Pursuit of the Perfect Christmas Tree

I've been buying Christmas trees in Florida now for almost 20 years and I still can't get over the fact that I can wear shorts and a t-shirt while looking for the perfect tree!  A few nights ago we took the kids out in search of the Turtle Christmas tree.  (To tell you the truth, we were so late this year, we were just looking for ANY tree.)  Now, in the movies, Christmas tree shopping is magical  It's always snowing and the family is always happy and out in a beautiful city scene or a rustic tree farm.  Our trip was a little more down to earth.  First, we were rushing around after work trying to get out the door so we would still have enough time shop, then come home, get dinner ready, eat, put up the tree, finish homework, get the kids to bed.....you get the picture.  Second, the kids are goofing off, ("I can't find my shoes" and "Owen, quit it!") so I'm getting louder and louder.  Smells like Christmas spirit, right?

So, we finally get out the door and it's about 75 degrees out.  Ah, Christmas time in Florida! We've got the windows down and the Christmas carols blasting on the radio.  First place we stop, sold out!  Second place, sold out!  GULP!  So, we try a local supermarket that I think sells trees. (I know, it sounds weird, but in Florida, everybody sells Christmas trees, including the dive bar down the street!)  Well, they had 4 trees left and with a sign that read, "All Trees $15"  Sweet!  Three of the trees were about 20 feet tall and weighed 2,349 lbs.  The fourth tree was over in a corner on the ground.  One of the kids yells, "Hey, mister?  What about that one over there?"  The tree guy picks up the tree for us and says, "Yeah, ya'll can have this one."  A tear grew in my eye and rolled down my cheek.  Or it could have been sweat, I'm not sure.  It was perfect.  The tree guy gave the tree a good thump to open up the branches and half the needles fell off.  "We'll take it!"

So, as I unloaded the tree from the roof of the car and the kids and Mila went to kibitz with a neighbor, I thought to myself, it's not about perfect Christmas weather or the perfect setting or perfectly behaved kids, it's about the pursuit.  We were all together.  We all had an adventure and now, we all have a story to tell.  I hope my kids tell their kids and they tell theirs.  

Merry Christmas Ya'll!

 

Torn between two teams

As I predicted, the Rays won the division and the Sawx won the wild card. For the past 10 years I have been a Rays fan and of course for the last 40 years, I've been a member of Red Sox Nation. (BII-Born Into It) This year has been different. The Rays are good. Actually, not just good, but damn good! So, now I find myself torn between my HOME team (the Sawx) and my adoptive home team (the D-Rays, oops, sorry, the Rays)

So, what is a Cambridge/St. Pete kid supposed to do? Pull for both teams and hope they both meet in the ALCS. That way I can at least go to the parking lot of the Trop and feel the atmosphere. Tail-gating is allowed at the Trop parking lot and believe me-you, I'll be there in full regalia! At that point, it's all about the Sawx. I love the Rays and want them to go as far as possible, but, come on..... Gotta go with the Sawx!

GO SAWX!!!!!

Commute

Wow, it's been awhile!! A lot has happened since my last post. The most significant change has been that I now commute to work. My previous commute had been about 30 seconds from my bedroom to my home office. Now I drive about 9 miles to my new job and it takes me about 30 minutes. It's pretty frustrating!

O.K., it's not a New England work commute, but still.... Some of you have to commute many miles and hours to get to and from work. It's a right of passage. Some folks take a train, some drive with the rest of the shmucks and some take a bus. Here in Florida, the traffic isn't as bad. Some of my friends go up to Tampa or Clearwater. They complain, but it's nothing like Boston!

I'm finally getting used to the drive. It's been 6 months so far and I really shouldn't complain. A 30 minute drive to work?! It's a piece of cake compared to New England.

Greatest Month of the Year

Let's face it, March is the greatest month of the year. First, you've got spring training. It's exciting 'cause you've got guys who are trying to make the team and are busting their butts. Plus, you can watch a game in sunny Florida while the rest of your buddies are still freezing up North. The Sawx look good again and we could use a boost in the arm after the Pats blew the SuperBowl.

This video of the Drop Kick Murphy's will get you pumped for the Sawx Spring Training games and St. Patty's Day!



Second, you've got St. Patty's Day. Crazy celebrations in New England since half the population is Irish (or claims to be) and you can drink at 10 am and no one cares! Third, spring skiing. Tons of snow and you can ski in shorts. I always say that I'll go back up North to do some skiing in March, but I can never get around to it. Heck, I also say I'm going to get to the beach more often (it's 10 minutes away) and I never do that either!

And lastly, March is the greatest month of the year 'cause of March Madness. College hoops has to be one of the most exciting sports to watch and the Final Four is never without a cinderella story or spectacular highlights. Remember when Pat Ewing blocked (goal tended) the first like 6 shots during the Final Four. Or when Chris Webber called a timeout, but didn't have one? March Madness is one and done. The way a playoff/tournament should be and that makes EVERY game, EVERY possession, a potential top ten play on ESPN. It's a great way to end the Greatest Month of the Year!

Jesse

Surprise 40th Birthday

First off, a tip of the cap to The Giants. They hit The Pats where it hurts, right in the Tom Bradyies. Ouch! I haven't cried that long and hard since I lost my first little league game. I'm still shaking my head, saying to myself, "What happened?" Well, as they say in the sports world, "I just want to put this behind me and move forward" So on a happier note:



My buddy Joe's 40th birthday was this past Sunday and his wife got him the best present ever. A trip to spend the weekend with his friend in Florida (me), playing golf, drinking beer and goofing on each other. If you remember in a past post, I was complaining that none of my buddies from Mass came down to visit. Well, this planted the seed in Joe's mind and he kept talking about and his wife got the hint.

When Joe's wife, Jen, called me about the trip, this is how the conversation went:
-Jen: "Hey, Jesse, it's Jen. I'm calling to see if it's O.K. if I send Joe down to your house to play golf?"
-Me: (picture me holding the phone and saying nothing trying to process if this was a surprise present for Joe or for me)
-Jen: "Jesse, are you there?"
-Me: "Jen, call me back on my cell. I'm headed to the airport to wait for Joe"
-Jen: "But he doesn't come down for two months!"

You get the picture. So, the first thing I do after hanging up, well the first thing I did was scream like a nine year old at a Hannah Montana concert, but after that, I call up my two other buddies and get them in on coming down too. But we don't tell Joe. My buddy Fitz gets a flight out the night before Joe comes down and my other buddy, C-Dogg, gets on the same flight as Joe. We keep the secret for the whole two months! Joe is busting chops the whole time that no one else can go on the trip. He has no idea.

C-Dogg keeps the secret going, by hiding from Joe on the plane and actually sits four rows behind Joe and he still has no clue. How do you not notice a guy who is 6-4, 240 lbs who happens to be one of your best friends? Joe finally recognizes C-Dogg by baggage claim. He's like, "C-Dogg?, what the "bleep" are you doing here?" "Is Fitz here too?" Colin plays the fool and says no.

The ruse continues. Fitz is hiding in my kitchen. Joe and C-Dogg get to my house and after a few minutes of "I can't believe you guys" from Joe, we go into the kitchen and Fity is standing there with a video camera! The reaction from Joe was priceless. His first words were, "You Mother "bleepers". After that he just kept repeating the phrase for about ten minutes.

The weekend was filled with a lot of golf, a lot of beer and even more busting chops. Most of all, it was a chance for us to hang out and just be ourselves, like in high school. Joe summed up the weekend perfectly. He said, "I'm blown away." We'll talk about this weekend for years now. Happy Birthday Joe!

Jesse
That Guy From Bawston

I'm Smahta Than You

Am I smahta than you? Why yes, I am. Do you know why? 'Cause I'm from New England, that's why. With over 260 universities and colleges across New England (with Mass having the most at 111) it's no wonder that we've got the smahtest people in the country. New England also boasts award winning authors, past presidents, and scientists such as Calvin Coolidge, Henry David Thoreau, Norman Rockwell, Louisa May Alcott just to name a few.

Now, your thinking every region has knuckle heads and New England is no different. It just seems to me that the rest of the country has more knuckle heads and NE has more thinkers. So now your saying, why did I move away from NE and to Florida? Well, I'm just smahtah then the rest of the folks back home suffering through long winters, dense traffic, and short summers. I fled to the Sunshine State for college and never went back. I've got the best of both worlds. New England upbringing and warm winters!

To further illustrate my point, the smahtest person I know is my grandmother, Nora (Big Yiayia). She is 93 years old and is still pretty sharp. She reads, does crossword puzzles and is an avid sports fan. Her memory is going some, her knees ache from years of arthritis, but when I call her to talk about the Sawx or Pats, she is quick with the wit and can remember every detail of the game. She has inspired me to exercise my brain as she does and I started doing crossword puzzles everyday and reading more novels. I can only hope that I'm half as smaht as she at 93.

And of course I will be, 'cause I'm from New England and your not.

The BUZZ

Everyone is talking about the NE Patriots and how they could go 19-0 this season. They're talking about the playoff game this Sunday against the Chargers. You see folks everywhere wearing Pat's hats, gloves, jackets, etc. Me, I can't see or hear any of that 'cause I'm in FLA. I can't feel the buzz down here. And that's one of the things I miss about being away from home.

Yes, I talk to my buddies via cell phone and I read all the hype on the web, but it's not the same as being in the thick of it. I love being able to walk down the street and high five some guy I don't know, just 'cause he's got on a Pat's sweatshirt! Oh, I'll see the occasional NE fan down here in the grocery store and we may exchange a few words like "Go Pat's" but I want the full out onslaught of seeing the flying Elvis or Pat Patriot logo everywhere! Some lucky fans outside of NE have a sports bar that they call their home away from home (Foxboro Tavern for example in Naples, Fl or Sonny McLean's in L.A.) In St. Pete? Nothing.

So, I sit at my computer and read the Boston Globe, email buddies and sulk. Most of the time I'm so busy, I don't really miss being in Mass (especially during a snow storm!), but during the playoffs, I'd love to be able to fly up for the week and be in the buzz!

Jesse
(Sawx Tee Shirts on sale now until spring training starts at Bawston Tee Company!)