First Nordic race

First Nordic race
Originally uploaded by jennymcb

Today I went up to Gunstock for the first Nordic Race. We had about 6 inches of snowfall yesterday which I thought would be good for a race today, but my son told me that it was to sticky. I helped out with the beginning of the race handing race bibs out and collecting the outerwear.

Next week's race is quite a bit further away, I am going to try to get another parent to ride up. But given the time of year, my going up is all based on the weather. Me, the biggest wuss going when it comes to driving in snow. Beautiful to look at, terrible to drive in.

Mom I just want to practice

I give up when it comes to dressing my kids

It was bound to happen, three boys living in New Hampshire, one of them was going to enjoy snowboarding. Bub got a season's pass to a local ski area since his new friends all snowboard and this is what they do on the weekends. Really, it could be worse.

But after making it through three days of first time snowboarding without an injury, I thought we were doing okay. Especially since one of his friends also a new snowboarder went out yesterday for the first time and ended up with a broken wrist. So tonight after helping his brother shovel the snow, Bubs wanted to practice in the backyard, no problem, wussy hill, powder snow, what could be wrong with that?

Ah yes, the stupid gene kicked in and when I looked out back and didn't see him, and then looked out front where he was getting ready to go down the driveway, I slightly went ballistic. Yep, did the Joan Crawford Mommy dearest routine. Told him that there was no way in hell that I was going to take him to the ER tonight if he broke anything. Talk about flirting with disaster, coating of snow on asphalt and one tired 14 year old. Told him to come on in, enough was enough. Going to be a long winter.......And yes,that's really how he dressed to go out shoveling, I give up when it comes to dressing. Already had that battle today.

Baseball musings

It's been five days and yes, we are still basking in the glow of the Red Sox World Series sweep. Even now it's still fun to watch some of the videos over at MLB to enjoy the game clips. Just seeing the intensity on the pitcher's faces...the joy of the home runs and what the hell are those white towels for? Are the fans surrendering?

What makes baseball popular you non-sports types might ask yourselves...well here in Boston its one of the ties that binds us. For years we joked about Pennant Fevah striking the hub in June to have our hopes dashed by the middle of August. It was a topic that we all could talk about, brothers, sisters, parents, neighbors, co-workers and strangers on the subway. How about those Sox. Think about the talk around the dinner table? Baseball is something that can be shared, we all have opinions.

With another World Series win, I think about the Uncles, Brother and Friends who loved baseball and weren't alive to see them win. A columnist wrote earlier this week, that the first World Series was for the past, all those who loved the Sox and never got to see them win and this win is for the future, of how an organization can build a team. My phone call after the winning game was to my father who said, "Thank God we can get some sleep this week." I am sure that he wished he still had his brothers to call. That's what Baseball means to us, the connection with others.

I wasn't always a baseball fan and definitely not as rabid as my good friend L who was still getting weepy after the first Series win when she would watch a tape of the game. But I became a fan when my husband always had the game on, either on TV or on the radio when our sons would join us. Even on vacation, it was great when the Sox were on and the whole family gets together and collectively yell at the tv. Yes, we are vocal and I know, Francona obviously knows what he is doing and can't hear us, but a person has to let it out.

So yes, the sun is shining brighter in Red Sox Nation and for all Red Sox fans who came to the away games to boost attendance figures. We want to see Mike Lowell stay and Arod move on. It was a fun Series and great that it got over early for us.