One of my favorite reads comes out 2x a year - I'm talking about the greatest 'zine of all time the immortal Weird NJ!
Issue #32 has just arrived and I am about 15% in - great stuff about the wit and landscape of the Garden State. I'm sure denizens of other far-reaching places think they can be weird too, but NJ tops 'em all.
And another thing that's weird; remember when you were a kid and your teacher taught you 'I before E except after C and in neighbor and weigh when it sounds like A'. Never said a thing about weird.
Weird?
4.30.2009
4.26.2009
Mercy 2.0
About a week and a year ago I posted something called The Mercy Rule. And today we felt the bitter taste of the mercy in a travel game. Rough.
Played a good (maybe great) team of 10 year olds from a very large town - which tends to allow you to get the pick of the litter, so to speak. I wouldn't trade my boys for anyone, but these guys came out and laid a can 'o' whoop-ass on us. It was 10-0 by the end of 1, and the final score was too obscene to write down. I actually lost count after they scored 17. The ugliest of uglies. It was also about 92 degrees, so standing out there while these kids teed-off like it was BP was tough. Some of the boys gritted it out and took one for the team on the mound, while others just phoned it in.
After it was all done, what can you say? I basically gave the speech that it was a good team and that happens, use it as a learning experience, etc. We'll come back to win more games than we lose, I have no doubt.
And in exciting pool news, the filter and pump are running, and the oasis in the backyard is getting going. In case you were wondering!
Played a good (maybe great) team of 10 year olds from a very large town - which tends to allow you to get the pick of the litter, so to speak. I wouldn't trade my boys for anyone, but these guys came out and laid a can 'o' whoop-ass on us. It was 10-0 by the end of 1, and the final score was too obscene to write down. I actually lost count after they scored 17. The ugliest of uglies. It was also about 92 degrees, so standing out there while these kids teed-off like it was BP was tough. Some of the boys gritted it out and took one for the team on the mound, while others just phoned it in.
After it was all done, what can you say? I basically gave the speech that it was a good team and that happens, use it as a learning experience, etc. We'll come back to win more games than we lose, I have no doubt.
And in exciting pool news, the filter and pump are running, and the oasis in the backyard is getting going. In case you were wondering!
4.25.2009
Local Opening Day - Best Day Ever
Say that every year - today is our local opening day for baseball and softball. Begins with a parade (well actually with setting up the fields, but only a few of us will show up to do that), then some ceremonial stuff, and then a giant free-for-all known as field day where coaches run activities for the kids. Fun.
Spent about 5-6 hours down there, then went home to clean out the garage, get the pool filter going (I know I'm early, but that pool is a gem), and run some errands. Then it's back to the field for more baseball as my in-town team had their first game. Won it 13-3, never in question. At this level pitching wins games. And we can pitch. So we won. Stay tuned.
Mets win two in a row since the St. Louis massacre this week. And the Yanks lose two in Beantown to the Bosox. Good times, good times.
Spent about 5-6 hours down there, then went home to clean out the garage, get the pool filter going (I know I'm early, but that pool is a gem), and run some errands. Then it's back to the field for more baseball as my in-town team had their first game. Won it 13-3, never in question. At this level pitching wins games. And we can pitch. So we won. Stay tuned.
Mets win two in a row since the St. Louis massacre this week. And the Yanks lose two in Beantown to the Bosox. Good times, good times.
4.23.2009
Woe The Mets
It's early, and I can already here the Met Faithful calling the FAN like it's a suicide hotline. Aside from complaints about CitiField (I thought it was tremendous), everybody should get a grip.
That being said you can't leave this many men on base and win a whole lot of ballgames.
So here's the SoulSlam hitlist:
Wright - too many strikeouts too early, looks a little off at the plate
Reyes - I'm undecided
Delgado - good thing he's a bog offensive threat
Beltran - slide next time
Murphy - a little remedial OF work should begin
Church - off to a good start
Santana - too bad you have to have fielders
Perez - you are an enigma my amigo
K-Rod - not too many chances yet
Putz - patience with your LF
Castillo - couldn't ask for a better start
Maine - better learn to throw less pitches
Pelfrey - get the ball down
Let's Go Mets. Nats come in for three this weekend. Time to tear it up.
4.20.2009
Back to Work
Today is the day, back to the grind. Been off since Good Friday, so it's been awhile. Flying to Cleveland this afternoon for an overnight stay. Indians are off, so I won't be seeing Progressive (Jacobs) Field.
For those of you following along, my 10U Baseball team swept a doubleheader yesterday by scores of 8-7 (won in bottom of 6) and 6-4. Since I am a little short of pitching, it was a big day.
For those of you following along, my 10U Baseball team swept a doubleheader yesterday by scores of 8-7 (won in bottom of 6) and 6-4. Since I am a little short of pitching, it was a big day.
4.18.2009
Fishing
When I was a lad, I used to fish at the local lake, about a 1/2 block from my house. Simple times. As I grew up, I fished less and less, until I stopped completely.
So when I was home this week, I decided to take the boys fishing. Went to a big-box retailer who shall remain nameless and picked up a couple of Zebco rod and reels, dug some worms, got everything in a bucket and we walked over to that same lake, now about a mile from the homestead.
Didn't catch a thing, but it didn't matter; spent quality dad-time with my sons, and my youngest is really excited to go fish again. Pretty nice.
4.17.2009
Draw Your Own Conclusion
The name of the post has to do with how you will react after reading this. Read on.
So during my vacation away from work I have been doing odds and ends around the House of SoulSlam. Since Spring is here, there are tables and chairs to put out, some yardwork to do, and the "placing of the statues". We have a lot of statues here. Some are too big to put away for winter, some not. That is where this story begins.
In our backyard is a rose arbor and large rose garden. Besides these very nice flowers, we have statues of angels, etc. So I set out to place them yesterday.
The two largest statues are of Mary and Joseph. They get put away for the winter in the attic of my garage. They are each about 40" tall, and probably weigh about 80 lbs. or so. I went upstairs, grabbed Joseph and descended the steps. And as I got to the bottom, I misjudged how many were left, and overshot the bottom two. My ankle rolled under and I went down. Hard. Never let go of Joseph though. I remember thinking as I went down that I had probably broken my ankle.
Sat in a heap at the bottom of the steps, Joseph strewn across my legs. Time to move my leg, waiting for the pain and...
None (in my ankle at least).
Maybe I sprained it? Placed Joseph on the ground, and tried to get up, slowly, knowing my ankle was going to be a problem and...
It wasn't. I had more pain in my lower thighs from where Joseph landed when i went down, and my head for banging it against a wall, but the ankle that I was convinced would be broken was not. Shaken, I walked outside to clear my head, not thinking too much about what just happened.
So what did happen? I went down hard, probably one of the harder falls I have ever taken in my life. I have no doubt that I should have snapped an ankle. But I did not. So did Joseph have something to do with me being safe.
I like to think so.
So during my vacation away from work I have been doing odds and ends around the House of SoulSlam. Since Spring is here, there are tables and chairs to put out, some yardwork to do, and the "placing of the statues". We have a lot of statues here. Some are too big to put away for winter, some not. That is where this story begins.
In our backyard is a rose arbor and large rose garden. Besides these very nice flowers, we have statues of angels, etc. So I set out to place them yesterday.
The two largest statues are of Mary and Joseph. They get put away for the winter in the attic of my garage. They are each about 40" tall, and probably weigh about 80 lbs. or so. I went upstairs, grabbed Joseph and descended the steps. And as I got to the bottom, I misjudged how many were left, and overshot the bottom two. My ankle rolled under and I went down. Hard. Never let go of Joseph though. I remember thinking as I went down that I had probably broken my ankle.
Sat in a heap at the bottom of the steps, Joseph strewn across my legs. Time to move my leg, waiting for the pain and...
None (in my ankle at least).
Maybe I sprained it? Placed Joseph on the ground, and tried to get up, slowly, knowing my ankle was going to be a problem and...
It wasn't. I had more pain in my lower thighs from where Joseph landed when i went down, and my head for banging it against a wall, but the ankle that I was convinced would be broken was not. Shaken, I walked outside to clear my head, not thinking too much about what just happened.
So what did happen? I went down hard, probably one of the harder falls I have ever taken in my life. I have no doubt that I should have snapped an ankle. But I did not. So did Joseph have something to do with me being safe.
I like to think so.
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