Mind, body, spirit

Happy New Year! We made it south and back with the dogs and my mind remains intact. In fact, the dogs handled the trip better than the big kid. Why? Well......

The dogs had their own crate and had to be placed under our seats. They fit and were perfectly behaved. On the other hand, the big lefty....not so much.

He took his beloved weighted balls, some sort of apparatus that he uses to strengthen something or other in his arm, his wrist weights, cleats, and glove in his backpack and sent it through the security scanner. When.....the security officer decided that his equipment were weapons and had to be checked as baggage or confiscated. I have seen the big guy get angry but this one was truly spectacular. And he was not going to win the battle against the TSA.



The officer was aghast at the contents of the backpack and gathered the contraband to send it to be checked. The big lefty, not liking the circumstances, decided to challenge the TSA officer...not a battle that he would win and had to walk to the check in desk and give up his beloved equipment. When I  told the TSA officer that he has flown all over the country without anyone taking his equipment, he asked for the names of the cities so that they could be reported. After all, he was keeping our nation safe.



Sheesh....isn't there an old lady that he could harass?  This seemed superfluous, but rest assured, the country is safer now that the contents of the back pack have been checked with the rest of the baggage.

Oh yeah, I was dissed yesterday too. This happened when we were collecting our bags upon arrival. The woman who worked for the airlines got in front of me as I tried to grab my bags. As bags labeled 'priority' dropped onto the conveyor belt, she pushed me aside and said that the 'priority' bags were for first class passengers.



Uh, lady....I am first class.....OK, technically I was upgraded because I just hit Delta Airlines Silver Medallion with the number of miles that I flew this year, but really....I was actually profiled by the airlines as someone who would not be first class.  Ahh, no biggie....I was not first class until I was upgraded at the last minute. Although, she was very surprised when I grabbed the 'priority' bags. Next time, I will wear my pearls and leather coat....



How is everything going with the big lefty? Hmmm....Ok, let's see....good and not so good.

While we were away, he went from sunny to cloudy in a matter of minutes one day. He was preoccupied and distant. What's up, dude? Nothing.

Ok, I have known this guy since he was an embryo, so I know that something was wrong but he was not talking. So I stopped asking.

However, today, I decided that I was going to take the bull to happy hour and have a long conversation with him. Why happy hour? Well, it is away from the house. He eats at a discounted price. I drink at a discounted price. It is a win win situation.

While sitting at the bar, he confided that the pitching coach, Psycho texted him last week and said: "The season rests with you. If you are on, we do well. If not, we don't."


Upon reflection of the text, he was fine with the challenge. However, I could see how it could ruffle his feathers.

YET....

This is it. This is the moment that he has waited for all his life. In other words, he is the man. That's right. He is their number one guy and they are counting on him.

Anxious? Yes.

Stressful? Yep.

Wanted? You bet.


This is it. This is senior year in high school again. he had to prove himself over and over and finally did. We chatted about a number of things....for example, his first big win last year. We both agreed that the Czar put him on the mound for him to blow up and lose. The Czar wanted the world to know that he was right. But he was proven wrong.

The next step was a week night game in Ohio. Again, the Czar looked for him to lose in a big way, but he again showed him what he had.

As the season continued, the lefty proved everyone was wrong. He had actually moved up from being last on the pitching roster to first. He also did it when all of his pitches were not working. Again, the Czar was not pleased.

At the final meeting at the end of last year, the big guy told the Czar that he could do more for the team if given the chance. The Czar remained unconvinced. Although, anyone watching the games knew that this guy had something good.....so, he waited....and now, he is in the driver's seat.

So, we chatted about how he was going to handle his stress and anxiety during the season. I want him to be proactive and develop tools that  will prevent him from getting flustered. He has a plan to meet with the sports psychologist once a week. Then I mentioned the most important thing....a life that is in balance and harmony....mind, body, and spirit. To be successful in life, a person needs to have all three in balance. When one is off, the whole person is off. Therefore, he has to be aware that his emotions and spirit need as much care as his body.

After happy hour, he went to the movies with Meat. Now I am alone and think that he is going to be fine. he is smart, level headed, and has his goal in front of him.

At this point of the year, I too, have confidence knowing that he is ready for whatever lies ahead. So, I have to also relax and take care of my mind, body, and spirit. Therefore, I am going to put my pajamas on...grab a book.....and chill......

Happy New Year!

From good to great...maybe

Rain! Blech!

As you know this was a tumultuous week for the big kid. Being left behind is more than the name of a book and movie but the reality of the leftie's life. Yeah, he was left behind to hang out with the guys, drink beer, and study for the final exam that he has on Tuesday. Fun, eh?

So what else is new? Well, the kid threw a bullpen yesterday and could not find the strike zone and had a meltdown....is the pitching coach right? A head case? Or wrong....mechanics?

Well, here is my take on it. I finished reading the book written by Tiger Wood's coach, Hank Haney. Haney was approached by Woods to help him to tinker with his game/mechanics. They worked together for a number of years and had a consistent pattern of activities. A regimented player, Woods responded to the coaching and won countless tournaments. Now, if Tiger Woods needs someone to work with him daily then why wouldn't a team need a coach to work with them too? I really do not see much of a difference.

If left on his own, Woods would have been a good golfer but not great. Likewise, the college and high school players need someone who understands the mechanics and mind of the game so that they too can be champions. A player at a higher level has a great deal going for themselves such as athleticism and body, but the rest has to be developed and honed. In other words, a good player can be great with good coaching.

With Buddy, he is a head case because he knows what he can do and what he is capable of given the necessary support. There lies the frustration. He knows that with assistance, he can make it because he has the drive, athleticism, and ambition. Without the proper setting and structure, he is left on his own and cannot figure out what he is doing wrong or even right.

I was once told to not think when playing tennis. Go with muscle memory and instincts. If these pitchers are not properly coached, then they cannot develop good habits and be able to self-correct.

And now, I am off my soap box and have to run errands. Have a great day!

Looking back: Lots of similiarities

Good morning! It's tax day...are my taxes done? Nope!

This is going to be a quickie...too much to do and too little time today. Got to squeeze too much into the day.

Yesterday's game was broadcasted on television. Tink and I had the video and regular cameras ready and focused on the screen. And we waited.....first LW started the game. He did not have his best stuff and was giving up hit after hit. I said to Tink:

"Your brother would have pulled out after that walk....."

"Your brother would have been pulled out after that hit batter...."

"Your brother would have been pulled out after that single...."

"Your brother would never have been left in the game this long....."

Needless to say, Tink asked me to refrain from any more commentaries......

And so, the score was 5-1 after 5 innings and LW was finally removed from the mound. But before he was yanked, he started to limp....that's right...an injury....that's what pulled him out of the game...not the five earned and unearned runs that were scored while he was there.

Sorry about the sarcasm....but it gets better.....

Four pitchers were added to the game as the score was rung up. Each pitcher was allowed to give up at least two runs and worked out of their troubles. The big kid never got in....he sat in the dugout with his heavy coat and hat on. After all, it was snowing in Michigan as the game progressed. Something tells me that he was not upset about not seeing any action.

And so, I watched the entire game since I never know whether he will get in or not....and we watched and watched....another train wreck of a game. The announcers were trying to be nice, but let's face it. There is only so much that you can say about a team that is 6-23.

As the game ended, I had this flashback....sophomore year in high school....a new coach....he hated/loathed/did not get the big leftie.....any time that he was on the mound, he would pull him after one incident. He could be heard screaming..."Get him the %@&@% out of there...." Yeah....it happened all too frequently.....he never knew how good he had it until college coaches called him to share the good news that he had a stud sitting on his bench cursing him out every opportunity that he had....cra-zeee....

Those were the days when he would be so afraid to make a mistake that he threw tentatively ad therefore did not have great stuff. It's the same thing in college.....the pitching coach would rather throw anyone into a game including his mother who has a 35 mile an hour fast ball.....and again, I hear, "I don't have time to warm up...I can't make one mistake....I can't get myself out of a problem"....it's confidence...as I said to Einstein's parents this weekend....he lost his swagger.....

Once the game was over, the team boarded the bus for the 8 hour trip home. On the way, he texted me with a number of salty thoughts and one interesting one....I gave him the book "Thirty three year old rookie" for his birthday and he had been reading it in his spare time. A text came through: "Chris Coaste is my favorite player...." You know why? Well, CC never gave up. He was bounced from program to program....the best player in the minors...overlooked for the majors.....brought up to the majors for a day...sent back again....up...down...side ways....backwards....forward....the guy could have and should have thrown in the towel, but did not. He was eventually rewarded for his perseverance. Now Buddy shares a kinship with the guy. Makes me smile....first, he is reading books (wink!). Second, he selects heroes who are heroes...never giving up. This story plays out not only in


baseball but in life....

When we look back on this sorry season, we will see multiple positives. These include finding out more about ourselves....how hard life can be.....life is not fair....no one takes away a person's spirit unless you hand it to them....there are many more lessons, but I have to run....work awaits.....

Eliminating bed bugs from the equation

Whew! We dodged a big snow storm here. Sorry, New England.....can't feel too sorry for you. After all, we have had our share of blizzards and ice storms. It's time to share the slick roads and shoveling duties with my friends in the north.

Today, I am taking BP Grandmom to a Flyers hockey game. We have tickets for the season and I nominated her to join me. Yep, five rows from the ice, I'll get Grandmom one of the big foam fingers and paint her face orange and black. Now, there is a fan. Actually, she told me that she does not like hockey. I really don't either, but the tickets are sitting here and since dad and Tink are working, I wanted to treat Grandmom to a new experience.

OK, so how is the big kid? Well, he seems to be fine yet salty. In other words...status quo. As the season approaches, I have been making travel arrangements. The oddest part of the preparations is that I cannot find a hotel near the games in Virginia. They are all booked in this area OR have had such bad internet reviews that I refuse to book there and would rather sleep in Tink's car.

What kind of reviews? How about this one:

"The beds were loaded with bedbugs!"

"The cable service was fuzzy and did not match the channels listed in the room. Wifi signal was strong but bandwidth was only workable."

"It was dirty, noisy and not taken care of."

 

"The motel was dirty from the carpets to the bathtub. We had to hand clean everything before we used it and if it had not been the only motel where we could find a room. We would have left immediately."

" Facilities old and worn. No Internet. Had to pay for Ice. Not as clean as I'd like. Overpriced."

 "Bathroom very run down, calk missing, door unpainted, hair on the sheets."

" It was a dump, run down, the smoke smell was terrible."

"Smelly, broken furniture and appliances."

 

"Room was smelly, furniture was in poor condition, appliances either didn't work (fridge) or marginally worked (AC). When I asked to change rooms, was told that because I had reserved online this wasn't possible (seems like cop-out to me)."

Here is my favorite and yes, my skin is crawling......

"Bedbugs in room 312. I was bitten over 100 times all over my body. The manager did not show up to talk with me when I checked out. No effort was made at compensation. I left luggage and contents in the room as not to bring home any bedbugs. They did move me to a new room after the first night but the damage was done. Do not stay at this hotel."
 

Ahhhh!  Yes, I will do anything for my little guy, but staying in a dirty, bug infested hotel even if it has a mini bar is over the top. It would truly test my love. And I have to admit, I may fail. A few years ago, he had to sleep on the floor of a hotel in this city and he came home with a rash all over his body. it was so bad that I had to take him to the ER for treatment. The nurse walked out to the waiting room and shouted: "Where is the kid with the rash?" Where was HIPAA on this one?

OK, back to traveling.....and so, I may stay out of the city and find a nice quiet inn on the outskirts of town and travel back and forth to the games. I just don't want to feel gross-out for the entire weekend. Many know that I am a bit of a germ-phobe and clean the hotel rooms when I get there with my Clorox and place the TV remote in a plastic bag so that I don't have to touch it. That's right...I care about my health.....

And so, I am leaving it to dad. Perhaps he can find a hotel within 25 miles that does not have bed bugs, filth or a rating of less than 2 stars. I would rather have cleanliness and comfort rather than convenience....

and the beat goes on.....
 
let's go Flyers!

Party on

Happy Sunday! It's gray and overcast in the northeast and somewhat cool. After sitting in a football stadium in 95 degree heat yesterday with over 100,000 of my closest friends, I am thrilled to have clouds in the sky...even some rain would be nice. Speaking of nice, something not so nice is going on in my backyard....

Either a neighbor is hitting golf balls over the trees into my yard or a bird is dropping them from the sky as I am finding used balls very close to my windows and patio. Sheesh....Somebody has a nasty hook on their drive. The closet golf club is three miles away, so either my neighbor is swinging as hard as he or she can or Tiger Woods is playing golf in the back woods...not sure, but if one hits a window, I am sunk. And so, I am going to have to stay vigilant as I walk Diva Dog out back. I have been hit on my back by a wayward golf ball in the past and let me share this with you...."OUCH!"

OK, on to something else.....After the football game, we tried to meet up with the big leftie. Apparently, he got tired of the game and left early while his parents and sister toughed it out in the heat. Our seats were at the top of the stadium in row 91....yes, that it 91 stairs to climb. If it wasn't so hot, I would not have walked back down the stairs and waited in line for 30 minutes for three bottles of water, but I was melting and needed hydration. So after climbing the stairs for the third time, I was determined that if I had to leave my seat again, I would not return. Therefore I watched the end of the game from the concession stand area. It was a rough game any way, so I did not need to be in my seat near the sun to watch the end. The cheerleaders were more interesting that the game.....

Anyway, after the game, we sifted through the 100K of fans and could not locate the big kid. Little did we know that he was loooong gone....boredom set in....he got hungry....wanted to go back to the house...no worries about his family. I am so glad, after all, we did come to campus to see him and not the game. I don't want him to worry about us and look out to make sure that we were settled and doing well....then I found out why.....

The kid was exhausted. As we picked him up at our parking space two miles from the stadium, he shared that he had gone to bed around 2 am. Impressed, I could not help but share my admiration that he had studied until 2 am on a Friday night....then the truth was revealed.....

The little house behind the bus terminal had over 200 of their closest friends in their house and backyard for a party with Hawaiian punch and cookies (yeah, right). Yep, the guys are little Martha Stewarts who had created a party that people will not long forget. Tea cakes, bananas foster, and perhaps a little Merlot, right? Wrong....kegs...red solo cups....pretzels....

Am I miffed? Nope! In college, I would have loved the little house by the bus terminal and to have held a party for 200 people without dropping a dime of my own money. It sounded like a great deal of fun. This is what college is all about except you have to add the attending class, reading, and studying and writing papers..... right?

With that said, we finished dinner and I had made a large pan of baked ziti, chocolate toffee, and stuffed cupcakes for the guys. Wonderful Sparky had sent his favorite chocolate dipped macaroons from the bakery. As we stopped in front of the little house by the bus terminal, I was given a mandate: "You are NOT to come in."

BPM: "huh? not come in....why?...what are you hiding?"

Buddy: "Nada....it's really dirty....didn't clean it. Don't want you to pass out."

BPM: "It's OK for me to pass out in the heat of the football stadium but not OK for me to pass out in the living room of your home?"

Buddy: "Right....it's dirty and you will be totally grossed out and maybe want to vomit."

BPM: "That's crazy...." As I looked at the trash on the porch and the crushed red Solo cups next to the trash can.The red cups were not only on my son's lawn, but scattered around the street. I also saw more red cups at the party that was going on across the street. it seems that the little red solo cup is quite the smash in higher education.As depicted in the attached Toby Keith video, the kids pay homage to the red solo cup.....

And so, I did not enter the little house but stood by the car as the kid took to cooler filled with food and treats into the 'dirty' little house by the bus terminal. After saying our good byes, I began to place myself into a 20 year old's head....not wanting my parents to enter my house meant a few things.....

The place was indeed a mess....the house smelled from beer, alcohol and feet....the keg is still in the living room with drunken room mates sitting on the big sofa....Perhaps it is a combination of all of the above.....Then again, I have to use my powers of deduction to figure this one out. I could have used my omnipotent powers as a parent to push passed the guys who were barricading the door, but I decided against that strategy, although I may make a surprise visit one night...then again, if I cannot trust the kid by this age, then I will never be able to do it.....

Therefore, I backed into the car....turned the air conditioning way up since my body temperature was still pretty high...settled into my seat and shared a bag of Skittles with Tink and Dad...It's all good....let him take care of whatever is behind that door.....I actually do not want to know....Sometimes it is best to live in a fog than daylight when it comes to this aspect of rearing kids.....OK, it's time for me to collect the latest round of golf balls in the yard....have a great day!

BP Mom Olympics

Hi!
It's been a few days since my last post. The Olympics have captured my attention. Unfortunately, I know the results before the event is broadcasted. For example, as I watched NBC this morning with my coffee in hand, they reported the Queen's granddaughter was in the hunt for a medal. Then Matt Lauer started a lame interview and I changed the channel to ABC who then announced the granddaughter won a silver medal. OK, no need to turn NBC back on. My 30 minutes dedicated to cheering Zara Phillips was cancelled.

In a way, it makes me kind of sad. With Twitter, Internet, and 24 hour reporting, we knew within seconds that Michael Phelps lost a race. There is a new swimmer in town named Ryan Somebody-or-another and he beat the all time swimming champ. Also, I knew that the men's gymnasts lost the medal. But they were not scheduled to show the meet until late at night. Anyone with a computer knew the outcome, so it was onto a HBO movie.

What I don't understand is why NBC just does not broadcast these big events live....show the competition at 2pm. I'll watch...but I am not going to watch a match in which I know the outcome. It is a waste of time.

Although, on Sunday night, we took BP Grandmom and Grandpop to a sports bar (OK, no judging...) and watched table tennis (again don't judge...it was cool to watch). Wow....are those players fast and good. It makes our little Christmas ping pong tournament seem quite bogus. These Olympians can teach us a thing or two or one hundred. Amazing.....

So, as I sit on the sofa with an ice bag on my knee after losing a tough match today with Red, beach volleyball is on.....yep, it's an Olympic sport. Naturally, I am rooting for USA, but the other team (I think ESP is Spain) is pretty tough. If I was a few years younger and had to choose an Olympic sport to train for, I don't think that I could choose one because they either look like a lot of fun or scare the life out of me.

For example, the archery looks like it would be fun. The only sports injury that I could incur would probably be a blister on my arrow hand. On the other hand. the girls and guys who are gymnasts get my complete respect. Propelling themselves on the uneven bars is amazing...then they vault and twist in the air and land on their feet....then the balance beam is probably one of the most outrageous events as they do cartwheels and flips on a plank the size of a toothpick. Maybe I am a bit chicken to even try it. OK, I am too afraid to even give a cartwheel a go....and my balance has been way off....so what do I do?

Well, I guess that I will stick to what I know best with tennis. I have given up Zumba since my knees started to ache and I tore a meniscus. Today, I read in the paper that doctors see at least two Zumba related injuries per week and the newest trend called "Insanity" is also causing more injuries.   Paddle is out since you have to bend the knees the entire time and they have already sent my brain a memo that they will not allow me to play this sport. 

And so, if there is an Olympic sport that will give gold medals for eating cupcakes or petting a dog, then I will continue my training. Until then, go Team USA!

The Skittles Challenge

Good morning! I am sorry that I have not posted but have been preoccupied over the past few days. The Southern belle and Pop are in town and have my attention. Lots going on in the BPM household with the guests although I must confess, I think that I have ruined Pop. He's a guy who has lots of experience with fine food and wine....the finest that we have here in my home are Pop Tarts (s'mores of course) and boxed wine. Last night, I corrupted the guy by serving him some boxed wine. He actually said that he enjoyed it. Hmmm...what has happened? Is he being gracious or did he really like it? Why do I only have the box in the house? I guess that it is easier than opening a bottle when all I want may be a juice glass of vino. And so, Pop has adapted and joined me for a glass of the finest vintage of boxed wines.

What else is going on? Well, Buddy is returning to school today to run a baseball camp. In true leftie form, last night he realized that he had to send his back ground check and child abuse forms to the school to qualify as a counselor. At 10:30 pm, we were scanning the documents and emailing them to the coaches. This was fun as once again, he could not believe that he had to do this....Can anyone spell "Sandusky?"

And so, he will be gone for a few days, pack up his apartment, and return home on Tuesday night. I will actually miss the big kid. We have been hanging out together for the last week....OK...not what it seems...we took a trip to North Carolina and flew home, worked out with Tank, and had multiple dinners and conversations. I taught him the greatest party game ever....I call it the "Skittles Challenge." What is the SC? Well, you take a bag of Skittles (regular flavors) and give your opponent one at a time. With eyes closed or a blind fold on, the person has to identify the color of the Skittle by taste. it's not as easy as one would think. At the best, Buddy picked up 5/5. At his worse, he was 1/5.
We would go back and forth and keep score of who could identify the most colors by taste. It's a mindless game and the kind that he can get into...he is now addicted to the Skittles challenge and we have an opened bag on the counter. Try it some time....It makes time on an airplane go quickly.....

Back to his journey....He has to stay in the dorms with the campers which has some of the other counselors a bit bugged. They want to stay in the apartments and party at night after the camp is over....but that is not what they have been hired to do. They have to chaperone the kids and make sure that they do not get into any trouble. I see this as a big responsibility and will say something to the big kid before he leaves. He has to be vigilant at all times to protect these children. No ands, ifs, or buts...just do your job and keep them safe. You are now a pseudo-adult. Got to act like it and accept this responsibility.

 It's time for me to get some work done, although Tink entered the room with a dilemma. My guests are suggesting that the house is too cold. Got to turn the heat on....it's 92 degrees outside....and 94 inside.....whew...

 

Have a great day!

Returning to where it began

Hi!

Not much going on this weekend. The big kid continues to work out with his physical therapist and at the gym. He is passionate about his sport and is desperate to return to his team for fall ball. In fact, he is progressing better than expected. Over the years, he has learned about hard work and not listen to individuals who did not think that he had the "goods" to bring it home.

Tonight, I had to twist his arm to return to his elementary school to honor his former coach who has been teaching there for 20 years. Over 60 graduates of the little academy are returning and he was not one of the kids happy to attend the party.

Why did I have to twist his arm? Well, if you are a regular reader, you may know that elementary school was painful for him. He was somewhat of a quiet kid and was bullied and ostracized on and off by the tougher kids. He was scorned on a number of occasions and I had to threaten on a number of times to take him out of the school and enroll him in another school closer to home.

However, the punches that he took as a kid served not to knock him down but strengthen him. Yes, it was painful for him and us. There were times when I would dry his tears and hold back my own. But all of the taunts and difficulties served to mold a guy who worked harder than anyone else. As he goes back to school tonight with his dad, he is the only regular division 1 college player of the entire graduating class. That's right...the guys who started and were the coach's favorites are starting to form beer guts and remember the glory days of 8th grade....sheesh! On the other hand, Buddy returns a reluctant hero.

That's right. Before he left the house, he said that he did not want to rub his success in anyone's face. Hmmm...from a kid who was the brunt of the kids' jeers. Interesting....yep...interesting...he has a heart and sense of right and wrong...well done!

Addendum: as I finished writing this note, the kid returned home very early. He never saw the guest of honor since he arrived late and was anxious to leave. Upon questioning, he disclosed that he was the tallest person at the party and the kids who once taunted him were losing their hair and had beer bellies. He wanted no part of the party once he was there and left immediately. My spidey senses tell me that walking back into the gymnasium brought up painful memories.

Once again, although he experienced troubling times, there were good ones too. However, no one at that school acknowledged his potential and often relegated him to the back. I would tell him that a person's true athletic talents blossom at the age of 14 years old. He waited and shazamm! He grew.....filled out....and threw a fast ball that would break Delaware records.

Therefore, may I submit that although the going was rough....he prevailed...excelled ....and is now one of the top relievers in his conference. I do believe the coach should be thanked for this one. Gracias coach, for ignoring and belittling my kid. It worked. He is still playing ball and has moved forward despite many periods of self doubt and bouts of low self esteem. For this (and only this) am I grateful.......