Canada Day, Some Baseball and Apparently some big American Holiday

The Bronx, New York
July 1st and July 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2009

So Canada Day has come and gone. Happy Belated Birthday Canada. Not nearly as many visible Canadians this year as there were last year and I have to admit I missed the embassy party in DC. Not to worry though, there was not a single person I encountered on the streets of New York (or at work for that matter) who didn't know where I was from and that it was my country's 142nd birthday. I did manage to find some Molson Canadian to celebrate with (I can't wait to get home so I can grab some Keith's though) but would have enjoyed some fireworks to go along with them.

Some Canada Day Fireworks as seen from Mom and Dad's deck in Vernon.

Can't have a birthday without a cake. No, I did not take this picture somewhere in NYC. My friend Sam (who claims to be half Canadian and she loves Tim Hortons so she must be) sent this to me.

Of course Canada Day lead into the holiday weekend here in the US. Yes, how I could forget that Independence Day....the 4th of July, was just around the corner. Was it all the American flags that appeared on the lamp posts on 3rd Ave? Maybe it was the increase in Red, White and Blue coloured cupcakes in the windows. Maybe, just maybe it was everyone wishing me a "Happy 4th". No, actually I think it was the arrival of a baseball team from north of the border. Ahhhh yes...it's baseball season and nothing can overshadow that.

Outside Yankee Stadium.

So the Blue Jays have made their first visit of the season to New York. Seems like the season is half over already (it almost is). Hard to believe I am just getting to watch them now for the first time this season. They were in town for a 4 game set and I ended up catching the first 3 (we lost all of them but some good games). Now it may have been the 4th of July weekend but I did spend most of it wearing a Canadian flag as a cape (thanks for bringing that down for me Heather) and I was quite disappointed, I rarely got hassled for it.....or my vintage Jays jerseys for that matter (you're losing your touch Yankees' fans!).

Baseball and beer and probably a hot dog. I love summer.

My view of game number one. A close 4-2 loss for the Jays. Remember when we were the best team in the league.....you know in May? Trust me, Jays' fans remember.

See Blue Jays' pride and Canadian pride all at the same time.

Of course one cannot survive on baseball alone so after Friday's game I met up with my friend Sam (as in Samantha not Samuel....don't get excited) on the Upper West Side where she introduced me to the greatest places on earth, Harry's Burritos and Magnolia Cupcakes. And yes those things do go together surprisingly well. Some of you may remember Magnolia Cupcakes from Sex and the City (yeah I had no idea either..... I never watched the show). They are top-notch cupcakes. Almost more like cornbread and as it turns out really, really yummy. I am very glad the closest Magnolia to me is a good 10 blocks or so away or I might have some problems. Nothing like $3 cupcakes to shrink your wallet and enlarge your ass.

Anyway, it was back to more baseball on Saturday. An excellent extra innings game. Once again we did lose but it was some great, great baseball. I can hardly be mad when the baseball is good.

My view for game two. Also a loss. This time 6-5 in the bottom of the 12th. Not Doc's best outing.

Doc Halladay. Didn't have his best stuff today, but he can't be perfect all the time. Still the best pitcher in baseball.

Brandon League....very quickly becoming one of my favourite relief pitchers.

Yes, I am wearing a new jersey. A very recent purchase. It is a replica of the Jays' 1987 home uniform but the team now wears them on Flashback Fridays (Friday night home games when they bring back former players and stuff like that.) I'm still not a fan of the new uniforms...although their black alternate jersey is starting to grow on me.

After the game.......well I should have taken myself to some 4th of July fireworks but my last interactions at Yankee Stadium involved some drunk Yankee fans (they make all Yankees' fans and Americans proud I'm sure) chanting U-S-A in my face. I guess it was because their team comprised of American and Latino players had just beaten my team comprised of American and Latino players (oh and one Canadian but we will get to him later) in a very close 12 inning game. It was at that point that I knew there was no way I could handle being in a crowd of a few million flag waving Americans while watching fireworks cleverly choreographed to music telling me why everyone is proud to be an American (it's the gun laws right?). So I did the next best thing.....I ordered Chinese and watched them on TV from the comfort of my air conditioning. Chinese food and Canadian beer.....it's the American way....ok maybe not but it should be.

That's rookie pitcher Dirk Hayhurst carrying the blue backpack. I prefer the pink and purple one they made Jesse Carlson carry last year. In case you don't know, most teams force their rookie relief pitchers to carry gum and sunflower seeds and all the things the boys need to keep themselves entertained in the bullpen, in some kind of a child's backpack.

Now Sunday's game I was really looking forward to because Canadian pitcher Scott Richmond was scheduled to pitch (he's from Vancouver). Of course he was put on the DL a couple days before (that's the disabled list......and it is where the rest of our starting rotation is so I shouldn't have been surprised). The move was retroactive to July 1st (that's Canada Day all my American friends) ironically enough. However, all was not lost because I did manage to get myself on the big screen. Yes, during the national anthem I was plastered across the screen for everyone to see......just me and my big Canadian flag. Totally worth it.

My view for game number 3. Once again a loss, 10-8 this time. We actually had a lead for a while but it didn't last. But I got to sit in the sun, have a few beers and I met some nice Yankees fans (there are a few out there) so it was ok.

Ahh Brandon League. Pitching pretty well for us these days.

Yes this did get me on the big screen. You would have put me up there too. Of course I wasn't wearing the Blue Jays' hat during the anthems.

So all in all, it was a great, great weekend. Of course the one game in the 4 game series that the Jays did win was on Monday.....while I was at work, but whatever. The weather was good, the baseball was even better so I can't complain.

Julie