On the Road: Massachusetts

I have essentially known The Philosopher for my entire life. We first met in nursery school when we were three years old. We have played many roles in each other's lives over the decades. When I was a goalie, he was my center fullback. You develop a lot of trust in that relationship. He was an usher at our wedding and is still one of My Wife's favorites among my old friends. He is the smartest person I know. He is also the most physically fit person I know. Above all, he is a quiet, gentle man and an awfully loyal friend.


The Philosopher's family has a house in the islands off the coast of Massachusetts. I first visited the island when I was 13. I visited twice as a teenager and this past week was our third visit as a family. The 100-year-old house sits at the base of an inlet surveying the ocean on one side and green woodlands on the other. It is, to my mind, just about perfect: stunning colors during the day while the celestial light show over the ocean is subtly different every night. On our first day there, Our Girl declared it her favorite place in the whole world.


We flew kites - a first for both Our Girl and My Wife. We kayaked in the sea. We swam in saltwater. We swam in freshwater. We hiked. We ate fresh vegetables from the beautifully-tended garden. We mostly sat on the porch watching the world go by: a stunning variety of birds and sea craft on offer for our gawking pleasure. Without a doubt, it was the highlight of our summer - nay, our year - so far.


Adjusting back to mainland society has been brutal, especially having to weather Massachusetts highways on the way home. Our transition was eased by some dear friends in Worcester. We shall call them English Prof and The Playwright. They're old friends of My Wife's from Chicago and we usually manage to see them once or twice a year, often spending Thanksgiving together. Worcester also offers the opportunity for My Wife to visit Trader Joe's - one of her favorite grocery chains and we don't have any in Vermont. We can also now add That's Entertainment to our list of retail must-visits. Encouraged by Mock's and Mrs. Mock's strong recommendation, we paid a visit to Worcester's independent comics/toys/collectibles emporium. All of our gift shopping for Our Girl's birthday is now complete!


It was a wonderful week but it's great to be home. I took a lot of photos during our trip, enough that I think they're worth their own post.

12 Books in 12 Months: A Book You Have Re-Read More Than Once...and Just Read Again

Book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Author: Roald Dahl


Image via wikia

If this is not my favorite book, it's definitely in my top 5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the one book I actually made a ritual of re-reading. It was, for many years, a part of Christmas break for me. It is the perfect modernistic fairy tale: vivid characters, playful language, a compelling narrative and everyone gets what they deserve.

***SPOILER ALERT***

On the off chance you haven't read this book, please skip this part. I'm not really spoiling much but I'd hate to undermine the magic for you. My two favorite parts of the book:

1. The two chapter stretch in which Charlie finds the dollar in the street, then the golden ticket in candy bar #2. Dahl built up a very clear sense of Bucket family squalor to the point where even we the readers are more concerned about Charlie starving to death than finding a Wonka ticket. I also love the way the shopkeeper looks out for him once he wins the ticket.

2. While riding down the chocolate river, Wonka scoops up two mugs for Charlie and Grandpa Joe. In a story filled with fantastic wonders, this simple gesture of human compassion really stands out for me.

***END OF SPOILER***

Charlie is the sort of book which inevitably inspires films, candy brands, merchandise, etc. I had already read the book many times before I finally saw the 1971 Gene Wilder movie. I really didn't like the film as it didn't follow the book very well. Dahl disowned the film, thus the change in title. I've grown to appreciate the movie for its own sake but I do feel the 2005 Johnny Depp version was more faithful to the book.

Charlie is also a book that begs to be read allowed. After I finished reading it for myself this past week, my daughter requested I read it to her. It's a re-read for her as well.

Okay, the easier books on my list are finished. Now, the heavy lifting begins...

****************

I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here.

If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.

12 Books in 12 Months: A Book You Read Because You Wanted to Laugh

Book: The Polysyllabic Spree: A Hilarious and True Account of One Man's Struggle with the Monthly Tide of the Books He's Bought and the Books He's Been Meaning to Read
Author: Nick Hornby


Image via Amazon.co.uk

This was a great book for this challenge as it is, in fact, about books. Hornby wrote a series of columns for Believer magazine regarding his own adventures in reading. The book includes all of the essays plus a few excerpts from the books he read.

Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About a Boy, is pretty dependable for laughs. To me, a truly funny book is one you're embarrassed to read in public because you can't stop laughing. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is the perfect example. The Polysyllabic Spree wasn't nearly on that level but there were a few out-loud guffaws I struggled to stifle. I particularly enjoyed his stories about his brother-in-law, fellow author Robert Harris. Hornby described some of Harris behavior as unfraternal whereas I thought it closely resembled my relationship with my own brother-in-law, not to mention the relationship I would have with a biological brother if I had one.

Hornby writes a lot about how he chooses which books to read. Naturally, I gave some thought to my own tendencies. I like exploring a genre: sports books or classic science fiction, for instance. I don't have much need to buy books as My Wife has accumulated an impressive private library over the years. Furthermore, unlike most people who buy books and never read them, she's actually made her way through the thick tomes which line our shelves. If I should live another 100 years, I'm quite certain I'll never catch up.

****************

I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here.

If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.

My Baseball Fantasy: Romero

Private League: lost 1-9 (106-65-9 overall, 1st place out of 10, 3 games ahead)
Public League: 1st place out of 12, 5 points ahead
My Player of the Week: Ricky Romero (Starting Pitcher, Blue Jays) with 2 wins, 12 strikeouts, a 1.69 ERA and a 0.56 WHIP


Photo via EndScore

Boy, I got walloped this week. That's what I get for going on vacation (more on that soon), though it may not have mattered. I don't seem to match up well against this guy. This was my only loss in the second time through the schedule, but I only managed a tie against last week's opponent in the first round. Overall records aren't going to be worth much in the playoffs. At the moment, he's in seventh place, out of playoff position - a good thing for me in the long run.

Romero was outstanding in his two starts this past week, going eight innings in each. Unfortunately, his win yesterday was at the Orioles' expense. Even his efforts weren't enough to help me in the private league. My only stat win for the week was in saves.

12 Books in 12 Months: A Book for Which You Have Already Seen the Movie

Book: Shopgirl
Author: Steve Martin


Image via Sasha & The Silverfish

We watched the 2005 film a while back and, to be honest, I didn't remember the story that well. The book brought it all back. However, in my mind's eye, I recast a few of the roles. Mirabelle (Clair Danes in the film) was played by Karen Gillian in my version (Amy Pond in Doctor Who). Lisa (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras in the film) was played by Christina Hendricks (Joan Harris in Mad Men). On the other hand, it is impossible to imagine Ray Porter as anyone but Steve Martin.

I enjoyed the book. Martin offers an interesting view into the world of romantic relationships and the various roles men and women can play within them. I was a bit surprised by the lack of dialogue. If memory serves, the film was rather sparse in that regard as well. I know that writing dialogue is not easy but with all of Martin's experience in comedy, I think it's fair to expect something snappier. Martin deserves credit for creating vivid characters. He'd have done well to make them chattier.

Steve Martin is, of course, a mega-talented performer in multiple media. We watched PBS's "A Capitol Fourth" this year and I thought that Steep Canyon Rangers, Martin's bluegrass band, stole the show. Enjoy:

Watch the full episode. See more A Capitol Fourth.

****************

I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here.

If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.

My Tennis Fantasy: Monfils

Current Overall Ranking: 19th
My MVP for the Week: Gael Monfils (France) with $121,600, losing to Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic


Photo via Tennis24seven

Monfils is the current French #1, ranked #7 in the world, the highest ranking of his career. He was an absolute beast on the juniors circuit, claiming three consecutive junior slam titles in 2004: Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He has yet to move beyond supporting cast status with the big boys. Could this be the year?

My Baseball Fantasy: Butler

Private League: won 8-1-1 (105-56-9 overall, 1st place out of 10, 9 games ahead)
Public League: 1st place out of 12, 7.5 points ahead
My Player of the Week: Billy Butler (First Baseman, Royals) with 5 home runs, 12 RBI, 6 runs and a .406 batting average

I've got Butler in both leagues. With his weak start to the season, he was available on waivers early. There's definitely a risk in picking up such a player. Essentially, you're banking on a late-season rebound. Sometimes it works out, other times not. He was certainly a beast this past week.