when the red sox won (home)

Last night I heard the screaming. Loud voices across the
hall, when I was brushing my teeth before bed. I turned off
the water and went to the door to listen. Screaming, cursing,
a few impact noises. ( Moral dilemna of city living. Issues of privacy and safety. )

when the red sox won (away)

I was born in Detroit, in the summer of 1968. Back then,
riots stopped when the Tigers won the World Series. When
I was in high school and the Tigers won another World
Series, there was rioting to celebrate. And when the
Pistons won the NBA championship. A friend of my
brother's was killed in that one. And when the University
of Michigan won the NCAA basketball tournament. A small
group of us misjudged the time, and were accidentally on
the streets of Ann Arbor at the end of the semi-final game.
Thoroughly scary.

I first came to Boston in the winter of 1997. (Those
of you who saw me at Arisia that year can stop laughing
now. I'll wait.) That was when I discovered Cambridge
was my hometown, even though I had never even seen it
before. I moved here in 1998...the place may bankrupt
me, but I don't want to leave.

When my alarm went off, the radio announcer was talking
about the Red Sox win sparking rioting at UMass. Either
because I was half-asleep, or because he thought the
location went without saying, I assumed the riot was
downtown. At the UMass campus I can get to on the subway.
Where several of my friends used to work. It's only now,
in writing this and looking up the article for details
that I realize he meant UMass-Amherst, at the other end
of the state. And even though it's tough for Amherst, I
am still overwhelmed with relief. Because I care about
Boston, and I don't really care about Amherst.

When I care about a place, I dread the triumph of its
sports teams. In my guts, I know it will lead to violence.
And I'd rather have people home safe, whining about
yet another humiliating defeat, than out smashing cars
and windows and heads in celebration. Not that anyone
ever consults me.

yet another sox post (cold feet - not red sox)

Can anyone advise me about finding heavy socks,
intended for skiing or winter hiking, online or
in the Boston area? Cost and durability are both
important, as I will be wearing them almost every
day in cold weather. Wool would be best, or one
of the synthetics that stays insulating when wet.
Cotton is totally unacceptable.

Unfortunately, those comfy recycled polarfleece
socks disintegrate in 3 or 4 months of serious
wear...which puts them out of my price range.
Also unfortunately, the cheap non-specialty stores
(such as Target) are less likely to carry a range
of sizes than the expensive specialty stores (such
as Eastern Mountain Sports.)

When Large (large enough to fit outside my boots)
padded wool socks are selling for $6, I hesitate to
spend $20 for the same brand of socks in Medium. I
also hesitate to go to work all winter looking like
a child wearing my father's clothes. I'll wear
grandpa's old poncho, because it's the most effective
rain protection I've seen (goofy looking or not), but
having the heels of my socks halfway up my calves is
going a bit far.