bosom

ok, now that i have your attention...

i am NOT drunk. in fact, i've had but 1 drink in the last 4 days: a delicious, cold, fizzy Sam Adams (a "pint of lager") at the airport bar at Logan, while watching the Sox get their asses whooped by the 'other' Sox.

i would probably have watched more but i had to catch my flight back to heathrow, which was just as well, as the score then was 9-2... not in favor of the RED Sox. just before take off they announced the score for all to hear the embarrassing results: 14-2. argh.

today is their off day, travel day; the Soxes will play at fabled fenway tomorrow eve. in that oxford is 5 hours ahead of boston, it'll be tough for me to find someone that has cable AND that is willing for me to jump around their living room screaming at the poor Red Sox pitching, and possibly spilling beer inadvertently on their couch at the same time.

pic from my last bday. do i look like i would spill beer on someone's couch?






when i was loading my 86 bags onto the bus from the airport back to oxford, some young dude, a nice college kid, innocently asked me who won the game. still stinging from the defeat, i replied, "the sox lost," adding in the terrible score for emphasis. he said, "which sox?" i hardly understood the question -- there is only ONE SOX TEAM, dude.

so now, like all members of Red Sox Nation, i am saying to myself: hell, they've dug themselves out of holes in the past!

i was home for 6 days last week, and in typical fashion, crammed the time full of seeing friends and family. not hours off the plane when my friend Ted called with a ticket to the game at fenway. surely one of the high points of the week was my best mate Dave getting hitched to the lovely Shira, with all the obligatory pre- and post-get-togethers, mostly at friends' houses, where we played music for hours, digging on songs we used to jam many years ago... such JOY!! Jerry, Julie, Steve, and Eric wacking out some sweet 'bone solos! at Mike Getman's we jammed acoustically, and his 8 year old son brought out own his guitar and strummed along. kid was great: very relaxed and good rhythm.

in all, i was blown away by how amazing it was to spend time just chatting with my folks, and hanging out with my old friends. (thanks, Pam, for driving out to Waltham to hang out in the lobby of the Westin Hotel!)

the old gang, singing a slightly bumpy rendition of our elementary school song "Juniper Hill We Love You"




and i got to have rosh hashanah dinner with my family. what a treat, to have mom's soft and tasty matzo balls (i like 'em hard, everyone else likes 'em soft -- what can i do?), sumptuous chopped liver, perfectly roasted cornish hens, and yummy brisket... and did i say, mom's matzo balls!!! yes, truly a treat! manna from heaven!


nothing like a home cooked meal, especially for the holidays



while the new england fall colors were not quite out in full force, they were starting to turn. and with the weather warm and dry, feeling like indian summer, driving through the lush countryside was nirvana.

typical new england farmhouse







so basically i spent a glorious week in the heart of red sox nation, in the kind embrace of mother nature, and deeply ensconced in the warm, wonderful bosom of family and friends.

happy new year!