Pope-tastic

I'm back! Actually, I never left. I have been training for the Pope's arrival....



Huh?

Yep, I am in training.....



You see......

Big Sis and I volunteered the weekend that he is in Philadelphia. As such, the government has closed the roads and has made travel in and out of town tricky. With that, I entered a lottery to be eligible to purchase transit passes. That was step one. I actually won the lottery (in a matter of speaking, since I still have to pay upfront for train fare and find someone to drop us off at the station since there will be no parking spaces...).



Now that we have overcome one hurdle, my criminal background check came back clean and I am eligible to give up my weekend, find transportation to the city, and walk to my post. This walking could be several miles. Therefore, I am training!



The training is actually quite simple. I am walking five miles each day and wearing out my feet and sneakers. By walking, I am strengthening my legs and core and improving my endurance. I have another six weeks to get into Pope-shape and I believe that I probably need an extra six weeks. Perhaps the Pontiff could hold off until October. No? OK, on to the big kid.....



Hmmmm.....where did I leave off?

Oh yes, he has a hip problem that he blames on his parents. 'natch....it's actually my fault since I have the same problem. But, get a grip!

Dad told him to ease up on training and he will continue to fund his venture. In a way, it is like graduate school and I am his scholarship. Oye!

The big lefty mentioned that the Cubs former number one prospect is training with him. Apparently, he hurt his shoulder pitching. The Cubs gave him six months to rehab. When he was not ready in the aforementioned 6 weeks, the Cubs cut him.

After he was cut, he packed his bags and traveled to Seattle. This is brutal. I get it from a business perspective. Yet, from a mother's point of view, this is heart wrenching. The poor guy.....

Anyway, I can't worry about another pitcher. I have my hands full with one.

The trainers told the big guy that once he was ready, they would get him on a major league team. He was so excited that he hurt his hip by over training.....step by step....little by little. You will be ready for spring training...



OK, got to get moving.....I have another few miles to complete before the end of the day. After all, the Pope is not going to change his schedule for an out of shape BP mom.

I'm walking.....

Peace!

Missing: Velocity

Good morning! I finally have time to write a bit. First.....Happy birthday to Sparky! Enjoy the day, kiddo.

On to baseball in the mountains. As you know we traveled to the mountains to watch the kid pitch against my alma mater. Naturally, I wanted the lefty to win. Did he?

Well.......


Once again, the day was miserable...rain...wind....frigid temperatures during the day. As the day progressed, the rain stopped and the wind dies down. The temperatures were perfect....high 30's.

The ball park has propane gas heaters for fans to stand by when they are cold. I sit by them warming throughout the entire game. They actually work until the 7th inning then my feet and not my head order me to leave and warm up.


The big guy did well. He did not have as many strike outs nor did he have excessive velocity on his ball, but it was enough to keep the team in the game. Once he was relieved, the team went on to score enough runs to win the game. He received a 'no decision'.

While on the mound, I could see that his speed was down since he was not striking out as many as he had in his previous outings. hmmmm.....


As I drove down the mountain since dad and Tink were told to sleep as they both had a 5 am wake up call, he called and began to spew....

"I don't know what happened to my velocity. It's gone. I pulled a muscle in my groin so I cannot use my legs fully."



Groin, eh? That sounds painful. Did you ice it? Did you see the trainer? Are you working it out?

All answers were non committal which means that maybe he saw the trainer and maybe he is icing it.



As of today, it still hurts which means that he is keeping it a secret and not telling anyone to prevent being pulled out of the line up. Sheesh....do you want a permanently damaged groin? I doubt it. But, he can be a bit of a nut case, so I keep my advice to myself since it falls on deaf ears.



In the meantime, when he calls to complain, my response is "man up."



That's right. He knows what to do and all he is looking for is a person he can spew venom without worrying about the consequences. Yet, I want him to stop complaining and do something. A former supervisor of mine use to say: "Fish or cut bait." That's what I say.

Don't complain. Do something. You are the master of your fate. Take over the helm of the ship and begin to call your own shots. You should not have any regrets that you did not speak up when you needed to do so.

Whew. Glad that I got that off my chest. I pray for him and hope for the best. I have seen him at his best and worst. he has so much talent, I hate to see his fear of retribution from the coaching staff prevent him from actualizing his goals, yet they play mind games and they (the entire team) cannot break loose.

Oh well....prayers....prayers.....prayers.....Pray, hope and don't worry....St. Pio's famous line. I am going to try to think this way.....

Moving on......

Peace!

Mr. K

Greetings! I am back on the keyboard before heading out. It's the first day of spring...and it is snowing....yuk.

The team won their last two games and the big kid pitched the home opener.....

Fade to black....

Picture this....it is cold....20's...windy....definitely not a great day for baseball. But, hey...we are playing ball in the northeast AND I recall two weeks ago, the games were cancelled in North Carolina due to snow. So, it's not just us.

Usually I get to the field an hour early to watch warm ups, but on Wednesday, I decided that I was going to check into a hotel instead. I planned on staying overnight since I was getting flack from people who did not want me to drive home after the game. Sheesh....I do love my bed....but I gave in.....

After getting to the field completely bundled up, I looked at both squads. The starters were not wearing long sleeve shirts under their uniforms and their arms were bare. Can anyone say 'popsicles?'



The game begins and I see that the big kid does not have his best stuff. His velocity is low but he manages to strike out 8 batters in 6 innings. He threw 98 pitches with no walks. The Czar was pleased and said so during his post game interview. He always makes the success of the team his fault. When they lose, it is their fault. Get it?

After the game, I went back to the hotel and waited and waited and waited.....when it appeared that the hotel restaurant was going to close, I ordered a steak for the kid so that he could at least have some post game protein. BD, we are changing our post game routine to a better meal that has veggies and protein. He needs it to physically recover.

Around 11p, he and Tonto stopped by for dinner. They ate cold ziti, split the steak, and consumed the chocolate bombs. They spoke about the game. The reason that they were late was because he had to meet the 'media'. He had to wait in line since the Czar needed to be interview and videoed for his take on the success of the game.



As we chatted, they mentioned that they had to life weights before the game. Huh? Uh, no...what?

yep. The trainer made them lift and their bodies were a mess. Tonto can no longer pitch because he has a bad shoulder from the training. Does this make sense? Tonto is done. He is riding out the season, will graduate, and not look back. He can't take it anymore and wants a normal life where he can get out of bed without cringing.

Will they ever learn?

Yesterday, the big lefty went to the pitching coach and pleaded his case. He hurts more from the training than the games. Now that he has 15 strike outs in two games, he has some leverage to make change.

He tells me that if he does not lift, the trainer reports him and mocks the guys and tells them that they are 'soft.' If he wants soft, he should check out my biceps formerly known as muscles....just sayin'

Ok, be soft as you strike out the first two batters that you face.



With that said, the game today has been postponed. The university is getting 6 inches of snow, so I assume the field is covered with a white blanket.

On to my errands and projects.
Peace!

Home Opener

Good morning! I am sorry that I have not written but there was nothing to say. I don't want to belabor the point that the team has only won one game this year. I am keeping out of it. I am not judging. I am not in the locker room. My role is not to judge but to support my boy and his boys as a parent.

No, no one has taken over my keyboard. I am going to watch and wait for the implosion. The Czar is so sure of his coaching skills that.....

Fade to black....

Yesterday, I finally touched base with the big kid. He was happy to be home because he was not allowed to perform his stretching exercises on the road. Remember, they are banned because the coaches and trainers believe that for velocity, a pitcher needs strength and not flexibility. However, there is no data to support this theory ergo....they are wrong....just sayin'



The pitchers have banded together and call themselves the Society of Pitchers.



They gather on a regular basis and tell war stories. He could not tell me any stories because I would be shocked. Therefore, he left the stories to my imagination....flowers, trees, and blue birds...right? Doubt it.....Let's wait to read the book.....

Anyway, the Society has a new motto: "Let's get yelled at."

it's simple and effective. They decided since they were all walking on egg shells trying not to be yelled at, they were tight and stressed. As a group, they decided to say "Screw it" (I paraphrase) and be themselves. In other words, as they are more like themselves, they play better BUT they will get yelled at.

See the logic? I do. This way, they can perform at a better level, tune the Czar and Psycho out, and work out the kinks on their own. Gotcha.

Actually, I do get it. I am all for the motto and cannot see where it will get them into any more trouble than they are already in.

Tonight, they travel to the western part of the state. The Czar asked the big lefty to pitch but he was not ready, His back and groin hurt until someone pulled his hips back into alignment. Ouch...then as he returned home, he could use his equipment to unleash the muscles and loosen them. Of course, there was also an epson salt bath involved. Now he is ready.....

Sooo....he starts tomorrow night in the home opener....30 degrees...in the mountains.....This is terrific. Why?

'Cause I do not have to drive to Pittsburgh. My car is acting up and needs attention. I don't want it to peeter out on the turnpike. It goes into the repair shop and I get a loaner.

And now, I prepare in the only way that I know how.....backed ziti...chocolate bombs....lucky sneakers.....minus 20 degree coat and hat.....rosary.....hand and feet warmers......Tums......

Got to work....
peace!

Baked ziti and a losing streak

Good morning! I want to send a get well shout out to Wildcat's brother who is recovering in the hospital. Get better soon!

On to the world of baseball......

Yesterday's game was moved from 6:30 to 4p due to the weather. This was a good thing. Although, the coaches did not make the decision until 1 p and I had not left the house for the game. Once I quickly punched the information into navigation in the newly cleaned car, I noted that the drive was 2 hours and 45 minutes....Oops...got to fly like Mario Andretti....unfortunately, Mario could not penetrate the traffic on I-95. I think that it is a hoot when tractor trailers move in and out of traffic like they are Subarus. It is not an easy feat and I believe that it is dangerous.



Note to all truck drivers...don't hate me.....but I think that you and the road will be much safer if you stay in your lane and do not try to weave. That's all I am sayin'

Now, the game......

As you and I knew....the kid was supposed to enter the game to pitch an inning. Did that happen? Uh, hmmmm....no.....

The starter was hit early. He gave up two runs in the first two innings and settled in. The opposing team was not like the Texas team and not like the team that they will face on Tuesday night. In other words, they were beatable and this time, the defeat was not due to pitching. When it came time to enter the bullpen, I could hear the big lefty warm up....boom....boom...boom...as the ball hit the glove. No one else's ball made the sonic sound except his. As the Czar called to the bullpen....out runs.......you guessed it....

Stoner!

Uh huh....coach appointed team captain who failed two drug tests is the first to come out. He loaded the bases and got out of it. Now at the top of the 9th, the team loads the bases with no outs. if they score, they had a chance to go to the bottom of the 9th and perhaps win the game. Guess who would have come out to the mound? My guess was the big guy.



Sadly, the closing pitcher was able to get the last three outs and everyone went home.

On to the hotel....we are staying on campus in a Hampton Inn-ish place. In other words, there is a free breakfast and seating area. After the game, rather than going out since the guys pulled into the hotel at 5am, I bought pizza and shared it with some of the other pitchers. These guys are so nice, that when the birthday cheesecake came out, I promised to come back to town with baked ziti, Caesar salad, and more goodies. Not sure what I was thinking, but when the compliment my cheesecake, I will do just about anything to make them smile. Perhaps the baked ziti will bring good luck....one never knows. Perhaps, yes, perhaps....it will help to break the losing streak especially if I use Mrs. Consuelos' bolonese sauce.

And so, the game is at 6:30 tonight, then the guys have to meet with the local alumni club who are sponsoring a dinner. This means that I am on my own all day.



I have the laptop and am trying to complete an article for a magazine, but my brain doesn't work all day, so I have to find something to do....when looking online for some of the local sites, I found a Fire Museum....that's it.....a Fire Museum.....OK.....



When I was in Texas, I visited the George Bush Library and Museum. This was pretty neat. Nothing like that is around here, except for the Fire Museum. BD and I were looking for things to do last week and found the Button Museum online. We never made it there, but it is now on my bucket list.

Time for me to write....deadlines loom.....I am fully caffeinated.....



Peace!

Opening pitch

Good morning! It is getting colder and colder here. Spring cannot be far away....I am thinking positively.

The latest news is that I hired the General Patton of the dog world to make a house visit to break these pups (in a manner of speaking). She was a no nonsense 'dog person'. Those of you who know what dog people are like....she personified it.



She looked around....met the pups....assessed the environment...measured Tink and me up for potential....Then she asked a million questions. Every time that I answered, I knew that she was thinking...'idiot...out of her league...what a dope....who gave her a dog let alone two....hopeless....hapless....impossible situation....'



Based upon her inquisition, I felt that I was not doing anything right. Although, once I answered a question correctly, Patton looked at me with surprise. I guess I am not the total screw up that she felt that I was. I have hidden potential. That's right. Potential. I can and will house train these dogs. They will sit when I command and come when I call. Yep. They are going to be good little soldiers. Right? Uh nope. Today, they were chasing each other. The male can jump on the sofa, so he lands on my lap. The girl started to bark to get at her brother when it happened....



What happened? Well, this has never happened to me before...but I was shocked when it did.

She bit my bottom.



That's right. She bared her newly straightened teeth and accidentally took a mini chunk out of my butt.

You know what?

It hurt and still hurts....not like a bullet wound or an abscessed tooth....or root canal...or labor and delivery of a 9+ pound big headed boy....but it smarts a bit.....I have little Maltese teeth marks on my left cheek right above my thigh. Sitting on it, I can feel something there and it is not a good feeling. She did not do it on purpose. In fact, she was playing and trying to get her brother off the sofa. But, you can imagine my surprise when I felt the teeth enter into the doughiest part of my body. Thank goodness for the extra pounds. Yep, this is where they come in handy. Maybe I will keep them...not! By the way, I am not going to turn her into General Patton. Patton wants me to keep a journal about the pups. There is no way that I am going to report the little playful pup, although, I may mention that she has a tendency to nip when someone is in the way of her playing with her brother....



On to the weekend....the first pitch will be thrown today at 4pm. A senior (who is on the poster) will be on the mound. Tomorrow holds a double header. Two freshmen recruited by the Czar will pitch. That's right. Frosh...straight out of high school...away from home for the first time will pitch the opening games.

If they lose, the Czar will hold practice on Sunday morning after they return to campus. Since they are being bused to NC, the estimated time of arrival on campus is 3 am. Therefore, they will gather for practice 7ish. Nice.

Are they going to lose?

Maybe....maybe not....

Probably....

Definitely.....

Although, who am I? What do I know? They have the best trainers and coaches in the country. These guys are mentally tough. Anything can happen...yet....

As a baseball mom, I have an inside knowledge of the game and the mindset of players AND I can evaluate someone's abilities. Yes, this is a gift. No, my analysis comes from experience and studying the game as well as being a former D1 athlete. I have been there and know that it will be rocky this weekend.

I wish them luck and success. My boy is headed home to see Yoda, but will turn the car around tomorrow to return to campus for Sunday morning practice. He knows that there will be blood shed in NC and wishes to the Good Lord that he was there to help his team. But once Yoda confirms that his elbow is ready to throw, the big guy will be back on the mound, because I predict that the freshmen will fold not because of the lack of skill but because they have no idea what it is like to play in a high stakes division 1 baseball game.

And with that, I am off to pick up Lil A who will be spending the weekend with us as her pop, Uncle Dr G goes on retreat with BP grandpop and Betty. By the way, at 88 years old, BP Grandpop has made 70+ consecutive retreats only missing one or two due to illness. He and BP Grandmom are our prayer warriors.

It will be nice to have a house full of laughter this weekend.

Peace!