Pan Ams and Eden, my Dead Sea Girl

Baseball, boxing, barbecue and beer. What more could you ask for on a glorious Pan Am day?

The J Man and took advantage of the Pan Am action in Durham Region yesterday, taking in baseball in Ajax and boxing here in Oshawa, with a stop for beer and barbecued  meat in between. Other  than a little sunburn, it was fantastic.

See, here in the eastern suburbs we don't care about Toronto's whining and complaining about traffic congestion and empty HOV lanes. We just go about our regular business and enjoy the Games while they're here.

Sorry Toronto.

Jake and I headed out to Ajax - about a ten minute drive - just  before noon to watch the men's semi-final baseball game. We parked at the  GO Station and took the free shuttle to the facility. What could be simpler?

The facility is  gorgeous, by the way. There have always been sports fields at the Audley Road complex, but there is now a community centre on the site, as well as four ball diamonds, including the stunning main park which was the host for our game between the USA and Cuba.

The walls may be finally crumbling down on the dispute between the Americans and Cubans that is  older than I am, but there is still  something historical, something special in a ball game between these two nations.

Jake and I at beautiful Pan Am Park in Ajax

Yesterday did not disappoint. Cuba, thanks to a no-doubter home run from Freddie Cepeda in the second inning and some timely hitting (as well  as some sloppy play from the U.S)., staked  themselves to a 5-1 lead midway through the game. It could have been worse: Cuba, up 4-1 in the fifth, had the bases loaded with nobody out but U.S. reliever Brian Ellington limited the bleeding to just one run.

That missed opportunity cost Cuba  in the seventh when they emptied their bullpen to try to stop an American  rally. Four runs later it was 5-5.

The U.S. won it in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth when shortstop Andrew Parrino delivered an RBI single into right field sending the Cuban fans -  who were shouting " Kuu-ba" all afternoon long - home (or at least back to the hotel) unhappy.

Chalk one up for capitalism?


U.S. celebration

I also gambled on a beer while I was there, despite all the Molson signs scattered throughout the park, plunking down $9 for a 'premium' Creemore Springs, figuring it had to be better than Canadian or Bud. It was, a little. Fruity, with only a little of that metallic aftertaste common in commercial brews. It was hot and it was beer so I drank it.

Jake and I went home for an hour or so to cool  down after the game before heading to downtown Oshawa for the boxing. I parked in my usual spot besides Buster Rhino's - like I said, what could be simpler? - and we went inside the bar for lunch. Pulled pork sammy for Jacob; salad with smoked chicken  for me.

And a beer, of course. But not just any beer: a recently released, much anticipated Double Nelson IIPA from Bellwoods Brewery. Made with a double dose of Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, this one-off eight per cent ale poured a beautiful deep orange, with an intoxicating aroma of  grapefruit and mango. There was more of the same on the tongue - along with some pine - and the booze  was well hidden.

Delicious.

Now suitably refreshed, we walked  across the street to the General Motors  Centre - sorry, the Oshawa Sports Complex (GM not being a sponsor of these Games) - and sat down for an  evening of the sweet science.

Twelve bouts in all - we stayed for ten - and the card had it all. There were a couple of  disappointing Canadian performances early from P.G. Tondo (49 kg) and Clovis Drolet (75 kg); a wildly  entertaining fight between a Guatemalan and a Costa Rican (won by the Costa Rican, Eduardo Ramirez); a few split decisions and a couple of rulings from the judges that left some people scratching their heads while others rained down the boos.

The worst was probably the bout between American Melik Elliston and Alvaro Deras of Guatemala. Ellison dominated the fight and yet came out on the losing end of the  scorecards.

As they say in the fight game, he wuz robbed.

We left on a  good note  however, as the tenth fight of the evening was a heavyweight tilt between Canada's Sammy Elmais and Brazil's Juan Nogueira. Elmais, despite trying twice  to take down his opponent MMA-style (not a good idea when you're facing a Brazilian named Nogueira), controlled most of the entertaining fight and sent us home happy when he won a split (!) decision.

You can bring the Pan Ams  back to Durham Region anytime, folks. That was  great.

Now let's see if today's entertainment - a day with beer bro Don at the Burlington Beer Fest - can top that. I think there's a chance it will.

***

I was walking through the mall Friday and I got shanghaied by a hand cream girl at one of those kiosks you find in the aisles. You know the type: they usually sell hand creams and lotions with ingredients like "salt from the Dead Sea" to exfoliate and soften tired old working hands like mine, and the booths are always manned by at least two people - one woman and one man, the better to do that shanghaiing they do so well.

Anyway, her name was Eden and she spoke with a thick French accent that wasn't from Quebec or France for that matter. North African, perhaps? Could be. She was very pretty with big eyes - the better to hold my gaze - and Mediterranean features. I'd like to say Moroccan, because it sounds sexy.

And she was that and more. She massaged my hands with both creams (including the exfoliating number with the Dead Sea salt) and she invaded my personal space the entire ten minutes of our exhilarating but so brief relationship. I didn't mind one bit.



I'm carrying the torch for you Eden

I know she was working me and I know she was working me hard, with her adorably-accented broken English going a mile a minute during her sales patter. I know all this and I still almost fell for her pitch.

She talked dirty to me, man.

And once I was able to tear myself away from her eyes, I talked dirty to her too. And the whole while she was touching me or leaning in close to tell me how the cream washes off in the shower and wouldn't it be nice to shower together and would you like to kiss me?

Admittedly that last line was uttered when she felt the sale slipping away but still, it was wonderful.

It was the best sex I've had in years.

Despite all her efforts I had to say no as even dirty talk from a beautiful woman can't change the numbers in my bank account. But we left on good terms - or so I thought, anyway - and I agreed to stop by the next time I was in the mall to giver her another crack at wearing me down.

As luck would have it I had to make a return visit to the Oshawa Centre a few hours later and I saw Eden chatting up another potential client (a woman, so I wasn't tooo jealous) on my way to the phone store.

I'll say hi on the way back, I said. And I did.

"Hi Eden," I bellowed in my loudest and sexiest voice.

She either didn't hear me or ignored me. So I tried to catch her eye and waved to her. She ignored me again.

It hurts to say this, but I think the love affair is over.

I miss you Eden.