That’s when I visited New Yankee Stadium for the first time and finally attended a game with Ainsley (as this little bit of photographic evidence above proves). It wasn’t just any game either; it was Yankees vs. Red Sox. At home. The last home game of the season. Incidentally, it’d been 5 years since my last Yankees game – at home on the last Sunday of the season against the Red Sox.

Derek Jeter didn’t play (he’d already played nine earlier that day thanks to a rain out back on Friday), but we did have pretty good seats. We ended up seeing what felt like two games – mainly because you don’t see 2 ½ hour games when these two franchises get together, but 5+ hour marathons.

Enter Sandman

The score was tied going into the top of the ninth and most of us in the grandstand hadn’t been paying attention to the bullpen. When the first notes of “Enter Sandman” started to play, I did what any diehard Yankees fan would; I rose to my feet and welcomed in the guy who’s probably going down as the greatest closer of all time.

I then proceeded to watch Mariano Rivera pitch the ninth. He held them scoreless (though the Yanks did lose the game a few innings later, allowing me to see Jonathan Papelbon make one of his last appearances for the Red Sox).

I was wondering why we seemed to be just a little bit louder than usual. That’s when it hit us. It seems we’d stumbled into seeing Rivera’s first appearance since setting the all-time saves record four days earlier.  It was the opportunity to be a part of a slightly louder standing ovation from those in attendance thanking him for what he’s meant to Yankees fans all these years. I’d been reminded recently of how we Yankees fans are a guarded bunch when it comes to how we treat the guys who don the pinstripes compared to other athletes who decide playing in The Big Apple is something they can handle.

Merely a bump in the road

There are very few fans who would have been upset if “Mo” decided to announce his retirement after learning about the severity of his ACL injury. Instead, we were reminded of another reason we stand and cheer for him:

Thank you fans, friends and family for your prayers, well wishes and support. I will be ok. I will be back.

May 4, 2012 3:56 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@MarianoRivera

Mariano Rivera

We’re known as a tough bunch, us New Yorkers. We don’t like to quit too often. Thankfully we seem to find ways to attract people to the city that don’t mind adopting that mindset. It’s nice to have them around when one’s thinking about abandoning it when it’s needed most. The same tenacity and focus that’s guaranteed him a first-round election to Cooperstown is giving some of us a lesson in recognizing how and why that focus and determination helps.

Perhaps he’ll come back this year during the postseason. Maybe he’ll run out from the bullpen in right-center field early in the 2013 season, throw one pitch, and then call it a career. He’s already embodies Joe D’s famous quote quite well – and reminds us of how to tackle those bumps in the road gracefully.

Cheers.

Photos: A typical Yanks/Sox game at “The Stadium”. acnatta/Flickr; Mariano Rivera. Keith Allison/Flickr.

That’s because I spent the better part of a Saturday late last fall transplanting two large crepe myrtles into the driveway. They were joined by three smaller ones a couple of months ago. I was able to put another one in the back yard. It means they all “caught” and shade will soon exist along the side of the house that faces the northwest.

Well, “soon” is in the eye of the beholder.

Considering how quickly this type of crepe myrtle is supposed to grow, we’ll most likely see a noticeable result by this time next year. The photo included here is from back in mid-March, and I’m sure at some point I’ll consider using the hand tiller to add some leaves and some compost to make it a little easier for them to stretch their roots out and enjoy their new location.

Patience is still a virtue

Something you’ve got to be willing to do is put the work in even if you don’t know if you’ll ever get to fully enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s been suggested that we approach life as taking care of the planet for the next generation. Someone will benefit from what you’ve done, even if it isn’t readily apparent.

It’s also assumed nowadays that we’re more impatient than ever. If it can’t be fixed within two days, we probably don’t want to hear about how or why waiting may be worth it. People are quick to walk away from problems without necessarily attempting to tackle them head on so they don’t happen again.

There are times when it’s wiser to walk than it is to keep fighting, even if it’s viewed by others as being weak. It’s knowing you’ll be able to stop by one day and see if those roots have been given the chance to do their thing that should help you make your decision.

Sunday I got a chance to feel like I finished something – something that had an impact on others even if they didn’t realize it right now. I can thank all of those days playing in the dirt and learning to appreciate patience for getting a chance to enjoy that feeling again.

It makes it easier to lay the groundwork for the next thing. I’ve been asking for patience for a while. Maybe being selfish about finally wanting to feel like I’d accomplished something helped me hang around long enough to see it?

Perhaps I only needed to finally realize how it was showing up?

Cheers.

Yes, I said Saw’s, the same folks that took over Broadway BBQ a couple of years back who’ve become a staple of the Edgewood commercial district in Homewood. They just opened their second location in the former Quick & Split BBQ space at 215 41^st Street South. It’s already got a Foursquare check-in page too. It’s one of several things that have changed recently along 41^st Street. Thankfully for many who’ve spent time working on the project, it’s just the beginning of something long overdue.

Some would argue that the renovation of Avondale Park (nearing completion as Southside Baseball prepares to get into full swing) has been the turning point for the community. Others would be well within their rights to point to other things, including

• the establishment of the Avondale Brewing Company & the opening of their taproom;
• the conversion of Parkside from a popular home furnishings destination into a popular neighborhood café;
• the renovation and expansion of the Birmingham Public Library’s Avondale branch (located on the park’s edge);
• the national recognition that continues to be showered on The Bottletree (love the new website).

Well, it wasn’t any of those things by themselves, but the head of steam those and other changes along the street as well as the dedication of its surrounding residents that got me to spend a little more money than I’d planned for lunch and watch the world come to Spring Street.

It’s nice to see things finally progress and see some of the players do their part to help continue moving it along, including next week’s announcement about who won Avondale Brewing Company’s Occupy Avondale contest.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.

Cheers.

Many people were fixated on the punishments handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the New Orleans Saints. By the way, I’m with Christine Brennan on this one – it really shouldn’t have shocked us. Those of us who proudly claim to be fans of the New York Jets were following the other bit of excitement brought on by the signing of Peyton Manning by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday.

Tim Tebow’s trade to the New York Jets was finalized late Wednesday evening, but not without the drama that’s embodied the Rex Ryan era (though apparently it wasn’t the Jets’ fault). It was also an interesting study in people.

I had a few friends comment on my Facebook wall about Tebow’s religious overtones and wondering how they’d play in New York City. It’s not like it hasn’t been an issue already during Tebow’s tenure in Denver, even with the insane winning streak at the end of the season.

My response? Take a look at how Mariano Rivera’s been treated.

Rivera, the New York Yankees‘ closer since 1996, is just as devout a Christian as Tebow – and his relationship with New York sports media and the city’s rabid fans has been just fine. There are five World Series rings in his possession that no doubt makes it easier for the media to leave his personal life alone and let him live his faith.

Some choose to remind people it’s his faith that’s helped him be the player Yankees fans love to love. It’s just as likely that they don’t particularly like to broach the topic with him though, despite the passion he displays as he talks about it and the calmness his faith brings him as he’s still throwing 95+ mile per hour cutters at 41 years old.

There’s New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin (already taking the city by storm) and his proclamations of faith. It started a conversation that I never thought needed to happen growing up in New York. The focus on faith has gone away as the score once again became more important.  Let’s not forget Shawn Green and how his decision not to play on Yom Kippur the three times it conflicted with baseball’s regular season schedule was received. The media circus stopped making it a big deal after they found the next sensational angle to focus on in someone else’s life.

That’ the crazy thing about that New York media scene – if the spotlight’s not shining on you (or unless it’s a slow news day), they really don’t mess with you unless they can somehow tie you to why [insert local team’s name here]’s not doing well.

The Jets’ general manager pretty much laid out the situation on Wednesday night as one that would eventually diffuse concerns anyway. It’ll only become an issue if fans start to think Sanchez isn’t living up to his new contract extension. But then the real question is which of the three quarterbacks signed steps in…

It’s the type of headache you’d like to be dealing with if you’re Jets management right now – and probably the one they and their fans will be dealing with more often in the coming months and years.

Photos: ESPNWeekend2011-075. Jeff Kern/Flickr; Mariano Rivera. Keith Allison/Flickr.

The main reason for this trip? I’m leading three sessions at this year’s National Trust Main Streets Conference. The sessions will look at how to approach developing an advanced strategy for online communities in commercial districts in addition to some basics to keep in mind when establishing a blog and a Twitter account. It’s my second foray into the world of urban revitalization this year (the first involved being one of the design professionals for DesignAlabama’s Mayors Summit back in February) and a chance to wrap the brain around the issue of economic development.

A side benefit? I get to see old college friends and surprise their daughter on her eighth birthday. There’s also that rumored Karaoke event that might take place in DC provided I still have a voice.

Something to consider as I’m preparing these presentations is the idea that I’m going to be re-inserting my voice into the ever-changing world of digital media strategy while coming at it as “someone who used to be one of them.” Them is one of the largest networks of urban revitalization and economic development professionals in the country.

The simple version of my talk – know what you want out of it (or figure it out, quick).

The statement is easier to make than to practice. A few questions I’ve been wondering about programs as I created a Twitter list of programs (one I’m still adding more to – hint, hint):

• Do you want to see more people attending events by driving them to sign up for your newsletter or by getting them to “like” your event?
• Do you want to see increased mentions of your product or event online as a way to help spread the word about it?
• Are you simply broadcasting what you do and not actually listening and engaging with the folks you’ve been able to connect with on any of those social networks?
• How many commercial districts are collecting Twitter handles with the same frequency they’re collecting email addresses?
• Is it more about being seen and looking important or is it about using new ways to connect with people you want to know more about or those you care about?

It’s fun working on a presentation that can change right up until just before the start of the talk thanks to the speed of the Internet. It’s just as much fun when you realize that the answers really don’t depend on the tools but on the approach. I’ll try tackling them over on UC in the coming days.

It’s also a lot of fun to get to go back to cities I’ve enjoyed visiting before and see folks I haven’t in a long time, particularly when it’s the Main Streets community. Three years have passed since the last time I attended a conference, so there’s a lot of catching up to do with those who still attend. There’s the excuse to satisfy my CakeLove, Busboys and Poets, and Faidley’s obsessions (and a pint of Natty Boh could be in order too).

Thanks to scanning some tweets, it appears I’ll be in an investigative mood for at least part of my trip. ßetamore looks worthy of a site visit to Baltimore’s Federal Hill (even if it’s not open) and there’s bound to be some additions to the stuff happening on H Street in DC.

Plus, I finally get a chance to earn that Charm City badge on Foursquare. This is supposed to be a blog about adventure, isn’t it?

Just in case I have some free time, I didn’t know if there were any other suggestions out there of things to do in either city…

Photo: The arches of Union Station. acnatta/Flickr

I’ve had the opportunity to know Jay and Amy Taylor since shortly after arriving in Birmingham back in 2004. The first neighbors we got to know in Goodall-Brown, I probably miss the ability to just go down the block for a drink and a conversation most of all.

Saying that they and Jay’s family weren’t putting their all converting the Kessler Building into lofts in the midst of Birmingham’s theater district would be an understatement.

The building was originally named for B.H. Allen and underwent its last major renovation in the 1950s. The Kesslers incidentally were from New York. The article scanned and available online via Birmingham Rewound shares some information about the work done during the summer of 1959.

The building’s even gotten a shout-out over on Preservation in Pink after Kaitlin came through town for a visit back in 2009.

This sign is located in one of the display windows near the front door. While it’s noticeable all of the time, it probably sees a lot of attention at the end of the year, when the windows are decorated for Christmas and folks leaving a show at the Alabama may just find some time to walk on by…

As always, feel free to check out the rest of the Neon in Birmingham posts on the site.

Today though I’ll be working from the “office” since Betsy’s car won’t start.

Yes, if my car was running, I’d probably just hop into it and head down to one of the numerous automotive shops to get some help figuring out what’s wrong. The thing is, my car hasn’t run for more than a year.

Granted, I’ve been looking for a way to force myself to work from home more often in 2012 – perhaps a way to help stay a little more focused on the goals I’ve laid out for this year. I’ve just come to realize sitting here just how dependent living in Birmingham is on owning a car.

One of the major changes in how I lived my life when I first got to town was my increasing dependence on my car. The last year in Savannah, I averaged about 15 miles/week if I didn’t plan on heading out to the beach. If I did, I ended up doing closer to 70. I lucked out in working less than a mile from my house, allowing me to walk or (more often than not) bike to the office. I only drove at night and on weekends and even that depended on what I was doing. There are several, including Betsy, who can recall offering me rides home to keep me from biking at night. I’ll point out though that as great as it was while living there, much still needs to be done (and is being accomplished) for cyclists in the Hostess City.

A month after arriving here, I was averaging six miles a day by car just getting back and forth from the office. The districts I served drove that total up significantly, since it meant driving literally from one side of town to the other. There were some months where I turned in 500 mile+ mileage reports. Luckily we didn’t have to leave downtown for much while we lived there, save groceries. It also didn’t hurt when I could get most of the things I needed in my districts while I was out visiting them.

Where we currently live in Norwood (the neighborhood site’s apparently being rebuilt) is convenient to downtown though it still makes more sense to drive in compared to hopping on my bike. The hills and steep inclines aren’t really the problem, though they contribute to it. It’s more of a mental barrier in tackling the Interstate that runs nearby. There’s also the fact that many things needed aren’t just around the corner as they were in Savannah’s Victorian district.

You’d think attempting to build my life around being online would require less driving (with the onset of things like Skype and the Google+ hangout). The funny thing is, the more time I’ve spent online, the more important it became to see folks offline.

The fun in dealing with that reality (and others like making a grocery run) hits home hardest when you can’t really get out when you want to – an argument used often by those who wonder why people ask for alternatives to driving, like walkable communities and mass transit.

Having grown up in a city with components of all three functioning in a reasonably acceptable manner, why can’t we have it all?

For the time being from where I sit, I can’t. It’s OK, but at some point a lot more folks are going to start wondering why too…

Thoughts?

Cheers.