Finally.

I finally did it. I finally got it.

The Jack Kerouac bobblehead doll given out at a Lowell Spinners minor-league baseball game last August:

Oh, the wonders of eBay. And the "Buy It Now" option, without which I likely wouldn't have gotten it, because I refused to pay more than $90 for this thing. How did I come to that figure? Well, in the event that I had been able to go to the game on a weeknight last August, I would've had to pay for the game ticket, gas, meals and a hotel, which would've run about $80-90. I also wouldn't have gotten one, because I don't think I would've started lining up before noon.

So it arrived � naturally � at my parents' house on Christmas Eve, hours after Casey and I had left for Pennsylvania. I had to wait until last weekend when we were down there to get it. But it was worth it, little Jack with his notebook and rucksack (slung over his shoulder; you can't see it in that photo).

I found the Page 2 story by Googling "kerouac baseball," which brought out several other intriguing pieces about Jack's interest in our national pastime. I'm more intrigued and anxious to look into it more, as I was after seeing his baseball league artifacts at the NY Public Library a few years ago.

Now I'm all giddy like a schoolgirl because Casey and I are going to visit Lowell later this year. In our second planned trip before the Fourth of July, we're going to hit Cape Cod over Memorial Day weekend, like we did last year, and then take the rest of the week off. After we (presumably) spend Memorial Day on the water with Bryan and his family on the boat, we'll leave Tuesday for Maine (perhaps stopping by Lowell on the way up) for a few days. Casey can see where I spent so many August weeks visiting my uncle and his family and I can take her to all our favorite spots: Camden, Damariscotta, Pemaquid, Freeport and some new ones (restaurants and brewerys). Then we'll head back to Boston (and hit Lowell, if we didn't on the way up) for Kara's bachelorette party the next weekend. Road Trip '04! I love it. Of course, California comes first (and just 42 days from now). And before that, the Super Bowl and Dan & Casey's Super Bowl Party II � Now with Buffalo Wings! That is, if the sauces from BW3 ever get here. I sent out the invite this afternoon, and we've already gotten three replies, including my cousin � who will be leaving his giant screen TV to join us � and his wife. We have friends! I expect more than two cars this year, and with Miguel's rusting hulk of a Honda taking up space at the bottom of our driveway, we can only fit one extra car on our side. Maybe Casey and I will move ours out onto Anderson and leave the driveway (and any available local street parking) to our guests. Because we're nice hosts like that. But they better be bringing the desserts and beer and plates.