a division collision.

That’s what NESN is calling this week for the Red Sox, who have a 3-game set in St. Pete with the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, followed by a 4-game set in the Bronx with the New York Yankees. This week is going to be crucial for the Sox, as some good play can result in a bit of a division lead, while some bad play could put them back in to third place in the division. Masterson, Wakefield, and Dice-K will pitch against the Rays, while in New York, Boston will throw Lester, Beckett, Masterson, and Wakefield, in that order. Should be quite an interesting week up here in Beantown.

Meanwhile, in the division, Tampa and New York play a quick two-game set right before the All-Star Break. So this division collision is not just for Boston, but for all 3 teams in the East that appear, at the halfway point of the year, to be fighting for two spots to the playoffs out of the AL East. Nobody knows what the standings are going to look like come the All-Star Break. We’ll start to get a piece of an idea after tonight’s game.

–jl–

south end escapades + a brand new car!

I must have walked somewhere close to 15 miles this weekend with all the walking that I did on Saturday paired up with what I did today. Saturday I ventured into Boston’s famous South End, a vibrant community slightly less expensive than the Back Bay, yet just as close to everything and just as beautiful. I had breakfast at Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, and had some of the best (and richest) blueberry pancakes that I have tasted in quite some time. Then the walking tour began… after walking there and venturing around in the South End, I walked all the way back to Copley Square and ventured around the Boston Public Library for some time, looking at a map and a marathon exhibit. And I saw the finish line of the Boston Marathon! It’s painted on the street. Then I ventured around in South Boston, never catching up with the group that went to the beach, but getting an excellent Italian sub for lunch. All in all, 8 or so miles yesterday. Then today, a walk into the South End to Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and then a walk back to Copley; followed by a walk this afternoon to Cambridge and back at the MIT museum, which had an exhibition on robots. Tomorrow, we’re walking the Freedom Trail, likely after walking to the Public Garden for a picnic lunch. Boy, will my feet be tired. And on top of all this, I ran Friday. 3.5 miles.

Meanwhile, back in Florida, I have a car waiting for me. My parents bought a blue 2007 Honda Accord, 25,000 miles. And it looks fantastic. I can’t wait to get back in three weeks and take it around the city. Or the state, for that matter. More importantly, I can’t wait to not have to fill up my gas tank as often with gas mileage much better than the 18 I got with my Taurus. I loved the Taurus (we still have it) but I think I’m going to love this Accord even more– I now have a CD player in my car.

–jl–

halfway through, halfway home.

I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that my Boston experience is already 3 weeks down. With 3 down, 3 to go, there is still so much left to do that I haven’t done yet (North End, Museums at MIT and Harvard, downtown, historical stuff on the Freedom Trail, Boston Public Library, BC, etc. etc. etc.) and so much left to be learned (we’re only on the 2nd of 5 main topics in our class as of tonight). And I absolutely love it up here in Boston. My experiences so far (Cambridge, Duck Tour, Cheers, Celtics Parade, Scooper Bowl, candlepin, Red Sox games) have been memorable and fun.

However, at the same time, I’m discovering that I feel more and more like an outsider, at times, with this group of people with whom I have spent 3 weeks, and with whom I will spend the next 3 weeks. There are times when I feel as if I have no place to be here, times that I feel like I am not appreciated or treated respectfully. I have tried so hard, especially with a couple of people in this group, to really get to know them better and develop friendships out of the program, but I feel like I am sometimes hit with an aura from these people of them turning away, looking down, and forgetting who I am. I know that that’s just me trying to fit in, trying to make friends with these people who I have never met before and who come from all over. But it is certainly not as easy as I thought it would be, blending in with a whole bunch of math people. We’re all alike in so many ways, whether it’s being college students, math and statistics majors, mostly supporters of Barack Obama, caring and passionate people. What isn’t fitting?

“Am I being too outgoing? Am I being too forceful in my personal opinions? Am I being overbearing?” These are the questions that I am sometimes forced to ask myself, especially in the last week. I know, or at least think I know, the answers, and that I’m not, and that I’m just freaking out about the situation, being the typical person that I am. But sometimes I wonder… and wander… away from the truth of the matter: that these people are going to be talking to me for quite some time after this experience is over. And on the bright side of the whole issue, there are plenty of people in this program who I have befriended, and who I think I will have a growing and developing friendship with. How I can see the beauty of friendship in these people, who seemingly have their heads on straight, and love and care for anyone who comes their way.

In a way, I do miss my friends, my family back home. But, in a way, this city has become my home, these people with whom I live my family, and the members of this city, spread far and wide across it, my friends. I have a strong suspicion that I will be back here again after the next 3 weeks are up, and it might be for a while– a very long while, indeed.

–jl–

june feels like october.

I know it’s only the middle of June, and I know that there’s a long long way to go in this baseball season, but last night’s baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox had the feeling of a potential World Series matchup. Both teams looked like playoff contenders last night, and the pitching matchup between Josh Beckett and Dan Haren was one of the best that I’ve ever seen.

Josh Beckett pitched 8 innings, allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. For Josh Beckett, that line is a good quality start for him, one that you would expect to see a W next to his name for such an outing. Instead, he got the L last night, because Dan Haren one-upped him and, in the process, put his name squarely in the race for the NL Cy Young. Haren, in his 7 innings of work, against one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball, allowed two hits and one walk. He struck out 4, and kept the pitch count low, with the exception being the 7th inning.

What was especially great, besides the pitching, in last night’s game, was that both teams had their chances, and both teams made some excellent plays. Mike Lowell and Mark Reynolds both made great plays at the hot corner, Reynolds’ dive saving the game for Arizona. Both had men on in the 7th, 8th, and 9th, and both bullpens were able to work out of jams to keep their respective teams in it in the late innings.

This series just has the feel of October, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see these two teams back here at Fenway in the tenth month of the year. One of the greatest baseball games that I have ever seen was a Red Sox loss, but, for the pure baseball fan in me, was such a moral victory to be able to see something like this.

–jl–

what a long long day of the year.

Happy Summer! The Solstice was today, marking the beginning of summer. And today I did a whole bunch of things, a whole bunch of walking, and saw and did activities associated with summer.

The day started off with me walking down from my dorm on the Charles River all the way to the South End, where I grabbed a bite to eat at a local bakery. Along the way, I stopped and saw some of the Bostonian sights of Berklee College of Music, the Church of Christ Scientist Plaza, the Boston Symphony Hall, and some of the Historic South End of Boston. I made my way back up towards the Museum of Fine Arts, winding my way through Northeastern University and Mass. Ave. and Huntigton Street. Walking the streets of Boston, to me, is such a thrill, as I’m able to see so many things and stop and take pictures and explore the city that I love so much. And how can you ignore a beautiful today that was today in Boston?

Then it was up the Fenway and through the Back Bay (during the day, don’t worry) to Fenway Park, where I proceeded to stand in line for two hours to get baseball tickets. Ah, baseball– such a vital part of an American summer. My beloved Red Sox lost this afternoon, but that didn’t take away from the environment and enjoyment of a baseball game in Boston. Besides, the Yankees lost.

After a quick dinner at some no-name burrito shop in Kenmore Square, I proceeded to stroll down the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, a narrow park in the middle of a hustle-and-bustle street. I was able to relax, take pictures of statues and other objects in the park, and observe so many summer-type things. So many other people were taking an evening walk. In the middle of the park, a dad tossed a plush baseball around with three of his kids, still bounding with energy. Couples held hands, friends talked, and others went about their business in a carefree manner. I eventually found myself wandering through the Public Garden, through the Boston Common, and up to the Hatch Shell, where I, myself, met friends to go do other things this night.

It was then that I found the last thing of summer that is so enjoyable (and possibly my Achilles heel): nothing beats a long, hot, day of physical activity like a cold, delicious, cup of ice cream with friends. Especially if it’s made with fresh ingredients. JP Licks on Newbury had a line tonight that was out the door. And was it worth the wait? Of course.

The long weekend continues tomorrow. There’s supposed to be a festival in Chinatown, museums to check out, cathedrals to go to Mass in, concerts to see, and so on. This is just the start of one long and fun summer. And I’m so happy to be spending some of it in Boston.

–jl–

how i love a parade.

Class got out early this morning in Boston. 10:20, to be exact. We had to be back, on a bus, at 12:15 to leave for Framingham this afternoon. So, naturally, I did what anyone else would logically do– I laced up my running shoes and ran the 2.5 miles down to the Victory Parade route. Of course, I could only stay there about 30 minutes, but I did manage to see this:

And this:

 

Then it was off to running back to BU, where I quickly took a shower, boarded a bus, and visited the Framingham Heart Study this afternoon. Too bad I couldn’t stay downtown longer, but I will gladly take what I can get for running 5 miles today.

–jl–

the city of champions lives up to its name.

For the first time in my life, I am in a town when that town’s team won a major sporting event. I’ve been kind of close before (Miami for the Marlins in ‘97 and ‘03, the Heat in ‘06; Tampa for the Lightning in ‘03; Gainesville for the Gators in ‘06-’07) but never actually in the city. My windows, open slightly tonight to let the air in, are instead letting the sounds in from Kenmore Square, home of Fenway Park, home of a million sports bars, and about a 2-minute walk from my dorm.

I can hear the car horns screeching as they slowly pass down Commonwealth Avenue. I can hear fans yelling, hooting, hollering, cheering for their beloved Celtics as they half-drunkenly come down the street, a joy-filled mob. I dare not go out there right now… it is already after midnight, and I do have to get up early in the morning. I would love to take it all in, but I can’t risk being up all night to soak in the City of Champions in its finest hour. Even so, with all the noise and such filtering into my dorm room, it will be hard enough to sleep as it is.

Now, my thoughts turn to the possibility of a victory parade, which I sincerely hope will be on Friday. The SIBS group has a plan to go to Framingham on Thursday, and that can’t be moved. But I have a feeling that these professors are big enough Celtics fans (and perhaps understanding and lax enough) to let us see something that is a rare occasion for us foreigners to the city, but something that seems too common for Bostonians. What an experience that would be… an entire day of what I am hearing right now outside my dorm room, experienced by all 5 senses. 

–jl–

candlepin, gays, greeks, and getting lost.

The last two days have been a whirlwind of events, each memorable in their own way.

Friday night, a group of us all went candlepin bowling, for most of us, for the first time. Those of us who had never been candlepin bowling before were forewarned, and quickly discovered, one key fact: candlepin bowling is much different from, and much more difficult than, regular bowling. Where I normally bowl around a 125, my first game was a 65. The guys warmed up after the first game, and I bowled a 78, which paled in comparison to another guy’s 81, the high score of the night. No one has ever bowled a perfect game in candlepin. I can now see why. It’s extremely hard to control spin on the ball, especially when it’s so light and small compared to a regular ball.

Today was just lengthy. First up was the Boston Pride Parade, a parade showcasing lots of rainbowed items, cross-dressers, people dancing on floats, the works. There were supporters of everything from LGBT plumbers to pagans. It was quite a spectacle, but, to be honest, I found the whold thing to be a bit monotonous. One can only take so much before a pride parade starts to get old. We already understand the point… continuing to bring it up is a bit overkill.

We then decided to walk all the way from downtown to the middle of Cambridge for a Greek festival. To be honest, it was quite disappointing. Yes, we did go at 3:30 when things were slow, and yes, we were tired from walking so far, but it probably wasn’t worth all of the time and effort to get out there for it. Had it been tonight, that might have been a different story, with the typical Greek music and dancing scheduled for this evening’s entertainment.

Finally, a group of four of us decided to walk the gas-lit streets of Beacon Hill this evening. After wandering around, seeing a bit of the America concert at the Hatch Shell, and going about, we ended up at the Government Center. Then, we took one wrong turn. Instead of taking Beacon Street at the Boston Common, we instead chose Tremont Street. And instead of taking Boylston at the bottom of the Common, we, again chose to continue down Tremont Street, smack dab into the middle of the theatre district (where Chris Rock performed tonight) and nearly into the middle of Chinatown. By this point, it has begun raining. Then, too stubborn to take the T and too stubborn to pull out a map, we decide to head down (or was it up?) Columbus Street. Upon looking at a map, we realize that Columbus has taken us through the South End and pointing us in the general direction of the Back Bay Fens (not a good place to be at night) and Roxbury (not a good place to be any time). We finally find Dartmouth Street, which gets us somewhere near the Prudential Center, and head home. All of this in the middle of a light rain, after 10:00 at night. We must have walked about 8 miles tonight with all of the wandering that we did, both intentional and unintentional. Tomorrow, though, we get to sit around and do nearly nothing. After walking, of course, to the Bull and Finch Pub for lunch, where everybody knows your name…

–jl–

i scream you scream we all scream.

Today was Day 7 in Boston, and, nearing the end of my first week here, I had a highlight in my 44-day internship here. Today was the end of the 3-day long Scooper Bowl, an event in downtown Boston where one paid $8 (all proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund) and then could proceed to eat all the ice cream he or she wanted. This was good ice cream too, not your typical supermarket stuff. Ben and Jerry’s, Coldstone, Edy’s, Breyers, and Haagen Dasz all had booths set up with various flavors. I ended the day with 8 scoops of ice cream, not bad compared to some, but worse compared to others. My roommate here in Boston ended up downing a dozen, and I saw (and took a picture of) a girl with a stack of about 40 cups. What a good idea for a summer fundraiser, known as the world’s largest ice cream festival in the world, and what a great cause in the Jimmy Fund to support.

Boston so far has been absolutely lovely. After the heat wave early this week, things have gotten to be more temparate. The city is awesome to just walk (like I did tonight coming back from downtown) and a great environment to work and relax. I could definitely see myself living here one day. On the other hand, class is going well, yet the demands of school have been relaxed by our professor. It’s great that they all understand that it’s summer. It also tends to help when you have a team that has quite a bit of a sense of humor. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: I just might miss that plane coming back on July 19th. They say that 75% of SIBS grads go on to do something in biostatistics, and most go right through BU. I could just get an early start if I was that ambitious.

Meanwhile, I’ve got a tough decision to make in the coming weeks and months ahead regarding my potential roadtrip to Nashville. Coldplay has rearranged their tour, and will now be playing in Orlando the same weekend as the UF-Vandy game. So I could either keep my basic plans as is (drive up Friday night, game Saturday, Jackson and Nashville Sunday-Monday, Atlanta and Coldplay Tuesday) or scrap the Vandy idea and go up on another roadtrip to Tennessee earlier in the year… to Knoxville… in September.

–jl–

the omaha eight, et cetera.

My predictions turned out okay thus far… here are the final eight.

(2) UNC vs. (7) LSU

(6) Rice vs. Fresno St.

(1) Miami vs. (8.) Georgia

(4) Florida St. vs. Stanford

Should be an interesting time in Nebraska.

Meanwhile, with the Yankees loss today to the Royals, the Sox have opened up a 7-game lead on 3 teams in the AL East, with the Rays being the only team closer, 1.5 back. The homestand continues with 3 against the Orioles (I’ll be in the right field grandstands Wednesday night).

Still looking for a mini-USB cable to upload pictures. If I can’t find one at Radio Shack, I think one is getting mailed up to me from Florida. I promise that the pictures will come as soon as I can get them on to my computer. But for now, we’ll all have to wait. At least you’re not dealing with the heat wave that has come through New England. Temps expected to reach 95 tomorrow, with a heat index over 105. Sounds just like home!

–jl–