No more egg-citement

Good morning! I am not sure what happened with our beautiful weather....but it is cold and damp....yuk! I don't have heat in my work office and yesterday, it was quite chilly. The positive part of not having heat is that the meeting that I had went very fast!

So, what's going on? Actually, not much....

Buddy called a few times yesterday as he settles into the rhythm of life. Interestingly, this should have happened six weeks ago. No one is complaining, though. I am amazed as he is caught up with his school work and has no complaints. In fact, he was asking me how I was doing.....hmmmm....am I dying and no one told me? No one asks me how I am doing....usually....

Anyway, I was happy to report to him that I am on a winning streak in tennis. Yep, I broke out of my two month losing streak last week (barely). He was thrilled to hear it. I guess we have a great deal in common. He then shared with me that he was worried about losing once he is officially back in the game.

I actually had nothing to say to him about it, because it is a tough state of mind to be in when a person attaches so much to winning rather than the game itself. As we know, we lose more than we win. I tell my students and Buddy (when he is listening) that we learn more from our mistakes than our victories. In his case, the losses are more public. But this is his dream....to be in the majors....so, the agony of defeat is even more agonizing. When I lose, perhaps 7 people know or care about it. When he loses, the entire campus and conference know and comment on it. Ouch! I am pretty sure that I am not cut out for it, but he is....so, go baby go....

I read an article in a tennis magazine this week that reported research on the brain. To summarize, when something important like money or a prize is added to a competition, the brain changes. Therefore, as the ventral striatum shuts down due to the stress or pressure of the competition, the more people fail to deliver. In other words, they 'choked.'

This has multiple implications for any competitor as what is in our mind matters. Therefore, fearing failure can be a self fulfilling prophecy. Consequently, preparation of the body and mind are essential in any competition including taking a test, Jeopardy, and tiddly winks. Moreover, when a person competes, he or she should have a mechanism to turn off the dialog in the brain and just play their sport. Physical preparation is essential, that's why there are so many practices. But once the competition begins, click off the thoughts and emotions and get down to business.

And so, as fall ball continues, it is time to forget about the wins and losses and focus on the task at hand. Perhaps, this means that I could win again and be on a winning streak....or put it in perspective and just be happy for the moment and physical ability to play.

Time to go...have a great day!

What egg-actly is the problem?

Lovin' this autumn weather. This is a quick post. Tink and I are headed to Aqua Zumba this morning. We have discovered that a person can perspire in water if they work hard enough.

Ok, just got another call from the big kid. The midnight egging continues and the house mates are peeved. last night, they threw eggs back and one of the eggs broke on the perp's screen and splattered all over his room. Now, this is the guy who throws the eggs to begin with and he is angry that he got egged....So, weird.....

Anyway, he was so furious that he hit Dog who was standing and watching the melee. Dog now has a black eye and busted lip. Is this beyond college hijinks? I am thinkin.....

The condition of Dog's face does warrant a trip to the police. At least, they can put some fear into this 6th year senior who does not have enough credits to graduate yet to open the books and finish what he started during the Bush administration.

It's crazy...they are crazy...and I am crazed...more later......

Not enough money to be Broke

Hi! A gorgeous fall day in the northeast. I did not post this morning because I ran a few errands. Tink and I have had our eye on a very large pumpkin at the farmer's market, so I bought it to surprise her. Little did I realize that I would have to pay someone to put the pumpkin in the car AND to take it out. It seems that my little surprise weighs over 80 pounds. Fortunately, there were a couple of guys working down the street on a driveway and I paid them to take the gorgeous gourd out of my car and place it on the lawn. It's a real cutie...I wonder if Tink is going to notice it....hmmmm.....

On to the big kid....he called this morning and told me that his house was still being egged. Once again, I advised him to take photos and share the information to the police. They could catch the vandals in the act.  Yes, he took the photos and no, he is not going to alert the police. The actual egging is occurring to the back of the house and not the front.
  This is an actual picture of the eggs and house.


Speaking of the house, the famous broken porch was fixed by the carpenter and he found that the boards were rotten. Therefore the guys are off the hook so to say and do not have to pay for the damages from the last blow out party.

For the next two weeks, the pitcher who was drafted by the Giants at the end of the season is staying at the house. According to the big leftie, he is spending money like water. He has a big BMW and lots of new clothes and shoes. He is picking up the bar tabs and buying the pizza and booze for the guys. His spending has made my son nervous. Apparently, he watched a movie called "Broke" last night and is concerned that this guy is going to spend all of his money and land up destitute. I told him to relax because he has not seen the bank statements and if he wants to treat his friends, then let him.

"Well, I am not going to spend money like this...I am way too cheap!" Bingo....he is kind of cheap, but he has to be since he does not have any money. I guess that he has been listening to his dad over the years. Don't spend money on what you don't need....don't spend money that you do not have....amazing....he listened....Broke, eh? How about saving your money so that you are not broke?

Although, I did share with him something that I had read in the Joe Paterno biography. Joe would tell his players: "Do you want three cars or a three car garage?" In other words, don't spend new found money on something that is frivolous rather on something that is lasting like a home or real estate.

With that said, I am going to try to find the movie Broke on television and catch what made my son so nervous. Perhaps the big kid is growing up. Perhaps the new found money that he sees his friend have has made him contemplate the meaning of financial solvency. I don't know...stay tuned!

Egg-citing times

Wow! What a few days we have had here! I got to see Cupcake twice this week as Buttercup needed someone to watch her. I begrudgingly said yes.....NOT! If I was seen begging my niece for the privilege of babysitting my fairy goddaughter, then I will deny it....OK, I did....I am not proud...love that little girl and her momma. Yesterday, she had on this very stylin' cap that Sparky's sister had knitted. What talent! I want a hat like this. I would wear it during the autumn season when my grey hair is showing. Actually, I should borrow her pumpkin bib too. There are days when I look down on my shirt and see the remnants of my lunch. If I wore a bib, I could eliminate the walking advertisement for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

We have been having fun with Cupcake's photo at work. I took a picture of her in a pink convertible last week. My friend started to Photoshop the photo as she added a cell phone to her hand in one edited photo and a Starbucks coffee cup in another. I want to add sunglasses (or "Babes" as Tink used to call them), a cigarette, and motorcycle hat in the next photo. Unfortunately, I do not have Photoshop on my computer and can't do the edits myself. When I do, I will publish our Cupcake creations. Too much time on my hand? Or the lack of true motivation to get my job done? You can make that call....

On to the big kid....he is happy...he is sad...he is frustrated....he is mad....such poetry....

What's going on? Well, the landlord is sending the carpenter this week to fix the broken porch.

 The bill will be taken care of by my son and his dense roomies.

Also, it seems that there is an ongoing battle with their back neighbors as they egged the house last night at 3 am. There has been sale on eggs this month and the neighbors have bought crates of them. They then decide whom they will punish as they finish a night of partying. Naturally, Buddy's house is the target of choice on most nights. The vandals aim for the windows and let the eggs fly. Some of these kids are on the baseball team and therefore, their aim is pretty good. My son is peeved because he has to clean the eggs off the windows and is often awakened from a deep sleep (do not mess with this kid's sleep...ever!). Also, they never toss bacon...just the eggs....

There was another situation that I discovered on Facebook as someone....OK, stop reading if you have a weak stomach....'poo-ed' in a McDonalds bag and left it on his porch. This is beyond a practical joke. it is unsanitary and creepy. Even in the most drunken and high state, who would do this? I don't even mean leaving the excreta on the porch, but who would think that it would be very be funny to poo in a food bag? Ew....I have no BP mom words for this one.... just a stomach that is churning over the thought of it. the late Ray Kroc would not approve the use of a Mickey D's bag for this purpose.

And with all of these practical jokes, my fear is that it is going to get out of hand and someone will get hurt. Therefore, I have encouraged my son and his roomies to take photos while the house is being egged for leverage as this continues to go way over the line. The guys are looking for ways to strike back. I say: "let it go...don't let them know that they are getting under your skin".... So, take the pictures for evidence and use them with the police when you are ready....OK...sheesh....listen to your momma....she knows what she is talking about...I have seen a number of cop shows over the years and Starsky and Hutch would use their fists last and the brains first....right? How about Serpico? He was pretty smart! Magnum PI would never let the shenanigans get out of hand like that. After all, they are using poultry to make an offensive statement and vandalize a perfectly nice college house. They gotta cut it out. After all, eggs do not grow on trees. Stop getting 'egg-cited' about it. You'll only have egg on your face and not just the windows.

 

Time for me to work. have a great day!

Details and more details

Hello Sunday! It's a beautiful autumn day and I am on a caffeine and sugar high. Yeah, I will admit it. I had vanilla vanilla cake from the Bakery and a cup of Starbucks coffee for breakfast. I think that I can finish this post, clean the house, and write a novel before the effects of the sugar-caffeine hit drops off in a few hours.

Until then, I can update you on details of the past few days. Detail 1: Bullpen Grandpop is home from his incarceration in the hospital and both he and BP Grandmom are tucked in safely in their home.  Yesterday, Tink and I stopped by as he had his nebulizer breathing treatment and we watched the end of a college foot ball game. He looks good. Although Grandmom looks tired! I guess that it is because he spent the time in bed and she slept in the chair next to his bed a few nights. Now, that is love and commitment!

Detail 2: No word from Buddy yet on the reply to his email from the landlord. Something fishy is going on here. In fact, I am sorry to say, I do not actually believe that the email was sent to the landlord. In fact, I think that the email is sitting in his "in bin" located in the corner of his brain. The logic is that he is thinking that if he placates us with "yeah, I did it," that we would drop the subject. Speaking of dropped, I do not want the mailman to drop through the broke porch. As far as the walls are concerned, I am not as worried. However, I am very concerned that some drunk bone head will fall through the porch and find himself a lawyer on the corner of campus who has been waiting for a juicy law suit. The lawyer will say: "these kids have no money. Let's go after the parents who have a few pennies tucked away (operative word is few) and take them away from them. Oh yeah, if you are permanently injured, perhaps I can send the crew to prison for a while....." Hmmm, the scenario is daunting....

Detail 3: The big leftie is pitching and now is concerned about throwing in a game. He throws to the catcher and has been progressing, yet he has not seen live action. His brain is saying: "Yikes! Can I throw in a live game? What happens when there is a batter standing in front of the catcher and umpire? Then what? Choke or thrive?" As far as I am concerned, he has to stop thinking and just throw the ball. He has been waiting and waiting for this moment. It is here. Use your muscle memory and new arm and let the ball fly. Challenge the batter, spit, breathe, visualize, get three outs, sit in the dugout, and spit again, and cuss....This is the life that you want....go baby go! Momma has faith in you and that crazy brain and arm of yours. Now hurl the ball and not your stomach contents. You can do it. Positive thinking...positive imagery...trust your fielders to catch the ball....I will be watching in the stands with my rosary in my hands....praying for the both of us to be calm.

OK, gotta go. Wildcat is holding a Silpada sale today in her home and there is a great deal of work to be done before leaving the house which includes hitting the treadmill working off the vanilla vanilla cake.....

Have a great day!

Back to competition

Good morning....hope all is sweet in your neck of the woods. The good news is that Bullpen Grandpop is home from the hospital. He is at cruising speed recovering from the pneumonia still taking antibiotics and breathing treatments. Nurses and therapists are stopping by the house to see him and monitor his progress. The health care professionals are not the only ones going over to the house, so are family and friends. Two days ago, the two year old from across the street knocked on the door looking for the folks. He is in love with them and desperately wanted to see either  to say hello and perhaps grab an M & M or two. Sadly, Grandpop was still in the hospital. Now that he is home, the little kid can stop by and offer his best wishes. And so, the open door policy continues....Tink, Buttercup, Cupcake, da Saint, Big Sis, dad, Big M, Tuna, Uncle C, Lil A and Dr. G are just a few of the visitors to stop by and say "hey"....

And guess what? With the open door policy, the porch is still intact, the windows are not broken, and there are no holes in the wall (unless you count when nephew L threw a chair against the basement wall one Christmas when he was 7....the wall has been fixed....L now throws baseballs and not chairs).

That is what an open door policy should be...no destruction...no free flowing alcohol...no passing out in one's vomit...no overflowing the toilet and digging out the contents with a fork...This open door means "stop by and say hi..."

In no way should the guest at the house take his or her fist and look for ways to destroy it. After all, Bullpen Grandpop and Grandmom have been living there for 50 years and yes, there have been broken windows and walls in which my brothers' heads have gone through. But overall, the house and the guys' heads stand in fairly good shape.

On to the big kid....I got a morning text..."have not missed a class yet this year...." It's still September, right? Impressive....or not...hey! I never, ever missed a class. My college friends wanted to kidnap me and take me to the beach one semester because of my perfect record. They thought that I was making them look bad. It wasn't about them...it was about me. I was afraid that I would miss something. Since I am a visual learner, taking someone else's notes would not help me in any way. When I did miss a micro class, I asked a student for her notes and she refused to give them to me. "It wouldn't be fair for you to miss and me not to...." she said in the most "in your face" way....

Then she changed her mind and said that I could have them. I pondered for a moment...why should I take her notes when she really did not want me to have them....what to do? I took them. Yep, I was so peeved that she blew me off when I first approached her, that I knew that actually taking the notes would make her crazy...and it did...The notes were actually quite good.

And so, there are three scrimmages this weekend and we will find out how our leftie does on the mound in actual competition. Will he have his control? Speed? Accuracy? Stay tuned.....

Have a great day!

Questions without answers

Greetings....I am sitting on the sofa stuffing a tissue up my nose as I try to type. It seems that despite a flu shot and being meticulous washing my hands and staying away from germs, something nasty has caught up with me. And now...I suffer.....OK, I am being a bit melodramatic, but I truly dislike being sick....especially with my long teaching day in front of me tomorrow.


I doubt that my students will enjoy me spraying my special germs all over them as I try to keep a conversation going for eight hours. Can I cancel class? Sure, but I won't. It's not in my fabric to cancel anything. I have to gut it out. Then I will go to bed....that's my plan of action....now on to the more exciting and uncontrollable aspects of my life...my children and the events that surround them.



When I left the blog yesterday, I was on my way to visit a friend from work who is on hospice. Needless to say, my stupid little cold that has attacked my body is nothing like the issues that surround my very brave colleague. God bless you as you continue on your journey....

It seems silly to ponder the absurdities of life when my friend is dying, but this is what life is all about....you live until you die (duh...). What I mean is that we all know that life will come to an end at some point.  Therefore, laughter, family, friends, and love are essential as we move toward the pearly gates. We don't know where or when, but it is inevitable. As such, I will continue to love as hard as I can and laugh until I draw my last breath.

And so, let's change the topic.....

On to my crazed college students and how they are starting to figure out that life is not cheap. Talk is...life is not.

When I left off, the next important party was on the calendar. This is probably the most important night in any college student's life. Yes, it is the 21st birthday party. It is now legal to drink. Yippeee....

Big Red's friends had planned a big night out at a local bar and the guys were gathering at the formerly known as the 'party house' at 10:30 pm. I don't know about you, but 10:30 is waaay past my bedtime, so thinking about just going out at that point seems like a crazy idea. Yet, when I lived the college life in Ohio last year, 10:30 pm was considered early as we sought places that were still open to eat dinner. We usually landed up at IHOP for pancakes.

According to the big leftie, he was going to stay in study hall until everyone had left the house. In no way was he going to go to a bar. First, he is underage.....second, he had too much work to do...third, he just did not want to go. Were any of these statements true? Did he really stay in the library last night? I guess that he does not have a fake ID (whew). Or maybe I don't know about it. I throw no stones on this one since I had "borrowed" Big Sis's 'ID' a number of years ago and successfully used it (sorry mom). In those days we drank 7 and 7's which were so disgusting that it took all night to drink one. We would nurse one drink for hours and never actually finished them. Therefore, we never actually got drunk since the drink was watered down when the ice melted. The local bar was down the street from the house therefore we sauntered home with the rest of the neighborhood friends after we got bored with being big shots. Oy, why did I just admit that? I dunno, maybe because I do understand the college life and am not so different from the kids today.

In more college news, the southpaw reported that he had a 98 average in one of his classes. In my book, that is a solid "A". He did not share which class he was killing, but I know that it is great for his ego.

Speaking of egos, the kid finally threw on the mound yesterday. He hit low 80's which is where he left off when he was injured. He wasn't even throwing full speed which means that he may hit 90s consistently this spring. Talk about a happy guy....who needs a fake ID and access to the bar scene? Not my kid...all his passion is wrapped up in his arm and doing well in school Yeah, babeeee!

He was disappointed when the pitching coach did not say anything to him as he threw. It seems odd that your coach would not comment on your first day back from surgery, but he ignored him for some reason. What message was he trying to send? Was he nonverbally saying that the kid is not important to the team? Hmmmm.....the only saving grace came from the head coach who made several positive comments. Whaddya do? These guys have their reasons for what they do. However, I wish that they would discover what makes each kid tick. To get the most out of your staff or players, you have to motivate them. The only way to do that is to find out what they desire. In my kid's case, he wants to start, so use that goal to teach him and move him on.

Even the best pitchers have coaches working with them. If a college coach is going to ignore his players then how will they improve? Perhaps the coach does not like my son's attitude which has been sharpened over the years. He is now more of his own advocate than ever before and takes  what the coaches and trainers say into consideration then does what he thinks is best. He understands his body and is growing up, sniff sniff....Yeah, having the surgery last year and being misdiagnosed on a number of occasions has been a tremendous learning lesson for the guy. He now counsels the other injured players and shares with them his opinions. In the past, he would let it go. Now he tries to help when he is asked.

OK, the last topic that I will cover is the subject of when am I going undercover to spy on the party boys? Actually, I am not sure, but I will stop by some weekend, much to my chagrin. I don't feel right about it, but the porch is still broken and the walls are smashed in. I am liable as a parent and do not want to land up in court because some immature college students decided to go on a rampage destroying private property and getting hurt. it is a litigious society and I do not want to be on the receiving end of a law suit. And, most importantly, I do not want anyone injured because of the loose planks in the porch or breaking their hand because they want to match the holes in the house's dry wall. Someone has to fix the porch and spackle the walls.  Why oh why, do I have to worry about this from hundreds of miles away?

I will tell you....this morning I received a text from California's mom about the utilities bill. Now I have her phone number and I am not afraid to use it! I just need to get a hold of Gopher's and Dog's parent information and I am set. Ok, I know what you are thinking...she is going to "tell" the guys parents on them that they have been behaving badly. If this is your thought, you win 98 cents. Yes, I will use this information to take them all down including my own kid. They don't get it. They don't understand how badly their stupidity can end up as we try to bail them out of the pokey long distance. From what I know about Mama California, not only will she be in town if her boy breaks the law, she will let him have it, record it, and upload it on Youtube. She is not messing around. Therefore, I am keeping the information to myself for now. if they overstep their boundaries, I will be in touch with pictures and bills to pay for the damages. Then each parent can deal with their own wayward son. I can't worry about everyone, can I? Should I? Will I? Too many questions with not enough answers...

On to work....have a great day!