Just a good ole boy

Ahhh! Sorry that I have not written but I have been WORKING! Yep, work...a little four letter word. I actually love my job, but it can get in the way of things that I like to do during the day. Lately, I have been editing my friend's 300+ page dissertation on black female CEOs in the corporate world. Did you know that there is only 1 black female CEO on the Fortune 500 list? Why, you may ask? I am not going to tell you. Once T successfully defends her research, we are going to convert it to a book, go on the Piers Morgan show, and have Tyler Perry make a movie about this population. Yep, I am thinking B-I-G. Maybe, we'll be invited to the White House....better yet....Oprah...yep...Oprah....

Ok, enough dreaming....what is going on with the big kid? Lots! and not so much....he cannot travel with the team so he has to be content sitting in the bullpen at home games. he still works out his cardio and helps around the dug out and field. other than that, he is on the fringe. And let me tell you, it's a good thing....

Without him, the pitching staff has blown multiple games. The hitters are not hitting. And the coach almost blew an aneurysm. During the last post, I shared with you how he screamed for four hours. The next day, the guys walked into the locker room and everything was missing...the big screen television, ping pong tables, lounge chairs, and sofas. And the WiFi was turned off! Boy, does he mean business. Buddy was not pleased and we had to talk him off the ledge. After all, there is absolutely nothing that he can do to help this year and he feels powerless and a bit snarky.

The team left for Indiana yesterday and three of the Saturday night partiers were left on campus. oops! The next time they schedule a big party, they had better consult with the baseball schedule first. This coach means business. I once thought that he was like a good old boy on The Dukes of Hazzard....those days are gone. He does have quite a temper...yikes.

It's a no-party zone on campus now. I guess that the guys will be in their dorm rooms early this weekend and perhaps doing homework or reading the Bible. After all, they might all be praying for a miracle to turn their season around and return to the coach to his salty former self. Or maybe they can find a genie in a bottle and get three wishes...Oh genie...I wish for a more laid back coach, an arm that can throw 90 mph and the WIFI to be turned back on in the locker room.

Have a great day

Good Morning! It's a crisp day in the northeast and the pretty spring flowers do not know what hit them. The weather until now has been almost summer like. The question that I pose is: "Is this global warming?" Hmmmm...perhaps....then again....probably not.

Ok, where do we stand today (ha...a little pun). The knee feels better each day and the swelling is going down. I am pretty sure that I do not need the crutches anymore, although today is Sparky's birthday party. We begin with happy hour then head out to a restaurant for dinner. I am thinking that I should bring the crutches, not for me...but for Sparky who might need some help standing up after her celebration. The Baker, my new pal, is baking different types of cakes based on each guest's preference. My favorite is carrot cake. Once I had a piece of her carrot cake and I immediately went into a sugar coma that lasted several hours. I am not sure what happened but I remember being breathalyzed for sugar intoxication. I was way over the limit of a normal sugar-licious blood level.

Got an early morning call from Buddy who is back in college and beginning to feel the effects of a full course load. He called to complain that he is not getting any sleep and that he does not know if he can make it through the week. So what does BP mom do?

I'll tell ya.....I did not let him complain any more and I took over the conversation:

"Hey, you live for this type of challenge...there's nothing that you cannot do...this is the life of a college athlete....you have the tools to succeed...go out and crush this exam...start to keep a list and check off each activity....by doing that you will feel a sense of accomplishment....now get going...make a difference....you can do it....buh buh"

Think that my pep talk worked? Uh...not sure, but at least I did not give him the opportunity to complain about his life that every man and boy would love to have. He has it all...no complaints...you can be tired, but this is a no whining zone!

Speaking of pep talks, Buddy was in rare form last night as he shared how the coach went ballistic at yesterday's practice. Think of every four letter word that you know...string them into a few sentences...add venom, anger, and a shot of apoplexy and you have a four hour screaming session. Yep...all through practice, Coach screamed at the guys...drinking, being late, not caring, not giving 100% and messing with his livelihood. The man is angry. So what happens? I dunno...let's stay tuned to the next game to see if the guys show more energy, because as of now, their "butts are on the line...." and before the coach loses his job, he will cut them from the team. Yikes!

Time to go and get some work done...got a few deadlines too. Have a great day!

A drunken mistake or eight

Tink just left for work. She has been working with an elderly woman who needs a companion during the day while her daughters work. The woman is lovely and has been using Tink to clean out her house. Slowly, the contents of the lady's home has been coming into mine. This weekend, Tink turned down the family flask that the woman wanted her to own. She did not think that her grand daughter would want it and wanted to give it to someone special. Thankfully, Tink said 'no' to the gift.

On another note, Bullpen Grandpop is having his pacemaker battery changed in surgery today. That makes three family surgeries in one week. I believe that we are keeping the medical field busy with our knicks, dings, and breaks. According to my niece, Buttercup, BP Grandpop is coming home this afternoon and does not have to stay in the hospital overnight.

How is our pitcher doing? Oy! Ups and downs....downs and ups. Yesterday, they lost a very close conference game that they should have won. Why? Well, according to the big leftie, most of the team was partying on Saturday night and either showed up late for the game or hung over. He's furious with his team mates and the coaches are beside themselves.

What are they thinking? The majority want to play in the major leagues, but you need to get enough sleep, eat right, and not show up to the field inebriated! Theses are the basic concepts when it comes to playing on a team, especially division 1. I am deeply disappointed in these guys and am astounded that they would put the team in peril like this. Does one beer or ten really taste that good? Is the feeling of falling over drunk more important than the team and team mates? What the heck!

Well, it is the coaches responsibility to figure out what to do. I have my own theory based on my experiences coaching, but none of my players showed up drunk. They would have petty problems with one another or be haughty, but that's it. They were usually on time and we actually went to the nationals for a tournament. Are my girl tennis players more committed than these knuckle-headed baseball players? Perhaps...perhaps....They know that a beer or eight can add inches to the waistlines so they were much more careful.

OK, time for me to hobble to work. I have a meeting later and it takes me twice as long to get ready as it did last week. Have a great day!

Patient Discharged

Greetings on this overcast Sunday. I am sorry that I have not written for a few days but I have my reasons....

On Thursday, the big kid met with the surgeon who removed the sutures and taught him a few exercises to begin the rehab process. What a beautiful sight! The look on the kid's face was one of happiness and relief as he continued the healing process. He had been off pain medication for a few days, had the sutures out, was given exercises, and was cleared to take a shower. You would have thought that he won the Powerball! He was so excited that he could shower. Frankly, so was I. The house had a bit of a "guy" odor and now the scent was beginning to dissipate.

It was then time to return to school with his arm still in the immobilizer. We drove the three hour trip and he was in the greatest mood. He could not wait to return to college and see the guys and hang out with the team. It is the only thing that kept him partially sane over the past several weeks. He had a renewed commitment to training, his team mates, and baseball. Although, as his arm leaves the sling in three weeks, he is not going to like what he finds. The muscle has atrophied a bit and he will need extensive rehabilitation to get back to his normal level of strength.

It was interesting as the surgeon mentioned that his fast ball should creep up 10 more miles per hour. For the past three months, he had been pitching with a non functional shoulder and still doing well. Once it heals and he has rehab'ed, he will be a different pitcher. Even with a bum shoulder, his spring ball ERA was low and performance was overall quite good. Can you imagine what he will be like with a shoulder that is completely attached?

And so, off he went to school and I waited to hear from him as to the transition back to studying and attending class. He called that night and reported that LW tried to tie him in a lasso and knock him to the ground. OK, what the #$^###? LW, his room mate has eyes and can see that his left arm is in an immobilizer. Is he kidding? If he had hurt the kid, I would have taken the sling and immobilized him. Is that kid crazy or what?

Now that Buddy has been taken care of, I finally had my knee surgery. It was an arthroscopic procedure done in a surgi center by Dr. G's partner. I think that it went well. I have issues with cartilage would is probably due to overuse. I thought that exercising and participating in sports was supposed to extend a person's life. But in my case, I am going to live a long life, I just won't be running through it any more. Is this nature's way of slowing me down? Yikes, today I realized that a person cannot carry a cup of Starbuck's coffee and walk with crutches. I am going to have to invent a devise where I can attach my coffee cup to my belt so that I can move place to place and still have my caffeine fix. Or maybe I need a third arm. Not sure, but this will not do. No sir, got to figure this one out. It's my only means of survival.

With my own surgical procedure, I can relate to my son's discomfort. I have been blessed to have Tink home who has been quite helpful. On occasion, she disappears....so, I now have a little bell to call her when I need her. Pretty cool, huh? I am going to try it now...hold on.....I just rang the bell and she was prompt in answering....I like this part of the process.

Time to move on to my next project....have a great day!

Post op day 7!

Yeah! Day seven and the countdown to returning to school begins....T minus 24 hours....

Why am I so happy? The reasons are twofold. First, the surgery and surgical site have healed without signs of infection. Second, he is so bored that he watched the new Muppets movie with me last night which tells the entire world that the kid needs more mental stimulation besides Kermit and Miss Piggy. Actually, the movie was pretty good, but for someone older than him who grew up with Gonzo and Fozzie Bear. There were actually a few laugh out loud moments which for me late at night it is almost impossible to chuckle let alone laugh...

Anyway, the second leg of the journey is coming to an end as the third begins. After the four weeks in an immobilizer, he will begin the slow painful process of returning to play. No throwing until the summer, then he can work out with a coach. Until then, his coach will be his physical therapist, who has been successful in helping Steven Strasburg of the Nationals return to the game.

Tonight, we pack the bags and load the car, then tomorrow after his appointment with Doctor Two, he is off to school after his shower. Normally, I would fill another bag full of food for him to take, however, he has eaten everything in the house. I really mean it...everything...nothing is left. Nothing....He can eat and eat and eat....and then have a snack or two or five.....then ask what is for lunch.

It's true that I will miss having him around but he belongs at school and not here keeping me occupied. He has life goals to attend to which do not include making his mother cringe, laugh, or run to the grocery store. There have been a few times when I have had to tell him to watch his language. God made lots of words, so try to use a more diverse vocabulary besides words that only have four letters. We are not living in a bull pen, so keep the language rated PG.

Thanks to all who have sent prayers, good wishes and thoughts, and ice cream cakes to the house. I know that the prayers were heard, thoughts were felt, and cake was devoured. Enjoy the day!

Post op day six

Day six in the sunny northeast and I do believe that the big kid has officially turned the corner. He no longer requires Vitamin V (AKA Vicodin) to make it through the day. He's taking walks, seems more engaged, and has submitted a paper to one of his professors. His suture sites are clean and dry without any hint of infection. In other words, the guy is healing and making progress toward returning to school and re adapting to college life.

In college, there will be no mother to clean the rooms or pick up after him. No one will disinfect the sinks and bathrooms each day. There won't be a mom to make his meals or type and edit his papers (yes, I edited it last night). I do believe that I am ready to discharge my patient to the care of his room mates (oy).

Let's chat about the room mates. Angel and Big Red are great guys but immersed in the baseball season. They have their own agendas and class schedules therefore will not be available if Buddy needs them. So, he will have to be independent and figure life out on his own.

He is also ready to sit in the bullpen with the guys and offer support. They need it right now. The weekend game performances were dismal as they blew late game leads. Buddy was screaming at his computer while they were blowing the games. Their cumulative ERAs over the weekend was a whopping 22.2 (wow...that could be a record). They really miss him and he misses them.

And so, we are beginning the "cutting the cord" process and preparing for release. He's ready, I'm ready, Tink is ready...so is dad. We are all ready to see the kid resume his social and academic life. I am feeling quite positive about him leaving my supervision.

Although...it has been nice having him around the house. He adds a balance and humor to a number of situations. He's fun and funny. I like him as a person as well as loving him as a son. hmmmm....crazy? nah....We understand each other. I have watched "his movies" with him and he suffered through the Voice with me and actually sort of liked the show. He'll never sit through a Dancing with the Stars, but I can't either.

Enough said, it is time to wash his hair in the sink for the last time. Perhaps I should encourage the use of conditioner too.

Post op day 5!

Yep, we are getting closer to the removal of the sutures and the first shower in a week. Why does that please me? You have three guesses and the first two do not count.....Even though the sutures will be out, he has to stay in the immobilizer for a month.

This means we have to prepare for the inevitable return to campus. There are some plans that have to be made. First, where will the kid sleep? Since he cannot sleep in his bed and the common room is nether quiet nor private, we are left to the room that he shares with Angel. If we buy a big lounge chair, he can tip his bed and fit it into the room. Problem one almost averted. First, we have to find a place near the apartment that has a cheap (and I mean cheap) lounge chair that will deliver it by Thursday and find a room mate to accept the delivery.

Problem Two: he is left handed and the arm is in an immobilizer for three more weeks. How will he type or complete his school work? I leave this issue up to him, however, I have been asked to type a paper today to submit it by midnight. I pray that I am not typing at 11:50 pm. Currently, he thinks that his tutors are going to type his work for him. OK, let's hope that they are willing to help him in this way. Something tells me that as they type, they will be editing and changing content to reflect the right answers. Just a guess on my part....

Problem Three: Food. I asked him if he wanted me to make food and freeze it for use each day. The answer was "No room in the refrigerator or freezer." How is this possible when there are four guys living there? Well, it seems LW's parents bought food for him and filled the fridge to the brink. he orders out each day and has not touched the food, therefore, the refrigerator is filled with rotting food.

Problem Four: If it snows, how will he make it to class without sliding and falling on his arm? I can't worry about this one. It's an unknown and something that I cannot control.

Problem Five: How far behind is he in school right now? He has missed Thursday through this Thursday. Not good....I never missed class since I was not secure enough in my capacity to figure anything out on my own. Therefore, I cannot be sure how missing class will affect him. I never had tutors except for chemistry and was that really necessary....

Problem Six: I cannot think of a problem six, hopefully I have thought of all of the permutations of what can happen to a person in college when their dominant arm is permanently affixed to his stomach in an immobilizer. Perhaps this will be a new reality show as a camera follows him around campus. Yet, if I had a dollar for very person who said to him: "I am sure a cute girl is going to want to carry your books and backpack...." I would be rich enough to buy a grande Starbucks coffee.

Got to run.....Tink wants to swim before going to work today.....