Saturday, May 30, 2015

And the winner is......

Seattle!



Yep, we knew it. I also knew that the big lefty had to go to Tampa to weigh his options. He did not like it and wants to leave before the seminar is over. Thus, he is heading to the west coast to train this summer.....

But, first....a message on my cell phone this morning.....

"My hips are displaced. The right one popped out...."

Now, that sounds like it hurts. On the other hand, don't the hips have to be in the right position to pitch correctly?


 I don't know about you, but I also use my hips to walk, stand, bike, throw a 35 mph fast ball, and play tennis. Other than that, I leave them on the shelf for safe keeping.



Hips out of place? hmmm...gotta smart.....just saying.....Can anyone say 'ouch'?

As far as other news is concerned, the big guy has started to write his book with the help of Tonto. Each day, they plan on writing for two hours and then pulling it together. Perhaps, I will edit it for them....just as long as Sandra Bullock plays me in the big screen version....no Lifetime channel for this story...



Not sure who is going to play the other members of the team and family, but we all agree that Danny DeVito is perfect for the Czar.

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With that said, I have to run errands, clean out the garage, start a new online course, and do some consulting work for the Department of Education. That's right....dopey me....they contacted me to evaluate a new program. I am kind of honored that they chose me out of a plethora of available candidates. Yet, this means that I have to sit down, read documents, think, and write a report. I can do three out of the four aforementioned skills. Sadly, the brain needs to be d-fibrillated with a defibrilator to get started again. All I have to do is think positively....even more so, I just need to think.



Ok, the thinking has begun. Time to move on....

Peace!




Friday, May 29, 2015

Champagne taste with a beer budget

Good morning! Hope all is well in your world.

This is a shortie....

The big kid just left for Tampa. He is on a mission to investigate the training facility to determine whether he needs this type of protocol or the Seattle  venue. I am sure, yes, I am confident, that he will choose the most expensive facility. Call me clairvoyant. Call me a prognosticator.....call me correct.....whatever you call me, I know my kid and he always seems to select the Mercedes Benz versus the tricycle....champagne rather than beer....Egyptian cotton versus polyester....

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He called me yesterday with a quick question...."Yoda wants me to buy a belt. May I?"

Sure, go ahead. Use the Amex.



Guess what? Dad shared with me this morning that the belt costs $250.00. What? Is it leather? Is it made of gold with platinum trim? He is going to sweat while wearing it? Are we serious? 250.00$ for a belt? Does he really need to keep his pants up with  Chanel belt? What? Can I live on peanut butter and crackers for a few weeks?


Yep....my life in a nutshell...will be working until I am old and grey....huh? I am old and grey? Well, no one knows what my real hair color is, so I may be old, but I cover the greys...

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By the way, dad has not heard from the medical director at the university. Yes, they refuse to reimburse him for the surgery. Guess what? They have never met dad. They are in for the ride of their lives unless they cut that check. He is going to storm the university in his Acura.....Yep, they will be frozen in their Naugahyde chairs when he enters the room with his data. Oh boy, it will not be pretty....can anyone who can spell Naugahyde, spell 'malpractice'? Negligence? Physical harm? FERPA violations?   



I can spell them since I have spell check.....



OK, got to run!

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Peace!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Moi? An idiot?

Good morning. I am sorry for the lack of posts but with BP grandpop in the hospital, Big M having physical issues, work, naughty puppies, and work......I have been preoccupied. I also would like to apologize to all friends and family that I have not contacted...ie....Wildcat and Muscles....my time has not been my own for a few months. Hopefully, some day....yes, some day.....she writes wistfully......life will calm down....then again...I am realistic enough to know that this will be the norm for some time to come.



On to the big lefty....currently, he is in the city with dad and MJ. He had an appointment with his surgeon to review his progress. Dad went with the big kid to give me an extra hour of sleep which was interrupted by two puppies who needed to go the the bathroom. No worries....getting up early helps me to get started on the day and move toward the accomplishment of a few goals....

Anyway, we will find out if our hero is ready to be discharged and if he can go full throttle on his training. He will fly to Tampa on Friday night to visit with another trainer. Apparently, he is the pitching doctor of the southeast. After he completes his investigation, the decision will be made as to whether he will train for the summer in Tampa or Seattle. Stay tuned....

As the summer heats up so does the battle between dad and the university. That's right. He submitted the surgery bills to the university last week. As expected, a secretary called him to deny his claims. Nice.....she was polite yet firm.

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She does not know dad, does she? 'Cause he is not taking 'no' for an answer. Why? Uh, can anyone spell malpractice? Negligence? Physical harm? Yes? No?



He is now going up the chain of command and has a phone call into the Director of Medicine. I expect the battle will be bloody...lives will be altered forever...but dad will be on the top of the mountain with the American flag in his hand and a check for the surgery.



After today's appointment, dad posed a question to MJ. "Is there any other way to treat this injury?"

MJ replied: "No, surgery was the only way to mend the injury."

This added fuel to the fire as dad plots his next move on the university. He's the paternal version of Patton....looking at the enemy, making plans, strategizing, then going on for the victory. He promises that if they do not respond  in a positive manner to reimburse him, that he will bring in all kinds of evidence of wrong doing in the athletic department especially with the Czar and Psycho and demonstrate his leverage. This should be interesting. I would love to be witness to this battle....yet, I would prefer to stay away and let dad does his work in the only way he knows how. He's still miffed that the Czar called us 'idiots' for going out of the system to take care of the kid's injury. Yet, how else was he going to mend? If, as parents, we found the antidote for a problem, then we are idiots.



Hang tough, folks...the road will continue to be rocky, but I have my money placed on dad to win this battle.

So, from one idiot to possibly many more....I have to get the grades done for my course since another starts in 5 days.

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Peace!

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Looking for a job

Good Memorial Weekend to you! Here's to the valiant men and women who scarified for our country. May God bless them and their families.

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Thank you for your patience. There has not been much going on this past week. The big lefty continues to work out four to five hours a day plus sessions with Yoda. He is thrilled because you can hear an audible whip of his ball and arm. Apparently, this is a good thing. Twaaap!

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He is scheduled for a visit to Tampa next week. Apparently, the owner of the performance enhancing center (not steroids, work outs) wants him to pay up front, take a two day seminar next weekend (comp-ed), and sign up for a month or so of lessons, work outs, and analysis of technique. He is not convinced that Tampa is for him, so is keeping his options open.

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Therefore, he will attend the next weekend seminar and make his decision next Sunday night when he joins dad and me in the south for a day. I can actually read his little ole mind and he is leaning toward Seattle. Although his PT does not know much about Seattle and prefers Tampa; the big kid is ready to do something that has not been fully endorsed by our incredibly wise Yoda. 



And now for the latest news...gossip.....rumor....probably true....

The big lefty's university has been blackballed from recruiting baseball players from our region.


Huh? What does that mean?

Well, the owner of the sporting and training complex has gotten wind of the activities in the mountains and is not pleased. Apparently, he has heard about the Czar's player preference and his inability to read quality performances. He also knows of the two highly sought after high school recruits who signed up for the university and were cut from the team. He also knows that the pitching coach is actually a catcher. Therefore, the team is not allowed to run a showcase in the sporting complex and the owner will not encourage any of his players to attend the school. Further, Yoda has had a thing or two to say and based on the way the big kid continues to come home injured with his body and spirits out of alignment, he has also crossed the school off his list of colleges for his players to attend. In other words, the school will not have access to any of the quality players in our area, which is quite large.


Am I surprised? Nope.



Word gets around. These coaches think that they have the magic beans that will create a competitive team. Yet, as we know from the last two years of posts, he has done nothing more than tank his players. The big lefty is  worried about the boys that he left behind especially Sky High. Here is a kid with unlimited talent whose body is being destroyed by the trainer as his spirits are equally in the dumps.



Oh well. Life is not fair. It never was and never will be. The guys are learning a huge lesson on how to get along with difficult people as well as what to do when your boss hates you. It is something that can be used in the future.

For now, my big kid is focusing on his baseball future and has given himself a year. So, he does what every other college graduate is doing...looking for a job....in the Major Leagues...as a pitcher...and not bat boy.


Have a nice weekend!

Peace!



Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Giving a kidney

Good morning! I have not posted in a while for a number of reasons......lots of strange reasons....



First, Big Sis has been moving and needed help. With Big M battling the big foe, she needed assistance and I wanted to step in to make the move a bit easier for them. So, I have been helping to pack the old house and unpack in the new house.



Also, Big M battles on, so I like to be around him to render support and assistance where it is needed. He has an appointment today with his doctor and needs lots of prayers and good thoughts....sending them right now...



BP Grandpop has been sick too. He has not stopped coughing for over a week and is now in the hospital, He can't talk without coughing. His face gets red and he hacks uncontrollably. BP Grandmom stayed the night in his hospital room. She gets the platinum star for heroics. Next month, they will celebrate their 60 wedding anniversary. This is a feat especially when the divorce rate is so high. They live the definition of devotion.



Lastly, the end of year meetings, graduations, ceremonies, and classes and getting to be a bit more than I want to do. What do I mean? Well, I hit a road block, am not motivated, and need a kick in the butt to keep going. I have a stack of work on the desk that is time sensitive and frankly, I am doing it begrudgingly....also slowly since my mind is elsewhere all the time. Got to get back into the rhythm of working....still not working out much or going to yoga. My rut is so deep that I need a ladder to get out of it. Would a package of Skittles help? I doubt it.


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How is the big lefty? Well, last we heard, he was heading to Tampa. At this point, we are not sure when this will happen since he continues to rehab with Yoda. He stopped at Dr. G's friend for a chiropractic appointment since he needed help with his neck and back. He can be a physical mess at times. Does he really want to continue to beat his body up? Already he limps like a 60 year old man.

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The team ended the season over the weekend with a worse record than last year. I could pinpoint the number of losses that could have been wins with a different line up and pitching staff. Yet, it is not my call, my job, nor inclination to comment on coaching decisions.



And now, where do we stand? As far as I can see....Tampa is next, but something tells me that he wants to work with the guys in Seattle. This will happen after rehab is over and he is strong enough to endure the work outs.



And so, you have it...an update with not much going on except lots of quality time with the master, Yoda. At the age of 81, may he live long and prosper. As the big kid says, he would give a kidney for him to keep going.



Oh boy....never dull....always exciting....needing a vacation in  the worst way!


Got to grade papers.

Peace!

Monday, May 11, 2015

One last push

Good morning. Happy day after Mother's Day to all. I would like to send a shout out to my own BP Grandmom who is amazing. Thanks for everything, BPGmom. You are the best-est!



On to the big kid....last that we heard, our hero was headed to see Yoda, his beloved PT, who gave him some very sound advice....

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Kid, you are going no where until you have finished your rehab. In other words, no Seattle for a while.

Speaking of Seattle, Yoda is not convinced that this is the place for him. Valuing Yoda's opinion, I had misgivings about his weekend trip to see this velocity guru. Yet, he went anyway.


Here is what he discovered in the four-hour meeting....

1. They do not want anyone who is happy with 88. Agreed.
2. Once they viewed the university's training and strength routines, the director called it 'criminal.'


3. They concurred that if he was speaking the truth of how he was able to thrive in this 'back water' environment, then his potential is limitless.
4. He has high miles on him and battled injuries. Plus he is getting old, so  his clock ticking.
5. They have an outlet to 8 major league teams, therefore, if he does well this summer and hits 95, they will send a call out.

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All of this to say....hmmmm

The next step is to rehab to the point where he can train. This is where Yoda comes in. Therefore, the next few weeks will be spent returning to fighting form as demonstrated when he left the house after a cross country flight and dinner to throw his weighted balls and work out. The beast has been unleashed. He is passionate and ready for one last push to achieve his goal.



Next week, he and I will travel to Tampa to visit with one other training facility. This place is like the pitching doctor on steroids. So, we will check it out. He will weigh his options, then make his decision. We will then send him to either Tampa or Seattle for one last push.



What is going to happen?

Dang if I know. What I do know is that he will not leave any stone unturned. He is not going to be satisfied with a desk job and will land up doing something pretty cool if he does not pitch in the majors.



With that said, I have tons of work and meetings this week. I will try to keep you abreast of the activities as they occur.



Peace!

PS: Got a fitbit for mother's day....at this point, I have 417 steps toward the 10,000. I might not sleep tonight trying to hit the magic goal.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Planning, planning, planning

Good morning! I am doing everything in my power not to grade a boatload of papers. Yet, it's time and has to be done. I need some motivation...more than coffee or a chocolate Dunkin Donuts donut....It's like a paralysis...


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Perhaps it is spring fever....That's it...I am paralyzed by spring fever.



On to Big M....he is hanging in there and battling like he is still playing football. Inspiring! Go Big M....GO! I told Big Sis that she is the quarterback and we are the offensive line. We have to open holes for Big M to run through to defeat the foe. let's do this!

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How is the big kid? Well, he had his final final yesterday....naturally, it was accounting....he needed 37/100 points to pass and graduate. Did he get it? Uh, we don't know...'cause he does not appear confident...yikes! Please God! Oh please! 37 points....that's all I ask at this moment....I'll be in touch later.



Also, thinking about Father J, my favorite Maryknoll priest. He is taking his comps today trying to complete his degree....another prayer coming....."Please God! Help Father J to graduate too!"

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Ok, I am done praying for the next few minutes. The bid lefty is coming home this morning and headed straight to Yoda. That's right. No, 'hi Mom!'....it's more like....'Yoda! I have missed you! Are you taking your blood pressure pills? Getting enough rest and exercise? Want to come with me to Seattle? My folks will pay! You have to stay healthy for another few years. Have some Ginko....'

I received a text in which one of the pitchers asked him if he was hanging up his cleats. The response has been the same to everyone. "Yes, I am going to stay in the south for the summer and get a job on the golf course. Then I will work for my dad in the fall."

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I believe that everyone who has asked him gets the same answer. Yet, we know differently, right?



He is headed to Seattle tomorrow and will find a place to live. Then he will work out and see what happens.

Back to the conversation with one of his team mates. The other guy said that it was good that he was hanging up the cleats since he was D 1 good but not good enough for the pros. Hmmmm.

The big kid's mind went back to the game earlier in the season when the announcer called him Andy Pettit. I believe that this comparison is called better than D1....if you know what I mean.

Whatever happens, he will have done everything with no regrets. Ultimately, he may make a connection an find a job that excites him and settle down. Until then, he follows his plan and heart.



By the way, he had his final meeting with the Czar. It went as expected, although the coach wanted to hear an apology for having surgery without his permission. He never got it. However, the kid sent one salvo in as he told the guy that the grade point averages on the blackboard were a FERPA violation which puts the university at risk to lose its financial aid. The Czar said that he would look into it. The lefty was going to check the locker room last night to see if the gpas were removed. Let's see if the Czar heeded his warning. 



Now, to stay employed and bankroll this future adventure, I must grade papers.



Peace!