in 1905. Potentially, all gone.</p><p>We've may lose more than a couple of dozen teams, or so I worry. Centralized corporate control is the antithesis of independence and I fear that a lot of the individuality of the minor league teams will be lost. At the same time, I think the changes will be subtle and in five or 10 years, we will barely remember what we once had.</p>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-53109084743340428012020-09-06T17:49:00.004-05:002020-09-06T17:49:42.557-05:00Out at Home<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL1Iq-6U_eXV-UFHqTpdVArB1A54kef5mPDMC-cdDVaE_i8mbeNaehFtLhusV0aQ-Ang-R_xRcP4TS0t6o4AVAPIaJuDOJHdDKnqraHeytXlA2o45W9ATPJs7oNpqoo9JO2iA2zFBxvw/s1280/IMG_3718.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL1Iq-6U_eXV-UFHqTpdVArB1A54kef5mPDMC-cdDVaE_i8mbeNaehFtLhusV0aQ-Ang-R_xRcP4TS0t6o4AVAPIaJuDOJHdDKnqraHeytXlA2o45W9ATPJs7oNpqoo9JO2iA2zFBxvw/w400-h300/IMG_3718.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, today is the day when, theoretically, we would have been able to say, with all the usual fine print, that we had seen every affiliated baseball team, in both the major and minor leagues. We’d be in Las Vegas, watching the 51s and the Salt Lake Bees. We’d also be melting, as it is currently 427 degrees Fahrenheit in Nevada. Just imagine what it would be like if climate change was real! (Note: it is real.)</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had four trips planned: a short one that I was calling the Piedmont trip; yet another Appalachian trip; a Great Plains route; and then the oft-plotted northern California–Nevada finale. I had visions of inviting everyone we’d ever seen a game with to the big closing day, today. Of course, that’s not how things turned out. More reflections over the jump.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span></span></span></o:p></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fairness, things might not have turned out quite this way this year anyway—a rainout in Modesto, say, or a Trash Panda fire could have ruined the plan, too—but we didn’t even have a fighting chance because there was no minor-league season at all, plus no major-league games that we would have been allowed to attend. Being able to actually see the games wasn’t ever a major factor before now—but it wasn’t a nonexistent one either.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout our travels, I did have a persistent but admittedly pretty irrational concern that <strike>Rob would kill me</strike> we would show up in some far-flung small town and for whatever reason we would not be able to get tickets for the game we were there to see. What would be worse than going to, say, Batavia, New York, to see a game, I figured, would be going to Batavia and <i>not</i> see a game—and thus have to go to Batavia <i>again</i>, despite having by then (presumably) seen all the other teams within several hours' drive. I was locked out of a St. Paul Saints game once in 2005 or so, but I lived across town, so the pain wasn’t half as exquisite as it would have been if I had driven across the Dakotas to get there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey, dummy, I hear you say, just buy tickets in advance; what’s the big deal? And indeed, for many years, that is what I advocated. With some regularity—and quite reasonably—Rob would point out that, over the hundreds of games we were going to, this was costing us a fair amount in “convenience fees,” and for nothing: usually there were plenty of seats available, and often enough there was a complete embarrassment of them. Looking at you, Jackson, Tennessee, just for starters. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_Ps1npDfpR9Cqtj10-dTCMPfvsS7rLRg3zLYQi3OkY0CqUn3JlNoxoqwFHGh5x4R-MWJdw5oah9C5Sg97bTRzgCWu-c8YYl1EWJBldO5iy6plDLLCQURxItTknXnJsI3CWtXnHarazI/s1280/P1010437.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_Ps1npDfpR9Cqtj10-dTCMPfvsS7rLRg3zLYQi3OkY0CqUn3JlNoxoqwFHGh5x4R-MWJdw5oah9C5Sg97bTRzgCWu-c8YYl1EWJBldO5iy6plDLLCQURxItTknXnJsI3CWtXnHarazI/s320/P1010437.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so we gradually but all too erratically fell away from the buy-first norm, leading to some awkward moments and one financial penalty that time we bought some expensive Fourth of July tickets at the gate, only to remember that Rob </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">did</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> buy those in advance already.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were also the other odd times where we would look online a little bit in advance of a game and see that there were practically no tickets left. We’d snatch up a couple, only to arrive at the field to find not just a lot of season-ticket-holder no-shows but entire sections that were completely unoccupied. The Tacoma Rainiers spring to mind. I never could get a good explanation for why that was. (By the by, is it just me or does “Tacoma Rainier” sound like the stage name of a stripper in Alaska? And while we’re on the subject, sort of, is <i>Daytona</i> the female form of <i>Dayton</i>?) In all of these cases, the only close call I can think of is Vancouver, which was genuinely crowded.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My fear was always a bit irrational, and over time I began to realize that it was at odds with a deeper feeling, which is that I didn’t actually want to finish this. What is so bad about going back to Batavia, anyway? That’s partly why I was happy to slow things down in recent years, canceling trips to northern California twice. In a weird way, this illustrates the maxim that the perfect is the enemy of the good: the trips are good; perfecting the list wouldn’t have necessarily ended the trips, but it would have marked the end of some phase.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other hand, I think we kind of did want to finish this phase. When we went places purely out of obligation (hello, Princeton, West Virginia!), sometimes we were pleasantly surprised and had good times—but sometimes not. Still, even those were part of parcel of the project we started so idly so long ago. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The country we set out to visit feels like a different place now. Maybe next year we can have some semblance of the old place back, along with a little real baseball. Who’s ready for Reno?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdMXuzqxgx5GsKvYswhQwstKkOgCjhBHwRKBNURoioEkF4_MWRPZDpIePD3a7wXKYOrY5rWvB4L2sek4IMmCkddhxdZpPYC_h6vsE6tUQGmlmB_QktI-Ux7cDfNxCzHG1-kSlnL3l_dQ/s1280/IMG_3673.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdMXuzqxgx5GsKvYswhQwstKkOgCjhBHwRKBNURoioEkF4_MWRPZDpIePD3a7wXKYOrY5rWvB4L2sek4IMmCkddhxdZpPYC_h6vsE6tUQGmlmB_QktI-Ux7cDfNxCzHG1-kSlnL3l_dQ/w300-h400/IMG_3673.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-90218367213473942232020-08-09T17:15:00.002-05:002020-08-09T17:20:05.660-05:00Baseball In the Time of Coronavirus<p>At the end of July, into early-August, I took a trip that included a couple of baseball games and destinations in-between. It was a weak substitute for the four or five trips Melvin and I once planned for the 2020 season.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATYvI3Rhr13bubQUnv9JpM7GP-asDj2xiHmeUUgrFrF7Umm1kbC2jQMPLlXteFN60TMNnn2GnV5ZgjdfcksXm0ymo6h0of7fXfN8iU7GBt2Eh6nSZ4bqp8OXqswRACFsNOA5lMNmtU5E/s2048/20200801_105108.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATYvI3Rhr13bubQUnv9JpM7GP-asDj2xiHmeUUgrFrF7Umm1kbC2jQMPLlXteFN60TMNnn2GnV5ZgjdfcksXm0ymo6h0of7fXfN8iU7GBt2Eh6nSZ4bqp8OXqswRACFsNOA5lMNmtU5E/w410-h230/20200801_105108.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dinosaurs everywhere, not just <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2020/04/dinosaurs-and-more-along-interstate-4.html">in Florida</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>For one, Melvin wasn't there. And this wasn't professional baseball but a collegiate summer league. Finally, almost every stop I made that weekend was by necessity outdoors and isolated from other people.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I've taken solo trips in the past but those were in addition to my travel with Melvin. On the other hand, he bequeathed me his antique iPod, so with <a href="https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/SV">Mr. Fine Wine</a> coming out of the speakers of the even more antique Mustang, it was almost like Melvin was there.<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Friday</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SsdtBCxQIB7Ffho2L1JhmV9bbIAcg4EM8fV7J53tfgdfevDAXgMYYltjxH8kbwR5zPR2A0rY-FZtqBm9zVW479N9MqV9o49luhDQjuBe-sg8S0PcyjNlMk9eoae26oodcvhjtg1Q8rA/s2048/20200731_123040.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SsdtBCxQIB7Ffho2L1JhmV9bbIAcg4EM8fV7J53tfgdfevDAXgMYYltjxH8kbwR5zPR2A0rY-FZtqBm9zVW479N9MqV9o49luhDQjuBe-sg8S0PcyjNlMk9eoae26oodcvhjtg1Q8rA/s640/20200731_123040.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Elephant Hotel is now the town hall.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>memorial to <a href="https://www.americanheritage.com/setting-record-straight-old-bet">Old Bet</a> (above); Somers, New York<br />Bobo's Cafe, for a friend with <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nycstreets/26273887650">a cat by that name</a>, Somers<br />remnants of <a href="https://tarrywile.com/hearthstone-castle/">Hearthstone Castle</a> (Ernest G. W. Dietrich, 1895); Danbury, Connecticut</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0dR_LbevcIWUImTry8JNdZCcaKXojo9Yh7yIg1fa5H6KwOOZQxqS1Fz5rJPV2zMci-gD9ng_dVx9OaqjzhttnAt0LEAMPjaZsS51KUk9uGO78qbtODqq39UEYX3vmxulV-wxGd-BYzM/s2048/20200805_205217.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0dR_LbevcIWUImTry8JNdZCcaKXojo9Yh7yIg1fa5H6KwOOZQxqS1Fz5rJPV2zMci-gD9ng_dVx9OaqjzhttnAt0LEAMPjaZsS51KUk9uGO78qbtODqq39UEYX3vmxulV-wxGd-BYzM/w410-h230/20200805_205217.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sunroom at the former state psychiatric hospital<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>former <a href="https://untappedcities.com/2019/12/10/inside-abandoned-fairfield-hills-state-psychiatric-hospital-in-newtown-connecticut/">Fairfield Hills State Hospital</a>, Newtown<br /><a href="https://www.damnedct.com/shade-swamp-sanctuary-the-abandoned-zoo-farmington/">Shade Swamp Sanctuary</a>, an abandoned WPA "zoo;" Farmington<br /><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5940438/foone-foone">grave of Foone</a>, one of the 53 enslaved Mende who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/22/nyregion/the-amistad-revolt-a-tale-of-triumph.html">revolted on the </a><i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/22/nyregion/the-amistad-revolt-a-tale-of-triumph.html">Amistad</a>, </i>Farmington<br /><a href="https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMQB1A_Noah_Webster_West_Hartford_CT">Noah Webster statue</a> (Korczak Ziolkowski, 1942), West Hartford<br />former <a href="https://www.connecticutmag.com/the-connecticut-story/the-real-arsenic-and-old-lace/article_6ced1d6b-cf1f-5c97-8c82-87b83243ae5d.html">Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalids</a>, inspiration for <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036613/"><i>Arsenic and Old Lace</i></a>, Windsor</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt1vomg2Q8SN0rNdkNBTRnoBpuMcfnIywsVjcWmT1BnaDTiim-MhUAE5hOo4QNXfUDPV77jdqY05GY-wbqlrtfMzfHn_PSeDUL3lr5s5dq6-uCSlRQostQ2XP8qXTezGVHNBvC8Ioj6Q/s2048/20200731_183642.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt1vomg2Q8SN0rNdkNBTRnoBpuMcfnIywsVjcWmT1BnaDTiim-MhUAE5hOo4QNXfUDPV77jdqY05GY-wbqlrtfMzfHn_PSeDUL3lr5s5dq6-uCSlRQostQ2XP8qXTezGVHNBvC8Ioj6Q/w410-h230/20200731_183642.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex Price, who was <a href="https://www.nescac.com/sports/bsb/2018-19/players/alexpricehplm">5-2 at Middlebury College</a> before the 2020 season was shut down due to the Coronavirus, delivers the pitch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=529505">Westfield Starfires 5, New Britain Bees 7</a><br /></p><blockquote>supper was two hot dogs with the mucilaginous consistency of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_sausage#North_America">Vienna sausage</a> and a couple of cans of Starfire IPA, brewed for the team by <a href="https://www.amherstbrewing.com/about">Amherst Brewing</a></blockquote><a href="https://www.amherstbrewing.com/about"></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Saturday</span></p><p>In lieu of the classic continental breakfast -- a COVID-19 no-no -- I was handed at check-out a "grab and go" bag with "happy!" written on it.</p><p><a href="http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/collection/itempage.jsp?itemid=15760">The Old Button Ball Tree</a>; Sunderland, Massachusetts<br /><a href="https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm116BD_Deerfield_Massacre_Mass_Grave_Deerfield_MA">Deerfield Massacre mass grave</a><br /><a href="http://www.deerfielddinos.com/">Rock and Fossil and Dinosaur Shop</a> (top), Deerfield<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5O7KhCycta_cVa7iEYCaWIFP8lPDhEr-XI1BV_7dEnA6S7jMhpWru4u3y-MvMrMJxw1h2de-Bvrx8wls5GT8vEphQjG3Ad9ZTPA7QC2ElF5UrUskqHVz4dluMq4p3k0oskVhs9f5v9A/s2048/20200805_210049.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5O7KhCycta_cVa7iEYCaWIFP8lPDhEr-XI1BV_7dEnA6S7jMhpWru4u3y-MvMrMJxw1h2de-Bvrx8wls5GT8vEphQjG3Ad9ZTPA7QC2ElF5UrUskqHVz4dluMq4p3k0oskVhs9f5v9A/w410-h230/20200805_210049.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1834 marker, which can be found in the woods nearby, states, “The cruel and bloodthirsty savage who took her slew her with his hatchet at one stroke." Semantics aside, the outcome could have been worse.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/massachusetts/screaming-bridge-ma/">Eunice Williams Covered Bridge</a>, Greenfield<br /><a href="https://www.bridgeofflowersmass.org/history">Bridge of Flowers</a>, Shelburne Falls<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDDF6vLiKhBDNYnWlnCcOJm2yKufmAqPHBHkp10hlKa75bPybcgADPMjDpsaUjYEMGAYncyJxKrMbz16xSdWpU9jHkHmxesDArUEGOhRppfcS0s_uwW_wL1miVAKAaKGrIac9JGkoajY/s1520/20200805_210350.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1519" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDDF6vLiKhBDNYnWlnCcOJm2yKufmAqPHBHkp10hlKa75bPybcgADPMjDpsaUjYEMGAYncyJxKrMbz16xSdWpU9jHkHmxesDArUEGOhRppfcS0s_uwW_wL1miVAKAaKGrIac9JGkoajY/w410-h410/20200805_210350.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.recorder.com/About-Town-Glacial-Potholes-6921010">not formed by glacial action</a>, despite the common attribution<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>potholes at the foot of the <a href="http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/ma-shelburnefalls.html">Shelburne Falls Dam</a><br /><i>It Shall Not Be Again</i> (Joseph Pollia, 1934), the <a href="https://www.recorder.com/About-Town-Reflecting-on-Orange-s-Peace-Statue-19088457">Massachusetts Peace Memorial</a>, Orange<br /></p><p></p><blockquote>Who goes there, in the night,<br />Across the storm-swept plain?<br />We are the ghosts of a valiant war —<br />A million murdered men! </blockquote><blockquote>Who goes there, at the dawn,<br />Across the sun-swept plain?<br />We are the hosts of those who swear:<br />It shall not be again! (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shall-Not-be-Again/dp/B000O2Q030/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&qid=1596919235&refinements=p_27%3AThomas+Curtis+Clark&s=books&sr=1-15">Thomas Curtis Clark, 1931</a>) </blockquote><p><a href="https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/prohibition-places-associated-with-temperance-or-prohibition/">Woman's Christian Temprance Union fountain</a>, Orange<br /><a href="https://www.thegardnernews.com/news/20190706/headlines-of-past---july-9-1977-gardners-big-chair-makes-guinness-book-of-world-records">bicentennial big chair</a>, Gardner aka "Chair City" and the "Furniture Capital of New England"<br />grave of <a href="https://www.thegardnernews.com/article/20141014/NEWS/310149426">the Kneeland Maids</a>, Gardner<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN_EY1-iP4oTVBLGTCAs0f1bR3FOK5tOJpjvdrSIj4M9M-QPvJJHLhzHEaFbpvoJb_hgcxobCfP8MQ2HFdb7SyivxyxJLOpUH_C-fq8zFUbbdXstbfFp2Oei0bZrexyrjvmgadHSokYc/s2048/20200801_142715.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN_EY1-iP4oTVBLGTCAs0f1bR3FOK5tOJpjvdrSIj4M9M-QPvJJHLhzHEaFbpvoJb_hgcxobCfP8MQ2HFdb7SyivxyxJLOpUH_C-fq8zFUbbdXstbfFp2Oei0bZrexyrjvmgadHSokYc/w410-h230/20200801_142715.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary White Rowlandson fared better than Eunice Williams.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:fb494k80x">Redemption Rock</a>, Princeton<br /></p><blockquote>More interesting to me than the inscription itself -- "Upon this rock May 2, 1676 was made the agreement for the ransom of Mrs Mary Rowlandson of Lancaster between the Indians and John Hoar of Concord. King Philip was with the Indians but refused his consent." -- is the fact that it is carved into the side of the rock.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5eqzJUdykYges91EaLtg0mA6NYEHM4ModkvJB4nmBZWpumeVrxQX8ZB2bepRDIATMKNAX43dVRNI4mhdoS0ix3PW2sS94U5L_zOzw837wVHDx4Pog6Wu2_Yno0B3g7BadqvgfqlldOk/s750/Rollstone_postcard.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="750" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5eqzJUdykYges91EaLtg0mA6NYEHM4ModkvJB4nmBZWpumeVrxQX8ZB2bepRDIATMKNAX43dVRNI4mhdoS0ix3PW2sS94U5L_zOzw837wVHDx4Pog6Wu2_Yno0B3g7BadqvgfqlldOk/w410-h262/Rollstone_postcard.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rollstone_postcard.jpg">postcard</a> of the 110-ton boulder on Rollstone Hill, before it was blown up and reassembled on a <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/QnVFcUmC5e93RtWb7">traffic island</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/10/rollstone-boulder-rock-that-was.html">Rollstone Boulder</a>, Fitchburg</p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKo3yQ_Oy1Vkll08CihpxNP_WrY3Za9quiBqLqnPKhmhF2rQmVPKlGLk4fxnnNOWnH0jlREUgjax31LX4uPcLQdq7GyDBsrBmj0AjjJcWp7wECXFWIpczyW7T5vROcQxiV8BYRUiBynY/s2048/20200802_041255.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKo3yQ_Oy1Vkll08CihpxNP_WrY3Za9quiBqLqnPKhmhF2rQmVPKlGLk4fxnnNOWnH0jlREUgjax31LX4uPcLQdq7GyDBsrBmj0AjjJcWp7wECXFWIpczyW7T5vROcQxiV8BYRUiBynY/w410-h230/20200802_041255.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvard sophomore <a href="http://baseball.pointstreak.com/player.html?playerid=1445691&seasonid=32743">Ben Rounds</a> at the plate, seconds before hitting his third home run of the season; note the fans are all outside the fence in lawn chairs from home <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=529508">Worcester Bravehearts 8, Nashua Silver Knights 5</a></p><p></p><blockquote>The Bravehearts batted around in the fifth, scoring five, the dramatic highlight of the game. Not wanting to repeat Friday evening's ballpark supper, I used a coupon to try the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/burger-king-impossible-whopper-ingredients-calories-where-to-buy-it/">Impossible Whopper</a> at Burger King. </blockquote><blockquote>Unconcerned about whether it might be <a href="https://www.eater.com/2019/11/19/20972252/vegan-lawsuit-against-burger-king-impossible-burger">meat-tainted</a>, mine was <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/burger-king-impossible-whopper-review">not overcooked</a>, juicier even than a traditional Whopper. My ballpark intake was limited to Wormtown Brewery's <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22200/57223/">Be Hoppy</a>, so I started my day happy and ended it hoppy.</blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sunday</span></p><p><a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sweetheart-memorial">Sweetheart Memorial</a>, Devens<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoIH_tnj4QF48oDle5ZTgx2l2_PBQB0YApfU0VI7KGPw4iyGC00hypRExPYK7yhRMYNwG70zuFTTKD7trDzA1OBpSnA0zaYSAkTGRLHrdZF3Sd9ovjrpEeX88e05DCYWI-Fq8IWs0bFo/s2048/20200802_113434.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoIH_tnj4QF48oDle5ZTgx2l2_PBQB0YApfU0VI7KGPw4iyGC00hypRExPYK7yhRMYNwG70zuFTTKD7trDzA1OBpSnA0zaYSAkTGRLHrdZF3Sd9ovjrpEeX88e05DCYWI-Fq8IWs0bFo/w410-h230/20200802_113434.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">although the graves date from 1792 to 1929, the lollipop markers were installed beginning in 1879</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="http://www.harvardshakers.com/shaker-burial-ground.html">Harvard Shakers' burial ground</a><br />90 minutes for a lobster roll and fries but no books at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Traveler-Restaurant-234049429993458/">Traveler Food and Books</a>; Union, Connecticut</p><p>After a 1:09 rain delay, the August 2, 2020 game between the New Britain Bees and the Worcester Bravehearts was postponed, the first half of an August 16 double-header. No matter, I saw the Eastern League New Britain Rock Cats at the same stadium on Labor Day, 2006.</p><p>The drive home in an often heavy rain was miserable. I can say, however, that I saw live baseball in 2020, when there was otherwise little of it to be seen.</p><p><br /></p>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-72113195344510900662020-07-05T22:59:00.021-05:002020-11-15T13:25:25.830-06:00Its like a season-long rain delay.<p>When MiLB President and CEO Pat O'Connor <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/MiLB/status/1278070823203504130" target="_blank">announced on Tuesday</a> that the 2020 season is canceled, he was only making official what has been long anticipated.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMM1qQCHyL3-F46ejEpL6IkKRCeXI5TUhLom5WdWvvNSinkwmsVGwZ5VQpb8diZP4bbb6RIr7y562a-WzwKA4FYkv6WSRU8LsDbUgn6qMfa6WQ0-0y5qJqNDPFfOCHfYnm_iYIEeKdO4/s680/oconner_cancellation.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMM1qQCHyL3-F46ejEpL6IkKRCeXI5TUhLom5WdWvvNSinkwmsVGwZ5VQpb8diZP4bbb6RIr7y562a-WzwKA4FYkv6WSRU8LsDbUgn6qMfa6WQ0-0y5qJqNDPFfOCHfYnm_iYIEeKdO4/w400-h200/oconner_cancellation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>What is especially disappointing for Melvin and me is we hoped this would be the year when we could say, however briefly, "We have seen every stadium and team in affiliated baseball."<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>It is the 20th year of our endeavor (<a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2011/09/tenth-anniversary.html">origin story</a>) but a love of round numbers isn't what was motivating the final push. Shortly after the conclusion of the <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2019_WS.shtml">2019 World Series</a>, details <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/ny-minor-league-luhnow-madden-20191116-73ssnr7ybvdwzdr5vd44vh4e5m-story.html">began to leak</a> about an MLB plan to eliminate <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/sports/baseball/mlb-minor-league-proposal.html">42 minor league teams</a>, co-opt two independent league teams into affiliated baseball and reorganize the minor league structure.</p><p>In response, Melvin had by Christmas worked out a plan for us to visit all of the unseen teams-slash-stadiums (pick one or both) this year. The season started with a late-April weekend in Florida, followed two weeks later by the inaugural season of the <a href="https://ballparkdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fredericksburg_nationals.png" target="_blank">Fred' Nats</a> and a couple of odds-and-ends.</p><div>In mid-June, we would see the new stadiums in <a href="https://www.kansas.com/sports/article240989581.html">Wichita</a>, <a href="https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/04/10/sod-poodles-launch-crowd-pleasing-ballpark/">Amarillo</a> and <a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/new-texas-rangers-stadium-arlington/">Arlington</a> and maybe revisit the Kansas City Royals and Oklahoma City, now a Dodgers' affiliate. A month later, Melvin had us visiting (once again) North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Finally, in August, the oft-postponed trip to Northern California and Nevada.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the weather cooperated, we would be "done" until the Paw Sox moved 45 miles up Route 146 to Worcester, <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-eulogy-for-mccoy.html">a trip that took six years</a>. Then, the Coronavirus made its way from far away places (<a href="https://observer.com/2020/01/coronavirus-symptoms-cause-worries/">no worries</a>. we were initially told) and six weeks later, the 2020 baseball season was postponed.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are no Baseball Byways without minor league baseball. Even if the MLB eventually allows fans into stadiums at some point during its truncated season, Melvin and I are not flying to SFO to see the Giants and the A's. Our itinerary includes the Sacramento River Cats and Reno Aces, the San Jose Giants, Stockton Ports and Modesto Nuts.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time minor league baseball resumes, MLB will probably have completed its reorganization of affiliated baseball. Of the teams that we have not seen, the Rocky Mountain Vibes, Elizabethton Twins, Greeneville Reds and Kingsport Mets are on the so-called <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/sports/baseball/mlb-minor-league-proposal.html">hit list</a> and we may not get another chance.</div><div><br /></div><div>Teams move or build new stadiums and Melvin and I have not seen every team or ballpark that we might have. I accept that loss but this feels different, like something was taken from us and other fans.</div>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-45221804920923554482020-04-24T23:59:00.000-05:002020-05-12T09:40:50.210-05:00Dinosaurs and More Along Interstate 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Before the Coronavirus put major and minor league baseball on hold (at best), Melvin planned to return to Florida on his own this weekend to see the Dunedin Blue Jays and Florida Fire Frogs at, respectively, their renovated and new stadiums.</div>
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When Melvin told me about his planned jaunt, I thought that might be a timely occasion for me to revisit my 2013 solo trip to the Sunshine State. The fact that he ultimately stayed home seemed insufficient reason for me to abandon the concept. After all, everyone else is broadcasting games of yesteryear.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ8fynez69CuyaiNpeGdnGK2FCosUwaJwPoDG_wHdkuT7Gum9vjhr9fn8pIS81M5ktb_CD1fXxtwgzJnjBkqUkuKkH8I-9KBvwwXYHJo-ct4pKcMXMHbUHIGHLvhRcw8CPlkVnVv7eks/s1600/happy_days.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ8fynez69CuyaiNpeGdnGK2FCosUwaJwPoDG_wHdkuT7Gum9vjhr9fn8pIS81M5ktb_CD1fXxtwgzJnjBkqUkuKkH8I-9KBvwwXYHJo-ct4pKcMXMHbUHIGHLvhRcw8CPlkVnVv7eks/s400/happy_days.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy they were; April 17-21, 2013</td></tr>
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It was a compact trip; seven games in five days and four nights. It was also a very enjoyable itinerary, which made me hesitant to write about it at the time. Questioning if there was anything in Florida worth seeing, Melvin opted out. How awkward, then, to report that those five days were pretty awesome.<br />
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Florida is and has long been home to tourist attractions. I visited several in 2013, both contemporary and historical, and I thought I could situate my report into that larger frame. <a href="http://lostparks.com/">The attractions that are gone</a> (i.e.: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDUL0dlEAmQ">Splendid China</a>), the ones that were <a href="http://www.lostparks.com/never.html">never built</a> (for example: Hurricane World) and of course, the 800-pound primate that is Walt Disney World—I was going to get it all in there!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFijmCnK0_ZPRlG6AtKTn7Su9CdRuEC9Dc5HP8TfLjAHpWkq1OX5NNJK869yGFSv1_s6hwGDfJQHZqBaUvLFfRT9rvZZQa-0v9r7f8FaYQoPgiFwjyZZEIxUMBhuGCXTAlxh60YcRkVk/s1600/vestigial_jungleland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFijmCnK0_ZPRlG6AtKTn7Su9CdRuEC9Dc5HP8TfLjAHpWkq1OX5NNJK869yGFSv1_s6hwGDfJQHZqBaUvLFfRT9rvZZQa-0v9r7f8FaYQoPgiFwjyZZEIxUMBhuGCXTAlxh60YcRkVk/s400/vestigial_jungleland.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abandonedfl.com/jungleland-zoo/">Jungleland</a> was gone but the (reputed) second largest man-made alligator remained. When Melvin and I visited in 2016, even that was <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7015">gone</a>. </td></tr>
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"A one-day, non-child (age 10+) ticket to a single Disney park was $88," I wrote at the time, "with a $57 'Park Hopper' surcharge if I wanted to visit (say) both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom." "The admission charges, multi-day packages and geographic isolation of Disney World certainly keep visitors on the property," I continued. "The most profitable destinations generate high in-park revenues, be it from souvenirs or food and drink, which lesser attractions are not able to capitalize on."<br />
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All true, but how ponderous, at least for a part-time blog. With an overly ambitious thesis and discomfort over publicly telling Melvin that he should have been there, my write-up remained a draft. This time around, let's make the title more than a pithy rhyme.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dinosaurs</span><br />
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Bongoland and Dinosaur World were highly anticipated destinations so I was amused when I chanced upon a happy <i>Brontosaurus</i> first thing on the second day (top). <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12707">Bongoland</a> (1948-1952) featured the ruins of a mid-nineteenth century sugar mill, a reproduction Indian village, "prehistoric monsters" and a baboon in a cage. Something for everyone! What remains today is the mill and the concrete dinosaurs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzOI8a1HkonfmU5MHMtd9tfpEZJ7CsKd1ZLoO-D6zMWj5qVP1L5ip4eUdFsxupJ3BruDTDgr_X88rzXhtn0Jz-GitAwv1PlJsZNEtnkHi7-vurfYs6pSWZKhLwGiDDrsrRIWf4dI_EWA/s1600/triceratops.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzOI8a1HkonfmU5MHMtd9tfpEZJ7CsKd1ZLoO-D6zMWj5qVP1L5ip4eUdFsxupJ3BruDTDgr_X88rzXhtn0Jz-GitAwv1PlJsZNEtnkHi7-vurfYs6pSWZKhLwGiDDrsrRIWf4dI_EWA/s400/triceratops.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Triceratops</i>, Bongoland</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://dinosaurworld.com/florida/">Dinosaur World</a> in Plant City is the oldest of three owned by Christer Svensson, who also carves the life-size models out of polystyrene foam and finishes them with fiberglass, putty and paint. Dinosaur skin did not survive into the Holocene epoch, although some feathers have, and <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/what-color-were-dinosaurs/">paleontologists don't know</a> what color non-avian dinosaurs were.<br />
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Many of Svensson's are brightly colored. The models are dispersed among lush plantings. I unquestionably spent more time at Dinosaur World than Melvin would have wanted and let me emphasize that point graphically.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLsbL1I8X8zo7NI7zsNndL54FEZY4Q-WSr2AJG8iznZC-BDUVpjf7gr01ySnxaG3HYcfdGa5Np5p25OfNSLolLip_W5fp3H-I6NHYALhqWEyGl8A587An9djBnGZBziZfwqGSG2yuFLE/s1600/huayangosaurus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLsbL1I8X8zo7NI7zsNndL54FEZY4Q-WSr2AJG8iznZC-BDUVpjf7gr01ySnxaG3HYcfdGa5Np5p25OfNSLolLip_W5fp3H-I6NHYALhqWEyGl8A587An9djBnGZBziZfwqGSG2yuFLE/s400/huayangosaurus.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Huayangosaurus</i>, Dinosaur World</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJjX64Q3j49nSiEE3KzQ0xaSCr4K9BhD8ssXROm9pGd-V683t2Q1quSu8MnC3mcPsK3x7QoD2qWoS7E78AHtd4HOSDbY0kjKnZpxK2VD0RgG9wi3FvmoedyzH_O2wTlrOY5n9-I29eZ0/s1600/saltasaurus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJjX64Q3j49nSiEE3KzQ0xaSCr4K9BhD8ssXROm9pGd-V683t2Q1quSu8MnC3mcPsK3x7QoD2qWoS7E78AHtd4HOSDbY0kjKnZpxK2VD0RgG9wi3FvmoedyzH_O2wTlrOY5n9-I29eZ0/s400/saltasaurus.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saltasaurus</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4FPBYcw80DE8vJgg5DSUSAeaMPI_fbEH5Os8cEjaKk8Y6QYJdRUe0XOGRx9MT5e5RIOg5szGZK0l9vEb0L5azgTI62hL5LeVVEmIjRmU8yAoDH3pQoi2dSwb63FEftKuB_tMS0Y0INE/s1600/parasaurolophus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4FPBYcw80DE8vJgg5DSUSAeaMPI_fbEH5Os8cEjaKk8Y6QYJdRUe0XOGRx9MT5e5RIOg5szGZK0l9vEb0L5azgTI62hL5LeVVEmIjRmU8yAoDH3pQoi2dSwb63FEftKuB_tMS0Y0INE/s400/parasaurolophus.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Parasaurolophus</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOUS6qxVaQXyLNLk_Si5vRPHIAhhVyxmPtH2emCNUoUjrWdQ8kS-d-0hqq6z9mPH3vbQdS5rKd4EC6JVOZ3NDHlKrha-VRyOH0OPlfaXSLpT2jtfCAFfwBUlrDZ9MptvqCLFA9v-SQGA/s1600/tsintaosaurus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOUS6qxVaQXyLNLk_Si5vRPHIAhhVyxmPtH2emCNUoUjrWdQ8kS-d-0hqq6z9mPH3vbQdS5rKd4EC6JVOZ3NDHlKrha-VRyOH0OPlfaXSLpT2jtfCAFfwBUlrDZ9MptvqCLFA9v-SQGA/s400/tsintaosaurus.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tsintausaurus</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywPjFLR0BKAV-JHMt3VMV5OSEndlxJyQFDIxc2Zf4P0ISFRUkI2iz8zbw1fphD5DaToy-4E6JJotDKPH7xxGkHvUrol9G9xhHGkJnEDwCjdq-sGThPidifDAd8pvEjFcuB1Nb18rclpM/s1600/restroom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1171" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywPjFLR0BKAV-JHMt3VMV5OSEndlxJyQFDIxc2Zf4P0ISFRUkI2iz8zbw1fphD5DaToy-4E6JJotDKPH7xxGkHvUrol9G9xhHGkJnEDwCjdq-sGThPidifDAd8pvEjFcuB1Nb18rclpM/s400/restroom.JPG" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">restroom, Dinosaur World</td></tr>
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I saw my final dinosaur at a used car dealership on the last day of the trip. As I was taking pictures, a man came out of the office and announced that there was a ten dollar charge for photographs. I made clear that I was paying nothing and the salesman laughed, telling me I would be surprised by how many people handed over a sawbuck simply because he asked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_gfuCwJDVs96b0vZBdraO16N74o52Sh7S4Jnp5buSV27hcRHKNtlyrWk1E4OOOHovriC3OYJAZzClNQ1wZuQMdpUWHGROVZ2ob68xJDk7Zcpb803HDIiZ5PcbRxPc9Hmpw_kvV1b6MI/s1600/dealership_dino.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_gfuCwJDVs96b0vZBdraO16N74o52Sh7S4Jnp5buSV27hcRHKNtlyrWk1E4OOOHovriC3OYJAZzClNQ1wZuQMdpUWHGROVZ2ob68xJDk7Zcpb803HDIiZ5PcbRxPc9Hmpw_kvV1b6MI/s400/dealership_dino.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at his or her feet, a 14-year old BMW convertible coupe, available for $5980</td></tr>
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<a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2016/09/an-editorial-meeting-in-my-mind.html">In 2016</a>, Melvin and I stopped at a <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/15125">then-derelict mini-golf course in Pensacola</a>. Despite some differences in their outward appearance, I recognized the dealership dinosaur's twin.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3hOnK9WG5peTY6GCoQJTmK_JQ5cQy8IdcWK46nEs-zK5tErUo3RGA3EWb4MYZ3XVc1QEP3oeCmt1crEZBywmDk61zIY2afIoabmIEfQ7SKZH5rxR9UeXgM6c_ldMSTQacV7VcjChWy8/s1600/goofy_golf_dinosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3hOnK9WG5peTY6GCoQJTmK_JQ5cQy8IdcWK46nEs-zK5tErUo3RGA3EWb4MYZ3XVc1QEP3oeCmt1crEZBywmDk61zIY2afIoabmIEfQ7SKZH5rxR9UeXgM6c_ldMSTQacV7VcjChWy8/s640/goofy_golf_dinosaur.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dusk only added to the sense of decrepitude in Pensacola</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Historic Ballparks</span><br />
<br />
Another reoccurring feature of the 2013 tour was stadiums no longer used for major or minor league baseball, two of which were 90 years old.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJMfeoxlSbuCWYW8UVvS9kspAh_nxSw746yM0_ZKHnBJoeSvy8RZrTBkZorpH-66R1heA0AXvBNyjOBAp79M80ql0GaaClEacu5EPM32_8aWyGUnkzECxAdncVQrthQ_D_QXgHUrCNAI/s1600/henley_field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="640" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJMfeoxlSbuCWYW8UVvS9kspAh_nxSw746yM0_ZKHnBJoeSvy8RZrTBkZorpH-66R1heA0AXvBNyjOBAp79M80ql0GaaClEacu5EPM32_8aWyGUnkzECxAdncVQrthQ_D_QXgHUrCNAI/s400/henley_field.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henley Field, Lakeland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Henley Field is a handsome Spanish Revival stadium that opened in 1923 as Athletic Park. It hosted Florida State and Florida International league teams and spring training squads off-and-on until 1965, when the Detroit Tigers moved a mile-an-a-half north to Joker Marchant Stadium.<br />
<br />
The facility was owned then by the City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department and well-kept. It is unclear from either a <a href="https://lakelandflorida.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ae2e9db6af344454a6d8040112fccd58">parks department map</a> or a <a href="https://fscmocs.com/sports/bsb/henley_field">Henley Field page</a> on the website of the Florida Southern College athletic program <a href="http://fscsouthern.com/fsc-hoping-to-buy-historic-henley-field-deal-with-city-of-lakeland-to-sell-facility-that-once-hosted-ruth-dimaggio/">if the school purchased the facility</a> has it hoped.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZnZZXAPwx0MjeSv4vznYlyotvrgjyve6naHohD8-Qbs7H6O0bFSMe5Ih3-y3N7qlt71butsICixjMaRYlLUCwd7evl26XJ2FidpUpacy5oLKyR5At01Kh542hl7cggkI8mWucfkdtQg/s1600/tinker_field_seats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZnZZXAPwx0MjeSv4vznYlyotvrgjyve6naHohD8-Qbs7H6O0bFSMe5Ih3-y3N7qlt71butsICixjMaRYlLUCwd7evl26XJ2FidpUpacy5oLKyR5At01Kh542hl7cggkI8mWucfkdtQg/s400/tinker_field_seats.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1000 of the Tinker Field seats came from <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/griffith-stadium">Griffith Stadium</a> when the latter was renovated in 1963</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and Washington Senators-slash-Minnesota Twins held their spring training camps at Tinker Field from 1923 to 1999. Minor league baseball was also played at Tinker Field, in a variety of leagues and with an even wider range of names. When the stadium best known as the Citrus Bowl was built next door in 1935, the right field bleachers were torn down to accommodate the larger structure. Eighty years later, Orlando leveled everything.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6V0KfHirgmUPNx9iLzFsBeJgxsaPwNM7MVtVL3aSCdl5vatHGnKC6vYIRd1_g8wUh7_NoHos3572WsxHXC6d90PvNtS6bszZ8HT-GW-e8hT6BEJ2w5xUUC5jjIOAZ2oyqMhRk-FJlD7E/s1600/griffith_memorial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6V0KfHirgmUPNx9iLzFsBeJgxsaPwNM7MVtVL3aSCdl5vatHGnKC6vYIRd1_g8wUh7_NoHos3572WsxHXC6d90PvNtS6bszZ8HT-GW-e8hT6BEJ2w5xUUC5jjIOAZ2oyqMhRk-FJlD7E/s400/griffith_memorial.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">memorial to Hall of Fame baseball player, manager and team owner, <a href="https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/griffith-clark">Clark Griffith</a>; Tinker Field, Orlando</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Al Lang Stadium is currently home to a Division II professional soccer team, the <a href="https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/">Tampa Bay Rowdies</a>. It hosted spring training for the Yankees, Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Orioles and Rays from 1947 to 2008, as well as Florida State and Florida International league teams. <a href="https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/06/26/new-st-petersburg-ballpark-could-factor-into-rays-tampa-bay-montreal-plan/">For over a decade</a>, the site has been considered a possible future home of the Tampa Bay Rays, a prospect discussed more fervently after the Rays purchased the Rowdies.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeXW6HnUZyBA2qeVcuDkFEtwXevq2TjTzK5liW6IfGosNRNY9yocnwNwBzHLzaqbTTfEC31S9ZMl1oIom66MlogcFTqM6w81O-k4bxb9AMbLNGZXLIizIlrYYtv7mAVaSLChyN-iOxfA/s1600/al_lang_stadium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeXW6HnUZyBA2qeVcuDkFEtwXevq2TjTzK5liW6IfGosNRNY9yocnwNwBzHLzaqbTTfEC31S9ZMl1oIom66MlogcFTqM6w81O-k4bxb9AMbLNGZXLIizIlrYYtv7mAVaSLChyN-iOxfA/s400/al_lang_stadium.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As a footnote, Al Lang Stadium was also the home ground for the St. Petersburg Pelicans, winners of the only full season of the <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/08/28/senior-professional-baseball-association-rollie-fingers">Senior Professional Baseball Association</a> and the team in first place when the league folded on December 26, 1990. The Orlando Juice played its home games at Tinker Field in 1989, when the league had eight teams in two divisions, all in Florida.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And More!</span><br />
<br />
I also saw a lot of architecture, planning and engineering but the categorical format falters when it gets down to the features that lack commonality. Let's convert to a chronological outline.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday</span><br />
<br />
flew to Tampa International Airport<br />
<a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/21302">Whimzeyland</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-viNe-hqeXs8eCk7wCBw5RkeK7PsEOT6wFlNul1Ecx9h7jYRgQN3OGXkKYQWzFC29y84lkYHKCceW28T7FN2k30Er655a2cRZp47f3OuFrXqsRcILrubaQDOc6GthYkZristuAXt98w/s1600/whimsey_window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-viNe-hqeXs8eCk7wCBw5RkeK7PsEOT6wFlNul1Ecx9h7jYRgQN3OGXkKYQWzFC29y84lkYHKCceW28T7FN2k30Er655a2cRZp47f3OuFrXqsRcILrubaQDOc6GthYkZristuAXt98w/s400/whimsey_window.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">whimzical window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-threshers/2013/04/17/351600#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=351600">Clearwater Threshers 2, Daytona Cubs 13</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baezja01.shtml">Javy Báez</a>, who the following year would play 52 games at Clark and Addison, went three-for-six including a homer and scored twice in the rout. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=594830#/career/R/hitting/2019/ALL">Dustin Geiger</a> also scored two and drove in four in his three-for-five outing. Lunch was a cheese steak from <a href="https://delcosoriginalsteak.com/index.html">Delco's Original Steaks & Hoagies</a>. You can also get Yuengling because when you travel that far, you want everything to be just like home, only warmer.</blockquote>
Sixty miles to the east and three hours later, it was the <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/manatees-vs-flying-tigers/2013/04/17/351597#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=351597">Lakeland Flying Tigers 0, Brevard County Manatees 3</a>, after three innings. That was pretty much it, an anti-climatic ending to the first day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslI5qjrHHZqKNEbYiPVyJ_yF6P-cTbHEXh6THOSP42K0bla8OZi4Wn_Us7vZJbP5GqHDHGjHBwMEMrRnmbB5sfY3unp0chQ3-fRiwmquAY71tRjs-C4-F8X2HgtZHwEplhYYK4t81P5c/s1600/joker_marchant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslI5qjrHHZqKNEbYiPVyJ_yF6P-cTbHEXh6THOSP42K0bla8OZi4Wn_Us7vZJbP5GqHDHGjHBwMEMrRnmbB5sfY3unp0chQ3-fRiwmquAY71tRjs-C4-F8X2HgtZHwEplhYYK4t81P5c/s400/joker_marchant.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the architecture of Joker Marchant Stadium recalls its predecessor, Henley Field</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thursday</span><br />
<br />
continental breakfast at the motel<br />
Happy Days School (by chance)<br />
Florida Southern College, home of <a href="http://www.franklloydwrightatfsc.com/">the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings</a> on one site<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0vGOppFRyX1idLcseyBylnktYmpT9MO1pYnNJJvGJUK88hmrpOJSk6NRP1-mu2sCWRtKa9TwR7MPiUkxYbj4DBL8wDcO36Sfx7Zt_RMF26mG5Cf4Rj-hPgsiYHJDMRbr8zJkOOGP2MY/s1600/fsu_walkway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0vGOppFRyX1idLcseyBylnktYmpT9MO1pYnNJJvGJUK88hmrpOJSk6NRP1-mu2sCWRtKa9TwR7MPiUkxYbj4DBL8wDcO36Sfx7Zt_RMF26mG5Cf4Rj-hPgsiYHJDMRbr8zJkOOGP2MY/s400/fsu_walkway.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lower level walkway, Administration Building, Florida Southern College</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Henley Field<br />
the planned community of <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/celebration-florida-disneys-ideal-community-178231">Celebration, Florida</a><br />
<a href="https://www.orangeworld192.com/pages/about-us">Eli's Orange World</a>, the world's largest orange(-colored, domed, citrus-product gift shop)<br />
Paradise Inn, which is what I pictured when <i><a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/5/31/15706424/florida-project-review-cannes-sean-baker">The Florida Project</a></i> was released four years later<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowvugF3_lMx44_BmG4NDfmR_JK7Y5WKsTn9ny0E6hY1XgfrKXjdXWPVYe0cUJi30Skj5upsfeMzcp6gQ52Kd0TRa1fXBhIGP_cdesaA-L97sL0FvGo_YRaT_OXozHoV_t7Pb5TDkLXUU/s1600/paradise_inn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="430" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowvugF3_lMx44_BmG4NDfmR_JK7Y5WKsTn9ny0E6hY1XgfrKXjdXWPVYe0cUJi30Skj5upsfeMzcp6gQ52Kd0TRa1fXBhIGP_cdesaA-L97sL0FvGo_YRaT_OXozHoV_t7Pb5TDkLXUU/s400/paradise_inn.JPG" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">armament in paradise; weekly rates, pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
the aforementioned second largest alligator, outside of the <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/gator-motel-kissimmee">Gator Motel</a><br />
<a href="http://beefyking.com/about/">Beefy King</a> for a roast beef sandwich and "beefy spuds," tater tots fried in beef fat<br />
<a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-cubs/2013/04/18/351644#game_state=final,game_tab=box,game=351644">Daytona Cubs 7, Tampa Yankees 13</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The day before, it was the Cubs who plated 13; on Thursday, it was their opponent. The three-through-seven hitters went 11 for 23 (.478) with five walks, two doubles, a pair of triples and a home run by future Yankee catcher <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchga02.shtml">Gary Sánchez</a>. At the helm was <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sojo--001lui">Luis Sojo</a>, the former Yankee infielder, in his seventh and final year at Tampa.</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Friday</span><br />
<br />
Peach Valley Café, <a href="https://www.peachvalleycafe.com/locations/index">a local chain</a>, for breakfast; it seemed only right to finish the meal with peach cobbler<br />
Bongoland<br />
Tinker Field<br />
Dinosaur World<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbzbgMahU8OQT9ctFm6z1ktZFLTWOgjDf4x6vXNjkeKVPp8ovhabCbGKXX1a7N5evbIe7Wqz6UnZvVVrY1df8OdX9cnlPHXLxZuLi9f143HF0PHJMdvU9jn7H6DVa-UD7PB70jsHRXAk/s1600/third_deck_tropicana_field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbzbgMahU8OQT9ctFm6z1ktZFLTWOgjDf4x6vXNjkeKVPp8ovhabCbGKXX1a7N5evbIe7Wqz6UnZvVVrY1df8OdX9cnlPHXLxZuLi9f143HF0PHJMdvU9jn7H6DVa-UD7PB70jsHRXAk/s400/third_deck_tropicana_field.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I understand how the game-time temperature was 72 degrees inside The Trop but how was it possible for the wind to be -1 mph? Is that MLB box score code for "domed stadium?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/athletics-vs-rays/2013/04/19/346985#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=346985">Tampa Bay Rays 8, Oakland Athletics 3</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The middle of the batting order—<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zobribe01.shtml">Ben Zobrist</a>, MVP candidate <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/longoev01.shtml">Evan Longoria</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/duncash01.shtml">Shelley Duncan</a> in his final year and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrise01.shtml">Sean Rodriguez</a>—beat up on the A's, batting a collective .400 and scoring six runs, including a Longo' long ball in the fourth.</blockquote>
<a href="https://stpeteshuffle.com/st-pete-shuffle.html">St. Pete Shuffle</a>, St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club (est. 1924)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeFuqbmcBxqOqxZCYuvnUwZ0Z4k-psRmoKipC8h_Tl6vIeIjm4X51_BhP6PuU7T4TvkiqFUtEpqzkkB-t2UAu_xiytsGfy8u5z9HY-SLuVbX8v0CGSlssrGStkAEKk6COcE_9QaeHNig/s1600/st.pete_shuffle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeFuqbmcBxqOqxZCYuvnUwZ0Z4k-psRmoKipC8h_Tl6vIeIjm4X51_BhP6PuU7T4TvkiqFUtEpqzkkB-t2UAu_xiytsGfy8u5z9HY-SLuVbX8v0CGSlssrGStkAEKk6COcE_9QaeHNig/s400/st.pete_shuffle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">generally members-only, the club is open to all on Fridays, 7:00-10:00 pm, weather permitting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span><br />
<br />
empanadas for breakfast at the <a href="https://saturdaymorningmarket.com/">Saturday Morning Market</a><br />
Al Lang Stadium<br />
Swain Apartments—named for prominent African-American dentist and owner Robert James Swain Jr.—where many Black Cardinal and Yankee players lived in the late-50s until the franchises integrated their spring training housing<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rYiibEC2iyEkyzB1VxAGNEEW3ihTCCqs86BVjXcoY8Xk8Ohyphenhyphen_UA1j1v_RLHfxzsPjOfCPDtlwZTaDLn97bidhyphenhyphenQgGsxvgxK7loIp_CGNrttlUD8SrEwHrjHPg9w6axYeCvlrwRbtScc/s1600/swain_apts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rYiibEC2iyEkyzB1VxAGNEEW3ihTCCqs86BVjXcoY8Xk8Ohyphenhyphen_UA1j1v_RLHfxzsPjOfCPDtlwZTaDLn97bidhyphenhyphenQgGsxvgxK7loIp_CGNrttlUD8SrEwHrjHPg9w6axYeCvlrwRbtScc/s400/swain_apts.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swain Apartments, 1511 22nd Street S., St. Petersburg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.tedpetersfish.com/">Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish</a> for lunch<br />
Sunshine Skyway (south)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkshSwACs9ZO8gRTw2G8V7G13GZ3nJVI5N2h_I7qvIvAdE_CIiP9gBWowKFP1PheQW5mJpAiBbbeZ9vj6PVJ8qHsM_h_bYOtPHVg7mhrw64kl58JgTYV5daogPRFx3qxzyd0BM8adeNdQ/s1600/fishing_pier.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkshSwACs9ZO8gRTw2G8V7G13GZ3nJVI5N2h_I7qvIvAdE_CIiP9gBWowKFP1PheQW5mJpAiBbbeZ9vj6PVJ8qHsM_h_bYOtPHVg7mhrw64kl58JgTYV5daogPRFx3qxzyd0BM8adeNdQ/s400/fishing_pier.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">accessible from the Skyway (rear), remnants of the previous bridge now serve as a fishing pier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
the Circus Museum and Venetian Gothic Ca’ d’Zan mansion (Dwight James Baum, 1924) at the multi-featured <a href="https://www.ringling.org/visit">John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamgjtcxj6J_Bdzh2-Op-R0rqF-Bhmz8e6S3TLeAQcAyhDImNxdqrqY_NPN9jXrytU_MqxdfPivRvcmGJmTcqHalnTnq9magF11O2G4AKt4nZ8HWYnI-V9yyz6I-sj7FGL7_P3d7riX74/s1600/circus_costume.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamgjtcxj6J_Bdzh2-Op-R0rqF-Bhmz8e6S3TLeAQcAyhDImNxdqrqY_NPN9jXrytU_MqxdfPivRvcmGJmTcqHalnTnq9magF11O2G4AKt4nZ8HWYnI-V9yyz6I-sj7FGL7_P3d7riX74/s400/circus_costume.JPG" width="337" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">circus costume on a swivel-hip mannequin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEK4asGfOyXU_b-PLt7nhKDMlHTkCoXszFEztIVDrW1eah5bVb97fAMjEunevlh3u2y8WO23LCrWOS3_6j9EeiC3Cb8j10eTBqlPa0-WmRNrvpSwCRxdOsLsmnnbtQr1QqCbId65zZLl8/s1600/ca_d%2527zan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEK4asGfOyXU_b-PLt7nhKDMlHTkCoXszFEztIVDrW1eah5bVb97fAMjEunevlh3u2y8WO23LCrWOS3_6j9EeiC3Cb8j10eTBqlPa0-WmRNrvpSwCRxdOsLsmnnbtQr1QqCbId65zZLl8/s400/ca_d%2527zan.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bayfront facade, Ca' d'Zan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
other Sarasota architecture<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
the Art Deco/Art Moderne <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/s1p88mKowpXX1HiT8">Sarasota Municipal Auditorium</a> (Thomas Reed Martin and Clarence A. Martin, 1938)<br />
Sarasota City Hall (Jack West, 1966)<br />
one-story office building, 25 South Osprey Avenue (Victor Lundy, 1957)</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60786-d1875974-Reviews-Shake_Pit-Bradenton_Florida.html">Shake Pit</a> for supper and some <a href="https://www.roadarch.com/about.html">Debra Jane Seltzer</a> (the person, not a brand of carbonated water, who is <a href="https://roadarch.blog/">still going strong</a> by the way!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaf6pUUy3nmo0afavh0rqwfnMVbat9zgqPETrlP6ZJ625k-ve1WQ_8MX33vRKBaXHbAJLeJ_fhml6UKG6sCCbZorh0UM04J8ebZO8gulELSPjXoGlz8Crtzs_RSJI8Kum6Fr_LAkb6bM/s1600/shake_pit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaf6pUUy3nmo0afavh0rqwfnMVbat9zgqPETrlP6ZJ625k-ve1WQ_8MX33vRKBaXHbAJLeJ_fhml6UKG6sCCbZorh0UM04J8ebZO8gulELSPjXoGlz8Crtzs_RSJI8Kum6Fr_LAkb6bM/s400/shake_pit.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shake Pit, Bradenton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/cardinals-vs-marauders/2013/04/20/351704#game_state=final,game_tab=box,game=351704">Bradenton Marauders 4, Palm Beach Cardinals 3</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There was light rain, off-and-on. A woman with two kids mistakenly thought I was trying to pick her up. A Cardinals coach got thrown out of the game. Errors hurt both teams but the home team rallied in the final two innings for just their fourth win of the season (4-12).</blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20181102/jims-small-batch-bakery-closes-in-gulf-gate">Jim's Small Batch Bakery</a> for breakfast<br />
<a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20141110/News/605204362/SH">bikini clad Uniroyal Girl</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfzty5ZpxSCMy0Q9Uj6aBk8qLltE5yXAAYPEwNxjVKz8Zjc6tbu9iiynM-sOekNWHcS_4MNhp4jgIt14cNi_dZ2KInxcEmx4MUNH9XYC2WV0MKs6aBA0IYnX5vF2NBYOx8eJWUnhFtus/s1600/bradenton_unigirl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="640" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfzty5ZpxSCMy0Q9Uj6aBk8qLltE5yXAAYPEwNxjVKz8Zjc6tbu9iiynM-sOekNWHcS_4MNhp4jgIt14cNi_dZ2KInxcEmx4MUNH9XYC2WV0MKs6aBA0IYnX5vF2NBYOx8eJWUnhFtus/s400/bradenton_unigirl.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/36531">"far more rare than the Muffler Men"</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sunshine Skyway (north)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPxj-IO8DGScqHX5JvOIUEAgY_2d0fyc7f0QMeu0v0GBrdIBO0YcQLQINY3zaFwh8Aie19uDLyW3HO3SJieYO_4se4UxeH_hhV_yxnrSpZn2oUbfF3ilOiK8q660FTWxoYDUPQjKyzQk/s1600/sunshine_skyway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPxj-IO8DGScqHX5JvOIUEAgY_2d0fyc7f0QMeu0v0GBrdIBO0YcQLQINY3zaFwh8Aie19uDLyW3HO3SJieYO_4se4UxeH_hhV_yxnrSpZn2oUbfF3ilOiK8q660FTWxoYDUPQjKyzQk/s400/sunshine_skyway.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the early-morning traffic was light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
dealership dinosaur<br />
<a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-blue-jays/2013/04/21/351724#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=351724">Dunedin Blue Jays 9, Daytona Cubs 1</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pitching and offense; every Blue Jay got a hit, several had two, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml">Aaron Sanchez</a>—who would pitch 33 innings for the parent club in 2015—held the Cubbies to two singles.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/manatees-vs-yankees/2013/04/21/351719#game_state=final,game_tab=box,game=351719">Tampa Yankees 3, Brevard County Manatees 8</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
four errors by Yankee infielders and eight-for-19 hitting (.421) by the Manatees in the 3-4-5-6 spots in the line-up</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoLlQojnZLXzuj5Lv6osYXj-KxjfoDEF9G8T7LbgoREYwWosYN2spQ4C1Hg7yuqCUCj7pXsBqFPdsbujAJVFuLzVkwkkIO8YBkSFPAo6garS_VX_3FvaX7E538HmyMHhg2Qq1sBO-n60/s1600/waving_mermaids.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="500" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoLlQojnZLXzuj5Lv6osYXj-KxjfoDEF9G8T7LbgoREYwWosYN2spQ4C1Hg7yuqCUCj7pXsBqFPdsbujAJVFuLzVkwkkIO8YBkSFPAo6garS_VX_3FvaX7E538HmyMHhg2Qq1sBO-n60/s400/waving_mermaids.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">drove directly from the stadium to the airport and flew home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
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<div>
<br /></div>
Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-5012148278253673782020-04-15T09:56:00.000-05:002020-05-01T07:32:16.822-05:00Jackie Robinson Day 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNi5ePh3KtyDCLElv4UEjFhmoPS8rOW-ZXhbQIQSVkUxXdrOmbWLPFajsp1Jf3IE-F9HRApuAezW8_X-oCSYNI6wkK-r4zbp7TxEOd_KtOYjf4U4R94sf5NkRvz3JHD7OL6IRonS-PSk/s1600/robinsonday2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="680" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNi5ePh3KtyDCLElv4UEjFhmoPS8rOW-ZXhbQIQSVkUxXdrOmbWLPFajsp1Jf3IE-F9HRApuAezW8_X-oCSYNI6wkK-r4zbp7TxEOd_KtOYjf4U4R94sf5NkRvz3JHD7OL6IRonS-PSk/s400/robinsonday2020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Today is Jackie Robinson Day. Like so many events right now that are usually celebrated in person, we will need to go online to collectively observe the date when Jack Roosevelt Robinson broke into the major leagues in 1947.<br />
<br />
Like <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/robinson-steals-home-c9336883">Jackie in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series</a>, lots of you are safe at home, preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. And if you are an "essential worker," thank you for your service. You don't need to wear a hospital gown or a uniform (or 42 on your jersey) to be a hero.<br />
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Major League Baseball has announced <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jackie-robinson-day-2020-complete-guide">a full day of programming</a> on a variety of platforms, including Ken Burns’ “Jackie Robinson,” "Letters To Jackie"—a documentary that focuses on Robinson’s role in the American civil rights movement—and footage from the 1955 World Series.<br />
<br />
MLB is also streaming Jackie Robinson Day games from 1997, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2019. Take your pick or watch all six! (What you do while you are WFH is between you and your supervisor and not for me to judge.) Individual ball clubs are hosting their own events and the Jackie Robinson Foundation has more media and other activities <a href="https://www.jrlegacy.org/">on its website</a>.<br />
<br />
I note (and you knew this was coming) that none of the announcements make any mention of the long-delayed <a href="https://www.jackierobinsonmuseum.org/">Jackie Robinson Museum</a>. Yeah, I am aware that every museum in New York City is currently closed but the anniversary would have been a fine opportunity to make some statement. Instead, 3.5 months into the year, all we have been told is that the museum is—<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNz4fkIcEtabzEH6uK6O8MYA-G0ZsDsye8NU2-cYOGZFW7cZBSh4TLioW8UGr5MUS7MsYKOk17xN7fM3zDgNPqwJziT-W6eGI_HDuBO52c7I6cguLebzlx7r1VNLiUgKivzr7VWmKjBOM/s1600/opening2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1031" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNz4fkIcEtabzEH6uK6O8MYA-G0ZsDsye8NU2-cYOGZFW7cZBSh4TLioW8UGr5MUS7MsYKOk17xN7fM3zDgNPqwJziT-W6eGI_HDuBO52c7I6cguLebzlx7r1VNLiUgKivzr7VWmKjBOM/s400/opening2020.png" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Comparative Footnote:</span><br />
The Daytona Tortugas, who play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, used today's anniversary to <a href="https://www.milb.com/daytona/news/tortugas-to-revive-historic-ballfield-in-daytona-beach-313279038">announce plans to renovate Kelly Field</a>, where the Dodgers moved their 1946 spring training camp after Sanford, Florida residents threatened unrest if Robinson trained at Sanford Municipal Athletic Field.<br />
<br />
The Tortugas didn't announce that the work was complete or, given the Coronavirus pandemic, even that the team was ready to break ground. They did, however, announce their hopes of providing the field to the community sometime next year.<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-31975465148607350342020-03-12T19:19:00.000-05:002020-03-12T19:19:01.439-05:00Joe Henry is not dead<span style="font-size: large;">Or, the Baseball Byways winter meeting.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA784tNPYwU2fK97sogTSz6P9o09ZOL4-klSNhYpJq5aj2FkWaaTsP_gs0mip2kDF_IX1kWk-77nfNh1TqfIuSiPVvSThBOxKDnmHtypsIekE_Dhk96ifZ1MBd3W9noAur7NerWDzygxo/s1600/horse_not_dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA784tNPYwU2fK97sogTSz6P9o09ZOL4-klSNhYpJq5aj2FkWaaTsP_gs0mip2kDF_IX1kWk-77nfNh1TqfIuSiPVvSThBOxKDnmHtypsIekE_Dhk96ifZ1MBd3W9noAur7NerWDzygxo/s320/horse_not_dead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yorkville</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Melvin, Watson and I met in Chicago to see singer-songwriter-producer Joe Henry at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Joe performed half of his new album, <i>The Gospel According to Water</i>. From memory (and not in this order) we recall hearing "Famine Walk," the title track, "Mule," "Orson Welles," "In Time For Tomorrow," "The Fact Of Love" and "Bloom."<br />
<br />
He also played <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muOPwTyTu8A">the title track</a> from <i>Trampoline</i> (1996), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhyxJwaoPf8">"Odetta"</a> from <i>Reverie</i> (2011) and for his encore, "Gentle on My Mind," the 1967 Grammy award winner <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEs2YtN4Ay0">made popular by Glen Campbell</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2KDfGsexXw">"Don't Let Your Baby Down"</a> (John Prine, 1980). Of course, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/arts/music/joe-henry.html">what mattered is not what Joe played but that he did</a>.<br />
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The concert came about halfway through a long weekend that featured architectural tourism.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thursday afternoon and evening</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAM_sR3x0GNaJgKphLQ1RVK8HEA4Fmf14Q6UJbcdl3GkqraNOd-nJLkf4tfsnzJ2g2Quv_31czGgaQ__ZmPWGor0QOzYQC71T11-zVWftG1ihXs5cAR49e8-Gc-4Eq3k7zwgUeoUH-AX0/s1600/33123930228_d8e19979fd_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAM_sR3x0GNaJgKphLQ1RVK8HEA4Fmf14Q6UJbcdl3GkqraNOd-nJLkf4tfsnzJ2g2Quv_31czGgaQ__ZmPWGor0QOzYQC71T11-zVWftG1ihXs5cAR49e8-Gc-4Eq3k7zwgUeoUH-AX0/s400/33123930228_d8e19979fd_c.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of University Hall by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/acetonic/33123930228/in/photostream/">RW Sinclair</a> used through Creative Commons license</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://uicarchives.library.uic.edu/circle-design">University of Illinois at Chicago campus</a> (Walter Netsch, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, 1965), in particular the <a href="https://www.wbez.org/shows/morning-shift/whats-that-building-uics-behavioral-sciences-building/e3695f4d-6e95-44e3-a9d7-78583f016e75">Behavioral Sciences Building</a><br />
<a href="https://chicagounionstation.com/about">Union Station</a> (Daniel Burnham, 1925)<br />
<a href="https://www.therookerybuilding.com/the-attic-loft">The Rookery</a> (Daniel Burnham and John Root, 1885; renovated 1905, Frank Lloyd Wright)<br />
<a href="http://www.monadnockbuilding.com/the-building.html#history">Monadnock Building</a> (Daniel Burnham and John Root, 1891)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKObyK5vKmklWlYkV0jLY3BksJAPB5rcLiTIafxojBeXSM0hJPCvkgduJGMJCbBn3EDrEJt7Fl5h7GK3YiaygEJlad5-jOrB2MLbTPSeS-cly6Yxz_Ni7c4QnMaPYEm2p890yEGuVh34o/s1600/Monadnock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="585" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKObyK5vKmklWlYkV0jLY3BksJAPB5rcLiTIafxojBeXSM0hJPCvkgduJGMJCbBn3EDrEJt7Fl5h7GK3YiaygEJlad5-jOrB2MLbTPSeS-cly6Yxz_Ni7c4QnMaPYEm2p890yEGuVh34o/s400/Monadnock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Monadnock Building is on the right in <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dearborn_Street_north_from_Monadnock_Building.JPG">this 1907 postcard</a> published by Detroit Publishing Co.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://esidesign.com/work/south-wacker-drive/">300 South Wacker</a> (ESI Design, 2014)<br />
<a href="https://www.chicagotemple.org/about/">Chicago Temple</a> (Holabird & Roche, 1924)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.monkspubchicago.com/beer/">Monk's Pub</a> for supper<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Friday</span><br />
Melvin went to the dentist and I made a pointless trip to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), followed by toasted slices of an orange pound cake that Watson baked<br />
<br />
<a href="https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IL-01-031-0077#">Riverside, Illinois</a> (Olmsted, Vaux and Company, 1869-1871)<br />
<a href="http://doublenegative.tarasen.net/effigy-tumuli" style="font-style: italic;">Effigy Tumuli</a>, Buffalo Rock State Park, Ottawa (Michael Heizer, 1985)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEp0l6GFld0wN96C0A9RJGnU2c2tnm8wo5ap2sz4kkZGOnf8yhTV2Z8b2kOzX9CSyaU9neqTYl74KIj441YOX0uUsgmtoA505H83tgyz-vT0Km5tr8_RhzWvisDb_24pcvwM2HrmU1ZXs/s1600/water_strider.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="624" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEp0l6GFld0wN96C0A9RJGnU2c2tnm8wo5ap2sz4kkZGOnf8yhTV2Z8b2kOzX9CSyaU9neqTYl74KIj441YOX0uUsgmtoA505H83tgyz-vT0Km5tr8_RhzWvisDb_24pcvwM2HrmU1ZXs/s400/water_strider.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image of the water strider, one of five figures designed by Heizer, <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/4k72o9bhxz6KeXtcA">courtesy of Google Map</a> through Creative Commons license</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
lunch at <a href="https://tangledrootsbrewingco.com/brew-pub/">The Lone Buffalo Brewpub & Taproom</a>, Ottawa; the English mild had a thin mouth-feel and was overly carbonated but the pale ale was well above average<br />
<br />
exterior of the <a href="https://www.jolietprison.org/timeline/">former Illinois State Penitentiary</a>, Joliet<br />
<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/joliet-iron-and-steel-works">Joliet Iron Works Park</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8B955f3RSSOfhg9ez97Us80V5pOUOiDtTTmRyckmFUCFlCJ5pC6T3UfRhuTdFWMsaTuB3aB2_LbiYBAyuasS-zJ7XRgYg-BvFIaU_-r230Mw4VooUbxW1-xlBVez_Uc6XrhtCEfKJG8/s1600/jolietironworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8B955f3RSSOfhg9ez97Us80V5pOUOiDtTTmRyckmFUCFlCJ5pC6T3UfRhuTdFWMsaTuB3aB2_LbiYBAyuasS-zJ7XRgYg-BvFIaU_-r230Mw4VooUbxW1-xlBVez_Uc6XrhtCEfKJG8/s400/jolietironworks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joliet Iron Works Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
a pound of goat from <a href="https://www.chicagomag.com/dining-drinking/July-2018/The-50-Best-Restaurants-in-Chicago/Birrieria-Zaragoza/">Birrieria Zaragoza</a> for supper and canned beer, including the outstanding "Figure it Out" from Middle Brow Beer<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span><br />
more toasted orange pound cake, plus fruit<br />
<a href="https://www.archdaily.com/59719/ad-classics-the-farnsworth-house-mies-van-der-rohe">Farnsworth House</a>, Plano (Mies van der Rohe, 1945-1951) via Yorkville<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlPjL05osNuUjgoP81T3OShP-Yx2OknyyR5zLDa7OmwfIt-34_qZQfeZyNKAWppzIA3DemhzmoWgsZDGvZEBDbUnOthAYBP1g-tYYMOnsLRd1ouR0DGHNSlJTuApDShUbKUtjE8wKHgI/s1600/farnsworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1328" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlPjL05osNuUjgoP81T3OShP-Yx2OknyyR5zLDa7OmwfIt-34_qZQfeZyNKAWppzIA3DemhzmoWgsZDGvZEBDbUnOthAYBP1g-tYYMOnsLRd1ouR0DGHNSlJTuApDShUbKUtjE8wKHgI/s400/farnsworth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there is a <a href="https://farnsworthhouse.org/photography">ten dollar charge</a> for interior photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
dinner at <a href="http://www.bandofbohemia.com/menu">Band of Bohemia</a>, accompanied by their beers; Keller in the Rye, The Noble Raven Ale, Plaid Camel and RootsBeer Stout<br />
Joe Henry, opened and often accompanied by <a href="http://www.birdsofchicago.com/">Birds of Chicago</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span><br />
orange pound cake french toast, with fruit and bacon<br />
more <a href="http://exhibits.library.northwestern.edu/walternetsch/netschbiography.html">Walter Netsch, Northwestern University</a> (1968-1977)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKz-2amNIDpajEOa8T5Wv-us6HesWmXChRQPaDavX3aTZ_1I2R86toV9ywW5JJNlc4bQFK-2IHIdGaNSJbDa4POp4xC_asgI4cBrAkj3LTc8gh3rY_7HXdDVcCdkzqfKHlvEbpQLzCFz0/s1600/northwesterrn_univ_libr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKz-2amNIDpajEOa8T5Wv-us6HesWmXChRQPaDavX3aTZ_1I2R86toV9ywW5JJNlc4bQFK-2IHIdGaNSJbDa4POp4xC_asgI4cBrAkj3LTc8gh3rY_7HXdDVcCdkzqfKHlvEbpQLzCFz0/s640/northwesterrn_univ_libr.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwestern University Library (1970)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Bahá'í House of Worship, Wilmette (<a href="https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/notes/bourgeoi.htm">Louis Bourgeois</a>, 1921-1953)<br />
<a href="https://www.middlebrowbeer.com/home">Middle Brow Bungalow</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Monday</span><br />
CTA Blue Line to O'Hare<br />
JetBlue to JFK<br />
the AirTrain to the A train to the B41 bus to my mother's apartment to fix the clothes washer; sometimes a vacation ends like falling off of a cliff<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-58452710782349705242020-01-18T14:11:00.000-06:002020-01-18T14:11:14.540-06:00Moving the Goal Posts at the Jackie Robinson MuseumOriginally <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/02/17/tribeca-jackie-robinson-museum-is-long-overdue-and-may-never-open-due-to-rent-costs/">announced to open in 2010</a>, the anticipated debut of the Jackie Robinson Museum was <a href="https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/01/31/new-york-museum-exhibit-marks-jackie-robinson-centennial/">revised a year ago</a> to December 2019. I recently went to <a href="https://www.jackierobinson.org/">the Jackie Robinson Foundation's website</a> and the museum is now—<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5CRCXgnUAI87RSbtYXoj2TfA7poDAFeksSKF83PclfgkhrtCm8z4J8iuIZtrXqMnbS2AAvBixxprX3cMutnuz2878ALNTcjIPZKxhvDweQlADrRtq4EUkQUBREvNjKYQU4Mip1FOwjs/s1600/opening2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1031" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5CRCXgnUAI87RSbtYXoj2TfA7poDAFeksSKF83PclfgkhrtCm8z4J8iuIZtrXqMnbS2AAvBixxprX3cMutnuz2878ALNTcjIPZKxhvDweQlADrRtq4EUkQUBREvNjKYQU4Mip1FOwjs/s400/opening2020.png" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>It occurs to me as I write my third post on the topic that some readers might find the updates mean-spirited, perhaps even racist. Not so.<br />
<br />
As a New Yorker with a car, I have driven past "One Hudson Square" numerous times on my way to the Holland Tunnel. When I have, particularly if I am stuck in traffic, I looked at the signs proclaiming the "Future home of The Jackie Robinson Museum."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbn93g-b4Nt0MHmn92q58L7rV61L48OjSDgoUH_pFGzCeB0UyYfW5vD2lNLw7EOj4rL6pMQOhOEs8y2fs2WybMiPbtPmNHznGjdCz2ffmLPTauzSxsJ2b8ZNy6Dh2Vs5Ce8lZ2kOmB3k/s1600/mus_str_view.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="866" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbn93g-b4Nt0MHmn92q58L7rV61L48OjSDgoUH_pFGzCeB0UyYfW5vD2lNLw7EOj4rL6pMQOhOEs8y2fs2WybMiPbtPmNHznGjdCz2ffmLPTauzSxsJ2b8ZNy6Dh2Vs5Ce8lZ2kOmB3k/s400/mus_str_view.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October 2014 Google Street View used through Creative Commons license</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The signage prompts the question, 'Cool, but when?' The answers have not only been disappointing, they have strained credulity. I wish nothing but the best for the museum; that it open as soon as possible, that the exhibits are smart and well-presented, that the narrative is honest and inspiring.<br />
<br />
This year, now opening this year.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-16856293844808610462019-11-24T16:19:00.002-06:002019-12-26T18:24:57.710-06:00PDX & PHXAt the end of September, I visited my father outside of Portland, Oregon, where many people refer to the city by its airport code as if coming and going by air was the Number One recreational activity. (I already know <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2011/02/fat-lady-sings-again-in-portland.html">their favorite pastime isn't going to see professional baseball</a>.) Maybe it's <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-the-portland-airport-carpet-became-a-hipster-icon-1682786190">the "iconic" carpet</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s_ac0IgETgCt2UhNViGip0vuQzi03M9geV56Rvb1SL2wlCXiCgkzIEDi3I9UBtKvJA0VXtNsSeoC3qFszRStZ-2LhlMYFFG20XhvFbKjH0h3MtprAg2EfMNoZ7hn89Yj2MbqpJ9rbwE/s1600/PDX_Carpet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s_ac0IgETgCt2UhNViGip0vuQzi03M9geV56Rvb1SL2wlCXiCgkzIEDi3I9UBtKvJA0VXtNsSeoC3qFszRStZ-2LhlMYFFG20XhvFbKjH0h3MtprAg2EfMNoZ7hn89Yj2MbqpJ9rbwE/s400/PDX_Carpet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The iconic PDX Carpet in December 2014," by Travis Thurston, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PDX_Carpet.jpg">used through Creative Commons license</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As Dad gets older, the visits get shorter, too short now to justify the indignities and cost of cross-country travel. I invited Melvin to meet me in Phoenix to round out the trip with some <a href="https://www.mlb.com/arizona-fall-league">Arizona Fall League</a> action. And while I am making music for airports, there is no harbor in the sky or anywhere else at PHX, which is of course in a desert.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thursday</b></span><br />
<br />
When my brother or I visit our father, he likes to take us to commercial establishments. A cynic would call this a ride-along while Dad runs errands but I prefer to think of it as a guided tour of his day-to-day life, which I only see once a year.<br />
<br />
This trip began with <a href="https://www.bottledropcenters.com/">Bottle Drop</a>, a subsidiary of the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, a "member-owned, cooperative corporation in charge of picking up and processing nearly 100% of all containers redeemed in Oregon." <strike>I don't understand the business model but that only feeds my fascination.</strike> If the system is the same as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/26/nyregion/collecting-cans-collectors-nyc.html">in New York</a>, the co-op profits from the handling fee paid over-and-above the deposit redemption.<br />
<br />
And every trip absolutely must include <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-grocery-depot-lebanon">Grocery Depot</a>, which sells discount salvaged food, some past the 'best-by date.' Alas, I am my father's son so I bought a one liter bottle of Pellegrino sparkling mineral water (best by 07.04.19) for 59 cents, a 2.7 ounce package of Krave Chili Lime <strike>"Gourmet Meat Cuts"</strike> jerky (best by 07/13/19) for $1.99 and for $1.19, an 80 gram bar of Dagoba organic milk chocolate (best by 06 2019).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-UWL_xm7s0WUceHM9rMyzQjzkUzZpl68V5aJJ9YBu4IfYHBhVPBMzsF-uABT6WUqNy82HyodSrQmr5P0-V6Y3Bv5sTrSOufbTqfNAJ9RwS_jHebUmkNdGSQ_5NAaU3CeKT58Zdfhs0E/s1600/past_date_condiments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="532" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-UWL_xm7s0WUceHM9rMyzQjzkUzZpl68V5aJJ9YBu4IfYHBhVPBMzsF-uABT6WUqNy82HyodSrQmr5P0-V6Y3Bv5sTrSOufbTqfNAJ9RwS_jHebUmkNdGSQ_5NAaU3CeKT58Zdfhs0E/s400/past_date_condiments.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">agreed, not as interesting as <a href="http://100photos.time.com/photos/andreas-gursky-99-cent">Andreas Gursky's <i>99 Cent</i></a> (1999)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then we were off to Jack's Barber Shop, where Jill is back on the job amidst the taxidermy after her motorcycle accident, followed by Lowe's for shorter bolts to fix the rocking chair. (That's right, Jack and Jill, and before you make some smart-ass comment, let me remind you that she rides a bike and wields a straight-edge razor.)<br />
<br />
My stepmother suggested <a href="https://www.marketofchoice.com/about-market-of-choice/market-of-choice-mission">Market of Choice</a> for lunch but it seemed too something (not just expensive) for my Dad, so we ended up instead at <a href="https://www.izzyspizza.com/">Izzy's</a>. Our first meal together when we both received the senior citizen discount! (He asked, not me.)<br />
<br />
Dad agreed to a tour of the <a href="https://linnparks.com/museums/linn-county-historical-museum/">Linn County Historical Museum</a> but didn't agree with my directions, which is okay—he often tells his GPS that "she" is wrong too. The consolation prize was the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandmarks/site.htm?Site=WIFL-OR">Willamette Floodplain National Natural Landmark</a>, "the largest remaining native unplowed example of bottomland interior valley grassland in the North Pacific." (I might have put the same words in a different order.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV8nBO2Ds5T3E_vU2nI8auzKMskr8MYgDf-ZYEJ9lNRXFuolQLZMS4wRRZSpoQdAw0SB29cL7IDfhR0hBnFxXLbCdYggjwSHhAiBtE5PguEF-T9o3GpvyKmsC_-13t2Zl_w35zI3q2fU/s1600/WFNNL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="486" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV8nBO2Ds5T3E_vU2nI8auzKMskr8MYgDf-ZYEJ9lNRXFuolQLZMS4wRRZSpoQdAw0SB29cL7IDfhR0hBnFxXLbCdYggjwSHhAiBtE5PguEF-T9o3GpvyKmsC_-13t2Zl_w35zI3q2fU/s640/WFNNL.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there was evidence of a controlled burn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was my stepmother's birthday so at her request we had supper at <a href="https://www.burgerville.com/">Burgerville</a>, an Oregon chain in the mode of In-N-Out Burger or Shake Shack. Before retiring for the night, I had a bottle of <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/191448/">Anderson Valley Salted Caramel Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter</a>, a souvenir of Market of Choice.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Friday</b></span><br />
Reverting to the outline format in vogue amongst myself <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-2017-trans-appalachian-evidentiary.html">since 2017</a>:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://democratherald.com/business/new-cafe-offers-up-traditional-german-pastries-and-more/article_d68c2040-4516-5a02-ab3a-0265dba0c5ec.html">Little Wuesten German Foods</a> for breakfast<br />
<a href="https://www.wincofoods.com/about/an-employee-owned-company#">WinCo</a>, a low-priced, employee-owned chain of supermarkets primarily west of the Continental Divide, plus Texas and Oklahoma<br />
lunch in the <a href="https://mennonitevillage.org/dining-services/">Ashwood II Dining Room</a> at Mennonite Village<br />
<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mule_(2018_film)#Critical_response">The Mule</a></i> (Clint Eastwood, 2018) because it arrived in the mail from Netflix and therefore should be watched, like, now<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_QksSzK7sI">"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for everything."</a> Me too.</blockquote>
college volleyball: the Linn-Benton Community College Roadrunners over the Mt. Hood Community College Saints in straight sets; 25-20, 25-15, 25-17<br />
nightcap: <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14400/32432/">Ninkasi Brewing Total Domination IPA</a>, from WinCo<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Saturday</b></span><br />
<br />
Melvin flew in from ORD; I flew from PDX to PHX by way of SEA<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV6cnn19v6G_gxbIJh6c4moiLKu_eExqXz4GCuN0fmqGO-ILoDZMQymOrfyVXieY1GQoJMVZJ5tti5yroOYQUDr-tVvx81CwgHECvFYH84bo28vlqx5RxkPzFr4oslSidrAv-_BZ7ha8/s1600/mt.hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1420" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV6cnn19v6G_gxbIJh6c4moiLKu_eExqXz4GCuN0fmqGO-ILoDZMQymOrfyVXieY1GQoJMVZJ5tti5yroOYQUDr-tVvx81CwgHECvFYH84bo28vlqx5RxkPzFr4oslSidrAv-_BZ7ha8/s400/mt.hood.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">off the starboard, Mt. Rainier, named for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
excellent Octoberfest—who knew?—at <a href="http://peoriaartisanbrewing.com/">Peoria Artisan Brewing</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2019_09_28_scowin_surwin_1&t=g_box&sid=l119">Scottsdale Scorpions 2, Surprise Saguaros 0</a> at the Peoria Sports Complex because <a href="https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/construction/project-list/scottsdale-stadium-renovations">Scottsdale Stadium is being renovated</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
the first RBI was plated by Phillies prospect <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=bohm--000ale">Alec Bohm</a>, who would finish second in the AFL batting race (.361/.397/.528) but had a sizzling .435 BA when we saw him</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sunday</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.paradisevalleyaz.gov/649/Barry-Goldwater-Memorial">Barry Goldwater Memorial</a>, Paradise Valley<br />
<a href="https://www.arizonabiltmore.com/about-the-biltmore/resort-history/">Arizona Biltmore Hotel</a> (Albert Chase McArthur, 1929)<br />
<a href="http://mattsbigbreakfast.com/">Matt's Big Breakfast</a>, Downtown Phoenix<br />
a first: three games at three different stadiums in one day<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/padres-vs-d-backs/2019/09/29/564913#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=564913">San Diego Padres 0, Arizona Diamondbacks 1</a>, a walk-off win in the final inning of the season<br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2019_09_29_msswin_obrwin_1&t=g_box&sid=l119">Mesa Solar Sox 7, Yaquis de Obregón 0</a>; 14 hits for the Sosox, eight for extra bases<br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2019_09_29_mocwin_scowin_1&t=g_box&sid=l119">Scottsdale Scorpions 17, Cañeros de Los Mochis 0</a>, an even worse mismatch at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.citizenpublichouse.com/">Citizen Public House</a> for a late supper<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Monday</b></span><br />
<br />
drove Melvin to PHX so he could fly home for <a href="https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/10/live-review-nick-cave-conversations-chicago-930/">Conversations with Nick Cave</a>; he (Melvin, not Nick) wrote later, "The cumulative effect was one of great communal empathy."<br />
five-stop Atlas Obscura circuit<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tom-mix-monument">Tom Mix Monument</a>, Florence<br />
<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rooster-cogburn-ostrich-ranch">Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch</a>, Picacho</blockquote>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmn3EoGCeA2J-c9HkdMhmpraBG_zjidzz9DjD7EOM_5gKNwjeKI7wkON0cNamkJiITA7xeb0MIDl9cRRQZgsmCiXuly7rgkT4Lx71ryJ1PrNAXw-JGWfpV0xwfIO_gVWgU1q6bOooaWQ/s1600/goatface.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="802" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmn3EoGCeA2J-c9HkdMhmpraBG_zjidzz9DjD7EOM_5gKNwjeKI7wkON0cNamkJiITA7xeb0MIDl9cRRQZgsmCiXuly7rgkT4Lx71ryJ1PrNAXw-JGWfpV0xwfIO_gVWgU1q6bOooaWQ/s640/goatface.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it ain't just ostriches: denatured goat with existentially tired face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/corona-satellite-calibration-targets">Corona Satellite Calibration Targets</a>, Casa Grande</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevyFxCX0hqastNfM72SddMeWOBtTCvZaXNLwcP4J2OcpGkw8KGarD93_cx1zyAqPLMfWCsACGgwZBVkSqkCWSPqP0EoJ4H9cljx4KA0ufzvMkWzLkC4jpADKSaARzxCutDe2K7Ydprpk/s1600/target71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1063" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevyFxCX0hqastNfM72SddMeWOBtTCvZaXNLwcP4J2OcpGkw8KGarD93_cx1zyAqPLMfWCsACGgwZBVkSqkCWSPqP0EoJ4H9cljx4KA0ufzvMkWzLkC4jpADKSaARzxCutDe2K7Ydprpk/s400/target71.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X marks the spot, or at least <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/xwo4VcYupxaiAuJy7">one of the 145 extant targets</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/domes">The Domes</a>, Casa Grande<br />
<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/momentum">Movimiento del Viento</a>, Chandler</blockquote>
"happy hour" at <a href="https://www.craft64.com/#about">Craft64</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tuesday</b></span><br />
<br />
chicken breast with Vietnamese sauce and a coconut-lime "pop-out" at <a href="http://welcomechickenanddonuts.com/">Welcome Chicken + Donuts</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2019_10_01_msswin_gddwin_1&t=g_box&sid=l119">Mesa Solar Sox 4, Glendale Desert Dogs 0</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=jones-000nol">Nolan Jones</a>, who the Indians drafted out of high school in 2016, showed off his raw power with a three-run bomb in the third</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTJcaV81_fwOiK-ANylX3jh3XpmiPR6ttyUTQzrtulnsz8ZZ_pvxf5oh87BKv7NlIXZT9LdfmKg5fcTps88OWw3T5vIb84_d7iIEG1sI4OBtG4KDvxwgzA8yHUw7gLHg8dQUlXR-1Uik/s1600/27616162857_80820ae252_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="799" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTJcaV81_fwOiK-ANylX3jh3XpmiPR6ttyUTQzrtulnsz8ZZ_pvxf5oh87BKv7NlIXZT9LdfmKg5fcTps88OWw3T5vIb84_d7iIEG1sI4OBtG4KDvxwgzA8yHUw7gLHg8dQUlXR-1Uik/s400/27616162857_80820ae252_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photograph by Thomas Hawk <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/27616162857/in/photostream/">used through Creative Commons license</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Three hours until the next game; what to do? The <a href="https://delwebbsuncitiesmuseum.org/">Sun Cities Museum</a> is only open MWF. I was curious to see Yayoi Kusama’s <i><a href="http://www.phxart.org/exhibition/yayoi-kusama">You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies</a></i> from 2005 (above) but didn't want to pay $18 to see one piece of art. The <a href="http://www.mymysterycastle.com/">Mystery Castle</a> is open Thursday-Sunday. The inhabitants of the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/phoenix-bat-cave">Phoenix Bat Cave</a> are asleep in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
All tours of <a href="https://tovreacastletours.com/">Tovrea Castle</a> were sold out through the end of the year. The <a href="https://pioneeraz.org/">Pioneer Living History Museum</a>, current home of the Flying "V" Cabin, is open Wednesday-Sunday. And the <a href="http://www.eisendrathhouse.org/">Eisendrath House</a> is open Thursdays and Saturdays. So, instead, I drove through the <a href="https://azdot.gov/projects/central-district-projects/loop-101-pima-freeway-improvement-project">construction on Loop 101</a>, ate leftover pizza from Craft 64, and got back on the Pima Freeway. Just like that, three hours of my life went away.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIl1cUxlUYgsD6NVHjwX5XHGMGJjx6utwmSqvVtz38qjikzg_AG7u7Mhpod9gveklXLFhWdzzf94VzLNa-5F_80RRAIwxdcmgcbJWQdfHhj4yVgtPtgunb0enkKvImAzP4bmuH5E9v2g/s1600/loop101_construction.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="792" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIl1cUxlUYgsD6NVHjwX5XHGMGJjx6utwmSqvVtz38qjikzg_AG7u7Mhpod9gveklXLFhWdzzf94VzLNa-5F_80RRAIwxdcmgcbJWQdfHhj4yVgtPtgunb0enkKvImAzP4bmuH5E9v2g/s400/loop101_construction.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hasn't ADOT heard about "induced demand?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2019_10_01_surwin_perwin_1&t=g_box&sid=l119">Surprise Saguaros 1, Peoria Javelinas 3</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
until <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=banks-000nic">Nick Banks</a> (Nationals) hit a solo shot in the top of the eighth, I had seen 50 innings of shut-out ball over four days</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wednesday</b></span><br />
<br />
PHX to JFK to the AirTrain to the A, C, S and Q, which sounds much worse than it was (and a little bit like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_Fortune_(American_game_show)#Bonus_round">the Bonus Round on Wheel of Fortune</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-90000767316628328062019-09-25T21:55:00.000-05:002019-09-25T21:55:01.173-05:00The Word Is Not "Playoffs"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyWgxtpWLT8fAI7SDktMVgS0k6AfHajPlBt1Gvp3pzOoRizMmser8RIkjbqfpc504lNPl6eocA_9rcxVr8TsQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Well, it came to an end for the Mets today, eliminated from the hunt in the last week of the season—which really is not a shameful condition, all told. It reminded me of the more positive (albeit somewhat generic) prognosis that we got from a Mets semi-legend back in July. While he was here, he also helped us explore the <a href="https://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/06/365_days_155_le.html">wonderful regions of Port Said</a>.... As the man says, peace out, Flushing!<br />
<br />Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-11559505050093785362019-09-21T17:24:00.000-05:002019-11-24T18:04:15.708-06:00Are You ... Dick Kryhoski?Looking out the window of a <a href="https://bustime.mta.info/m/?q=B41">B41 bus</a>, I spotted a car* with a <a href="https://dmv.ny.gov/custom-plates/new-york-yankees">New York Yankees custom license plate</a> personalized with, "23 1B." It reminded me of Melvin's post, <a href="http://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2013/02/are-you-tony-campana.html">"Are you ... Tony Campana?"</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHtaJbBI1YfzY6ScrsrEm_0UxUcO8bcILtFyiYQu_bnysQgno7VsfgQ10-i-ZAbf4qxD1M2H01bYLTUOuxFEZ_LjuFHOr5JdQaXc0Qfbu2Snbb8IKFnPDbDHJt0DeJ1U_6O4LOeZbp3A/s1600/yankees_license_plate.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHtaJbBI1YfzY6ScrsrEm_0UxUcO8bcILtFyiYQu_bnysQgno7VsfgQ10-i-ZAbf4qxD1M2H01bYLTUOuxFEZ_LjuFHOr5JdQaXc0Qfbu2Snbb8IKFnPDbDHJt0DeJ1U_6O4LOeZbp3A/s400/yankees_license_plate.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$91.25 initially if personalized, $62.50 annually on renewal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
<a href="https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/baseball_uniform_numbers.php?t=NYA">According to Baseball Almanac</a>, five Yankee first basemen wore number 23. Oddly, two of them did so in the same season, 1949, when the Yankees won the final two games of the season against the Red Sox to become the American League Champions. The team then beat the Dodgers in five games to win the World Series.</div>
<div>
<br /><a name='more'></a><div>
One of the two, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kryhodi01.shtml">Dick Kryhoski</a>, split time with <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henrito01.shtml">Tommy Henrich</a>, who is usually credited as the first baseman for the '49 squad. The other player, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/molefe01.shtml">Fenton Mole</a>, started just eight games at first but also wore number 23 in what would be his sole year in major league baseball. Two players who were primarily catchers, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bryanbi01.shtml">Billy Bryan</a> (1966) and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ellisjo01.shtml">John Ellis</a> (1970-1972), also made starts at first with "23" on the back of their jerseys.<br />
<br />
Of course, the license plate doesn't pay homage to Kryhoski or Fenton or the catchers. It is certainly a tribute, to graphically quote graffiti Melvin and I saw <a href="http://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2016/10/wheres-norton.html">in 2016</a>, to—<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUZ1bDr0ghXnK0wFHBL6TYiDLN7ZTImdQ5yVK6jHOWL7lSiwX_orb1x9Iy13855A_N8fTwNM5WoMs34-dDqhZH8uDmg5QFWTId6KFJOTWKotCqAWRcpQr9Kv-_Lg5mVqRMeuQfI3B2mw/s1600/donnie_expletive_baseball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUZ1bDr0ghXnK0wFHBL6TYiDLN7ZTImdQ5yVK6jHOWL7lSiwX_orb1x9Iy13855A_N8fTwNM5WoMs34-dDqhZH8uDmg5QFWTId6KFJOTWKotCqAWRcpQr9Kv-_Lg5mVqRMeuQfI3B2mw/s400/donnie_expletive_baseball.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
In more polite circles, we would of course be speaking of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mattido01.shtml">Don Mattingly</a>, nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball." Mattingly was the 1985 MVP and a six-time all-star, 1984-1989. He won nine Gold Glove awards and six Silver Sluggers. His six grand slams in 1987 is the major league record for a single season and strangely, the only ones he ever hit. He is considered the greatest Yankee to never play in a World Series.<br />
<br />
On September 20, the Florida Marlins (then 53-99) extended Mattingly's contract as manager for two years, with a mutual option for 2022. His first year managing in Florida was 2016, after a five excellent years at the helm of the Los Angeles Dodgers. His record in LA was 446-363 and he is the only manager in franchise history to make the post-season three years in a row, 2013-2015.<br />
<br />
A great player, an accomplished manager, but almost certainly not the driver behind the wheel of the Japanese sedan on Livingston Street in Brooklyn. What would make a car owner declare their love for Don Mattingly (or any player for that matter) with a license plate? Can't you just buy a jersey like everyone else? Or write a blog post?<br />
<br />
* Full disclosure: I saw the car in 2017 and according to <a href="https://www.howsmydrivingny.nyc/">How's My Driving NY</a>, no vehicle with that plate is currently on the road. I found an unpublished draft on Blogger, cleaned it up and dated it for the day after the contract extension. If all this does is drive traffic (no pun intended) to <a href="http://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2013/02/are-you-tony-campana.html">"Are you ... Tony Campana?"</a>, one of my all-time favorite posts, it was worth the time.</div>
</div>
Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-46633670277969461622019-07-14T16:03:00.001-05:002022-09-16T12:42:46.765-05:00Wild West Virginia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UksywIBLMigASomI6Qq-LT549i3a3P2KiH4P-88oGel002c-_UsdcUeyEcyiaN1EHiYv8Z_Tuduoy2SA2wa-o2i47SuEZ9sNeG0fqFXogbUF0mF3amzyunMEtzJjwt7l7xQlcn-vUTc/s1600/flagcrosses.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UksywIBLMigASomI6Qq-LT549i3a3P2KiH4P-88oGel002c-_UsdcUeyEcyiaN1EHiYv8Z_Tuduoy2SA2wa-o2i47SuEZ9sNeG0fqFXogbUF0mF3amzyunMEtzJjwt7l7xQlcn-vUTc/s400/flagcrosses.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who—or what—exactly is buried here? (Wytheville, Va.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Happy belated birthday, Murica! Rob and I celebrated the occasion by observing the many contradictory qualities of this alternately great and appalling nation, at least to the extent they were evident in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. On our earlier trip to Florida, Rob had posited that it isn't possible today for someone to say "Murica" without some kind of ironic self-consciousness. I disagreed, saying that lack of ironic self-consciousness is precisely what's being revealed. Did our trip to Greater Appalachia resolve or illuminate this question in any way? Greater minds than ours—i.e., yours—will have to decide.<br />
<br />
Now, come on in and let's have some real fun again!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>That, you might possibly know, if you're a devoted traveler, is the slogan painted outside of the town of Shadowhawk, North Carolina. Or, to be more precise, it's what's scrawled on a piece of wood at the edge of the property of the deceased Mr. Bill Drake, a nominal Hollywood actor who built <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/17088">a cluster of structures</a> that purport to be a traditional town of the old American West. (Or, as the great Sonny Boy Williamson might have said, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6UMtWi5rX0">A little village, motherfucker</a>, a little village!")<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YL5hoefcU-ZQK6NUlyucH5cBi19HH99P1K_JWk2_HlxpGhLVJhu7EnN_IsgdoqEEdPI37Ssa7f7u2vEfeVZJBxOGwzYxWGakxOHroMg1CfjeO6xhuW3lTD7Ls2Y2fTHuoSEJ-tEI248/s1600/havefunagain.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YL5hoefcU-ZQK6NUlyucH5cBi19HH99P1K_JWk2_HlxpGhLVJhu7EnN_IsgdoqEEdPI37Ssa7f7u2vEfeVZJBxOGwzYxWGakxOHroMg1CfjeO6xhuW3lTD7Ls2Y2fTHuoSEJ-tEI248/s320/havefunagain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another notice at the edge of Shadowhawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Shadowhawk, it must be said, has seen better—or perhaps worse—days. Drake apparently hosted many a shindig on his property, featuring card games, heavy drinking, and maybe, just possibly, with a little imagination, illicit sexual activity. I can't say, I wasn't there then. But our host at Shadowhawk, a caretaker of sorts named Tony Manning (an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/Manningbuildings/about/?ref=page_internal">expert in shed construction</a>, it seems), underlined for us several times that when you're on your own property, you can pretty much do whatever you want, especially if the local constabulary is, shall we say, somewhat compromised by their own predilections. Exactly what kind of fun are we going to be having again? And why did we ever stop in the first place? The world is full of questions that you might be better off not asking, so we treaded lightly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHC2v0feHy1unDZyPxUBmohfev5kfKBlMjZIY3US_58Joop7q9RqkkAnWoXlGprtj6iyOK24QOcJqZbWE7ItDDrCAFw5r2Xu6oAku3aeInsj8VFPT9gmKxvueOhnHOyvElv70bVlJHGM/s1600/hawksnest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHC2v0feHy1unDZyPxUBmohfev5kfKBlMjZIY3US_58Joop7q9RqkkAnWoXlGprtj6iyOK24QOcJqZbWE7ItDDrCAFw5r2Xu6oAku3aeInsj8VFPT9gmKxvueOhnHOyvElv70bVlJHGM/s320/hawksnest.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down these mean streets an owner of private property must go.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As Rob observed, this isn't a man cave, it's a whole man town.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfUPqWppXliBoqLz5Dwt6V7TKttsZ5jF67q5S2fZgPJ58ynOM5sHA28Yjl11ohUWNTSmNOnZ64dbDDA1gbFjZbb94wVUnzHYA1r36-MLS7tbf3YbPvIUNpU3Q78lGg9MWqqFwUSBOASk/s1600/authenticity.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfUPqWppXliBoqLz5Dwt6V7TKttsZ5jF67q5S2fZgPJ58ynOM5sHA28Yjl11ohUWNTSmNOnZ64dbDDA1gbFjZbb94wVUnzHYA1r36-MLS7tbf3YbPvIUNpU3Q78lGg9MWqqFwUSBOASk/s320/authenticity.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We very much admired the attention to period detail inside the buildings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wow, how did we get into Jeffrey Epstein territory so quickly? Let's back up.<br />
<br />
After an interminable drive down to Richmond, we arrived at the Flying Squirrels game just in time to be plunged into shadow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_joE08ajc6HUu9wDBISNdP7EomH8t-rEaDZbOBXuWGVyTc1S2JUhZEXuNbVArZuAiBuFYoZZuywx1D093c1-_94bcQrGqvoS2VePvZe2hQHMz7734t61aEbQ8XfaZto2ED_xA75j6VI/s1600/mound.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_joE08ajc6HUu9wDBISNdP7EomH8t-rEaDZbOBXuWGVyTc1S2JUhZEXuNbVArZuAiBuFYoZZuywx1D093c1-_94bcQrGqvoS2VePvZe2hQHMz7734t61aEbQ8XfaZto2ED_xA75j6VI/s320/mound.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We first came through Richmond in 2007 when the triple-A Braves played here. It's been a double-A affair since 2010. The stadium's brutalist sensibility has grown on me, but nothing will ever reconcile me to this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE6o7bza6-PV0iznSFiPCcQAZxHOOGP6P5k8jMXMXw__cLuFuYma74P9Ul6GqLeXTnAv6kEcGtfDcoSdlA_9IaatT6fJKqkP3OoaJwDTlPofW-9BwtRCHEkAMgDIbvr12Nfsg8dkHxUY/s1600/known+gnome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE6o7bza6-PV0iznSFiPCcQAZxHOOGP6P5k8jMXMXw__cLuFuYma74P9Ul6GqLeXTnAv6kEcGtfDcoSdlA_9IaatT6fJKqkP3OoaJwDTlPofW-9BwtRCHEkAMgDIbvr12Nfsg8dkHxUY/s320/known+gnome.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We later appreciated the <a href="http://theanswerbrewpub.com/">banh mi brewpub</a> experience of The Answer, though the beers were generally better in concept than in execution. Our travels then took us to Lynchburg to see the Hillcats, but not before a stop in <a href="https://www.yogaville.org/">Yogaville</a> and its giant sherbet teat, which sadly was in the midst of reconstructive surgery.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtYfwQ7qdH-__Xsj4gkA1TrE67Cb765Oyrnu16zMo0ddJF1KhfGfKAYcXtIQrDRmAVFGtddSzqQjXJFxUZjtX8dS07D_1W0J978utt4iiJ1FJfv7j7blYRP1PhfV6YP-UdEZbTHYXKkg/s1600/teat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1280" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtYfwQ7qdH-__Xsj4gkA1TrE67Cb765Oyrnu16zMo0ddJF1KhfGfKAYcXtIQrDRmAVFGtddSzqQjXJFxUZjtX8dS07D_1W0J978utt4iiJ1FJfv7j7blYRP1PhfV6YP-UdEZbTHYXKkg/s320/teat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are many paths but one truth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We beat feet that night, heading south. Our route coincidentally took us—in pitch darkness—past the site of Shangri-La, <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2015/07/we-begin-again.html">which we visited in 2015</a>, as well as, the next day, back to Wilson, NC, for the third time. What's so attractive about Wilson, which has no minor-league baseball team? The evolution of the Vollis Simpson Whirlagig Park, of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzhj1QbKp2SK82gBzY4xKjr6-6Iv9UGEmByjzM20PHyARNG6qn5XTFHWo6vafbEegKMBiA1IoMKS5ABEpva0ATLGXkrg5TxfKCnqCS2R-MxoY_I-0HuBjDaHIsGxzl3y9ymwwVUHeUHg/s1600/IMG_3552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzhj1QbKp2SK82gBzY4xKjr6-6Iv9UGEmByjzM20PHyARNG6qn5XTFHWo6vafbEegKMBiA1IoMKS5ABEpva0ATLGXkrg5TxfKCnqCS2R-MxoY_I-0HuBjDaHIsGxzl3y9ymwwVUHeUHg/s320/IMG_3552.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we first came through in 2007, the idea of a folk-art park was just that—an idea. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vollis_Simpson">Vollis Simpson</a> was still alive, living on the outskirts of town with all his wind-driven junk. By 2015, the park was well under construction and we spent a memorable time being shown through the manufactory across the street. Now it's done and... well, it's done. It's what they said it would be, and it's more than any other depressing burg in eastern North Carolina has going for it, but it's just a little bit sterile. Maybe that was inevitable.<br />
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That afternoon brought us, after a phone call or two, into Shadowhawk, from which we skedaddled in search of another grossly inauthentic product of one man's mania, the Hattadare Indian Nation. But despite driving back and forth in the town of Bunnville to the point where we risked violating an anticruising ordinance, we couldn't find it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2JxrAL8KMbDj-FoMQFoD3YlMy7QWscxFJW8iCIU0A8w7H6Cao_bhbeq3w_w470kX609asD92LIVlPGy2dHrt7HvhQnY9BAeoDgiOLwVvt1nWV774-FYCZNOTUOsY3NWsAJnKRAPRQvg/s1600/horsie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2JxrAL8KMbDj-FoMQFoD3YlMy7QWscxFJW8iCIU0A8w7H6Cao_bhbeq3w_w470kX609asD92LIVlPGy2dHrt7HvhQnY9BAeoDgiOLwVvt1nWV774-FYCZNOTUOsY3NWsAJnKRAPRQvg/s320/horsie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hear you asking, "If this is right next to the road and a big sign that says, 'Hattadare Indian Nation' [which indeed it is], how did you miss it the first time? The answer, of course, is bad intel. Perhaps even fake news.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Except the next day we did! In the meantime we'd met up one of the inadvertent founders of the Byways enterprise, Haldeman (last seen on the <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-2017-trans-appalachian-evidentiary.html">2017 Trans-Appalachain Evidentiary Expedition</a>), and spent a quite pleasant evening at the new park in Fayetteville. The park is part of a larger redevelopment effort aimed at making downtown "Fayettenam," as it's apparently called, into something more than a cluster of payday loan joints and gun stores abutting one of the country's largest military bases. There are some signs that this might actually work, though no thanks to the dreadful food and inept beer at the Huske Hardware House, around the block. (The decor of HHH, incidentally, is definitive proof that the faux Edison bulb craze is as dead as Tyler Skaggs, whose demise we learned of while there.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwfvE9WM4n93kJqz-kNCb9kbQbewpxuoQYT8yeLmpOeFRgI_TTNiSE0WEbDlqHtNts0xvWZsM_56UaBmPBe_d_Tto0TLnpEIz3tJRxqZixSxtp-HApj38UtagLj96Bx6MWCUNkBrl2zQ/s1600/IMG_3587.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwfvE9WM4n93kJqz-kNCb9kbQbewpxuoQYT8yeLmpOeFRgI_TTNiSE0WEbDlqHtNts0xvWZsM_56UaBmPBe_d_Tto0TLnpEIz3tJRxqZixSxtp-HApj38UtagLj96Bx6MWCUNkBrl2zQ/s320/IMG_3587.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Anyway, Hattadare! It might have once been home to a group of like-minded individuals seeking refuge from America, like our friends at <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2015/07/beneath-tile-floor-swamp.html">Oyotunji</a>, but now it's just an assortment of vaguely Native American–themed concrete statues in the woods, begging for explanation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oZAlIqyjqcKwszWASVNL7MjPoFGrKpQD7quvaSWRICRFpc2eNb5LU5MqgKZJ3JR0IMsYmF48VT4WnEIIY4wXeKkeQTvhIAvhKZe53_zxIuggHE6QrzKn94Rdd_f0wUlP365qBbYzf7Q/s1600/IMG_3588.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oZAlIqyjqcKwszWASVNL7MjPoFGrKpQD7quvaSWRICRFpc2eNb5LU5MqgKZJ3JR0IMsYmF48VT4WnEIIY4wXeKkeQTvhIAvhKZe53_zxIuggHE6QrzKn94Rdd_f0wUlP365qBbYzf7Q/s320/IMG_3588.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what passes for an explanation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Man, we've got to pick up the pace or this trip will never end. Our visit to Greenbrier bunker is going to have to await for another, more paranoid post. So; we visited a creationist museum masquerading as a museum of hardware and a museum of taxidermy (or perhaps some other way around)...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbKGXJcTLyjPukwgQtpe5aIx_Qf4zFquIp_SocUrsN2OwzsEl1Hlah1He8OfRNQgPbmeA10qRjfKE6aLwlipMPkLCcl2_G4RxHcoe3VZPvmDfVKQ0SEq9ikpDvfCaYv88MtgMT_QCOuQ/s1600/IMG_3595.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbKGXJcTLyjPukwgQtpe5aIx_Qf4zFquIp_SocUrsN2OwzsEl1Hlah1He8OfRNQgPbmeA10qRjfKE6aLwlipMPkLCcl2_G4RxHcoe3VZPvmDfVKQ0SEq9ikpDvfCaYv88MtgMT_QCOuQ/s320/IMG_3595.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...and a hillside full of stone critters...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNUdm679h5F5BsXVJXWzS6tRaR4a7EM-0B0pTK_6HG9BdBc5a4bZK9jQtOz_qA4AqPEHDkC5K7LWhmvqJjQIFuQ52oqmG42kDijtItIEJOIZTWh6tHuYDZZQC-hCumGyPpd6QE5AEpx4/s1600/stonepigs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNUdm679h5F5BsXVJXWzS6tRaR4a7EM-0B0pTK_6HG9BdBc5a4bZK9jQtOz_qA4AqPEHDkC5K7LWhmvqJjQIFuQ52oqmG42kDijtItIEJOIZTWh6tHuYDZZQC-hCumGyPpd6QE5AEpx4/s320/stonepigs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
...and an enormous granite quarry, and a ghoulish tunnel full of dead railroad workers (that was back in Richmond, actually), and a town that wants to be Mayberry, in part to see the tomb of Chang and Eng ("Are they buried together?" asked Watson cheekily), and a giant pencil, and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8U0XsWOJnhVAldW0jV6ZOUWNdSqOsEbY7Z6rBjn49tUO0hIqaQavRRETgq5hpu5ZRpHmKafbecUiIzImmCl1lpLVuLszYgBhqk3mAEo2vGbLFKBhsaJxDiZML4PrVhAUQnKktmMTUuw/s1600/mrswilson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8U0XsWOJnhVAldW0jV6ZOUWNdSqOsEbY7Z6rBjn49tUO0hIqaQavRRETgq5hpu5ZRpHmKafbecUiIzImmCl1lpLVuLszYgBhqk3mAEo2vGbLFKBhsaJxDiZML4PrVhAUQnKktmMTUuw/s320/mrswilson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There was plenty of baseball, too, of course, despite some rain, but heroic driving by Rob meant that we have now crossed off all three states we visited on this trip—which in the case of affiliate-rich North Carolina is saying something. (I believe this was our fifth trip there.) The details begin to blur, however.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8btIrgEzSLCXL26yZjC12E3fI-zDfzy3bDFDEB1WS6mPUTUlFyq6504jxzzFtSK5HrsUENOrqJTYBUZQ-LLRbCnclRkK4pPHZoRnOV7mS9CXEElP_qXpN09sOdu2sPapDPluurOPSnQ/s1600/pulaskiblur.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8btIrgEzSLCXL26yZjC12E3fI-zDfzy3bDFDEB1WS6mPUTUlFyq6504jxzzFtSK5HrsUENOrqJTYBUZQ-LLRbCnclRkK4pPHZoRnOV7mS9CXEElP_qXpN09sOdu2sPapDPluurOPSnQ/s320/pulaskiblur.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pulaski Yankees, obviously.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Between the time of year and the geography, it would have been amazing if every night hadn't been some form of military appreciation night, with rousing choruses of "God Bless America" all around.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NHhR4gweQegwaoKaq72EHdnDByS-iGlS5tKszKUxKyGuaC2h3lgVoO9B-OqeWMnTDytUFmynkD4OBb5DYr1Cd0CkkqaMUoPnvlXiU5DQqlBgWILMf9RONjFc38eUUZXaYtZD886Fj5c/s1600/endtimes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NHhR4gweQegwaoKaq72EHdnDByS-iGlS5tKszKUxKyGuaC2h3lgVoO9B-OqeWMnTDytUFmynkD4OBb5DYr1Cd0CkkqaMUoPnvlXiU5DQqlBgWILMf9RONjFc38eUUZXaYtZD886Fj5c/s320/endtimes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End times in Princeton, WV?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I greatly enjoyed reading Steven Stoll's book <i><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780809095056">Ramp Hollow</a> </i>on "the ordeal of Appalachia" in preparation for this trip, and as a result have a much richer understanding of why things are the way they are there (hint: capitalism; also, land enclosure), that doesn't translate in much wanting to spend too more time here. Three Appy League teams to go!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M4QeXH2mLjNKAc3xbGbt84H4AxxNdHIs0SJQux8WryvQDTltkAN0QdnKoOOZlnUr-cJhxsmZhPVQ4veOQlxtHNBkWMlk5O4bLF6GI92uQfKok-pBMrb4HGFtZdWmlugSGDvrxh6aauo/s1600/exitnow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M4QeXH2mLjNKAc3xbGbt84H4AxxNdHIs0SJQux8WryvQDTltkAN0QdnKoOOZlnUr-cJhxsmZhPVQ4veOQlxtHNBkWMlk5O4bLF6GI92uQfKok-pBMrb4HGFtZdWmlugSGDvrxh6aauo/s320/exitnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the sign says, exit now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-33132945126116744762019-05-19T18:02:00.003-05:002019-05-19T18:03:12.052-05:00Frog Stomp<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bQuJvESULJ1iCd5iM23rtBxwrQemL6m2moiil8fSQDO9s0K1Obg2MHGlDmlFojB3o_Dn8khiQRtmXNa7UbwnWQkv6OmC_l_udKWacltd0vNhDYU0o7PHHo0LTAKARLL7MHpnZDHMDH8/s1600/IMG_3451+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bQuJvESULJ1iCd5iM23rtBxwrQemL6m2moiil8fSQDO9s0K1Obg2MHGlDmlFojB3o_Dn8khiQRtmXNa7UbwnWQkv6OmC_l_udKWacltd0vNhDYU0o7PHHo0LTAKARLL7MHpnZDHMDH8/s400/IMG_3451+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"What the hell is that? Burn it with fire!" said Watson, when she saw this picture. Nothing against Roberto Clemente, but the hybrid-lizard look is inherently unflattering.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So we headed to Florida to nominally wrap up the Florida State League—at least for the moment. Since neither of us cares much for the state in general, our plan was to see six games in an efficient four days. The last time we were there, we faced rainout after rainout; this time it was the opposite: rainouts before we got there manifested in doubleheaders while we were. In the event, we wound up seeing a perhaps record EIGHT games in four days. Let's run it down:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>One of the bitterest of our rainouts last time through was in Port Charlotte, so it was a relief to be able to cross this one off. The next morning, after <a href="https://www.yodersrestaurant.com/restaurant/dessert-menu/">a hell of a lot of pie</a> at Yoder's in Sarasota, we joined hundreds of screaming children for a 10:30 a.m. Clearwater Threshers game that was all sunshine. We then traipsed across the street—or, more precisely, under U.S. 19—to take in the spectacle of Our Lady of Clearwater. Some time back there were claims that you could see <strike>Esther Williams </strike>the Virgin Mary in the exterior glass, but for those of us who don't depend on <a href="https://theologyinthevineyard.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/magical-thinking-and-christian-right/">magical thinking</a> to explain the world, the effect seems to be attributable to the selection of low-quality materials.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Lady of Clearwater and its cheapo glass. Come for the rainbows, stay for the torture-porn sculpture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After falling for the tourist scam that is the Spongeorama Museum (no link because who wants to encourage those bastards?) in Tarpon Springs, we repaired to Jack Russell Stadium—the <a href="https://www.milb.com/dunedin/news/dunedin-blue-jays-to-play-2019-home-games-at-jack-russell-stadium/c-304393312">temporary home</a> of the Dunedin Blue Jays—for our first doubleheader. In the minors, both games of unplanned doubleheaders are only seven innings long, but 14 innings of anything should be enough, right? We sat for a time amid the scouts and pitch trackers, to the discomfort of both us and, we intuited, them.<br />
<br />
The doubleheaders continued the next morning at our most easterly destination: the home of the Florida Fire Frogs (on which see below). This was followed by an <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/05/pirates-minor-leaguer-ejected-for-throwing-at-twins-prospect-over-making-baseball-fun">eventful game</a> back in the western part of the state. Once the umpirical thumbs started a-jerkin', we may or may not have led the crowd in a chorus of "BULLLLLL-shit. BULLLLLL-shit." Despite its peculiar name, Lecom Field (named not for, uh, Leonard Communications or something like that but for a college of osteopathic medicine) was a delight—quite possibly the best and most characterful A-level stadium we've seen. The mysterious and rather large Roberto Clemente Lizard shown at the top of this post resides there—perhaps of its own volition, to hear one stadium employee tell it,<br />
<br />
So that's seven games in three days. We hung around for one more, in Lakeland, the following night. Our intermediate touring included the underwhelming <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/parque-amigos-de-jose-marti">Parque Amigos de Jose Marti</a>, some decontextualized fairyland figures in Tampa's <a href="https://www.tampagov.net/parks-and-recreation/featured-parks/waterworks">Waterworks Park</a>...<br />
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<br />
...as well as the corporate shillery of the Phosphate Museum and Frank Lloyd Wright's remarkable but somewhat confining Florida Southern College campus...<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso_(song)">He was only five-foot-three</a>, but the girls could not resist his stare...."</td></tr>
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...plus the smoky confines of <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31539/">Tucker's Southside Package & Lounge</a> and the old school botanical charm of St. Petersburg's Sunken Gardens. There were also <a href="https://www.fraysdonuthouse.com/">doughnuts</a> and <a href="https://holleranddash.com/">fried-chicken biscuit sandwiches</a>, <a href="https://leroyssouthernkitchenandbar.com/">too many ribs</a>, and some <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/partin-liquors-kissimmee">pretty good beer</a>. Really, it was about all a person could expect from central Florida.<br />
<br />
With all that, we are in fact done with the FSL at the moment. However, since the Dunedin Blue Jays will be moving back into their normal home stadium, by my standards I will have to return to see them there. More ominously, though, the Florida Fire Frogs <a href="https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/04/15/osecola-county-votes-to-end-fire-frogs-lease-facilitating-potential-2020-move/">have been served</a> with a notice of eviction after a mere three years in Kissimmee. If they move on to a new facility, we'll have to come back; if they move on to an <i>old</i> facility, though—say, perhaps, the Brevard County stadium whence they came—we won't. But that's in the future; as of this writing, we've seen all active teams and stadiums in the league. Halle freakin lujah.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or, if you prefer, "There!" <br />
(Detail of a satellite view of central Florida, from an exhibit at the Mulberry Phosphate Museum.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-72703939742096871352019-05-12T15:44:00.002-05:002019-05-12T15:45:29.868-05:00As North and as West as It's Going to Get<!--[if !mso]>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-2WuXsa8A0Seb3c4jlFrL86NYXjBaQSo-NcdgH57VdegEqVql4wpkzomdO2-tkXuZ6gXaj57z62eub33oc3F0Q5edTk67kAaXLgpnn5nnmyt0BjBe3YKULvHWGGgEJ6vfoNAP3DIZNs/s1600/IMG_3214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-2WuXsa8A0Seb3c4jlFrL86NYXjBaQSo-NcdgH57VdegEqVql4wpkzomdO2-tkXuZ6gXaj57z62eub33oc3F0Q5edTk67kAaXLgpnn5nnmyt0BjBe3YKULvHWGGgEJ6vfoNAP3DIZNs/s400/IMG_3214.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a rhetorical question, I think. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.danielklennert.com/" style="text-align: start;">Daniel Klennert</a><span style="text-align: start;"> can probably tell you more.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="padding: 3pt 4.5pt 4.5pt;">With this year's first trip looming rather alarmingly—in two days we'll be back in Port Charlotte, hoping to actually see a game <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-forecast-calls-for-frustration.html">this time</a>—it's time for a photo essay on the rest of Northwest adventures. If this is insufficient, well....</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 9.5pt;">Top-notch customer service at Safeco Field<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Though our conversations were dominated for the next several days by <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2019/05/odd-is-my-copilot.html">our visit to the Airplane Home</a>, much else of note took place. There was, of course, a corn dog:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbwdNcbk3gYSU-5hGYSF8n4-hfoUdmF3StII5nmezFeh6viiBTiyHy7mJf2W63Vb6WL1GIPi-awHKPXF7bFOIAFUYc2wRYM-F81JNT6ZmKJOTBDKm_xpxmHZ7oKe4_Wb9G07Qzdi29uM/s1600/corndog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbwdNcbk3gYSU-5hGYSF8n4-hfoUdmF3StII5nmezFeh6viiBTiyHy7mJf2W63Vb6WL1GIPi-awHKPXF7bFOIAFUYc2wRYM-F81JNT6ZmKJOTBDKm_xpxmHZ7oKe4_Wb9G07Qzdi29uM/s320/corndog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 9.5pt;">And a darn good one, too—fresh dipped at the Hillsboro Hops. Is this a balanced meal or what?</span></div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding: 3.0pt 4.5pt 4.5pt 4.5pt;">Perhaps thematically most to the point, we made it to a simpatico breakfast joint in downtown Portland:</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 9.5pt;">God, I love Monte Cristo french toast.</span></div>
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We then headed upriver along the Columbia, admiring the landscape and the very heavy infrastructure along the way:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backstage, almost, at the Bonneville Dam<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main event</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Columbia River at Maryhill, Washington. The color of the ground cover and the haze should tip you off that we were in <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weekend-lightning-wind-spread-wildfires-across-washington-state/" style="font-size: 12.6667px;"><span style="color: blue;">wildfire country</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.6667px;">.</span><o:p style="font-size: 12.6667px;"></o:p></td></tr>
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For a small, remote town, Maryhill was a target-rich environment, with both the Maryhill Museum and its sculpture garden...<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 9.5pt;">This is also an energy-rich environment: water, wind, and—120 miles to the northeast—<a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2016/02/burning-men_13.html"><span style="color: blue;">plutonium</span></a>. Well, once upon a time, anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 9.5pt;">This is as good a place as any to note that the museum and its grounds were once home to the man who did <i>not</i> give his name to the phrase <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Hill_(euphemism)">"What in Sam Hill?"</a></span></span></div>
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...and a nearby Stonehenge, doubling as a World War I memorial. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some metaphors just don't even need to be elaborated upon.</span></div>
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From there we headed north, deeper into wildfire territory near Yakima, and took the slow route through the Cascades. That brought us to Daniel Klennert's iron compound:<br />
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But somehow I suspect that even though he built it, not all that many have come. <br />
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We got to Tacoma that day in time for a Rainiers game—a long drive but memorable.<br />
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Longtime readers of these wanderings know that land art is never far from our minds. Some of it is <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2011/04/learning-from-las-vegas.html">more memorable</a> than others, however. Here's a Robert Morris south of Seattle. I don't regret stopping, but I can't really recommend it, either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKzNLZcG3lLN_3Ov4mPKr5_TbXKAxmAJbUWnruOx8qfar04tXcvdSdrIm-emMQ-F3fvvfIS_qh8EDluAxiPjcgQ92htW-66kiAqNQawEUwvp_33TZT_jRgk1fY_NAPvjjlgpga2CmAYI/s1600/IMG_3233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKzNLZcG3lLN_3Ov4mPKr5_TbXKAxmAJbUWnruOx8qfar04tXcvdSdrIm-emMQ-F3fvvfIS_qh8EDluAxiPjcgQ92htW-66kiAqNQawEUwvp_33TZT_jRgk1fY_NAPvjjlgpga2CmAYI/s320/IMG_3233.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, still hazy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then it was off to the Mariners and their... storied history?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwNu-U84Zl48eoS6ijCYCvxybp5iAoKMHnYFTXb3nR-mUQHrGwF8GpnUN3ucSE6nqf_KY24tVfc2HKU1TGruxYJV64quEoMHqAU0KzBWFYfXFdhdu2d8qK_qhUE-0HwhVeEQh29amF0s/s1600/IMG_3236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwNu-U84Zl48eoS6ijCYCvxybp5iAoKMHnYFTXb3nR-mUQHrGwF8GpnUN3ucSE6nqf_KY24tVfc2HKU1TGruxYJV64quEoMHqAU0KzBWFYfXFdhdu2d8qK_qhUE-0HwhVeEQh29amF0s/s320/IMG_3236.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Watson's mother can't quite get the rhythm of the Cubs (mediocre) <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/songwriters-legacy-lives-on-via-go-cubs-go/c-208255124">victory song</a>, usually rendering it as "Go, go, go, you you Cubs."</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The self-inflicted tyranny of the schedule was such that, after a brief tour of 1976 <a href="https://tclf.org/landscapes/freeway-park">Freeway Park</a>, we skedaddled from Seattle to catch the Everett AquaSox.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU3frZE7oCw7_ETWW5wDOuHp2sirfbfkuvHnA9ry4DXuYcUEWhujquHTW1omN75PgOeRA5RbRvNN2jZe-ylGw6xafI6qMhYaeyHi4Gp0gpNXRAc4PVI2wVFQMBPW07_tn2xQXYH9WI4E/s1600/IMG_3190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU3frZE7oCw7_ETWW5wDOuHp2sirfbfkuvHnA9ry4DXuYcUEWhujquHTW1omN75PgOeRA5RbRvNN2jZe-ylGw6xafI6qMhYaeyHi4Gp0gpNXRAc4PVI2wVFQMBPW07_tn2xQXYH9WI4E/s320/IMG_3190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie / That's a moray!" This is actually back at the Bonneville Dam fish ladder; I don't have any worthwhile pictures from Everett.</span></div>
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The next day, after a memorable breakfast at the <a href="http://www.arlingtontimes.com/news/stilly-diner-where-everybody-knows-your-name/">Stilly Diner</a>, we fled the country. Stopping first to see the eponymous white rock in White Rock, British Columbia—no picture; it's a rock—we alit in Vancouver midday. We learned some valuable lessons:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20-X-WBrOZPYRDec26WSG4LYr5nQfI95AQM8eZ5m43y88qEmU3Zv34iNAe_BeAV1me_5lQwSEHvu_E_prIuJpxU8_X-7bAaiNxQeJq8flW0-O1ou3-Zn2xlJecBG8Y-dWnDXcNilkxyw/s1600/IMG_3252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20-X-WBrOZPYRDec26WSG4LYr5nQfI95AQM8eZ5m43y88qEmU3Zv34iNAe_BeAV1me_5lQwSEHvu_E_prIuJpxU8_X-7bAaiNxQeJq8flW0-O1ou3-Zn2xlJecBG8Y-dWnDXcNilkxyw/s320/IMG_3252.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Flowers can kill you.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms1wD20cbm8n02P_oJUiVULdLj4iiw8BN7Q4mUKn9Pt-vZNC9XlkqrmmfnJAj_CmsLQHkYiAYMx61rTVEKUJlonJXiSsiwmoWrDmrrxsZFjlwYBL_GDWu7_uGdlh-y4F3tFrvzIKOi5M/s1600/IMG_3255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms1wD20cbm8n02P_oJUiVULdLj4iiw8BN7Q4mUKn9Pt-vZNC9XlkqrmmfnJAj_CmsLQHkYiAYMx61rTVEKUJlonJXiSsiwmoWrDmrrxsZFjlwYBL_GDWu7_uGdlh-y4F3tFrvzIKOi5M/s320/IMG_3255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Henry Moore is inescapable.</span></div>
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</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPZKDll8aK3Rt2NUmZJKTK-xNhUYaOQ5FmQtiBhJ4ZrwtMsUN9uoMwRdw31-EOHQYMLaNzAZsVH-OWPN8_d8Z_RP_SjFdK-wDApl47myJuKTbJj-2Vs3HfpZ0Q7tgRxylVuy64wWtFOY/s1600/IMG_3256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPZKDll8aK3Rt2NUmZJKTK-xNhUYaOQ5FmQtiBhJ4ZrwtMsUN9uoMwRdw31-EOHQYMLaNzAZsVH-OWPN8_d8Z_RP_SjFdK-wDApl47myJuKTbJj-2Vs3HfpZ0Q7tgRxylVuy64wWtFOY/s320/IMG_3256.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">You don't have to go to <a href="https://untappedcities.com/2018/03/30/new-tour-the-remnants-of-the-worlds-fair-at-flushing-meadows-corona-park/">Flushing Meadows–Corona Park</a> to realize that the future ain't what it used to be.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
We had a nice dinner with some of Rob's relatives, then spent a delightful evening at a very well attended Vancouver Canadians game. If the season weren't so short, it'd be a place to think about retiring to. (It's been just about eight years, by the way, since that <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2011/06/environmental-determinism.html">nice young woman in Iowa</a> asked if we were retired gentlemen of the road. We're getting there.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JXD6CUS8i0eSLsCM8mZ7W81AA6V4eAFSI7fukcS2XbLSy0Ab_k1y8xoX5JfDguN7pB2jyQAC71qGUszssVQGvxMmcSuw_EfXEazwAu17ORaxRAjpFEMkGhnUkXG_I_FB7AOHQ8M_894/s1600/IMG_3262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="686" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JXD6CUS8i0eSLsCM8mZ7W81AA6V4eAFSI7fukcS2XbLSy0Ab_k1y8xoX5JfDguN7pB2jyQAC71qGUszssVQGvxMmcSuw_EfXEazwAu17ORaxRAjpFEMkGhnUkXG_I_FB7AOHQ8M_894/s400/IMG_3262.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I see from my notes that I spent a good part of my trip home—an odyssey to boring to recount—working on the spreadsheet for this year's trips. Well, that's as good a transition to the next post (whenever it gets written) as any.<br />
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</div>
Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-86476998334834690012019-05-04T18:27:00.002-05:002019-05-04T18:27:13.952-05:00Counting Down (2019 edition)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAy-6WXj2HYU5wa-K3rjz3H654udaeDN9dc_7z3k7yLk4uxiANUD3DCDKYn5sAqSGJH9B35InfwChOGJD-Cmew4V1uK77THKI_dJaqbIdpgdOnClCySnZhHCholSNR3bvxxjuYQxKV7M/s400/FireFrogs_KidFrog_Color.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="349" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burn, baseball, burn! <br />(Not an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Alan_Smithee_Film:_Burn_Hollywood_Burn">Alan Smithee</a> film)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I interrupt the already extremely belated coverage of the August 2018 Northwest trip to answer the timeless question, "Hey, where are you guys going this year?" I'm so glad you asked. </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">May<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Charlotte Stone Crabs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dunedin Blue Jays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Clearwater Threshers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Florida Fire Frogs – who can resist flaming amphibian gear?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bradenton Pirates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lakeland Flying Tigers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">June–July<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Richmond Flying Squirrels<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fayetteville Woodpeckers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">High Point Rockers (Atlantic League)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Danville Braves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pulaski Yankees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Princeton Rays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bluefield Blue Jays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Salem Red Sox<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lynchburg Hillcats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">August, maybe<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sacramento River Cats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stockton Ports<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">San Francisco Giants (MLB)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oakland A’s (MLB)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">San Jose Giants<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Modesto Nuts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Reno Aces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Las Vegas 51s (maybe)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If this holds up, by my reckoning, we will have just six teams left*:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Nashville Sounds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Gwinnett Stripers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Elizabethton Twins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Greeneville Reds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kingsport Mets<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amarillo Sod Poodles – who can resist… um… sod poodle? … gear? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alas, there four new stadiums slated to open next year:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Madison, AL (ex-Mobile Bay Bears)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Fredericksburg, VA (ex-Potomac Nationals)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Wichita (ex-New Orleans Baby Cakes)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Texas Rangers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And then there’s <a href="https://www.telegram.com/news/20190402/baseball-triple-a-red-sox-strive-to-serve-pawtucket-worcester">Worcester</a> in 2021….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*My reckoning is not Rob's reckoning. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There are exceptions; there are qualifications; there are things that might or might not count.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Let's not go through all that right here. I can't bear to contemplate my likely return to Dunedin some time after this trip.</span>Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-19664023114349547192019-05-04T18:07:00.003-05:002019-05-04T18:07:58.127-05:00Odd Is My Copilot<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ8CAsdpH_rKIsw7kNr5qqpJTzo8quOMtcFFz8Ye8TRGCwl88LQxzrMZBMLEx5AXu2FEE6Dt_W4qWYxb924mcQfjxHd2k1Ajd4gEkPSDRaciGN3H9tvS3t5mYeABzL06ah5lgyE9daww/s1600/IMG_3170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ8CAsdpH_rKIsw7kNr5qqpJTzo8quOMtcFFz8Ye8TRGCwl88LQxzrMZBMLEx5AXu2FEE6Dt_W4qWYxb924mcQfjxHd2k1Ajd4gEkPSDRaciGN3H9tvS3t5mYeABzL06ah5lgyE9daww/s400/IMG_3170.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foliage at twelve o'clock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if a stranger tells you that you "might" encounter "incidental nudity" at <a href="https://www.airplanehome.com/">his house</a>, you will, in fact, see him naked from the very first moment you meet. This holds true even if—perhaps <i>especially</i> if—the house in question is a decommissioned 727 in the Oregon woods. We went to such a house en route to a Hillsboro <strike>Hoops</strike> Hops game last August. It's taken me a while to write this, because, as we well know, it is possible to overthink a thing. To be fair, though, it is also possible to badly, badly underthink a situation and find yourself constantly risking powerful electric shocks or engulfment by bees, when all you wanted was to live a quiet life in a stratofortress.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>There are certain moments in our travels that have become definitional touchstones. There are others that slip right past. This was one of the former, and we discussed it at great, great length afterward. But after extended parsing of the many details of our visit, Rob helped me come to the clarifying conclusion that a man who lives in a 727 in the woods (and the 727 itself) doesn't <i>mean</i> anything; he simply is, and it simply is. If by "simply" we mean not simply at all.<br />
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(Rob's exact words are lost to my bad memory and the ether, but they were something like, "We said we were going to go visit a strange man who lives in a plane, and we did. Does there have to be more to it?" It reminded me of a high school teacher I had who told us of a history class he himself had once taken. The final exam included the directive, "Explain the significance of World War I and World II in American history." His answer, for which he said got top marks, was, in its entirety, "Two wars.")</div>
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No one speaks for the man in the plane better than the man himself. So I strongly encourage you to sample his own entirely forthcoming and accurate-to-the-experience writings yourself—perhaps starting with his <a href="https://www.airplanehome.com/VisitorsInformation.html">visitor information</a>. I could not possibly paint a more convincing picture. Speaking of pictures, though, here are a few. None of them, I am happy to say, feature the requisite nudity.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_llX1K4-Tv0f15hZGoKIHT8e29mT2wMIIwfqZKzsv5eCc8FDmlfnRQN13pq7rf0SLPopYRD3TIcpYCR0ZbWyfcws4Deg2_JxyVnOGARlQ5dNEb1UiniQmYcVDf_YcprXLH2jCJYnXXo4/s1600/IMG_3163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_llX1K4-Tv0f15hZGoKIHT8e29mT2wMIIwfqZKzsv5eCc8FDmlfnRQN13pq7rf0SLPopYRD3TIcpYCR0ZbWyfcws4Deg2_JxyVnOGARlQ5dNEb1UiniQmYcVDf_YcprXLH2jCJYnXXo4/s320/IMG_3163.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For scale, THAT IS A REAL PLANE.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYohyphenhyphenzUlTeslJ6Q3OFOWGXck7YRETtFInhGCBKTq1Ah5gNAmPZgZtXypI9LPIyPSqEdUAb6TmJJdUNS_qy8nOfmZkVTz5if72dQw4xPFVqLy7OZd7_RIFEbtfedr3vHHsqnsl7jz2k-8/s320/IMG_3172.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why is there a "real" spider on one of the few seats inside the home? I'm absolutely sure that I cannot explain. I will say, though, that two seats down, there's another one.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYohyphenhyphenzUlTeslJ6Q3OFOWGXck7YRETtFInhGCBKTq1Ah5gNAmPZgZtXypI9LPIyPSqEdUAb6TmJJdUNS_qy8nOfmZkVTz5if72dQw4xPFVqLy7OZd7_RIFEbtfedr3vHHsqnsl7jz2k-8/s1600/IMG_3172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYohyphenhyphenzUlTeslJ6Q3OFOWGXck7YRETtFInhGCBKTq1Ah5gNAmPZgZtXypI9LPIyPSqEdUAb6TmJJdUNS_qy8nOfmZkVTz5if72dQw4xPFVqLy7OZd7_RIFEbtfedr3vHHsqnsl7jz2k-8/s1600/IMG_3172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9MNQhzv20Gq2NEtoZFiPgSoS7F6o_Vzujigojg1vqpN2vLdD5B1QXc3hRGJCTMoVKxRFprhr2r1u9CAruUt4ViLLPsIB_rQT-9_B1BCaWAkC0vOJ1zpEX3Z_EbNPcGOXHNVT0UMHUV0/s1600/IMG_3177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9MNQhzv20Gq2NEtoZFiPgSoS7F6o_Vzujigojg1vqpN2vLdD5B1QXc3hRGJCTMoVKxRFprhr2r1u9CAruUt4ViLLPsIB_rQT-9_B1BCaWAkC0vOJ1zpEX3Z_EbNPcGOXHNVT0UMHUV0/s320/IMG_3177.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am not a structural engineer, and I kind of would like one to size this up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0m84V88sxkfICDz4u7j1jr_9dD4JhEKPulq22HYMTM0vxSjfK_k-jjL6WAtyRqjBgbldofmQBfzaS-jcCbT8OzKrHvEbl0kmluaMTvHWlbqkz2_xIXS4ofKThbM0fClskmKGz0Z07yE/s1600/20180828_000804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0m84V88sxkfICDz4u7j1jr_9dD4JhEKPulq22HYMTM0vxSjfK_k-jjL6WAtyRqjBgbldofmQBfzaS-jcCbT8OzKrHvEbl0kmluaMTvHWlbqkz2_xIXS4ofKThbM0fClskmKGz0Z07yE/s320/20180828_000804.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the real question underlying this whole experience is "Y not?" Photo by Rob. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anticlimactic? Perhaps. But some things are simply proof of themselves. And <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-all-star-game-did-not-take-place.html">unlike</a> the All-Star Game, this did happen.<br />
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<br />Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-18097747459181430882019-02-03T14:45:00.000-06:002019-02-03T14:45:47.875-06:00Third Triennial Jackie Robinson Museum ReportIn 2013, my friend Kate Briquelet <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/02/17/tribeca-jackie-robinson-museum-is-long-overdue-and-may-never-open-due-to-rent-costs/">wrote a story</a> for the <i>New York Post</i> that didn't bury the lede.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"A TriBeCa museum dedicated to Jackie Robinson is three years overdue — and may never open despite spending a fortune on rent. The Jackie Robinson Foundation has raised only a fraction of the $42 million it says is needed to honor the Brooklyn Dodger who shattered Major League Baseball’s color barrier."</blockquote>
Three years later, I posted <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2016/04/million-dollar-questions.html">Million Dollar Questions</a>, in which I concluded, "It seems little has changed."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVoDd4654M_yk1yvUCZcP4CfCYcvsuiERXzV5WUucVwUcBHkkx23CxAjT6fsP5tr9bfvlruwD-gDe-28m1URNsCZsqUNRdxt5HjtqDEyunlafPNNv-lXGCycUl4VXFVOMztkgb0QKnJk/s1600/centennial_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="378" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVoDd4654M_yk1yvUCZcP4CfCYcvsuiERXzV5WUucVwUcBHkkx23CxAjT6fsP5tr9bfvlruwD-gDe-28m1URNsCZsqUNRdxt5HjtqDEyunlafPNNv-lXGCycUl4VXFVOMztkgb0QKnJk/s320/centennial_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another three years have passed and as <a href="https://www.jackierobinson.org/press/jackie-robinson-foundations-year-long-centennial-celebration-of-its-namesake-begins-on-january-31st/">the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) kicks off its year-long centennial celebration</a> of its namesake, there appears to be good news.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
According to the Associated Press <a href="https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/01/31/new-york-museum-exhibit-marks-jackie-robinson-centennial/">(via the <i>Brooklyn Daily Eagle</i>)</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Della Britton Baeza, CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, said $28 million has been raised toward ... construction costs, and an additional $4 million is needed for marketing and staff. The overall goal [of $42 million] includes $10 million for an endowment, she said."</blockquote>
As both the JRF press release and AP story report, the museum plans to open in December.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbu3fy3xbYLKxeCYF8HvrKbL9RmpWI7PlqHJZ4YZtgu1by-O1Czrfzl3XfAcuFdaU_zIf1m4MJlLjjLYv40NhRIAf8BaAfcA2cLBf87zbB77hPBzA2EJCr6CZzrYlbKFkXZQoQC1kP16A/s1600/robinson_museum_exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1500" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbu3fy3xbYLKxeCYF8HvrKbL9RmpWI7PlqHJZ4YZtgu1by-O1Czrfzl3XfAcuFdaU_zIf1m4MJlLjjLYv40NhRIAf8BaAfcA2cLBf87zbB77hPBzA2EJCr6CZzrYlbKFkXZQoQC1kP16A/s400/robinson_museum_exterior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unmentioned in either source, however, is the fact that the foundation is already 12 years into its 20 year lease with Trinity Real Estate. Perhaps the real estate arm of Trinity Church in New York City will look charitably upon a tenant with powerful story to tell.<br />
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In the meantime, JRF and The Museum of the City of New York are co-presenting <a href="https://www.mcny.org/exhibition/dugout-jackie-robinson">In the Dugout with Jackie Robinson; An Intimate Portrait of a Baseball Legend</a> (through September 15), a preview of the museum that will be nine years overdue when (if?) it opens later this year.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441359493304031418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-49256738180292081892018-08-20T02:55:00.001-05:002018-08-20T02:55:27.583-05:00Consolation Pie<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRJvd8KxDzHdAUFDrhryVWPbU0s_ecIKJMKfXXHQrgQGGkHkezqnWHC7_PS_gV9NUCdCMkB23GKFGj-hCbMV8NsV4OfPDhLZSVDIfmuMEw9mMScLXDYfw5wi1FVY3Jw69m7_uQJ0_lec/s1600/IMG_3137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRJvd8KxDzHdAUFDrhryVWPbU0s_ecIKJMKfXXHQrgQGGkHkezqnWHC7_PS_gV9NUCdCMkB23GKFGj-hCbMV8NsV4OfPDhLZSVDIfmuMEw9mMScLXDYfw5wi1FVY3Jw69m7_uQJ0_lec/s400/IMG_3137.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, you gotta kiss a lot of frogs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today wasn't a letdown per se, but it was slower than normal. We began with some tolerable doughnuts at Voodoo Doughnuts in Eugene. Apparently this regional chain is semi-legendary; I suspect people who think Captain Crunch actually belongs on doughnuts will like it better than I did. Rob's apple fritter did look nice, though.<br />
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We spent some time with Rob's father and stepmother, lunching at a Hungarian restaurant and then riding a <a href="http://albanycarousel.com/">carousel</a>—something I think I may have last done... uh, sometime in my life. It was kind of fun.<br />
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So far, so good, but after that it was a string of failures and semi-failures. Note to Roadside America: <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/22477">Tim Tharp's Yard Art</a> is (a) not really that visible from the highway; and (b) not at all accessible, what with the cattle guard blocking the road. We drove a few dozen miles out of our way to see not much of anything, so thanks for that. Then, in downtown Salem, we had but a few minutes to seek out the <a href="https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/eco-earth-globe.aspx">Eco Earth Globe</a>, but due to unusual crowds—possibly for a country-music concert?—we never even got out of the car. And then we made to the <a href="http://www.enchantedforest.com/">Enchanted Forest</a>—and we do love an Enchanted Forest, though preferably when it's <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2014/12/bud-norris-two-times.html">at least half defunct</a>—in time to realize that we didn't have enough time to justify the entrance charge. You lose some, you lose some, sometimes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSbJWWQuqNgDy3j2d4WN7J_ugQ3P5cG3uxqyamqGrKckJtPstkJu63bG3gsgcYnfP2G9wrjddqktifjezci1POAAFNF3ItLXN9PfOFEvETCNziFQszcK32XelVv3iixxepIwKk02TX6w/s1600/IMG_3143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSbJWWQuqNgDy3j2d4WN7J_ugQ3P5cG3uxqyamqGrKckJtPstkJu63bG3gsgcYnfP2G9wrjddqktifjezci1POAAFNF3ItLXN9PfOFEvETCNziFQszcK32XelVv3iixxepIwKk02TX6w/s320/IMG_3143.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the few pitches that was not hit out onto I-5.</td></tr>
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We did, however, get to see a <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/hops-vs-volcanoes/2018/08/19/542313#game_state=final,game_tab=play-by-play,game=542313">slugfest</a> at the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes game against the Hillsboro Hops: eight home runs in all. The stadium is bare bones; the tickets were grossly overpriced (hey, MILB teams, if you're going to charge prices like that, the least you can do is pay the players <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2018/03/26/the-fragile-economics-between-mlb-the-minors-and-the-minimum-wage-exemption/#258d5e533c21">minimum wage</a>); and the kielbasa was ill-advised. It made me not at all sorry, which I already wasn't, that we opted to <a href="https://baseballbyways.blogspot.com/2018/05/this-season-and-next-and-year-after-that.html">skip</a> last year's Eclipse Game. And anyway, we'll have another chance in 2169.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyYWEZhVc2htOGSVJfWGo8BeT2vxv8z3fXgDzvGfbLsmDQHgOMsKVzfa9QcQYK8X5d7YS6XzvnNJiTOdPLA4M-CtSt6lNUu7De6fV8DCQezYhMJWVXuWvPV9KCwvUCXdzvx4c1FGFrL8/s1600/IMG_3146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1119" data-original-width="1280" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyYWEZhVc2htOGSVJfWGo8BeT2vxv8z3fXgDzvGfbLsmDQHgOMsKVzfa9QcQYK8X5d7YS6XzvnNJiTOdPLA4M-CtSt6lNUu7De6fV8DCQezYhMJWVXuWvPV9KCwvUCXdzvx4c1FGFrL8/s320/IMG_3146.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn around, bright eyes.</td></tr>
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We wrapped up the night with some tolerable beer and pretty good late-night pie at <a href="http://www.banningsrestaurant.com/">Bannings Pie House</a>. Was the pie a consolation? Only if you think that pie isn't a joy unto itself. In which case, what is wrong with you?<br />
<br />Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558191265331157336.post-47410677554893584592018-08-19T03:02:00.004-05:002018-08-19T03:03:26.442-05:00Cabinet of Curiosities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5AElnu1_wM5PfCBoW6PssvfXodItd1p_yVo-IrAXFj6wDNZLE7Xld0sj22KHlaaG0tK0ARr9cIp2c5jK5zguKP2sjzsodGSm1l8NLWLzxkF3nZrX0-z-_0QGp6U9PDhxRHWDJUpGEXE/s1600/IMG_3132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1280" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5AElnu1_wM5PfCBoW6PssvfXodItd1p_yVo-IrAXFj6wDNZLE7Xld0sj22KHlaaG0tK0ARr9cIp2c5jK5zguKP2sjzsodGSm1l8NLWLzxkF3nZrX0-z-_0QGp6U9PDhxRHWDJUpGEXE/s400/IMG_3132.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would never endorse casino gambling. But the back of my ticket was all I had for Emma Charlesworth-Seiler to autograph. Apart from, you know, a body part or something. But that would have been weird.</td></tr>
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Another op'nin', another show! Not Philly, Boston, or Baltimo'! A chance for Byways to say hello! Another op'nin' of another show!<br />
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Wot larks! Rob and I each landed this ayem at PDX, the airport that no longer has <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/pdx-carpet/">iconic carpeting</a>, and before the day was through we'd seen a so-called vertical street, taxidermied buffalo, and one of only two lady umpires in all of affiliated baseball. A little of this, a little of that, some baseball, some buildings, some beer. It was an archetypal day on this blog.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some days, everything is a revelation.</td></tr>
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Our trip up the northwest coast of America began, in a sense, where many other journeys have ended: in the vicinity of the end of the Oregon Trail. After a more than welcoming <a href="http://podnahspit.com/">barbecue lunch</a> and a brief stop at a <a href="http://starks.com/vacuum-museum">"museum"</a> of vacuum cleaners, we went to the nominal <a href="https://www.historicoregoncity.org/">end</a> of the trail outside of the perhaps predictably named Oregon City. However, being dutiful readers of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/CivilWarLand-Bad-Decline-Stories-Novella/dp/0812987683">George Saunders</a>, we shied from patronizing the reenactors. And anyway I think I got a sufficiently harrowing sense of life in early Oregon not that long ago from reading Rinker Buck's account of <a href="http://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/The-Oregon-Trail/index.html">his ill-advised trip</a> across what remains of the trail in an actual covered wagon.</div>
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We opted instead to spend some of our precious minutes on this earth riding up the Oregon City Elevator, a fast-track to the top of a Willamette River bluff that claims implausibly—all right, ridiculously—to be the only <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/9314">vertical street </a>in America. It's cool enough that this is one of the few municipally owned elevators in the world, with a decidedly <i>Jetsons</i>-era aroma to it. It opens out onto a lovely <a href="https://www.orcity.org/parksandrecreation/mcloughlin-promenade">promenade</a> that has the distinction of having been funded by both the Works Progress Administration and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/what-was-obama-s-stimulus-package-3305625">(Thanks, Obama.)</a> <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How do you solve a problem like Melvin?</td></tr>
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From there it was on to the Mount Angel Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that encompasses both a first-rate <a href="http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/mountangel/">Alvar Aalto building</a>—a rarity in America—and a "museum" filled with, um, stuff. If we're going to be generous—which apparently Rob was, since this conceit came from him—we might call this assemblage of taxidermy tableaus, freaks of nature, and random collections of loosely related items a "cabinet of curiosities." In the Renaissance, such cabinets brought together the wonders of the world, whether natural, quasi-natural, or manufactured. For further disquisition on cabinets in an age of endless self-curation, Lawrence Wechsler's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/29/books/true-lies.html">book on the Museum of Jurassic Technology</a> is the place to start. Here's some of what's at the abbey museum, presented without comment:<br />
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Finally, in Eugene, we <strike>put away our extra cow legs and </strike>sampled some <a href="http://www.tapandgrowler.com/beer-menu/">local quaffs</a> and then headed to the Emeralds game against the Boise Hawks. To our surprise and delight, Emma Charlesworth-Seiler was working the game. And if you don't know <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/female-umpire-begins-journey-toward-majors/c-229337514">who she is</a>... well, someday you might. Let's hope anyway.<br />
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Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05472846772314906629noreply@blogger.com0