frite nite, fundraiser, and oh yes, the giants.............

It seems like forever since the last blog. Frite Nite. Our fundraiser/training to help on "Keep the Lights On". And the Giants memorable run. So in no particular order......

Our weekend fundraiser did its job, so the lights will remain on. Thank you Jackie Cossman, James Friedman, and Linda Holiday senseis for leading wonderful and very inspiring classes. Thank you to the students who came and trained very well. And thank you to former students and/or friends and supporters who just donated. All that you did helped us to have a memorable experience and event. And special thanks to Maurice Gregoire, who catered the after training party.

The night before we had our annual Halloween Costume Party. Special thanks to Mike Driscoll for organizing the event and for his continuing support. This year I went as Elric of Melnibone. More about this character, who might be a bit obscure, in a future blog.

As I am writing this blog I am listening to the celebration of the Giants World Series Championship in San Francisco. I cancelled the noon class today so we could celebrate this event. My original intent was to go to the parade this morning. I soon realized that with a million people or so expected that might be more than a little hectic. I heard that some people got their places for the parade as early as 4 am. So I realized where I needed to be was with my Dad. He passed away in 1994. He was a big, big Giants fan. He was a gardener who listened to the games on a transistor radio. I remember going with him to watch Giants/Dodger games on local tv. In those days other than weekend network games(usually the Yankees) those games played in Los Angeles were the only games on local tv. And he took me to my first game in 1959 at Seals Stadium. And in the '60's we went to watch the Giants at Candlestick Park. In those days it was really difficult to have a conversation with your Dad(maybe that is still the case). But we could always talk sports and that meant the Giants. Before I discovered the 49ers and the Warriors, I was a Giants fan. And this was because of my Dad. I remember the heartbreak of 1962 when McCovey's line drive was caught. I know my Dad really knew his baseball, even though his sports were track and basketball.

So late this morning I headed South to visit his grave(he is buried in Watsonville along with my Mom). One of baseball's real charms is that it is generational. So to go to him and talk with him. I remember when Chris Mullin was in his playing days with the Warriors and became an all-star. He lost his dad, but he said since he and his dad talked so much that didn't stop. When he was outside in his hot tub he would pick a star in the sky and talk to his dad through that star. Of course I can also do that at any time, but when I do visit his grave we tend to talk then. He would have loved the make up of this team. No superstars, just heroes is how someone expressed it. Just show up everyday and go to work.Just like he did.

So for now let us all bask in the field of this tremendous energy we have been given.Thank you to a starting rotation that went a fantastic four deep: Timmy, Cainer, Baumgarner, and Sanchez. And to the beard that inspired fear: Brian Wilson(and his sidekick Sergio Romo). Javier Lopez for his domination of the key left handed power bats throughout the playoffs and world series. Thank you to Buster Posey for reminding us that youth is good. To Cody Ross. Juan Uribe. Freddy Sanchez. Andres Torres. For providing enough offense and for the strength to battle and beat a series of "invincible" star pitchers. And of course to Edgar Renteria the series MVP. When he was on the opposing team I always feared his at bats with the game on the line. And of course, thank you, Dad.