But Tell Me, Did Fenway Blow Your Mind, Was It Everything You Wanted to Find?
Previously, Part 2: The Grounds Crew At Fenway Put Me To Work And I Loved It!
Lexi, Dylan, Fraser, and I made our way upstairs to meet Jared. When we arrived, he was standing near a bar with his friend, former WWE wrestler and current color commentator, Corey Graves. No one had to twist my arm to chug a cold beer, though I'm sure Corey could've. He made a good living doing just that.
As a kid, every Saturday morning, I sat on the floor in my basement, inches from the 16" black 'n' white TV, and watched Professional Wrestling. Back then, according to Classy Freddy Blassie, Vince McMahon was nothing more than a "pencil-neck geek!"
My favorite wrestler was Bruno Sammartino, who held the WWF Championship belt throughout my entire childhood. I liked the good guys and despised the villains, but who wants to see two good guys fight each other? The matches were always good versus evil.
After we wet our whistles, Jared spoke to a waitress, and within minutes we were seated at a table in the restaurant. We ordered food and had a few more beers, and talked about all kinds of interesting shit.
When I found out Corey grew up in Pennsylvania, I had to tell him about our trip to PA to watch Dylan play in a futsal championship as a member of Dragons FC, a club team coached by former professional soccer player Mario Cubelli. The tournament was in Monroeville, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where Corey grew up. What are the chances of that?
When Susan and I talked about driving nine hours to Monroeville in the middle of winter, I initially objected. I told her that with our luck, we'd get hit with 30" of snow and get stranded in Monroeville. She laughed and called me a pessimist. I caved and took the wheel of our '98 Mercury Villager and headed west…
Dylan wasn't a starter, but Cubelli played him. At one point, on the verge of elimination, Dylan deflected one into the net for the win and a chance to move on.
By then, the snow started, and it got heavy. Before you knew it, there was a foot of snow on the ground, and there was plenty more where that came from.
Two feet of snow accumulated on the ground quickly, and the forecast didn't indicate it would stop anytime soon. The tournament was cancelled. Some of Dylan's teammates and their families immediately jumped in their cars and headed back to Massachusetts, which was ill-advised.
We stayed at the hotel with the Leney's and the Cubelli's, not wanting to get stranded on the highway, which is exactly what happened to those who left. They were forced to abandon their vehicles and get rides from Pennsylvania State Police to roadside motels where they stayed until the roads were cleared for travel.
I gloated a bit because I had been more accurate than any weatherman when I predicted 30" of snow weeks ago. Susan was silent. For once in my life, I was undeniably right, and no one wanted to admit it. We waited another day, and then our three-car caravan left Monroeville and headed east, into snow-covered roads and poor visibility. It was still snowing pretty good and I could barely see a foot beyond the front bumper…
For some reason, despite having expensive 4-wheel drive SUVs, the others wanted me to lead. I suppose I had the biggest balls, and the front-wheel drive Villager was an absolute stud in the snow. With its six-cylinder Nissan motor and low center of gravity, the front-wheel drive mini-van performed like a fucking tug boat.
By the time we arrived back in Norton, there was 32" on the ground, and Susan and I got out and shoveled a path to the front door so Nick & Dylan could get in the house.
So, Dylan and I were very familiar with Monroeville, PA, where Corey Graves grew up…
The conversation at the table during dinner was excellent, as was the food. Watching the game on a TV while we ate was okay, but we all wanted to be in the ballpark. Jared spoke to our waitress, and another woman took us to some incredible seats that were just outside the restaurant and behind home plate. We could see everything. Best seats we've ever had! And Jared refused to let me pay for the meal…
The Red Sox scored six runs in the first, and that's all they'd need to avoid the sweep and get back on their winning ways. The 6-4 Red Sox win was the icing on the cake!
If I had to guess who owned the Red Sox that night, it wouldn't be John Henry. I would say Jared Carrabis! At the very least, he's the "Mayor of Fenway". It was apparent he was one of the most popular and well-liked guys in the ballpark!
Advertisement
Working remotely for almost six years, I've only met a handful of Barstool personalities, and although Jared was an employee at the same time as me, I never had the opportunity to meet him. I can tell you this about him now: he's kind, has a heart of gold, a genuine smile, and has an incredible love for the game of baseball and the Boston Red Sox. What he did for me, getting me on the field as a guest member of the grounds crew at a time when I really needed it, and helping me knock something big off my bucket list, was more than I could've ever imagined. It was a dream come true.
I joked with Jared that maybe next time he could get permission for me to throw out the first pitch. He laughed, "Is your shoulder loose enough?" I responded, "Actually, a little too loose…"
Losing Susan was devastating. Grief is the heavy cloak I wear every day. It can be paralyzing at times. My house, which was once full of family and friends, is empty most of the time, and that isn't easy, either.
My therapist, whom I see once every two weeks, said that in addition to having a tough time dealing with grief, I'm also suffering from extreme loneliness. On this day, the grief went into hiding. I got out of the house, socialized, and had the best day I've had in a very long time.
After the game ended, I stood up in my seat and took a moment to look up into the evening sky, knowing Susan was watching and smiling, happy to see me enjoy this special day, reminding me 'that there's room to grow'…
But tell me
Did the wind sweep you off your feet?
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way?
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind?
Was it everything you wanted to find?
And did you miss me while you were
Looking for yourself out there?
Thank you, Dylan, Dan, and especially Jared, for making this all possible!