Camera Update

On of the first posts I made, I made mention of getting a camera. I don't have the camera yet. The reason I don't have it is that it isn't in the store yet. Should be only a few days to a few weeks. I am just waiting for my camera shop guy to give me a call. I am first on the list so if he only gets two, it shouldn't matter.

Comments

I have replaced the default comment engine with a different one. This should allow you to make comments easier and without registering into the blogger.com system.

In the future I will work on the design of the comment section to make it mesh with the theme better.

For now it is up and functional. That will have to do for now.

On a Sad Note

As I watched the comeback against the Yankees I reminisced some about other Red Sox fans that I know.

I didn't grow up in a house that revolved around sports. Dad was a transplant to New England. As a transplant to Ohio I fully understand not pledging allegiance to the local teams.

I have three uncles that are big fans. Cousins Ron and Darren. I thought of these people but it was a fifth grade teacher that came to mind. She was the one that I remember as my first experience with "fan". It may of helped that I really enjoyed her as a teacher. Her oldest daughter was in my class so there was some connection there was well. We were both Capricorns, this didn't mean anything to me but it was a point we had in common. She helped me begin my enjoyment for Social Studies that has now become my obsession with history. She was a Red Sox Fan. I remember trips down to her class room during the 86 series.

She was who I thought of during the Yankee series. Her husband had passed away, suddenally this August. I assumed that it was a hard fall.

I didn't realize how hard. While I was celebrating a 2-0 lead in the World Series, I got an email from Mum. Mrs Gricus had died on Monday. It's sounds as though she died of Grief.

Becca and Justin losing both their parents in 2 months. The heartache of sports doesn't compare to that.

Becca, I hope you can connect with your students like your mother did.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there any other comment to be made?

exhale.

Glad to see a columnist that realised that Maine stretches a little further north than Kennebunkport. Dan Shaughnessy starts his victory column with:

"They did it for the old folks in Presque Isle, Maine, and White River Junction, Vt. They did it for the baby boomers in North Conway, N.H., and Groton, Mass. They did it for the kids in Central Falls, R.I., and Putnam, Conn."

For you non-mainer, first I say, "I'm sorry", but after that Presque Isle is a comfortable 320 mile drive from Kennebunkport.

As a sport addict, emotions are often wrapped up in sporting events. I don't know why but often the losses are more lingering than the wins. There seems to be more emotion tied to losing than winning.

As I reach back into my childhood, the first sporting loss with emotions tied to it was 1986. I know, everyone from my generation in Red Sox Nation points to '86. I'm not referring to the World Series.

In the spring of 1986 I was a 7th grader. Because we were a small school, the junior high band members were integrated into the high school band for home basketball games. We weren't very good, but we had fun. The boys made the playoff and romped through the Eastern Maine Tournament. It was on to Augusta for the State Championship. As a band member we were allowed to tag along, stay in the hotels be part of the motorcades that started in Smyrna. Well we lost and we lost big. Something about a 22 year old, 8 foot Jamaican ringer. Or at least that is how I remember it.

That was a painful lost. Although I wasn't vested in the Red Sox, I felt the pain continue later that fall. Redemption was planed for the next spring.

The 1986-1987 was a magical year for the Hodgdon High School Boys Basketball program. Finished the regular season 18-0 including a finial home game that included the star getting his 2000th point and two more players getting their 1000th points before the end of 3rd quarter. A complete letdown in the 2nd game of the tournament meant that there were no hotel stays, no motorcades. This completed a 8th grade sports year where we played soccer and only scored an own goal. Now that's low.

I would be in college when the Hodgdon Boys brought home a couple gold balls to put in the trophy case next to the one the girls brought home a decade earlier. I was happy but it was not redeeming.

Matt Bahr's field goal in January 1991 killed a chance to win three in a row for the Niners. Another low point.

Watching the Cowboys winning 3 out of the 5 years I lived in Texas. Another low point.

Caity Matter spraining her ankle early in the state championship game in 2000. I missed two games of that team's finial year. Watching five girls that had played together since they were in grade school and not being able to celebrate a state championship, that was low point.

In recent history, Maine's losses to Minnesota and Denver in the Frozen Four in '02 & '04.

Boy this has become a bit of a ramble.

There are a few emotional wins that I remember: The 1999 Frozen Four win over UNH, The 1995 Maine win over Michigan, Ohio State's National Championship, The 1999 comeback against the Tribe.

I think this win will ring a little longer.

How long before we get to raise the banner with that other team in the visiting dugout?

Everyone start the chant:

2000.......2000.......2000......2000......2000

Red Sox

I have debated if I should make an entry concerning the Red Sox or not. I'm sure that if I had this site up and active last week, there would have been many posts.

Now I feel as though I should well enough alone.

I wasn't around for the 'Impossible Dream.' I can only live those experiences through video and print. I don't know if that loss was painful or not.

Everything looks good: ALCS comeback; beating the Yankees; 8 errors and a 2-0 start.

I've watched Celtics win the title a few times. I've watched the Niners win 5 big games and the Pats win 2. There was even that year that I rooted for 77 in a Colorado sweater. Two years ago I sat through two overtimes as my adopted Buckeyes won the national championship.

I'm not sure what a Red Sox win would feel like. I'd sure like to get rid of the media hype about 'curses' and destiny-to-fail. On the other hand those trips to the edge of victory only to meet the agony of defeat are what bonds sox fans together.

Well, halfway there. Out of the corner of my eye I keep looking for the other shoe to drop. If it does drop it sure is going to hurt.

World Series Gaffs - Slaughter scoring on Pesky, a broken down pitcher taking the mound when he was supposed to, errors in 75 & 86 and more importantly strike 3 in 86.

2004 counter points - Pesky's Pole gives a game one victory, Curt Shilling takes the mound in game 6 in the ALCS and game 2 in the WS. Foulke has a 0.00 ERA over 12 innings in 9 games.

Great Band

The Official Website of Alathea

The above linked group was at our church this weekend. Great group of girls with great sound. As is typical of most Rockettown artists, I enjoyed them greatly. I ran the sound board for the concert so I got to know them a bit.

I am not going to sit hear and describe their sound. Check out their website and see/hear for yourself.

Presidential Elections

I'd like to know how much money is spent on presidential elections.
It's easy to find the numbers spent by the candidates and parties.
How much has been spent by Conservative organizations. Focus on the
Family, Eagle Forum, etc. This is a little harder to determine.
Normally this money is spend deriving voter cards and issue orientated
information drives.

I would love to have half of this money to spend at congressional
primaries. What a difference could be made if we turned over the
House of Represenaves!!

During the following days, weeks and months you will get lots of
'political' views and opinions (read truth) of mine.

Getting into the game late, but most of my opinions and thoughts are
not wrapped around a canadiate or race. I could post my thoughts from
the fall of 2000 and they would be just as relevant today as then.

Florida Football

Some of you may know that I am not a big fan of Florida College
Football teams.

Kirk Herbstreit (for family in Maine, Kirk is a former quarter back
for The Ohio State Buckeyes and now is an talking head for ESPN) is
announcing that Ron Zook has been fired by the Florida Gators.

There is a large smile on my face. The University of Maine Black
Bears (4-3) contributed to this loss in a major way. Maine (1-AA)
beat the team that beat Florida. Lots of teams have beat Florida that
last few years, so maybe it would be better stated; Florida lost to
the team that lost to 1-AA Maine.

Draft picks since 1982:
Florida - 124
Maine - 5

Back in the saddle

My plans of getting this website off the ground has hit a few bumps in the road.

I think I know have time to spend on this and get it off the ground.

I'll be adding several new posts over the next few days to catch up on
items that are on my mind.