I had to go to Dick Blick Art Supply in town today, so I dragged the Peas along with me. Note the "had to go" part - HA! Honestly, there was nothing in particular I needed, but I thought I'd check out the paper stock and see if they had an etching press on display. No press anywhere in sight, but they do have some nice papers. Not as big an inventory as what I could find in NYC or Philadelphia, but at least they have something more than the Canson paper that is ubiquitous and useless to me. I got a nice fan brush, a large butcher's tray, and a couple very nice pieces of paper for the downstairs bathroom (I want to re-cover the lights). All in all, a worthwhile trip.
While we were in town on another gorgeous weather day and so close to Fenway, we decided to hoof it up the street and do the Fenway Park tour. After a slice and some time in the gift store, we went into Fenway with our group. The tour is pretty interesting. Some of what we heard is well known, like Fenway being the oldest ballpark in the country, but I didn't know it was the only ballpark that still had wooden seats. We learned that Conigliaro's corner seats sell for $25 in honor of his number, and that those tickets go on sale two hours before gametime (the tour guide warned us to bring a chair and a book). We learned that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are the luckiest people in Boston, since they have managed to get seats in the "seat-by-lottery" right field roof deck at least six times this year. We learned that there are two employees who have a method of figuring out whether the Red Sox will win or lose* (it all depends on whether they see each other only once in any given day - more than that, we lose). I think even the Younger Pea, who is less interested in baseball than the Elder Pea, had a good time. I certainly did!
A quick ice-cream stop on the way home and we called it a day. It's a shame Miss P didn't have time to do this, she would have enjoyed it very much. I recommend the Fenway Tour to any baseball fan. Even Yankees fans.
* edit 9/5: I guess they didn't see each other again, since the Sox won 5-3!
Great pictures... wish I was along for that trip also..
ReplyDeleteSounds like a super art supply store too! We've been watching the games on MLB.com and jumping up and down as well as cringing at the Yankits series.. We're back on our roll again, let's all keep focused on the WildCard! There are a few really deserving teams in that race. Sooooooo many great players this year, the Blue Jays are right up there and we're so lucky to have won these first two games!
I wonder, did the guide mention that I worked at Fenway Park in the summer of 1959? I was one of the cleanup crew sweeping the stands of all the debris left behind from the last game. I got to watch Ted Williams at batting practice knock a few balls off the Green Monster. I also retrieved a home-run ball hit off the bat of slugger Jackie Jensen that went into the stands. Yes, the year 1959 was AFTER the Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you worked at Fenway. They have several photos of the splinter, as you might expect.
ReplyDeleteI think watching batting practice would be fun. If you have Green Monster seats, you get into the park two hours before the game, so you can see batting practice and maybe catch a ball.
Ahhhh,,, I knew there was a soft spot for the Red Sox in anhaga... He may love the Bronx Boys ... but he has a little Fenway love in there too... What an awsome experience for a young guy to have in the summer of '59 !!!
ReplyDeleteit was a great day full of lots of fun. thanks for taking us wabbit.
ReplyDeleteNo problem at all, I had a blast!
ReplyDeleteWe'll come up with another excuse for a field trip soon...I'm thinking Salem...
I forgot to mention the usual security scan. I always tell people that I'm always the one person singled out for screening, and nobody believes me until they see it for themselves. Sure enough, I was pulled aside and scanned at Fenway. The Peas walked in ahead of me with no questions asked, but I had to be scanned.
ReplyDeleteNow here's the really funny thing. The wand should have been singing, and it wasn't. I said to the man wanding me, "I should be setting the alarm off" and he said, "no, it's good if it doesn't go off." I replied, "not in my case, it really should go off, I have a titanium knee that should set it off." Clearly he didn't have the wand set at a high enough frequency to pick up metal. D'oh! Once I told him about my knee, he adjusted the setting and sure enough, it starting to sing.
So next time y'all are at Fenway, safely enjoying a game, you can silently thank me for correcting the setting on the metal detector!
Verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyy Interesting indeed!!! Does titanium not trigger like other metals?
ReplyDeleteI wonder what they use as a standard to set the wands with before the day starts...
Are the employees checked out during application process or wand scanned as they come to work each day? You have me wondering.
Sorry I haven't been able to get back here for a few days. The Comments page is blocked at work. It's true, Dear. I like Boston a lot. I like the Sox too. Last year's gang was great. This year I'm into their pitching staff more than the new guys at the plate. That year way back when I lived in an apartment on Burbank St. between Mass Ave and Fenway Park. I wrote a little story later that year about life on Burbank Street that they published in the college magazine. Lots of wild adventures. The area's changed a lot since I moved out.
ReplyDeleteMr. Bill was at Ted Williams last game at Fenway... His brother Bud took him at 12 and Mr. Bill was maybe 6 yrs old? By the time Mr. B was 12 he was going by himself, sneaking in as a little city rat and going to about 20 games a year... He's been to maybe 500 of them over his lifetime SO FAR... So he was 4 when you worked there anhaga, just a couple years before his first jump into the park.. He knew that park inside and out! I bet he'd love to take that tour now to see all the changes. He was there for Jim Lonborg's game when they won the pennant and the fans rushed the field... He saw some kids devour Jim and take his jacket and he then grabbed the jacket from them,, eventually only having it for 15 mintues before it was taken from him... He was there when Tony C was hit by the pitch in the eye.. He used to play pool with George Scott at the local pool hall and have fun.. I was with him at Yaz's last game and boy I thought that was fantastic and we still have the free gameday Yaz hats they gave us for attendance. Fenway is AWSOME and watching a game there really makes you feel Red Sox Nation!!!
ReplyDeleteThe city has gone through changes since he was a little kid under 10 years of age riding the trolly by himself and feeling he owned the city of Boston.