A hostile environment

Good day, mates! That's Australian for hey, whazzup?

I think that this post is a quickie since I have an early morning appointment. Yep, then on to work for a few hours....As the chair of the search committee, I am stuck reviewing applications, CVs, and interviewing anyone who wants a teaching job in my department. It's up to me to screen applicants and make good choices. Have all of my choices been good ones? Uh....well, if you consider the time when I was in a screaming match with one of my underlings whom I hired and she resigned by scribbling her resignation with a sharpie on a 3x5 index card and threw it at my face and stormed out....there are moments when humor has to come over a person to get through trying days. As the card flew at my body, I did what anyone else would have done with a projectile coming at their face.....I ducked....Then I said a silent prayer thanking the dear Lord that she was gone....in a figurative sense, not literal. She remained active in my life for a long time filing a hostile work environment charge against me. It seems that in the charges, I did not help her to find a baby sitter on campus.....yes, I am hostile. Also, going through her desk, I found a letter that I wrote at Christmas, thanking her for the hard work and donating a case of soup in her name to a soup kitchen. How could she stand working with me is beyond comprehension....the end result is that she dropped the law suit (no evidence). I actually told the lawyer that if he settled the suit that I would resign, but not on an index card. I would use a poster board and hang it on the gates of the university.

Yep, the life of BPM is not all fun and games like it was last night. Uh huh....the big party to honor my cousin was pretty cool. First of all, I do not dress up often, since I really do not need to wear heals and pearls to the ball park, unless I want a net thrown over my head. So, once I figured out what to wear, the rest was put together with the help of Wildcat, who stopped by the house yesterday. She added some needed touches to the ensemble and off we went to the big party in the city.

As I drove Tink to pick up Scooby, I began to notice a dusty scent coming off my clothes and sneezed. Yeah, dust....the last time that I wore this top was some time in the 1990's....so since it was Talbot's, the design is timeless....back to the smell....I realized that the dust scent was not from the car but from me. Here I am going to a big party where people are going to get close and kiss or hug me and I smell like underneath the sofa. This will not do....nope, can't have it....so I did what any other dusty smelling person would do....I stopped at the Macy's and sprayed myself with Bobbi Brown Bath cologne. Now I smelled like pretty dusty sofa....no one else had that scent last night...only me. Tink needed to open one of the car windows after I came out of Macy's....what was she saying? Oh, was she being hostile? Hummmm....

Ok, the party was a great success and I have even more admiration for my cousin who has taken on the issue of criminals being falsely accused and incarcerated. This is a national movement and now that there is additional DNA evidence, more individuals are being acquitted. One former inmate made a speech and was in prison for ten years. The person who actually committed the crime was his cell mate. Oye....a girls' choir sang a song about being free and one man who had been freed as a result of my cousin's efforts cried during the entire song. It was quite moving.

Now what? Well, the big kid is headed home today and perhaps I will see him....maybe not, since I have to work until late tonight. Either he will be in bed when I return home or he will be with Dewey and Meat somewhere eating Mexican food taking about saving the world, politics, and/or the movie Hangover 3's debut.

Time to get ready for the day....peace~

Oh my.....

Hey! What a day! Tonight the "Tink-ster" and I are headed to a major party in the city with some of the family. A cousin is being honored for her philanthropic work. It was nice that Tink and I were on the list to celebrate with her. There is a bit of a dilemma....yeah, I know....now what?

Well, what do you wear to a fancy party on a Wednesday night? Do I have what it takes in my own closet to look like I fit in but did not go over the top nor under it? To that end, Scoob and I have been taking pictures of our wardrobe and texting them to each other for a 'yay' or 'nay'.....I had to send three pix before I got a 'yay'. Scoob hit a home run right off the bat. And so, tonight is a big night for the family as we honor one of our own, in outfits that we had gathering a great deal of dust in the closet. I think that the last time I wore this top/jacket was 10 years ago to a fund raiser at Buddy's elementary school. Yep, I get out quite a bit.....I am sooo popular!

On to baseball....hee hahhh....yep, the big kid and the team traveled to Ohiooo yesterday. I predicted in yesterday's post that he would pitch...here is what happened.....

The game was broadcasted on the computer through the university's website and Tink and I gathered around it to watch with Diva and a container of pretzel goldfish. Ready to go.....the game was very close until the 7th inning and then it happened....the wheels came off the little train that could and it derailed...in a big way...when I say 'big', I mean global.....

I am lost for how to describe this one without seeming too "judgmental" but here goes....
error...walk...hit batter.....single....double....walk....walk....error...hit batter....changed pitcher....triple...bases loaded.....new pitcher.....walk...single...new pitcher....error.....embarrassment....and so on...then I offered a silent prayer: "Please Lord, don't put him in this game....Thank you....I owe you...."

 

My prayer was answered and a pitcher who never faced a batter the entire season was brought in....oh boy, I felt for this kid....

Now, if they were playing the Detroit Tigers or Cincinnati Reds, I could see how they would implode. But guess what? The team that they played had the same record and therefore, they were playing themselves (in a matter of speaking....). By the 9th inning, I wanted Tink to turn off the game and a Merlot....yeah, I am not ashamed to admit it, but a glass of wine did the trick last night after viewing this disaster. Maybe I should have the drink before the next game rather than after...although dad came home and suggested that after watching this one go down, he might consider a glass of wine too. He settled for a beer....great minds think alike, eh?

On the way home from Ohio, I got a number of texts. I ignored some of them and did not want to indulge any self-pity. I let it go. But when he called home to speak with dad late last night, dad told him that he was happy that he was not in the game and felt the best thing that could happen this weekend would be not to travel to Illinois and come home to prepare for Houston.

If he does not travel, then he might be coming home today. Sadly, there will be no hero's welcome since Tink and I have to attend our party. Yep, today is about us...oh, I mean my philanthropic cousin....that's right....

Once the kid makes it home, he will have the opportunity to speak to the Baker regarding summer hours at the bakery washing dishes and tending to the customers......speak to the coach of the summer league team....compete an affidavit for the Houston clinic....drive to the Lehigh Valley to speak to Coach T. No where on that list was "spend time with mom on Mother's Day..." Nope, I see where I rank, far below our beloved Coach T and a little round ball with seams on it.

It's time for me to finish. Cupcake is on her way over since Buttercup has a class or two today. Tink has babysitting duties which generally means that I am 'on call' .....

Enjoy!

If you don't like it----Change it!

Good morning! An overcast day in the northeast and it's no big deal. All activities are indoor today and it's time for some spring showers.

The team is headed to Ohiooooo for a midweek game and the big guy is on da' bus. That's right. He's been activated and will more than likely pitch. Here's hoping that he can find the plate. Over the weekend, the guys partied with the opposing team from Minnesota at the house. How did this gathering initiate? Well, roomie Gopher is a friend of some of the kids so he brought them to the house. As they drank beer after beer after beer after beer....and then a few more...the players pulled out the scouting report for Buddy's team. The big leftie with a bigger ego queried the players as to his scouting report which read: "Has some good stuff, but if patient you will be rewarded with the ideal pitch....." Dang....dead on accurate, if you ask me!

Did you think that my son enjoyed this? Uh uh...nope...no way...he was highly insulted by the report that took several beers to pry out of the opposition. Then, he did what any other inebriated ball player would do the night before a big game....he called home at one am to share how he had been slammed. After several 'can you believe its", I told him that the report was accurate AND he had to put on his big boy pants and deal with it. Call me when I am awake...ok? Dad and I were both sound asleep and did not enjoy this conversation one bit.

Let's look at reality and not fantasy....the report is dead on.....that is why he walks so many players. They wait for the pitch...don't get it...run the count up....and are rewarded with a base on balls. Deal with it, big guy. You chose pitching. Frankly, if it was me, I would have selected a comfortable place in right field...but nooooo....you wanted to be the big man and this goes with the territory.

If you do not like the report, then change it. You have the athleticism, drive, and capability as well as parental support. Time to not only tinker with your mechanics but with your head. That's right....deal with the issues at hand....see life for what it is....move on....guess what? Life is not fair. Just ask the kids in India, Africa, and South America...what about Haiti? That poor country has one disaster after another. This is baseball...America's past time and you have the privilege of living a dream. Don't wreak it by creating a nonexistent nightmare. It's good...it's all good....now get on that bus for O-hi-oooo and throw a few strikes.

peace out!

Commuication 101

Good morning! Hope all is well in your world as the first beautiful weekend in May came and went.....

And so, BPM, what is going on in your world? Oye, I am not sure that I can write about everything from a legal perspective but will share what I can.....and remember.....

When the big kid was off the roster this weekend, I made an executive decision NOT to travel to campus and take care of issues at home. Yep, like change a light bulb or two or pull some weeds or shop for pantry items and so on and so on and so on.....was the best laid plan achievable? What do you think?


By the way, dad changed a light bulb last weekend and broke the light fixture. After paying $100.00 to have the lantern re-wired, I decided to take on the job of changing the bulbs. I have retired the very big guy from light bulb duty. He is off the roster.

Around 1 pm I received a call from dad..."we're going to campus..." Huh? No, I need Cheerios and apples and grapes and.....what could possibly be the reason for me to jump into a car and speed off into the mountains? What, indeed....

For legal reasons, I can't go into the details....let's just say that we needed to be there to protect the big kid...

BUT, once we were there and dad was finished with speaking to the trainer and coach, he had a few minutes to talk with the pitching coach, who put things into perspective....hmmmm....

It seems that the big leftie lets his emotions get the best of him. The coach is actually on his side, but he suffers from the same syndrome that my kid has....the inability to communicate....yes, let me say it again....he has trouble expressing himself accurately with his players. Therefore, some of his words and actions are misconstrued. The bottom line of the conversation was: the kid missed fall ball and is behind. he needs more innings to catch up. He did not place him on a summer team because at the time, he was unsure as to whether the kid was going to pitch. Since summer ball rosters are created in the fall, there was no way that the coach could offer the leftie to a team when he was not sure if he could throw. Logical, right?

Anyway, as the summer approaches, there are injuries and the kid will have a spot on team somewhere in the country should he want it. Why couldn't he say this earlier this year? Why, indeed....

Is it the coach's fault? no, not necessarily....I have learned in my life, that if you do not understand something, then you ask for clarification. Apparently, I did not share this tidbit with my own kids. Sorry....poor communication skills on my part.

Today, the big guy is signing up for the Texas clinic and will take the first available spot. I doubt that he will travel to Illinois this weekend, although another pitcher had an injury that requires a MRI today. Let's just say that he is done for the season. In other words, he may be on the roster because of the player's injury.

I am going to check out the clinic online and will report back to you. On another note, did you see that Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay has a shoulder injury....Should I share with him our journey? I'll betcha that he heads for Florida this week...just sayin'

OK, since I did not accomplish my chores this weekend, I have to get onto them today and get some paperwork done.

Enjoy!

Numbers don't lie

Good morning! The sun is out and the sky is blue and the big kid in the mountains is feeling very sick.....for a number of reasons and here we go:

He called two days ago to complain of a sore throat and head ache...allergies or a spring cold was my diagnosis then and it is today. But when he called this morning, he sounded pretty bad and said that he had a pounding headache, sore throat, and dry cough.

I call it now a spring cold. My recommendation was to go to the pharmacy, read the labels on the cold pills, compare with his symptoms, buy the medicine, and drink orange juice and NOT gatorade. We all know the medicinal worth of gatorade, but let's be straight....it has nothing of value in it and experts concur that athletes should be drinking more water and not gatorade.....

On to baseball....deep breath.....OK, the kid is not on the roster for playing this weekend. It was not unexpected, but once again, it still hurt. He has been disrespected by his coaches and they have no idea how to help him. Let's consider this one important historical fact: his high school coaches were in over their heads with him too.....therefore, we did what we had to do to bring him to the level where he is now. It's the same with these current coaches. They are in over their heads and do not have a clue. After he spoke with Coach T for ten minutes, he knew what was wrong and fixed it. nevertheless, he is still not playing this weekend.

Here are my thoughts on the topic (you better get your coffee now and not later.....I have a great deal to say...)

1. The coaches are reactive and not proactive. They may have been terrific high school, college, and major league players, but they have to know how to diagnose a problem and teach the athlete how to tinker with their mechanics. These players are good and sometimes it is a minor adjustment. It could be the way the pitcher holds the ball, releases it at a certain angle, holds his head and so on......it's their job to fix it and make it better.

2. The team is in last place in their league only winning two games. The reactive and not proactive coaches are now screaming at the players and threatening them about play time and roster spots for next year. That's right....they are threatening them about next year. Dude.....let's try to climb out of the basement first OR have you written the season completely off. 'Cause, if you are, then you have given up and this is a 'no-no' in my household.

3. If the big kid had been on the roster, he would have pitched an inning or two...become complacent and not have made plans for the summer to work out with uber-coach. Yeah, it will cost me a bundle, but I can clip coupons and go back to peanut butter on a slice of toast. Brother, Dr. G used to make ketchup sandwiches when he was in school 'cause he ran out of money and refused to ask the folks for cash.

4. This can be construed as a blessing in disguise. He is not ready to fully return and can take his time working out with the new guy and visiting coach T. Further, he signed up to play in the regional adult summer baseball league for a local bar and pub. These activities could put the fun back into baseball.

5. Last night as the team's pitchers were being shelled, one of the seniors said to him "Get ready, you'll probably go in next...." Buddy's response was "I am not on the weekend roster." The kid was appalled and could not believe it. It seems that the big leftie's stats are some of the best among the active pitchers. Therefore benching him does not make sense.

6. The pitchers in the game last night gave up 12 runs. One of the two league victories came when the big leftie shut down a long rally, leaving the team enough time to win in the bottom of the ninth. It seems that the coaches don't remember that little performance.

7. The starting pitcher for last night's game was giving the opposing team the plate, field, and concession stands. The coach called for the kid from Texas to enter the game, but he has a method to warm up. The coach got angry because he wanted him in the game at that time and told him to sit down. Another bullpen pitcher threw three pitches and ran into the game. The guy was not warmed up and gave up more runs. The Texas kid was called again and tried to warm up but the coach brought him in too before he was ready and pow....bamm....ooomph....more runs scored. Texas was ready to walk at that point....

8. After the game, the coaches are screaming....it's the players' fault....no discipline...no one has a job next year and so on.....OK, neat....threatening is good. Here are the coaches who make fun of the kid who works hard every day....arrives first and leaves last.....now they see the value of hard work with players who not mess around. They have always said that they wanted a loose and fun dugout. But guess what? You cannot have both. When a person is joking and having a good time, he is not focused on the game but on his next joke....and this is what this year is....a big joke.

9. Here is my hope...the kid is not on the roster for the trips to Illinois and Ohio this week. This way, he has the ability to fly to Houston and meet with his next coach without having to leave campus or the team. he can get a head start on the summer and not worry about missing anything.

10. Last but not least....without entering the game, his stats continue to glow. When the Athletic Director or any scout looks at the pitching statistics for the year, his will shine and the question will be asked: "Why didn't you play this kid more often?" The coaches will hang their heads and not have an answer except: "He stinks...." Maybe his feet do after a game, but the stats do not lie.....Someone give these guys a quick remediation lesson on statistics and their meaning in baseball.

OK, I have bored you enough....off to do something meaningful like take a shower or pull some weeds or something like that.....Ciao!

Product of environment

Good morning! Last night I had a tennis match against a 60 year old woman who still plays basketball with the guys. She had the scoring record at a major university until this year. With that said, guess who won? Two guesses, the first one does not count.....yeah, I was on the losing end of the battle....And I say: "so what?" Huh huh....this one did not bother me, because she was clearly the better player. I guess that in my old age, I have begun to figure things out.....like, this is not life and death...it's tennis with an older woman who can kick butt and will continue to do so until she can no longer breathe. I am happy if I can find the courts....

And so, I have had conversations with the big kid as to where he got his uber competitive spirit. He claims that it is his upbringing, and I scratched my head and said: "Really? Explain...."

And he proceeded to give me a litany of how I turned him into this massive ego driven, ambitious left hander......."Well mom, you did play tennis in college (true)...."

"You weren't satisfied with a college degree....you wanted more, so you went to an Ivy league school...." (Yeah, but back then, there was only one school in the region that has a MS in my field.....)

"Then you got your doctorate...." (yes, but I had my family reasons for that. I wanted to take care of my children).....

"And dad has one of the top accounting firms in the business and he works like a fiend...." (This is true....during certain months, we forget that he lives with us...)...

"So, I am a product of my upbringing...it's your fault." Ok, I took this one on the chin...unlike last night when Granny smoked me on the court.....In a way, he's right, but  I never made him do anything. He is the one who wanted to be the best. I already know that I am not the best in my field...I have a few positives, but there are people who are much smarter, intuitive, imaginative, and have nicer hair than I do. I am not in the competition of life...just trying to get by. The kid, on the other hand, is one competitive, aggressive guy, who will control the choice of my nursing home in the future. Here's hoping that he chooses one by the beach....

Anyway, as we spoke about the summer and how he plans on returning from Texas throwing 95 miles per hour over the plate...he will dominate in the conference and country....then be drafted by a major league team in the first round....as he leaves campus he will in no uncertain terms give thanks to his coaches or school, 'cause he did it all by himself....then he is going to drive to the mall and buy four hats of his major league team and give them to his family. That's it...that's his plan.

Scary? For me it is.....I'll tell you why...'cause I am not as competitive as he thinks I am. I play it safe and don't put my self out there like he does. He has a personality that is aggressively over the top. I guess this is what he needs.

This is why he went to each of his professors to thank them for their support this semester and see if he could squeeze a point or two into an "A" rather than a "B+"...that's right...he is working the system and has been rewarded for his efforts. In fact, this semester, for the first time in this guy's life, he has earned a few "A"s and made the Dean's List. Truly, I kid you not....the first time ever....I mean it....Dean' List....he gets a cake for this one!

On to the courts...I have another match today. This time, I am playing someone much younger. Got to ice the knees and take Aleeve first. On to get my butt kicked.....have a nice day!

Cowardly Communication

Good morning! I just read about the Boston bombers' roomies helping them to discard evidence in a land fill. I cannot even get the kids to take the trash out. With that said, I hope that they can room together in the state penitentiary. No beer, wine, burgers, or parties. Just a cell with a sink, toilet and lumpy mattress. Enjoy, boys.....you earned it.






On to more pressing matters....the big kid worked out with the coach yesterday who suggested that he changes his toss to a side arm as opposed to over his shoulder. Interesting suggestion....no comment....Needless to say, he is no more prepared to play than he was last week which leads me to believe that he will not be on the active roster this week.

What does this mean? Well, it means that he can dress but not play. Ok, am I peeved? Yeah, a bit...here's why...even with his currently funky toss, he has the lowest opposing batting average on the team. Yes, he has hit the most batters, but LW is one hit batter on the list lower than he is.

And so, what happens? Well, he draws inward and loses more confidence in his abilities. He has been discarded with two other pitchers and has no role for the rest of the season. No matter what he does, this will not change things in the coach's mind.

Am I upset? I guess so, but there is nothing I can do about it except listen to the angst on the other end of the phone. Nothing I say will make it better. Nothing I do will ease the disrespect. Nothing will alleviate the humiliation of this situation. Therefore, we make plans....

The plan of action revolves around Coach T. He wants the kid to send film to him and he will critique it and tell him what he is doing wrong. Also, Coach T took time out yesterday to call him, listen, and advise...a good guy....

Once Coach T calls with his advice, the kid can make adjustments. Sound good?

Next, he is going to Houston to meet with the uber-coach who has already admonished him for getting his name wrong in an email. The coach says that he has to pay close attention to details or he does not want to work with him. Whew, this summer is going to be lots of fun, eh?

The team has not played this week because of finals and they are back in action on Saturday. I am not sure whether we are headed to campus or not. I will wait until the roster is posted on Friday. Sadly, this is the way the coaches communicate...they post the list rather than talk to the guys. Is it cowardly? You decide...

 

Enjoy the day!