Matthew Monday: Father’s Day 2024

Yesterday was Father’s Day and like every year Matthew and I go on a “Father’s Day Adventure.”  As those who may follow my blog should know, this “adventure” is something Matthew and I have done since we adopted him.  The first that I noted this Father’s Day Adventure on the blog was Father’s Day in 2014, which was the first Father’s Day I had the blog.  I explained it all then and described the previous ones.  If you are really interested in reading all the adventures through the years, you can click the “Father’s Day” tag at the bottom of the page. 

This year we had wanted to drive up to Kingston, NY, an Old Dutch town that was attacked and burned by the British during the Revolutionary War.  There are a number of historical sites to see (including the oldest existing intersection in the US!) and has a panoramic view of the Hudson River.  Alas, we didn’t get there.  By the time we got out of Mass, it was almost midday, and it’s about two hours drive one way.  That would have put us on the road for four hours, and Matthew had to get home to study for two finals the next day. 

We changed our minds when we got home from Church and quickly pivoted to plan B, that is, we went to a minor league baseball game.  I know, not much of an adventure, but it couldn’t be helped.  We quickly got tickets to the Staten Island FerryHawks game.  The FerryHawks took over the stadium when the Yankees killed their Staten Island single A team that was situated here. It’s an Independent League team comprised of teams not tied to any major league affiliates.  They probably play at the same level as single A or maybe a little bit better. Independent League teams get players who are not signed by major league teams with the hope of catching a scout’s eye and getting signed. 

There were two ex-major leaguers (at least two, I didn’t recognize anyone else) playing on the FerryHawks.

One was Alejandro de Aza. I remembered him.  He played a couple of years with the Orioles. He’s 40 years old now and still playing. I guess for the love of the game. I can’t see him being picked up by anyone at that age. He did get a couple of hits that day.

The other ex was Pablo Sandoval. He was actually a star third baseman for the San Francisco Giants when he was in his early twenties.  If I remember correctly injuries and a weight problem drove his career into the ground.  He last played in the majors in 2021.  He’s now 37 and I guess hopes to get picked up. He got at least one hit that I remember. I think he was DH. He was not at third.

FerryHawks beat the York Revolution 6-4.

I can’t say it was a big adventure but it was a lot of fun.  I took a few pictures. 

The ballpark overlooks the NYC harbor, and beyond the left field fence, you can see the Manhattan skyline.

Over the right field fence you have a more unobstructed view of the harbor, and here you can see the orange Staten Island ferry going out. 

Finally a picture of Matthew.

I love spending time with my son and nothing better than spending time with him at a baseball game.

Happy Father’s Day!

Matthew Monday: Memorial Day, Fleet Week

Memorial Day (last Monday in May) is the day we honor fallen troops, and Fleet Week is the week the Navy brings in some ship into New York City for civilian visitation.  They coincide.  I took Matthew in Manhattan to look at some ships.  We had a nice time.  Took the Staten Island Ferry over, passing the Statue of Liberty.  We stopped in down town and took some pictures of the World Trade Liberty Tower, and then went up to the piers to look at some Navy vessels.  Here are a couple of pictures.

Matthew Monday: Father’s Day 2014

Father’s Day for us since our first is to go on some sort of “adventure.”  So far that has meant getting on the Staten Island Ferry and heading off into Manhattan.  Two years ago it was a bus and ferry ride over and hanging around Battery Park; last year it was a ferry ride over to the new World Trade Center, the once dubbed "FreedomTower" that was in progress of being built.  No we didn’t sneak in and up like some kid did a few months ago.  This year we took the ferry over and headed uptown on the subway to Central Park and hiked around.  It was a beautiful day.  Actually all three years and even the one going back to Kazakhstan have all been beautiful days here on Father’s Day. 

Well, the day started interesting.  The little whippersnapper got me out of bed by singing:

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

And on his farm he had a daddy, E-I-E-I-O. 

With a snore, snore here,

 And a snore, snore there,

 Here a snore, there a snore,

 Everywhere a snore, snore. 

Then he gave me a drawing he made and a Father’s Day card.  Very nice.  We went to the earlier Mass to free up as much of the afternoon as possible.  And before we were off, my wife took this picture of us on our deck. 

 

 

If you can't make it out, Matthew is holding up a Captain America and Spiderman figues. 

 

On the ferry I was able to snap this while passing the Statue of Liberty.

 

 

 

Central park has these huge granite (I think they’re granite) boulders scattered around, and it was Matthew’s mission to climb them.  Here are a few of the pictures at the top of the rocks.  If you’ve never been to New York’s Central Park, you can see the park is huge and in the center of a very urban Manhattan.   There are these beautiful buildings that peek over from the perimeter of the park.

 

 

As you can see he wanted to wear his Batman tee shirt.  But here he is at the top of this huge stone thinking he’s Superman.

 

 

There are statues everywhere in Central Park, and here Matthew was able to climb up to one.

 

 

Oh there were too many pictures I could share, but here are just two more by the pond.  The park is just so beautiful.

 

Boy my feet were aching when we finally got home.  And all we covered was a small corner of the park.   

Here’s a funny side story.  I bought a map of the park just to get my bearings.  The map was advertised as “20 Things To Do In NYC For A Penny.”  Cost of the map, two dollars.  Hmm.  And it wasn’t even that good a map.