H=hopeful

Good morning. It is the calm before the latest storm. NO one is happy, even the skiers and snow boarders. As we have been saying for the past two months....Sno mo snow!

With that said, I saw the forecast for the south and guess what? They are also getting some of the fluffy white stuff. This means that the fields are going to be covered with flakes and not players. My guess is that the NC baseball diamonds are not going to be ready for the opening day pitch. Although, no one is talking, I am keenly watching the forecast planning my escape from the northeast.....please, oh please...no snow....Can we make a deal? Give us a foot of snow here and none in the south.

Is this plea about baseball? Heck no! I want out. O-U-T! No more. Done....had it....need a break in the action. No more shoveling....no slipping on the roads and on my driveway. Even though the body is not ready for warm weather, I can and will put on my shorts prematurely to feel the warmth of the sun, listen to the birds chirping, and feel a lovely gentle breeze and not a wind that turns the blood into an ice cube.

Am I asking too much? Perhaps...so, be patient. All things work out for the best.

Ok, with this new found patience of mine, I am still planning BP mom's great southern adventure. My plans are simple.....I will clean out the BP mom-mobile, add all of my coats from minus 20 LL Bean to a fleece jacket. I have the hats in the back seat. My suit case is open and filled with necessities. I am heading to the grocery store for the bananas and apples. I also need granola bars and (dare I say it?) Skittles. The Skittles are for when I get tired and need a boost of sugar. That's all....it's not like I need them to drive. The camera is charging, laptop will be packed along with my favorite blanket....then on Friday morning, I point the car south and leave the snow in my dust.

Will this actually happen? I am hopeful that the snow misses this part of the Carolinas and I can pull out of the icy driveway on my way to blue skies and palm trees and martinis. Yeah, that's it! Is this a dream? Uh, maybe....but once again, I am hopeful and will continue to plan as if I am headed out of here.

And so until my great escape, I have work to do. While I am gone, I will still be working as I have a magazine to publish by the end of the month. All of this can be done electronically with my right hand man, JJ. He will stay here in the northeast and hold done the fort while I feed him information from a Starbucks with Wifi from an undisclosed North Carolina or Georgia location.


Gotta go! Stay warm....

Oops. PS: LW and Dog were not on the schedule to travel with the team. It seems that LW skipped practice yesterday. As a result, he will stay in the frosty mountains having a beer with Dog as they try to figure out how to get back into CI's good graces.

A=adventure

I'm back! Still cold as I type this note in my winter coat with a blanket on me. George is in the basement again trying to figure out my heating issue. He said "IT" never got back to him. Does he work at a university?




IT never gets back to me either, but I don't leave people cold for two weeks.
Oy! I am sure that I am going to get yet another bill to pay for George's time in the basement. Perhaps I should get an 8th grader....ah, forget it. I will put my trust in George and be like Bob Cratchit and light a few candles for warmth.



Nothing else is going on, except we are preparing for the start of the season on Friday. I am working on my travel plans now which includes driving down I 95 and stopping in NC. Then I will continue my travels and drive to Florida. Yep, I do believe that I may drive all the way. No plane? Nope.



Why? I don't know. I am looking for an adventure and this is the way to have it. I can chronicle my travels as I drive along '95' and learn more about the country.



Am I nuts? Sure. But, I have the time since I killed myself during the fall teaching 90% of my load. I doubt if I will have this opportunity again, so, I will grab a bunch of bananas, apples, and my Starbucks card (thanks, Uncle C) and point the car south.

I'll drive until I don't feel like it anymore and look at it as BP mom's excellent adventure.


Yes, I will be driving alone until Tink meets me half way in South Carolina.

And so, it's time for me to go to the basement and check on George's progress or lack of progress. What is he doing down there?

OK, gotta run. More about my pending excellent adventure to follow.....

D=Dirty

Good morning! I am still having heat problems on the first floor. My heating guy "George" has been to the house on a number of occasions. This means two things. First, he did not fix it on the first, second or third attempts. Second, he has no idea how to fix it. Yet, he keeps trying...I am keeping my fingers, eyes, and toes crossed that this is a 'warranty issue' and not something that I have to scrape together change from the sofa cushions and old pocketbooks to fund.



On to the big kid in the mountains. As I write this note, I have little tear balls in my eyes....yep, tears...not of sorrow but of joy for the leftie.....here is the story....fade to black.....

Last night, after a quick bowl of soup for dinner, Tink, dad and I retired quickly to the bedroom since the ground floor's temperature was 55 degrees. As we watched yet another Pawn Stars show (I really do not get what they see in Chumly, but I was reading a nice book), the kid called. Here is his story:


"I was on the mound after Tonto pitched. I struggled during the first inning a bit but gained my control and threw 87 (which means 90 outside on a real mound). My ball was zigging and zagging and found its target.

The coach called me out in the post game huddle and gave me a compliment. Psycho texted me after the game and said 'good job'."

"But the huge thing that happened was there was a scout at practice talking with the coach. Tonto threw 5 flawless innings but when he saw me on the mound, he left his spot and ran behind the catcher. He asked Big Red who was pitching. Then the scout said: "he's dirty...." "

What does "he's dirty..." mean? Well, it is a phrase that means....yeah, this kid is great. Not just great...nasty great....meaning....I will be watching him.

Can anyone say "yahoooooo!!!" I can. Yep, I had tears in my eyes as I thought of the last three years of surgery, rehab, lost confidence, rehab, pt, agony, and self doubt. It is coming full circle and he is emerges his old self. But not 'old self'...new...improved...more confident....prepared.

It has been a labor both physically and emotionally, as I have changed too. For example, Tink and I went to the Flyers game yesterday and my mind shifted from the actual game to individual players and what they have had to do to get to where they were yesterday. In other words, the training and sacrifices were well worth it.

Can you imagine a young hockey player's face when he sees a goal that he has scored on the big score board? He must be in awe, yet he worked extremely hard for this success and he is not finished yet. After the game, he has to settle down, stretch, ice, rehab, and so on. Perhaps he will get home late tonight after the game since he has to care for his body. He won't have a beer, because beer is empty calories and he has to feed his body with protein and nutrients. No boxed wine!

I have sat through games before but have never fully appreciated the players until yesterday when I compared their struggles with my son's. It does not just happen. Yes, a guy can be a 'freak' physically, but he has to put in long hours of weight lifting, running, stretching, practice, scrimmages, head therapy, and so on to make it.

And so, I guess that my advice is...the next time that you watch college or professional sports, take time to consider the sacrifices of the athletes. There are many such as forgoing sleep, hours of meetings, mental imagery, and lost youth. Not only are these the sacrifices of the players, but of the families as well. It is a team sport....but also a family sport.

With that said, it's time for me to work on a few projects.

Have a great day!

Sneaker IQ

Good warm morning...well sort of. The power went back on at 2pm yesterday with the smoke detectors alarming since the batteries were dead. That is the fun part of losing power. The smoke detectors ring (all 13 of them) at once until I run around and take the old batteries out. I had to return to BP Grandmom's to pick up my laptop and tablet after I disengaged the detectors. They continued to chirp while I was out. After buying new batteries, Tink and I reassembled the smoke detectors. And now I can go on...right?


Nope! The first floor heat is out again so I need my repairman to come to the house and fix what he did not fix last week. In the meantime, I have not been to my office at work in over a week....a blessing? Uh, no....I have things to do and have to get over there sooner or later. Unfortunately, it is going to be later, 'cause I am still waiting for my phone call from the repairman. This is part of the joy of owning a home. 'Nuff said.



What's going on with the big kid? Not much. He called twice yesterday but he did not have news. I guess Psycho has not maimed anyone today. So, no news is good news.

Next week, the season begins in North Carolina. The team has not announced the travel squad nor the hotel locations. I am not worried about the kid traveling. Short of pulling a muscle, he is destined to play a great deal this spring. But I am worried about accommodations. I would like to stay in a hotel rather than my car. Trying to turn in the car is tough, so I prefer the comfort of a pillow and blanket in a room that has heat.






I am not asking much except for no extra creatures in the room such as my friends the bed bugs.

I am pretty confident that NC is just as cold as the northeast, so I am not sure why the school decided to start the season there. But there must be a method to their thinking....maybe....perhaps....

And so, with the impending season, I will make it my goal to find my lucky sneakers this weekend. Again, the sneakers are lucky for a reason. I purchased a new pair every season except last one and the big leftie had his worst season on the mound. Of course, he was returning from an injury, nonetheless, the sneakers may have had something to do with it. I cannot take any chances. Therefore, I will hit all stores in a twenty mile radius and two states. The goal is to find the sneakers that scream: "I am lucky!"



How do I know if the sneakers are screaming? It's intuition. Sneaker intuition...some people are blessed with this gift. That's my gift. I could have gotten beauty or intelligence...NOPE, I got sneaker IQ. I doubt if anyone is jealous over my sneaker IQ, but I must say that whenever I take an important test or have something big going on, I tie on my lucky sneakers and bingo! All is well.

Ok, time for me to actually get some work done. While at BP Grandmom's yesterday, I spent the day protecting Big Sis's dog from Diva. Diva does not like to play nice with other dogs since she is the Alpha dog, so I spent my day holding her and pulling her away from the other dog. Yep, my dog ruined my sweater with her nails as she barked incessantly at Big Sis's oh-so-gentle and puzzled pup. Where did I go wrong with this dog?

By the way, happy 90th birthday to Wildcat's momma! That's a milestone and it's time for cake!!!

Enjoy the day!

S=Scared

Greetings from BP Grandmom and Grandpop's house. Yes, it is day 2 without power. Day 1 was spent at Dr. G's house after I alarmingly discovered a person cannot make coffee without power. SO, I packed my Kuerig in the car, half and half, mug, slippers, laptop, tablet, and Diva and Tink are I journeyed to my brother's house. It was warm, toasty, had internet, TV, and power.....sooo nice. Then dad read online that the power was restored, so we packed up the coffee pot and headed home, only to discover that the power was not on. With that said, Tink, Diva and I hid under blankets while keeping warm with a glass of wine and the fireplace.



We had take out then went to bed with 6 blankets on top of us. The only part of the body that was cold was the tip of the frost bitten nose.

No hot water....Tink and I after sleeping in our clothes, grabbed the coffee pot and dog and ran to Grandmom's house which is where I sit today as I type this note in clean clothes, underwear, and socks. I read online through the power company that we were destined for  power tomorrow night at 11 pm. Sweet. Until then, we mooch off relatives with power, hot water, and full fridge.



On to the big kid in the mountains who does have heat. They have practice each night at 10pm...nice...not! Anyway, after the pitchers were practicing a pick off maneuver, Psycho brought them together and screamed (paraphrasing): "I want to throw you guys into a corner and beat you until you are dead."



Who says that? Ever?

Who thinks it? Ever?

This Psycho is a sicko.

After taking a deep breath in, I replied, "Now you know that you are not the reason that he says these things. He is crazy and needs to be in a padded room. Stay as far away from him as you can."

That's it folks. I got nothing else but agita on this one. Keep all sharp instruments away from Psycho, because we do not want to give him any ammunition. Don't make eye contact. Keep 10 feet away from him at all times. Document these threats and don't take it personally. Keep the mental health hotline and 911 on speed dial.

Sheesh. What else do I need to worry about? Global warming?

S=Snow

Good morning. I am going to say it so that Mother Nature believes it....

"Hi Mother Nature.....just want you to know that I love the cold weather and the snow. The beautiful white trees and icicles dripping off the house are magnificent. Actually, I love it as the frigid air nips at my nose as I pull out my back muscles from lifting ten pounds of snow with each shovel full of snow flakes; this only enhances the experience of gazing at the pretty snow as it lays waiting on my driveway to be removed to a mounting hill next to the edge. With a broken snow blower and my strongest child away at college, I am enjoying these daily exercises as I use my knees and elbows beyond their capability to endure any more pain. Further, I am pretty confident that Diva is enjoying her tiny patch of frozen grass as she cannot understand where her bathroom went. Lastly, with the cold temperatures, my heating system continues to work sporadically which means that I can see my frozen breath inside and outside....Thank you again for such an interesting winter. I look forward to spending more time with you and the snow as I sit on the frozen stands at the baseball games. As Gaga sings: "I was born to survive..."

There. Someone had to say it. If I hear "I hate snow" one more time, I am going to vomit. Yes, we now loathe the almost weekly snow storms. We, as a people in the northeast, tolerate snow. But if we liked it, we would be living in Minnesota, Maine, or Chicago. As Buddy and dad create their escape plans to the south, I try to tell them that it is cold there too. This has me fearful for the citrus fruits in Florida since they, too, have had their share of frosty weather.

All I can say is Tink's CRV is the most amazing car to drive in the snow. I drove over snow mounds, ice, rocks, garbage cans, and perhaps people (who knows?) with it as I motored home from errands. By the way, it seems Dr. G is doing pretty well after his procedure. He is safe in his home with his X Box, remote control, fire place, and pot of chili. Now that sounds like a nice time.

No big news on the big leftie except, they too had a snow storm yesterday. He called home last night and reported that the team was going to practice outside today. Really? CI is taking the guys outside to do hills in the snow? Brilliant. It seems that he received a report that the guys were skipping classes. He does not tolerate this. Although with their fatigue, who can blame them. Someone whispered the other night at the dinner, that there could be some violations. Who knows? All I know is that my child is mentally and physically exhausted, testy, and nervous. I don't think that this is a good way to start the season, but I am not a highly paid coach, so what do I know?

Nothing....except, I love snow.....

Peace! 

R=Rental

Good snowy morning!

Happy birthday Blue Devil! Yep, as she adds another year, I wonder how she looks the same as the day that I met her. It must be the southern weather and diet. 'Cause this woman looks a-mazing!!

I am hanging out in the surgi center this morning waiting for Dr. G to emerge after his surgery. It's not a biggie, but he needs someone to take him home. Per HIPAA, I cannot disclose the details, although I probably could since I am not his actual health care provider.



I left the house with large flaky snowflakes and arrived at the surgicenter to a downpour. I am over this weather. Over...done....Costa Rica done....Moving....not sure where...somewhere sunny, low humidity, pretty flowers, cool breezes...no need for a snow shovel or heat....

We arrived home late yesterday afternoon after the weekend in the mountains. It was good to see the big kid but he looks exhausted....emotionally and physically. After his 7 am practice, we met and had a big breakfast before going home. He has not had time to shave in over a week and he looks like he has been lost in the woods without a compass for a week.

Without shaving on a regular basis, he looks grubby. No one will bother him because he also looks scary. Yet, as we stood looking at the player's 2014 photos for the scoreboard on Saturday night, I stared at the screen with the leftie and his friend Tonto, another pitcher. As his number and name flashed on the large screen in the ballroom, his face was illuminated and I then cringed. My mouth opened and all I could say was 'Oy!'



Yeah, there was the 2014 photo with the kid in his uniform and hat with 5 days beard growth on his face. He was smiling and under the facial hair looked nice. But the beard....yuk!

It's not my face. It's his, but his response was "I did not know that they were taking pictures and did not have time to shave." OK, but this picture will haunt you for at least another year as it is flashed on scoreboards, is placed in yearbooks, and commemorated on a baseball card. Whenever he pitches in a game, the hairy, scary face will be broadcasted for all to see. I will be the only one in the stands or watching on television who knows that he is really a sweet guy under the hair.

No worries. It's just a photo.

I did not mention one thing about the dinner on Saturday night. Before he left for campus after the holidays, he mentioned that he needed a suit for this dinner. I told him to chat with dad and the two of them could go and buy the suit. But he never did. Over the last few weeks, on occasion, I wondered what had happened with the purchase of the new suit.

Well, I found out on Saturday....he rented a black suit and shoes at a tuxedo shop. A rental....does it fit? I asked..."Yeah. It only cost me $40.00."



A $40.00 rental with a tight white button down shirt that he wore in high school with his red tie meant that he was going to look like a vagabond. I doubt if the coaches had this in mind when they mandated that the team wear a suit on Saturday night. When I saw him before the dinner, he did look interesting. His collar was too tight and therefore he could not button the shirt, the tie was tied too tight, and his shoes were shiny patent leather. Yikes! For his birthday, he is going to receive a blue blazer, shirt, and grey pants so that he never has to wear a rental again.

I have to give him some props for the rental, but it missed the mark and he was definitely not destined for the cover of GQ. With the beard, wrinkled shirt, and shiny, faux leather shoes, he refused to let me take photos to commemorate the night.

Ah, maybe we should forget about it anyway and start looking forward to some good times on the mound. I am only thinking positive as he takes life day by day. Sadly, I still do not have my plane ticket for Florida which means that I will be buying it at the last minute and be sitting by the bathroom again. Oh well....it's all about the process, right?



Gotta go....