Posts Tagged ‘home’

Home

Friday, August 28th, 2009

A week from today I will be traveling back across the country to visit “home”. Even though I have lived in Denver for 6 years I still refer to the house and town that I grew up in as “home” and my bed there as “my bed”. It’s not that I don’t love Denver; it’s just that I can’t bring myself to think that I no longer live in Kennebunk. The day I had to change my license and license plates was a tough one. It was so tough that my Maine license is expired sitting in the back of my wallet.
Trips home are always so relaxing, just being in a place that I know and love more than anywhere. However, at the same time there is a lot to fit into a short period of time. Next weekend is sure to be filled with hours on the boat, walks on the beach (one can be hopeful for a beach day but it is September in Maine!), Bennett’s subs, cocktails at the wharf, a round of golf, dinner at the yacht club, and BBQ’s with family and friends. I’m sure Saturday night we will find some time to sneak to Fed’s, the town bar, and catch up with everyone we grew up with.
One of the biggest highlights of going home is seeing my parents. Of the 72 hours I’ll be home for Jack and Mere will be with me for almost every waking moment. They even come to Fed’s and leave their marks on the dance floor! They make coming home as special as can be. The dinner table at home or at the yacht club will be perpetually interrupted with friends joining and as they pull up chairs my dad will be busy opening a beer for whoever the joiner is. Inevitably on Sunday while my parents drive me back to Boston to Logan Airport I will get teary eyed. When I hug them goodbye my mom will without a doubt remind me “Boops, next time you come back, it will be exactly the same.” While Mere is normally right, she’s been proven time and time again that this is one thing she’s never wrong about. That’s why Kennebunk is and always will be HOME.
Safe Travels to all over the long weekend!
Bailey

Kick Ball

Thursday, August 13th, 2009


I consider myself lucky because unlike Robbie, I don’t have to wait once a year to enjoy my favorite activity. I spend every Wednesday night with a great group of friends, cold beers, feisty banter, and a big rubber ball.
This summer I have joined WAKA, the premier (and only) World Adult Kickball Association. This is my team’s first year playing kickball together. We are all seasoned athletes, who developed our skills in a long and arduous training process called “Elementary School”. However, it seems the 20-30 years since that training have left us a little rusty. Despite our full roster of 25 aggressive players, team “So is Your Face”
has yet to win a game, but we are all learning key tips for next year. For example: if you fill the outfield with girls- you cannot later be surprised when we all throw “like girls”.

Now, don’t let our record fool you. We are serious competitors. Let me take you back to a time and place not too long ago (specifically two weeks ago at the City of Cuernavaca Park. It was raining and it was raining hard. Team “So is Your Face” refuses to forfeit. Clothed in our battle armor of sweatbands and random warm clothing from everyone’s trunks we take the field, beers in hand. Teammates are slipping, falling, and struggling to overcome the mud. After an epic battle, the last inning is upon us, score 1-0, we are up to kick and down by one. The first two balls are caught in the air. High fives are passed around the field. This is crunch time, we send in our big kickers…we load the bases…. this is it, everything is set, perfect for a big win. Our best kicker is up. The first ball goes out of bounds. The next ball bounces across the plate, the ref calls a strike. The pitcher is getting cocky; you can tell the next one will be a strike. Our best kicker kicks the final ball, it’s going, going…but is it gone? There is a scramble in the outfield by the other team. “RUN!” is all you hear from the sidelines. The person on 3rd runs for home, everything seems like it is going in slow motion. Team “So is Your Face” is perched on their first possible tie, or even victory, and the runner from 3rd… slips in the mud, is tagged out, and the game is over.

Yet another loss for “So is your Face”. Luckily we get to play again, next week.