Flame throwing

Good morning! Another spring day and I am just starting to sniffle. The full blown allergies will kick in as soon as the cherry blossoms bloom in the northeast.



How is the sad big lefty doing? Hmmmm.....

It seems that yesterday was a turning point for him as he came to terms with his injury and the magnitude behind it. If his coaches had been more supportive, the process would not have taken so long. But the Czar has refused to speak to him because he feels betrayed. Sheesh.

That's right....he has been pitching on one leg compromising the integrity and safety of his arms and hips in order to betray the man who has made his life miserable for the last two years. What a devilish idea.


The people who have been supportive have offered their condolences as they think that this is the end of baseball for him.


Guess what folks.....

This is just the beginning. he's keeping his plans to himself....

OK, he will not take the traditional route and be drafted out of college since he does not have enough innings under his belt thanks to his injury. However, he will be off to Jersey to realign his body then spend a month in Oregon as he learns to throw flaming balls. Then he will play in an independent league for a season and hope to be discovered.

if not....well.....

We had the discussion yesterday and he feels that if it does not happen, he will be fine because he knows that he gave it all. Yet, he does not feel that it is over. Since he was a younger player, batters could not hit his pitches (when he was healthy). He has a gift that he has been cultivating since he was a kid. He is not going to give up until he feels that it is time.

With that said, I had the time to suggest that he has multiple talents and he will be fine. In fact, he will be amazing as he discovers his other gifts such as creativity, humor, the ability to write, and his intuitive nature (when he wants to use it). I also feel that he would be valuable in the business world as he has such talents plus his baseball background.

Yes, my friends, he will be fine. Yet, I cannot help thinking that his playing days are just beginning. I cannot share this thought with him because I do not want to offer false hope. But I watched his pitching over the years and he is right...



when he is healthy, no one can hit him. Plus as he escapes from the clutches of the Czar and Pyscho, he has the chance to use scientific principles and flexibility to return to his flame throwing 90+mph days.

Ok, off to get the work done.

Peace!

Turn, turn, turn.....a time to slide...a time to vent...

Good icy morning! Yep, I am going to slide to work today. As a kid, I loved the ice....of course, I did not have a driver's license and walked everywhere. Then I had a change of heart that lives with me until this very day....

Fade to black....

It was a snowy day in college and since I attended a large religious  university in the northeast, naturally, the sidewalks were coated with snow and ice. Why do I mention 'religious' when I speak of this story? Well, it is my firm belief that the Augustinians prayed that none of the students would slip on the ice because it seems that the budget that year ran out of salt that would melt the ice and make the walking for the students a tad bit safer.....

Where was I? Oh yes, I was walking to my class at the bottom of a hill....there I was taking it slow but naturally running late for the start of the class. I was two steps from safely making it to the door and into the building when the unspeakable happened....you guessed it.....

I did a flip and landed up on my back with my books flying into the air. I give the fall a 9 on a scale of 1 to Fresno...the Russian judge gave me a two for poor technique.


 As I crawled to my books, I wondered if no one witnessed this performance. Hoping against all odds, I received  hearty applause from some business majors. There are days when life is not fair and other days when I say "I should not have gotten out of bed today...."

On to an update about the big kid's arm....

Saturday was a nasty day. He was despondent. I was angry.....I was ready to go to campus and take on the entire university and was stopped dead in my tracks. "Mom, don't come. If my arm is completely destroyed, you can unleash Dr. BPM and let them have it. Take no prisoners.  Don't come until I know."

OK, so for the rest of the day, I waited for an update....and waited....and waited....and waited....



Finally, I did some retail therapy with Tink, a coupon, and the clearance rack. Even that did not work for me. Sure, I picked up some great bargains, but that did not crack the angst. It was during this time that BD and Wildcat offered their ears and support to me. Yes, thank the good Lord for these women because they offered me an opportunity to vent over the phone. I have to say that I love them way too much to shout into the phone while I held the beast back.

So, I went for the next best thing....I screamed at dad over the phone. First, I told him what I was going to do and to be prepared. Not being able to see what he was doing since it was a phone call, I think that he put my call on speaker, then turned down the volume, and proceeded to work on his computer as he uttered:

"uh huh"

"you're right"

"he'll be fine."

"he should not be lifting at all."

"Right"

"Gotcha"

"Anything else?"

"Right...uh huh...hmmmm......got a client in the office...can I call you later....perhaps next week?"

Then it happened. I felt better..a little...until the next call came from the big leftie.

"Mom, I saw the trainer."

Was he cranky? Did you see him right away?

"No, I waited. The he looked at it and said that the elbow as too inflamed to work on it. He will take care of it tomorrow."

Then it happened. I didn't mean it, but it happened....I did not even warn him....the mushroom cloud could be seen for miles....



I went berserk. ...

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? It is time for you to take ownership of your body. The way that you train, you are headed for permanent disability.  it is time for you to own your body and refuse or stop when it hurts. If the Czar and Psycho want to yell, then take it. It is your body. That's it. No more. If he ignores the best health care professionals in the country because he knows best then I will be there to speak to the AD!"

"And another thing.....since that coach never played baseball in college, he is absolutely clueless how to succeed. You must stand up for yourself and face the consequences. Then have Tonto video it with his cell phone when the coach goes ballistic. I am tired of these preventable injuries. We are done. Do you hear me. Done! No more."

"If you lift again before you pitch, I will come to the locker room and unleash Dr. BPM, There will be no prisoners. There will be puddles on the floor. Sure, you will be embarrassed and want  to disown me, but you will be safe!"



"That's it. No more."

Then he wanted to vent, but I felt better and exhausted and told him to call me later.....

Today, his arm is off the mound. He cannot use it. The trainer has to dig out the knot from the muscle. Dr. G says that it is 'golfer's elbow.' I say that he is on the shelf for a while. This is non negotiable. That's it in a nutshell.

I did not go to campus. I did not scream at the coaches and trainers. I kept to myself with the immediate family taking the brunt of hurricane BPM.

Now, it is time for me to slide onto work....

Peace!

And the Oscar goes to....

Good rainy morning. It is sloppy and muddy out there. The roads have iced up and are closed for another few hours. I definitely need the wellies and ice skates today when I walk the pups....For now, they are quiet and sleepy...hopefully they will sleep until the sun comes out.

Last night, I received a late call from the big lefty who was in his favorite store, WalMart buying his Epson salts. "Mom, I just got back from the movies and saw American Sniper. It was amazing."



"I heard that it was disturbing."

"Yes, but Bradley Cooper was awesome and so was the movie."

I would believe that BC was amazing because every movie that I have seen him in, he has been pretty good. In fact, he should win the Oscar. How do I know that when I have not seen any other nominated movie? I actually don't, but I like him, so he should win. Isn't that enough for the voters? His production company should use this as they campaign for his victory: "BC has been endorsed by BP mom..." Yep, they will all take my opinion into consideration when completing the ballot. He is a shoo-in....or is it 'shoe-in'?

Now, this American Sniper movie is in direct contrast to the movies that I normally see with Wildcat and anyone else who wants to join me. This morning, having taken the pups out when they started to whine, I turned on the television, which I normally do not do. My morning routine is to read the newspaper on my Samsung tablet with my coffee as the dogs eats their Greenies (a delicious dog bone). Since my tablet is being fixed, I am at a loss as to what people do in the morning when sipping their coffee. So, I turned the news on.....however, the news was not on the television. The movie Beethoven's Second was on the channel.



Normally, I do not watch much television, let alone a dog movie, but something about this movie drew me in (don't judge until you hear the plot...it was quite intricate).

When I started to watch the movie, a brother and sister had stolen 4 puppies (Beethoven's, naturally) from a mean man and woman who had stolen Beethoven's girl friend (another St Bernard). Apparently, the mean man and woman were going to drown the puppies (YIKES! This is a thriller and a kid's movie). The kids hid the dogs in the basement for several weeks from their parents until the beans were spilled and the father had a melt down. Somehow, the kids managed to convince the dad to let them have the puppies until they were old enough to give them away to a worthy family. The dad, looking at 18 sets of doe-eyes (including Bonnie Hunt's) reluctantly allowed them to take care of the pups until the dogs were given away....sure. Even I can see through this one. They are going to have these 5 dogs forever...

Or are they?

That's right. They needed another hour to fill in the movie and somehow Beethoven had to rescue his girl friend, Missy, from the mean man and woman. Moving through the next hour of cuteness, I was spellbound as Beethoven managed to save the father,  Missy, and his 4 babies and win the burger eating contest at the county fair at the same time. Talk about Oscar-caliber performances. My vote goes to the dog who played Beethoven. I laughed, cried, and did not move from the television set until all were safe and happy.



All of this is in direct contrast to Bradley Cooper, who has been nominated for his performance as a guy who can use a gun with precision and kill the bad guys. On the other hand, Beethoven did not need a gun, and got the bad guys with his teeth, slobber, and wits.

Beethoven versus Cooper....hmmm...this is a toughie....who should win the Oscar? This is too difficult to call. Glad that I do not belong to the Academy. I will let you decide. Click on the link to take you to B-2's movie trailer......Now check out American Sniper's movie trailer. Tough call, right?

On to other news....it is BP Grandpop's 88th birthday party. We will gather at Dr G's house after the ice on the road melts. I have always admired BPG, but now, after his fractured hip, I admire him more. There seems to be a rule of thumb that when an elderly person breaks a hip, they rapidly deteriote. Well, did anyone share this news with Pop? Nope.

He has gone from wheelchair to walker to cane in a few months. Nothing has gotten him down as he continues to rehab and gain more strength. He is someone to admire as his grit and determination are currently in overdrive. When he is not working on his strength, he is saying his prayers and entertaining the family. He's quite a guy and someone who has never let life get him down. Now, he is definitely Oscar-worthy as he shows us how to act  in life.

With that said, it is time to check the roads.

Peace! 

A dreaded meeting

Good morning! it's the weekend after Thanksgiving and there was so much to be grateful for such as family gathering in our home and around the table. It was a good day...too much food and now.....



yep, here we go.....let's begin to count Weight Watchers points again...no more than 26 each day, so I have to be mindful of what I eat and drink until.....

Cookie fest VI!

Yes, CF VI is coming up soon so I have to start my work outs and watching for excessive calorie consumption. In other words, I am in training.

Ok, how is the big guy? Well, I did not see much of him over the holiday until Thursday since he worked in the bakery peeling and cutting apples until midnight each night. He peeled and cut 80 cases of apples. Yes, he was Johnny Appleseed again.


No, I did not buy a pie from the bakery since he did not work the day before Thanksgiving. Because of the snow, people got a little crazy and changed their Wednesday pick up orders to Tuesday afternoon. Therefore, the day before turkey day was like any other day and he was given the day off. Nice.

Today, however, he is meeting with the oh-so-tan Czar as he returns from his extended cruise. The Czar is going to share with him how he did during fall ball and ask him....
"who would you go to battle with?"

"Who would you least like to go to battle with?"

Oh boy. Here we go. He is asking for something that the kid does not want to give him, in other words, he has to be a snitch. Inside information about his team mates, which, knowing the Czar, will be used against him publicly at any point and any time. Just to humiliate him....or the other team mates. If he doesn't answer, he is in trouble. If he answers, he is in trouble. It's a losing proposition.

This is bad. Really bad.

Why?

Well, I'll tell you.

This is bad because it is divisive rather than unifying. A team is only as strong as its weakest link. Is it right for a 'coach' to have his players calling out the other guys as the weakest? Isn't this the role of the coach? Isn't this why they had these inane Omaha games at 5 am the week before Thanksgiving?

What is the role of a coach anyway? Well, if you go by the Czar's rule of thumb, it is to embarrass and humiliate guys into performing better. ....for an example of this, go into the locker room and see the guy's grade point averages on the blackboard. They have been there all fall.



When I am embarrassed, I get tense and anxious. Any coach who has yelled at me will not get what he or she seeks. In fact, he will get the opposite plus a whole lot of angst. No pitcher wants to give up a home run ball.....oh maybe one or two weirdos....."Oh boy! I gave up a home run! yahoo! Now we lose! Do I feel great!"

No.

In fact, they think: "Ahhhh....nooooooo, it's my fault. I should never have thrown that ball.....ahhh...." Then the pitcher does not sleep for a few nights reliving the dreaded pitch.

Now, you add the team mates calling you out before the season even begins....Sheesh! I have agita thinking about it.

On the plus side, the lefty's earned run average was second lowest for the starters last year. He had one bad outing in Florida last year when there were 6 errors behind him that boosted it. 

With that said, I sort of look forward to 5 o'clock today (definitely happy hour) when I get the 411 about the meeting. Will try to post tomorrow.

Ok, gotta run.

Peace!

PS: Saw St Vincent with Wildcat yesterday...it was pretty good in a peculiar way. I'll let you determine why when you see it.