Nothing tastes better than a win....except Skittles, perhaps?

Good morning! I am 98.8% done with my grades and am so excited that I could eat a sleeve of Girl Scout thin mint cookies....but I won't.



Yesterday, I lamented that my time is almost over as BP mom in the university setting. I guess that I was complaining. Was it Dr. Seuss that said "Don't cry that it is over; smile that it happened."?

Or was it Nelson Mandela?


No, Mandela said: "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." This is actually one of my favorite quotes. There is something about this wisdom that I like.

On to college.....yesterday the big guy called and reported about his session with the psychologist. I only wish that I could see this doc since he is so down to earth and gets it. He really gets it. They spoke about the kid's labile emotions and tactics on how to handle them.  it seems that the doc is also a great proponent of deep breathing. I have to try it sometime. Breathe...in and out....don't hold it! Try again...in and out....I have to practice.

He also spoke about the strength trainer and how the coaches will not listen to him. Then doc said something important. No, not breathe....but "get over yourself. The coaches are not going to make changes based on one guy's ideas." Touch`e.

We had a few laughs over the session and they made plans to see each other once a week until the end of the season. I could not be happier, because I make a terrible counselor. When someone comes to me crying, I land up crying with them. Empathy? Maybe....although it smears the mascara that took me 5 seconds to apply.

And so, today he is happy and laughing as we also chatted about the team's propensity for drinking. Actually, the guys are quite good at it. On Wednesday nights, they go to a bar that has a special on 'bombs'. A bomb special drink is a shot of hard liquor in a red bull. The guy then chugs it and gets wasted immediately. I think that this would make my heart stop. A shot of hard liquor coupled with an energy drink would definitely explode in my body, therefore it is appropriately named.


I asked him about the drink and he replied that he never had it because he follows the tenets of a great sports philosopher, Tom Brady. Yep, Tom Brady. You may have heard of him not in your  history books but in the sports pages. TB is one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and my kid has admitted to a man-crush on the guy. You see....TB does not drink. He says: "I never had a beer that tasted better than a win." Oh dude, you know my son so well....it is all about his sport and winning is everything as is physical recovery. And liquor slows down the recovery process. Again....this is good stuff. I might develop a BPmom crush on TB. After all, he is making it rain cash in his home with his work ethic, dedication to excellence, and attention to detail.

With that said, I gotta finish the last 1.2% of my grading then I will be free...well sort of...free to work on my next project....

Peace!

Stomach pains

Howdy! It's wet....raw....damp....a typical April spring day.

Yesterday, I heard from the big kid who was in the airport. "Ma, what can I do for stomach pains?"

Sigh....great....I betcha a buck that he is going to be put on the mound this weekend with his stomach pains. Does life ever get simpler? Naw.

"OK, find a store. Buy Tums. Let me know how they work."

"Found them...I took four. I feel better."

Four! Dude, take 1. OK, just one! What are you trying to do?



AS we continued to chat, he had convinced me to watch the Jeremy Lin story on Netflix, which I did. Here is a guy that my kid relates to....as an Asian, he was overlooked despite his talent. No, the big leftie is not Asian, however, he has been overlooked a number of times.







During the movie, Lin was not recruited despite being player of the year in California winning the state championship. He landed up at Harvard, the only place to recruit him with his perfect math SAT scores, broke records, was amazing, and not drafted by any professional team. After he watched the entire draft, only to see that he was not included, Houston invited him to play on their "D" team. He was again amazing, yet again....cut....then he signed with Golden State...sent to their D team...cut....signed with Houston....cut.....then New York signed him. He did not even get into practices as he watched from the sidelines. Once he finally got into a game, he was terrible....again, he was placed in a game....awful. He asked the coach if he should ship his car from California who replied: "probably not...". He slept on his brother's sofa as well as another team mates love seat. He had one more chance and knew that he would be cut if he did not play well. The rest is history. The guy had a career season, left the Knicks and signed with Houston for $25 million for three years.

Why does my kid follow "Linsanity?" "cause he can relate to being either cut or overlooked. He sees guys who are drunk the night before games placed on the mound and under performing. He sits and watches, breathes, and waits.

Now that the top left handed pitcher has been cut from the team, he moves up. With his stomach pains, I have a sneaky feeling that he is going to get into a game this weekend. I only hope that his stomach problems disappear before he appears in a game. Otherwise.....OY! I don't even want to think about it.

With that said, I have my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed and am hoping for the best. Go big guy!

Later!

All plans are subject to change

Good morning! The day has arrived with mixed emotions. First, the guys don't want to play in 40 degree weather on a field that may have ice on it...just a bit of a hazard and safety problem. Also, I am sadly not there to observe the games. My plans took a nasty turn with the latest snow fall. Fortunately, since I am driving, I have the opportunity to be flexible.

 So, I can leave tomorrow for Florida or I can leave Tuesday. Nonetheless, I won't miss this series.


I did note on the opposing team's website that the games are going to be streamed online. This is terrific. I can stay warm, eat popcorn or crack open the boxed wine, and watch my computer for a few hours. This definitely is a answer to my sadness for missing the opening pitch.



After a twelve hour trip (mom, no Wifi....sad face), the team stretched their legs, had another practice, and went out to dinner. I have not heard from the kid since he boarded the bus for dinner, so I have no idea how it went. But I suggested that he ate pasta and protein to prepare the body for a double header.

His lovely face made the photo that was posted on Facebook. In it, his head is turned a bit, skull cap on his head, and several days growth on his face When did he decide that this was a good look?

Hold everything!

Dad just walked into my office with the news that the second floor heating unit is not working. Seriously?? Now the second floor? Dang! What the heck is going on? Please do not tell me that I have to call my heating guy George back! Double dang! Triple dang! I am supposed to leave town but I can't if I have to get the heat pump fixed. Heck! Double heck! Triple heck! There is also a strange odor in my office which is above the heating units. Oy! Crack open the box on this one!

Well, that's it gang. In less time than it takes me to write a short post, my plans have changed again. We chatted about flexibility, right?

And so, my friends, my travel plans have changed in the last five minutes. Crud! Double crud! Triple crud!

OK, enough. Time to call George and have him check out the heat again. If history repeats itself, it will take him four visits to fix the heat pump over a period of two weeks. Ahhhh.

Sorry, I am bummed.....I'll post after I watch the games, not in the warmth of my home, but in the chill of my home....have a great day!

No hablo espanol

Hi. I'm back and hanging out with a sick Diva dog. She has an upset tummy and is right next to me on the sofa as I type. I ma not sure what the deal is with her stomach but she seems content leaning on me....sweet....



How is Big M? Well, we still don't know. What a roller coaster...he has a growth on his heart and is multiplying as I type. The docs have to identify what type of cells compose the mass to take immediate action. It is almost 48 hours with no news and it is taking a pound of flesh out of all of us who are sitting and waiting.....and waiting....and waiting.



Big M is a strong and healthy man. He will beat it but we have to get going on it. The oxygenated blood of the heart is feeding this mass as it grows. With that said, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

I will share a bit of disconcerting information that has us furious and confused. It seems that a pseudo friend removed the tumor from his lung two years ago. He stopped by Big M's room and has been tormenting my sister since then. I call him the "big butt" (sorry about my French). Anyway, big butt or BB to sis and me has been looking at the chart and telling Big M that he hopes that he does not have sarcoma since they cannot treat it. He also said that he is not a candidate for a heart transplant since he had overcome cancer. Every time BB enters Big M's room, he has something else negative to say. I am ready to take BB out to the woodshed and so is Big Sis. He is Doctor Gloom and Doom,  and I am ready to set a trap at the door by hanging a bucket of water in the doorway as he walks through it.





The guy is literally clueless about how his words are affecting all of us especially Big M. When they say that a person is highly intelligent but does not have social skills, they put BB's photo on the webpage. He is the poster child for stupidity and poor bedside manner. 

Although it hasn't been all bad. Big sis and I are working on clandestine ways of eliminating BB from the room's guest list....so far, we have been unsuccessful. Oye.....

As we wait, we have been eating our comfort food. I ate an entire bag of Skittles during the operation then had a sugar lag and almost fell asleep. Big sis reaches for pumpkin squares and lattes and Big M loves crunchy peanut butter and jelly on white bread. I also picked up mini chocolate donuts and Devil Dogs. That's right...a million Weight Watchers points which went down the drain when I ordered mac and cheese in the hospital cafeteria. My next splurge is going to have to be lasagne. I have a craving for it. Once I ate the mini chocolate donut, I knew that it had a crack-like effect. Some how, some way, I have to eat lasagne in the next 12 hours.....

And how is my big guy? Well, after studying for 5 days, he did not perform well on his Spanish III test. He's incredibly disappointed and is not sure what to do. Although, he does have a tutor. I believe that he forgot Spanish over the summer despite living in Texas. Learning a language is like using a muscle. The more that you use it, the stronger it gets. By not keeping up with the Spanish over the summer, he regressed and is now trying to overcome his memory deficit.


Tonight, weather permitting, he will pitch 4 innings for the first time since high school. I guess that he is taking the arm out for a spin. I am not sure if he is confident or nervous since we have not spoken in a few days. The sun rises and falls on his fastball, so I am hoping for a few throws in the 90s and high 80s.

With that said, I will be writing tomorrow as we hear from the doctors and bullpen.  Signing out on a very rainy day! Adios!

Weighing options

Good morning! Yesterday's post was cathartic for me. I have been frustrated for a number of years as I witness the service professions take advantage of  home owners. Through no fault but my own, I let it happen. Therefore, I will continue to share my faux pas with readers as a community service. That's right....community service. 

Speaking of which, as I peruse the websites helping our Tink locate the perfect job, I found a few for myself. There is one a few minutes from the house that pays double of what I currently make plus I am qualified for it. The only problem is that it is a twelve month contract and I would have to be in the office 5 days (at least a week). This can pose a few issues for me as I love working at home and showing up at work for classes and meetings. Do I want a challenge or do I stay where I am comfortable? It is certainly something to ponder. Plus the job is largely administrative and I, for one, really loathe having to manage other people for a number of reasons.



And so, I will sit back and consider whether I should pursue the job or focus on my students who struggle to understand what I am saying in class....a dilemma.....In other words, do I look for a position where people do understand what I say and won't follow through OR where people don't understand and cannot follow through.....which is the less frustrating position to be in?

As far as the big kid is concerned, today is his first fall scrimmage and he is set to pitch. There are multiple unanswered questions that will be answered by 10 pm tonight.

~Will he bring it tonight? Can his fast ball hit its mark over the plate?

~Has the pitching doctor's program actually increased his velocity?

~Will he be able to manage his head and thoughts as he tried to impress the new coaches?

~Can he overcome his doubts?

~Will I get a happy or salty phone call tonight to review the game's events?

~Do I need to start praying now or at 6 pm?







What can I say? No matter what kind of job you choose, there are doubts and anxieties associated with it. The big leftie and I are really more alike than either of us want to admit. I, too would be nervous and have troubles if the entire team was staring at me. Coming back from an injury is not easy. Will he still have his stuff? Can he use his new mantra 'attack' as he throws the ball and can he block out his thoughts and the crowd's cheers and boos? Why does he want to do this? Wouldn't he prefer a job that is not contingent upon a group of people watching your every move? He could be drafted by a team in the midwest, traded to a team in Canada, or be sent to Central America to pitch.  What about Japan? Their cost of living is sky high? Does he really want this lifestyle and ambiguity? Does he have a strong enough personality to handle it? Do I?

Ah, so many questions and a ball has yet to be thrown. So, I will take my convoluted thoughts and focus on the job that I have and worry about something else....such as finding my chocolate Rolo cookie recipe for Tank's next food competition. There is nothing better than a chocolate cookie with caramel in the center....nothing....really....try it...

As they say in Little League: "Play ball!"

Later.....

Case Race Part II

Greetings! A great day in the northeast and I am looking forward to the Mushroom Festival...that's right...I am going to the local mushroom festival in a neighboring town. It seems that we are known as the world's leading producer of mushrooms. Take that, Florida and California! More about that later....

I haven't posted in the past few days since I was getting ready for the tennis regional playoffs. Yep, my little ole team made the playoffs and I was pretty nervous and excited. I played with a woman who hates to lose more than I hate lima beans which means 'alot'. So, not wanting to tick her off, I made sure that I hit my serves into the little boxes, got into the right position, and watched the ball. That was the extent of my strategy. Fortunately, our opponents were more nervous than I was, so we won our match.

 

However, our team did not advance since our other two doubles teams were unable to pull out victories.

The way I look at it is...any day...any time...any one can beat the top players. And so it goes...back to practice and on to paddle.


How is the big kid? Uh, can anyone say "craz-ee?" He is beyond intense.



I haven't seen him like this in years. He eats, sleeps, and reads baseball. He works out like a fiend and refuses to let his guard down. he just started eating multi grain bread since it is good for him. I have tried for 21 years to get him to ingest a grain or two with no luck. According to his nutritionist, loading with complex carbs are good for him. Hmm....I've said it for years....deaf ears....selective listening/hearing. In fact, when he announced his change in diet, it was like a light bulb turned on in his noggin.

Back to his obsession. He left a track party at 10:30 on Friday night as I received a text "am I getting old? I just left a party early?" Old indeed. Try getting out of bed every day with my bones and joints as I hobble to grab my robe. Now, that's old.



Anyway, as he tucked himself into bed in the poop deck, he rose early since all of the sports teams were expected onto the football field at 11 am to greet the football players as they ran onto the field for the first home opener in a stadium of roughly 100,000 people. What he did not expect was that 75% of his team mates had met in the house of mold at 9 am and had case races.



That's right, by 11 am, they were so drunk that they were staggering. Wanting to grab the baseball flag and keep it in the air, Angel got to it first. Unfortunately, he won the case race and was in such a drunken state that he started to jab people with the baseball flag, run onto the field with the cheerleaders on the opposing team dancing, and screaming that he was so drunk that he wanted Buddy to take video since he would not remember the day.

As he was screaming, the athletic director walked onto the field directly behind him. Can anyone say: "ooops?" Needless to say, there will be some fireworks on the field today with the 8 am practice.

Oye! As I said to my son: "worry about things that you can control. You cannot control what your team mates do. Show them the results of your hard work and they will begin to follow."

And so, another fun day in the BPM household....last week's dessert and drinks party was postponed until today for rain, so I have to finish my desserts. Lil D stopped by and asked me to make brownies for him. His quint sister and brother begged for the chocolate stuffed cupcakes. OK, gang....comin' to ya....by the way, I found a great brownie pizza recipe online that looks amazing. Sadly, I have begun to count my points today for WW and will not try it. But I'll watch as the kids eat them and will report back to you as to the quality and consistency and whether they are 'calorie worthy'.



Gotta run! Peace!

Am I dreaming?

Hello! Friday....Friday...Friday! That's it....hot n juicy kind of a day. There are lots of weeds that need to be pulled, but it's waaay too hot. Speaking of too hot, I have tried to get my electrician to fix the outside lights for the past 6 weeks. First excuse: "ground is too hard..." Second excuse: "too wet"...Next excuse: "get the bushes trimmed so I can get back there..." Today's excuse: "too hot..." Dude, do you only work when the weather is dry, 72 degree temperatures with a cool but not too cool breeze? 'Cause if this is the case, I am going to electrician school and dumping my college degrees....just sayin'....

On to a bigger problem than the lighting on the outside of the house.....yesterday, the big guy woke up with terrible pain in the left arm and a more terrible reaction. I am not going to give you a blow by blow description, but let's just say that I left for work a few hours early. He was absolutely hostile, salty, and out of his mind. Nothing is right. Everything is wrong. This is the worst....blah blah blah....yeah, that's what it sounded like and I am not kidding. On my way out the door, I admonished him for going from 0 to 60 mph without shifting and considering his options. Frankly, I would not like this kid to be my surgeon when a major artery is nicked with the scalpel. I can see him screaming in the operating room while all of my blood leaves my body.....again....just sayin'....



As I ran out the door, I shouted to him..."Did you call PT?...no.....well....what do you expect?"
"Text Uncle G to see you....." Finally as I sped away in the safety of my vehicle, I considered one last option. And may I say that it was my idea....I called home....call your surgeon and see if he can see you today.

And so, I landed safely at work, and yes, I was more than happy to be there when I received call number 1: "The surgeon will see me today....." Good. This call interrupted my first meeting.



Call number two comes in after call number one (again interrupting my meeting) from dad. I did answer reluctantly and asked if I could return his call after the meeting: "Hurry up..." Why does this lack of planning constitute an emergency for me? Huh? Why?

Having to rush through the rest of the meeting with the explanation that my 21 year kid and his dad cannot go 10 minutes without speaking to me, I returned the call. "We're going to see Dr. M at 1:45." Gotcha....by chance, you really don't need me there....right?

On to meeting two that went very well without any texts, calls or updates.....

Now, I don't want anyone to think that I am self-indulgent, but I finally decided to treat the legs and feet to a pedicure.....Ok, there is more to the story than picking the right color....

The pedicure was to take place at a new place where the women and men sit in easy chairs, lights are dimmed, candles are lit (or actually faux candles), music is low and soothing, and they begin by placing you on an ottoman with your feet in a warm bucket of water, not a whirlpool. Then as you sit there, a woman with strong fingers and hands gives you a shoulder and back message....yep, that's right.....it's just what I needed after months of being on call, resolving problems, worry, and stress...

as I began to relax, the phone goes off....OYE!!!! "Where are you? We haven't been seen yet by the doctor...." My 30 seconds of relaxation evaporated into the bucket of water....."Uh, pedicure time....remember? A year overdue....K?"


Hanging up,  I turned the ringer volume off as she began to massage the legs...when I tell you that this was amazing...I am not lying....relax...relax...relax....ahhhh.....ring...ring...ring...the phone rang through vibration....Ignore it, I say to myself...this is your 10 minutes....ignore it....ignore it....ignore...."OK, now what??"

And my 30 seconds of relaxation was all I needed as the surgeon felt that he could continue to throw and that his tricep was tight....diagnosis: go to Texas....He actually said more, but I don't have enough time to review. Therefore, the trip was on...or was it?

Today he was scheduled to see his PT to discuss therapy and stretches to alleviate the sore tricep....ready, set, go.....the PT examined the kid and shut him down. In other words, no Texas. Sigh....

Here is the breakdown...he has a little strain and his mechanics are screwed up (that's what college coaching will do for ya....). No Texas....come to PT....relearn your mechanics, build your shoulder strength again....oh by the way, according to his surgeon who is the KC Royals pitching doctor, a pitcher is never to lift weights over his head. What has he been doing for the last three years? Answer: Lifting weights over his head. In fact, a good percentage of the team's pitchers have needed surgery in the past few years. And now, we know why.





Where do we stand besides the Land of Ambiguity? Well, he's not headed to Texas until July....going to work out with the therapist....going to see Coach T in Lehigh Valley...going to find a local pitching coach. All this is new information for us as we process the events of the last 48 hours.

Where do I stand? Well, I'd like to place my head in a bucket of warm water rather than my feet, pinch myself, and try to see if all of this is a dream.....

have a great weekend!

Embrace your crazy

Good morning! It's overcast, but I don't care...everyone was in the house last night and it felt awesome...although I was in bed with a tissue stuffed up my nose as the sinus thing will not go away. It is stuck on me like a piece of old chewing gum on one of my favorite boots.....can't get rid of it, so I accept it's existence in my life.....

And now...on to life as we know it....as we celebrated Cupcake's birthday in the only way the BP mom family knows how to do it with lots of people, food, pastries, and fun....the big kid decided to make an entrance which made everyone soooo happy. Arriving directly at the party after checking out of the house of mold, the big guy went on to share some of his highlights of his last week as a red shirt sophomore.....yep, these are the highlights....

Besides hanging out with the guys and partying one last time, Angel found the opposing team from Michigan and invited them to hang out with them for a while. Naturally, this lead to quite a bit of friendly camaraderie. As Buddy learned, you don't necessarily have to hate your opponent all the time, just while they are on the field.

And speaking of 'on the field', he did have the opportunity to throw last week as you read in one of the last posts. He had two awesome innings and one not-so-good inning....very typical outing for the big guy. And so, as he loaded the bases in the only way he knows how-by hitting the last batter, the pitching coach walked out to the mound....actually, he trudged out.....yep, step by step....inch by inch...grabs the ball and says: "You're embarrassing yourself...." and that was it. Not..."good effort....nice try....some good throws...." Nope....you embarrassed yourself and the university. Shall I comment on these historical words or move on? Let's move on, 'cause I will save this commentary for later.

The team actually won one of the three games and packed up to return home or find a job.

But, before they left, the head coach met with all of next year's returning players to go over the year and make summer and fall plans. This, my friends, never ends....ever....



In the meeting, the coach was happy about Texas but gave the big kid one bit of advice....now I am paraphrasing....

"Some people on the team think that you are crazy..."

"Yeah, well coach, if working hard and focusing on improving is crazy, then I guess I am."

"OK, embrace your craziness. I like it...."

Embrace your crazy....that's nice....embrace it...like hold on to the label that we have given to a guy who works hard every day, gets to the field early, leaves late, processes all kinds of information, reviews film, throws in the dark with the headlights of the car focused on the field, eats, sleeps, and dreams his chosen profession, does everything that the coaches ask without a word of negativity....and so on....oh, by the way...makes the Dean's List during the baseball season.

yeah....super....stay crazy....'cause let me tell you, Sir....this is the type of attitude that can change systems, professions, communities, and the world. You want more people to focus on their strengths and try to eliminate their weaknesses. You want people who will not settle for mediocrity. This is called a person who is dedicated and someone who leads by example.

Therefore, by fueling the 'kid is crazy' legend, you are basically telling people that it is OK to make fun of the kid who studies hard, does his work, and becomes a brain surgeon. After all, brain surgeons, engineers, doctors, lawyers, major league baseball players are not hatched....they work for it. So, rather than saying: "Dude, you're not nuts...you're focused....", you are sending a message to the coaches and players that it is fine to mock him.....make fun of his effort....bully him in a way.

Thank goodness, this kid is able to overcome this type of culture, 'cause there are others who are leaving the team this week and not coming back because of the way the coaches allow the inmates to run the asylum. 

Fortunately, the big guy wants it so bad and has lots of home support that he is willing to overlook these comments of condescension. I believe it makes a person stronger and his momma a bit crazed too. Yet, with the roadblocks, he just keeps on going like Super Mario as he jumps over the barrels and scary monkeys.

With that said, I gotta move on....have a great day!