Primordial scream

Greetings! Yes, it has been a while since I posted, but I have lots of excuses beginning and ending with that crazy four letter word...W-O-R-K.

Yep, I have lots of excuses...let's start at the beginning......

Last Thursday, I was told at 2 pm that my class that begins on Tuesday night would be completely offered online.


That's right. I was prepared for weeks to step into the classroom and begin and end as I do every time I teach this course....with my Fitbit on trying to hit 10,000 steps by the end of the four hour class. Administration made the last minute decision to teach it in the virtual world.

How does this work? Well, anything that I would have done in the classroom must suddenly be uploaded online, which means my lectures and explanations of concepts, assignments, and the virtual world.

This decision created a panic and an emergency as I worked for 5 days to create and upload videos for the class. Here is where my patience was tested over and over and over and over and over again.....

As I recorded the class, I hit the red 'record' button. Once finished with 15 to 20 minute sessions, I would hit 'save'. Looking to upload it onto the virtual classroom site, I would search all my files for the recorded sessions. Not finding the recordings, I would record again and again and again and again......I finally got in touch with IT. My little friend helped me and suggested I needed an 'add-in'.

OK, where do I get an add-in? Well, BPM.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

And so, I finally downloaded the add-in.....all is well, right?

Not in my world.....

Six more recording sessions later, I was throwing things...cussin'.....ready to jump out of my second floor window. It was not pretty.

I walked away and the next day, I started again.

Picture this....the recording would have my video in the corner with my presentation on most of the screen. During the last recording, there was no video, so I assumed the student would hear my voice and not see my face. I was cool with that.
So, as the recording continued, I took off the scarf I had around my neck which hid my tee shirt that I got for the tennis sectionals and drank a glass of wine to keep my nerves from getting the best of me.

Afterwards, I re wound the video and listened....something wonderful and horrifying happened....

The recording finally took and was saved on my hard drive...this was amazing! After 5 days, I finally have 1 recording....

Now the horror.....the video did turn out as I scratched my nose, removed my scarf to reveal the tee shirt, messy hair since I had not brushed it, dirty glasses, and the wine glass in my hand. Yikes!


I had a fast decision to make....do I re-record the orientation or leave it as is?

I left it and the rest is history. My online students now see the real me...tee shirt wearing....messy hair lovin'...wine drinking instructor who was at the end of her rope.

I was able to show the video at an orientation on Thursday night. The students laughed and all is well. However, my angst and lack of IT savvy is going to be an ongoing challenge where I will be doing a primordial scream on a weekly basis as I try to teach this class.


On to the big lefty...yes, life is a challenge having him at home with his mess and lack of responsibility when  it comes to putting away his clothes, shoes, dishes, and gear. Oh well, I love him more than I hate the mess.

However, we finally have a diagnosis and plan of action.

As you may recall, he had a MRI and was referred to a well known surgeon in the region....not a Michael Jordan, but someone who was pretty good like Scotty Pippin.


Anyway, he is diagnosed with a hip impingement and labral tear needing surgery. He will be on crutches for 6 weeks and not able to throw for three-four months. He has to have the surgery to have any quality of life. It seems that he has a genetic defect.....I told him that my side of the family has great hips....fully aligned and ready to run or stand in line for hours waiting to see the Pope. We must blame this defect on his father. Done!

The surgery is scheduled for early November and this will offer a logistics challenge as he will have to go to PT and have doctors' appointments and not be able to drive. I guess converting my classes to online will offer me flexibility to put my chauffeur's hat on like the old days when I drove him to preschool, baseball, basketball, parties, school, football,......singing off key to any Mowtown song on the radio....

Hey, he will be dancing before we know it....

More later....thanks for hanging in there with me....

Peace!

Oh my!

Greetings. I am sorry that I have not posted this week, but jury duty has taken all of my time. I cannot discuss the case, but I can tell you the following:


1. There were 106 people in my group that were contacted for a trial


2. The odds of me being chosen were approximately 1% at this point.
3. Then they divided us into two groups for two different trials, my odds went up a small percentage.
4. They took us into a room to see the judge, lawyers and defendant, then the judge asked questions....


5. This increased my odds to 50-50 when he asked if anyone had a criminal record. Only a few answered the question until an Einstein raised his hand and asked if a DUI was a crime. Seriously? Hands went up.


6. I knew that I was in trouble. Yes, I may joke about "Merlot moments" but I do not drink and drive and generally cut off alcohol consumption after a glass and half (if I am not driving).


7. Over half of the potential jurors hands went up. I went from 1 % to almost certain to be chosen...and....



Yes, I am in the jury...front row....learning a great deal about the judicial system and court proceedings.

I cannot say anymore because I took an oath. However, I will chat about some aspects at a later date.

Hopefully  I will finish tomorrow after the lawyers' give their closing arguments. However, we still have to agree on a verdict....talk about 12 angry men closed up in a little room with one bathroom.....more later.



BTW: The big kid called yesterday...he's lonely in Seattle :-(
Peace!

Positive thoughts

Greetings. Hope all is well. We are thinking positive thoughts for Big M as he goes through a rough patch. He is one tough guy.

How is the big lefty? Well, he seems to be standing straighter, have fewer physical complaints, and more positive. This is all good as his friend, Righty has already left for Seattle.

From feedback, it seems that the Seattle trainers are top notch and will make an impact on 'velo' (this is our baseball lingo for 'velocity').  Righty reports that his accommodations are less than stellar. In fact, it is a haven for transients and crack addicts. I am thinking that this will not work and we will have to find a grade higher for the big kid to stay in for the month. Since Righty cannot rent a car, he has been walking a mile or so to the training facility each day.



I'll tell you....these guys want something incredibly bad. Think about it....their lives are on hold as they chase their dreams.

And why not?

This is the time when they should be doing it. They should leave nothing on the field and if they are done, they will have tried everything to make it.

My take on it is that they can make it....will make it.....and if not.....

They will have developed tools that will equip them to be successful for the rest of their lives. After all, "it's the climb...." according to Miley Cyrus.

On that note, I have to get ready for a tennis match. I have not played nor been competitive for over a month. I have to go and fake it.

Fake what?

Fake confidence......fake ability.....fake athleticism.....fake I really care about winning or losing.....I am filling in for a friend and I doubt that she asked me to play so that I will lose. Therefore, I am headed out to the courts with determination that I will (can...think...believe) that I can win.

There you have it...gotta stretch.....a little yoga...guided imagery...deep breathing.....Advil......grab my water bottle and sun screen.....

Later!

peace!

Stopping to recover

Oh my. It is raining in the south and I cannot take my usual morning bike ride to the beach. Whoa is me. Does anyone feel badly for me? No? Nor do I. I feel blessed being out of the deluge of rain in the northeast, so I have nothing....and I do mean nothing....to complain about....

Although, I have spent the last four days with the big lefty. After his trip to Tampa, he flew here and has discovered the sofa. Yep. He is finally out of his bedroom and has discovered that the sofa is more comfortable than his bed. Why is this important to this post......



Well.....as a parent, I have been concerned with the number of hours that he has been sleeping. I have no idea when he goes to bed, but know that he does not emerge until noon-ish.....then I got it.....

He has been training non stop for years and years. Since his surgery, he has had to slow down to heal. On Sunday night, he complained about his entire body hurting, then he began to crack his back, ribs, neck, and other bones. I was totally grossed out, but I realized that his complaint about the training is not out of line. His body is out of line from the training.



As he sat on the sofa and laid in bed, he began to complain less about his ailments and was more conversational. I believe that he needed this time in the south to recover from the emotional and physical turmoil of the last five years. Last night was the first night that he felt awake, alert, and almost pain free. I guess that sleep is therapeutic for what ails a person and should not be minimized as a natural remedy.



And so, as he begins to feel better, we are planning to ship him off to Seattle to continue his training. It looks like mid July from his recuperation timeline. Now all he needs is to line it up, find a place to live, rent a cheap car, and fly to his next destination in life.

I admire him and his commitment to making it. He has the drive that I never had and will only stop when he says that it is time to stop.

In the meantime, I have not seen him write any more of his book. It seems that Tonto is worried that they will be sued for writing about the team, university, and coaches. My guess is that if the book is picked up, the publishers will take care of waivers. Apparently, if there are enough witnesses who will attest that these events actually happened, then they are in the clear, so to speak....the back lash from the university and coaches may be troublesome, but they don't care. Their bodies, especially Tonto's, have been ruined. Unless Tonto has shoulder surgery, he will never be able to play catch with his children. That, my friends, speaks volumes.

And now, the sun is shining, and I can grab the bike and head out to parts unknown.....

Peace!

A clear violation

Hi! It's Sunday morning and I thought no one would be up as I ventured out with the pups in my lumber jacket robe and grey and white flannel pjs. Much to my dismay, the roofers were at the neighbors house hanging the new gutters. Yep, I have yet another show for people that I do not know. I am going to have to charge admission. As time goes on, I care less and less, which could be an indication that I need a net thrown over my head.

How is the big kid? Well, I don't know. He has gone underground and has not called since I asked him about tuition, the parking tickets, and his rent.  When he does not want to do something that he is supposed to do, he hides from us. Yep, he can hide but we find him....after all, he still uses the American Express card, so I know if he is eating and driving around campus.



I do know that he is swimming this month as part of his training. At first, he thought that it was a great idea until he tried to make it across the pool once. Then the arms and lungs began to burn and he decided that it was stupid. Since he has no power, the trainer continued to torture them as they swam 25+ laps. I wonder how he did not drown. Did someone throw a life preserver into the water to save the guys? I believe that pitchers are not aquatic. Without gills, they run the risk of going down.
Actually, I wish that I could have witnessed this exercise. I definitely would have laughed.

The semester is starting to wind down, so it will be interesting to hear how he is doing besides to yoga and 100 in history. After all, the Czar has violated a federal law FERPA and has kept any of the players' grade point averages under 3.0 on the white board. That's right. The players' private academic records are transcribed where anyone can see them with their names right next to the averages. As a professional academic and parent, this is a huge miscarriage of justice. The Czar is not only bullying them but humiliating them too. let's consider baseball as a job. OK, not only are they spending 40+ hours training and playing ball with nationwide travel but they are also full time students with full time academic loads. They play ball, go to class, lift weights, practice, go to study hall, study, write papers, take tests, eat and sleep. That is their life. Therefore, with a schedule like that, something suffers. For some it is school; whereas for others, it is baseball.



The big kid did something incredibly intelligent. he took a photo of the white board and ha sent it to his father. In other words, the Czar could be immediately fired for this violation and the kid has an ace card to use if he needs it. Hopefully, he will not, but just in case, he can and will use it.

"nuff said...the pups need some attention.

Peace!

Sh'Bam to you too!

Good morning! It's Saturday and I got out of bed early to work out. Believe me, it was the last thing that I wanted to do, but somehow the coffee kicked in and I walked out the door to the Y for Sh'Bam. Actually, the effort to make myself do that was worth it. Since the alternative would have been to sit on the sofa with another cup of coffee until the caffeine made me move toward the door. With that said, yesterday's post was not the end of the story...because.....



I received a call last night from the big kid. He was upset so I knew that it had to do with the scrimmage, and as he began, I felt so bad that I started with the tears (just light ones...not a sob...just a few tears).....As he tried to explain why he was so upset, he mentioned that he is so anxious about his uncle Big M who is one of his heroes. Being three hours away and unable to visit has taken a toll on him as he wants to leave campus as soon as he can....then he went into....

"I have it all.....everything....even a cadillac to drive around in with a great apartment...a selfless sister....two parents who would do anything for me....a family who is the greatest....but I am so sad...."

That's when I started to whimper...."don't be. Big M will be OK. He's a fighter and so are you. Find a friend to talk to..."

"No one is around and I really don't have many friends...."

Now I know that he is not thinking straight, 'cause he has a large circle of buds and can text anyone for a date or good time at a pub. So, there must be more. Sadly, I was too upset to pull it out of him when dad walked through the kitchen door. Whew...the cavalry has arrived. I didn't want to bail on the call, but I was not in the best frame of mind so I was non therapeutic....

And so, dad took over, calmed and allayed the kid's fears and eventually hung up the phone. On the other hand, I opened a chilled bottle of pinot grigio and poured myself a tall....and I do mean 'tall' glass.



It seems that he gave up two runs in four innings and had one bad inning. The bright spot was that he had three great innings. He also said that he pitched well. Here is the basis for his anxiety....

As he was feeling pretty good advocating for himself against the twit Trainer whom I will call Napoleon, Napoleon obviously got to the coach and reported the leftie for his insubordination. As a result, the coach screamed at him yet again about following the protocol that Napoleon has created. It seems that this is the coach's way to dominate his players as he screams obscenities at them. With that said, he was once again humiliated for standing up for himself and his arm. Therein lies the reason for his meltdown last night.

Want my take? Huh? Are you ready? 'cause here it comes....

As an academic...yep, I have a doctorate which means that I have a keen sense of critical thinking. Am I bloviating? Nope...I would not have earned the degree without having the ability to figure out problems and process issues. That's a fact.

On to this issue...I have watched over the last three+ years how the trainers at this elite university have completely screwed up the pitchers' arms. In fact, having 11 surgeries in three years is 11 too many. Most programs do not have any surgeries because they know how to train pitchers.

Furthermore, with my connections, I have found the best doctors, physical therapists, and trainers in the country, if not world (am I bloviating again? No, just another fact. I do my research and do not take 'no' for an answer when someone turns me down). These doctors....the best doctors....internationally known told the kid to his face that he is never to lift a weight over his head. Never...and what does Napoleon do? He has them lift weights...not only over their heads on a regular basis but also on a game day. Once again, even Diva knows that this is wrong, wrong, wrong....

As the kid tries to protect his arm and his dream, the coach whom I will now refer to as "The Maniac" or TM for short, screams, belittles, humiliates, and humbles these guys with big dreams. What do I say to that? "Uh, let me at him....." But I cannot do this. Therefore, I will berate and reprimand him in the only format that I can until the kid graduates then I PUBLISH THIS BLOG. And rather than coding the names of the coaches, I will name names and thereby share with the world their philosophies of coaching and training. In fact, I will also add the research to support that my kid and the experts are right; and as a result TM and Napoleon will be serving him fries with his Big Meal at McDonalds in a few years. Just sayin'.....

Am I peeved? Oh yeah....peeved is not the word, but I will find better adjectives as fall ball finally ends and my boy can return home to visit his family and friends. Until then, I have to control my feelings and emotions and be a better support for him. It is a time like this that I miss tennis, 'cause I would love to be able to hit the little ball around the court and release my frustrations. Until then I have to be content to Sh'Bam at the Y until I can Sh'Bam the organization at the end of the kid's college career. And believe me, look out....I am collecting my data and will use it in a few months.

Ok, gottta go and grade papers....Peace!