It’s another scorcher today.  Yesterday the temperatures reached over 100 at new York’s LaGuardia Airport.  However, the official city reading is taken in central Park.  It was “only” 98 degrees.  Even out where I live in Islip it reached 100 degrees. 

Last night I watched parts of the Mets-Marlins and Yankees-Blue Jays games.  The Yankee game was a foregone conclusion (they would win easily).  Congratulations to Yanks’ pitcher Chien Ming Wang for a great job on the mound.  The Mets’ game was more of a nail biter.  They had to cling on to a one run lead into the bottom of the 9^th inning, but managed to win 6-5.  Billy Wagner managed to redeem himself.

It's still hot here in New York, and while not near triple figures, the humidity is back and so are the insects.  On Saturday I did my usual errands in town, and then helped my wife get the house ready since we were hosting a birthday for her mother, who turned 93 on Friday.  I did the cooking over the grill, and later one of my nephews was able to help me fix my computer somewhat.  This morning I had my softball double header at the fields in Centereach on Hawkins Road.  My team won both games - by forfeit, but a win is a win.  Our opponents, the Free Agents only had 7 players show up (the others must have been too hung over). But since the League's minimum number of players to field a team is 8, they forfeited both of the games. Those 7 Free Agents did not stay around, so we had a split squad 7 inning game. I caught for my squad, and went 3 for 4 (one ground out, and 3 singles including one where I scored).  My squad ended up losing 13-11, but it was fun.  The teammates plan to continue in the fall league in a lower division and I just might go with them and play or coach.  

After the games and church we went to Queens to visit my folks.  My wife and I went to a Chinese restaurant on 37th Avenue called Shanghai Joe's.  It was quite good, and I'll try to write a review in the Yahoo Local for Flushing NY. 

  The Mets beat the Phillies 8-1 to win the series, 2 out of 3 games. 

It's Sunday night, and the weekend is over.  Since Friday night it's been non stop for me.  On Saturday I helped out in the Islip Fire Department's 125th Anniversary bash.  First thing was the work detail to set up the grounds at headquarters for the block party: move the apparatus, set up fences, put down picnic tables, and then set up the food stations.  In the afternoon was the town parade itself, with over 20 other fire departments marching with us.  Also on a float were the Islip Town government officials - the same shitheads who caused the unnecessary delays in getting the variances on the remodeling of my house, and other headaches.  I actually yelled at them from the sidewalk to go and get real jobs (I am not certain that they heard me.  If they did, tough shit on them).   Then the fun really began.  There was our block party: gambling tables, live entertainment, and lots of goodies.  I was detailed along with other firefighters to help with the serving of beer, hot dogs, and hamburgers.  Then the real fun began: cleaning up when it was over.  Luckily numerous members were there and the work was almost complete in about an hour.  However, with all of the people present, and the fact that beer was served, there were no rows or people passing out from too much alchohol.  I got home about 2 AM, and then was up in time to make the 9:15 AM service at my church (St. Mary's) and then drive out to Coram for the softball doubleheader.

Our opponents were the same group as last week, but this time more than 7 players showed up and the games were on.  And as usual, we lost, 14-8 and 17-5.  Mercifully it was the last pair of games of the regular season, but we will be playing together again in the fall, in a lower division.  It seems that when the expression "you're out of your league" was coined, they had us in mind.

On the major league baseball season, the Mets won 2 out of 3 in Washington, but the Yankees lost 2 out 3 at Yankee Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels.

Today was my last day at work for one week.  I'll be back in the office on the 24th.  Tomorrow we leave for Charlottesville, after after a couple of days head to Washington DC, but will actually stay across the Potomac in Arlington VA, in the same hotel that we were in when we visited in 2000.  This hotel is a couple of blocks from the Rosslyn Metro station, and also the north end of Arliongton National Cemetary.

I hope to vist some Internet cafes in Charlottesville.   As for Arlington, I remember using one a short walk from my hotel in 2000.  Hopefully it is still in business or at least under a new name.  This was I can make quick blog entries and not have to wait until we return home.

Two sad anniversaries: the giants of their respective fields died on August 16, 29 years apart - Babe Ruth in 1948; Elvis Presley in 1977.  Basebal would never be what it is without the Babe; rock & roll would never be the art that it is without the King.

I knew that the computer arrangement in Charlottesville was too good to last.  When we got to the hotel in Arlington, I saw that there was no terminal in the lobby.  And to top it off, the coffe shop / internet cafe that I patronized in 2000 had since closed.  The nearest business like that was one stop away on the Metro.  I decided to wait until I got home to go on line. 

When we arrived at our hotel on Saturday we decided to visit Arlongton National Cemetery, since it was in walking distance.  As in 2000, we admited the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Netherlands Carrilon, and then walked into the Cemetery itself.  I wanted too see the Tomb of the Unknowns, since the last time I was there was in 1966.  We got there in time to walk in on a changing of the guard ceremony.  When it was over, I watched the guard perform his ritual: 21 paces before coming to a halt and standing at the other end of the walkway.  Also, the rifle is always carried on the shoulder away from the tombs.  I stayed long enough to watch the next changing of the guard, and since it was 5 PM, also observe the sergeant of the guard and two others lower the flag from a nearby pole and fold it into a blue triangle (only the blue filed with the stars shows).  The soldiers' shoes have metal taps on the soles of their shoes, and also on the part of the shoes that come together when coming to attention.  In this way the clicking of the heals sound is possible.  

After the ceremonies we walked to the Metro station to go have dinner in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood in DC. 

I went to church on Sunday morning, and later in the morning we took the Metro to the Smithsonian Institute and visited the American History building.  It had a floor dedicated to transportation: motor vehicles, ships, and railroad; agriculture; lights.  The third floor had a wing dedicated to America at War (from the 1750's to today).  Its other wing was dedicated to American Pop Culture: the Muppets, country & bluegrass music, and show business items on dislpay like Archie Bunker's chair, Ted Baxter's anchorman jacket, the Howdy Doody puppet, Edgar Bergen's Charlie McCarthy puppet, and numerous others.  After that we went to see the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  As we did in 1988 and 2000, I looked up the names of the 3 men whom Ellen and I knew who were killed in that war.    

This morning we visited Mount Vernon and admired George Washington's home.  Before heading to the Beltway and home, we stopped at the Washington National Cathedral.  It's on the highest hill in the District, and it's a gothic beauty.  I was able to see the tomb of former president Woodrow Wilson, and the columbarium where the remains of Helen Keller and her teacher Ann Sullivan are inurned. 

I enjoyed the trip, and while it's great to visit other cities, it's also good to be home again.

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