Onward

Tonight is Buddy's last night home for another two months. Time really flew....he sort of adjusted to the old routine. There were a few things that he forgot to do such as locking the door at night time, turning off the garage light and closing the door before bed, throwing out hershey kiss wrappers rather than dropping them on the floor, leaving wet towels on the floor, dishes in the sink, walking the dog when she needs it, tossing recyclables in the bin, and so on. Now that he is going away, my re-orientation of house rules will go by the wayside.....

As I previously mentioned, he ready with his hefty bag matching luggage. The car is packed and has new tires, but I am sure that he is going to forget some very important items like a tooth brush, pillow, and socks. He is walking around like he is in a daze or fog....like something important is on his mind....nah....

So, tomorrow at 5 am, dad and Buddy leave for the great unknown. They will point the car west and follow navigation until they reach the field. After that...who knows...this is yet another adventure for the big guy and his dad. Beginning at the tender age of 1, the kid has had a ball, bat or glove in his hand. His dad was a willing participant in the development of his skills. They would spend hours together as tutor and pupil, coach and player, and father and son. It is a journey that I have watched and also taken. But the story is more about the two of them and how a sport has created a bond that will never be broken. They speak to one another at least twice a day and work through the travels on life together. It is something to behold.....

Now the question is: "Where will the summer roads take him?" Will he sink or swim in this league? Can he add another pitch to his game or will all of this effort be in vain? I don't know, stay tuned....

On the road again.....

Today is Memorial Day and I would like to thank all the wonderful men and women who have valiantly served our country. May God bless them all...

It is also two days before I leave for an extended "vacation." I have so much to think about that my brain is in a freeze and won't let me plan. I also begin teaching an online course tomorrow night, which means that I will virtually bring my class with me to our place in Ohio.

Some of Buddy's team mates are playing in regions that I can only dream about. For example, his friend Big A will be playing for two months in Hawaii. Yes, you are seeing this correctly...Hawaii. Need I say more? I could live in a grass hut on the beach and surf all day with my laptop plugged into my newly purchased generator....sorry....dreaming.....back to reality.

He is ready to go. All of his worldly possessions are packed neatly in hefty trash bags. On the other hand, I am flustered and wondering what I need.....laptop...printer...camera...Skittles....lucky sneakers....can't think of anything else....

a bit more....

I was in a rush this morning and had time to post just a short note about the final play off game. However, there is so much more to share. I don't know where to begin. Today was our official first day home as a complete family. I politely requested that we go to mass together, then everyone could split and go their own way. Despite a few grumbles, we made it to the 7:30 am. At this early time, my day was made....thank you to my children for spending time with me at such an early hour.

So, it is Sunday and everyone has their own plans. Dad wanted to work, run errands and clean his oh-so-dirty car. Buddy was pumped up because his coach and mentor was finally called up to the big leagues last night. When he awoke this morning, he had a text sharing the good news. His coach is now a 29 year old rookie. Best wishes, kiddo....keep it low...no hanging curve balls over the plate....Tink....well, she did not have any real plans except to follow me around during the day and finish her laundry. Speaking of laundry, Buddy's clothes and equipment did not make it into the house. I sent him to the laundromat with his piles of dust, dirt, and clothes reminiscent of Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen who walked around with a cloud of dust surrounding him. The clean clothes are now in a big Hefty bag in the car waiting for the trip to Ohio on Wednesday.

On to the Ohio news....after the conference tournament abruptly ended on Thursday, we drove to where Buddy's summer league team is going to play. The location of the stadium (and I use this term very loosely...let's call it a baseball diamond with a fence around it) is really in the middle of a 'depressed' region. What I mean by depressed is that there are lots of abandoned factories, railroad tracks, and emptied and boarded homes. Five miles in any direction will take a person to a more vibrant area. From what I understand, several business men started this team two years ago to help to revitalize the region.

Right away, we knew that we would search for housing at least five miles from the stadium. There was nothing closer that I would feel comfortable living in. And then we started....going from apartment building to apartment building to Realtor to online Craigslist...oh yes, there are apartments but they can only be leased for one year OR they are not furnished OR unavailable for us to move into in less than one week. One woman who worked at the desk rolled her eyes and looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned that we needed a furnished apartment ready for move in today. I became a bit defensive and pointed to dad...."I delegated to him and look where it got me...." She looked me in the eye, slowly tilted her head and gave me a little smile as if to say "I got one of those at home too..." We immediately bonded. Sisters...I could feel it.....It was at this point that I became desperate. The apartments that we were looking at had police to patrol on a regular basis (found this information out by checking the details online), so I wanted it. "Sorry...we cannot accommodate you until June 11th..." I shook my head and became very assertive: "Not good enough, cookie. Look (I wagged my finger), I will give you $200 in cash to move it quicker....how does that sound?" Where did I get the number 200? I don't know, it sounded like a great deal of money, but I was desperate after living in a variety of hotels over the past few months, I was NOT going to spend two months in one unless it was a Ritz Carlton and given my location, there wasn't one within a 1000 miles. She laughed and told me that there was no way that it could be done AND the apartments are not furnished. Fine, fine, fine....I took it and signed the lease. Dad and Tink looked comically at me with either a new respect or with the understanding that I would have to be committed to a mental facility at some point very soon.

There you have it...we have the apartment...it is not ready until June 11th. We are arriving in Ohio on June 1st.... there is no furniture....no blankets, beds, table, chairs, dishes, or coffee pot! I have to run to either a thrift store or Ikea when we arrive and coordinate the arrival of the furniture to be delivered when we have access to the apartment. Until then, we will live in a hotel and have sandwiches or yogurt for dinner....I must be crazy.... How has my life turned into this? I am a very organized person. I do not like ambiguity. I like knowing where I am going to sleep and what I am going to make for dinner. I enjoy a Merlot every now and then and do not like living out of a suitcase.....but.....

I will do anything for the kids (short of camping...been there...done that...got the merit badge). Buddy and Tink have been the fuel in my tank. I would walk to the North Pole in my bare feet to pick up Christmas gifts if Santa couldn't make it. I would even live in a remote part of Ohio if I had to...so there you have it...love makes the world go round and it got me to where I am now...in the Dollar General picking up plates, napkins, mugs, pots, and pans. We can do this...I know that we can. it will be nice....I know it. It might not be home, but home is where your heart is. It's a very corny expression, but oh so accurate....

Taste of defeat

My last post focused on the playoffs. Sadly, Buddy's team did not win and we left town early. However, before we left, the team that was the favorite stayed on our floor in the hotel. The first night was very quiet. They could have been church ladies, they were so subdued. Then it happened.....they won their first game and proceeded to "party" late in to the night and early morning. From my room, I could hear the activity in the hall. There was laughter, joy, banging, screaming, and falling down dead drunk. Yes, they were loaded.....relieving stress after winning their first game. Party on.....I am so glad that they had fun 'cause the rest of the tournament did not go as well for them. They lost their next game and suddenly found themselves in the loser bracket. They made the finals and were 'smoked' by the winning team. Game, set, match.....what did we learn? Here is my take...beer and wine do not taste as good as winning the conference championship....so it goes.....

more later.....

The play offs begin....and end.....

It is Thursday evening and we have had quite an interesting few days. After leaving the house yesterday morning at 6 am for the long trip west, we put our "fan caps" on.

It has been quite a long year with the team playing 50+ games, traveling thousands of miles, and living out of hotel rooms as they worked to keep their grade point averages above the basement floor. The trip took about 8 hours and we were ready....cooler, lucky sneakers, Skittles, water, sunscreen, and homemade sandwiches were carefully packed in the car. As the trip progressed, it was time to pull out the ham, turkey and cheese sandwiches that I had made. Thinking about sandwiches on pretzel rolls was on my mind for several hours as we traveled along the turnpike. When we all agreed that it was time to eat, I leaned to the back of the car to grab the sandwiches and realized that they were sitting in the refrigerator and I had forgotten them. The most amazing sandwiches in the world were left at home and we were on our own for lunch. As organized as I have been all year, I forgot the sandwiches. I hoped that this was not a precursor of what was to come.....

Arriving just in time for game one, we anticipated a win since the team beat the first team two out of three during the season. One of their best pitchers was on the mound and after the Star Spangled Banner was played, the umpire shouted "Play Ball"...from that point on, it was a battle....sadly, game was a loss. It seemed like they were never really in it, as they tried to come from behind. Buddy was not placed in the game, so I felt that they were saving them for today's game.
After the game, we met in the hotel's bar with the rest of the parents. If I said that Buddy was a bit "salty", I would be not be telling the whole story. He was angry and borderline nasty....eventually he got over it, but he was definitely in a "snarky" mood. Oh joy, dinner was going to be the pleasant family meal that I desired.....not! Eventually he let the pain of the loss go and we had a good time with each other.

At dinner, he shared that he was going to expunge his room mate. I was not sure why, because as he tells us, this kid sleeps more than Rip Van Winkle. Was he sleep talking? Sleep walking? Stealing his last pair of clean underwear? Using his toothbrush? Snoring? What was going on? According to the big kid, his roomie was a "diva" and driving him crazy. In all fairness, they have been together for a week on the road, I am sure Gandhi would have driven him crazy too. This guy is also one of his room mates in the fall. Did we think this through?

Back to the playoffs...one more loss and they were going home. Today's game was scheduled for noon against a team that dropped a lead yesterday in the 8th and lost. Two weeks ago, our team beat them two out of three games and then it happened....an 8 run 4th inning and good night Betty.....they were done. Buddy entered the game in the 5th and stopped the bleeding. Unfortunately, he was taken out after two scoreless innings and the game was basically over. The team never regained its momentum and died...slowly...painfully...sadly....on national television....going....going...gone! We are finished with freshman year.....

So, do we pack and go home? Nope...gotta to travel to the other side of the state and find a furnished apartment for Buddy to move into next week. OK, I am sure the question that you have is "why did you wait so long, Bullpen mom?" The answer is...I did not wait...I delegated....to the wrong people...Buddy and his dad. By the way, the big kid called the other night in a panic that he had no where to live next week. Hmmmm, the kid is in college. I have repeatedly asked him to call the team about housing.....it is a week before the move....sudden panic has set in. A friend of mine once said, "your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency for me..." She is right, but so it goes...we have an emergency anyway. So, tomorrow, we travel to find just the right place to live. One parent whose son lived there last year advised, "don't go to the right of the stadium....very dangerous...." To the right? Where am I standing? I could be standing on the wrong side and land up on the right anyway....or I can be standing on the left and be on the correct side....why didn't I ask more questions? Why or why? I am going to have to 'wing it' and stand on both sides and toss a coin....

One last thing, I asked him about the 'cool stuff' that he was supposed to get from the sponsors...where is it? Apparently, one of the seniors 'lied' to the team to encourage them to play harder so that they could make the tournament. The concept of getting free stuff was enough to motivate a group of guys who needed a bit of encouragement. Was he wrong to lie? nah....they did receive a free lanyard....


OK,in the next post I will reflect on the first year of division 1 baseball. Was it everything that we/he had expected? more? less?

Refrigerator boxes and summer accomodations

Hi! I did not post yesterday for a number of reasons, the primary one was work-related....sometimes work takes precedence over anything else. Got to pay the bills, right?

Tomorrow we take the big trip to Ohio for the championships. I have been given "orders" (actually suggestions...any 'order' would end in divorce court...youknowhwtaiamtalkingabout?)....cooler stocked with waters, sandwiches, snacks, apples, and skittles (Tink's request). My only desire is a grande Starbucks coffee (preferably bold). On the 8 hour drive, I will be calling apartments trying to find one furnished for next week. Why have I waited this long? Actually, I was not the procrastinator. This one had been delegated to Buddy and his dad. I sat back and watched this one unfold into the mess that it has become. Buddy is moving to his summer residence next Wednesday. Yep, do the math....eight days from now. Tink has suggested that he brings a big refrigerator box poked with little holes so he can breathe. I have recommended a camper that he can leave at the ball park. However, dad has it all "under control".

With that said, the trip should be eventful. As I look for residence and watch the games, I will be reflecting on how we got to this point. If someone had said that Buddy would be living out of a box this summer, I would have laughed...yet....who knows....as long as he has his cleats and glove, what else does he need? He can shower at the ballpark.

The first game of double elimination begins tomorrow afternoon and will be televised. Will Buddy enter the game? I doubt it unless it goes into extra innings. This is the life of a bullpen player. The starter in big games goes as long as possible, then one by one bullpen players are called out. As a freshman, I am not sure if he will get the call, yet stranger things happen, so I will have the camera ready.

Hopefully the hotel will have internet so I can post after the game. The parents are so excited. Emails have been flying around about accommodations and restaurants. Someone suggested that we bring a cowbell (that's a big 'no'). It looks like fun times and a big party as the season draws to a close. Am I closing the door on the season already? Don't I think that they will win the tournament? Hmmm....maybe....they are the lowest seed, so I have my doubts, yet miracles do happen. They could win and we could find a beautiful, cheap and furnished apartment ready for moving in next week....what do you think?

Still here...

Oooops...someone was very wrong about the end of the world. That was a major faux pas....did anyone really think that he was right? I heard of one man who stopped paying his bills thinking that this was it....what was he thinking? You don't use money in heaven....perhaps a debit card...no cash...

Well, yesterday Buddy's team came out on fire and won the game with a big number. Buddy did get the call to come in to relieve the starter. He made it through the first inning and had two runners on base with one out during his second inning. According to the big kid, he was lifted from the game for a senior who had not seen much time on the mound. The team was winning by a big number, so the coach felt secure in putting the pitcher in with one out, so that he could be on television and finish his college pitching career on a high note. Sadly, he had a rough outing and was eventually replaced before he was able to secure an out....

With that said, the team qualified for the conference tournament which will start on Wednesday. The top six teams are on the roster with Buddy's team playing a team that they had previously beaten (always a good draw). Buddy and his team mates are thrilled, not just because they are still playing ball in late May but because they are going to get "a lot of cool stuff". What is "cool stuff?" Well....since the games/tournament has big sponsors, they will receive tee shirts, back packs, luggage, hats, and so on with the sponsors' brand on them. They will also be on television as they wear their "cool stuff". And we will look for ways to bring the cool stuff home in a small Honda.

The plan is to make the 8 hour drive before Wednesday afternoon's game. We already secured the hotel room and now need tickets. Dad does not think that I have to order them now, however, if he is wrong and I make the long trip to the tournament and cannot get a ticket, he will walk home with the "cool stuff" on his back.