Bike and Beyond...

First, I met up with some local friends and my sister.  Weirdly enough, the Red Sox won the American League East Championship which is a huge deal as they haven't gotten to the playoffs that way since 1995.  We almost decided to go to the game but figured there was no way we would get tickets, at least on our budgets.  Anyway, we went to a local bar to watch the game.  They won and everyone was happy, the Yankees at that point were winning which is always a bummer.  The game and baseball went to the back of my mind until later that night the whole bar erupted in cheers.  I realized that the Yankees must have lost and we clenched for the first time in 12 years the AL East!  

Red Sox fans come in all shapes in sizes, but I've never see one that doesn't make the teams success or failure personal.  My friend Chan at one point thought him being out of the country made a difference.  His brother, my roomie, Eli, thought he should stop watching games on TV because they lost every time he watched and won when he didn't.  Which brings me to the thought I had that night, that I somehow end up in Boston, I'm sure to the envy of others, during all the great events.  The World Series Win (click here for the pictures from Fenway) and now the AL East game.  Which is going to be expensive because during any important game I'll have to fly to Boston to help out the team.  I think thats why Boston fans are so passionate they take every game, every win or loss, personally.

While in Boston I also had the chance, as almost anyone in Boston does, to ride the T. (now called for some reason "Charlie")  It seems that every time I ride the T or any subway or mass transit system for that matter, I think about deep intense thoughts.  Despite being surrounded by people you don't know, and being in one of the most public places you can find.  It's a time where I always find my self thinking the most intriguing things.  I'm not sure why this is the case, but it never fails to happen.  I think about everyone on the train, make predictions about their life based on clothes, interactions with others, accessories, books and so on.  It's a place where you can have people from any class, race, country, etc.  It's ends up being a surreal moment that quickly ceases to exist the moment the door opens at your stop.

Anyway, Saturday was Nana's services.  It was a wonderful celebration of her life.  It was exactly what she would have wanted it to be.  Family and friends from all over coming together to catch up and reminisce about what a wonderful woman she was.  It was a beautiful fall day and the only crying was tears of joy.  I found myself crying a few times, not because I was sad but because I realized so much of who she was had become part of who I was.  I didn't realize until now probably because I was young at the time, but a lot of what she did and who she was rubbed off on me, my family, and friends that knew her.  Habitat for Humanity, caring for people, eating healthy, recycling, and death being part of life, to name a few.  She was always way before her time.  All these connections came up as I heard story after story of who she was.  Also at the end of the services we played the lullabies that I talked about in my last post.  It was beautiful and magical, it seemed like she was there with everyone, letting them know she was happy where she was, and not to worry about her.  It was a great way to end things.

Live on!