September Grass

This past summer my lawn got toasted. It was bleached white and it crackled under your feet when you walked on it. It killed me to look at it because I spend so much time and effort on the yard, but I had faith that it would return, and it has. A little rain combined with the cool days and cooler nights of September have returned it to its glory. There are still a few ugly spots in the front and out by the pool, spots where the sun is especially intense and the soil is still cracked and dry, but the back yard is perfect. It gets shaded by the house until midday, and it’s a thick, lush swath of emerald green.

Last night before supper I edged it, and this morning I mowed, cutting a nice pattern of stripes into the lawn. When I was done, I sat down on the patio and just drank in its beauty. Nature is an amazing and prolific multimedia artist. The colors, the smells, the sensory input of the gentle breeze carrying just a hint of the rain to come, all combined to create a living, breathing, 3D panorama that was both intensely beautiful and supremely serene. Great artists have captured its beauty, but nothing compares to the real thing. No man’s palette contains enough colors to match what’s in nature’s paint box.

I was hypnotized by the beauty of the moment, and it stirred a myriad of images in my mind. Images of the sunny but cool days of fall, the turning of the leaves and their vibrant colors, the trips to orchards and fairs, and the long lazy afternoons hanging at the local fields watching the grandson play football, thoughts made all the sweeter by the knowledge of the coming winter. I had to pull myself away as I had things to do, but the buzz of the moment stayed with me for quite a while, and that was a good thing.

Be sure to take some time out to soak up some of the sights and sounds of the fall season. Ogle its beauty, peep at its leaves, carve its pumpkins, whatever floats your boat, just be sure to do it.

Football... I'm So Glad That It's Back

I was a glutten at the trough this past weekend, gorging myself on football. It wasn't easy, either.

We're in the process of tearing up the house (again), and I had to run cable to a new location late Saturday night, creating a temporary Mantown in my wife's beloved, and deliberately low tech, living room. The good news is, once she sat down on the couch in front of the Samsung, she was glad I did it. After all, she's a football fan too, and in the tighter quarters of the living room the TV looks even more impressive. Sometimes it pays to be sneaky...

So, we were all set for the feature attraction on Sunday, the Pats vs. the Bengals, and we weren't disappointed. Brady looked sharp, and Wes is back and in fine shape, how great is that? I was really pumped that he scored the first TD of the season, very fitting.

Another standout on the offensive side of the ball was Brandon Tate, talk about turning on the afterburners, and the new tight ends contributed much more than I expected, both from a blocking and catching perspective.

I was also reasonably pleased with the running game. Straight Ahead Fred and company performed well. It's more about just being able to run when you need to, than it is about breaking the big ones. On that count, I don't think we're going to miss Maroney very much, but this is an older group, and it's a very long season...

The defense started off ferocious. Guyton and McCourty contributed in a big way, and everyone was hitting like they meant it. The question is; can they sustain that energy and build on it? Cincy started gaining some traction in the second half, but you can chock some of that up to them being a good team who started off poorly. Only time will tell. Let's just hope a lot of that energy and momentum carries over into this week.

Speaking of this week, how bout them Jets?

They really stunk it up on Monday night. When the pressure is on, Sanchez is not "The Sanchise". Dumping the consistent Jones for LT, who can make big plays, but isn't consistent (Hmm, kind of like Maroney...), puts just enough weight on the boy wonder to tip the scales in a bad way. Did you see him sail those passes? Yikes!

Plus the whole "Hard Knocks" thing was a huge mistake for them. It may be compelling TV, but you can't mold a football team on a reality show. You can forge a few clowns, but they've already got their fill of Bozo's. Whoever OK'd that deal needs his head examined. Most memorable quote from the show, given by Rex after he excoriates them for not being serious;

"OK, let's go get some snacks."

All that being said, the Pats have to play hard and stay sharp tomorrow, because the Jets can be a tough team to play if they're on the mark. Their defense always matches up well with the Pats, think Revis, and the Jets will bet the farm and blitz right from the get go.

I don't want to see any of those QB sammiches like they layed on Flacco on Monday night to start the game off (or at all!). Gotta have Hernandez and Gronkowski in there to block on the first series. Gotta be the more physical team. Simple as that. If they control the line from both sides, they should crush them.

A good, quick, drubbing, that would be sweet. Then Rex can concentrate on getting some snacks.


That is all.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

The Pats are back tomorrow night on WCVB @ 7:30pm. They'll be playing their first preseason game of the 2008 season against the Ravens at Gillette, and I'm glad they're back.

Although preseason games are meaningless, and don't amount to much more than a glorified practice session, I still enjoy seeing the team take shape. Watching the competition for roster spots and seeing the players develop (or not) into their roles is pretty cool.

It's also my favorite time of the year. Late summer, baseball and football overlapping, plus this year we have the Olympics to boot. It's a sports fan's dream. For me, it just doesn't get much better. As George Costanza would say, "It's like eating while having sex!".

I'm also hoping that the start of a new season will help me finally get "The Game That Won't Be Mentioned" out of my mind.

I was so bitterly disappointed last season, although I shouldn't have been. The ending was painful, no doubt, but the season brought so much pleasure to both my Dad and I, that I really shouldn't complain.

My Dad was sick, and even Hollywood couldn't have scripted last season any better as a tonic for a life long fan watching his last season. He hung with us until the AFC Championship, and left assured that the big game was in the bag.

Man, would he have been pissed.

Anyway, if the weather cooperates, I'll have the portable out by the pool, a couple of steaks sizzilin' on the grill, and a great big happy grin on my face. I recommend you spend your evening the same way.


Patriots schedule and broadcast info