Ode to the Baseball Coach

It was the end of the regular baseball season. The Angels of Hanover Little League started out rocky and ended the season with a bang. It always seemed one of the Angles got a crazy call from the umpire. They made calls on rules the kids didn't know and even our coach got a call that penalized the team. Yet, the boys and coaches showed resilience and kept on playing. As the season was winding down, I wanted to make sure the coaches received a "thank you" from the boys and the parents. Each player signed a baseball and I wrote a personal thank you card.   Here's the inside of the card:

Ode to the Coach

At first we seemed all apart
But we had baseball in our heart
We came together as a team
The league started to heed
The defense started to meld
The other teams we held
Our bats were a tappin'
The crowed started clappin'
We all struck out
Even coach made us pout
We shook it off and stood tall
Even with those crazy calls
Thank you coach
You are the reason
We keep playing ball!

Poor Running Apps

In my second quest in six months to consistently run 3.2 miles, I wanted to make sure I knew the distance of my runs. So, I tested a few running apps. Initially, with no luck. The first app I tried was free. It work well for my husband so I decided to upgrade to the 99 cent version, Pedometer GPS on the iPhone 5.  Time worked fine, but GPS and distance were not tracked. I tried multiple setting adjustments to include background refresh. Nothing worked except for the constant reminder "GPS is weak." I ended up using the free version on my husband's iPhone 4S on weekends. Not ideal but worked for the weekend.

Next, I tried MapMyRun because several of my Facebook friends were using the app with success. But for me it was just as useless. I ended up deleting it from my phone.

After researching the Nike+ Sports Watch and Fuel, I decided to download the free Nike+ Running app for the iPhone. With background refresh set, because it tells you to do it about twenty times, I went for my first run. After a steep up hill run in gale force winds, I took my phone out of my pocket. I couldn't believe it. It actually worked, time, distance, GPS map, calorie count, etc. It worked! I verified the distance with Google Maps. And the app was accurate. It will even track history and personal bests. It looks like I've found the app. The only downside is that is doesn't track walking versus running. I like to do both. I'm curious, though, to see how it will work over time.

The 5K Set Back

The end of the summer I met my goal. I ran 5 kilometers. Running, however, isn't my exercise of choice. But a few pesky pounds needing to disappear, prompted  me to hit the pavement. Clearly something more needed to be done than the limited gym activities. It was over 4 years since I ran any distance of value. I got bit by a dog and lost my morning running partner to sleep. Finally, I decided to try again. And I was actually enjoying it.  I didn't fall victim to the so called "runners high" but rather enjoyed the meditative qualities.

I was proud I met my goal. It actually felt good to say I'm going to do something and achieve it. Of course, there's always something to bring you back down to pavement. Something happened to my left foot. The pain was intense. I wasn't able to walk without a high heel. Ice and stretching therapy became twice daily rituals.  My running partner also experienced this pain, hers on-going for almost a year. Plantar Faciitis. Ouch!   I don't think I could handle the pain for a year. Finally, it eased up. And I wondered would I be able to get back to 5 kilometers? And if I could, should I try for 10?

Pirates and Princesses

Traffic was horrible. I guess warm weather and sunshine brings all the crazy drivers out. I didn't like that the traffic made me late getting my son from his bowling event. Fortunately, he didn't notice. We got in the car and drove home. We talked for a bit about our day, he mentioned how bad the traffic was and then we just listened to the radio.

An advertisement for a kids "pirate and princess" party came on. Jokingly, I asked my son "You wanna go?"

"Where?" he questioned in a daze "The Pirate and Princess party? Where is it?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "We could make all the princesses walk the plank."

"But Mom," he hesitated. "That would mean you'd be walking the plank."

"No way, I'm a Pirate."

Title

A title. It's a very simple concept. However, for some unknown reason, I cannot establish a title for my blog.

I tested a few:

The Panicky Pen
In This Moment
Somewhere Between
A Tale Between Two Cities
Roseanna Praydis
Loquacity

Still I am not satisfied. I've made lists, tried many different types of creativity techniques, still nothing. I've been blogging for 6 years, on and off, I should have a solid "title" by now.  Maybe I don't need one after all? Nah, the quest continues.

The Old Man and The Sea

(Alternate Title - The Little Girl and The Reservoir)

For months now, he’s asked me to read the book, The Old Man and the Sea. “It’s a quick read,  two day’s max,” my husband tried to persuade me.  I really wasn’t interested in reading about the sea, after all water is my archenemy.  I just finished all the trending books on my bookshelf and began to feel "book lonely," so I finally gave in.  Hoping the old man is in a boat.

The NFL draft picks were on the television in the background. I read about two pages looked up to see what was going on. Old white guys rambling on about the hot college stud didn’t really hold my interest. So, I read a few more pages. Before I knew it I was half way through the book.  My husband turned off the TV. “Ah, already half way, it is a quick read. Good night, don’t stay up too late” he said and went to sleep.

I really wasn’t tired and I was convinced I was going to finish the book.  It was an easy read so I pressed on. Before I knew it, I finished the book.  Pondering, why did the boy cry so much? Boys don’t cry that much, do they? And was it really a marlin, that couldn’t have been a marlin? A shark, a whale, maybe?   I lacked the personal connection to fishing or did I?

I started a new book hoping to settle my mind. I looked over to my nightstand after two short chapters and decided the clock was not working in my favor. I turned off the light and tried to sleep. Tried.   

I thought about fishing and the old man.

I thought about my dad; the end of a good spring rain; the smell of the mixing cool and warm air; the lingering fog that followed.  I remembered a pink windbreaker with a white zipper and brown corduroy pants. Worms! The smell of worms and spring rain filled my mind.

The grey sidewalks were covered with them; brown and pink, thin and fat, long and short. The worms seemed to cover the sidewalks as if they fell with the rain. I couldn’t wait to get outside, to collect my new friends. I'd pick them up one by one carefully placing their slimy bodies in a small white Styrofoam cup, anxiously waiting to share my catch with my dad. Sometimes, I'd sit on the front step waiting, and waiting, and waiting...watching the them wiggle around. I'd add a little dirt for them. 

And then out of the corner of my eye I'd see my dad, spring to my feet and run to show off our bait for tomorrow's trip. 

This time it was Liberty Reservoir. It was a simple silver dingy, big enough for the two of us and our dog.  But a dog was too much trouble in the boat. I took care of the worms. Dad took care of hooking them. He'd cast then turn the line to me. We'd sit and wait. If luck was on my side, I catch something. Dad would usually help bring him in. Dad would unhook him and hand him over. I'd stare the little guy in the eye intently, then look at my dad. He'd give me the nod. Gently, very carefully, I placed him back in the water and whisper "thank you". 

Hot and Fooled

It's warm almost hot, but not too hot. I don't have sweat magically appearing on my upper lip as I walk outside. This is perfect. The sun shining, little humidity, and warmth surrounding my body. Then I stop looking up and starting looking around. All I see is emptiness. People getting fatter.

Yeah, I know I put on a few pounds, about ten or so. Okay, maybe fifteen but that was over a few years time and after a major unplanned lifestyle change. Over two hours in a car each day, limited good weather days, and winter will do that too you. But I quickly made a point to get those pounds in check. I lost a few, about 7, real fast, in January. And they are still gone! There's just a few more I'm aggressively pushing a way.

However, that doesn't keep me from noticing that gradual the creep those around me are starting to clearly show. For some it's only ten pounds over the past few years for others it upwards of 50 or more. It's just gross. Oh, I know this is so very shallow of me, but it more than just pounds and looks. The slow creep, it affects everything, right the core of one's being.

And that's not the end of it. There's the lack of vigor, the void that seems to consume them. The lack of self desire to be more that what they are in the present moment. All that is left is the sad look of succumb and given up that displays prominently on their faces.

It doesn't end at the office, on my way home or when I take my son to his extra curricular activities, it's all around. The total lack of 'care'. It's as if I'm surrounded by zombies, real life zombies. There is no excitement. The energy of life down the drain. Where did it end up? Masked by the sunshine?

Today the weather has fooled me into believing there might actually be some beauty in this place after all, but I really know better.