Monday Monday 9.29.2008 Part III

So far in Road Trip 2008, Maggie and I have discovered the history of Rock and Roll in Cleveland, the historical steel industry in Pittsburgh, and the Underground Railroad in Cincinnati. Moving to the final leg of our multi state journey, we found ourselves in the most historically significant place in the entire United States: Philadelphia. I know this is a bold statement and those Bostonians might have an argument for historical significance, but remember that Philadelphia hosted the first Continental Congress and it is in this city that the founders signed our Declaration of Independence. In Philadelphia, George Washington first took the oath of office uttering those words that have been traveling through history ever since: “so help me God!”

I should note that the historical significance of these cities played no part in mapping out our agenda. In fact, we neglected to stop by Independence Hall or the famed Art Museum (where Rocky ascended the steps) in Philadelphia. We chose these cities because of their Baseball Stadiums, but understanding the city allows us to better understand the stadiums. I think it is a little known fact that Philadelphia fans are the most rabid fans outside of New York and Boston, so don’t expect the fans to make it a pleasant experience for the visiting team.

The name of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ballpark is Citizens Bank Park and it sits just across the parking lot from the stadiums where in other seasons Philadelphians flock to watch the 76’ers, Eagles, and Flyers. Although the Phillies managed to lose the ballgame, we were pleased to watch a game that actually mattered in the grand scheme of things. At the time, the Phillies and Mets were in a dead heat for the National League East. Eventually we would see our unfortunate hometown Metropolitans fall again due to insufficient relievers that give up six or seven runs in the late innings of clutch ballgames. At least we can say that Maggie and I did our part as we delivered our “Home Team” curse by making sure the Phillies took a loss to the Atlanta Braves a la Chipper Jones going 1 for 1 with a homerun in a pinch hit situation. Way to go Chipper.

In my miniscule opinion, I didn’t think that Citizens Bank Park measured up to some of the other stadiums I’ve seen this year. Something about a parking lot being the only thing separating the ballpark from the football field doesn’t make for a very personal feel. Despite this, I was happy to be among the Philadelphia faithful in a sold out stadium watching a ballgame that meant something to the fans and the players. On the other hand, the Baseball Gods in Philadelphia haven’t linked the city to the stadium in the way that the Pittsburgh and Cincinnati organizations have. Looking at the stadium, you wouldn’t know how important of a place Philadelphia is to this nation’s history.

On another note, I’d like to bring up the fact that almost every baseball stadium seems to be sponsored by a financial institution: PNC, Comerica, Citizens Bank, the new Citi Field in NY. Considering the volatility of the markets, it is a freaking wonder that these teams even have a place to play. I often use the expression “up and down more than the toilet seat,” but if recent trends keep up, I will be forced to change my expression to “up and down more than the Dow.”

We met up with one of Maggie’s friends from her Westchester days (Sam) and her husband (John) at the ballgame and even spent the night in their little apartment later that night. We polished our night off with a stop at the bar and stayed up until 3:00.

So the vacation portion of our trip is now over, but I can’t simply conclude Part III of my Monday Monday without covering the Thursday through Sunday portion of our adventure. The morning after our last baseball game (Philadelphia), we got in the car to make our way to our house in Northeast Pennsylvania. We bought the house last December in the Masthope Mountain Community with the understanding that our little cabin in the woods would need a new roof within the next year. We’re fortunate that I have a cousin with his own construction business to provide the necessary skills for this endeavor, and I’m lucky to have a father and two uncles with kind enough hearts to make the journey down and provide the supplemental skills and labor (thanks to Michael, Uncle Mike, Uncle Bob, and Dad).

With the intimidation of rain looming all over our Saturday, we persevered by holding off the rain and completing most of the work on Saturday. Maggie and her parents were a lifesaver throughout the entire project running out for all the little items that we needed when obstacles presented themselves. Maggie and her folks also cooked for us, which was great because that meant we could use every hour of sunlight for the roof project on Saturday!!! On Sunday morning, we finished up the project in a few morning hours, but unfortunately that time was entirely spent in the rain!! I’m going to insert a special note here for anyone that has never put a roof on a house – you have to bust your ass!! I felt the affects of Saturday and Sunday for two days afterward.

When we weren’t working on the roof, we were just hanging about the house and eating. One of the things I don’t think the guys realized on their way down is how much of a “game preserve” Masthope is. I come from a long line of hunters, so Masthope must have seemed like a foreign country to them. . . . you mean you have deer in your front yard and none in your freezer. . . It made for quite the comedy act listening to how they were going to dupe the deer onto state land and then turn them into venison. I believe we also discussed digging a pit in the backyard and waiting for the deer to walk in . . . believe me there were a lot of plans.

I’d like to highlight this last bit of the Monday Monday by saying how much it meant to Maggie and I that my family came down and participated in the roof project. It just goes to show you that you can move far far away from your family, but in spite of that . . . they don’t forget about you, and they’re always there to lend a hand. Since I moved down South, I just don’t see all that much of the family, so having us get together to work on a project was really enjoyable, meaningful, and made for some great memories.

And so it goes, you went without Monday Monday for about three weeks, but in the final week of September you received a three part series. I hope you enjoyed my stories. Maggie and I have a three week streak to spend in Charlotte before making our next trip. Weekend number two in this streak is the Bank of America 500 – our annual NASCAR adventure.

Have A Great Rest of the Week!!

Ryan