Tangled Up in Blue Man Group

The blog's back on track after a brief hiatus due to technical issues, so I've got some catching up to do.  Prepare for a plethora of pics from the past week, starting with a trip to the Charles Playhouse for Blue Man Group, a performance the birthday girl had been clamoring to see since she was old enough to talk.  How'd it turn out?

It got the kiss of approval from Miss Heather.

Before that, though, we need to get in the spirit of things.   For some, it only takes a sign

Or a piece of modern art.

For others, they need to find their happy place

For Andrew, naturally, it's food. So it was time for a pre-birthday dinner at Jacob Wirth's, home of the award-winning clam chowder

And incredible BLT macaroni and cheese.  (Don't knock it until you've tried it.)

On to the theater!

Third row, in the poncho section, which means we were in the line of fire.  In Andrew's case, that meant banana goo right in the middle of his forehead.  Andrew would also get a marshmallow between the eyes.

The birthday girl was all smiles.  Those huge silver balls suspended in the rafters would make their way into the crowd, obviously.

For the finale, the rolls of paper buried us.  Literally.

Somewhere beneath these streams of paper is my beautiful daughter, literally covered by the onslaught

During the show, Heather and Mom's heads were used as handrests for one of the Blue Men.  Afterwards, Mom gets a hug before we leave the theater

 And outside, the stars of the show, only too happy to pose with their cheering fans

 Including this guy, who planted the birthday kiss on Heather, leaving his mark.

Heather called it one of the best days of her life, and as family events go, it was definitely right up there.  If you haven't seen it yet, hustle out and grab some tix, and definitely opt for the poncho section.  You won't leave the theater feeling blue.

Kings of the Ring Dings

A momentous trail run at Nashua's Mine Falls - not for the scenery or the fabulous trails, but because it was the death knell of a foodstuff that's been part of our intense physical regimen for decades.  I'm talking of course, about the end of Hostess and Drakes Cakes, and with them, a farewell to Twinkies, Yodels, Yankee Doodles, Funny Bones, and of course, Ring Dings.

So with that, we thought it appropriate to bring the last remaining box of Ring Dings on Earth along with us to this run.

A beautiful fall morning on a great set of trails - home to next week's half-marathon that most of us will be participating in.

Every now and then we pause for a group shot and ask a total stranger to take a picture for us, while one of our crowd marks his territory nearby.

The course isn't without its challenges, including a staircase that adds a new dimension to the workouts.  No problem for us, though.  We eat up these kinds of challenges.  Just like our Ring Dings.

Up top, victory awaits

 We'll cross every bridge to get back to our cars, because we know what's waiting there for us.

Andrew has his eyes on the prize.

Tommy and I need a map to get us back to our prize

Finally, the running under our belts, it's gametime.

For Carlos, it was somewhat of a religious experience.

Here's the hand-off.

 Carlos wants to savor every last bite of his final Ring Ding.

 And of course, Barry is ready to lend a mouth to polish them off.

RIP, Ring Dings, you will be missed.  We hope in some small way, the E Streeters did you honor in your final days.

Tommy is Top Banana!

An early morning run on Veterans Day with the E Streeters, and appropriately enough, a veteran runner took the top spot in today's No Bananas 5K race on the Bruce Freeman trail in Chelmsford.  Tommy grabbed first place honors, and seems all too happy to share his iconic banana with anyone who cares to grab it.

Carlos seems afraid to share the banana trophy with his running nemesis

John, get your hand out of your pocket and your other one off Tommy's banana.

Tommy shares his banana trophy with Pippi Longstocking.

Tommy makes a point of showing off his banana right out of the gate

This reminds me - the Walking Dead is on tonight.

Really, there's not much to say about this photo.  It's just kind of sad that Tommy felt he needed to runlike that just to prove he's top banana.

 Banana in hand, Tommy is a blur heading out to the turnaround

Tommy even has his own cheering section out on the course.  Egomaniac.

Now sans banana, we make our way back in along the trail

 Some more of the Bananas finishers, including the Banana Bunch Queen herself, Ruth Whalen Crockett

It was a dog fight coming into the final stretch between John and Tom Hildreth.  Who would win?  Luckily, we have photographic proof to answer that question.

 Tom Hildreth nudges John right at the finish line.  The tassels from his hat clinched the victory.

Don't believe the blog author?  Check the official results.  They don't lie.  Hildreth clearly beat Piekos, and look, Scanlon edged Borges right at the finish as well.

 One half of this happy couple ran six miles today.  One didn't.  You figure out which is which.

Again, a shout out to all the men and women currently serving in the armed forces as well as those who have already served and returned home.  An honored Veteran's Day to all.

A Veterans Group Run

I never realized Bedford had so many hills.

And apparently, Barry, Tommy and I have no concept of what a Group Run is.

All that aside, the E Streeters took to the streets of Bedford today for a pair of races to benefit veterans and the services that support them.  A 5K run for some, a 10K for others.

Pre-race, Team MCC is ready to stake a claim to victory.

A pre-race look at the men and women's winners.  Well, half of that statement is true.

 After Carlos let us all know today was going to be simply a Group Run, the gun went off, and so was Carlos.  Literally, some of us hadn't even crossed the starting mat and Carlos was leaving us in his dust.  Thankfully, he didn't have to run alone though, as Sean caught up to him just to keep him company.

Meanwhile, the mustangs carried the middle of the pack, keeping it lively, and entertaining the masses along the way.

Stopping mid-race to pose with some of Bedford's finest keeping the streets safe for us runners

Post-race, with Bedford Police Chief Robert Bongiorno 

Somehow, we all managed to snag a medal.  Apparently they give those out for Group Runs. 

A great cause, a great time, and a great group of friends.  And a great Group Run, too.

Thanks to all the men and women in the Armed Forces who help provide the freedom that keeps this country safe and allows the E Streeters to run wherever they want.

Everybody's Got a Hungry Hartford

One more time for Bruce in the neighborhood, sorta, which means another E Streeter road trip.  This one, luckily, passed right by the front doors of Holy Cross, which meant we could pick up Andrew and have opportunities for father-son moments like this one, during Bruce's anthemic Born to Run

First though, a trip to Hartford wouldn't be complete with a solicitation of Angelino's Italian restaurant, home of the obscene portion sizes.  Pre-show, Martin, Barry and Andrew were ready to give the menu their thumbs up

Salud!  Iced tea, iceless Sprite, and Pepsi all around!

Inside the Hartford XL Center, we stop for a shot with Bruce

Heading to our respective seats, the father-son tandem strikes a pose made famous by my father

Once Bruce got the show underway, he wasted no time at all wading into the floor crowd of thousands to body surf back to the stage during his hit Hungry Heart

Partway through the show, Andrew and I made a beeline for a seat upgrade, grabbing some primo seats on Nils' side of the stage

 As always, Bruce used the entire stage to his advantage.  I only pray I'm that nimble when I'm 63 years old

Once again, Bruce braves the crowd during 10th Avenue Freeze Out, which included a touching tribute to deceased band members Clarence "Big Man" Clemons and "Phantom" Dan Federici

Born to Run, complete with Andrew on air gutiar

Potentially one of the best pictures I've ever taken of Andrew.  Clearly, he's pretty happy to be at yet another Bruce show.

 Take a bow, E Street band!

With unforgettable songs like a Bruce-solo-on-piano For You, a raucous 15-minute version of Kitty's Back, a rip-roaring Pink Cadillac and a rarity opening of Held Up Without a Gun, Bruce and the E Street Band delivered yet again, clocking in with a three-hour, fifteen minute marathon session.  Truly, this is the stuff of memory, and the father-son experiences that can never be quantified.  Tramps like us, indeed.