I don't get sick very often. Really, only once a year. But starting on Wednesday I lost all my appetite and had a very upset stomach that felt like drunk bees were swarming.
Friday started off VERY interesting. My Granny called me to inform me that my granddad had nearly met his maker while sleeping. Yes, I know you are thinking about health issues or some such. Not my granddad. No, he was up at our land in Tennessee camping, getting ready to turkey hunt. He was sleeping in his car underneath the pavilion. A bad storm came through and blew the roof off the joint and knocked down a ton of trees, stranding him.. Luckily, my cousins who are local took care of it. But, I am the new president of the LLC and I will have to spend some time up there VERY soon, looks like. Hopefully this weekend.....
Oh, and he is ok. He doesn't hear so well, so I doubt he knew what was going on until he woke up.
But, I had to buck up because Griffin had a game on Friday and Aubree had a practice and I am an assistant. Aubree and I got to the field early so we get some hitting in. Oh, and I made a trade for some guns late that afternoon including this very nice Pre-WWII Mosin-Nagant.
Anyway, I kept it together for practice and we had a good one. Got home and got in bed. Saturday was going to be a long day, as both kids had games. I get very into Aubree's games. I have gotten to know about half the team very well because they have played together for 3 seasons now. I picture myself as a Nick Saban type coach. I know, blasphemy, but I am not a fist pumper. When things are going well, I cross my arms over my chest and look disgusted, as if I EXPECT them to do well. And when things go bad, I hop and scream. Ok, not at every kid...just mine. And the other coach's kid. And the shortstop. And the 3rd baseman.....
Also, I do the Les Mile's clap. A Lot. I can't help it.
Anyway, the girls have lost their first two games because they couldn't put together a full game. Aubree in particular has had tremendous problems making plays at 2nd. She makes great stops, then hesitates on what to do with the ball when their are other base runners. The batting hasn't been great, but it's been ok. Slow starts have been the biggest killer. In both games, the top of the lineup has struggled in the first inning. You cannot go the first inning without getting runs on the board. In both games, they have gone without a run in the first at bat.
Aubree has moved into the lead-off spot. I lived my life as the lead off hitter, but for different reasons. Aubree is a 90% hitter, but she has zero speed. I was the opposite, really. As long as I put a bat on the ball, I could beat out a throw. She has to hit the ball hard to have a chance. But, she is getting better!
Anyway, she had a decent game hitting, though she grounded out a baserunner...she did get a couple of RBIs. On her last at bat, she had a 2 RBI homer, though her run didn't count as she was the last batter of the inning. Crazy rules. The defense, across the board, was fantastic! After allowing 7 runs in 2 innings, the D responded by a 3 inning shutout.
Anyway, the girls came through in the clutch and won the game.
Additionally, Griffin's team won their first game as well. I know it seems unfair that I am SOOO into her games, but not his. Truth be told, he is barely old enough to play. He takes school instruction VERY well, but he isn't quite there yet for ball. However, he has a GREAT time. He loves the team camaraderie. And, I especially thankful that he could be on a team with a former teammate of mine. Here is a pic of Griffin with teammate Jaylen. His father and I played football together for many many years.
That evening, Alyse and I went to our friend Tory's house and watched the basketball games. Tory is from Wisconsin, so he had a lot riding on the game with Kentucky. I still hadn't eaten a real meal yet because of the stomach bug, but Alyse, Tory, and Alex ate pizza. It smelled good and my brain wanted it. My stomach said otherwise. Man, do I love some Papa John's with garlic butter.... It was a great game that ended with some questionable coaching decisions on the part of the Wisconsin coach's part. Tory took it hard. Thanks to the million time-outs that college basketball has, it was late when we picked the kids up and got home. I wondered if we would make church.
As we were loading up to go Church, I spotted Gavin chasing a squirrel!
And, I also spotted this!
Church was great, as always.
We had lunch with the inlaws, then it was softball time!
You may recall the great game we played last week, where we had to play some great defense and get the bats going. Well, this game started off about the same. Defense was a little loose. Bats weren't working real well. Except this week the rain pelted us and it never got any better. This team was not nearly as good as we are, when we play our game. But they had enough to beat us. There were some impressive highlights (lowlights).
My personal favorite was having a high fly ball hit at me in center field. I get under it and as it dropped, I assume the wind began moving the ball as it came down. I got my right hand up to make a good secure catch. Except the ball hit my right hand. It was quite painful (still is) to both my ego and my fingers.
I was also toasted by one of the lady players for the team who stroked one over my head.
Additionally, my batting was terrible. I grounded out, hit a nice line drive to left field that the player didn't have to move more than a foot to catch.
On every at bat, I was thrown a pitch that didn't get above my chest. Any league that I have ever played on, the umpire would call that an illegal pitch. But, this guy wasn't. So, I dealt with having 2 strikes on me and hit the ball.
And on my last at bat, I got tossed a strike on the first pitch. Again, it didn't get above my chest. Additionally, it hit the plate. So I finally turned around and asked the umpire what the deal was. I mean, I know it's raining and I know he gets paid by the game. But, if you are going to throw some calls, at least make it during game play. That was a mistake. The next pitch came in low and flat and hit the plate. He rang me up and sent me to the dugout.
I was not happy.
I have, in the past, been bad about going into "walk mode" when I get a few balls thrown at me during an at bat. It has cost me a number of times because I forgot that umpires are largely trying to call a game to end it as quickly as possible instead of calling it for correctness. I told myself I would not strike out this year. Any. If I got 2 strikes on me, I was swinging at the next pitch and didn't matter if I had to step up in the box or swing over my head. Game 2 this year and I already broke my promise. Now, again, the ball WAS illegal. And it hit the plate. But, I gotta remember what I am dealing with.
Anyway, we lost. And this team doesn't do losing very well.
Alyse and I celebrated by punishing my recovering stomach to Hooters. Cause that's what a recovering stomach needs, right?
Hooters had been off my radar the last few years. The service has sucked. The food has sucked. But, the last few visits...well...the food hasn't sucked. The service continues to be questionable at best. This meal was no different. We stood inside the door for easily 10 minutes as at LEAST 3 managers came to the front, looked at the "sections" list, then went on to do something else. At one point, a manager went on a tirade to another about a server....who was getting sent home. Eventually, a server asked if we had been helped.
Nope. Been standing here. No one has so much as said "hello" to us. She did the right thing and went to get a manager. He came and got us, asked how many, if we were on the list. We proceeded to tell him that he and his coworkers had walked right past us at least 10 times and not acknowledged us. The amazing thing was, he offered no explanation or apology. He just sat us down and went on with his day.
Everything was up from there, though. The server was great. The food was terrific, and Alyse and I can eat at Hooters for $21. Ah, how things change. I used to eat 25 wings by myself. With a side of curly fries. And a dessert. Now we share 10 wings and a fry.
Anyway, have a great day!
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