Labor Day Weekend

So we’re in Portland, Maine for Labor Day weekend…sort of.  We’re not actually going to be there ON Labor Day, we got here today and are leaving on Sunday.

The primary reason for this trip was to see a few Portland Sea Dogs vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats games.  But hopefully, we’ll have time to do other things, as well.

The timing was not so good – Hurricane Earl is about to hit us up here.  It started raining during the game, it was tied in the 7th, so we left before it got really bad.  The Fisher Cats, who we were rooting for, ended up losing anyway.  I found out today that wearing a Fisher Cats jersey at Hadlock Field causes other fans to give you the fish-eye.  Just as well we left, tomorrow I’ll wear a non-baseball shirt.

When in Portland, we always stay at the Inn at St. John.  It’s an easy walk to the Sea Dogs ballpark, but it’s not in the middle of downtown.  But that’s okay, the #1 Metro bus stops right across the street, and it’ll take you right downtown, and easy walk to all of the cool stuff that the Old Port has to offer.  If you love good beer, be sure to visit Gritty McDuff’s, Sebago Brewing Company, and/or Shipyard Brewing Company.  All are in the Old Port, the first two are brewpubs, Shipyard is a brewery with a gift shop.  There is also lots of shopping and other restaurants, as well as trolley and boat tours (in season).

The fact that the Inn at St. John is NOT smack in the middle of downtown makes it an excellent value – you have easy access to the Old Port without the high prices.  Rooms range from luxury, which contain such amenities as jacuzzi tubs, to value rooms, which have shared bathrooms in the hall and involve climbing a lot of stairs. The choice is yours, depends on your preference and your budget. Pets are welcome in many rooms.

If the weather people are correct, Earl will be out of here tomorrow, and the rest of the weekend is supposed to be lovely.  Let’s hope so!

Playoff Fever

Let’s face it.  The Red Sox are pretty much all done.  Sure, it would be a pleasant surprise if they managed to make the playoffs at this point in time, but I seriously doubt that this is going to happen.

Well, if you want to see baseball playoffs right in your own back yard, look no further than the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, who play in the Queen City, Manchester, NH.  The Class AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Fisher Cats have been playing their hearts out this year.  I don’t think they’ve ever been below second place the whole season, and now, they have officially clinched their spot in the Eastern League playoffs.  We’re only now waiting to see whether they finish the season in first or second place in their division; how they place will dictate where the home games will be played.

If the Fisher Cats finish in first place, the home games for the first round of playoffs will be held on Wednesday, September 8, Thursday, September 9, and, if necessary, Sunday, September 12.  Should they finish in second, the home games would be on Friday, September 10 and, if necessary, Saturday, September 11.

Should the Fisher Cats make it to the finals, those home games are scheduled for Thursday, September 16, Friday, September 17, and Saturday, September 18.

The Fisher Cats are now selling playoff tickets – playoff ticket strips are on sale at nhfishercats.com, as well as at the ticket office or over the phone.  See the website for details.  Ticket strips are for all six possible playoff home games; if any games are not played for any reason, the Fisher Cats will either issue refunds for unused tickets, or offer credit for tickets for any game in the 2011 season.  So you really can’t lose!

So, you could spend your time online doing a medical job search or some such thing…or you can enjoy what the fisher Cats have to offer, and join in on playoff fever!  I know where I’ll be!

1964 – The Tribute

How would you like to see what Rolling Stone magazine calls the “Best Beatles Tribute on Earth”?  And what if I told you that it is not only in very easy reach, right here in New England, but tickets are just $10, as well?

Yes!  It’s true!  1964…The Tribute will be playing on this coming Thursday, August 12, at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, in beautiful downtown Manchester.  The team is out of town this week, so now the grounds crew and other staff are busy gearing up for this exciting concert.  No, there won’t be any patio cushions or anything, seating will be in the regular seating bowl only.  Not on the field, as they did for the Bob Dylan concert that was there a few years ago.

All tickets are $10, and there was some limited reserved seating available; that might be sold out by now, you’ll have to check.  All other seats are general admission, which means you can sit anywhere you like, except for the reserved sections.  We have our regular seats that we do for the ball games, and no doubt we’ll have to kick people out of them.  And so it goes…

Anyhoo, this concert is a benefit for Manchester’s gorgeous Palace Theatre; if you have never seen a show there, you are missing out.  No, this concert will not be there, or course, it will be at the ballpark, but I’m sure you will be able to learn much more about the theatre at this concert.

So this concert is only a couple of days away, so if you want to go, get your tickets now, before they sell out.  Gates open at 5PM (4:30 PM for Fisher Cats season ticket holders), and no doubt the Sam Adams Bar & Grill will be open for your drinking and dining enjoyment.  The concert itself will begin at 7PM, and there will be an Atlas Fireworks show right after the concert.

Please visit nhfishercats.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

Mike and I have always loved the Beatles, and are greatly looking forward to this concert!

There WILL be baseball playoffs in New England!

Well, unless the New Hampshire Fisher Cats do some SERIOUS screwing up, there will be.

The Fisher Cats are the Class AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, and are part of the Eastern League.  They play their home games at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, located in downtown Manchester, on the banks of the Merrimack River.  They are easily accessible from Boston and many other ares of New England, just an hour’s drive away.  Think of how long you spend on the MBTA, or being stuck in traffic near Fenway to go to a Red Sox game, and an hour is not such a long time, now, is it?

These games also cost MUCH less!  Seats start at $6, with premium box seats going for just $12.  Concessions are much less expensive, as well.  And in addition to getting to see future Major Leaguers, they have some fun between-inning games and entertainment.  MerchantsAuto.com Stadium is very family-friendly, kids 3 and under get in free, as long as they are being carried in something like an Ergo baby carrier, or can sit on a parent’s lap…as long as they are not taking up a seat. Especially one of ours.  just because we get up together to get food and beer does NOT mean we are not coming back!

Anyhoo, the Fisher Cats are almost definitely going to the post-season, and tickets are on sale NOW!  We don’t yet know when the home games will be played, it will depend on how the team finishes at the end of the season.  You can purchase tickets for all six possible home playoff games; check HERE to see how the playoffs work in each possible scenario.  If you buy tickets for any games that end up not being played, you have the option of either getting a refund, or crediting the amount toward 2011 Fisher Cats tickets.  You really have nothing to lose by making sure you have good seats now!  Please visit nhfishercats.com for more information, and to buy tickets.

Playoff ticket prices are the same as those for the regular season; at least they were when I bought our tickets this morning.  Can you even breathe the air in Fenway Park for $12, never mind get in for just $6?  No, you can’t!

Want to renew your wedding vows?

It doesn’t matter how long you have been married, or the exact date of your anniversary.  You can renew your wedding vows with other couples on a professional baseball field!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, of Manchester, NH, will be hosting their second annual “Renew Your Wedding Vows Night” on Saturday, August 7, prior to the 7:05 PM game vs. the Bowie BaySox.  Mike and I participated in the first annual event, and it was a lot of fun.  Since it was so successful, the Fisher Cats are doing it again this year.

If you would like to participate, you will need to contact Joel Leroy at the Fisher Cats to sign up – email him at jleroy@nhfishercats.com or give him a call at (603) 641-2005 ext. 111. He’s a nice guy, he’ll make sure you are signed up and let you know what you need to do.  You will also need to buy tickets to the game; you can buy them online at nhfishercats.com, or just talk to Joel if you prefer to order your tickets over the phone.

Prizes will be awarded at the ceremony.  There will be prizes for the Best-Dressed couple; the couple who won that last year had the bride wearing her original wedding dress (and a Fisher Cats hat on her head); the groom wore one of those T-shirts with a tuxedo printed on it.  Also, a prize for the Longest-Married, not us, I’m sure there will be someone married longer than ten years!  One couple will also win a six-night stay at Steele Hill Resort up in NH; if I remember correctly from last year, that was a “lucky envelope” thing.  Each couple was given an envelope and told not to open it until they were told to.  One couple got the trip, everyone else got two tickets to a Fisher Cats game later that season.  We got tickets to a game, I’ll never turn that down, and we went.  So everybody got something, and it was a lot of fun for all involved.  They will also once again have an Atlas Fireworks show after the game.

If you come, why not make a weekend of it, as we are?  We currently have the Sunday mini-plan, so we already had tickets for the game the next day.  So we’ll be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn that faces the ballpark, which is a very nice place, not too spendy, and you don’t have to worry about parking.  You can also primp up for your wedding there, and just walk out to the ballpark when it’s time.  But if you are more the camping type, and got a good rv insurance quote, I’m sure there are campgrounds that are not too far; I just don’t know where they are. I just know that you can’t park RVs near the ballpark or on the street in Manch, so you’d have to plan ahead. I prefer the hotel!

Even if you don’t want to participate, I’d love it if you wanted to come out and watch the ceremony anyway!  Gates open at 6:05 PM, the ceremony will be held shortly thereafter, before the 7:05 PM game time.  Would love to see you there!