Yesterday morning, while JP went out for a run, Joe and I went to Bongo Java for breakfast. At some point, I'm going to write about this in more detail but as of late, there are good things happening at Bongo Java. For one, Bob Bernstein hired a grill cook (a good one at that) and it's possible to order a full breakfast, which is tremendous.
Bongo Java is such an important part of the boys' early childhood - and, for that matter, my early fatherhood, too. We spent so much time when the boys were young. Memories everywhere whenever I walk in the door. It's a beautiful thing for Bongo Java to get back in my rotation of coffee stops before work.
Joe and I sat upstairs on the small landing between the first and second floors - like the old days - where, as a family, we ate what seems like a thousand Sunday morning breakfasts at the big table. Currently, there are too smaller tables upstairs but, still, it's nice that the upstairs is open for people. It's quieter up there, a little out of the way, and kind of secluded. It's almost a cloistered spot in what used to be, at times, a very busy coffee shop, filled with Belmont students and neighborhood people.
It was nice to have a quiet breakfast with Joe, just the two of us. We talked about school, sports, and his MBA interview the day before. He interviewed with Coach Cheevers and felt like it went well. We also looked at a variety of crazy Super Bowl props (Eagles vs. Chiefs) on Fan Duel, betting $10 a piece on several of them. Joe is such a good hang, always.
Later in the morning, we went to church at St. Patrick. We sung two of my favorite hymns, inclusion The Summons. Beautiful service at a place that means so much to my family and me. We're still adjusting to Father Nick and miss Father Hammond terribly but that's to be expected. After church, Jude drove Joe to Stars' basketball practice at BGA in Franklin.
JP asked me if I would go to the HBC baseball facility after church and throw him some soft toss for batting practice. Of course, I agreed, and we drove over to the facility on Wilhagen Road shortly after 1 p.m. JP saw the absolute auction sign in front of the building and had questions about what would happen to HBC in the future. I suggested that there are a lot of moving parts, which is true, and deflected answering in any meaningful way.
JP and I had the facility to ourselves, as he unlocked the front door and turned on the lights. We spent an hour or so there, in the quiet, getting work in. He hit off the tee, then I soft tossed him baseballs from behind a screen. How many times, over the years, have we done that together? Countless. As I watched him hit liner after liner, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic. The end is in sight for him, for baseball, I think. Three more seasons in high school.
On top of that, I've decided not to coach baseball for Joe's group this spring. Several of the boys, including Joe, are playing travel baseball. I'll be busy going to the boys' games, working, and teaching at NSL, so I don't see how I would have time to run two practices a week and play a doubleheader on Saturday or Sunday. Also, I don't want to be making telephone calls and sending e-mails, begging for players to play like I did in the fall. It appears that the WNSL Dodgers are indeed at the end of the line. All good things must come to an end, no doubt.
It was nice to have the time with Joe and JP, separately, on a quiet Sunday. It also was nice to watch the Super Bowl together, as a family, Sunday evening. The Eagles, shockingly, smoked the Chiefs, as Patrick Mahomes uncharacteristically had a bad game in a big game.
Now, off to work. Busy, again, but if I can get through the first part of the week, I might find a little breathing room.
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