Trick or treat

Wow! Did you see the damage on television to the Jersey shore? That hurricane has created billions of dollars in damages. People who own summer homes are not allowed to see the damage and have to wait for at least several more days until the roads are cleared and power is restored. Talk about Merlot moments...get me the box....

And so, how is the big kid doing today? Well, he was dropped off at school yesterday and has returned to class. He has discovered that he had to call the oil company to fill the tank for heat. This is a big boy thing to do....so he took hold of the issue and made the phone call. Sadly, he can see his breath in the house and plans on sleeping on Angel's sofa until there is heat is restored. Fun, eh?

He says that he is tired but able to get through the day. This is all good especially since he was in the hospital less than one week ago. It's unbelievable the events of one week. You never know what will happen from day to day. Perhaps that is why we have booze.....kidding....no, actually, I am not.

Tonight, we had a multitude of trick or treaters and have quite a bit of candy left over. I never want to run out, so I over buy. Now we have Snickers, Milky Ways, M&Ms, and Peanut butter cups left. They are all my favorites. Therefore, there will be no waste...none what so ever. After all, as BP GrandMom used to say: "There are starving children in Biafra, eat your peas." She's right. We can't waste food. It's not humane.

OK, I got to get my stuff ready for tomorrow's long day. Now I start at 5 am and end at 4 pm. Yeah, I know what you are thinking....who created that schedule? Which bonehead? Huh? Who would ever do that to a person? The answer may surprise you....it was me. I thought that it would not be too bad, but now that I am actually doing it, I am questioning my sanity.

As Sonny and Cher would sing: "the beat goes on.....and the beat goes on...."

Later!

She came and went

Ok, Sandy stopped by and left with lots of damage.
Fortunately, we only lost power and some trim from the house that can be replaced. Others were not so fortunate and my thoughts and prayers go out to them. We had plenty of food plus a vanilla vanilla cake from the bakery....

Buddy remains at home since our roads were closed and unsafe. This is actually a good thing for him as he continues to get his strength back and catches up on some HBO show called "Homeland".  I have never seen it, but it has been on the family room television for almost 12 consecutive hours.

I am not sure when it will be safe for him to return to school. The governor of the state was on television encouraging people not to leave their homes yet.

With that said, I am still trying to upload my class for tonight...but first I have to create it. Yesterday it took me ten hours to create and upload a 4 hour class.

There is a program called Camtasia that I have to master in the next 15 minutes, so off I go.

Stay safe, warm, and dry!

In and out

Whoa! What's the deal? We have Sandy on her way and everyone is nervous. My classes for Monday and Tuesday were cancelled on Saturday night. What are they expecting? This morning, I was out early and could not believe the number of people in line for groceries. I needed a few things for dinner tonight and barely found the spaghetti sauce. Yesterday, we needed a few things at Home Depot AND all batteries have been sold. Lastly, I wanted to buy some bottled water for my little boy who has mono since dad and Tink never had the disease and they were completely out of bottled water. This is a big "huh"....Are we expecting a mountain of snow too?

The only thing that I worry about with the loss of power is not having coffee in the morning. That's it...very simple...no worries about television or computer Internet...it's all about caffeine.

On to my baby boy who is sleeping as he continues to fight the mono and tonsillitis. Yesterday, he had the misfortune of watching the big conference game with me in our family room. To say that he was a bit salty about the turn of events is an understatement. Fortunately, he is home where I can watch his progress and keep an eye on him.

After all, momma is on duty. So, let's continue to explore the big kid's illness. On Wednesday, when he was officially diagnosed with mono, two very important  problems occurred. First, the doctor said that he could not run, lift, throw or exercise for six weeks. Besides feeling like poo, he had a meltdown as he thought about all of his hard work to return to his pitching and in one sentence, he was knocked back a year. To say that he was devastated was an understatement. So, when he called home in despair, I did the usual: "I am on the case. Come home tomorrow. We will let Dr. T take a look at you and go from there."

During the night, he got worse and could not speak or swallow. This is a very bad sign.

When Dr T saw him, she sent him immediately to the ER for IV fluids and steroids since his airway was closing. It took her 30 seconds to see this....Now, let's move to the ER, they admitted him quickly, started the IV, gave him steroids and pain medication through his IV.

He could not breathe or speak therefore, he had to text me with the information to relay to the nurse and doctor. A bit crazy....but helpful.....

After the medication took effect, he said that the school's doctors did not want to give him the steroids because if drug tested for baseball, he would fail.

Let's ponder this.....simply...if they did not give him the steroids, he may have died. Who the %$#U( cares if he fails a drug test with medical documentation that he needed the steroids to open his throat? I ask you...would the NCAA understand? Yeah, I think that they would. After all, he is not Lance Armstrong...he is a kid whose throat was constricting.

Once again, this is another strike against the good health care at the university. I am ready to go to medical school and set up my own practice. Perhaps health care would improve. It absolutely needs to change. I wonder about the critical thinking skills of some of these heath care professionals. What the heck?

I guess all of this means one thing...we all have to stay vigilant when it comes to the health care of our loved ones and ourselves....question authority.....and never be afraid to ask for a second opinion....

Off to Zumba....

Catching a break

Good morning! Life is so full of events, I often see what has transpired during a single day as a movie trailer. Snippets of activities fill my brain as I try to chill out and relax for bed. Sometimes the images are happy and full of joy and flowers and other times, the visions are horrific as I try to shut them down.

With that said, the past 24 hours' review is one of a horror film as I quietly mull over what has transpired....so here goes....

On Wednesday morning, I got a call from the big kid. He was despondent and  I could barely hear the call. "Mom, they say that I have mono and can't pitch or work out for 6 weeks. My life X@@#^%$! Why can't I catch a break? Ever?"

Hmmm, why indeed? Why can't this kid just go to school and play baseball? After all, he overcame insecurities, should surgery, flus, intestinal issues, rashes, chicken pox, and eggs tossed at his home. Why can't he get two weeks of serenity? After all, when he has serenity, I can concentrate on other issues in my life too.....sounds pretty self indulgent, doesn't it?

As I waited for him  to calm down (which he didn't), I asked him to review what exactly was said by the doctors.....no baseball for 6 week....no lifting...running...no activities...can burst spleen....

OK, I get it. The MDs at college offer a grim picture. Time to come home. Dad will pick you up Thursday at 1 pm. I will make appointment with Primary Care MD and momma will take over.

After working 10 hours teaching two long classes, I ran to the MD's office to meet dad and the kid. He had a hoodie over his head and his color was ashen. he could not swallow his saliva and was burning with fever. He looked like a train wreck.

After waiting 45 minutes to see the doc, she walked in and saw him sleeping on the exam table. She took one look at him and sent us to the emergency room across the street. I had to drop him off and park the car. As I entered the triage area, he was handing the receptionist his health insurance, he could barely speak or breathe and then she sent us to sit in a corner. As we sat down, he whispered "I can hardly breathe."

This is something a mother never wants to hear. But if she does hear it, the best place to listen to these words is an emergency room...eh?

I calmly walked over to the receptionist as I held my self back from running to the admitting nurse. "Ma'm, he is having trouble breathing...."

"Excuse me,...." she says calmly..."but we are busy....."

Ok, gang....you know me. You know that once the bear has been poked, all fangs and claws come out and someone is gonna git it! 

"LET ME REPEAT MYSELF....HE IS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING! HIS AIRWAY IS CLOSING! GET IT! GET THE NURSE NOW!!"

The other people in the waiting area gave to me a look of appreciation. This little lady with the big bad attitude was just handed her head.

With that, the nurse flies out and Buddy is taken to triage. within minutes, he was in the actual ER, in a bed, with an IV and medication. His breathing was monitored and he slowly began to respond to the therapy.

Ok, this is better. Ladies...look out, cause BP mom is on the case. Oh, the things that a mother will do for her babies and the people she loves....

The medication that he needed (besides the iv fluids) was prednisone which is a steroid. At school, the doctor would not give it to him because he was afraid that the kid would test positive for steroids and not be allowed to pitch.

You know what is wrong with the doc's thinking? EVERYTHING!!!

Let's review....he needs steroids to decrease the swelling of his throat so that he can breathe. The doctor is afraid of the NCAA. Why wasn't he afraid that my kid could die? After all, he has yet to be drug tested. According to Buddy, they usually drug test the kids who do not play. I have a hard time believing that, but he has not been drug tested in three years, so perhaps there is merit to that statement.

Now, if he is drug tested next week, there will be hospital documentation regarding the need for the medication. I believe that the NCAA would be somewhat lenient in this case....ya think?

Moving on....he was assigned a room on the second floor and we took him with the tech to meet his new roomie.....the girl who pushed the stretcher admitted that she had been diagnosed with mono last week and did not have the problems that Buddy did. She actually looked pretty good.

Dad and I were sent out of the room as the nurses settled him in. One very young nurse walked up to me and said that she knew me from school. Naturally, this was not my finest moment and I did not want to be recognized by anyone...and I mean anyone. I did not want gossip circulating around work about me outside of the class room...just sayin'

Anyway, as the night progressed, Buddy's airway opened, he could swallow, and speak again. It was pretty amazing. And so, after a good night's sleep, I am receiving texts: "Get me out of here!" Now, I know that he is fine.

Where does this leave us? Well, I am headed back to the hospital and the kid if all is well will be discharged tonight around 8pm.

In my next post, I will discuss my theory on why this happened.....it has to do with over exertion, poor medical care, and a house with an open door policy.

Have a good day!

Never, never, never give up

Good morning! I am sorry that I have been away from the blog but I am teaching a double load this month and my students are demanding (rightly so) my time and energy. I barely have time to squeeze a walk in before class starts. This is the way that I prefer to schedule my fall to create open time for the spring to follow my favorite ball player around the country. Therefore, I only have a few hours each week to devote to personal projects.

Enough whining....this is a no whining zone.....as I try to get Tink out of bed. has to work today and is having trouble moving...was I this way at her age? Uh...probably....thanks Mom for being more patient that I am.

Ok, on to the latest news on the baseball front. No, the kid did not pitch on Sunday since he injured the bicep. Although he is feeling better physically, mentally he is a bit overwhelmed. He had Saturday's date circled on his calendar for months and was devastated when he could not throw the ball.

On Monday, the coaches had the meetings with each prospect to tell them if they made the team and where they stand. They were a bit perplexed as to why Buddy did not pitch all fall, so he explained that he did not want to throw for one inning and lose the momentum that he had with his rehab. The surgery itself was minor, but the rehab was extensive. They actually understood as the congratulated him for earning A's and B's this quarter....Huh?

Did he say A's and B's? According to the big leftie, the coaches were as surprised as I was to hear this momentous news. Like his parents, the coaches have watched grade fluctuations over the years and were pleasantly pleased with this change of fortune.

Could it be that our little guy is growing up and taking school more seriously? uh, nope...Could it be that he is actually interested in the classes that he is taking and is therefore more invested in his future? uh...nope....Perhaps he is taking cake courses and the teachers like him and are grade inflating....uh nope....

Here is my take on it....the kid is closing in on the life and reality. It is time to take things such as school more seriously. Parties and gatherings are fun and part of college....but then so are the grades, assignments, and courses. This guy is going to need a job in a few years. He cannot live in my basement and teach pitching until he is 90. He needs a big boy job, so it is time to put on the big boy pants, open a book, crank out a paper or two and get serious about life and his future.

And so it goes....school, school, and more school....Tink has to read a book called "Mockingbird" by tomorrow and is on page 8. Yikes, I have to use some motivation strategies to get her to open the book. What did I do for Buddy as he continues to pour it on in class? The answer is "nothing." I have not seen his report card since freshman year in high school. This has been on purpose. I don't want to see it. He is doing his best and the grades do not matter to me. What matters is a positive attitude and his ability to think through problems and issues. After all, this is what life is all about...we work through problems and make corrective actions when necessary. If his goal was medical or law school, the grades would be more important. Will I be reported to the Board of Parents? Am I shirking my parental duties? or have I come up with a better way to handle Type A kids, like me, who may not have the aptitude to be a straight A kid? After all, let's face it...the world is run by average people who are charismatic and charming. So, let's focus on developing a hard working attitude and a person who never, never, never gives up...right Winston Churchill?

Have a wonderful day!

Baked ziti: Cure for what ails you

We're baaack! And so, what happened? How did the big leftie throw? Did he start the game? Or did he come out of the bullpen to save it? Did I wear the lucky sneakers? Were the jeans too tight?

Ahhhh...so many questions to be answered....let us begin at the beginning....

It was a glorious morning in the northeast as we prepared for our journey north through the mountains. With autumn leaves at their peak, I was ready for some scenery and change of venue....the car was packed with Halloween goodies and dinners for my little guy. Tink, dad and I hit Starbucks on the way out and I could not be happier....a good start to a hopefully wonderful day.

As we drove north, the bright day turned dark and the temperature dropped precipitously. In other words, it was time for baseball in the northeast. The problem was that in my excitement, I forgot how cold it could get and left the "Tims", coat, scarf, and gloves at home. I guess that I was way too optimistic to think this one out....duh!

OK, we arrive as the game begins and found a seat in the sun. As the game continued, we looked for our favorite player and found him leaning on the rail of the bullpen. This was an excellent sign. The game was an inter squad match and it was team mates against team mates. Since it was the last weekend of scrimmages, cuts would be made this week.

And so, we watched....the pitching was horrendous. No one could find home plate. The batters were teeing up on the pitches and hitting them over the outfielders' heads. Since we did not attend any games last year, we did not know the names of players since they were not on their jerseys.


So what did we see besides terrible pitching? Well, we saw one player who did not hustle and was thrown out at the plate. He also had a really bad fielding error and all I could think of was this guy would be cut.

As the game progressed, we saw Buddy's room mate at the plate. He was called out on three strikes. It was startling and I could see that this kid might not make it to the season either. The bright spots were the play of Big Red and Angel. They looked great. Red won his job back after having a terrible year last year and losing his starting position to a freshman. He came back from the summer in shape and ready to fight....which he did and now he is the starting catcher.

OK, where is Buddy? Why isn't he warming up? Where could he be? So dad asked Tink to find him in the bullpen and ask him when he was going to pitch. When she returned, she reported that he was NOT pitching and had an injury.

Huh!? What? Are you kidding me? What kind of an injury? He's healed, right? What did he do?

With that said, it began to rain and we left the ball park since there was no reason to stay. We had seen enough, were cold, and very hungry.

After the game, we picked him up at the bus stop and asked a zillion questions. Basically, he has a strained bicep and he is working it through. It is nothing to worry about but since the surgery, he is being cautious. A good thing....

OK, so who was the kid who could not run or field? Was he a freshman or just someone who thought that he could play? With that question, he slowly mentioned that the player who was obviously  not up to D-1 standards was....Gopher....his new room mate. Oy! Here is a kid that they recruited and gave scholarship money to in order to bring him to campus. And so, unless he performs better in the spring, a very expensive Midwesterner will be taking space up on the bench.

After dinner, we bid adieu and headed home. As we drove down the mountain, the phone rang...."uh dad, I think that I will be able to pitch tomorrow. My bicep feels better...." Nice, it's amazing what homemade basked ziti and a pumpkin filled with goodies can do for a musculoskeletal injury.

Time for me to catch up on my laundry. Have a great day!

Go time

Hi
It's "go time"...what do I mean by go-time?

Well, the kid is pitching in a simulated game for the first time in over a year. I have had to prepare for this...not sure what he is doing, but I am almost ready....

After showering and finding my "not so fat, but wearable" mom-jeans, I added make up (yes, full caking of the face) and earrings. My lucky sneakers are sitting by the door as I look for lucky socks. The camera is charged and waiting. The kids and I made the baked ziti, pulled pork, cupcakes and whoopie pies. There is a plastic pumpkin filled with candy and a case of rice krispie treats thanks to Sam's Club. The kids made posters for him that I will post after I photograph them (so cute).

Dad and Tink are loading the car and the dog walker is set to stop by and take care of Diva Dog. All in all, we are headed north into the mountains to the unknown.....

More tomorrow.....

whoa~

Hey! Another great day....why is it so great? "cause I had no idea that it was fall break at school and I had the day off. My students informed me last week that we did not have class today...what a break indeed...One of these days, I will have to keep better tabs on the school calendar...Once I put Tink on the bus when she did not have school....when the bus did not show up, I called the district to pick her up. After putting her on the bus, I looked at the schedule and had a meltdown.....She kept telling me that she had the day off, but I did not believe her.

Lesson learned....I ran after the bus and did not find her until an hour later when she was sitting in the driveway with her father after the bus turned around and returned home. Needless to say, I understand why people need antidepressants and anti anxiety medication...I totally get it....therapy would be a bonus too....

On another note...we had a meltdown as we received a letter from Buddy's landlord yesterday....gee, I wonder what she wanted? I will give you three guesses and the first two do not count.

That's right...she has been cited by the borough for trash strewn around the yard. There were three police citations rendered to the landlord. She may be losing her permit to rent her house to college students and therefore with the next citation, the guys will be evicted. But according to the lease, they will continue to pay rent, even though they have to find a new place to live.

Dad emailed her today and asked her to stay on top of the cool guys and keep him informed of further infractions.Honestly, I raised him better than this...I covered the use of a trash can, picking up objects on the floor, porch, and lawn, and caring for your environment. Do I blame him? Oh yeah...I do....in fact, as far as I am concerned, we are going to have a sweet lil meeting on Saturday when I drop by campus for the baseball scrimmage. I have an agenda and Tink will take minutes.

Obviously, these knuckleheads do not have critical thinking skills and cannot think past their next beer or party. I noticed on the letter from the landlord that all of the parents were notified...nice....now each guy will have the pleasure of muting the telephone as their moms and dads scream into it. Dad and I do not usually raise our voices, BUT this time, I might use some nonverbal communication tactics and shrug my shoulders as he tries to explain how well this open door policy is working.....

Do all guys behave this way? I don't think so. I generally keep my mouth shut when my friends share their stories of their kids being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, engineering honor societies, and offered fellowships to discover new treatments for cancer. Should I mention that my kid can drink beer while standing on his head? After all, this is quite a skill as he defies gravity.

With that said, I am taking advantage of the beautiful weather and going for a long long walk to practice my speech on "cleanliness is next to Godliness" on Saturday. I may use PowerPoint and videos to make my point...have a wonderful day!

Culinary Therapy

It's Tuesday! Why am I so excited? No reason...just had coffee and am on a caffeine high. Not much going on....the semester is now in a full swing and I have less down time than ever, but I try to teach a year's worth of classes in 6 months so that I can be free to attend baseball games anywhere in the country. This way, I am tired and stressed, but it is temporary. The fun begins in February in Florida (oh yeah).

This weekend is a biggie for the big kid.
He is going to be on the mound in a scrimmage and is having some mental misgivings. I completely understand it. After all, his physical therapist mentioned that all athletes who have had injuries go through an odd mental process as they have to get over the injury and perform to their best abilities.

Not that I am on this level, but I did struggle when I held a racquet again. Not so much physically, but mentally, I did not want to re injure myself. Likewise, I attended Zumba Sunday after months of not even considering attending a class. There was no way that I was going to bounce up and down on a knee that does not have cartilage. Yet, once I got my nerve back, I discovered that I can do just about anything but have to be aware of discomfort and not over do it. 

I am assuming that Buddy will go through this process too. Unfortunately, he is thinking that he is going to come to the mound and blow the ball past the batters. This could happen and all would be well....but what if it does not happen? Then what? Therapy? Physical and mental? Stress management? Guided imagery? Aroma therapy? Or should he just 'gut it out' and work through the thoughts that are going on in his head? Remember what Coach T says: "throw the ball as hard as you can....don't think."

Hmmm....I don't know...but I will be there for culinary therapy...that's right...all of the kid's favorites made by his momma.



Sure, Tink and dad will not be allowed to touch it, 'cause it's for my little guy. They'll get over it. After all, they have the pleasure of living with me and eating my food all the time. My little boy needs some home cooked meals to boost his spirits. And that is exactly what I plan on doing. I might not be able to throw the ball for him but I can certainly fill his stomach and add a dash of love.

With that said, I have a class to teach....enjoy the day!

Bakin' for the boys

Hello! A breezy, beautiful day with the leaves changing in the northeast. The day could not be more perfect. It's time to celebrate!

Speaking of celebration, I was able to attend Zumba class today without crippling knee pain. Whaddya know? The surgery was successful! Actually, I did not go full throttle with the moves since I was babying the legs, but it was fun to be there for a change.

I have not heard from the big kid for a few days and from what Tink tells me, he is exhausted....how can that be if it is a football-free weekend on campus? Oh, perhaps there was no football, but there  definitely were a few parties going on. If the guy is tired, why is he staying out all night at a party or three? What ever happened to the statement: "I have gone to enough parties and met enough people."? Does he forget these famous words?

And so, I have not heard anything except he will pitch next week during a scrimmage and I have an invitation to attend....along with some homemade pulled pork, cupcakes, cookies, and Halloween candy. Let's not forget the baked ziti.....Gonna start cooking on Thursday with my new friends.

Who are my new friends? Well, I am glad that you asked. It seems that the quints who live at the end of the street have an affinity for Diva Dog and one of the girls stops by each day to walk her. Once she found out that I bake with my next door neighbor who is also seven, she has decided to participate in this action. So, on Thursday, I will start baking with my little girl friends. There will be no Merlot offered to the gals as we roll the dough for the cookies.

What about the quint brothers? Well, they are interested in Buddy. One little guy rides his bike to the house every day looking for Buddy. "Is he home yet?" This young fella is having a hard time understanding that Buddy will not be home until after Halloween. In the mean time, he stops by daily to look at his baseballs, bats, hats, and equipment. I give him a ball every day and he glows and runs home to show his mother. The kids watch for me to drive down the street, hop on their bikes, and ring the door bell. Then the fun begins as I look at my computer and work on my desk, sigh, and leave it for a later time. After all, I gotta hang out with the kids for a while. They call my house the 'big pumpkin' house as they take turns sitting on the big gourd.

And so, that's about it for the day....trying to get ready for a long work week....hang out with kids if they stop by and search for more baseballs that are going fast. Perhaps I will give out baseballs on Halloween as opposed to candy. I can start a new trend. Instead of sugary sweets, we can give out treadmills, tennis racquets, and cleats.

Have a great day!

Magna Cum Baseball

Good morning! A great day in the northeast and we have Cupcake in the hose. Naturally, Diva Dog has been replaced by a cuter baby and she does not like it. Although, she will cuddle next to the baby and allow the baby to pull her ear while she drinks her bottle. It seems that Diva is quite protective of Cupcake.

And how is our little Cupcake? Well, she started to eat cereal this week and seems like a happy little kid. Right now, she is napping and all is well with the world. She also has her stylin' pumpkin hat on and is waaay cute.

Ok, whazzup in the world of baseball? Well, plans continue as the big kid will travel home on weekends to work with Coach T. "Mom, I have had enough parties and met enough people. I don't need this every week when I am trying to achieve my goal." Hmmm...very mature for an underage partying, baseball playin', extremely tired college student. This is parent's weekend on campus and we have not been invited. When I mentioned it to the leftie, his response was "I would rather that you came next weekend to watch the scrimmage. I will be pitching and want you to come."

Wow!  a personal invitation to come to campus and observe the fruits of his labors. I must say, it has been laborious. With the surgery, rehab, training, and practices, this guy has not stopped. I have never seen anyone more dedicated to a goal in  my life....which now brings me to a statement: "I was wrong."

Yes, I was wrong. One day when the kid was in high school, he was lying in bed during the afternoon. Frustrated, I angrily said to him that he did not have the discipline to play Major League baseball. In fact, he did not have the discipline to get out of high school. Kind of rough, yes?

Yes, it was. In fact, years later, he remembers that day and how angry he was that I had the nerve to talk to him that way. Ooops.

Well, you have to look at the day, time, and what he was and was not doing. He was lazy, inattentive, and making me crazy. I hated when the kids would just ignore what they had to do such as homework and projects. When I would ask: "Finished your homework?" The response would be either 'what homework?' or 'later....'

As a parent, it would drive me crazy....come on dude, get your act together....

And together, he did. He has as much drive and discipline as anyone who is an honors student at any ivy league university striving to complete and defend his dissertation. The only difference is that rather than be passionate about statistics, he wants to create his own kind of statistics in the ball park. So, I have had to readjust my thought process and be happy that he is happy with his walk in life. That is...not as an honors student striving for Phi Beta Kappa but as a student of the game of baseball whose goal is Maja Leaga Baseballa......

With that said, Diva Dog needs a walk and I have to go....have a wonderful day!

Hallo-mas

Ok, it is not even Halloween yet and there are Christmas decorations in the stores. I am still looking for a lighted spider to add to my Halloween decorations, and do not like my Christmas shoved down my throat like this. I prefer to celebrate the holiday in December after I have put away my pilgrims and pumpkins. Yesterday the radio station that plays all holiday music starting conducting a survey to determine when the listeners want to hear the Christmas songs. In other words, if the listeners answer the survey that they want to hear Jingle Bells next week, the radio station will begin its holiday playlist.

This is crazy. We are not even at the midterm point in our semester and I refuse to think about chestnuts roasting on an open fire although Jack Frost has been nipping at my nose with this chilly weather.

OK, on to more current events. The big kid has a new plan of action. It seems that he feels that his pitching coach has absolutely nothing to offer him as far as coaching is concerned. Whenever he asks for feedback, the coach says the same thing. Actually, he offers the same bit of advice to every pitcher on the team. Naturally, this frustrates Buddy to no end and therefore he has developed his plan.

The plan has several components which includes coming home every weekend, Coach T, and paying for local pitching lessons. I hope that the plan also includes purchasing a bus pass. I am not inclined to travel to campus every week as a shuttle just to drive him to baseball....kind of like the old days when he would be in the back seat and I would take him to tee ball.

The flaw in this carefully calculated plan is that Coach T has been MIA for the past month and has not been answering his texts. After his minor league team finished the season, Coach T has vanished. Where did he go? No one seems to know and my son is planning to get to the bottom of this disappearance.

He's examining all clues and facts and will begin to interview people who last saw his beloved Coach. Where can he be? The answer is 'dunno'. My take on the situation is that he has taken a long vacation or is in the Caribbean for a fall baseball league. Any way you look at it, the big kid will find him.

Thinking about his plan to come home every weekend after fall ball has me a bit puzzled. Will working out with Coach T really make a difference? Also, what happens to the Party House chaperone if he is gone on Friday and Saturday nights?

Will the rest of the guys party without him? Will the house have more damage? Will fights break out? Will there be more tossed eggs? What about the girl's gymnastics team? Will they attend the house parties without him? Who will unclog the toilet with a fork?

So many questions, so few answers....stay tuned!