Pictures with Andy (1992)

Regardless of if it’s Christmas, a birthday, or any other time of the year; the true gifts in life are the people you have in yours. I am really lucky to have my friend Andy in mine. It’s hard to believe we have known each other for (ugh) over 20 years, but math doesn’t lie. Pictures don’t lie, either. We may look a lot younger in these shots, but the smiles and having fun hasn’t changed one bit (The tightness of the jeans and curve of the hat’s brim have been altered since).

Of course, Andy and I have shared more serious moments too. There was the time in college he bailed me out of a drunken beat-down and went back on the T to Harvard wearing a t-shirt stained with my blood. There were visits to the hospital and talking about our traumatic experiences with each other. And there were even times we did or said things that upset one another. But now, we look back and laugh at all of it.

Even though I only get to see Andy once or twice a year, our connection and friendship remains strong and picks up right where it left off. Looking forward to spending some time with him and his family tonight!

(L-R: brother Jon, me, Andy, cousin Matt, brother Tom)

Poem from My Nephew

The best gifts are the ones you can tell needed a lot of thought and effort. This usually translates into presents that are made instead of bought. Today, my nephew gave me this poem that he wrote, typed up, and illustrated. Thanks again, buddy. I love you, and it’s going to be hard for Santa to top this one! I’m feeling very lucky to be healthy and surrounded by such a loving family – hope everyone else is, too!

Picture of Festive Sister (1985)

When I flipped through my Polaroid photo album, I thought this would be the perfect scan for my sister’s birthday today. It was actually the YouTube video I made for her birthday last year that gave me the idea to have a scanning blog for 2011. Even though her birthday is today, I was glad I was in New York to celebrate with Megan, her friends, Tonks, and Tiger last night. It’s also very fitting that ABC Family’s The 12 Dates of Christmas starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar is premiering on her birthday night. Hope you had a great one, Meg – I love you, and I’ll see you soon!

Pictures of Me with My Brotha Gary (8/28/94)

It’s not too often you run into a long lost brother. It was the summer of 1994, and I was a counselor at a camp in Maine called Med-O-Lark. Gary (who had arrived from Scotland) and I hit it off immediately by quoting Fletch and Mike Myers SNL skits back and forth to each other…(In my best Scottish accent:“Gary, you’re my BROTHA, I LUV YA!”)…We haven’t really stopped quoting to this day.

The summer I met Gary I was also well into the 2^nd year of my destructive relationship with alcohol. Gary was always there to take care of me, carry me, and get me back to camp. 17 years later, and I know Gary still has my back. Like the day we hung out and played wiffle ball in 1994, I’m glad I got to hang out with him these past couple of days, and hope he moves to the northeast sooner rather than later. Love ya, my brotha!

Thanksgiving Pictures, 1982

Here are some pictures from the Hayes/O’Neill/McGrath Turkey Day in 1982. 29 years later, and I was still at the kids table this year – I hope I never graduate. I love my sister with the pop-pom wig. The only person missing is our all-time leader in pictures taken, my dad. And even though both of my grandparents pictured have since passed, they live on in spirit with every laugh my family shares. I’m so lucky to have these people in my life.

Picture of Me with My Nephew, Halloween 2002

Just two days after experiencing my first kidney stone, I was dressing up like Peter Pan to compliment my three-year-old nephew’s Captain Hook costume. He wasn’t too terrifying, but had everyone in the family laughing one night before Halloween when we were having dinner at my parents’ house. He had been trying on the wig and practicing pirate sayings like “Ahoy me hearties” when we saw my father pull into the driveway. My nephew, who was still learning how to say certain words, wanted to surprise grandpa at the door with his wig on. He excitedly screamed, “Give me the wid, give me the wid!”, and greeted my dad as a pirate.

Today, my nephew turned 12. He had a Target gift card to use, so we went there and he picked out a Pedroia jersey and I got him an electronic dart board. Then, we went to Friendly’s and sat at the counter for lunch. It was the first time I’ve been to Friendly’s since I stopped eating meat, but I made out okay. Like we always do when we hang out, my nephew and I were laughing a lot. Even though he’s already 12, I hope he never outgrows having lunch with Uncle Dave for his birthday.

Hope you had a great birthday buddy…I love you!

(More about my nephew later this week…)

Picture of Me and Scott at B’s/Islanders (3/14/09)

I really love sports. I have my whole life, and will never stop. I’ve been rooting for the B’s, Sox, and Pats since I can remember, and BC since I was accepted there my senior year in high school. Although recently these teams have been very successful (9 championships in the last 10 years), it wasn’t always like that.

When I was young, the Celtics were the only team that won anything. The B’s would lose to the Habs every year in the playoffs, and the times they managed to make it past Montreal, they lost to Edmonton and Pittsburg superteams. The Sox invented new ways to lose each year, and even better ways of choking in the playoffs. They even set an MLB record for most consecutive playoff losses. We were lucky if the Pats even made it to the playoffs, and the year they made it to the Superbowl was an embarrassment. While I was at Boston College, the football team did well and made their usual bowl game but the hockey team struggled (the only highlight was their 1994 Beanpot victory).

This year, I’ve been reminded what it felt like to root for Boston teams when I was younger. The Sox season exploded with two walk-off games that ended within minutes of each other. And last night, Boston College lost to a couple of their biggest rivals (86-64 to Holy Cross in basketball and a 3-2 overtime loss to Notre Dame in hockey with 1.1 seconds left). Ouch.

But, at least I don’t root for the Islanders. My friend Scott, a lifelong fan of The Isle, became a fan of them when he was a kid. He enjoyed their 4 consecutive Stanley Cup Championships, but has been paying the price ever since. But even though the Islanders haven’t produced lately, Scott is a great sport about it and is one of my favorite people to talk hockey with. He understands the game, loves the game, and I’m sure he’ll proudly be wearing one of his 10 Islanders jerseys tonight – just like he did in their 2-1 loss to the B’s when this picture was taken. Go B’s!

Pictures of Katie and Me

I’ll let these pictures speak for themselves, but I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my awesome cousin Katie! Hope you had a great day…love you!

For some Katie stories, you can go here and here.

Pictures of David Hayes and Me (1977)

For Veteran’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to write about the soldier that is closest to me - my grandfather. Like I wrote about his World War II dog tags that I wear, “ his name was David Michael Hayes, and he was from Worcester, MA. His blood type was O, and his rank was captain. His father was Patrick Hayes who lived at 3 Lily Street in Worcester (which doesn’t exist anymore). He was 26 when he went away to fight (the day after he married my grandmother), and he didn’t return for over 3 years.

I can’t imagine what my grandfather went through while in combat during World War II, but I know I wouldn’t be able to handle being in the military. I know I have a lot of other things on my mind, but I try to remember every day how lucky I am that there are so many other who are willing to be in the armed forces. Yes, I have Crohn’s and I’ve been through cancer. I will take those experiences over being in battle in the middle of a war. My grandfather’s dog tags remind me what others have been through and that I should be thankful for every free day I’m alive. Their sacrifices allow me to fight my own battle against cancer.

I think the best way to thank our veterans and current armed forces is to live life like we appreciate it. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and remember everyone who served and serves without you ever asking them to.

Thank you to everyone who does a job I couldn’t…

Pictures from McGrath Photo Album (1984-1986)

If this picture doesn’t inspire the Pats, nothing will:

The bus stop on Bowman Street:

I was really proud of this ant project:

How many 80s metal bands can you spot? See also – PEI Map

Picture of My Family, 1980

It was 1980, and the last of my generation of McGraths had recently been born. From left to right in the back there’s my father (nice tie), my grandfather, my aunt, my mom, my other grandfather (who I was named after), and my grandmother.

In the front we have my other grandmother holding my younger sister, my younger brother (love the shorts), me (with my older brother right behind me), and my older sister.

I wouldn’t be who I am without the people in this picture. They were there for my birthdays, sports games, and holidays, and I couldn’t have made it through Crohn’s and cancer without their support. None of them turned away from me while I struggled with drinking, and they taught me a lot about unconditional love.

Most of all, my family taught me how to keep my sense of humor no matter what life throws at you. I try to be there for them as much as they’ve been there for me, and try to make them proud that I’m in their family.

Love you guys, and miss “Gram”, Grandpa Dave, and Grandpa Paul.

Halloween Pictures

Here are some Halloween pictures from over the years…

The earliest one is of my older brother as a werewolf, me with a random monster mask I picked out, my younger brother as Snoopy, and my sister as a gypsy. Then, there’s my younger brother as an old man, younger sister as Annie, and me as Indiana Jones. Another year, I was another random monster terrorizing my princess sister.

In 1997, I made myself up to be Freddy Krueger, followed in 1998 with an Indy encore – with teachers I knew from my student teaching job.

In 1999, I was The Punisher. There’s me saluting with my sister, Queen Elizabeth; and with my roommates Patrick and Amy. That same night, my friend Carl came dressed as Carla, the bearded lady – classic.

Chris Nilan Card, Pictures from Bruins vs. Habs and Newspaper Article (3/31/91)

(all pictures by Paul F. McGrath)

I thought with tonight being the first B’s/Habs game of the season, it would be appropriate to write about someone who played on both teams…

My friend Tim sent me a bunch of hockey cards a while back, and he handpicked which ones he thought I would like. Tim knew I was a fan of the enforcers, and Chris “Knuckles” Nilan certain fell into this category. Although hated while he was on the Habs (and responsible for an extra piece of glass being added to the Garden to divide visiting players from the B’s bench), I was glad to see a Boston-bred tough guy on the B’s.

On my 17^th birthday, I watched Knuckles make NHL history. My dad took me to the B’s-Whalers game, and “Nilan was penalized a record ten penalties; six minors, two majors, one misconduct and one game misconduct, for a total of 42 penalty minutes.” (from Wikipedia).

I hung out with my friend Mike before the game, and thanks to my dad capturing many McGrath Moments on film; I have this picture of Mike with me sporting my sweet mullet (not to mention our almost straight across hat brims). He also got pictures of Nilan fighting Jim McKenzie, sitting in the penalty box, and being kicked out of the game. And, of course, my father took a picture of the post game scoreboard – complete with #30’s remaining penalty minutes (I think my dad takes a picture of the scoreboard no matter what the outcome, while I usually only take one if the B’s win).

It was definitely a game I’ll never forget, and I have Nilan to thank for most of that!

My father also keeps the newspaper articles to most of the games he takes pictures of, and this one was no different. Kinda gives you an idea why I have all of these things to scan and blog about, eh?

Even though the B’s lost their first game to Montreal tonight, I still love this rivalry. Like Nilan, there still is at least one Canadiens player I wouldn’t mind seeing in black and gold. Looking forward to payback on Saturday night!

Polaroids from 5th and 6th Grade – Old Ironsides and Nature’s Classroom

These pictures might make me feel old, but they also make me laugh. I will note here that for some reason (history’s sake or learning from my Dad), I labeled a lot of the Polaroids I took – even if it was with names of family members…

The picture of Adam, Mike, and “P.J.” makes me think of the morning that P.J. said, “Hi Chuck” to Mr. Fournier as he walked in the classroom one morning. To date, I don’t think I’ve had a more difficult time trying not to laugh. I knew I couldn’t look at Adam or Brian Caddigan without losing it, so I kept my eyes shut and bit on my lip. “Chuck” came back with a very authoritative, “What did you say????!!!!”, and told the rest of the class to leave while he reamed out P.J. Of course all the boys thought it was the funniest and coolest thing ever, and P.J. was hailed as a brave hero. I don’t remember much about Old Ironsides, but I will never forget that morning.

I love the look on Mike Fallon’s face in the Nature’s Classroom picture. Air Jordans on and staring the camera down like he’s trying to strike out a batter in the bottom of the 9^th. Mike Colangelo is proudly repping the Sox, while Chris Moulton looks like he’s sporting Brian Johnson specials. Dave Sullivan and Tufts are doing what they can to look cool simply because that’s what Daves do. You gotta love Pete Galea’s jeans-and-jean jacket-acceptable-in-the-80s look and Dave Noble’s brandless numbered t-shirt (I loved the red with blue #32 my brother Jon handed down to me). Also, I can’t tell if Dave Noble and Pete are blocking someone behind them? Ideas? I will say this about our year at Nature’s Classroom: What happened there certainly didn’t stay there, and they didn’t let the class behind us go.

Yankees Starting Lineup Picture (1997)

Like I mentioned for my Miss Saigon Ticket, during the summer of ’97 I was a camp counselor at JKST(now JKCP) Camps on the grounds of Haverford College. After seeing the Broadway show during our day trip to NYC, we also went to some pier (Pier 17 / South Street Seaport?) for eats and shopping. When I came across the souvenir picture booth, I knew I had to take advantage of the Yankees background it offered. With the campers watching I couldn’t flip the camera off like I wanted, but I did my best to tastefully express my feelings for the Evil Empire. As the campers laughed at me, one New Yorker yelled out, “Hey, he’s gotta Boston hat!” I quickly grabbed my picture and the kids passed it around as we slinked our way to another part of the pier.

Say anything you want about what happened in the Red Sox clubhouse and how they lost a huge lead this season, that will never take away from my dislike of the Yankees. Seeing the Bruins banner raised last Thursday was truly dreamlike, but after an upsetting loss to the Flyers, watching A-Rod strike out to end game 5 was a nice consolation. The Sox and Yanks is the best rivalry in baseball, and I love knowing Yankees fans to help keep it going. At least Sox and Yankees fans can agree on one thing: we’re both better than Philly fans.

Picture of 40A Crew (1996)

It’s been 15 years since this group has all been together, but luckily I remember most of the stories like they happened yesterday…

There was the party that one of the RAs saw us carrying in the keg and came to our door a few hours later to bust us (we didn’t tell him about keg #2 that was hiding in the bathroom).

One of my roommates turned 21 that September, and we rented the “Funky Bus” to take us from bar to bar carrying a keg to drink in between. Luckily, all of the crew from 40A and the guys we blocked housing with in 35B were very supportive of my non-drinking. The time on the Funky Bus ended with a beer fight, and as the sober one I took it upon myself to use one of my roommates as a shield.

One of my roommates had wired a phone (this was before everyone had a cell) downstairs to the bar. Whenever we saw that the RA who lived across from us was downstairs, we would call her just to see her run upstairs to answer then we’d hang up (Yes, we were juvenile and glad that caller ID was still a thing of the future).

When we got sick of all the sophomores walking through our backyard, one night a few of us started throwing and launching water balloons at them. This prompted a call to the BC police, and while two of us apologized and said we’d stop, another one was hiding in the shower.

One night, our “7^th man” (each mod had 6 roommates, but we usually had an extra) got upset and threw a beer bottle from our backyard. It happened to break right in front of a BC police officer that was walking by, and he and another cop came to ask us what was happening. As we tried to explain why a 20-year-old was drinking (of course, NONE of us admitted to giving him a beer), the other was using his flashlight to look at all the stolen signs and traffic lights we had hanging up. They let us off with a warning and sentenced the 7^th man to sweep up the broken glass.

After seeing the RA making out with her boyfriend in her kitchen window (which was about 5 feet from our kitchen window) several times, one of my roommates was feeling daring (a.k.a. rather drunk) and took a picture of them. She knocked on our door a few nights later to tell us how upset she was, and one of my roommates took the picture off of our bulletin board to show her it didn’t even come out (that didn’t really help).

When the “7^th man” turned 21, we drove my roommate’s car (which he had equipped with a PA system) around the mods to outside of 7’s mod. We tried to publicly coax him out for a night of bday brews, but he didn’t want to do anything crazy for his 21^st. Once again, the BC police told us they didn’t appreciate our actions, and just let us of with a warning. The next morning, we left on our road trip to South Bend to see the BC-Notre Dame hockey and football games.

My 22^nd birthday party deserves a blog post of its own, but I will say unlike my 21^st, I didn’t drink a drop. I did repeat my best Mrs. Doubtfire impersonation by burying my face into a cake.

There are many more 40A stories to share, but you’ll have to wait for the book. I certainly lucked out with the group of guys I lived with senior year at BC. We had a lot of fun, and we all graduated (I actually had my best year academically). I think it’s time to get this group together again for our own reunion…

Picture of North Street Bridge in Upton, MA (A. Underwood, 2006)

When I was a special ed teacher five years ago, my friend gave me a bunch of pictures he had taken for a class. I thought they would make great “good work” rewards for my students, and the kids loved them. This one was my favorite, so it went up on the wall in my classroom instead of being a potential reward.

I’m sure many people from The ‘Boro have driven across this bridge. If you keep driving on Ruggles Street towards Upton, you’ll cross it and go over the Mass Pike. If you’ve driven on the Mass Pike between Worcester and Boston, chances are you’ve driven under it.