October 07, 2003

Fred
Fred Tuttle has died. After becoming famous across Vermont as the star of A Man With A Plan, a movie about a woodchuck dairy farmer named Fred Tuttle who runs for Senate. (I can't imagine anyone but a longtime Vermonters ever finding the movie entertaining. It was basically a big inside joke.)

The joke got even funnier when a guy from somewhere in western Massachusetts decided to run as a Republican for Pat Leahy's Senate seat. Fred decided to run against the guy in the Republican primary, complete with joke platform straight out of the movie. The F is for Fred, the R is for renewable, the E is for extra-terrestrial, and the D is for dinky. Vermonters have kind of an anti-carpetbagger streak (of the sort that a majority of New Yorkers, for example, seem to lack), and handed the real life Republican nomination to Fred. Leahy obviously won.

Walking out of the booth on election day, someone asked from among the phalanx of TV cameras, "Hey Fred, who did you vote for?"

"Well, me and my wife voted for Leahy, same as always."

One is pleased to be from Vermont.
[permalink | reply | tb ]

Sox
Not quite sure how I managed to get to sleep after last night's game. Not only do the Red Sox find ways to lose games that shouldn't have even been close to begin with, and even in victory they're incredibly painful to watch. Bases loaded, two out in the bottom of the ninth, clinging to a one-run lead. Shudder.

We had all been out to dinner (happy birthday, Amy!) in Kenmore Square, checking in periodically on the game, and then listened to the bottom of the ninth on the way home. We managed to get to the house just as the last batter was coming up, so I ran inside and found Dick tensed and annoyed in front of the television. [Agonizing series of pitches resulting in a full count.] Upon the last strike call Dick and I started yelling and jumping around for about half a second until we realized that this cute little baby, who has never in her whole life known anything but the Red Sox making the playoffs, was still sleeping in the same small room.

At any rate the key to being a Boston sports fan (a fate I suppose I might as well resign myself to) is to expect that you'll lose, trying very hard to avoid reminding yourself what a pleasant surprise winning is.
[permalink | reply | tb ]

©2001-2007 Josh Daghlian, All Rights Reserved.