...It Was Kind of Like Cedar Point

Just for future reference for all members of the Bayside Tigers, the games usually start at 6:30, we have 2 games that start at 8:00pm this year, next week being one of them, but start time: 6:30 remember that. Tim showed up at the start of the 2nd inning somewhere around 6:39, but unfortunately he wasn't the only one that showed up late. The rest of the team was very punctual, meaning everyone was there dressed to play, everyone had beer in their hand, we paid the ump, took the field... everything seemed pretty normal. The only problem was, we didn't really "show up" in the first game.

Games one and two of the season we were flying high, game 3 was about as low as it gets, then game 4 was like eating dessert before dinner. So far if the young season was a Excel Spreadsheet it would look like the graph below.

If the young season was an acting career it would be John Travolta right after Pulp Fiction. If the season was a band it would be Aerosmith right after "Walk this Way" with RUN DMC came out. If it was an episode of Saved by the Bell it would be the one where Slater had to retake his history test before he could play in the big game against Valley. If it was an roller coaster it would be one that went up and down a lot and played with your emotions a lot.

The first game was an absolute disaster. We were down 9-0 before I knew it. I don't even remember the final score, all I know is it was over after 5 innings which is only good if you win. I think it was 15 to 5, it could have been more than 15. No one could catch anything, and to top it all off Lisa blew out her quad in her first at kick and is going to be in a lot of pain for a few days. Poor little Lass, it was only her second week. I always feel like a jerk after someone gets hurt, because for some reason whenever the person come up lame, I always think they quit on the play and I yell. So to say the least the first game sucked.

Then the second game started and our defense showed up. They ended up having a strong 7th inning tying it up at 4 to end the regulation. We only play one inning of extra innings and if its still a tie it ends as a Sister-Kisser. So we had to make the 8th inning count, and we did. Got two runs in and got them out pretty quick in the 8th to win the game. It was a big win after getting just crushed in the first game.

Notes: That same field is where Sarah slipped 3 disks in her back about 4 years ago. Our +/- ratio is -3 right now. As we all know the +/- ratio is the best thing we have to predict future wins. Right now our winning percentage is .750, so we are going to have to turn up the offense.

Monday...Funday?

This morning while lying in the dentist chair staring up at a man wearing a mask drilling into my face, as tiny bits of my tooth went flying out of my mouth and landed on the paper bib they strapped around my neck with a telephone cord and two roach clips, I had one thought: “I bet this is just how the Absolute Ballers felt as we ran them up and down the Kickball Field last night. They must have had that same dull aching pain of defeat in their mouth.

It was a good start to the 2010 season, we won both games, but more important we had some nice young blood join the group. In my humble opinion the perfect Kickball team is made up of diehard, battle tested, highly skilled, and knowledgeable veterans, mixed in with some blood thirsty, ravenous, put on this Earth to play Kickball rookies. And that my friends, is just what we had last night.

I’ve been playing for a few years now, and it always amazes me how excited I can get before a game, especially opening day. Once again the games was a great time, the competitive juices where flowing, mixed in with a few good laughs. The line of the night had to of come from a new member on the team Liz. As we took the field for the second inning Liz, who was in right field, said to our first baseman Tim “Why isn’t the other team out on the field too?”. While Liz might not yet grasp all the rules, or subtle nuances of Kickball yet, she along with the other three new team members, Aaron, Kelsey, and Lisa learned a lot last night, a trial by fire if you will. I’m really looking forward to the 2010 season. I signed up not knowing if I would even be able to field a team, but I got a sneaky suspicion this is going to be a pretty good season. Monday’s might have been a good move.

24 Hours = 1440 Min = 86,400 Seconds

Timothy Paul Finkel is going to ride his bicycle for 24 hours tomorrow in the 24 Hour World Championship.  You can tune in at www.24wcs.com to follow him.  He is going up against some of the best mountain bike racers in the world.  If I know Tim he won't stop turning the cranks on his bike for more than a matter of minutes in that 24 hour time frame, and that will be to stop for food and water.  The Question shouldn't be "Why is he doing it?"  Which I'm sure most of you just asked yourself in your head.  The question is "How is he doing it?"  Muscle's can be trained to work for that long, but human will has to tell the brain to keep doing it.  So at 4a.m. after being in the saddle for 16 hours straight with 8 more hours to go it's pitch black out, maybe a little rain has fallen, you've ridden 180 miles already, you've eaten 8 Pop Tarts, your arms and back hurt, your legs are tired, and you smell awful, every instinct you've ever had in your whole life is telling you to stop this then all you have to do is try a little less, just quit a little bit, then it will be easier to quit a little more, then a little more until your out of it and it becomes easy.

It's something pretty special.  Tim rides his bike all the time, so really to me the bike part comes second to the human will.  The Heart.  That special something that it takes to get something like this done.  I have no idea if Vegas runs odd on this race or not, but I would love to be able to put money down on Tim for the race.  I would bet on him to win (but I would also hedge my bet by betting that he would show, I mean that's only smart gambling, if he wins, it's just stacking up the money at that point.)

Good luck Tim, keep the rubber side down, and win the damn thing.

FIRE WOODKE!!!!

Episode 2 - Dancing to the Max

Well this wouldn't be much of a Saved By the Bell Kickball Blog if I didn't mention what went down last night.  Autum texted me at 1:19am and told me to turn on Fallon, had I known now what I didn't know then, I would have actually woke up and turned it on.  Click on the pic to see what went down.  I've never been interested in the Jimmy Fallon show, but today I found out he is only Kelly and Screech away from a reunion on his show.  I'm going to have to pay a little closer attention.

So this past week we played The Green Valley Team and didn't do so hot.  Long story short, we still have not broken into the "Double U" column, but for the second week in a row we put up a pretty good fight.  Our offense was much improved and we managed to score more than 2 runs.  However, Green Valley had a knack for kicking it to where we were not, and managed to score more than we did.  

During the second game I was in the dugout as Nerissa kicked.  I couldn't see home plate but I saw Nerissa (Kicking out of the Lisa Turtle position) knock the ball back to the pitcher.  They were working the ball over to 1st to get the 3rd out of the inning, but I didn't see Nerissa trying to make it to first.  So I yelled "Don't give up on it!" Because lots of times a team can make a mistake and change the whole game.  Then I looked to see Nerissa laying on the ground, I had not known that she fell.  Sorry Nerissa.  However, the best part was when she went running out to Left Center to play some defense.  She was limping pretty bad, and Tim yelled out "Hey, look at Lisa!  She's doing the Sprain!"  Which was pretty much the perfect thing to say at the time, I did a quick look around to see if Casey Kasem was around, but he wasn't.

I played for the first time this year after sitting out the first game due to an abundance of players.  It felt great, I really didn't think I would miss it as much as I did.  

Kickball really is a fun sport, and I'm glad I play it.

Perspective...

So I know this is suppose to be a Kickball Blog, but I've had a... Day.

Woke up this morning and my legs were a little sore from kickball, but no big deal, I'm 29 now and things don't work the same as they use to.  Leah wanted to go to Eastern Market in downtown Detroit, and I was all for it.  I really enjoy that place.  The people watching is great and it is full of food.  It's only 15 minutes from my front door and on a warm pre-summer day it truly is a great place to spend a Saturday.  So anyway I was buying some fresh blueberry's and Blackberry's  AT THE SAME TIME!!!  So I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet and my loose pocket walking around money.  I paid for my goods and proceeded to the next vendor.  90 seconds later I realized my wallet was not in my pocket, and ran back to the blueberry exhibit.  What I found was....nothing.  So long story short, lost my wallet, 100% my fault.  

Fast forward 2.5 hours.  For some reason, I think Pineapple juice sounds GREAT!  I don't know if you have ever read this blog before or met me, but getting a solid buzz on, sounded even better.  And lucky for me my Friend Leah was kind enough to lend me some money until I get back on my feet.

So there I was, at the liquor store.  I had some pineapple juice at the house, all I needed was rum.  Now I've been to this liquor store a few dozen times in the past 4 years, but the guy behind the counter and I have never been in the same room together until this moment.  Now in our lives we have all "met this guy" before.  Nice guy, you can tell by looking.  About 22-23 years old, and has dedicated his life to being cool, but not trendy.  Long hair, and a beard.  Large ear phones around his neck, so that when no customers are in the store he can listen to some obscure wonderful music none of us have ever heard before.  Right before this guys takes his 15 minute break, in walks R.W. (Me) with some sort of weird craving that only a pregnant Jamaican alcoholic would have.

R.W. - "I'm looking for some rum."

Cool Guy - "Ok."

R.W. - "I'll take that Parrot Bay" (Boy that didn't sound right coming out of my mouth, I've never drank this before in my life why am I buying it?)

Cool Guy - (Looking at me with my hat turned backwards so he can't see my gray hair or balding head) "Can I see some I.D.?" (while giving me stink eye)

R.W. - "No.  My wallet was stolen this afternoon."

Cool Guy - (Obviously thinking I'm lying and 19, because only an asshole, homosexual, or woman would drink this.) "Uh.... I can't sell you this without some I.D." (Then yelling to the girl I've seen in there a few dozen times) "Hey, this guy doesn't have any I.D."

Girl that works there - "He's Ok."

Cool Guy - "Enjoy your, your Parrot BAY!" (with an extreme emphasis on 'bay' as if to say: "I cannot believe you are buying this, you are a joke")

Easily one of the most embarrassing/funny moment I've had in a long time.

So.....Perspective.  I should be upset.  We lost 2 close kickball games last night.  I lost at least $85 cash, maybe more, and my wallet.  Had to shut down all my card and get new ones.  I had a carving for some booze I've never drank before, and it's the biggest woman drink in the history of liquids.  It was worse than buying rubbers from a relative that works at the local drug store who knows I'm dating a girl she use to babysit for... Just incase you are wondering.

I should be mad, however, I think this is a great day.  I've experienced some inconveniences today that would have spun some people out.  I've come out of the day with a couple great stories that will last a life time.  According to my bank, in 7 to 10 days this will all be behind me.  But that awkward moment I shared with that guy in the liquor store will last forever.

But all I can see is the humor in it.  Perspective... It's a wonderful thing.

Episode 1 - The Fight

It wasn't until Saturday afternoon that I realized that the other team wasn't even drinking.  I'm not saying you have to have 11 beers to have fun playing kickball, in fact it's been a long time since I've had to pull myself out of a game due to alcohol related issues.  However, I would say 9 times out of 10 a few bowls of loud mouth soup are involved whenever I see someone as upset as some of the people on Black Shirted Valley's team that we played last Friday.

I realize that we are a vocal team and that we can come off as aggressive, but when Kelly Kapowski, err Kerri Dhyse gets "lippy" with the other team, and A.C. Wehner gets called out into the parking lot, something is up.  Now if it were Bonsall (pick one), Autum, or me.... I wouldn't even mention it here, because we probably would have done plenty to start it.  But as I was watching this guy from Black Valley scream at us like he was Leon Carosi and we where the charming good looking high school kids he hired to run his Beach Resort for the summer only he was using the F-Bomb very liberally and all I could say was "Easy guy, it's only Kickball." it's got to be out of line right?  

Even though we didn't get a "W" out of the evening, I think we played really well.  The defense was outstanding, our biggest weakness was what it always is, kicking.  Getting runs across the plate was harder than passing a Mr. Dewey Geometry Mid-Term and practicing for an all girl singing group all during the same week.  But I have good news for you.  We can solve this problem the same way the gang solved Jessie's sevier drug problem.  We work together.  Don't put too much pressure on each other, and stay positive.  The runs will come.