Ironia Funfest

There's no place like home

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:58:05 GMT

Nick Green and Russell Branyan crack each other up during yesterday's game.

I had a wonderful time on the road with Beth, really I did, but due to a variety of reasons I feel like I've scarcely had a moment to breathe since getting home. It was a lot of travel in a short period of time, the heat in Washington was an abrupt change from the 60-degree cloudy damp in Boston, the heat in Atlanta was exhausting, and my return flight was delayed so I got home Monday morning in the wee hours. And somehow in my absence (and by losing a weekend) the yard grew out of control and the house got dirty...

I did shoot at the games, but I'm feeling oddly unmotivated about them. Had nice seats for the Wednesday DC game (I think I've hardly looked at those...), and the terrific behind-the-plate ones Thursday (though the players-in-shade/outfield-in-sun issue is making me pull my hair out). Friday in Atlanta we shot BP before retreating to our second-level seats, where I didn't shoot but had a very fine chili dog (we did the on-field thing for BP, which was awesome, but I am still disappointed that I was looking the wrong way when Nick Green emerged in his Fenway Rescue Squad shirt!); Saturday I almost melted in BP but we sought the shade behind the 'pen and then had decent seats for the game; Sunday was just about impossible between the heat and the home plate screen. All in all I wasn't feeling nearly as good about shooting as I usually do on the road. I may of course have been pining for my beloved big lens...

So it was a relief to go to yesterday's game and get not only a win but some decent and fun shots!

Hideki Okajima was out before the game.

I was trying to shoot the pink backpack... Lowe carrying the King Leonidas helmet was a bonus.

Mark Wahlberg and Mike O'Malley try to pin Wahlberg's terrible first pitch on Pedie!

Whew! That pitch was a little close for J.D. Drew's comfort.

Jacoby Ellsbury sprints as Johjima and his mask part company...

... but he wouldn't quite make it.

Jon Lester. There's something about those red caps that makes them look like they're wearing entirely different uniforms.

Ichiro bunting.

Ken Griffey Jr. says, "That ball is too high."

"That ball is too low."

"That ball is just right!" (But I'm cheating--this one's a different at-bat.)

How does Justin Masterson get that close to the ground?

Pedie tries to outrun the throw to Branyan.

I'm always saying that Drew smiles more than folks think, but this was sweet. ^_^

On the road...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:41:54 GMT

We had decent seats Wednesday, but, well, NICE ones last night. ;)

More to come. It's hotter than hell in Atlanta...!

Wet, cold, but happy

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:02:27 GMT

I needed this game to end well. Thanks, baseball gods!

I got some decent shots of the ending, and since they make a neat slideshow I have them on flickr for now. Since you can't see the captions on slideshow, let me just note that I have no idea what Youk was doing to prepare for the jumping and screaming, they managed to rip off everything Green had around his neck, and there's a bonus shot of Dusty Brown at the end, just because.

Another drive-by update...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:52:06 GMT

Got a page up from the June 10 Yankees game. Lots of Yankees. Consider yourself warned, if necessary!

Some nice shots of George Kottaras, for those of you who like such things...

("Hey look! Up there! It's me!")

Because...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:18:03 GMT

... I really love winning, but I also really hate gloating.

It's an odd way to be a fan sometimes, I suppose.

If I took one photo that summarized yesterday's game...

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:04:21 GMT

... it would be this one.

John Smoltz throwing before the game.

Manny Delcarmen asks, "How did the ball I was catching wind up behind me?"

I was afraid that Justin Masterson was ratting me out to Takashi Saito, at least until I realized I was standing next to a rather large contingent of Japanese fans, one of whom was wearing what appeared to be a freshly signed Masterson jersey. ^_^ Of course, before I realized that, I waved to Saito, just in case. He looked pleasantly puzzled.

Ramon Ramirez with a special delivery.

J.D. Drew looked downright giddy around the kids. (The youngster looks a little concerned. "Are they sure what he got was a cortisone shot?")

I wish this was sharper. "Nice to meet you! I'm Nick!"

Getting buzzed by the hawk was pretty amazing.

Tek's starting to get enough hair for my taste.

Mark Kotsay trots in after his home run.

The hazards of shooting from the stands... this would have been the shot of the day without the heads.

I tried cropping it tighter, but it doesn't quite work.

This might be the time to tell the story about Nick Green making my heart skip beats as he walked past us to get a cab in Detroit... but maybe I'll wait for the Detroit photo posts. ^_^

Lots more to come. I should have a captioned page from Thursday in Detroit up tonight!

Friday night GS pair

Thu, 21 May 2009 15:03:34 GMT

Anyone out there in friends list land looking for a pair to the Friday night Mets game? GS 24, Row 9, seats 25-26. $50 face each plus fees = $110 for the pair. Unobstructed; pole in the third base area (go here and navigate through if you want specifics!). Can meet in the Fenway area today or tomorrow.

Kyle Snyder returns as a Bison!

Javier Lopez is charmed by Steve and his jersey.

Michael Bowden and his shadow.

Billy Traber and his mustache say "How you doin'?"

Generally pitchers going in pick a youngster to toss the ball to... Traber opted for an alarming hand delivery!

Clay Buchholz collecting the ball back after throwing to first.

Clay after the umps collectively overruled the ump who should have made the right call in the first place and finally settled on a home run. I'm assuming Clay kept his language clean, but I'm a little amazed that his expressions alone didn't get him run!

Angel Chavez and fan favorite (and apparently Angel favorite) Iggy Suarez.

A couple of thumbnail page previews...

Tue, 05 May 2009 02:50:15 GMT

April 18: PawSox host Lehigh Valley
Lots of pitchers pregame: Charlie Zink, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Daniel Bard, Fernando Cabrera, Chris George, Rocky Cherry, Kris Johnson, and Robert Coello does a drive-by in AAA. Plus Paws' birthday, some fans seriously weirded out by mascots, and even a few up from the game itself--more to come there!

Poor Charlie Zink, doing long toss with Bowden... I don't think Mike knows how to throw softly.

April 25: Yankees at Red Sox
Not done with this one either, but at least I can see what I've done...

(Seriously, you just point the camera at Jacoby Ellsbury and he'll do the rest.)

May 3: PawSox host the Gwinnett Braves
Lots more to come, but a quick selection, from Spike on the move...

... to Bowden and Zink at rest.

My camera sees things my eyes can't see

Mon, 04 May 2009 01:44:41 GMT

Last year, Dan Hoard of the PawSox "radio guys" told the story of how Manny Ramirez had given Chris Carter a couple of his bats. It was even noted in the radio broadcast when the sad day finally came that the last of the Manny bats broke. And I know that those bats were very meaningful to Chris; when I handed him a photo I'd taken at New Stars for Young Stars this past January, a shot of him at the plate, bat extended, he looked at the picture and said, wistfully, "That was one of Manny's bats."

So today Cyn and I went to Pawtucket--where they won 1-0, and the rain held off!--and I'm now home editing some photos. And I look at one of Carter, and his bat...

Jason Bay.

Holy cow!

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:06:09 GMT

You're just too cool for words, darlin'.

Good times never seemed so good... or exhausting! (so tired! so tired! so tired!)

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:48:29 GMT

I always say I don't want to go to Yankee games. And I usually fob it off on external forces--there are always people for whom alcohol and rivalry are bigger driving forces than baseball--but in truth it's also like placing a very large bet that you can't afford to pay. I'm never sure if the knots in my stomach are outweighed by the possibility of elation at the end. add to this that these games are never over, both in the literal timing and the they-can-still-come-back sense, and a Yankee game becomes a mentally and physically grueling experience.

Which is that way it was Friday night. It was a great comeback and a great finish, but I was wiped out, physically and emotionally.

So what did I do Saturday, after telling everyone I'd be enjoying the sun, doing yardwork and skipping Buck and McCarver for Castiglione and O'Brien?

I went to the game, of course. ^_^

I did warn you, didn't I? Maybe Justin Masterson can make sure Joba Chamberlain stays on the straight and narrow from here on out!

Derek Jeter issues a summons...

... and calls a boy from the roped-in on-field area into the Forbidden Zone.

Kinda says it all, doesn't it? (Thought I might have just spelled out "Saito," personally.)

I said before the game that I thought we could have a pitchers' duel, maybe competing no-hitters in the sixth. Er... maybe not. In fact, for a while there I thought I'd made a terrible mistake and gone to the well once too often. But it's funny how things work out.

I promised Nick Swisher, Nick Swisher there will be. (There are smiling shots, you get brooding for now.)

I would just like to note that I have been at Fenway for all three of Jason Varitek's grand slams. (Also, note Tek's no-nonsense demeanor and the facial expressions he's getting from his teammates.)

Now note that Mike Lowell is practically dancing and Jay Bay looks ten times as happy as if he'd hit that ball himself. (We were all giddy by then, I suppose!)

"Old guys! You struck a blow for the old guys!"

No, I don't expect to be there tonight. ^_^ Marathon games that start at 8pm and leave 18,000 people scrambling for cabs are not my cup of tea. But I have the sneaking suspicion I'll regret it...!

So I will admit...

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:12:03 GMT

... that as Jason Bay came to bat, and Eddie Vedder sang "I'm still alive!"... I may have had my doubts.

Can you have a happy joyous pigpile of love if the intended recipient charges through it like a freight train?

(This is clearly a "Please don't hurt me" look from Jay Bay.)

(Props to Jonathan Van Every for trying to hold Youk back by his jersey. As long as JVE doesn't end up on the DL again with broken fingers.)

(I can't help but look at Jeff Bailey here and think of the folks who jump over zoo fences because they want to hug the tigers or polar bears...)

More edits to come, including the shots I promised my beloved Yankee fan. ;)

A wonderful day at the park!

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:39:15 GMT

Not least because finally, I was able to get some shots of Hunter Jones on the occasion of his MLB debut!

Plus the bonuses, like more tousled-haired Nick Green

and me shooting the opposition again (here, Nick Markakis)

All good wishes to Ryan Freel, after he was hit by a pickoff throw in very frightening fashion.

Justin Masterson appeared to be making his own plea for Freel's health.

Minor fail...

... not getting Steve's new Javier Lopez jersey signed. But I expected that to be a challenge...

Everything's changed, nothing has changed

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:38:41 GMT

I have been editing. Really I have. Just not as much, nor as quickly, nor in as organized a fashion as I should!

Went to Friday night's game because it was such a gorgeous day and I thought I might get to shoot Hunter Jones in his debut.

Got him in uniform, at least! And found that I still take too many pictures of Brian Roberts

and that apparently I have a thing for Luke Scott.

Pumpsie Green threw out the first pitch.

It was an interesting day for Mr. Penny, resulting in a lot of interesting expressions...

and things got a little crazy, but you know who was not going to let things get out of hand?

Totally unreasonably smokin' hot Nick Green, that's who!

(standing on second after tying up the game. I'm pretty sure my getting that photo was worth the price of my ticket!)

Lots more to come from that game... but Saturday I was up early to trek to Pawtucket with Cyn! Barely started editing, but here's a couple of a very, VERY unhappy Dusty Brown as he got tossed...

Up early tomorrow for the Patriots Day game! Here's Jason Bay's take, via Ian Browne...

"I played a 10 o'clock game in 'A' ball about seven years ago or something. There were like 3,000 elementary students. They bussed in for it. It will be a lot like that, I guess," said left fielder Jason Bay.

The big difference, of course, is that Fenway will be packed to capacity yet again.

No, the big difference is that there will be beer...

I know...

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:19:03 GMT

... long time, no update. The short version would be that I got back from Spring Training to find that my mom was in congestive heart failure... not an emergency per se, but not a good situation either. More or less means enough extra care-taking and worrying that when I get to the computer aimlessly clicking around seems more my speed than writing.

I've been doing what I can on photos...

(Well hello there, Josh Reddick...)

... but of course I'm way behind. Did sneak off with Cyn for the exhibition games at Citi Field, and made it to Opening Day and Game Two (more hugs to jennyagain). So more to come, soon, I hope!

I swore I would never do fantasy baseball...

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:16:19 GMT

... because it's like I've just adopted a litter of puppies I don't have time to care for. But the SG "Perfect Circle" league needed one more team... and so I present to you the Dying Quails.

C Bengie Molina
1B Justin Morneau
2B Brian Roberts
3B Edwin Encarnación
SS José Reyes
OF Jay Bruce
OF Johnny Damon
OF Justin Upton
Util Hideki Matsui
BN Adrián Béltre
BN Jeremy Hermida
BN Eric Byrnes

Tim Lincecum
Dan Haren
Joba Chamberlain
Brandon Morrow
Edinson Vólquez
James Shields
Mike Pelfrey
Anthony Reyes
Kenshin Kawakami

I had to let the computer do my draft, and didn't spend as much time setting my draft order as I might have, but I'm reasonably happy. Would have been nice to have, say, ONE guy from my Red Sox, but I suppose I pay enough attention to them anyway!

I think A-Rod was the only player on my "do not draft" list, and knowing that folks in the league tend to avoid the Yankees, I thought for sure I'd get more of them. That said, I am now even more convinced that Joba should be in the pen, dammit.

Kate, I bumped Timmy way up on my list. You'd better take care of the boy out there!

Back to editing...

:swoons:

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:42:44 GMT

I think in the next few weeks, when I need a break, I'm just going to stare deep into Rocco's eyes.

Last night I got a couple of preview pages posted: February 26, February 28, and March 5. No captioning, and I still have a ton to do from each day, but I wanted to get some thumbs pages up before I went crazy. During the week I'll keep adding to 'em and try to get those three days finished first!

A few from yesterday

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:04:41 GMT

Team Puerto Rico was training at the Sox minor league complex, but photos were hard to come by as they'd roped off all my good photo spots. Javy didn't look up as he passed between fields where I had a clear shot.

I had a hard time finding Alex Cora--I had to wait until he assumed an unmistakably Cora-esque pose.

I was shooting my boys on one field when I heard this:
"I don't know who's batting over there, but he just hit a BOMB."
"It's Bernie!"
"BERNIE WILLIAMS?"
So I missed the colossal HR, but I figured I had to stake him out for a shot for Kate!

Dewey talked to Bubba for a long time. Bubba is a very attentive listener.

These aren't the best quality--they were in left field and I was at first base--but the parachute drills are the best. For some reason they had all the big guys running ladder drills

while the more compact kids tried not to catch the fierce winds and get swept away!

Bubba Bell...

... Jeff Natale...

... Matt Sheely...

and Iggy Suarez.

"Try not to look silly. She's got a zoom lens!"

Bruiser the dog with a new fan.

Hello!

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:26:41 GMT

(I've accumulated more than my usual share of "You're busted" photos this spring... here it's Mark Wagner.)

Yes, I'm in sunny-but-now-chilly Florida! I have been my usual slacker self about actually posting the stuff I've been shooting, but if you want a sample from Saturday...

Justin Masterson laughs...

... when maybe he shouldn't have?

Kris Johnson got the Saturday start.

Ino Guerrero!

Junichi Tazawa makes the most entertaining faces.

I love the casual attitude of the late afternoon bullpen!

Only took a few of Clay Buchholz in the night game (bad light).

More later, really! Everybody with snow, be careful out there!

'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:13:18 GMT

David Pauley traded to Baltimore.

I was torn between hoping he'd be back in Pawtucket and hoping he'd get a shot at the majors somewhere else. All best to you, Dave.

PawSox Hot Stove party!

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:58:03 GMT

It was a lovely day, but sadly, perhaps the last of the player appearances to tide me over until February!

I had packed up my smaller camera bag (fits one camera, flash, Steve, misc stuff) for the day, but when I picked it up, some small bit went flying. Afraid it had been a buckle or fastener, I grabbed it--about the size of a coffee bean--and tried to figure out what it was... until I suddenly realized, in horror, that it was Steve's nose. Fortunately the bleeding was minimal and he didn't show any signs of pain, so I simply had to add a quick stop at CVS for surgical supplies (Krazy glue) to the agenda!

Cyn [finally in her rightful place at WEEI.com! Wooooooooo!] and I hopped on Amtrak, only to fall prey immediately to two mini-disasters: a creepy guy who sat next to his unsuspecting victim a few rows behind us and proceeded to talk to her non-stop and very loudly about everything under the sun, and, at Route 128, a pungent smell of burning rubber, followed by a delay for a safety inspection, followed by the least reassuring explanation I've ever heard from an Amtrak employee ("Dispatch has instructed us to cut out the brake cylinder, and then we should be good to go!"). We wondered if we would in fact stop in Providence, or perhaps roll to a halt some miles beyond, but we were able to wave a happy goodbye to the faulty train in RI with just enough time to get to McCoy for the gates-opening. (I did manage somewhere along the way to lose Steve's fleecy hat. That's three hats I've lost for him...)

The event was a lot of fun, but it was packed. I couldn't really tell whether there were many more people than last year or whether the lines weren't as well organized, but it did seem a lot more hectic and congested. In addition, they canceled the Q&A, which I had really enjoyed, in favor of getting more folks through the autograph lines. We went through the line for Zach Daeges, RJ and Mark Wagner first.

(He's adorable. There. I said it. I can't help it.)

And then the real trouble started. We couldn't even get out of the clubhouse. Had to ford the throngs to get to the end of the other line, thereby blocking one of the major hot dog arteries (and making me wonder if Steve would survive sans ketchup all day). We enjoyed chatting with cool folks in the line, but I think it was about an hour and a half before we reached the next table, which was about ten minutes after Lars Anderson had to leave to get his flight. But it was all right--because my primary target was Kris Johnson. He'd already signed a regular pitching shot for me... and I was rather taken with the bowling shot from last weekend. Hence, that's the photo I put in front of him. And he was appropriately awed. ^_~

Thanks to Cyn!

It was worth the wait just for that. ("Bard! Look at this!") He even added an X to his signature: "for a strike!"

Major, major props to the guys for being in good humor after a long couple of weeks and a long day today, and thanks to the PawSox staff for putting the event on!

A slightly less whirlwind weekend than expected

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:53:41 GMT

... but still one with a lot of joy!

Had a great time with Cyn at the Baseball Writer's Dinner Thursday night. We had the usual follies trying to get a beverage during the cocktail hour; for reasons I can't comprehend the various bars in the long, narrow corridor that passes as the lounge open and close somewhat randomly. I understand the two basic principles--open the one in the back first, so folks don't all congregate up front, and close the bars temporarily when you need everyone to sit down for dinner--but every year we walk up to a bar that has just served someone to have it close on us so we have to trek further down the hall. This year we stuck with beverages in bottles so as to avoid last year's mystery drinks (a cosmo made with a heaping helping of Bombay Sapphire, anyone?). I hissed at Dan Shaughnessy as he walked by. Saw my favorite Fenway security chief (he reported he was glad to be working the event but regretted he'd forgotten when he accepted the invite that there would be college football that night). Documenting the dinner with photos is always a little tough for me; the only time I feel comfortable* shooting is during the autograph session, and apparently my flash badly needed new batteries because it took ages to charge up again after each shot. The few I did take are over at MLBlogs. The two things I wish I could show folks were the never-ending Pedroia/Casey gabfest at the head table (particularly the wildly animated portions of said conversation that essentially took place in Jeff Bailey's lap) and the parade of the Rookie Development kids to and from their table. The awards were well and truly earned by the recipients, and both the awards speeches and those given by winners were well done. Richie Conigliaro spoke very movingly of why the award named for his brother means so much--because it's given to those who, when told they can't do something, never give up.

(* Folks--don't shoot people who are eating. Even if they're on display at the head table. No one needs a photo of a player badly enough to take one while he's forking salad leaves into his mouth.)

Friday brought an embarrassment of riches, which meant there was a choice to be made, and we chose to see Bronson Arroyo in Foxboro. I would love to have even a slightly-blurry no-flash shot to post, but Showcase Live security deemed my Canon to be a Professional Camera. Now... I've drooled over pro cameras enough to explain very easily why this is NOT a pro camera, but what can you do? There was nothing on the ticket or the web site to my knowledge to state that any sort of camera was prohibited. Not infrequently in low light at a concert-watching distance you can get shots with a good point-and-shoot that are at least as good as what I would have taken. Alas. In any case, it was fun to be at the show with friends and to see Bronson, who seems unchanging as the years go by. I could kill him for pulling out "Fire and Rain" though--it's a song that for me got attached to the days after I had to put Leo down. I find Bronson at his best when he's either just playing acoustic or just playing with Elan, and thus this was a recipe for me to cry straight through. After the show, as he always seems to, he signed autographs and posed for photos...

Thanks to Cyn and her camera!

I look like hell, but that's par for the course. ^_~

Saturday I made up for missing the Team Store signing by going to New Stars for Young Stars. At the moment the full gallery is on Facebook, with most of the shots also on MLBlogs. Particularly glad that Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden were there! I still get tongue-tied around Bowden (and I just typed "get still" there--apparently he ties up my fingers, too!) and so where I wanted to tell him how happy I was to see him at Fenway, and how I may have been second only to his mother as the most nervous person there that day, I think I more or less said "Hi!" and "Thanks!" I was also thrilled that the development pups who weren't officially part of New Stars were there as well. Mark Wagner is one of the most gracious, outgoing and quick-witted folks you will ever meet, and, not incidentally, has a handshake of iron. ^_^

Unfortunately Cyn twisted an ankle and couldn't join me for Saturday's events... between that and the impending snow I'm afraid I bailed on the Hot Stove concert. Had I realized how little snow we'd actually have by midnight I probably would have gone, but I dreaded the possibility of making the trek home on slippery roads. My bus goes on snow route relatively quickly, and I've taken no small number of cabs that struggled to get up Rt. 2 on dry roads. Ah well. We knew Bronson was in Portland (and thus not making a cameo), and as much as I hoped for the Baseball Project I knew that wasn't happening.

Tomorrow night brings the Lowell Spinners dinner and Jed Lowrie (and why, I ask, are they running an auction to sit with Jed that has to be won by a youngster, hmmn?); next Saturday it's the PawSox Hot Stove party. As always, please say hello if you see me!

A brief tour of the yet-to-be-edited archives

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:19:15 GMT

I had the best intentions of buckling down and catching up on the backlog at the end of the season, but I think I needed a break, and then, well, the whole Thanksgiving-to-Christmas time period is not good for me for planning. But I'm starting to get back in the groove. Here's a few from some dates that have very little yet edited and posted!

May 17. There's a photo like this one on the Facebook fan page for Jacoby, and I kept looking at it thinking I know I took a shot like that...!

(I am kicking around the idea of a "Jacoby!" app for Facebook. You could send friends a "Smiling Jacoby" or a "Glaring Jacoby" or a "Speedy Jacoby" or a "Super Hot Jacoby". I can't decide if this is hilarious or if I need to be talked out of it.)

Twice in the same at-bat Manny took a pitch that was rather up and in. I suppose if you let go of the bat you avoid getting charged with a swing!

June 1... beautiful day game, and I've only posted BP! Edited a few from later...

Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett made me laugh out loud.

Ells with a slide...

Waiting for the word... he was out. Possibly the only time I've shot him getting caught!

Different play, but the boy does frown well, no?

Papi and Julio Lugo. I like Lugo. I really do. I may want Jed to play, but I like the guy.

I miss Coco.

And last but certainly not least, August 31: from which I'd posted some shots of the pitchers throwing in the morning, but nothing from the game.

Dave Pauley.

Current new dad Paps!

Mike Bowden was out at warmups after his debut the night before.

Okay, here's a "huh?" sequence... I guess a fistbump isn't good enough for Dave Page and Hideki Okajima.

Oh, like you'll pick off Ells. Sure.

Jed Lowrie gazes thoughtfully at a foul.

Oh, man... see, this is what I miss.

He glowers well, too.

But gets right back into the game.

Steals bases with his eyes closed, he does.

If all goes well tomorrow, I'm looking at a really exciting New Year's Eve at the computer. Check back for more! And if you go out celebrating--be sensible, travel carefully, have fun. ^_^

Real post tomorrow, but...

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:34:59 GMT

I want this.

No, not Jacoby. Baseball. And sunshine, and summer.

Well, that was interesting...

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:37:50 GMT

I got up early this morning to make sure that today's plan would work: a trip to the gym, followed by shopping, getting home around 1:00pm, well before the 2-6 period that was supposed to be bad, per the weather folks.

As it turned out, the roads were so bad when I got out of the gym that I simply took the first #77 available (no way the bus that goes by my house was running!) and I think I was lucky to make it home at all. I can't speak for the rest of the town, but we had at least a foot of snow at my house. I am now definitely ready for a break from shoveling!

Thanks for the suggestions in the last post! I do now have a bottle of Nature's Miracle at the ready, but that did seem to be a one-off problem. They boys are doing very well. Avery seems not to understand why I leave the house for hours at a time when I could be playing with the Cat Dancer!

Avery with one of his favorite toys. Astonishingly enough he hasn't managed to pull the "mouse" off its perch yet! I think this is because he's discovered the Cat Dancer.

Wilson's very fond of the thing with feathers.

It's much easier to find mostly-white cats on the bed! Avery looks like a sea serpent here, navigating the blanket.