Notes picked up while relaxing

Idle chatter while finding my way back from a red-hot vacation …There are things in this world that send shivers down your spine, and the way the rest of his All-Star teammates paid tribute to New York?s Mariano Rivera was one.The AL All-Stars stayed in the dugout long enough for Rivera to come out to mound alone and relish the standing ovation fans at CitiField in Queens gave him.Nobody deserved it more. “Mo” has been a class act forover a decade, and those who haven?t figured that out by now … shame on them.uEverywhere you looked last week there were youth activities going on, whether it was at Lynn or Saugus Babe Ruth, area basketball courts, Little League, Fraser Field, Breed Middle School with Frank Carey?s Baseball Academy … wherever.But the important thing to remember is that endeavor that keeps children and teens constructively occupied during the long, hot summer is a positive step.Hats off to anyone involved in any of these endeavors.uBill Belichick is going to address the media Wednesday. That ought to be a howl.I doubt it will happen, but it would be great if someone just got up there and said, “hey, answer the question … you signed the guy for $40 million, you didn?t have any clue about what he was doing after hours?”Don?t hold your breath.And while we may think he?s a total jerk, if anyone can fashion a winning record out of this off-season disaster, it is Captain Hoodie.uClay Buchholz has received his second opinion. His shoulder may be inflamed, but it is fine.I understand his reluctance to trust the crack Red Sox medical team, but the independent diagnosis should make all of that moot.Time to pitch.uNow that August is rolling around (imagine that!) it?s time to focus on figuring out this new high school football schedule.Good luck to me and everyone else. I cannot see how this is going to work.uI have to end this by giving props to my son, Andrew, his friend Jim Palmer and the rest of the staff at Camp Moonraker in Topsfield last week.In the interest of full disclosure, that staff would include me.The Cub Scout camp went above and beyond “keeping children constructively occupied,” and for that everyone should takek a bow.I actually spent Friday (the hottest day of the week) helping to organize the sports activities (fancy that!). It was 98 degrees. We did what anyone else would do. We had water balloon tosses.uColleague Ryan York asks how come Tampa Bay gets all the really good pitchers while everyone else has to scounge around for one or two.Good question.