The prices are usually between $7-9 a ticket. Parking is a buck or two. The players are busting their tail to try to get promoted. Speaking of promotions, for that minimal ticket price, pick a game where there is a goofy giveaway. I just got my Reading Phillies(Double-A) schedule in the mail. There are games where they give away snuggies, a Ryan Howard garden gnome, and other fun items. There is something for everyone.  For the wrestling fan, there will be a special appearance by Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. For the retro-head like myself, there will be a Principal Belding day (Saved by the Bell). Pre-game karaoke w/Belding to boot.

Reading is a classic ballpark, built near a railroad. It has a nostalgic feel, so much so that they call it ‘Baseballtown.’ Reading has no less than four mascots for kids to meet, take photos with and get autographs from.  Players are very accessible too, for autographs. 

Want to upgrade your game experience? Get a group to hang at the heated pool. Hungry? On certain nights, get the all-you-can eat package. Amazing deal. Look for the gluttony night promotions. These are the future All-Stars and you can get in on the ground floor.  Kids of all ages will enjoy a minor league ballgame.

And this is just Reading. Don’t even get me started on my beloved IronPigs.

Professionally, my career is continuing on a nice path.  I was promoted to Team Lead of my area early in the year, and I was fortunate to be able to travel to Tokyo to help train some folks.

Personally, I made a fitness goal to run a 5k race.  My initial goal was to merely complete the race without walking at all.  As I trained, I decided to try to beat 30 min for the race.  Goal met, as I did it in just over 28 min.  What a wonderful feeling.

If you are reading this, I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!

- Baby Avery arrived on 7/15. She is beautiful, but very temperemental, at least at this stage. Still cherish each moment.

- It is Monday A.M., why do I have 185 emails in my inbox for work? Mostly automated mumbo-jumbo that I can delete, thankfully.

- Having a blast introducing Ethan to some 80′s classic songs and videos.

- Cracked myself up thinking about what a KidzBop version of ‘Rage Against the Machine’ or even ‘Metallica’ would sound like.

- The Mets season is beyond brutal. They better get younger, smarter, and add depth in the off-season.

- Looking forward to fantasy football as a fun, but still agitating escape from reality.

- Got a visit from an old high school friend the other day. Was just great to catch up for a few moments.

- Yo, I thought I told you that I won’t stop.

- Yo, I lied.

Who am I to complain about the drudgery of yardwork, when scores of people have no yard to speak of?

Who am I to complain about my New York Mets stinking up the joint and giving me agita, when scores of people have no concept of a leisure time activity?

My son Ethan's Philadelphia Eagles bear enjoying a day at the local shrine. See if you can zoom.

I had the recent good fortune to visit Tokyo on business for sixteen days. Here I will pontificate as to why Japanese culture has it right (compared to us):

**Superior Dining: From standard fare to upscale restaurants, chefs  take genuine pride in their craft. Each meal was a gourmet experience. They have portion sizes down to a science. Meals are generally healthy, featuring a protein, soup, salad, and vegetables. And no tipping! Outstanding service is implicit. Contrary to popular belief, the cuisine is not all raw fish. Italian, American, Chinese, Spanish, Indian, and Thai restaurants bespeckle Tokyo.

**Health Consciousness: I saw nary an overweight person, let alone, obese. Hold the sumo jokes.  Seriously, people walk everywhere.  Something small that blew my mind — The apple juice was the color of the inside of an apple, a pale yellow, and not amber like beer.  If there is such a thing as ‘fresh squeezed’ apple juice, I found it in Tokyo. Delicious.  I have a felling they don’t use the preservatives and artificial crap that we’ve become accustomed to in the US.   Japan even has a National Fitness Day, a national holiday devoted to good, clean living.

**National Holidays: Japan honors the Elderly, Children, the First Emperor, Fitness, and the Ocean – with national holidays.  Banks and major government functions are closed.

**Living life to its Fullest: People in Tokyo work and play extremely hard. While I am not one to indulge in the hedonistic realm, its nice to know that the clubs in Roppongi stay open to 7am, if you want to let loose. 

** Transit system: The subway system is phenomenal. Super clean, super quiet, and super-on-time.  You can set your watch to it.

** Discipline and Respect: To bow to others in deference upon meeting is a beautiful and eye-opening gesture. When entering an office building, you are greeted by several people wishing you a good day. Upon leaving, you get the equivalent of, ”Thank you for working very hard today.” Can you even imagine this gratitude in the US?

** Style: Tokyo is like ten Manhattans, each district with its own cachet.  I was able to briefly visit Ginza, which boasted every top shelf store imaginable, including Prada, Burberry, Tiffany & Co, and Louis Vuitton.  Asakusa was a beautiful historic district with an enormous open-air market place and legendary shriines.  Omote Sando was a mix of upscale salons and a young urban crowd.   Akihabara is the electronics capital of the world – or the ‘electric city.’  I didn’t even get a chance to visit Shibuya, Ueno, or Shinjuko, among other sites. 

**Innovation: The majority of cars were sleek in design and smart in fuel economy-usage. The vending machines boggle the mind. They always work, are reasonably priced, dispense dozens of cold or hot beverages in distinctly shaped aluminum or plastic containers. There is even a mini rubber ramp to just drop your change upon. To charge your metro (pasmo) card, you can just stack your bills to feed them into the machine. Recycling is on a higher plane in Tokyo. McDonald’s had separate trash cans for plastics and paper. The one office building had no less than nine distinct trash cans for various waste materials.  Real estate is at a premium, and so restaurants and shops are stacked six high. There are pocket doors aplenty, and you are cozy but not cramped.

We could learn a lot from the Japanese culture. Arigato.