Trip to Aurora Picketts

The Grand Hall at Chicago Union Station

We returned home from our California trip last Wednesday night a little after 11:00.  I left the next morning on a 6:40 AM flight to Chicago to visit Brendan, Eileen and the kids whom I hadn't seen since last October.  I arrived around 8:00 and took the CTA train to the Loop downtown, walked about three blocks to Central station and then took the Aurora METRA train out to Aurora where Eileen and Brock and Brady picked me up.  I had to wait a couple of hours for the next Aurora train but otherwise it was a very efficient and pleasant to make the trip to Aurora.  Also it only cost $8.50 which is less than the cost of gasoline for the same trip.

Although it wasn't known when I planned this trip, Brendan is taking a new job in Morgantown WV.  He will be Director of Production for Dan Ryan Homes, a major regional builder founded by one of the grandsons of the founder of Ryan Homes where he has worked for the last 17 years.  He will start in Morgantown July 1 and he was giving his two week notice the day after I arrived.  This is a great move for him professionally in many ways and will be wonderful for the family as well.  Morgantown is the location for West Virginia University, about an hour and a half south of Pittsburgh.  It is midway between Rochester and Charlotte where Liam lives, 3 hours from Cleveland where much of Eileen's family lives, and three hours for Washington DC where Brendan and Eileen went to college and have friends and family.  A six hour drive for me means that we will be seeing much more of them than a 12 hour drive or an airplane flight now permits.

Brendan told his boss Friday morning and then he and I played a round of golf--my first of the season--on an absolutely perfect day weather wise.  We dropped Braden off at Prairie Fest, a local festival, and then the rest of us went to a ballgame to see the Kane County Cougars--Single A affiliate of Chicago Cubs-- play the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from Appleton.  We left a bit early and stopped for ice cream on the way home.  We had to get home and get to sleep since we had two ballgames of our own to get to on Saturday.

Brady receiving a pitch

We dodged rain throughout Saturday during two baseball games:  Brady and Brock.  Brady played outfield, catcher, third base and first base.  He enjoys the game and especially behind the plate which he says is his favorite position.  You can click here to see a photo album of his game.

Brock also had a game Saturday with his regular team.  He would also have an All Star game on Sunday.  He plays shortstop and pitches both of which he enjoys but he says that shortstop is his favorite.  In fact, he is one of those players who enjoys fielding more than batting and can't wait to get back in the field.  He has only been playing organized ball for two years but he is good at the game.  As you can see in the video below, he studies the pitching form of professionals and then copies that in a very consistent way.



You can see more photos of Brock playing in two albums:

• Brock regular season
• Brock All Star game

After a long afternoon of Little League baseball on Sunday, we returned home to watch the end of the U. S. Open and Phil set a "new league record" followed by a delicious steak dinner.  Along the way over the weekend, I got to watch some favorite family movies with Brendan:  Parenthood and Field of Dreams.

I take a late flight home Monday where I will be till mid July when Marilyn and I will go to Kansas City for Mom's 101st birthday.