In celebration of my 42nd year on earth, I went to visit another aging item, old Tiger Stadium. I was expecting to see at least a part of the structure that remained when I visited the area in August of 2008 (pictured); but it's all gone now. Looking at the empty field where a large steel mass once stood was eerie in a way. No, I'm not a stadium hugger but the ACE Hardware store that resides near where right field once stood looks naked. Side streets Cochrane and Kaline Avenue seem out of place.
After that reflection time, it was off to the Great White North (actually south from Detroit) to Kingsville, Ontario to visit some former neighbors, Tom and Colin, and enjoy a cold Canadian beverage or two. As it's usually raining or snowing and cold as hell around my birthday, I was shocked with the 60 something temperatures and blue skies on Saturday. Lake Erie was so calm and the skies clear, that Pelee Island, about 15 miles to the south, could be seen in the distance. Colin's place on the water is slowing taking shape. His latest art creation (pictured below) is a bird house made with pennies. Pretty cool.
The evening activities consisted of Al, Greg and myself making our donations to the Motor City Casino. The crap tables just weren't hitting for the locals. Way too many 9's and 4's being rolled. I don't recall too many tables whooping it up. There was, however, every shape, size, gender, race, whatever, on display. It was a people watching smorgasbord. People in sweats, people dressed to the nines, people with way too much jewelry, people who smelled, large people, small people, saucy people, ugly people, people on dates, people with too much makeup, and of course me; kind of a hybrid of them all. While the picture below probably doesn't show it well as it was from a cell phone, I did capture a plumber butt shooter at the crap table I was at. Sweet.
A trip to the D wouldn't be complete without some coneys at American Coney Island. I paid for them this morning but damn did they taste great last night. No regrets on that consumption.
Happy birthday to all my Scorpio brethren.
Trail Head
