Our First Red Sox Game

On April 24, Erin and I were able to go to our first Red Sox game at Fenway Park! Sorry, but Tropicana Field doesn’t count. Thanks to a kind colleague of ours, we had great front row seats in right field where we could lean over and touch the dirt on the field. It was amazing to see a game played in a park with such a rich history.



And it wouldn’t be an outing without an excuse to shop, so Erin and I took the opportunity to pick up two shirts and two ball caps. (Mine has Matsuzaka’s name written on it in Japanese letters---pretty cool!)

This shot isn’t from where we were seating, but we were over to the left a bit. I just wanted to get a nice pic of the field.

I figured this would be a fun shot for those who know how good these dogs are.

This is a shot of the two new Sox fans. I can’t say that I’m a big baseball fan, but it’s really fun to people watch in Fenway, and you get to meet the real Bostonians up close. Nothing is better than hearing the older fans sit and complain about every single person in the batting order and critiquing every play in the outfield. Hilarious!

This is a picture of our good friend Sheila, on the left, and her friend Leona. They both came to the game and tailgated with us beforehand.

A Great Loss

The Dublin School flag is at half-mast because we have lost a great man and our headmaster, Christopher Horgan. Chris was out shoveling snow on the Dublin tennis courts when he suffered a fatal stroke. According to his wife, he left us suddenly and with little pain.

Along with Dan Finnegan, Chris was the reason that both Erin and I took a chance on traveling 1,400 miles north to a school and a region we knew very little about. It's a measure of how charismatic and engaging a man Chris was that he made us want to take such a gamble.

It was just a year ago that I sat in Chris' office during my job interview where he asked me no real questions about my teaching, my experience or why we wanted to move to a boarding school. We just sat there and talked about our mutual love for Mark Twain and how Twain summered in Dublin for several years with his daughters and that they were the best years of his life. Chris also told me some great stories about how Corner House, a dorm building, was actually half of a former home that was given to the school and then brought on to campus by a team of horses and put on the hill. I enjoyed the hour we spent, however, it definitely left me wondering how he was able to gauge my employability.

After getting to know Chris a little better over the past year, I finally figured out that my interview had little to do with my teaching skills and was Chris' shrewd way of determining if I would fit into the Dublin community. I think he believed that anyone could teach a class, but he wanted to make sure that I would be able to "get" Dublin and would want to be part of this wonderful extended family.

One of my proudest moments at Dublin was when Chris came in to observe me teach earlier in the year. He had heard of my method and had come to observe firsthand what I had to offer. Chris left a few minutes before my class ended and headed back to his office. With butterflies in my stomach, I headed over to hear what he thought, but first I ran into Anne, his assistant, who had a beaming smile on her face and said Chris was ecstatic when he returned and loved what he had observed. My heart melted because I really wanted Chris' approval.

He ushered me into his office and told me how much he enjoyed my class, and I don't think I even heard what else he actually said because it felt so good to be appreciated.

I felt like I was working for a man who really understood me. Chris not only made me feel that I was a valuable teacher, but that I was important to the school as a whole. On the few occasions that I came into his office with ideas, he would patiently listen and nod his head and then actually put some of them into practice. Chris was no pushover and would quickly tell you if you were off base, so when you did convince him of something it felt like a personal triumph.

In recent days, I've heard many people echo similar sentiments and that Chris had a wonderful way of connecting with people. I think the greatest compliment I can pay to Chris is that he always made me feel my existence mattered.

Chris was a great storyteller and both Erin and I enjoyed the occasions where we could kick back and hear him spin a good yarn about his time in Ireland, his commerical fishing boat adventures and a host of other topics. The last time I spoke with Chris was at lunch on the day he passed away and we spoke about the beauty of bats. And it didn't matter what the topic was, Chris could always pull a story out of his hat that was related. Often his stories would involve his close family and you could see how much he loved them through the warm smile on his face.

Another thing I loved about Chris was that he was a tireless cheerleader for Dublin School. I can't imagine another person who spent as much time studying where this school came from, where it was currently and where it was headed. Chris truly kept Paul Lehmann's spirit alive on this campus.

It still hurts so much to walk by his quiet office and empty desk chair and imagine he'll never sit there again.

Althought we didn't know Chris Horgan for a long time, he had a huge impact on our lives and we'll never forget him.

It's a sad time...

Springtime in Dublin...

The flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing, and it is time to head down to the lake for a cool swim on hot afternoons. We've finally made it through the winter and now it's time to enjoy ourselves in the good old sunshine...

Just look at that happy pup swimming in the lake above. Just minutes after taking this picture, I dove in and swam out to the slide to give it a go.
Aaah...

Ok, I can't lie. The lake is still frozen, who knows where the birds are, and there isn't a flower in sight. It's actually SNOWING again. Whee! There are about 4-5 inches on the ground and we're expecting even more tonight. I might actually be able to break out the sled again tomorrow afternoon. That's Erin below shoveling snow off the porch.

I honestly don't care if it snows or not. I enjoyed it so much this winter that I'm up for another month of it. I'm sure we'll have more than enough days by the lake this summer. :)

Burdick's: A Dinner with Ken Burns

Some of you may remember that Erin and I were supposed to have a romantic Valentine's Day Dinner until a blizzard changed our plans. So tonight we made up for it by going to Burdick's, a local favorite, for an incredible dinner. Burdick's is known mainly for fine chocolates in New England and the Walpole, NH location has a restaurant attached. The dining is exquisite with a French flair and interiors that would fool you into thinking you were in an exclusive Manhattan bistro.

(So how does Ken Burns figure into this? Who is Ken Burns, you ask? Patience.)

After we were seated, I happened to look up at the window next to the door and came face to face with a legend in history circles, Ken Burns. You might know some of his famous documentaries on the Civil War and baseball. Well, my first meeting with him involved my jaw dropping to the floor. Suffice to say, I had trouble paying attention to our own dinner because I wanted to see what he was up to. Erin kept me in check and said I couldn't ask for a photo while he was eating with his family, or send over a drink or try to trip him on the way out of the restaurant as an excuse to speak with him.

The waitress told us that Mr. Burns is a part-owner of the Burdick's building and eats there regularly. He was also spotted at the recent Barack Obama rally in Keene, NH. Some of the old hands at Dublin have told me you will frequently run into him in various towns as he makes his way around. And if you are curious, he drives a huge GMC Denali. Who would have thought?
Oh yea..here is where we dined and what we ate:

(Apologies for the poor photography...it's hard to shoot in a dark restaurant. Anyone want to buy me a new camera with a light meter?)

Burdick's is located in Walpole. I'd include a shot of the downtown, but you can probably picture a short road with not much on either side. One of my favorite things about New Hampshire is that you can find these incredible places in the the middle of nowhere. To be honest, though, Walpole is an enclave for some very wealthy individuals.

Erin had the beef stew with these succulent black olives.

This was my dish...mussels in this incredible butter sauce with pomme frites. (They look like French Fries!)

Burdick's is known for chocolate and they don't disappoint. This was our incredible finish to a fantastic meal. Erin had a cup of their famous dark hot chocolate which is like melting a chocolate bar in a cup, a chocolate bar that has fallen from heaven and melted in your cup. My caramel latte was overwhelming and almost motivated me to call Starbuck's to complain that they change the name of their drink of the same name. The small cake we ordered is the "Burdick's" which is so rich you can only be thankful it comes in such a small portion.