Welcome to my parade of home(page)s, fourth edition, perpetually under construction. It’s based on my IBM Intranet home page, which was created in December 1994.

"Who else was this successful at this high a level while always being universally liked? Who else inspired only admiration and never ire in her foes? Even her fiercest adversary -- Cancer, with the capital C -- would have expressed boundless admiration, were it an entity that could speak. ... Men and women, boys and girls, people of every age -- all can participate in fighting cancer because there's so much still to be done. You can donate to the cause and help continue to fund live-saving and life-extending research. But you also can honor Yow just as profoundly by simply bringing a little more everyday kindness into your life and those of people around you. In so many ways, we can all keep working together with Kay Yow. Even though, through our tears, we accept that we must now work apart." - Mechelle Voepel, "Yow's considerable efforts will live on", ESPN.com, 24 January 2009

"For the final five minutes of regulation and the entire overtime, there was more drama than any of us writers here could adequately put into words. It was one very special basketball game." - Mechelle Voepel, "NC State keeps season alive with dramatic finish", ESPN.com, 21 March 2007 - see also Mechelle Voepel, "Yow back on the sidelines, doing what she does best", ESPN.com, 19 February 2007

OK, so the Pats didn't make the playoffs (but the Celts, B's and Canes did) - when it comes to athletic success, I have nothing to complain about in the 21st century:

Meanwhile I have become a member of the Triangle Red Sox Nation - a list of upcoming meetings appears below:

The 2008 Victory Tour has ended (see 2005 VICTORY TOUR! for my first tour in honor of a Red Sox World Series championship):

• April 18: Columbus Clippers (3) at Durham Bulls (7)
  Friday night game w/Ken; on-field fireworks
• May 24: Jacksonville Suns (8) at Carolina Mudcats (9) - 10 innings
  Saturday night game w/Ken; Mark Bellhorn (formerly of the 2004 Red Sox and whom we saw last year playing for Triple AAA Louisville at Durham) played first and third for the Suns
• May 30: Pawtucket Red Sox (6) at Durham Bulls (10)
  Friday night game; on-field fireworks; rehab start for Clay Buchholz (4 innings, 3 runs, 2 hits, 4 walks, 5 Ks)
• May 31: Pawtucket Red Sox (14) at Durham Bulls (7)
  Saturday night game with Jim; nine home runs, six by the Pawsox (and three of those by Brandon Moss) - quoting pawsox.com: "For the second time in a week, the PawSox belted 6 home runs in a game. On Saturday night in Durham, the Sox pounded the Bulls, 14-7. Brandon Moss tied a Pawtucket Red Sox record with three home runs in the game. The last time it happened, Izzy Alcantara hit 3 (also versus Durham) on June 23, 2001. Alcantara also turned the trick in 1999. Moss is the sixteenth different Pawtucket player with three in a game."
• July 13: Rochester Red Wings (3) at Durham Bulls (9)
  Sunday evening game w/Ken; Wool E. Bull's Birthday, including Wool E.'s only victory of the season in the race around the bases (always losing to the children, this time he defeated another mascot) and a special Hurricanes-sponsored sumo contact in which Wool E. beat Stormy (both wearing Canes sweaters)
• July 18: Kingsport Mets (3) at Burlington Royals (4) - 10 innings
  Friday night game w/Ken; only one of the most amazing games I have ever attended - here are some of the highlights:
  • Bottom of the second - a ball was hit back to the Royals pitcher, who kicked it with his right foot towards first base; the pitcher then dove for the ball and, while lying sprawled out on his stomach, made a backhanded throw to first, getting the runner
  • Bottom of the ninth - the Royals, having tied the game in the bottom of the eight but stranding runners at second and third, once again in the ninth had runners on second and third with two outs; unbelievably, the batter bunted to the pitcher, who equally unbelievably decided not to get the easy out at first but threw to the plate; the runner was called out on a close play, and the Royals manager was ejected after protesting the call
  • Bottom of the tenth - the Mets took the lead in the top of the tenth, and the Royals were down to their last strike; the batter fouled off the next pitch, the catcher appeared to briefly hold the ball and then drop it; the Mets wanted the call to be a dropped third strike, but the home base umpire askd the first base umpire who called it a foul tip, no game-ending third strike; the Mets manager argued the call but was not ejected; the batter hit a single, and I predicted to Ken that the next batter would hit a home run over the Bud Light sign in right field; I was wrong - the batter hit the first pitch over the Corona sign in left! Walk-off homer! Royals win!
• August 2: Cincinnati Reds (6) at Washington Nationals (10)
  Saturday night game w/Tom; first visit to the new Nationals Park; had hoped to see Ken Griffey Jr, but he was traded two days earlier to the White Sox hours before the trade deadline; a battle of last place teams; the Nats rallied from a 6-2 deficit; it rained four times, no delays - 16 runs and the game only took 2:46; Reds starter Josh Fogg (2007 World Series game 3 starter for the Rockies) gave up 3 earned runs in 5 1/3 and his ERA improved from 7.84 to 7.57 (after peaking at 8.15 during the game); a crabcake sandwich and fries - $12.50 ... the Nationals' second straight win (they would sweep the Reds the next day) - priceless
• August 6: Mobile BayBears (4) at Carolina Mudcats (12)
  Wednesday night game w/Fred; great seats - front row in premium field level; second straight 16 run game and this one only took 2:22!
• August 8: Richmond Braves (4) at Durham Bulls (5)
  Friday night game w/Jim; on-field fireworks; likely the last time I will see the R-Braves since they are moving to Gwinnett County next season (and the Atlanta Braves don't have enough attendance problems without moving their own AAA franchise there?); Durham blew a 3 run lead in the top of the seventh only to regain the lead for good in the bottom of that inning
• August 14: Norfolk Tides (0) at Durham Bulls (4)
  Thursday night game w/Ken, Jim, Bob; $1 hot dogs, french fries and popcorn night - guess what I had for dinner?
• August 30: Lexington Legends (5) at Greensboro Grasshoppers (1)
  Saturday night game; fireworks; Grasshoppers starter Bryan Evans had a no-hitter for 5 1/3 innings when an obvious error (obvious to me anyway - a wild throw by the shortstop all the way to the wall behind first base, where it ricocheted back to the first baseman and the runner was out between first and second), was scored a base hit; the next batter had a clean base hit, and shortly after that not only was the no-hitter gone but so were the shutout and the lead
• September 5: Louisville Bats (-) at Durham Bulls (-)
  International League playoffs, Game 3 of semifinal series
  Friday night game w/Ken, Jim, Renee; 7:00 start had been moved up to 6:30 before the game was postponed due to Tropical Storm Hanna
• September 5: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (5) at Winston-Salem Warthogs (1)
  Carolina League playoffs, Game 3 of semifinal series
  Friday night game w/Ken; drove from postponed game in Durham, arriving in the middle of the third just as a rain delay was ending; the Pelicans took a 2-1 lead in the series, which they won the next day - so Friday night's game turned out to be the second to last game ever for the Warthogs at historic Ernie Shore Field (team is changing names in 2009 when it moves to a new stadium downtown); never saw Tyler Flowers' homer to left land - it was crushed over a 24-foot, three billboard high wall (Warthogs web site game report)
• September 6: Louisville Bats (2) at Durham Bulls (3)
  International League playoffs, Game 3 of semifinal series
  Saturday night game w/Ken; Bulls starter Jeff Niemann had a no-hitter for 7 innings, in spite of a 20 minute delay in the fifth inning when the lights went out, ending up with eight innings pitched, 1 run, 2 hits and 11 strikeouts; the closer gave up a leadoff home run but held on for the save, giving the Bulls a 2-1 lead in the series; Jonny Gomes drove in all three runs for the Bulls, including a 2-run homer to left in the first inning (MILB.com game recap, News & Observer article)
• September 11: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (2) at Durham Bulls (3)
  International League playoffs, Game 3 of championship series
  Thursday night game w/Ken, Trish, Jim; another good outing by Jeff Niemann (1 earned run, eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings, pitching even with former major leaguer Kei Igawa); walkoff double to bring cut the Bulls' series deficit to 2-1 (the Yankees won the championship the next night, score 20-2)

"...after the Red Sox had wrapped up an improbable seven-game winning streak to win the title, you couldn't emphasize the following three words strongly enough:

"I guess I'm never dying in peace, because this feud with the Yankees is much deeper and more personal than I ever imagined. I want to beat them. I always want to beat them. I will never stop wanting to beat them. And everyone else feels the same way." - Bill Simmons, "The Nation under siege", ESPN.com, 30 September 2005

"The truth is that in this perverted sports climate, the other team is never just allowed to be better, even for a day, let alone a series or a season. No, no. Blame must be affixed. Heads must be severed.
Once upon a time, losing brought a brief period of sorrow. Now it brings rage. The rest of the season, I fear, will not be much fun.
The truth is we need to sit down and figure out what sports are all about. We've lost our way." - Bob Ryan, "Warning: These truths may hurt", The Boston Globe, 22 August 2006

"It's the times. No longer can things just be. Everything is over the top. Fans are whipped up by talk shows and chat rooms to the point where there is no more gray in the Crayola box. I acknowledge the print media doesn't help, either. ... What we have with the Red Sox and Yankees now is manufactured fan nonsense. Hate to tell you, but no one in uniform hates anyone in the current Yankees-Red Sox state of affairs. The players can't believe what they hear and what goes on in the stands, or on the streets. They cannot relate to any of it." - Bob Ryan, "Start of something (too) big", The Boston Globe, 20 April 2007

"The moment when the Red Sox went from a beloved baseball team to a marketing cult of fame is generally pinpointed as sometime in 2003, somewhere between "Cowboy Up" and when pink hats came into prevalence. It exploded after 2004, when Sox fans were too giddy to really have any semblance of a chip on their shoulders as they were pushed out of their own park by officials, celebrities, and general wannabes who don't have even the slightest hint of who preceded Johnny Damon in center field. Then came 2005, when the Red Sox Nation cards started to separate the frauds from the fans who just want to enjoy the danged team. Then came 2006, when the poseurs left a sea of empty seats at Fenway as injuries led to the team's late-season collapse. Then came 2007, fresh with "Sox Appeal" and the inanely forced search for a President of Red Sox Nation. ... More than a baseball team, the Red Sox are a status symbol, and that is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of it all. Disdained, much like the Yankees before them, Boston's most beloved baseball team has gone from a local obsession to a national phenomenon. And as the owners and marketing gurus continue to benefit, the players, and the fans that can't find it in their heart or their wallet to continue with what was once their passion, are starting to understand the downside of it all." - Eric Wilbur, "Road more traveled", Boston.com, 23 August 2007

"I'd rather be a Sox fan in 2007 than 2003. I just wasn't prepared to root for the Yankees, and as sad as this sounds, we've kinda sorta maybe turned into the Yankees. Like them, we spend more money than everyone else. Like them, we make expensive roster mistakes (Drew, Lugo, Matt Clement, Edgar Rentería, et al.) without any repercussions. Like them, we're detested by opposing fans because we invade their stadiums and taunt their teams. And like them, we're sucking in all the soulless bandwagon kids who pick their favorite teams in first grade based on winning percentages and superstars." - Bill Simmons, "There's room for everyone in Red Sox Nation", ESPN.com, 29 August 2007

"The Red Sox won it all in 2004, and that was bad, because the one thing Cubs fans always had going for them was the idea that they weren't alone. The White Sox won it all in 2005, and that was a thousand times worse. And when the Red Sox won it all a second time last year, it had all become just too much to take.
There had always been a lot of kidding about waiting until the centennial of the last World Series triumph, and as if on cue, the Cubs rolled to the Central Division title and entered the playoffs as the clear NL favorites to get to the World Series (last visited in 1945) and, along with the Angels, a co-favorite to win it all.
Oh, if only you didn't have to play the games. " - Bob Ryan, "We still remember the gory days", Boston.com, 04 October 2008 - read the entire article - must reading - too many key parts to quote - also enjoy Bob's "Hope you stayed up for this one" video from the Big A after ALDS Game 2 (04 October 2008):

"The Aaron Boone homer happened Oct. 16, 2003. The 19-8 thrashing that gave the 2004 Yankees a 3-0 lead in the ALCS happened Oct. 16. The Indians jumped to a commanding 3-1 lead in the ALCS on Oct. 16. Let's just say I wasn't that enthusiastic about Boston's chances on Oct. 16, 2008, although I didn't remember until watching SportsCenter on Friday morning that Boone's homer actually happened 16 minutes after midnight. (Why didn't I realize this? Because I blacked out that night for about an hour. You think I'm kidding. But Thursday night, as far as I knew, Boone hit the homer on the 16th.) As the comeback swung into motion Thursday, I found myself glancing at my cable box's clock and rooting for it to display 9:00 my time (midnight on the East Coast). I didn't think we would get there, but when Pena was batting in the ninth, there were only a few minutes left on the 16th. It was like watching a New Year's Eve countdown. 8:54. 8:55. 8:56. Then Pena grounded into that 4-6-3 and guaranteed that, yes, the Red Sox were getting out of Oct. 16 alive. They made it to midnight. In fact, if Game 5 were a movie, that's what I would call it: "They Made It To Midnight."
Over everything else that happened Thursday night -- Balfour throwing that fastball to Ortiz, Longoria botching that throw, Drew taking Wheeler deep, Youkilis awkwardly hopping on home plate -- I will remember staring at that clock and rooting for Oct. 17. They always said Red Sox fans would care a little less after we climbed the mountain once or twice, that it wouldn't mean as much, that it couldn't possibly mean as much. That's not true. It will never be true. You either love sports or you don't." - Bill Simmons, "The Red Sox make it to midnight", ESPN.com, 17 October 2008 - read the entire article and relive The Comeback - INCREDIBLE! - and watch Dan Shaughnessy's and Bob Ryan's post-game comments:

Some Goals

Category	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009 Goal	2009 Results So Far
Live Performances	17	20	28	29	20	21
Museums/Historic Sites	11	7	9	4	10	3
Live Sports Events	13 (2 Sports)	12 (3 Sports)	17 (3 Sports)	15 (2 Sports)	12 (3 Sports)	17 (2 Sports)

(updated: November 3, 2009)

From the Event Calendar and elsewhere... Eastern Music Festival Featured Sites Tremblay Genealogy The Ed's Parade of Home(page)s Gazette [ CRAYON ] The Official U.S. Time Triangle Radio Reading Service N.C. Museum of History St.Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church Catholic Parish Outreach Artsplosure MIX 101.5 Radiothon for Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center People of Faith Against the Death Penalty Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Downtown Raleigh Downtown Raleigh Alliance Nematomes Durham Bulls Carolina Hurricanes Triangle Professional Soccer Sports Guy's World Bill Simmons Archive John Buccigross Archive Satellite Hotstove Bob Ryan's blog Extra Bases The Hat on Hockey Lord Stanley's Blog ACC Now David Glenn's ACC Journal WRAL Sports: The ACC & Beyond Lifehacker Taking Stock Epicurean: The Blog raleighing Bill Leslie's Carolina Conversations Pogue's Posts This Space For Rent Pop Candy TVNewser Cirque du Soleil The Writer's Almanac Filmwise Web Sudoku c|net Line Rider Whad'Ya Know? The Dialectizer Soccernet Matches on Fox Soccer Channel Nick Bakay More Newsfeeds CNET News.com ESPN.com eWEEK Technology News Yahoo! News - Top Stories Candidates for Favorite Books of 2009 When You Reach Me Rebecca Stead The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman Savvy Ingrid Law Tea Time for the Traditionally Built Alexander McCall Smith Chancellorsville Stephen Sears The Wordy Shipmates Sarah Vowell With Burning Hearts Henri J. M. Nouwen This Is Water David Foster Wallace Breaking the Slump Jimmy Roberts Sudden Sea R. A. Scotti Favorite Books of 2008 A Perfect Friend Reynolds Price The Rivalry John Taylor The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Kate DiCamillo Red Sox Rule Michael Holley Jim the Boy Tony Earley Winter's Child Margaret Maron Vanishing Point Marcia Muller Bloody Confused! Chuck Culpepper Big Russ & Me Tim Russert I'm Proud Of You Tim Madigan Favorite Books of 2007 the good good pig Sy Montgomery The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo Charlotte's Web E. B. White The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick When Santa Fell To Earth Cornelia Funke What Jesus Meant Garry Wills Too Soon To Say Goodbye Art Buchwald little chapel on the river Gwendolyn Barnes The Story Of The Other Wise Man Henry Van Dyke

Go to my 2006 Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup Champions page to see:

Win it for ...

	THANK YOU PATS!!!
	THANK YOU PATS ONCE!
	THANK YOU PATS TWICE!!
	THANK YOU PATS THREE TIMES!!!
	Boston Globe: SB XXXVI | SB XXXVIII | SB XXXIX

(October 2004) It's the newest fad - blogging through the roller coaster ride of angst, terror, and joy that is a Red Sox postseason game, and I can't stop myself any more from joining in - see my first blog page during ALCS Game 7 (October 20, 2004), my first World Series blog page (October 23, 2004), my second World Series blog page (October 24, 2004), my third World Series blog page (October 26, 2004), or my fourth (and gloriously last!) World Series blog page (October 27, 2004).

What's New

Overall website

A long overdue spring cleaning is under way, starting with the Local and Event Calendar pages - these will affect the home page frames too.

RSS Newsfeeds

I just started to learn about these news sources and have included two on the home page (see above), with additional newsfeed pages published.

Genealogy

Additions have been made to the More Web Sites and Family News sections of the Tremblay Genealogy page

Collected Sayings of Rene Tremblay - please send your own favorites

www.tremblay350e.org - a new website concerning the October 2007 350th wedding anniversary of Pierre Tremblay and Ozanne Achon

Home page

An applet with news and events linked to web pages has been added at the top of the page.

The "From the Event Calendar" has been expanded in two ways: 1) moving the "Additional special events" scroller from the Event Calendar page to the home page; 2) adding a new "Local weekend events of note..." list

Removed all the embedded search engine forms - you can get these and a lot more in the current browsers, such as Firefox.

Personal pages

Fall Beach Trips - updated with the 2008 trip

The photo page has been divided into individual pages by year, for example, Photos - 2000. Now that I have more web site space, there will be more photos coming.

I have another home page (sort of) - Ed's Second Home

Last Update: November 17, 2009

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