Let me first apologize for the lack of non-ANtics updates to the site of late. Schedules haven't been all that forgiving. Yesterday alone saw us spending "quality time" in the car to the tune of six hours or so, and we didn't arrive home until after 2 a.m. Needless to say, until they've perfected the technologies of voice-to-text blogging while driving and can upload while I'm behind the wheel, you're going to see gaps.Earlier this week, one of my best friends and colleagues had the sad news that her father had passed away after a long battle with cancer. With his services in Stockton, we first drove up to my parents' home in Sacramento, to drop off our beagle, and then turned right back around to Stockton for the service. After the service, we returned to Sacramento, and then had the trip back to the Bay Area to take us through the late hours. With 2 hours 20 minutes to Sacramento, and an hour between Stockton and Sacramento each way, you can see how the time added up.
But it was all well worth it.
My colleague's father lived to a ripe old age of 91, and shared some of the same passions we do - including a love for A's baseball. The well-decorated ceremony included a floral arrangement in the shape of an A's baseball, with an A's logo, and we were even asked to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the service, which otherwise closely followed Buddhist traditions. The man, who passed on his love for the game to his daughter, had held season tickets behind home plate for more than 20 years, had managed youth baseball leagues, and once, many decades ago, had played against Joe DiMaggio, in semi-pro baseball. Though I only met him a few times, it was clear he loved his baseball, and his family. The service's program had his smiling face on the front, wearing an A's cap - of course.
Aside from the baseball elements, the service itself was beautiful - honoring the Buddhist traditions and ceremony, full of incense and Japanese song. We were very lucky to have the opportunity to share in that, and we hope he knows how much we appreciate the contributions of his family.
Following the service's conclusion, we headed north to my own family, ostensibly to pick up our dog, who languished without us for a few hours. We spent the evening with yet more food (I was full from the reception after the service), and played plenty of cards, as we tend to do when we get together. After several rounds of Uno, a family staple, we played hearts until I lost. I lost because I took too many risks, and never shot the moon, but we still had fun, and didn't mind driving the midnight hours back to the Bay Area, only to start off our Sunday routine hours later.
Listening to ''Engreossing Moments'', by ATB (Play Count: 3)
The A's have come out of the All-Star break on a tear, maintaining their first-place spot. Many have pointed out the rise of A's off-season acquisition, Esteban Loaiza as one factor to the A's strong play. After what can only be described as a dreadful first half, the A's 4th starter is showing signs of the promise that led the team to sign him in the first place. The ANtics looks into his rise in "Looking for Loaiz-ove".
