Week 5.6 Opening Day. The Tigers in County Mayo

Cafe regulars have been very kind. Thanks for your feedback and wishes for a speedy recovery. I'm on the mend. I slept very late, got up feeling well enough to do some work, and then figured if I'm well enough to work (and get a draft of the paper done!), I'm well enough to walk into town and watch some horse racing. It's been cold and windy for maybe 2 weeks but lately it's been sunny. On our walk into town this afternoon I noticed spring has been on hold: a few things that seemed a few weeks ago like they should be blooming look like someone has hit 'pause.' But spring must be here since it's the Tigers opening day and we're watching it in our hotel lounge on an ipad. I must admit, it is strange to be watching baseball here (as it was to wake up at 4 AM to catch Tigers playoff games in Spain in the fall). It's nearly midnight and it's the bottom of the 7th. It is also strange (but perfectly understandable) that very few people know about baseball here or know how it is played. In the pub last week, a man offered this explanation of the game to someone who knew nothing of the game:"it's like rounders." "Aha," she said.
I was very excited to watch this game tonight. I thought I had just been missing baseball but I realize I also miss Detroit and sitting on our sunny porch in Windsor listening to the games as summer evenings settle in around us. It is oddly comforting to hear the soothing cadences of Rod and Mario, the crack of the bat, the ballpark organ, the roar of the crowd (even if they are cheering for the Twins).
Tonight, while chatting with my brother online, he signed off with "Have fun! Make sure to come back, though" and recently another friend emailed saying "have I told you how nervous your blog is making me that you'll refuse to come home?" Yesterday we booked our train back to Dublin and a hotel for the night before we depart. Leaving is becoming more of a reality and I'm starting to look at ordinary things and think about how I will miss them. I know I will be devastated to leave and that I will miss this place, these people, these sights achingly for quite a while. But it's also good to be reminded that I love where I am from and that loving another place doesn't mean you love your home less. Loving more places can never be a bad thing.