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Outside the Terrace Motel

We were stuffing down pancakes, eggs, beans, and sausages from the $2.95 All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet at the Terrace Motel in Millinocket, when an elderly (older than me) man with a talk-to-me smile walked over to our table wanting to know where we were from. We told him, “The Boston area.” He asked, “Can you tell me what it’s like down there?” This was after the Sox dramatic comeback against the Yankees and before the first game of the World Series. As if to encourage the groggy and the mute among us, “I’ve been waiting sixty five years for this.”

This morning I awoke to a phone message from Adam telling me the Sox were ahead and the moon was in full eclipse. He wondered if there might be a divine connection. I also had two emails, one from our longtime friend, Jim McMahon, who now lives in Honolulu:

Mike,

So I’m driving home from work and the radio announcer says the 6 pm news
will begin following a wrap-up of the final game of the World Series.

Did he say FINAL game?! Then he says it again, then again. Does this mean they won? My eyes mist up.

I pull into the driveway, enter the house. Bonnie says, Did they win? I say dunno. I turn on the TV. Still no Sox news.

Phone rings. It’s Jack, sister Peggy’s husband. He gives me the news. Wow!

The evening proceeds. I turn to Bonnie and say, “Now they have to figure out…”

I stop. She eyes me warily. I was going to say they need to figure out how they will keep the team together. She knew I was already worrying about next year.

Mike, this is how I always hoped it would happen. Overpower the other team in four games in the Series, leaving no room for agonizing 7th games and ill-timed bingles (bingles is what errors were called in early 20th century).

See you.

Jim

…and the other from Chris Rad:

Did it really happen? I would have been happy with just the pennant. It’s overwhelmingly wonderful made all the more poignant with the shots of the boys in Baghdad. Can’t help but wonder what Nomar’s thinking. It’s rumored they are going to give him a ring. If he gets one I want one. It’s just too fabulous. Matthew going as Schilling for Halloween…complete with fake blood on the sock. Hopefully the police won’t kill anybody during the celebrations. I would have chosen Johnny as the MVP, but that’s just me. That Manny’s pretty good too. And what about Francona…the winningest manager in post season history. Who’d have thought. The press kept calling him Francoma. The Patriots and the Red Sox. My kids are going to think this is the norm, just like I always thought the Celtics would be champions forever. It’s amazing really. Stephen King was writing a book about this season…he’s spooky that one is. At least we know it will have a happy ending.