635 Baseball WS ring Dominique and HER 6 1 14

06/01/2014

635 Baseball WS ring Dominique and HER 6 1 14

5-22-14
My Boston Red Sox were in the middle of the worst losing streak in 20 years as I went with my twin brother Justin to try to root on my boys of summer at home, since the games on the road were losses. However, the only positive thing about this game was the fact that we moved from near the top of the bleachers to 20 rows behind the visitor’s dugout do to the bad weather earlier that day and that it was a 4PM start. Crappy time for people who work till 5.

The Red Sox played the Toronto Blue Jays and their 3B, Edward Encarnacion, who hit 2 home runs on this day, crushed us as we ended up losing 8-3. …so the losing streak would continue and continue for 3 more games as it reached 10 games in a row. .

5-27
at 9AM I got a call that woke me from a deep sleep. I let it go to voice mail. I checked it, figured if someone actually left me a voice mail, it may actually be something important.

It was from my buddy Sidney. He said that he had tickets for tomorrow night’s game against the braves and wanted to know if I wanted to go. They are really good seats. Call me back in the next oh 10 minutes or so or else I will have to find someone else to go with. I called him back. He said, did I wake you? I said yes. We chatted a bit and he asked me if I could go and I said yes. He said he would pick me up after work, he got off at 3:30 so we decided on picking me up at 5 and we would drive in.

I was so excited. I would get to hang out with my buddy Sid. He’s the guy who I went to 7 of the 22 stadiums with and since he has 3 girls ages I believe 15 13 10, he was very busy so he never had time. He told me the tickets were $95 each and got them from his brother in law. I thought 95 was second section up from home plate and it was, but just 20 some rows up from there. So we were pretty far up there…

However, that wouldn’t be my only Red Sox surprise that day.
I was in the kitchen having lunch when I heard a big truck. I didn’t think anything of it till a few seconds later, the doorbell rang. I don’t know why but I had a very good feeling that this is the UPS man and he brought me my Red Sox world series personalized ring I had created-purchased 7 weeks prior. I opened the door. The nice man showed me where to sign and gave me a package. I called my mom before I opened it and said the UPS man came and I think it’s my ring. I am going to open it. She aid I could. I opened it and sure enough, it was my Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series Ring!!!
On the top it showed the flags with the various years they won in chronological order with 2013 being the last. On one side of the ring had the Red Sox logo on the other has my last name and inside, I wrote “GO REDSOX 10 30 13” the date of the winning game which I was at.
I put it on and it fit on my middle finger. I put it on to show my mom when she got home but for reasons I have not figured out yet, I put it back in the box and is in a drawer.

Game day came and I was all dressed up but unfortunately, it was FREEZING out, I wore 4 layers and also pulled out my winter hat and gloves. I never did use the hat but damn, even with the gloves my fingers never got warm. It was 46, 20 MPH wind (even stronger where we were).

We had awesome parking. 2 streaks away from the park I handicap parking. It was actually the same place we parked the last time we went to a game together 4 years ago? And we reminisced because a police officer told us we could park there and we got a ticket when we got back to the car. He fought it and won. He was hopping hoping for another ticket so he could fight it but there was no ticket.

The Red Sox had just took 2 from the Atlanta Braves on the road and in an unusual home and home series, we played them two game at our home.

This game was a bit special though.

They invited back the 2004 world championship for a 10 year reunion. It was so amazing the people, both no namers that I didn’t even recognize and the future hall of famers.

They had at least one highlight for everyone which they showed on the video board before announcing the player’s name and he would come out and they would line up as they were called onto the field. Two players, who are playing in Japan so couldn’t make it back, sent a video thank you to the crowd. The last few were the super stars of the team or rather, the most notables, as Kevin Millar was noted for his personality more than his play. He was the one who kept the crew loose and together. They, the notables, got to say a few words. Manny Ramirez throughout the ceremonial first pitch, only to be intercepted by Johnnie Damon, making fun of Manny, as during that 2004 a very un-memorable moment was when a player for the Orioles hit a ball that Damon retrieved and threw towards 3b to try to cut the runner down when Manny intercepted the throw and the base runner ended up with an inside the park home run. Ironically enough, Sid and I were at that game.

John Lackey was pitching and he was on his game as he combined for a shutout as the Red Sox win their 3rd in a row with the final score being 4-0

As I am writing this in the late afternoon of Sun, June first, the winning streak is up to 7 games. Amazingly as on the follow up to the 10 game losing streak.

DOMINIQUE

I don’t know how or when this started but just for saying sake, a few weeks ago, when we were talking about me visiting her in May, which when I visit then, she’ll take me to Disney Land and to a baseball game in Phoenix, I was curious and went to find out what day of the week her birthday is on. It was a Saturday. So my mind started thinking and I had mentioned to her, maybe I could come for your birthday. She said that she didn’t have her kids on her birthday and that would be great.

Fast forward to this past week. We had talked about it a little more, I think it was on Monday, she said that it would work out very well because she would only have to take off 3 days since Thanks given is that week. I told her that I don’t eat turkey but my tradition has been steak but I could eat just all the side dishes. She said she is sure her dad would make a steak for me and she told me that her kids won’t be around that day, so not sure what we would do. We could watch football and maybe play monopoly. I said that sounds like a fun day to me.
The following day she told me that she was able to get the 3 days off and she talked to her mom, there would be no problem with making me a steak. She said it would probably just be us and her parents. She doesn’t have the kids on that day either.
But it seems so crazy, one day thinking about it and the very next day asking and receiving the day off …just for me.

I asked her if there was a place that had games and rides for kids in her area and she said there was. I said we could take the kids there one day. She liked that idea.

I told her, as soon as her house is officially hers, I will look and book for a flight but don’t want to do anything before then. It would be very strange if I’m staying with her and her kids t her parents house.

OH, she is in the process of buying a house that is being built in a new development. I was floored on how much it cost. About half the amount of an average house in MA. It is so cool though, hearing about the various kitchen and bathroom and colors she gets to pick. She is still waiting for the lone to be finalized though. I don’t know what’s taking so long though.

She does have 3 little kids. I think they are 6 4 and 2.
Cute-fun ages. Ages you can still play “make believe” games.

I email-text her every day for most days. Similar to …

HER. I unfortunately still think of her almost every day. Still gives me a twist of pain and sadness.
I still wonder what happened and wonder what could have been.

The worst part of it, when I fantasize, it’s her who I “see” and “feel”
She’s still beautiful to me.