Sleeping with the enemy

Normally, when we have guests, we want to make sure everything is perfect for them. If they haven't stayed with us before, we fret over the weather forecast, the food we serve, if the bed is too hard or too soft, and almost anything else you could imagine that would detract from the experience. We want them to walk away glowing. We have guests with us this weekend. I am very conflicted about how good a time I want them to have.

Shirley and Pete took the bus down from Springfield, Massachusetts to New York City yesterday. Shirley is our hero. Several years ago we were forced into a situation where we had to find a home for our 3 pets, including a blind dog, an old dog with bad hips and an obese cat. Shirley came to our rescue. Thus, for us, she can do no wrong. Well, maybe I should qualify that. Shirley is a Red Sox fan.

We picked Shirley and Pete up, walked them through Times Square at 5PM on a Friday, took them to Zabars and Fairway and overloaded their minds and their stomachs. We sat out on our terrace in Fort Lee, on a beautiful evening, staring at the bright lights of the city. This was as close to perfect as possible.

This morning I woke up to find Pete and Shirley once more on the terrace. Wispy clouds hung over the city. I picked up bagels and the newspaper for them.

It is all too idyllic to last. I know that once Richie, Pete, Shirley and I get on the bus this afternoon and head to the Stadium for the Red Sox-Yankee game all those good vibes will fade. Once we take our seats and CC Sabathia throws the first pitch, my admiration for Shirley will recede into the background. The first good moment for the Sox, if Shirley or Pete cheer, I will glare at them. A Red Sox victory might mean a ride back to New Jersey in complete silence.

Shirley and Pete are relaxing this morning, blissfully unaware of my thoughts. They most likely consider me, for the moment, a perfect host. This afternoon I am not a host but a Yankee fan. I hope this doesn't lead to the end of a beautiful weekend. Maybe combining a visit to us with a ballgame at the Stadium was not such a good idea after all.