Happy New Year

We’ve spent an unusual amount of time on the road this week. Some of it has been for pleasure, some required, some stressful (see Warning 5/16/07 below). So today Chuck and I focused on catching up to ourselves. The Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves in the first half of the double header this afternoon. Then, in varying amounts of pouring rain, the tables were turned in the second match up this evening. We enjoyed putting our feet up and taking it all in. OK. We enjoyed this afternoon’s game much more, especially when Mike Lowell hit a grand slam over the Green Monster! But whenever the Sox are playing and we can have the game on the TV or the radio, we find it all somehow soothing. Winning is better than losing, but the rhythm of the game, the voices of the commentators, the familiar surroundings, all make for a comforting package. I won’t attempt to make the comparisons of baseball to other sports, especially American football - comedian George Carlin already did that brilliantly. (You can listen here.) But I will say that the history of the game, the gracefulness coupled with sterling athleticism and the glacial pace punctuated by bursts of fevered excitement, make it a compelling and satisfying spectator sport. Not a bad way to spend the first full day of my “new year”!