I was born into being a Yankee fan since the Yankees were the team of my Dad.  I never asked him why he was a Yankee fan, but as a kid, I thought it had something to do with his Italian heritage. (Today I know better that not all Italians are Yankee Fans; just the ones who thought Joe DiMaggio was a Christian Saint.) I will never forget listening to games on the radio with Dad. Honestly,  in today’s age of big screen/ flat screen TV’s, there is nothing like sitting back and listening to a baseball game on the radio in the comfort of your own home with loved ones. You get immersed in every call from the announcers and your mind takes over imagining Mantle’s beautiful stroke that you later try to replicate as a Little Leaguer.

My first Yankee game with Dad was somewhere around 1965 when I was 8 years old.  We took the train from Berlin down to Grand Central Station and hopped the subway over to 161st Street & River Avenue. I really loved the speed of the subway, but my young stomach didn’t appreciate the slower moving, monotonous ride of Amtrak.

But today, being a Yankee fan is very costly with mid-level tickets costing $75 – $100 per seat, per game. After internal negotiations among our family of five for the four tickets we had to several afternoon games this year, I have to admit that going to Yankee Stadium is an exhausting event. With the cost of the tickets, parking the car, having a few beers before the game, and lunch during the game, we find ourselves spending a minimum of $500 each game. If the cost of attendance is not enough to keep you home on the couch in front of the HDTV, consider that on average  it took us over 3 hours to make the 100 mile trip back to Connecticut from the Bronx this year.  Every time I leave The Stadium and sit in traffic on The Deegan Northbound, I hear my inner voice saying to me “Never again. Never again.”

I truly hope the day will come that I’ll be able to bring a Grandson or Granddaughter to Yankee Stadium.  I guess I’ll start saving now, knowing that the trip will soon be as costly and time-consuming as their first year of college.

Our pilgrimage always includes a stay at The Maple Leaf Inn in Barnard, a bed and breakfast  that holds a very special place in our hearts.  For us, going to The Maple Leaf Inn is like going home …you are welcomed at the front door even before you make your way up the steps, and when you leave you are comforted with a hug and a Baggie of chocolate chip cookies for the ride home.  New owners Nancy and Mike Boyle have done an amazing job taking over from the 12-year legacy established by previous owners Janet and Gary Robison.  Running a B&B is no easy job; we were told that the average B&B owner can only take the demands of having its customers live in their house for a 5-year period before selling out.  One of our treasured memories at The Maple Leaf is the hot mulled cider. It is tradition to return back to the inn in the late afternoon with plans to cozy up next to the fireplace and read our books before dinner. But after a cup of the hot mulled cider (which we’ve believed for years is treated with a secret sleeping powder) and a cozy chair next to  a roaring wood fire, you stand no chance of getting beyond the first chapter.

The visit was so  “refreshing” in many ways. The friendliness of everyone you meet in Vermont is mind-boggling. Conversations are open and unpretentious; the feeling is that you’ve known these people forever.  The chill in the air was crisp, but yet so nice that at no time did it feel like single digits.  The winds were calm and the views were breathtaking, as we drove up, down and around the mountain roads viewing our favorite covered bridges and local farms. Even after 4 years, we commented how there was so little commercial development – a feeling of preserving the goodness for those who return.

We can’t wait to go back…we owe it to ourselves to strengthen our connection with Vermont and The Maple Leaf Inn. There’s something about the aroma of a burning fireplace that keeps calling you back.  Now that we are home, we miss it already.

If you subscribe to my thinking that “you pay for the tailgaiting, and they toss in the game for free”, it is the pre-game and post-game activities with the 40,000 fans spread about miles and miles of parking lots in the backdrop of the downtown Hartford skyline that you’ve come to love.   

It all starts with the planning – what are we going to have to eat, did we have it before (originality gets extra points here), who is doing the shopping and when, and make sure you get home from work early on Friday so we can start “prepping”. Ulimate tailgaiters also take into account that when bringing first-time attendees, can these newbies be trusted to bring a dish that everyone will rave about the week after or will it be a let down of simply cheese and crackers? Bring something spectacular, such as an award winning beer from Canada that is not sold in the United States, and you’ll be sure to get invited to a game year after year.

Tailgating begins as early as four hours before gametime, so for a noon kickoff  plan to get to The Rent around 8:00AM, claim your space (akin to boxing out underneath the basket for a rebound in the NBA), get everything set-up, and have the grill going no later than 9:00AM.  Noontime games offer a unique challenege in that you must decide if the early, pre-game menu will contain a breakfast theme or will you go straight to grilling? The macho crowd is often seen rolling up their sleeves and eating chowder, boiling lobsters and grilling meats, while the more sylish, sudued crowd often elects for fluted champagne glasses topped with fresh stawberries, flowers on the table, linen napkins, smoked sausages and quiche.

Bartering with your tailgating neighbors is encouraged and is an effective way to sample the goodies you admire on the next table. Recently, we were able to savor grilled lobster tails at 10:00AM for a trade of a couple of Bloody Mary’s.  Make new friends, learn new recipes, study the latest developments in grilling equipment – it’s all part of the event.

A special treat for parents of UCONN students is that you get to see them on game day.  Again, planning is the key here – what time will they arrive, and how many friends will they be bringing? Underestimate the crowd and there will be no food or drink left for you!

Dad’s garden also taught me some life’s lessons about hard work and sharing with others.  For whatever reason, my Dad felt compelled every year to plant close to a hundred tomato and pepper plants in our garden. He kept his “little black book” with all the details of his plantings. After returning from a long day in the sweaty, asbestos-filled factory, he  made his way religiously into the backyard and tended his plants with incredible care and patience until it got dark outside. During harvest season, I remember this little man loading up his car with large, heavy baskets of his vegetables and bringing them into work to share with his co-workers. He expected nothing in return; this was just one simple way of sharing his love.

So when I go to the local farmers’ market, I think of Dad. I observe in awe all the hard work these folks put into growing their prized vegetables, breads and cheeses, and how proud they are displaying their goods for us, their customers. I am confident that there is a lot of sweat equity in these products, and for that reason, I am a supporter the the local farmer.

The farmers’ market at the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington offers a fun-filled time for the entire family.  On a bright, sunny day, there was folk music, with kids running and dancing all around.  It was a great feeling to see young parents introducing their children to the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, just the way Dad with me, in his own special way over 40 years ago.

About a month ago, we made our way to the Infinity Music Hall  in Norfolk, Connecticut to see one of my favorite groups – The Rippingtons. This was the first time that we’ve been to Infinity Music Hall, and hadn’t it been for a casual recommendation from a friend who lives in Northwest Connecticut, we would have been ignorant to its existence. The Hall is truly a wonderful experience; from the small, intimate atmosphere to the friendly staff welcoming you as you arrive.  According the web site, the buiding is over 125 years old and newly renovated.  It is a classic old-time concert hall with wood floors and magnificent columns in the theatre.  One of the most unique features of The Hall is the mezzanine seating section, where you can sit comfortably at a table for four and enjoy food and drink from the bistro next door.  Having purchased the tickets well in advance of the concert date, I was able to secure us seating in the mezzanine section and we enjoyed the show from an unobstructed view above the crowd.  Don’t worry if you can’t get seats in the mezzanine (they tell me they sell out early), the seats on the first floor orchestra section are all close enough to the stage since seating in the music hall totals only 300.

I don’t like being gouged on ticket prices, and the Hall offers great value at the $20 – $70 price range for most of its shows. Recently I went on-line to check out tickets at another venue for Van Morrison, and was shocked to see that you could spend as much as $350 a seat for his show.  No thanks, I’ll stay home for that one.  At the Hall, parking is free on the street and behind the building , which is another benefit of making the scenic drive out to Norfolk. 

The Rippingtons did not disappoint and kept the full house clapping, dancing, and applauding for more.  In an interview in The Hartford Courant  a week before the concert,  Russ Freeman of The Rippingtons made it clear that he doesn’t see his group being classified as part of  the main stream, everyday soft-jazz category. Based on the drum, sax and bass solos that lifted us from our seats, I’d agree.  To further top it off and drive his point home,  at the end of the concert Freeman led the group in an unbelievable performance of Jimmy Hendrix’s Purple Haze. All 300 of us were in awe as we watched our jazz masters delight with their rendition of a rock and roll favorite.

For us, a great night out with friends and certainly a memory!  So much, we’ve already got tickets in hand for the upcoming Acoustic Alchemy show.

As expected, that was the reaction from some family members on my announcement a few weeks back.  I’m sure they were thinking that this would be another one of those half-baked efforts that is hot for a while, and then fizzles away when the realities of a demanding career take over.  I’ll spare you with the details of those previous endeavors, but you can be assured that the remnants are tucked away in the basement or garage gathering dust.

I decided on the name Right Brain Rookie to represent my self-belief that I am a newbie to the creative side.  Many argue that I am not. Entrenched in a career of numbers, tax laws and Excel spreadsheets, my career path offers little choice other than to be exact and precise.  Creativity is often limited to pulling out the pink highlighter, rather than the traditional yellow. Use too much color in your analysis and your peers start to think you don’t have enough work on your plate. The reality in today’s business world is that the right brain thinkers are in demand by organizations of all sizes and shapes.  Ask me about a CPA firm that hired an anthropology major.

My expectation is to stimulate what is tucked away comfortably over there on the right side of my brain. This will include sharing observations on life, specific events and happenings, photographs from my new hobby, and whatever else inspires me to jump on the computer and write. I hope you enjoy this experience with me, as I am excited to see where it goes.

Finally, I owe a big Thank You to a client and friend, Scott Livingston, for sharing his blog Life Adventures with me from its inception.  It has been an inspiration for me to get started on this journey.