Countdown is On....

Better bite down real hard Wily Mo...the season is just around the corner and the Red Sox still have questions for us. I found this pic of Wily Mo reading an article about baseball superstitions....he bites his bat??? well to each his own I always say as you know one of my philosophies I leave by is "To Thine Own Self Be True". There's absolutely no real reason or rhyme to this post. I just felt in necessary to get on line and update. I've been out of town this week in Tornado Alley. Glad to be back in Austin. Opening Day is Monday in Kansas City and I still won't have DirecTV hooked up which gives me a perfect reason to visit my fav watering hole Pluckers with some friends to catch the Red Sox play. It's been a long long winter for me. But like I posted on New Years...I feel I've turned a corner and finally things are looking up. Life is good so long as it's baseball season right? Each year I tell myself I'm going to slack up on going to games cos I should probably be spending the money on something more important...course then I come to my senses.

My itinerary for the year SO FAR:

April 6, 7, & 8 Arlington, TX The Ballpark Red Sox vs Rangers

May 25, 26, & 27 Arlington, TX The Ballpark Red Sox vs Rangers

June 22, 23, & 24 San Diego, CA Red Sox vs Padres

July 16 & 18 Boston Fenway Pahk, Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals

July 20 Boston Fenway Pahk, Red Sox vs Chicago White Sox

September 8 & 9 Baltimore, Camden Yards Red Sox vs Orioles

Hand Over that Bat Wily....I may need to chew on it too.

Lets Play Ball!!!

The Rookie

Stepping into the box
But not on the plate,
The boy searches for a way
Back home.
A five-tool player waiting
to enter the Big Show
for more than a cup of joe.
Walking, running, stealing, hoping
For another’s mistake
to help him along the way.
Facing the green wall, then
into the eyes of old-timers
anxious to hold on to their glory.
Ducks on a pond
crouched like tigers
waiting for an opportunity to
come home.
Surrounded by men watching
His moves, his stance, his swing.
Feeling boxed in, he looks
for a way out.
In a park where thousands sit
and nine men play against one,
shines a diamond
to where his future may go.
Out of the bullpen and onto
The mound, a Fireman
faces the boy.
Arms cocked, bat
swaying
in the
air, changeup
or a slider?
a step and wood
connects with leather,
a crack deafening to
the masked men’s ears.
Watching the rookie’s future
sail over the Closer, the dirt, the bags,
But not the Monster.
Inside the park grand slam.
Bringing in his first steaks,
to The Show.

I felt it in order to post one of my baseball poems today with Opening Day around the corner. and thats Tiz pitching to his son in Ft Myers.

Second Chances....

If you're lucky in life and love, you're given a chance at some great opportunity to add quality to your day to day routine. This may be meeting someone who is your soulmate...it may having the perfect job that helps you to excel at your god-given talents and skills. Some of us take advantage of these chances given to us...some of us squander them away, only to realize years later our foolishness cost us true happiness.

Then there are some of us who squander it....but through some quirk or angel looking out for us are given that Second Chance at that same opportunity that you came across years back. Its in that second time you stop and soak in the experience and learn from it. Its at this time you realize if you have actually grown up and learned any lessons at all. You want to make sure this time you don't screw it up...you dont make the same mistakes....you 'get it' this time.

But what about those who are on the receiving end of your Second Chance? What about their second chance? Basically your second chance is entirely dependent on their open heart and soul. If you're this person....it's easy to take advantage of this situation and make the Second Chance person squirm. But I advise you NOT TO....you may be given a Second Chance one time in your life...and you'll be hoping you will be received with open arms.

If you could choose a Second Chance ...... what would it be? these days I'm rethinking it all...for I am that person on the receiving end of someone elses' Second Chance...

All Good Things Must Come to an End....

So Monday....we head back to the park to watch Beckett pitch. I am psyched cos I get to fly my flag again. SotB and I head to our bleacher seats...but we decide to sit on the berm..ya know the lawn out in right field...anyway a couple of older men are trying to get comfortable on the berm when we offer our bleacher seat tickets in exchange for their berm seats. It was a father - son and the father was around 80 yr old. they thanked us and headed up to the bleachers while we stretched out enjoying the sun. I got to show off my tat and flag to others around. After awhile both SotB and I returned to where Brenken, Lynn, and KellyJ were sitting to visit....the game was nice but then we had to head to the airport to drop off SotB. Brenken and I returned home to get ready for dinner. We were meeting up with Kelly off SG and a couple of her friends. Lots of alcohol and laughs later....we headed back to Brenken's home to get a good nights sleep....she and I begin talking about the fact that Tek is renting a condo right around the corner from her home...its behind one of those REAL gated communities. Its about 10pm....and the next thing I know.....we're turning down the condo road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok so I felt like I was back in high school...stalking that guy I had a crush on....sneaking around. it was one of the most exciting things!!! I never told Brenken thanks....so Thank YOU Brenken for giving this Texas Gal some Night Time Fun!!!!

So Spring Training is Over....time for home and reality. And soon Back to Regular Blogging....

the Panthers await....

So it's Saturday morning ..... SO IT'S Saturday MORNING!!!!! Another game....but this time Brenken's daughter is singing the national anthem...so we HAVE to get there on time.
It's actually an uneventful day till that evening. We leave the game early so we can return to Bonita Springs to get ready for the SFAC dinner. Knowing Curt usually doesn't show up till later...we're not worried about being alittle late. Walking and picking up our table assignments...Brenken rushes over frantically gushing out something about Curt's here and people are already in line getting autographs...wait What?? Glancing over...sure enough, there's the Bloody Sock guy signing autographs and taking pics with fans. I grab my item to be signed and rush over like an obedient girl. I had this whole rehearsed phrase I was going to say to Curt but thrown a curve ball (no pun intended..ok well yeah) anyway...I totally forgot to tell him about my idea to secretly install the GPS with Curt's voiceover into CHB's car....a blown opportunity! oh well I get my item signed AND get Curt to sign my cast! TC and his wife take a pic of me with Curt...Sssssswwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Ok now off to the silent auction....i see exactly what I want....Beckett's autographed ball!! I warn everyone to stay away....ok auction's over and the dinner begins. blah blah blah (thats the speaker....I get Beckett's Ball, Btlgrl gets Lowell's Ball(well his good one) and KellyJ gets Papi's Big Black Stick...anyway we all leave happy and head to Mona Lisa's to parTAY!

SotB heads over to sign up to sing(karoeke) and we all settle in for our beers. After bearing through some of the wretched singers on stage...finally they call SotB's name and we head into the stage area. I hold her beer while standing at the edge of the stage....SotB begins singing "Sin Wagon" of the Dixie Chicks.....I'm doing a jig near the stage.....sorry no pics :)

Sunday hits and we head to Hammond Park for the Twins game. It's a fairly nice park but alot in the sun. We're watching batting practice....leaning over the dugout I'm waiting to see if anyone will autograph...SotB is standing next to me when all of a sudden she runs over to the end of the dugout screaming like some 16 yr old girl "Tek!!". Before I know it....dozens of kids have surrounded her and she throws her Tek jersey at him, he signs it but by this time he's pointing at WHO gets to throw him items to sign...he ONLY points at KIDS!!! I'm there with my hoots hanging out and all and he points to KIDS???!!!! Sheeeeeeesh another blown opp to get Tek's autograph!! PFfffffffffft! Oh well so I got back to watching the boys....finally I see David Murphy and begin yelling at him. A guy next to me suggested I wait till David walks back to the dugout....so I did...patiently....as David walks slowly and deliberately trying NOT to look up....I yelled at him and held up my TEXAS Flag....the smile that came across his face was undescribable! His face lit up as if seeing an old friend! He walked over and I asked if he'd sign the flag...he nodded then I asked him to sign the star....to which he smiled again....of course he said. Well THAT made this girl very happy!!

Leaving the game...we're headed to the car....passing a couple of car loads of Sox fans standing out drinking and eating in the parking lot...they yell at us asking where are we from. There are 4 of us and we're all from 4 different states....but as soon as I say Texas, one of the guys says some smartaleck remark about the Rangers. I prance over to him, moving my hair from my shoulder I reveal my Red Sox tattoo...you see it's my PIC here. He turned me around and said to me, "I gotta kiss a Texas gal who sports a Sox tat!" He pecked me on the cheek and then we were off.

What a day it was!!! Schilling and Santana pitching and we won!! Bonus I decided to stay an extra day and I was gonna see Beckett pitch the next day. Ok I think I am almost through with past Spring training games.

Sheeesh...this Walking Pneumonia killed me.

If You're Going Through Hell....

I just posted Rodney Atkin's song on myspace yestereday cos it occurred to me that sometimes when life circumstances bog us down and we just complain and moan about what is happening to us.....we forget that we control the destiny of how we react to these catastrophes.

This song is so Right On about how to handle things and it says it in the simplest of fashions...

"But the good news is there's angels everywhere out on the street
Holdin' out a hand to pull you back up on your feet
The one's that you've been draggin' for so long
You're on your knees might as well be prayin'
Guess what I'm sayin' "

I'm writing this in response to Ted's blog today (Red Sox Dad) as he reminded me that sometimes people just make wrong choices...and don't step up to the plate and just say that...they blame the past, their parents, their ex's, their friends, their enviroment, hell they just blame the world .... but in reality, People need to just stand up and say "Hey Im an ass and did an Assclown thing...but I get it now and I'm making changes"

If more people would do that, they'd have my respect. But more so, they'd have their own lives back.

Delayed Spring Training Stories

I suppose most of you read by now that SotB and I both came down with some nasty stuff on vacation. Let me tell ya it hit hard...hard enough to knock this Texas gal on her ass for the last 3 days.

BUT...that is not why you're reading this.

Friday afternoon.

So you know the Flag was flown for Texas Independence Day...even if Timlin or Beckett didn't pitch.

OK so SotB, Btlgrl, Ken and I leave the game alittle early as we have to retrieve our food from our hotel. We were staying in Bonita Springs which is about 20 miles from Ft. Myers. We gather up our goodies, get cleaned up, and head to Brenken's house WITH directions. Now, I love Brenken to death and all for all she's done....but my group voted her off the "mapmaker" job status. Mind you, we've been to her house at least twice before...but this was once a year. After taking a wrong turn...calling and turning around...almost there and STILL taking the wrong turn AGAIN...figured it out and finally made it to the GATED community of XXX. (hey there has to be SOME privacy). Anyway this is one of those REAL gated communities where you give the person's name you are visiting and your name. I started to yell out, "just tell her Tex is here", but I let Ken handle it since he was driving. As we drove through, we recalled how to get to her house but as we were turning this curve and passed this condo addition....we remembered....rumor was Tek was renting one of those condos!! ok so we behaved and went to brenken's house. (you'll hear about the night I did go soon)

Seriously, the bbq was fairly tame....between my cast, CBKen's and Soxy's recent hospital stay, JimEd's just getting over being ill and TomCat being sick....we were a bunch of lightweights. I brought the usual Sam Adams and it was gone in a snap. We left early and headed to the store to get more beer. JimEd had flew in from Manchester even with that storm! He was ready to party but we all were pretty tired and so we drank a few but called the party short as we had to get some sleep.

You see the bbq is usually on the last day of the weekend...but we were trying to have it on friday so more could come......also we need to have it on Sunday because by then...everyone is relaxed and comfortable and really don't care about behavior...we were just getting into partying.

oh yeah today at the ballpark some guy stopped me and asked, "hey where'd you get that Red Sox cast?" (this was before the Schilling sig) I looked at him...bit my tongue...and just explained I had a red cast and I put the tat on there. I wanted to tell him, "Dude, there almost out of them in the Souvenir Store...better hurry up" But hey...it was pretty cool to think I have a Red Sox Cast!!! Maybe the ARI* was worth it.

for those ignorant to acronyms

*Alcohol Related Injuries

2nd Day....

Long long long day today. We headed to the park and arrived around 11am. It is crazy there I tell ya! First thing is to get a fresh lemonade inside the park...YES I said FRESH lemonade NO alcohol. I save my drinking for after dark....pretty much the agreement we have on Surviving Grady for Tek-Thirty.... no Tek's ass pics till after dark. Ate the ritual dog and drank my lemo...met up with all my LMotfer crew which was great to see!! We were enjoying the game....when all of a sudden we see CHB in the pressbox upon which SoxontheBeach began ranting at him....gesturing and yelling. We all began yelling "Giant Sphincter". You know the new GPS system that supposedly Curt Schilling's voice is installed???? Well so I was thinking if someone "ME" could secretly installed this system into CHB's vehicle with special messages such as "Turn Right AssHole" or better yet "Only Sphincter's turn right". I don't know...it's just an idea.

The group headed to our friend's for our night bbq....which has to remain a secret as What Happens in Ft. Myers stays in Ft. Myers.

Tomorrow is our 2nd game....and the SFAC charity dinner benefitting ALS of which Curt will be there. I have still yet to get an autograph on my cast....we'll see.

pics coming......stories undetermined....

The 1st Day

Flight Days can be long and dreary......if there is no entertainment. But I try to make a habit of making my own entertainment. Today I get to the airport and due to my personalized red cast....I get 'selected' for special scanning. I know ya saw my posted itty bitty cast here....like what could I hide in there?? a nail clipper??? Sure TSA...have at it!! But good thing they let me get into the PreBoarding line....WoooHOOOOOO!!! So long flight from Austin to Orlando....getting off and heading to other plane. Finally getting on and getting situated....two other women ask to sit in my row....the 2 men and woman sitting behind me began talking.....before I know it, entertainment has begun. Apparently the Lowell Spinners' clubhouse manager was sitting behind me and was quite the entertaining fellow. I am not certain of his age but know he has grandchildren. As discussion began about relationships with "ex's", he stated for at least 3 months he resides with his ex and her hubby!! Ok everyone around put their magazines and books up, pulled off their i-pod earphones and kinda like that commercial says "when e.f. hutton talks, people listen.." It was air flight entertainment at its finest!!!

I land in Ft. Myers and head to drop off my carry-on with the friends at Chili's in the airport...go to Baggage FINALLY get my one bag....heading back to Chili's when a REALLY CUTE airport staff in one of those dorky orange vest walks by me and says something but I didn't quite hear him and asked him what he said....he looked at me and said..."Why are you Mean?" For a second...I looked at him dumbfounded...THEN I recalled...I had my tanktop on from my favorite bar...The MeanEyed Cat...it is a black tanktop that just says...MEAN across the front. I laughed it off...headed to my friends...although thinking, "hey, I got hit on within 30 minutes of being in Ft. Myers!!" That's got to be a GOOD THING!

Yeah we all went and ate and drank but tonight is the slow night....I Promise...Plenty of Stories yet to come!!!

One quick story from this morning as I got ready for the trip. I do not have a dryer...TED????
anyway...I took my clothes to dry them....sitting there in the laundromat looking out the windows I saw this lady walking her dog....she had shorts on...with tall skinny RED SOCKS ON up to her knees!!!! any other time, I would have snickered at a get up such as this...but today....I just smiled...cos I thought "I'm GOING TO SEE THE RED SOX THIS WEEK!!"

Life is good.