My kind of (baseball) town

It’s great to be living in another baseball town. With the Cincinnati Reds clinching the NL Central Division last night, I remember the excitement of a postseason berth from my Boston days. Of course, right now, I have the song Tessie (the Red Sox unofficial fight/victory song) playing in my head.

My first Reds game in August 2010

I’ve been meaning to write a post on the Reds. I don’t have any real good reason why I haven’t yet. However, last night’s big win has proved to be a catalyst to write that blog post.

I don’t intend to offer any major comparison to the Red Sox here. Instead, I simply reflect on a tremendous and exciting season, slightly reminiscent of the 2004 Red Sox World Champions. A young team with a variety of stars all contributed to the 2004 World Series win. I was lucky enough to attend Game 2 with my Dad, uncle, and brother. Remember Curt Schilling and the bloody sock? Yes, that one. It was thrilling, to say the least, given that the last time the Sox had won the World Series was in 1918…as Yankees fans loved to point out.

But back to the Reds. I’m excited for them and hope for the best. I look forward to the fervor that will soon envelop my new town. I didn’t realize that Cincinnati’s last appearance in the postseason was in 1995 so I can understand the crazy celebrations on television last night.

One final thought. I love the fireworks that crown Great American Ballpark throughout the season. At my first game, I quickly learned that fireworks are deployed on two occasions during a game. First, if a Reds player hits a home run. Second, if the Reds win the game. I made a glib comment months ago that the Red Sox could never maintain that policy as they were always hitting home runs and winning games…until this season. How fitting that last night’s fireworks emerged over the Ohio River to celebrate a home run AND a victory at the same precise moment, courtesy of Jay Bruce!

Happy Postseason, everyone!

Autumn Musings

Today is September 21, 2010. My grandmother would be 90 years today, and I only wish that I could pick up the phone or drive up to Glendale to say “happy birthday”. I know that she would love the fact that I live in Cincinnati and that I plan to marry the grandson of one of her childhood friends. I’ll have a Dewars on the rocks in her honor tonight.

Today is also two days before the official start of autumn. Like many of you, I am asking that same, old question: Where on earth did summer go? Instead of searching for an answer, I plan to look ahead and not “fall back” although the time change will be here before we know it.

Having lived in Boston for three years, the advent of fall always brought a feeling of beginnings. I attribute that to all of the colleges and universities in the greater Boston area that welcome back students in September. The feeling of starting anew permeates the air, even for those who are not in academia. I always found myself thinking about resolutions and goals in the fall, and this year is no different. The way I see it, you can look at it two ways. One, fall is an opportunity to put the rest of the year behind you and embrace life in a fresh way. Two, we now only have a few short months before the end of the year. Time to dust off those resolutions we all made for ourselves back in January and see if we can meet those goals before December 31. For me, that means dusting off my blog and making the most of what Cincinnati (and life) has to offer.

This fall is particularly meaningful as I celebrate one year of Cincinnati living. Forget summer...where on earth did this YEAR go?!? Things have certainly changed since September 2009. Aside from creating an often-neglected blog, I’ve developed a sense of belonging in Ohio. Everyone I’ve met over the past year has been gracious and welcoming, and there have very few moments of homesickness. The the chance to learn more about my family’s history in southwestern Ohio and the opportunity to visit some of the places that featured prominently in my ancestors’ lives has been engaging and rewardng. I've reveled in the comparatively affordable cost of living in Ohio - a living that certainly doesn't sacrifice the good things in life for the sake of lower prices.

September 2010 and beyond excites and energizes me. Cultural events in Cincinnati, dinner parties and dates with good friends and family, wedding planning and celebrations, and more fun activites yet to be discovered. I hope that everyone out there will also seize the opportunity to enjoy all that is out there and embrace the final months of 2010.