My collective impressions of the new controls.

Lori and I decided to take a break and head to Europe for a couple of weeks. It has been so SWEET. Today we are in Parma, part 4 of a 5 part series that has included Olivadi, Naples, and Rome, with Milan coming up shortly.

Nothing like forgetting about work, sleeping late, and drinking lots of wine for an extended period of time to recharge the ol' batteries.

Maybe this will give my flailing blog career the shot in the arm it needs to get back into semi-regular production.

Ciao, baby.

The Red Sox announced yesterday that rookie pitcher Jon Lester, 22, had been diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cancer, and will begin treatment in the coming week.

Doctors at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston said patients usually take a combination of chemotherapy drugs every few weeks for four to six months. It's unlikely Lester could work out during this period, as chemotherapy can have severe side effects.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon, who came up through the minors with Lester, said Friday, "they say it's curable or treatable and they're expecting him to be at spring training with us next year."

Lester, a lefty, is 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings this year with the Sox.

He is rated the top prospect in the Red Sox organization and began the season with the Sox's AAA Pawtucket team before making his major league debut June 10. He became the first lefthanded rookie in Sox history to win his first five decisions.


Baseball aside, I hope he and his family take comfort in knowing that this 22-year old kid is in the thoughts and prayers of millions of people worldwide.