A long time coming

Alright, so although I didn't get my new computer yet, my teammate was kind enough to let me borrow his for the time being. I have a lot to update you on, so this may turn into a long one. This weekend was a very good one, probably the best yet. This is why.

So this past week was my friend Taka's birthday. He decided to put something together for Friday. We woke up early in the morning, and met at his friends Robbies house. The plan was to go to Mirabilandia, an amusement park. It wasn't as big as, say, your average six flags, but it is home to two of the top rollercoasters in Europe. About an hour and a half drive, me and nine others arrived at the park. They tried to make a play off Disney, which kind of worked but not really. Anyway, it was a great time. The two main attractions were Ispeed and Katun. Both were very good, and after some food and a few drinks, they got even better. The park wasn't very packed, so waiting wasn't a problem. It really was just good fun, and a real nice change of pace.

After the park, we hopped in the car and headed to the beach. It was my first experience going to one of the coasts. Supposively the beach we went to was very high end, and many celebrities have places there. We pulled up at the Meditteranean sea, got out, and ran right into the water. The beach itself was beautiful. It somewhat reminded me of Miami. The water was the perfect temperature, but wasn't very blue. I'm used to this type of water, going to Lido and swimming in the Atlantic, but it would have been nice to see some bright blue water. I reminded myself I'm not in the Carribean, and enjoyed the beach. We were there later in the day, so there weren't many people left. I look forward to heading to Rimini and Riccione during the summer vacation months. Should be very interesting. They are also home to some of the best discos in Italy. Just throwing that out there.

After the beach, we washed up and headed to dinner. The restaurant wasn't very far. We arrived and sat down outside. It was a beautiful set up, and I was excited for the food. The Italians did all the ordering, and that's not something I object to. The dish of the region is a pasta with meat sauce (ragu). It was absolutely delicious. Then, the steak came out, and finally, a dessert. After dinner was over, we hopped in the car and headed back to Reggio. We took a brief stop at the gas station, and I decided to start a mini dance party. It lasted a few minutes, but it was worth it. It was a great day, and exhausting.

The next day we headed to Collechio for a nice double header. The day didn't start out well for me. I arrived at the field, only to realize I forgot my cleats. Luckily, a parent of my teammate was going to the field, and was able to bring them over before the game. Dodged a bullet there. The first game was brutal, as always. Fillo threw well again, and Collechio didn't stand a chance. I went 1 for 4 on the day, but had some good atbats. When the game finally ended, I was excited to start the second one. It's always better facing the foreign pitchers, and Collechio had a good one.

The second game was a much better one. Collechio jumped out to an early lead against Luis. Up 1-0, and after grounding out in my first at bat and walking in my second, I got up to the plate with the bases loaded. I stepped to the plate anxious to get those runs in, and put our team ahead. After working the count to 2 and 2, the Collechio starter threw me a hard slider. The infield was playing in, and all I was focused on doing was putting the ball in play. I took a defensive swing, and was able to push the ball the other way between first and second. Two runs scored on the single, and we took a 2 to 1 lead. After, with runners on first and third, Fabio (hitting behind me) dropped a perfect bunt to score the runner at third. The inning ended with us up 3 to 1.

Both pitchers were throwing good games, battling out of jams. With the score still 3 to 1, I stepped to the plate again with runners on second and third. In my previous at bat, the Collechio pitcher threw me mostly offspead pitches. The one fastball he did throw me, he blew right by me. I knew coming into this atbat that he was going to try to overpower me with the fastball. Basically, I was sitting dead red. First pitch, he threw a fastball by me for a strike. Next pitch, he came back with the fastball and I fouled it back. I was down o-2, and I knew he would come with the fastball again. I shortened up, and thought about driving the ball to the right side. He came back with the fastball, and I did what I anticipated doing. I hit a long fly ball down the right field line. It shorthopped the fence, and I went in standing to third, scoring the two runs. We were now up 5-1, and we would score one more to win 6-2. It felt good to have driven in 4 of the 6 runs, and overall it was a solid win.

After the game, we headed back to Reggio. The center was holding its yearly white night. This is basically when everybody in the town of Reggio Emilia goes to the center and gets drunk. There is music everywhere, and people all over the place. We arrived late, unfortunately, so most of the festivities were over. I did, however, stumble upon a Euro Rave. Set up were three dj booths, and they were playing hardcore techno. Some people were dancing, some people were sleeping on the ground, and some people were just staring at the light show. Either way, it was awesome. It was a great way to celebrate a sweep, and great to see the city so alive.

I know many of you are also wondering about the World Cup. It is awesome to be here experiencing it. Mostly everybody here is very passionate about the team. It's a great way for the nation to come together and cheer for one cause. Flags are scattered all over, and Forza Azzuri is in full effect. To truly experience the mayhem of the World Cup, I hope Italy goes somewhat far in the tournament. They definitely love their soccer here, and aren't afraid to show it.

This week we play at home against Rome. Hopefully I can get back to the regular scheduling of writing the blog. Enjoy the World Cup at home, and I'll talk to you soon!