Tournament time

Well, it's softball tournament time. We started one tonight, even though I am the only person in my immediate family that is in town. I had to stay, my team needs a coach. Natalie is in Stephenville at band camp and Angie and the boys went to see her family in West Texas.

Anyway, on to the game. I could not have been more upset with the draw. We drew Alvord in the first game, which, I assumed, meant that we would have to play every game after this one in the loser's bracket. They beat us badly both times we played them this year, 16-1 and 16-5. But we have a new team. We took the two Decatur team, put them together, using the best players we had and all four coaches. We may be on to something here.

Inning 1. We were the visitors, so we were up to bat. Nicole, from the other team led off. She got hit with the first pitch. As a matter of fact, every girl in our 10 girl line up walked or got hit in the first inning, except for number 10. Mati is a 10 year old we picked up for some strange reason that has not been explained to me yet. Anyway, she struck out. Nicole got caught stealing home. In between, Jaclyn walked and scored. Hailea walked and scored. Brianna walked and scored. Madi walked and scored. Dawn got hit and scored. Sylvia walked and scored. Lety walked. Gabby walked, then Nicole walked again.

Score Triple Explosion(us) 6 Alvord 0. More runs than we scored on them all year, WOW!

Hailea "Inez" McDaniel was pitching for us, and probably will every game. My Haley is at a swim meet. Inez played with us last year on our fantastic tournament run. She walked the first 3, then hit the fourth girl. Then the next girl hit a ball to Dawn at short stop, who threw out the runner at third, barely, but wow. Gabby made a great catch at third. Neither of these girls have played these positions before, but we went over some things before the game, and they did great. Inez walked the next girl, and they scored their 3rd run, the first was walked home and the other scored on the single and the force at third. The next girl hit a good ball to the gap in right center field, BUT, oh yeah, BUT Jaclyn made a spectacular over the shoulder catch for the out. They did score their 4th run on that play though. The next batter hit the ball sharply, STRAIGHT TO INEZ, who promptly threw the ball to Madi at first base for the final out.

What?! How could we be up on Alvord. The great Alvord.

Anyway. Jac got called out on a strike that wasn't a strike, ok, it was, but that's not the point. One out, nobody on. Inez walked. Then on the first pitch, Brianna blasted one to center field, that was caught, and Inez stayed at first. Two outs. Inez stole second on the first pitch to Madi, then Madi doubled her home. Two outs, one in. Dawn then walked while Madi stole third. Dawn stole second. But Sylvia struck out. Ending the inning.

Triple Explosion 7 Alvord 4.

This inning only has two highlights. It went walk, single, walk, walk. Then, on a hard hit ball to short stop, Madi made a great play on the ball and threw out the girl at first. Gabby made an outstanding catch. Maybe the hardest hit and thrown ball I have seen all year. Walk, walk, then Inez decided to try to decapitate their pitcher for some reason. She hit her right were the helmet meets the neck. HARD, but she walked it off. I couldn't get her to admit it, but I think it was on purpose for hitting Nicole with the first pitch. Hard, I tell you. Anyway two more walks and they had scored their 6.

Triple Explosion 7 Alvord 10.

But, wait a minute, hold up. Here we come, we gotta roar back to life right.

Hell yeah. Lety walked, the Gabby singled her to third on the first pitch, or she would have scored if she had time to steal second before Gabby hit it that single. That's a little inside joke for Angie. I hope you read this and get a laugh. Then little Mati showed great poise at the plate and walked. Lety was thrown out at the plate trying to really steal a run the hard way. She stole home as the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. Almost!!! If she would have slid, she would have been safe. Oh well, gotta try, right. Jac then singled Gabby home(us 8 them 10), and sent Mati to third and Nicole to second. Inez hit a ball to the second baseman who bobbled it, but managed to get Inez out at first, but Mati scored, Nicole to third and Jac to second(us 9 them 10). Brianna came up, hit a ball sharply to the pitcher, who bobbled it pretty badly, and threw Bri out at first. Ball game!

Alvord 10 Triple Explosion 9.

Dang, we were really close. If Inez could get back to her old self on the mound, I believe we could still win this tournament. Maybe I can coax Haley Denard out of a swim meet. You never know.

Jim

Am I gonna write a book?

Well, to be honest, I don't know if I can or not. I have thought about it since my best friend, Bill Boice, died. At first, I wanted to write a book about him. I actually put some time into it, but, in the end, gave up. It wasn't very good. I waited too long to do it. It took me about 2 years after Bill died to start it. Bill's accident sucked then and it still sucks today. But, the simple fact is that we only knew each other for about 7 years. Best friend or not, there was not, as I know now, enough to work with. So, with that in mind, I am gonna try on another topic.

This time I am gonna write about someone that I know a great deal more about. And, with a little help, will learn even more about. PAPA. Yeah, Robert Alonzo Berryman. I'm gonna give it a go, even if it never leaves the pages of this blog. Did I spell leaves wrong? I can't tell. I have written 4+ pages of 1-2 word reminders for me to go off of. It took about 25 minutes. Jesus, how many things have I forgotten?

There will probably not be the same standard bullshit in this story that I usually put into the other stuff. I just want to put down what I remember of the times we spent together. There will probably be a lot of skipping around. I will undoubtedly remember things as I go along. Certain things will trigger other things, and so on. I will try to tell the story as I remember it. Not starting at birth, but we may work our way back that way. That just made me remember something else. When we lived beside them, on the FARM, I remember more of Granny early on. Running next door and so on. Not complete thoughts yet.

I'll give you one to get it rolling. Not sure where it will fall cronologically, but...I do, absolutely, remember Papa waking me up, by rolling the ice cold beers ,that he found in the cooler in the back of my truck, into bed with me. Now, I wish he would have finished it off by pouring the ice and water on me too. I must have been, at least 18. Still not leagal in most of the country, but around Knox City...........

Jim

P.S. Papa is the only grandparent that I have lost so far. I know that I am very fortunate in that regard. Please don't think that I am slighting any of my other grandparents by trying to write this. I spent more of my time growing up with him than the other three. And yes, unexpected to some, I am still very emotional when I think about him. I will absolutely cry my ass off, like now for instance, when I write this. Maybe that is why I have put it off so damn long. But Granny said something to me, when I took her home last time that really triggered it. We left my house, and were going by the bowhunting ranch 1/4 mile down the road. When she saw the buffalo, she said, "Papa would have loved this." Then I told her about the hogs they have there, and how I can never not think about him when I see them.

One morning, when I used to get to take the kids to school, I saw a herd of hogs and just started bawling. The kids asked what was wrong. When I told them that they made me think of Papa, we were all bawling then. God, I wonder what the school thought when I dropped them off.

My Space

By the way, you guys are welcome to check out my myspace page. I post more pictures there. You may have to sign up with them, but it is free and easy.

www.myspace.com/jimberryman

Guess you can tell, I got my DSL hooked up at work.

Jim

Funnies

OK. Need a laugh? Well, I'll help you out like Lorena Bobbitt with a Ginsu knife.

I know I sound a little crabby, but there is supposed to be a shampoo to help out with that.

Question.

Why do men have nipples? They don't work, so wouldn't that make them the original Milk Duds?

Question.

How come racehorses never have to pee like us?

Question.

If Richard Simmons was an insect would he be a lady bug or a fruit fly?

Question.

If you were smoking pot with Mike Tyson, passed it too him and said. " 'Ear. "
Would he say, "No man, I'm good, you go ahead."?


Inside our grocery store there is a food donation box. Everytime I go, I fill it all the way up. Hell, there is no sign that says you have to pay for it first.

Women obviously love shoes. Hell, that is the only piece of clothing that a stripper won't take off.

Kids today have it made. They have the X-box, Playstation and the Gamecube. What did we have growing up? OUTSIDE! Give these kids OUTSIDE for Christmas and let's see how long it takes for them to learn how to play with that.

My wife was the youngest child in her family. Every time I picked her up for a date, she automatically got in the back seat!

Hope you got a laugh.

J