ahhh..baseball

OK Ed and Karen..I am back.

I would like to blame my husband for my leave of absence..because he has been home more than usual lately. When he is home, I like to hang out with him. When he is on the road, I either like to eat everything in the fridge and watch bad TV or write. So tonight, I write. OK..so I am writing too because Ed and Karen keep me on my writing path, even when I don't see them. Like tonight for example, they were at Walt's show in Houston...and of course they asked why I have not written in nearly a month. No excuse. I was born to write, so here I am. Well..I really wasn't born to write, but it sounded like a good comeback story. Maybe I gave up wine. That would be a really good reason to stop writing. The two go so well together. Maybe I have been taking all that energy and transmuting into a rigorous work out plan..to get into that Corona Bikini. Nope. That mutha will be for sale in the Merch booth on the 4th of July at Luckenbach..Maybe I have been doing late night hot yoga in the garage. Nah.

Here is the real reason. I blame it on "Role Models". Yes..that movie I told you about a blog or two ago. We had exactly 1 month (mm..exactly 1 month...) of free HBO from our cable company..and what movie was on every night? Role Models. This movie was created for 16 year old boys...but for some reason, I was/am hooked!! I can repeat almost every line. It's like Caddy Shack for the guys who grew up in the 80's. No..not Breakfast at Tiffany's or the Traveling Pants movie or Sex in the City 5..Role Models for mama. If it was on right now, I would be watching it. I am not an addictive personality. I am not compulsive or a.d.d or aol or alt or any a word. For some reason, it caught me. I love Jane Lynch's character. Paul Rudd..although not an athletic guy, I love him. I once broke up with a guy because I could hit the ball better than him. I can not be with a guy I can beat in racquet ball, baseball or volleyball. Just doesn't work. One time I had a guy pick me up in a Lamborginiinii thing and take me on a date. He was a real sweet human...but he did not like baseball. WHO doesn't like baseball?? Freak. Wildly successful baseball hating sweet rich guy freak.

I also broke up with a guy who wasn't funny. Now, Paul Rudd is totally funny, but, not athletic. Would funny override the non athleticism? I do not know. My husband is athletic and funny. So good for me. Shallow maybe? Perhaps..but I like to laugh when I am playing catch with my husband..not laugh at him. So..Role Models...funny movie.

Luke has been in love with baseball lately. Something clicked in him about 3 months ago. All he wants to do is play catch, watch the Astros and talk baseball. We could cry. We are so excited...but not pushy. He is almost part Border Collie these days..play? play? catch? catch?
It is a total blast. He now recruits the girls in the neighborhood to pitch to him. And so it begins.

You better love baseball in this family. I will not agree to a daughter in law who does not love the smell of a ball park, climbing over a row of beer drinking & yelling fans and the taste of bad hot dogs (except for Dodger Stadium..mmm..). She will not cut it. I have sung the National Anthem at many professional baseball games in my life. How amazing to stand and sing with a wild mass of people, waiting for you to go up on that last note of freeeee..delay and all..and then getting to sit in the prime seats, near the baseball wives and families and watch a game. Heaven. I love Bull Durham. The Natural. Pride of the Yankees. Field of Dreams. A League of Their Own. Role Models does not have a baseball scene in it..but Paul Rudd is funny..so we will let it slide for this week. He runs kind of funny too..but, again, we will let it slide.

I do the wave, the hokey pokey and everybody dance now. I do not know that clappy song that Luke knows.."Everybody Clap Your Hands" clapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclacpapclapcpaclcp..

I even like We will Rock You..when it makes sense. I love the organ. You gotta have an organ..or at least an organ sound on your keyboard. I had the chance to meet the guy who played the organ for the Angels when I was a regular singer in their National Anthem lineup. He was delightful. That was his dream job. To play organ and all it's glory, for a professional baseball team...how cool is that? Unless your dream was to actually play baseball itself..and then you had this crazy gift to play "Charge"...and not hit the ball well. That would suck. Then you would have to watch these guys playing your game, night after night like Amadeus and Solierei..while you have to put on a happy organ face and play Have Neglia when they score. The Adams Family theme could only be played so much..then you would get a note from the commissioner of Organ saying that you are not peppy enough.. Maybe your choice of song would affect the entire psyche of the team. Maybe they would fall into a slump, because your happy to sad ratio was off. Maybe you are the reason that they did not make the playoffs again this year..maybe they will send the baseball mafia to get rid of you because you really secretly wanted them to lose..because you couldn't hit the ball. I hate you organ guy. You probably run funny too.

So here we are. The glory of Summer..God's own game and a son who loves it all. We are living it, aren't we? We wake up to a boy who has his glove on ready to go. We go to sleep with the glow fading off the TV from the night's diamond. We talk about the players like they are members of the band. Our family. Our friends. Outside there is a park calling an 8 year old to throw a catch with his dad. I remember throwing the softball with my dad. I can still feel the ache. I can remember the lessons. I can see his face at the Angel game when that triple play was made.

Glory, Sweet Glory.

Good Night Ed and Karen..thanks for the nudge.

12:37 am
June 17 2010

Comments

  1. I have to admit that I'm not a HUGE baseball fan myself. I certainly don't hate it! But I'm more of a football girl!!! :) My favorite season of the year is football season!

    I do have some crazy baseball related memories though. My favorite being the time back in college when my roommate literally locked me out of the apartment because I made a comment about how the Astros were losing :p And then there was that time our family randomly decided to trek over to the school behind our house & play baseball, and the time my sister whacked me in the head with a softball....hey, I didn't say they were all FOND memories :p

    My claim to fame is that for two years I volunteered with an afterschool program that Lance Berkman's (Astros first-baseman) mom also volunteered for. He even helped build our playground! Who WOULDN'T love baseball after something like that! :)

    I tend to have a competitive spirit, so invite me to just about any sport any time & I will have a blast. I think it's the whole sitting at home watching on tv that ruins it for me.

    BTW - Paul Rudd is HILARIOUS!! Love him!....and yes, I do think you were born to write! :)

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  2. "Hey Dad, You wanna have a catch?"....My Dad passed away about the time Field of Dreams came out, so it has a very special place in my heart! Brings back many memories of when I was a youngster playing baseball and my Dad was my coach..We have a great picture on the wall..."Balboa Little League--1966"...I look at it often!

    Thanks Tina! What great words to read during Father's Day weekend....Great stuff! Karin and I enjoyed this very much!

    Enjoy the little league days with Luke...Good times, good friendships, and especially great memories!

    See you soon!

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  3. Forgot to tell you how many times Cami has requested that we listen to Luke sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on your cd! SO cutie! He is a precious boy with a precious mama!

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