Boys of Summer Book - Entry #104

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 

Aug. 12th, 2004 - Dad

Seattle, WA

Bob and I were tired going into the trip but we were exhausted to the point of  hallucinating during it. I think we pulled over at a rest area but I don't know for sure. I think we arrived in Seattle around 7 a.m.. Time to catch a little sleep before our pre game party at Pyramid Brewery.

Bob:

Fourteen hours after departing the Bay Area, we pulled into our dear friends, the Auters, home in Seattle. I have many warm childhood memories of this house. We take a quick hug from our hosts, Don and Judy, then trudge on up to their daughter, Julie’s, old bedroom. We’re out in a flash...

...And up nary three hours later. I’ve never seen my dad this kind of tired. His face is literally hanging down. I decide not to look in the mirror.

We’re out the door and off to the Pyramid Brewery right next to Safeco. Pyramid is INCREDIBLE. They have given us a prime slot in their beer garden, provided beer, soda, water, delicious hors d’ouvres and all on a day they could have easily sold this spot for prime dollars. Instead, they’ve donated to the cause. Thank you Alex Krawless and Pyramid.

Our friends and family have indeed come out to the old ball game. I think all of the 62 tickets have been claimed. Quite a group!

Park Number 29 (of 30), Safeco Field

Minnesota 6, Seattle 3

WP: J. Santana (12-6)   LP: R. Franklin (3-11)

Detroit 5, Oakland 3

Boys of Summer Book - Entry #100

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 

Aug. 9, 2004 - Bob
Los Angeles, CA

We struck out with the beach camping -- try as we may, the sites were jam-packed. I should have known better. I was remembering a year ago when I camped in late September -- quite a bit of difference in terms of availability in late Sept. vs. early August. One of those “details”. Sigh...

I did jump in the water for a bit. That was magical. Body Boarding to me is something that touches and refreshes my soul. I feel a deep connection with the ocean. When I lived in L.A. previously, there were times when I would get to the beach at sunrise ride for an hour, do my work, then return at sunset for the last few rays of sunlight, just to be in the water for the day’s changing of the guard.

Very magical.

We ended up crashing at my friends, DJ and Shalee’s place in Playa Del Rey. I’ve known them since their undergraduate days at Loyola Marymount University and look at them now: married, hard working professionals and home owners, to boot. They were very sweet to have us last minute as they did -- hard working, extremely thoughtful duo, those two.

Aug. 10, 2004 - Bob
Anaheim, CA

Our pre game party was at BJ’s Brewery in Brea (boo-yah). It was AWESOME. They set us up with salad, pasta, pizza and beer, all for gratis. A few employees on their off time decided to join us. What a great group of people. I wish we could have generated more of a crowd as BJ’s was happy to provide us with as much food and drink as we needed.

Angel Stadium is...kind of a mix between Comerica and Busch. It has some of the pressed upon elements of it’s old Disney ownership, yet, there’s still some things about it that work and are very fan friendly. There’s a section where fans can run the distance from home plate to first and check their time against David Eckstein’s. We saw one young man take it to within a few tenths of a seconds of Eckstein’s time -- not bad. I wasn’t about to flip flop my way along there.

We’re serious scoreboard watchers tonight. While the O’s have brought out their whippin’ sticks on the Angels (way to go, Birds!) the A’s are in a tight one with Detroit. Though the Rangers are in the race, too, I have the most concern about the Angels for the AL West crown. The wild card -- don’t even want to think about it. Besides, Boston is shaping up too well -- they will be a force I hope the A’s don’t have to reckon with in the post season. Much rather take on the pinstripes. For whatever reason, the Sox have just taken apart the A’s all year long (hangover from last year’s playoff? Nah...).

After the game, there was a tired smile on both Dad’s and my face. We’re literally headed home to the Bay Area. There’s anticipation and happiness as well as some fear because we don’t know what we’re getting into with mom and her depression.

I hope she’s well. I know it will be good for us to be there with her -- for all of us.