J.P. enjoyed himself and really seemed to watch the game. I've got season tickets and my seats are in the first row, behind the first base dugout. That makes it easy for him to see what's happening on the field, I think.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Beeball
I'm a little behind on this one, but Jude and I took J.P. to his first baseball game of the season a couple of weeks ago. It was a Friday night and we just beat the rain, then the flood came over the weekend, so I held off on posting any of the photos I took at the game.
J.P. enjoyed himself and really seemed to watch the game. I've got season tickets and my seats are in the first row, behind the first base dugout. That makes it easy for him to see what's happening on the field, I think.
When we left that night after a few innings, he kept saying, "bye bye beeball." The next day, he kept jabbering about "beeball," as well. We've already been back for another game and I suspect we'll spend many a summer night at Greer Stadium this season.
J.P. enjoyed himself and really seemed to watch the game. I've got season tickets and my seats are in the first row, behind the first base dugout. That makes it easy for him to see what's happening on the field, I think.
Flying Solo Again
Jude left this afternoon on a work trip to Washington D.C., so I'm flying solo with J.P. until Wednesday. I've been a little worried about how he'll react once he realizes she's gone, as he's been going through a bit of a "mommy phase" lately. So far, so good, though. He's upstairs now, asleep, laying sideways in his crib, his legs hanging out the side.
We had a great late afternoon and evening. After he woke up from his nap, we drove over to the Green Hills Mall, so I could pick up a couple of things. We stopped in Davis Kidd (bookstore), where he played in the children's section for a bit. It's pretty cool to watch him play by himself, amidst the chaos surrounding him - other children, parents, toys, etc. He always enjoys himself there and today was no different.
We ate dinner at a mexican restaurant on Belmont Boulevard, right across from the Belmont University. He ate pretty well and ate some french fries, one of his more recent food discoveries. After dinner, J.P. got a broom from one of the waiters and swept up for a while, amusing himself, the waiter and other patrons of the restaurant. It was pretty funny.
When we got home, we walked up the sidewalk in front of our house. I put him on my shoulders and walked part way around our block. As we walked along, enjoying the evening, he rested his chin on my head contentedly. It was a nice moment. Our next door neighbor's son, Greg Lehrer, pulled in, returning home from a workout. I talked to him for a few minutes, while J.P. made a game of handing him sticks, leaves, moss and anything else he could get his hands on.
When Jude and I moved into our house, Greg was 12 years old. Now, he's 20, having just finished his sophomore year in college. He's grown up and my son is growing up, right before my eyes.
We had a great late afternoon and evening. After he woke up from his nap, we drove over to the Green Hills Mall, so I could pick up a couple of things. We stopped in Davis Kidd (bookstore), where he played in the children's section for a bit. It's pretty cool to watch him play by himself, amidst the chaos surrounding him - other children, parents, toys, etc. He always enjoys himself there and today was no different.
We ate dinner at a mexican restaurant on Belmont Boulevard, right across from the Belmont University. He ate pretty well and ate some french fries, one of his more recent food discoveries. After dinner, J.P. got a broom from one of the waiters and swept up for a while, amusing himself, the waiter and other patrons of the restaurant. It was pretty funny.
When we got home, we walked up the sidewalk in front of our house. I put him on my shoulders and walked part way around our block. As we walked along, enjoying the evening, he rested his chin on my head contentedly. It was a nice moment. Our next door neighbor's son, Greg Lehrer, pulled in, returning home from a workout. I talked to him for a few minutes, while J.P. made a game of handing him sticks, leaves, moss and anything else he could get his hands on.
When Jude and I moved into our house, Greg was 12 years old. Now, he's 20, having just finished his sophomore year in college. He's grown up and my son is growing up, right before my eyes.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Runnin' Down a Dream
The reason I run is to have maybe five or, if I'm lucky, ten runs a year like I had tonight.
After I got J.P. ready for bed and Jude put him down, I went for a run in the neighborhood. I needed to run eight miles to get my mileage in for the week. It was a perfect night for a run, with the temperature in the mid-50s. Plus, I'm a night runner. I've always enjoyed running at night and the last year or so, I've gotten back to running more at night, after we put J.P. to bed.
Maybe it was because it was such a beautiful night. Maybe it was because I decided to listen to music on my Ipod, as opposed to a podcast. Or, maybe it was just one of those runs where everything came together. Whatever it was, I felt strong, light on my feet, almost like I was floating, especially the last two or three miles. A top ten run for me is when I feel like I could run forever, when I'm not ready for the run to end, when I don't want it to end. That's what it was like tonight.
I ran down 12th Avenue to Lipscomb University, across campus, then back up Belmont Boulevard, across 21st Avenue, a couple of laps around the track at Belmont University, then back home. The last mile or so, I ran hard and felt great. Again, just damn near a perfect run.
After I got J.P. ready for bed and Jude put him down, I went for a run in the neighborhood. I needed to run eight miles to get my mileage in for the week. It was a perfect night for a run, with the temperature in the mid-50s. Plus, I'm a night runner. I've always enjoyed running at night and the last year or so, I've gotten back to running more at night, after we put J.P. to bed.
Maybe it was because it was such a beautiful night. Maybe it was because I decided to listen to music on my Ipod, as opposed to a podcast. Or, maybe it was just one of those runs where everything came together. Whatever it was, I felt strong, light on my feet, almost like I was floating, especially the last two or three miles. A top ten run for me is when I feel like I could run forever, when I'm not ready for the run to end, when I don't want it to end. That's what it was like tonight.
I ran down 12th Avenue to Lipscomb University, across campus, then back up Belmont Boulevard, across 21st Avenue, a couple of laps around the track at Belmont University, then back home. The last mile or so, I ran hard and felt great. Again, just damn near a perfect run.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
An Angry Cumberland River
More photos taken Monday morning from the Shelby Street Bridge. The Cumberland River didn't crest until early Tuesday morning, more than 50' above its normal level.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Great Flood of 2010
I've never been one to worry about the weather, one way or the other. Predictions of bad weather rarely cause me any concern, because so often the predictions are wrong. When the local meteorologists predict a heavy snowfall, we get no snow. When they predict light snow, we get heavy snow. And so it goes.
Friday afternoon, I began hearing dire predictions of heavy, heavy rainfall coming our way. We were told to expect a weekend of thunderstorms, rain and high winds, maybe even a tornado or two. I chided my mom when she expressed concern about the weather. How bad can a lot of rain be, I thought. Real bad, it turns out.
In two days, Saturday and Sunday, the middle Tennessee area got almost 14 inches of rain. That's 1/4 of the total rainfall we normally receive in a year. And it came in two days! At times, it rained hard. At other times, it rained steadily. Either way, it just kept raining for two days straight.
On Sunday morning, early, the high winds arrived. Jude and I woke up around 7 a.m. to thunder, lightning and gale force winds. We could see our neighbor's trees out our bedroom windows, bending toward our house, closer than they had ever been before. Fortunately, John Patrick slept through it all. As the rain continued throughout the day, we began seeing reports on television of flooding in Nashville and surrounding areas. Then, sadly, we began hearing about those whose lives had been lost in the flood.
Today, although the rains had stopped and the sun was out, the Cumberland River continued to rise. It isn't expected to crest until late tonight, at more than 50 feet above its normal level. Throughout the day, water inched across First Avenue, filling the basements of businesses and offices. By this afternoon, the water had reached Second Avenue. The Opryland Hotel and the Opry House flooded, as well. The news got worse and worse.
It wasn't Katrina and this isn't New Orleans, not by a long shot. That was a natural disaster of epic proportions, the worst of my lifetime. Still, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, the people of middle Tennesse got just a very small taste of what the people of New Orleans experienced in Katrina's aftermath.
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