Late night softball

Well, it was a late one tonight. Our 7:30 game didn't start until 8:15, and was over at 9:50, in Bridgeport. But, all is well, we won 8-4, and it really wasn't even that close. So our record is 6-1-4, which has caused a few problems this week. Would you believe, that I got in an argument. Remember a post or two back when I was told that we were the Decatur champions, and would have our entry fee paid to the Denton tournament. Well, they tried to crawfish on that. The only thing that saved the poor woman, commissioner, that called me is that I was in a public place when she called. She got told as much, too. You NEVER take something from MY girls, dammit! The other team is 8-2, you do the math. We have a .866 winning percentage and they have an .800 winning percentage, and we beat them heads up. Think I was mad the other night? I told the commissioner to "put your husband on the phone." He actually told me that it was like hockey, where you get 2 points for wins, 1 point for ties, and 0 for losses. Now come on, he got the wrong guy on this one. #1 this isn't hockey, or I have been doing a terrible job of coaching. #2 and 8-2 record would be 16 points, our 6 wins, one loss, and 4 ties is 16 points, and we beat them head to head. So, I threw his logic back in his face, and he said he had to get back to me. He called back the next day and said they were going to go by wins only, so I played my trump card. "Shea, is it because Billy grew up with you and I didn't?" Oh yeah, I went there. Long story long, we are both being sent to the tournament and they are paying for each team. HA!! Oh yeah, when we meet this team in the tournament, we are going to beat the crap out of them, for the commissioner. Just a little in your face action from my girls.

Again the tournament is June 3-4-5. Not sure on when we will play, we find out at the draw on May 31st. I will let everyone know. I encourage anyone interested in coming to watch your NAT-NAT play to come on. Saturday will be the day to be there in my opinion, probably will be hot and we will probably have 3-4 games. So come sweat and suffer with us, everyone is invited. And that means everyone. This will be your only chance to see Nat play till next year, because all of our games have been on week nights until now.

That's it for now, I think. See ya tommorrow,

Jim

Peek a boo, I see you. Thanks for dad's comments. He's calmer now. -Brayden 

Talking to yourself

You ever feel like you are talking to yourself? I do. It is my understanding that at least a few people read this damn thing, but nobody ever leaves any comments, except for Kim, who I read her blog everyday, and, no, I don't leave much there either, but I do leave some at least once or twice a week. Enough to know that someone is reading and appreciating her blog. Mine, nothing for a week. Do I have to knock myself out to get a response? I shouldn't, at least I don't think I should. How hard is it to sign up for a FREE service, that I have never recieved any spam from, to leave a comment every once in a while. Is nobody interested in what goes on in Natalie, Matthew, and Brayden's lives? How about Angie, nobody? O.k., the robbery, where we had our identity stolen? I don't care if anyone is interested in what I do or what happens to me, but the kids and Angie are VERY important to me, and to hardly anyone else, it seems. I don't make an effort to come in here every night and try to update, or entertain, everyone I know, and love, and recieve nothing. I don't do this for me, but a little feedback would be nice. How would you feel if you were talking and you thought nobody was listening? So, lets go people! If not, then this will not go on much longer. That's all I have for tonight, honestly, why write it if no one is reading it. My theraputic outlet is becoming a source of frustration. Let me know what you think. Am I being too hard on everyone?

Maybe I am scared, and other stuff.

Well, today we played softball in Paradise, TX. We won 8-4, but it should have been by more. Our little pitcher struck out six girls in two innings. The first inning, they didn't know what hit them. Jaclyn was incredible. I have never seen her, or my other 2 pitchers, pitch this good. She could have struck out a 12 and under team, so a 10 and under team didn't stand a chance. I may not have mentioned this before, but we are a 10 and under team, with a 7 year old on it. I was the one in the coaches meeting that said, "No, call her parents, and tell them to play her on an 8 and under team!" So, of course, I was the coach that got her. Her name is Kendall, and she is very good, but still a 7 year old. She is not very attentive, but she can hit the ball well, if not terribly far, but she can hit. I have a few 10 year olds that cannot hit to save their lives.

The pitcher for Paradise sucked. I told the ump, after the 1st inning, "You can't call it a strike if it goes over the girls head, this isn't slow pitch." Maybe I didn't make a new friend, but he didn't screw us on his calls after that either. He still called a fair game, and I respect him for that. Natalie was feeling the presure tonight. She struck out in the first inning, I had her leading off to get her the most at bats possible, because Grandma and Grandpa Racecar were here to see her play. We have an hour and 15 minute time limit, and we only played 2 innings, so they didn't get to see her outstanding play at first base either, because Jaclyn got all of our outs on strikeouts. Oh well, I hope it was as fun for them as it was for me, because I have basically adopted all of the girls as my own, and it is incredible to see any one of them excel.

We have no tournament this weekend, it has been cancelled, due to the fact that it will cost $100 per team, and all of the other teams backed out. But, when I went to pay, I talked to the commissioner, Gina, and said, "I don't understand why Billy's team is the Decatur champion, they are 7-2, and we are 5-1-4. We have a better winning percentage, and we beat both of the other Decatur teams straight up. So she told me that we are, in fact the Decatur champs, and the league will pay our entry fee into the Denton tournament. The tournament is the weekend after labor day, and everyone is invited to attend. Should be a blast.

O.K. we have no tournament this weekend, so now I have no excuse not to go race my 4-wheeler in Abilene. Can anybody think of one? I now am not mentally ready, maybe I am too old, cold feet, scared, the price of gas, anything, everything. I don't know if I am ready or not. I was going to ride a bunch this week and last week, but I thought we had a tournament, and I didn't. Nor did I fix my four wheeler until Friday night. No rush, right? Crap, Yuck and Poo. What do I do. I actually want to go race, but I had given up on the opportunity, and now don't feel prepared. I may and I may not, hell, I just don't know. Any thoughts on this, or anything else in this post, or any previous posts? Let me know. Somebody talk to me. Till then, See ya next time,

Jim

Bison or Buffalo?

The dictionary reads: The American Bison, commonly called a Buffalo.......... So they are the same thing, right? Not according to Matthew. A Buffalo is a Buffalo. On the other hand, a Bison, has 3 legs, on each side, a beaver tail, and can fly. This was revealed to me, Angie, Natalie, Grandma and Grandpa Racecar, and Brayden, at the dinner table, just before 7 P.M. Obviously this is where Bison wings come from, being the popular eat that they are, I had often wondered. I actually walked into the pantry and shut the door to laugh this one out. I believe Angie's dad, Grandpa Racecar, asked the question. Matthew was serious, so serious, in fact, that Grandpa bought into this for a second or two. We have a high fenced hunting ranch starting about a half of a mile from us, to the West, and we see Buffalo all the time, not to mention Elk, various deer, hogs, goats, and sheep. So obviously, Matthew is The Expert on this as well as many other things, being in first grade, and all.

By the way, a few mornings a week, on the way to school, we see a small group, about 15, of hogs on the hunting ranch. Each time we do, Matthew and Natalie comment on how happy/excited Papa Bock Bock, their name for my Papa Berryman, would be to see this. I have to agree, except that the high fence probably would not stop him from taking a few back to the house to make sausage out of. Honestly still brings me to tears that Papa is gone. They always ask me if I am O.K., and I tell them that I am, but I miss him, and yes, he would be very happy to see the hogs. I know he would.

O.K. the 4 wheeler race is out for me, this month. I have entered our softball team in a tournament this coming weekend, so the body cast is just going to have to wait. I thing this will make a few people happy, because they think I am too old or fat or whatever to do this, but June 18 is the next one, and I will be there. I got my ride all back in order yesterday evening, just before the people showed up to give me their money in the poker tournament. I was in fact the last man standing, even though not all that played were men. We did have a very good time, even though it lasted till after 1 A.M. Brayden did not care what time we went to bed when he woke up this morning, HUNGRY!! Oh well, we knew before we started that it would be a short night for us. As they say, "Thems the breaks", or as Papa said, "Sometimes you have to take the sour pickles with the ice cream." I guess he was right, but it was fun.

I did mention that Grandma and Grandpa Racecar are here, didn't I? They came to watch Natalie play softball tommorrow evening in Paradise, Texas. Hell of a name, huh? We play at 6:00 p.m., and I do expect a good game from our girls. Hopefully the attitude, and hitting will carry over from the last game we played. Even though we tied, we definitely played our best game of the year, by far. So I will be updating you on that game and other stuff tommorrow.

Till then, have fun.

Jim