extra innings

streams of humans mostly bedecked in Giants orange and black flow from the View deck exits and out onto the concourse, most making their way to the broad ramps which zigzag from the heights of PacBell Park to street level below. a satisfying vibe feels the air, as contentment and happiness ooze from us fans, after a solid win. the pennant race is definitely on, as the Giants and Diamondbacks grapple atop the division.

Tom and I walked into this donut shop right on King and 3rd -- the 'Willie Mays corner.' the homegoing crowds flowed through the intersection and we sat there eating delicious donuts and watching the crowd, picking out favorite moments in the game, just for idle scrutiny. soon enough, the flow thinned to a manageable rivulet... still-excited kids yammering away beside dads and moms now bent on finding the right bus, or resigned to the coming traffic jam. we walked up Third Street towards the Yerba Buena Center, noting this or that architectural detail or splash of graffiti, or the telling details of adolescent crushes (mine, mostly, which Tom somehow elicited... these things are usually the other way around. heheh.).

so a young man's high school career comes to an end, and part of the leave-taking 'ceremony' happened with me, on that day at the ballpark, and then meandering through my favorite nooks and crannies in San Francisco. it wasn't ceremonious, to be sure, but it was as good as it gets, as you can probably tell by reading Tom's weblog. it was, in the end, all about books, baseball and bonding, which basically captures the essence of what my friendship with Tom has been about, all these five years.

and, as the title suggests, Tom and I are in extra innings now, as he proceeds on to CalTech, and I remain in Berkeley. theoretically, a baseball game can go on forever. i.e., a lifetime. what these extra innings hold, no one knows. i do know, though, that they will remain interesting, profound, and deep.

thanks, Tom. it WAS a perfect game...

Jul Sep

{ net.casting }
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