Welcome to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox!

Ok, so this it the second non-food-related post in just a few days. And it is the second Boston-themed posting. I blogged about the Boston Marathon a few days ago, and that is a very "Boston" event. Now I'm blogging about Fenway Park and the Red Sox, which are perhaps even more "Boston" than the marathon!

I love Fenway Park. Sure, it's a lot older and smaller than most other ballparks in the country. But, boy, does this place have charm and character! Not to mention, history.


My dear friend, Alissa, invited me to a game with her (how could I refuse any opportunity to a Sox game? They're always sold-out!). But tonight, it was cold and rainy, and of course, there was a rain delay.


But, thankfully, they played the Bruins vs. Canadiens NHL playoff game, and we were able to watch another Boston sports team play. Then, they announced the game would begin just 45 minutes late at 7:55pm. So, we watched them take the tarps off the field...



What would a trip to Fenway be without the classic ballpark food? It's all about the Fenway Franks here (for a mere $4.50!).


But, I opted for a more "gourmet" ballpark item, the cubano panini sandwich (with Boar's Head deli meats!).


For ballpark food, this sandwich was quite good!!!


Okay, back to the game. We were playing the Minnesota Twins. Jeff Bailey was called up from AAA today, and hit his first home run of of the season in his first major league at-bat of the season! Well done, newbie! Raise your plastic beer cups!


Of course, the famous green monster, which now has seating, as of a few seasons ago.


Can you see the Sox players are wearing green hats? This is in honor of Earth Day. Way to be GREEN, Sox!


During the 7th inning stretch, a little song...




One of my faves, Hideki Okajima came out to relieve Brad Penny.


Then, the Fenway tradition during the 8th.... "Sweet Caroline," sung by the entire crowd!!


Warming up in the bullpen...


And the crowd favorite, Jonathan Papelbon runs out to close the game out.



And a success it was!! We won 7-3. And it didn't rain another drop the whole night! Go Red Sox!

More food postings coming soon, I promise!!

Boston Marathon 2009!

(photo credit: USA Today)

So this is not a food-related post. However, I just had to share some pictures with you from my day at the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon! For those of you unfamiliar, the Boston Marathon is the most prestigious marathon in the world, the one that all runners strive toward. It is historically rich, and always such a blast!! Here in Boston, it is a spectator sport. It is a state holiday (no school, no work!), and everyone takes the opportunity to cheer on the runners.

There are lots of charity teams that run. In 2007, I was training for the marathon, raising money for the American Liver Foundation in memory of my father who passed away from liver cancer in 2006. However, I hurt my knee and was unable to run. This marathon is very close to my heart, and it means so much to me to be present and cheer on those runners!!

Here are some pictures from the day, near the finish line in downtown Boston...

Running barefoot! Couldn't get the photo quick enough.

This poor girl's legs just gave out underneath her, and these fellow runners picked her up!

Definitely some characters out there... running 26.2 miles in a costume.

The famous Rick and Dick Hoyt, father-son team. Rick is the son, he has cerebral palsy. Dick is the father, he is 68 years old and has been running in this fashion with his son for decades! He also does Ironmans with his son, swimming with his son in tow in a Boston whaler boat, biking with his son on a specially designed seat on the bike, and of course, running a full 26.2 miles, while pushing his son in a specialized wheelchair. Amazing!!

Semper Fi! Lots of military folks out there, even some running in full fatigue, combat boots, carrying gear! This is significant to me because my brother-in-law is in the Marines and recently back from his 2nd tour in Iraq.

Lots of people ran for Children's Hospital Boston, and look at the kids who got to go along for a ride across the finish line!!

Amazing man running with a prosthetic. He was fast!!

Another amazing prosthetic runner!

Keizo Yamada, 81 years old. He was the 2nd Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon, in 1953. He has run every single Boston Marathon since 1995. This is his final year. Farewell, Yamada-san.

And last but not least, my dear dear friend Nairi, who ran her first marathon, and finished beautifully!! I am SO PROUD of her!