B Strong, Boston - Be Strong and win the World Series!

Aloha,

I adore Stephen King.

But, as an Angels fan, I abhor the Boston Red Sox :)



With a *passion!*

However, I really liked the book King co-authored with Stewart O'Nan.


Called FAITHFUL, it's a great read for (general) baseball fans who want to know about the 2004 Boston Red Sox season that ended up with a World Series win.

Of course, if you're a Red Sox fan, this is a must buy.

I have to give it to the two authors: King and O'Nan absolutely nailed it when they picked 2004 as the year to write about.

It had only been 86 years since the Red Sox last won the World Series... who could have known :)

TIM SALMON

Just so we're clear, I am soooo not a fan of the Red Sox.

The only time I ever went to Fenway Park was May 5, 2011.

*hee hee*

My beloved LA Angels whupped the BoSox 11-0 and it was nearly - *nearly* - embarrassing to wear my #15 SALMON jersey.

(Can I chuck a yuk! yuk! in here:)












However, all joking aside, I am hoping, praying and aBsolutely willing the Red Sox to win the World Series this coming week.

And, it's got nothing to do with beating their opponents, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cards are a fantastic team and they deserve to win (they beat the LA Dodgers:) but I hope they won't - this year.

Why?

This Boston Strong tribute >> video << which I've had above my profile since the end of April (where it will remain until Patriot's Day, 2014,) tells the story from inside Fenway Park and its fans. It's amazing... especially as...

...I'm not a Marine.

...I'm not a Sailor, Airman, Army grunt or Coastie.











I am, however, a silly, stupid-why-am-I-doing-this (again) runner...

... and Boston has always been - and always will be - my "holy grail" of marathons.




This year, I'll complete Honolulu for my tenth and final marathon, so my heart and T-shirt will be all about Boston.


 I am so happy the World Series is coming back to Boston...


...Let the roars of a united city sound loud.

Be Strong, Boston.


B Strong.


And don't for a single moment think you are EVER alone...



Boston STRONG: Friday was a great day for the Good Guys

Aloha,

I was hoping I'd be able to write something like this much sooner than later.


Watertown is a safer town today because of the public's willingness to listen to and assist the local cops.



 Photo Courtesy: Matt Rourke/AP

Boston is a STRONGER, safer city today - thanks to the efforts of the Boston Police and Fire Departments.




Courtesy: Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe

Massachusetts is a safer state today because of the efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies working together.



And while we never know what will happen tomorrow, for at least today, the United States of America is safer because the public knows that when something bad happens, the Good Guys can win - and today they did - with just a little help from their friends.



Courtesy: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

In the midst of the good feelings I have this morning comes the need to remember - and never forget - the victims.

My sincere thoughts and prayers go to each of the injured, and this post is dedicated to the memory of the four people whose lives were lost as a direct result of the Boston Marathon bombings:

MARTIN RICHARD, age 8

 

 

 

KRYSTLE CAMPBELL, 29

 

 

 

 

LINGZI LU, 23, of Shenyang, China

 

 

 

 

MIT Police Officer, SEAN COLLIER, 26

 

 

Finally, while Lady Liberty may be hurt with sucker punches from above, or bombs on the ground, she will *never* be defeated.

And, those who attack her need only to remember the wrath - and the long memory - of a woman scorned...



BOSTON STRONG:

Anger & aftereffects of the Boston bombings

Aloha,

Ever since I trained for my first marathon in 2001, running Boston has been a "bucket list" item for me.

For a long-distance runner, the Boston Marathon is the World Series or the Super Bowl - I always brag to my friends about running so-and-so race in X amount of time, but whenever I meet anyone who's done Boston, I always tip my cap.

I easily could have been in the race Monday (I got a call from Ireland and a text from Florida to make sure I wasn't...) so while not personally involved in the bombing attacks, I'm reeling like most of us from the effects of another attack on our country - and our way of life.


To hear that an eight-year-old child was among the dead, and that the injuries to more than one hundred forty people will most likely forever leave mental and physical scars fills me with a deep anger toward those bastards who tried to again change us with another low, cowardly blow.

Well, it didn't work - and it never will, do you hear me?

I was excited to run my tenth marathon this December in Honolulu - now I'm determined to finish in under three hours and fifteen minutes, which will allow me to qualify for next year's Boston Marathon.

And when I do, I will proudly wear a Boston T-shirt to honor those who were directly affected yesterday.

It's not much, I know, but I want to do my part to show the terrorists that *we* are stronger, more unified than they ever will be.

There were 27,000 people running the Boston Marathon in 2013.

Wouldn't be great if 54,000 people ran it in 2014.

Hopefully I can be one of them.