Patriots' Day

For us Massachusetts residents (and Maine, which was once part of Massachusetts), the third Monday in April is a holiday -- Patriots' Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. 

It's a fun day. The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots' Day. Yesterday I watched Channel 4's coverage of the marathon and got to witness a world record marathon time (though apparently it won't officially be classified as a world record). Also, the women's race was decided by mere seconds, as Desiree Davila narrowly missed the chance to become the first American woman to win since 1985.

Over at Fenway, the Red Sox played the Toronto Blue Jays, winning their third straight after a miserable start. Local whipping boy Daisuke Matsuzaka, normally known for nibbling the plate, walking batters like it's going out of style and three-inning-in-three-hour starts, pitched seven innings of one hit ball and was out of the game by the time most marathoners got to Kenmore Square. Remember that South Park episode where there was a Cartman clone who had a goatee and acted the exact opposite of Cartman? That was Evil Parallel Universe Dice-K on the mound today.

And finally, the Bruins got back into their playoff series against Montreal, winning 4-2.

Patriots' Day was one of the critical moments in the birth of our great nation. And yesterday, it was good day all around.