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Sunday was another scorcher, and we were still busy.  There was an automatic alarm at an apartment complex at the western end of the district, but there was nothing found.  In the early evening we started to hear thunder and lightning, and just as I was finishing the chicken that was on our outdoor grill, we got another alarm for a working fire on Brook Street.  It was the Studebaker Deli (the original owner had an early 1960’s Studebaker Lark parked on the property), which is in the midst of private homes, having been open before the houses were built.  I did not make the engines, but managed to get on the fire police truck, and not wearing turnout gear.  I ended up taking care of water and Gatorade bottles, and then helping to do what all engine men have to do when the fire is under control – pack the hose onto the hose bed.  The only problem was that it started to really rain, and then lightning started to strike.  The chief ordered all personnel out from the open and into the trucks until the lightning storm passed.  Once it did we were back to hooking up the lengths of hose and putting them onto the hose bed – in the pouring rain. Needless to say, I was quite drenched when it was over when we were done.  With temperatures in the high 80’s, it was actually a relief.  Several of the firefighters, most half my age, were overcome by heat or had their knees burned.  While we were taking care of the deli fire (which we think was started by lightning) there were three other calls in Islip, all handled by the East Islip or Islip Terrace Fire Departments.

Whatever else happened over the weekend was an anti-climax.  I managed to watch parts of the Yankees-Royals and Mets-Padres games, as well as the Sunday night Dodgers-Cubs game, and listen to some minor league games on http://www.milb.com/.  Ellen and I also cleaned the screens on the house and wash the patio furniture (and I got drenched there too).  Hopefully we will not get any more working fires for a while now.  

At work a coworker and teammate asked if I did any stretching over the last several days since I may end up in the outfield for the Bees’ game last night.  Meanwhile my boss and office mates said that the league may cancel the games since it was over 90 degrees out.  Still, I insisted that we would end up playing, since I had played in earlier years in 90+ weather.  Yep, the game was on and at 5:30 PM we on Field #7 in Central Park’s North Meadow, facing the team from the bank Societé General.  Both teams had only two ladies, so in accordance with the Yorkville Sports Association’s rules, it is an automatic out at the end of the batting order – for both teams in this game.  However, enough Bees showed up so that I did not have to go into the outfield.  All I had to do was play my main position – extra hitter. I came up three times, and got a hit (actually a fielder’s choice, a pop out, and the usual ground out).  This is also the first game that I wore my new Bees’ jersey.  However, since the 6 legged bees are black and gold, so are these Bees’ jerseys.  Gold letters on black!!  Needless to say, in 90+ weather, a black shirt is VERY hot.  However, we sweated it out and ended up winning 14-6.  After the game we walked over to Brother Jimmy’s at 92^nd and 3^rd.  I coaxed a couple of my teammates to walk down East 93^rd Street so that we could pass #179.  That was the home of the Marx Brothers 100 years ago.  Since the 3^rd Avenue Elevated was around the corner, we can guess that the neighborhood was not exclusive like it is today.  After some good Southern grub and watching the Mets on TV at Jimmy’s, I took the subway downtown to get the LIRR home.

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and it’s a belated Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads (including me) out there.  Ellen, Eileen and I went to Queens to visit my mom & dad, and we all went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner.

On Saturday the Islip Fire Department had the wet down for its two newest pieces of apparatus: my company’s new engine, number 3-4-7, and its twin, number 3-4-1, which belongs to the other engine company, Engine Company 1.  Several of the companies’ members, as well as the Department’s probationary members, spent a good part of the morning setting up for the ceremony.  After also doing some errands, I came back just before 2 PM to the firehouse for the actual ceremony.  Officers and members’ families were sitting and standing near the flagpole, and after a two brief speeches and the Pledge of Allegiance, the two engines drove onto the property and were immediately hosed down from above and officially “wet down”.  The final rite was the breaking of bottles of champagne on the front bumper of each vehicle, performed by the mothers of the two companies’ captains.  Then we opened the doors to the cab and the compartments so that everything could dry out.  Finally, it was time for burgers, hot dogs, and water fights!  The members of the two companies each got two tee shirts to commemorate the event – one in short sleeves and an identical one in long sleeves.  I think that a great time was had by all.   A quick web page with four pictures was created yesterday.  The URL is http://www.geocities.com/altoona43/wetdown347.html.  

 

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On Thursday evening the Bees had their weekly softball game, held in Central Park near Mount Sinai Medical Center.  Our opponent that evening was the Scripps Media Company.  This time we had more than enough people, so I just hugged the bench until the 7^th inning when I came to bat for the usual ground out.  Who cared, the Bees won 13-6.  During the game I noticed that one of the female players on the Scripps team wore a purple cap with a yellow letter “I”.  Purple and gold are the colors of the Islip schools, so I approached her to ask, and it turns out that she is an Islip High School alumna, class of 1992.  She told me where in town she grew up, but said that she has not lived in Islip since 1992 – first college, and then living in the city since 1996.  I asked her if she knew any of the Islip Fire Department members, but she did not. June 19^th was also the running of the annual JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Central Park.  It is a 5 kilometer walk and run through the park.  It begins near 72^nd and Central Park West and goes in a clockwise circle back to the starting point.  After the Bees’ win some of us decided to watch the runners and walkers and cheer our colleagues on.   We eventually walked down to the starting point to head to the Dallas BBQ on West 72^nd Street, where the corporate challengers and the softball players would meet for some Southern grub and liquid refreshments.  We walked past the Dakota apartment house where John Lennon was murdered.  I spoke to the doorman for a couple of minutes about that sad day in 1980, and also mentioned that the building looks cleaner!  100+ years of Manhattan grime were cleaned off about 10 years ago, so the stone is now tan instead of dark brown.  Once we all got to the Dallas BBQ we gathered in a large dining room in the basement to have a good time.  I left about 10 PM to get home, since I had to be at the office on Friday.  Across 72^nd Street from the Dallas BBQ is an Italian restaurant called Sambucca.  In 1978 it was a Spanish establishment called El Faro, and Ellen and I went there on our first Manhattan date, after a show at Lincoln Center.

   

 

 

 

Yesterday and today have been busy for us.  On Saturday we went out to Riverhead (at the end of the Long Island Expressway) to visit the Tanger Outlet Mall, and then a few of our other favorite North Fork stops.  The Tanger Outlet Mall has scores of outlet stores selling name brand items.  Among the vendors are Bass, Reebok (over the years I bought all of my sneakers there), Rockport (generally bought my shoes there and at Bass), and Brooks Brothers. I purchased a few items yesterday at Bass, and Eileen got a few items at a woman’s store.  Then it was up Sound Avenue to the Palmer Vineyards where I tasted some of their house wines: white, blush (rosé and red.  I liked the blush so much that I purchased two bottles.  Then we headed to our favorite North Fork restaurant – the Lobster Roll- for dinner.  Their chowders, bisques, and seafood platters are still great after all of these years.  I wrote a review on Yahoo 360 a few years ago and I still recommend it to anyone.

This morning I had two ambulance calls with the Islip Fire Department in different parts of town.  After we dropped our first patient off at Southside Hospital, while heading back to headquarters we got a notice of a second alarm in the southern part of town.

In the afternoon I went to the ballpark for the first time this season to see the local team, the Long Island Ducks, play the York Revolution.  Ellen and Eileen did not want to come with me, so I went alone.  The park is only about 2 miles from the house, and I arrived about 45 minutes before the start of the game, and still missed the free promotional giveaway – a logo baseball given away by a landscaping business.  So I was one of the 4500 fans who did not get a logo ball.  Actually, while it would have been nice to get one, I have so many baseballs in the house that I really don’t need another one.  While I did not get a baseball, I did manage to get autographs from seven of the Ducks players.  Then I headed for my seat a few rows behind home plate.  After the National Anthem (we all remembered to remove our hats) the game began.  I had purchased a program/scorecard (“you can’t tell the players without a scorecard&rdquo which the 7 players signed and kept an accurate score for the entire game.  The only downer was that the Ducks lost to York, 6-2.  However, win or lose, I always have a great time there.  I have saluted the Ducks on the Internet over the years.  Here are some of the web-pages:
 
www.newyorkbaseball.homestead.com/longisland.html

http://www.geocities.com/roosevelt126/LIDucks.html

http://www.geocities.com/roosevelt126/big_citi.html

http://www.geocities.com/roosevelt126/QSAC_game.html

http://www.geocities.com/roosevelt126/2006_QSAC_Game.html