BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP… The clock read 4:15 AM. That’s right, Saturday had an early start. And the fact that I had gone to bed around midnight didn’t make things better. But it was all part of the plan. After a quick shower, an even quicker bite to eat, and quickest of all, a stop at the ATM, Abby and I got to the chapel at 5:01. So we were late by a minute - oh well.
About 5:15 everyone else had arrived as well (a grand total of 6 of us), and we headed for Boston. We were going up to welcome back our heros from battle - the Red Sox being our heros of course!
And then we were there. The digital display on my cell phone had changed to read 7:30 or so by the time we had parked the van, taken the T, walked to Dunkin’ Donuts (where we waited in line for about 30 minutes for deliciously fresh something-hot-to-drink and something to eat), and claimed our spots in the front row on Tremont Street. Sweet! Only 2.5 hours before the parade would begin, and another hour or so before they got to us.
There’s nothing quite like standing in misty, drizzly weather at the end of October for 3.5 hours - and thinking it’s worth it. But it was. The time passed quickly due to a lively crowd and a green beach ball that people were hitting back and forth from one side of the street to the other, and even the police participated: if the ball ended up in the street where no one could reach it, one of the cops would pick it up and hit it back into the crowd. Good fun all around! And when the parade finally did reach us, it was really cool to be 10 feet from the Red Sox. Nothing quite like it.
The evening ended with a game of Cranium at the Morelli’s house, and it’s been a long time since I laughed as hard as I did while Anne was dancing all over the place trying to get Athena to guess “Rodeo”. It was a tiring day, but the time change provided an extra hour of sleep, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.
Sunday was good too. After church a bunch of people headed up to the Gibb’s house for Soup, Bread, and Dessert. Of course there was a candy hunt for the kids, and apple cider all around. It was a fun way to spend Halloween. Much better than watching the Patriots lose for the first time in 399 days.
Of course, the general dankness of Saturday was too much for my immune system, so now I have a case of the “common cold”. Guess it’s about that time of year.
I’m expecting my office mate to walk in the door any minute now - he took the red-eye flight back from Las Vegas last night. I’m sure he had fun this weekend too…