I could catch more flys with honey

Good news: My batting slump is over. Bad News: the fielding slump is in full swing.
There I was in center field,first batter comes up, slams one up in the air just a little over my head. This is how it went,, my teammates are yelling, back, back, I step to go back, fall, take a nice roll and tumble, land on my ass, and see the ball sitting by the fence. I try to grab it, I drop it, try again and finally throw the damn thing in. The runner is home by now. Oh, well, I'll get the next one.
Fly ball, coming my way, I'm under it, it brushes the top of my glove, and lands on the ground. "Shake it off", my teammates say. I am rattled now. I am also now targeted as the place to hit. (the girl in center can't catch, hit it there) so they do.
I miss two more routing fly balls. I want to cry. I'm under them, I just can't get my glove on it. I am so embarassed I want to die. My teammates are very nice about it. Happens to all of us they say. I can't remember the last time any of us missed 4 fly balls in one game.
I am really a fairly decent player, but lately I am falling apart. Anyone that plays sports knows how performing badly can stick with you. I thought about it today at work and I'm thinking about it now. I believe it is mental now. My confidence is gone. This isn't professional sports, but it is important to me and to my team. I feel I am letting them down, which I am.
I asked my fellow outfielder to trade places with me last night, she said " I'm not going to, you are going to stay there and play through it" She was right. That's what you gotta do.
That game is over, and now I can go to my next game and hope the fielding slump leaves as quick as the batting slump did, if not, I may have to retire my number...
If you see a blue shirt with the #69 on it, hanging from a flag pole somewhere, you know what happened............
jb

Do over on my three days off please....

So, here it is, the end of a 3 day weekend. I did nothing productive. I should have mowed my lawn, weeded my flower beds, and instead I did nothing! I need those three days back! I would do all the chores I didn't do, take the naps I was dreaming of, make chile and have someone over for dinner; and instead I can't even recall what I did. Aside from a little quality time with family (which was great) I was worthless. Why do I set myself up with all these wonderful things I'm going to do with my three days? It's just setting myself up for failure.
I did watch some good movies and managed to get two of the three employee reviews done. I guess I wasn't totally worthless.
But it is now bedtime and there is work tomorrow and I just really need a do over on my three day weekend, damnit.
Do I expect too much of myself? Do I see relaxing for 3 days as a sign of laziness? I guess I do.
Oh well, Fourth of July will be here soon, and I can make a list of things I won't do then either.
jb

Have I become one of "those" people?

For the first time in my life, I have brought work home with me. I am not happy that I have broke my pact to myself, but here I am.
I have three reviews that I have to complete on my employees. The only way to get these done on time, was to bring them home.
It is allready affecting my Saturday. I am half way through Casablanca and would really like to finish it, I have books to read, naps to take, coffee to drink, people to visit, but this "work" I have brought home is laying there mocking me.
It is pissing me off. I have allowed my corporate job to seep into my personal time. This is so against my principle, which leads me to the realization that my ideas and principles may be shifting a little. Does this happen with age? with maturity? with a corporate job?
I'm not sure, but I do know I am going to go make a latte, and then dig into my employee's reviews. So, while they are off enjoying their weekend, I will be evaluating their work perfomance and contemplating my own......
jb

Strawberry or Vanilla?

There are few things better in life than eating ice cream on a hot day.
Today, I found myself at Ben and Jerry's with two very little people and we all had ice cream. We all had our favorites; Strawberry, coffee buzz buzz and vanilla for the smallest of our group. I had to assume it was her favorite as she cannot yet talk. She found no problem working the spoon to her mouth until it was gone, which made me realize that there really is nothing like ice cream. It can keep a 1 yr old happy for over 10 minutes!
Ben and Jerry's is one of my favorite parts of summer. For a few brief moments, it is just summer and we are just eating ice cream. That's it, nothing more.
When I was little one of my favorite things were A&W root beer floats with my family. We did it almost every Sunday in the summer and it is a simple, fond memory.
I just might have to make Ben and Jerry's a weekly ritual. Maybe when these little people grow up, they will look back at eating ice cream with family and have fond memories as well.
It's always been the simple things that stick with me and today was good.
jb

Where's second base???

I am in a softball slump. It is very disturbing to me. I can't get a hit to save my life. In my last 8 times at bat, I have seen first base only once, and this was due to an error. My bat and I have always got along well, but not this week. I even betrayed it and tried someone else's. No luck.
My throwing is off as well. I aim for second base, why is it going three feet to the left? Why???
Softball is my greatest source of fun and it is falling apart on me! Or I am falling apart on it, i'm not sure.
You know what's bad? and I would only say it here, I find myself getting mad at my teammates who are hitting well. I keep it in my head of course, but there is some kind of sick bat envy going on.
Saturday, I will show up to batting practice, pull out my bat, have a nice talk with it, and see if I can't kick this slump in the ass.
jb

That 70's Show

Isn't it weird how we get attached to TV shows? There have been many good shows over my tv viewing years, but only a handful that were so good that when they ended I found myself really sad, wondering how will I go on without these people?

There was the all time best TV show in the world... MASH. I bawled like a baby during that last episode.

My latest sadness is the ending of "That 70's Show". I just watched the good bye special and man, what a good fricking show that is. I have been fairly faithful to it over the years and it is pure genius really. The final episode airs next week and that will be it. No more 360's in the basement. :(
I think it goes down as my second all time favorite TV show ever.
I don't know why I cry when they all come out on stage and take their final bows, but I do. I guess a really good show becomes a part of my life.
It makes me say things like " I gotta get home, my show is on" "oh, can I call you back, my show is on" or"I hope my games arn't on Thursday" Some people think this is sick, but I don't. What can be wrong with something that is so good it brings you that much pleasure?

So, next week I will sadly say Good bye to "That 70's show", and another little piece of my life goes by..................
jb

Good pizza can get you through anything

Well, finally the line " I love all kinds of music" comes to have a different meaning. It appears this is a lie I've been telling myself.
I found myself at a concert of some guy named Richard Thompson. He's huge in England, and was a sold out show. Got a call from someone last minute, who had an extra ticket. Well, of course I would love to go, he sounds great.
Well, the first clue should have been the name of his tour. " A thousand years of popular music" Seems I don't really care what was popular in the early 1600's.
Half way through the concert, I started nodded off. My date for the evening was disappointed in me I'm sure, but I didn't care. This music was both too serious and BORING. He had some English humor going on that I politely laughed at. My friend insinuated it was going over my head. I shot back," I get it, ok? It's just not funny"
The Alladin was packed and everyone seemed to love him. What is wrong with me that I don't like this guy I'm thinking to myself. All I could think of was whether I should get up and get another piece of pizza with goat cheese on it. It is damn good pizza. Then I spent a few minutes trying to guess how many glasses of wine the lady next to me would drink before the night ended. I guessed 4. Right on the money!
We are now up to the 19th century! woo-hoo! I'm just thinking "come on 2006!!!"
The only entertaining song was his version of "oops I did it again" but this was only 2001. Oh, holy mother and father, the shows over! It's ovation time. A couple more didley's and I"m outa here. Not one, but two 20 minute ovations and I am finally free. My friend thinks I just don't want culture in my life. Little does he know this was not culture, it was crap. It was Brokeback Mountain in music form for me. I left thinking "there's 3 hours I'll never see again."
I will be more careful when I say I love all music, because I now know this is not true......I only love all GOOD music.
But I sure love that pizza with the goat cheese on it...........
jb

Family Weddings

I love family weddings. It brings everyone together and all the differences, the cattiness,and the crap that comes with a family is just gone.
Where else can you see one of your nieces looking so beautiful she takes your breath away, cry for her dad (your brother)as he kisses her and hands her over to her new husband, and then continue onto a night of many significant moments.
I watched ex wives and husbands dancing together to some old song that used to be theirs,while the new spouses watched on and smiled. Fathers and daughters dancing to songs that have been theirs for years, little nieces and nephews twirling around being as cute as they can be. I danced with my sister, my neice, my mom and even had a nice slow dance with my stepfather. (whose feet are probally bruised this morning.)I even did the conga line to "Viva Las Vegas" the whole time My arms wrapped around the DJ who was leading the line while I wondered if his hair was actually tattooed on his head. ( I think it was). I learned a secret about my sister (after one too many cocktails on her part) and it seems we both have the same secret. It was an unexpected, but sweet moment.
The best part of the wedding was the Pastor who talked about having good manners with your spouse. He said of all the people in the world, your spouse is the one person you should always show good manners too. I saw alot of family members who wished their ex spouse was sitting by them to hear these words, as this is where many of us went wrong.
It was a night of regrets and memories of marriages that had sadly ended, when the love is still there. I now know I am not alone in this boat.
But mostly, it was a night of hope for the new bride and groom.
It is strange the power music has on us. How as a family when you hear a CCR song, you think of your niece and her father,(who danced together, while we all cried) or when Jail house Rocks comes they know I will be out there dancing. This is what families are. Memories, and a knowing of each other that goes unspoken.
A 12 year old girl who jumped 10 feet higher than me caught the boughet and I'm hoping we don't have to wait that long until the next family wedding........
jb

Bring on my crown.........

If I was Queen of the world, I would:

1) Make my friend at Starbucks 40 years old and single
2) Eliminate tipping(while raising min. wage of course)
3) give myself my own office
4) Produce instant bad Karma for all people who do really crappy things
5) End the war in Iraq
6) Have a conversation with my birth Mother and have someone take our picture together
7) Bring Elvis back to life
8) Write my life story; Oprah would read it, love it, and bring me on her show
9) Bring back Lenders Bagels to Fred Meyers
10) Hit a home run tomorrow