I'm Not a Bad Fan; I Just Need a Vacation

Forgive me if I have to get away for a few days. I know you'll understand.

It's been a trying season for us loyal Red Sox fans. Even when the team was doing well and firmly planted in first place—which was most of the season—there were worries. When will Jason Varitek come out of his hitting slump that began last September? Is Coco Crisp's throwing arm really that bad? Where did Trot Nixon's power go? Will David Wells ever pitch again, and if he does, will it be for us? And what the heck is wrong with Matt Clement?

These and other questions were on our minds, even if relegated to the back while we marveled at Kevin Youkilis' painless move to first base, the unexpected resurgence of Mike "Mr. Double" Lowell, the double-play prowess of Alex Gonzalez and Mark Loretta, the absence of any outrageous Manny Ramirez behavior, the remarkable emergence of Jonathan Papelbon, the offensive wonder that is David Ortiz. Even while things weren't necessarily going our way (Josh Beckett still hasn't figured out how to stop giving up home runs to American League hitters), the Sox got the job done. When they stopped getting it done, all the concerns came to the forefront of our collective consciousness. It has been exhausting.

And so, dear friends, I am preparing for a trek to the Carolina coast, where next week's long-range forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s. I won't be able to see or hear the Red Sox games, I will have no computer access (unless I decide to spring for an hour's worth of internet access at the local cyber café), and I don't plan on reading a newspaper. It won't be all that different from my similar vacation at the same time last year, but unlike this year, last year a week without baseball bothered me.

This site will be in the capable hands of my sistahs, one of whom may even be motivated to post before I get back. Try not to miss me while I'm gone.