So TS1 and I flew east Thursday to spend the weekend with the ‘rents and finally get to give our Nephew Jacob a hug and kiss for his first birthday. Many pictures but will be processed and posted during the week. He is so cute and big (tall, not chubby) and a fun little boy. Even when hungry, and later tired he didn’t cry or scream. I guess my brother-in-law learned a few things from his older kids 😉
Yesterday we went to the Grounds for Sculptures, a serious place for art lovers, with 35 landscaped acres of outdoor sculptures and installations and nearly 2,000 different types of trees on what used to be the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. The place was founded in 1992 by J. Seward Johnson, Jr., a sculptor himself and an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune but featuring the works of many different types of artists. Many of the bigger pieces of course resonate with the pioneering work of my personal favorite Alexander Calder.
This morning I couldn’t resist the pay per view allure of Liverpool v. West Ham in The FA Cup Final from Cardiff and, man, what a cracker! Down early by two goals, I thought our defense forgot the game had started but they finally woke up and our skipper put a pass spot on from 40 yards away to Djibrille Cisse and the Frenchman put a sweet one timer to the near side of the goal where Shaka Hislop had no chance of stopping it.
Not far into the second half Gerrard tied it up with his own goal from short range and I thought we were sitting pretty. But the Hammers, big underdogs or not, came to play and got out in front not long after. The rest of the second half looked like injury after injury to us until just into injury time Stevie G put a beautiful shot from just past the 18 yard box straight into the back of the net.
Extra time was agony and with no more substitutions available I wondered if we could make it to the final whistle with 11 pairs of legs still vertical. Just like last year in Istanbul, though, we held tight for the shootout and then I knew we’d go home happy. Sure enough Pepe Reina, showing his Spanish teammates he’s ready to replace Casillas next month in Germany, stood his ground and stopped three of the four West Ham shots while Hamann, Gerrard and John Arne Riise did the business for us.
Suh-weet!
Of course, tomorrow’s Mother’s Day. That’s a whole ‘nother story, right?
BillSaysThis 