Just Because

"I like it green and leafy!"

This guy is absolutely his own worst enemy. I guess he couldn't find a Barbie doll to hold. Maybe he's making a nice salad for old two-face. Or maybe he's goin' vegan.

Whatever the case, how does this guy end up taking more ridiculous pictures than literally anybody in the history of the world?

Finally...

SWEET.

Latest Update

My phone rings today and guess who? The coach who didn't want to play a DH in my town.

Nice as could be. Wanted to know if we could do Saturday instead of a Sunday. Kids playing multiple sports (soccer? dance?). OK I say.

Problem solved. I can be very persuasive.

It's Not Fair, Coach

Every spring I get a schedule of games to play in travel. And every spring it becomes a cat and mouse game to get these games confirmed, mostly because these other coaches are nitwits. There, I said it.

Anyway, here was a back and forth from yesterday (no names to protect the stupid):

SoulSlam email #1
Coach,
Do you want to confirm our doubleheader for May 1? We can start
anytime after noon if that works for you. Let me know.

Dumb Response email #1
Could we play the DH at my place? Last year we played at your field and
for some reason they scheduled me again in LP this year. I
thinks it only fair to have your team come to my field this
year. My field is available on May 1st or April 30th.

SoulSlam email #2
The schedule is based on number of home games. If I play by
you, that means I play 3 home games, so I don't want to give up
the home games to be honest.

Dumb Response email #2
I don't think it's made based on home games. More likely field
availability. I just don't see why my team two years in a row
must travel to LP. To be honest doesn't that seem a little odd.

SoulSlam email #3
No. It doesn't. It has nothing to do with field availability. It's a schedule. Why should I play 70% of my games away?
I'll contact the league with your concern. They can handle.

So at this point I contact the league who responds that I am 100% right and this guy has to come and play at my field. Here we go:

SoulSlam email #4
Checked with the league (who is CC'd). Everybody gets 5 home 5 away.
Let me know what works for you to come to LP on May 1.
(So I think this is it. Read on)

Really Dumb Response email #3
I checked with the league to they thought you would accommodate my
request. I think we should play one game in Lafayette. What
works for you?

SoulSlam email #5
A doubleheader in Lincoln Park. As scheduled. We can start anytime after 12 noon.
I'm not giving up a home game at all.

So at that point the league sent this guy a long e-mail that basically told him to play the games in my town like the schedule says. Haven't heard a peep from this idiot since. Funny thing...we played this team last year (lost) and in the game notes I wrote "I really hate this coach".

Perception confirmed. Still waiting on the doubleheader though.

The Immortal Mr. Norris

Like a modern-day Odin, this celtic warrior is HUGE. He is hirsute, manly and above all else - Chuck Norris!

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

A couple of my own facts about Chuck:

The Octagon was the greatest piece of cinematic achievement in 1980. Forget The Empire Strikes Back or Ordinary People, which only won an Oscar.

Chuck kicks ass.

Without Chuck Norris, there is no Steven Seagal. Ever.

Chuck Norris would be the greatest star of any movie ever made, but he is so gracious, he lets other actors have the roles.

Johnny Depp secretly wishes he was Chuck Norris.

The name "Chuck" was named after Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris will save the planet from disaster on December 21,2012, but he is too honorable to take credit.

Howdy From Alaska

At least I think I might be here. Forecast over the next two spring days is for nearly 6-8 inches of the evil white stuff (not talking about the yayo) which is putting a crimp on my outdoor practices. So we toss inside. Ten days to the season opener with the 12U; the 10U starts day after.

BTW, Ollie P. got cut. In the immortal words of one Gomer Pyle - SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE.

Adios Ollie. Back to where you came.

Never Fails

First day of Spring...and it is snowing.

Full Swing

Baseball practice that is; it was about 75 degrees here Friday - Sat/Sun more like 50 degrees, but we is outside and throwing. Season starts April 1, so the 12U has a lot of work to do. Bigger field means new situations and responsibilities for every position. Gonna take at least 6-7 practices to cover I figure.

The 10U is progressing, you can see some of the boys have gotten better, some have not. The have-nots better raise their game or they can ride the pine.

How You Can Tell God Loves The Irish

Pretty long title, eh Boyo?
But it's true. In every sense.
Today is March 17th, St. Paddy's Day. Here in the greater metro area around NYC, we will have a beautiful sunny day, with highs in the 6-70 degree range. Perfect for the greatest parade known to man. God picked today to really announce spring it seems.

Notre Dame is in the NCAA Tourney and should go far. Another gift.

Reminds me of a joke (actually a pearl of wisdom when you really think about it);

Why did God invent liquor?

So the Irish wouldn't rule the world!

Bats

So league meeting was short and sweet for the most part, now comes the jockeying to confirm games.

The one really misunderstood part of everything in youth baseball this season is the "approved bats" for levels of play. Basically the NCAA is moving away from composites, so LL and HS are doing the same; except there are some "approved composites" - and it all comes down to a very vague and puzzling list. I am confused. And I rarely get confused.

So tonight I have to gather my vague lists and check all the team bats - and we most likely have to go out and buys some new bats, which is great if you sell bats.

I dislike Little League. Immensely.

League Meeting

Spring League Meeting tonight in a faraway township. Gonna see who we play, when we play, etc. Then it's the annual attempt to get games confirmed in a timely manner, which is usually ponderous.

I'm sure a couple of the idiots I have had to deal with in the past will show their bad selves - "Hey, a-hole!"

---

The 12U team is playing 50/70 this season, meaning leads (and balks) , hit and run, baseball! Hope springs eternal, so I think they can make a really great run. Problem is always on the mental side.

10U team looks OK, they practiced Sunday and quite a few look like they have gotten better in the last 6 months or so. Some do not. They look like they did when they were 8. Meaning they probably are not long for the world, baseball-wise.

Best time of year.

Still Here

Flooding is still a big problem in the area, cutting off most routes out of the area. I could try to make a 2.5 hour commute to get to my office 3 miles away, but I will work from home. The better part of valor...

Not sure if it's DST or what, but I feel off. Headache, nausea, etc. Hopefully that will clear up soon as well.

Weekend of Water

Lots of closed roads and bridges. My road is being used like an interstate...not good.

Backyard is a swamp, so I'm pumping my pool cover, can't be anything more that can saturate my property.

Looking for a dry field so we can throw a ball around, that may be an impossible task this weekend.

DST tonight. Lose an hour of blissful rest.

Lake SoulSlam

Backyard and driveway behind la casa is waterlogged, like a shallow lake.

Spent the night in the basement listening to the sweet sound of sump-pumps. House is dry.

Bad around here. Real bad.

Mr. Fixit

Had a busted sump-pump in one of the holes, figured out last night - we are getting rain like Noah here, so that had to be addressed, toot-sweet. Stopped by my local Home Depot (pick one) and got the parts I needed to start the sump-pump a-pumping again.

Nerves are a little bit on Defcon 2, and hoping for the best. I really can't deal with another basement flood.

Ashes to Ashes

Flood has put a crimp in my pious self, blocking my access to Noon Mass at my local church. My commute was a little better this AM, but the f-cast is dire for Thursday, so I may (have to) be a virtual employee on Friday.

So I guess I will go tonight - with the almost-over basketball season at a downturn, I have a rare evening off.

Boys need cleats, maybe we can go before weekend. The fields were a little slick this past. Need proper gear when you play the game of baseball.

Spring Flooding

The annual rite of Spring in my neck 'o' the woods is floods. Bad.

The House of SoulSlam gets groundwater - so the trio of sump pumps strategically placed in my basement work like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

But around the town and surrounding I live in, the waters from a couple of rivers rise and rise and rise, and it is catastrophic. More rain is in the f-cast this week, so it could really be a hoot.

So it's 7:54AM, I am 3 miles from work and I figure it's gonna take 90 minutes to get there. Can't wait for the ride home.

In a word: aaaarrrgghhh!

Moving Day

Moving my office at the J.O.B. today sometime this afternoon to temporary digs. I would like to get away from my old dept. asap. Nothing to do here, got new role.

In the travel hoops update, my 4th grade team won Saturday night by a score of 32-22. Thought we were gonna hand it back with 2 minutes to go and up by 6, but the other team couldn't break a press with 6 players (if they could play 6) - so we win. We play one more against a young team we beat easily. So while we won't get to a winning record, we will finish (if we win the last game) with a 5-11 record after going 0-10. I take a little comfort in that.

Baseball - Gotta work on my oldest's swing this week if possible. He has fallen in love with hitting the ball in the air, so he is dropping his shoulder to gain loft. Problem is that means you have a tendency to miss or foul off a lot of pitches too. We will correct.

Sports On Tap This Weekend

Let's see we have baseball practice - tonight, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. Saturday is good because we will finally get outdoors. Halle-lujia


The Ripper (aka YSSS or Youngest Son of Soulslam) has tow basketball games Saturday as well. One for the in-town travesty at 2PM, the other for travel at 7:45. Looking to get a win in that one.

Like keeping busy.

Follow the exploits of my Baseball Teams here:

BD4L

That's Blue Devil For Life. Y'all.

Life Changes

Creatures of habit, the human race.

So I had a change in position at my J.O.B. Not a promotion, not a demotion, just a new opportunity with a newly formed division. Not sure what it all means right now.

I BE OK.