Torn between two lovers

You wouldn't know it, but I really love baseball. I like a lot of sports actually, even though I'm not an athlete. But baseball is probably my favorite. The sound of the ball connecting with the bat (especially wood) gives me thrills. And while sitting through most games can seem like a lifelong commitment, the crowds, the hot dogs, the beer and those few exciting moments when someone hits one out of the park all make up for the 6 or 7 scoreless innings. Maybe it's the movies that make me love it so. Dang, I love a good sports movie. Any sport, doesn't matter--except for "Any Given Sunday." For some reason, that movie bored me.
"The Natural" reduces me to tears.

So what if Robert Redford was a little long in the tooth (but still sooo hot).

But here's the thing that will probably illicit boos from the crowd--I don't really have a favorite team. (gasp) I kind of follow the "while I'm hear I might as well root for the home team" mentality. Growing up, my Dad was a Phillies phan (see how I did that?). Therefore, I loved the Phillies. This was the Mike Schmidt, Garry Maddox, Tug McGraw, Tim McCarver and yes, even Pete Rose era. That is some awesome facial hair, right there. I even forgave them for the "what were they thinking" powder blue uniforms.

Then, came my love of the Mets because of Lee Mazzilli,

whom I followed to the Rangers, and the Yankees, and ....oh, let's face it, Lee saw more action than a hooker at a bachelor party. Mmmm, Lee....Oh, where was I? After than, I dated a Yankees fan, and so, Yankees it was. But deep inside, I still loved the Phillies.

After moving to Los Angeles, and spending 10 years working for the most fervent Dodgers fan in LA, I became a Dodgers fan. Go Blue! So, you can imagine how I'm torn this week. I really want the Dodgers to win this and go on to the series, but (she says taking cover) I was secretly really excited that the Phillies won last night.

Chester's back in the Poconos*

I'm blaming the pain meds, even though I'm only on Excedrin, for the nostalgia I'm feeling. Or, maybe it was just the woman at Michael's who reminded me of my Mom. Whatever it is, Vintage Photo Friday is all about my hometown (or actually, the general area, since photos of my hometown are hard to find). First up, the Lackawanna Hotel, circa 1900's. These buildings are still there. To the left you can see part of the bank where I had my first checking account. The porch and overhang parts of the hotel are gone, but the bar is still open, or it was last time I was there.Here we have St. Matthews church, my family's parish, with my old elementary school on the left and the convent connecting the two. I love this church and I loved that school.

Have a fling in the Spring in the Poconos, at your host with the most in the Poconos--beautiful Mt. Airy Lodge. (sing it, Will) This is just one of the myriad resorts in the Poconos that catered to honeymooners, as well as city folk just looking to get away but not too far away. Easy on the budget--that's The Poconos.And look at this couple. Now here's a honeymoon gone wrong. He's reading and she's on the phone (probably with her mother).I can't remember which movie it was (although something tells me "Hello Dolly") but Barbra Streisand says something to the effect of "I want to go to Rome, Paris, Delaware Water Gap." And I remember as a kid thinking, "Why the hell does anyone want to go to Delaware Water Gap?" To me, it was just a passage to New Jersey. In the above photo, New Jersey's Mt. Tammany is on the left and Pennsylvania's Mt. Minsi is on the right. The boaters are on the Jersey side. You can't tell from this angle, but that upper bare patch on Mt. Tammany contains a rock formation that looks like an Indian profile. Erosion has made it less noticeable these days. I actually have this postcard in my kitchen. That's Main Street, Stroudsburg. See the black car on the left? (red car, black car, white car...oh, black car) I lived in the apartment over that store front that is right in front of it. (gray building, black awning) It was a great apartment and I had a great roommate (love you, Krista Waters).
This one I'm throwing in mainly for Katie. Brenda Muller was one of her best friends in high school and they were bridesmaids for each other. The Muller's were so nice and down to earth. Alice (the mom) even let me drive the family car on the day I got my driver's license. I'm also including this for my Dad, who may or may not read this, I'm not sure. I rarely got to go fishing with Dad because I talked too much, I wouldn't bait my own hook and I couldn't cast for shit. But sometimes, I'd get to go and one of my best fishing memories involves a trip to Muller's diner on the way home, where I had chicken soup, hot cocoa and the waitress thought I was adorable (which, of course, I was). And it's not just a diner and a pancake house, it's a restaurant, too.

Thanks for joining me. And thank you CardCow.com for having so many amazing old post cards on your website.

*The title refers to a variation of the old "Chester's back in the Army". You never heard of it? Okay, here it goes. You go up to somebody and say, "Guess what?" and when they say, "What?" You say, "Chester's (then punch them in the chest) back (punch them in the back) in the army (punch them in the arm)." For the local version, you end with a poke in the nose. Get it? Poke a nose? Oh, it's the height of comedy.

Vintage Photo Friday--Every kid needs a cool aunt in California

My mother was born in New Jersey, but spent her tween and teen years in southern California (Taft and Hemet). She moved back to Pennsyltucky at the tender age of 19 and was a young bride not too long after that. She met my father when she was a child (5 or so) when my father's older sister married my mom's older brother (Don't think about it; your head will explode) and a romance kindled when she came back to town. The rest of the family (except the two sons who lived in Pennsylvania and Hawaii) remained in California. Mom has/had two sisters--Frances (aka Wicki), who is about 14 years older, and a twin, Janet. Just saying "I have relatives in California" made me feel cooler than the other kids.

Growing up, we never met Aunt Janet but Aunt Wicki visited quite a bit and each visit was like Christmas. Aunt Wicki is the sweetest woman and cute as a bug. My first memories of her are when she was going through a divorce and spent a few weeks (if not longer) visiting Mom and Uncle Bill. She went camping with us and joined us on this trip to Gingerbread Castle* in New Jersey.So young and already seeing pink elephants. Tsk, tsk.

Aunt Wicki was married again in 1970 to a man named Harvey. Here's a photo from their wedding day.Uncle Harvey was very religious (a little too religious), but he was fun. They would drive across the country in a camper/van which they parked in our side yard when visiting. We kids were allowed to hang out and watch TV in the van, which gave the adults some time to play cards and enjoy adult beverages. Aunt Wicki always brought fixings for burritos and we thought it was the most exotic food ever. You couldn't get the good stuff in Pennsyltucky. Aunt Wicki was cool just because she lived in California (even though she lived in Corona). Of course, swinging outfits like this didn't hurt, either.
Aunt Janet, Mom's twin, was single most of her adult life, but married twice later on. There's hope for me yet! Here's a photo of her on her wedding day in 1974 in Las Vegas with her new husband, Tiny.While I looked just like my mom when I was younger, I think I look a lot like Aunt Janet now. I finally met her at her brother's 50th Wedding Anniversary party. She was a hoot, if a bit eccentric. Sadly, Mom and her twin didn't get along, but Aunt Janet always tried and sent us wacky gifts, like a crate of raisins when she lived in Fresno or an electric hair detangling comb which just got caught in our hair most of the time.

Now, I'm the cool aunt in California. I hope I can live up to the legacy Aunt Wicki left, although I don't think I could rock a zebra print quite like her.

*I encourage you to click the link and check out the photos. See the gingerbread men? Somewhere there is a photo of Kate and me holding hands with them. I'm totally into it and smiling. Kate, however, hated it. It's the funniest picture. Right, Katie?

Vintage Photo Friday--Cheeriffic

I know this is supposed to be Vintage photos and I hardly think of 1977 as vintage, but here it is.Click on the photo to make it bigger. That's me all the way over on the right. The other girl making up the base is Amy Miller. I know she looks boyish, but she was a girly girl at heart. In high school, she had an semi-illicit affair with the athletic trainer whom she later married and who is now the mayor of our hometown. Not a bad catch, Amy.

The girl on top with the Farrah hair is Jessie Eschenbach. She was a gymnast who did all kinds of flips and stuff during our half time routines. She weighed about 10 oz. We got lucky.
The redhead in the middle with the excellent form (look at those straight arms) is my BFF Joann. Naomi Manson is on her back. Kathy Hartman is on the far left, the girl next to her is Sue something, and I can't for the life of me remember the name of the girl on top, even though she was our captain that year. Ah, what I wouldn't give to have those thighs again.

Flash forward a year or two:My mom took this photo in our back yard one day in early September. It was too hot the day this picture was taken for me to wear the uniform sweater, however, when cheering I hated the days we didn't wear sweaters because that red turtleneck made me look totally boobilicious. Again, those legs. That is my lovely sister, Kate, beside me in her Notre Dame High School cheerleading uniform. I never cheered for my school; I wasn't good enough. But I was cheer captain two years running for ESYA. I was captain three times, actually, the first being in my Jr. Pee Wee days when I was 7 and adorable. But to be honest, they only made me and Gretchin* Wagner co-captains because we looked like twins and everyone thought that was cute.

*not spelled incorrectly on my part. That's the way her father spelled it on the hospital form.