Saturday, October 14, 2006

The Tigers Win the Pennant

Well, I lamented in June that just when I leave the state the Tigers field a winner. And so it is. The media here is all about Seattle...and so are the locals. I understand, but I did not watch a single Tiger game until they get in the playoffs. So, other than Inge and Pudge, Leland, Van Slyke and very few others, I know no one. But I am learning names fast now that they have mowed down the Yanks and the A's.

Speaking of regional TV it is AZ State and USC tonight instead of PSU-MI. So the radio is on and I am writing. There is a page on the NCAA site that keeps the scored current with the plays typed out. It is sort of like the early 1950s when the Pirates were away and Rosey Rosewell and Bob Prince sat in a broom closet in Pittsburgh and made up the action that came in pitch by pitch over the teletype. But hey, when you are a fan/junkie like moi on a Saturday night with your Honey gone, that is what you do.

Aleene is off to Lincoln City, OR with the ladies. I went out to eat with a couple of guys from choir. They are native Oregonians; true and blue. Dick is married to a second generation Japanese whose parents met at an interment camp in Idaho during WWII. Judy is with Aleene, so we will have to compare notes. Both are/were teachers. Dick is retired, Judy teaches third grade. They have two adult children. I saw a family portrait last night and the blend is beautiful. There is a much more open feeling toward cultural intermixing here...call it what you will, it is not that big a deal. I think they are a generation or two ahead of the Mid-West. That is just my belief.

The boys were filling me in on a lot of Newberg background. They are very proud of their town and area. It has kept its charm despite the upswing of outsiders moving in. The High School is top notch in many areas. Dick was the band director here for thirty five years. Both of his parents were musicians and he said that he was not pushed into music and was very athletic playing several sports, but music was more fun than anything else he could think of to do.

Today I walked, met the family at soccer and then entertained them here for coffee for a half hour, then I took off to Sherwood to shop...getting back here in time to watch a little football, take a half hour nap and go over for supper. Amy was serving a pasta dish from her food club. We walked to Dairy Queen and then back home.

The trees are turning. The map says we are past peak, but I don't believe it. There are still many green leaves. Oh yes, these past two weeks are fire arm buck season...clearly a month earlier than we are used to. I have not seen any deer around, but I have heard a bunch of shooting in the hill area north of here. They must be moving.

Asher is talking more and more...repeating words and new phrases almost daily. I did not see him for three days and it was like he learned how to hold a conversation over night. Sweet.

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