Play Ball

I figured that I would blog late so that Christine may have a shot of being the first person to comment. After all, she missed the chance to be first at a different blog today. Actually, I spent most of the day watching baseball that I just didn't have the chance to do it. I have watched baseball since early afternoon. I am on game four for the day. I watched parts of a fifth game. I was bouncing back and forth between the ESPN afternoon game and the Mets game. I watched the Phillies game unfortuantely in whole. I thought they had come back and stood a shot to win it, but apparently Tom Gordon forgot how to pitch, so they lost it in the ninth. I definitely yell at my television more during a baseball game than during football. This is the first time I got the chance to watch all of the Opening Day games. I was either in school or working. The beginning of the season tends not to define things, so I wasn't worried about anything that happened today. I just don't want it to be too much of a regular thing. There are also many teams right now that aren't at full strength so we will see what happens once everyone gets healthy. Doesn't matter in my family as the war has already started. You see, I am a Phillies fan. My brother, in one of his moments of being an idiot, routes for the Mets. The phone calls and text messages has already started on day one. It is never good to have people in the same family route for division rivals. My brother is really odd man out as most of my family are Phillies fans. My cousin, Eric, is a season ticket holder for the Phillies. Well, one year he gave Jason tickets to a Mets game he couldn't attend. Well, the Phillies scored 14 against the Mets and Eric managed to call Jason for every run scored. It drove Jason nuts and added salt to the wound. Jason and I went to a Mets game at Shea Stadium last year. It was the only time I remembered us doing something just the two of us. I can see why they are replacing Shea. It has definitely outlived its purpose. Well, Jason and I managed not to get out of hand. We were civil to each other. It was easy for me as the Phillies won. Jason's friend did all the taunting by calling him constantly. The other thing that I remember is that there were West Point cadets sitting behind us. Most of them were going to be graduating this coming May. I think about those guys often. They knew that once they were graduated that they were heading off to Iraq. Not one of them regretted the decision they made. They just all felt that it was something that they were called to do. They just want to make sure the whole unit got home safe. The sad part of that statement is that they were also referring to any that may be dead. Many of us take what we have for granted, and no matter what your opinion of the war, young men and women like them who were sitting behind me need to be held in a high regard.

A Day Late

I had all the intentions that to blog about Peter's birthday on his actual birthday. Unfortunately, the little bug I had yesterday felt that I needed to sleep from 6PM to 11:30AM. I guess that one out. As Leo pointed out, it is fitting that I right this a day late. After all, this is Peter and punctuality isn't always his best friend. It is right up there with being able to get himself out of his jacket without his wife's help. It is amazing that Teddy won the most self-reliant brother award isn't it? At least he had Leo for competition. I hope that you had a good birthday Peter and have many more. We need the entertainment you provide.

Happy Brithday Patti!

I wanted to take a moment to wish my sister-in-law a vary happy birthday. I am ver glad that I have gotten the chance to know her over the years. She is a very caring, thoughtful person, and has been a great listener over the years. She also has a great sense of humor which is always nice to have around. I have felt that the two of us had many similarities. We also have our differences, but I have always felt that no matter what that I had a good friend in her. She is not only a great friend, but a great mother. It is a joy to watch her raise her kids, and I think there isn't enough that can be said about the job her and Teddy do with them. They are really great joys to be around and I think that much of that credit goes to her. Okay Ted, you can have some credit too. Here's to wishing her a very happy birthday and many more to come.

Busyness and Society

I was reading on a forum last night about a woman who realized while in the hospital how busyness takes away from life. I guess that realization is easy when you have absolutely nothing to do. Where this thought gets more interesting is a reply someone had. This person had just came back from Guatemala. She was visiting her sponsor child. What she noticed was that, even though without a lot of money, these people were happy and enjoyed their life. Her take on the matter was given an economic equality there was not want or need for more because everyone was the same. I will go even further on this and say that this village was proactive instead of reactive. Everything that was done was thought out and done for the common good and not individual gains. Unfortunately, the world we live in isn't this way. We live in the mostly reactive society, and the society benefiting the individual which in turn hurts the whole. We tend to bombard thoughts of having the biggest, most expensive luxuries. We tend to look down upon people who are perceived of lower economic standards than ourselves. People who don't want the best or live below their means are considered weird. Why is that? Why can't people live in their means and be okay. Why don't we say that it is okay that you don't have $200 sneakers, and that you don't own the most expensive video systems and games. Why do we have to equate wealth with happiness. All you end of created in the end is the idea of want, and the idea of doing what it takes to get it. Teach kids there are better things out there, and what would you find.....less crime. Of course, that would mean taking a proactive approach. Most people just don't want to do that. They want to see if the problem will correct itself on its own, and only when it gets truly out of hand do they react. This would take time out of our schedules. You ever notice how busy people seem to be that really don't have nothing to do. It really doesn't take that long to help someone or volunteer to do something good. Unfortunately, most people tend to think that the little moment of time that would be required of them would be better served for themselves. Think if every person that was advantaged in the country would help one person that wasn't. It doesn't have to be monetary. Just give a little time. The preconceptions that could be changed in that little moment and the lives changed would really outweigh the cost. Maybe it is time to walk a little slower, take a little longer, and then one could really enjoy life. Maybe a lot of could be learned from a group of people that have nothing. They are the ones that have the true wealthy society not us.

And then she was 25

After reading another blog today, it dawned on me that today is my sister, Kari's birthday. She is 25. I would have remembered eventually since she sent out reminder text messages to people, so once my cell phone went off it also worked as a reminder. As being the oldest of five, having a sibling be born gets old after awhile. I do remember most of them. Sorry, Kelly, I have no real recollection of you until you were about two. I do, on the other hand, remember Kari being born. We had to stay at Aunt Marilyn's and Uncles Ted's. My dad came to pick us up in the afternoon. That is when we found out that it was another girl. For those who always ask, Justin would have been Kari's name if she has a boy. Hence, the boys in the family would have started with the letter J, and the girls all with K. Obviously, Kari, was not a boy and that is why Jason looks like he was named with the wrong letter. He just turned end up being odd man out. Kari came home on Easter. We had gone to church and when we got home she was sitting in her carseat. I also remember that she was wearing a plain dress outfit that had an elephant on it. I don't why I remember that but I do. So here's to wishing Kari a Happy Birthday.

Spring Cleaning

Yesterday we had a wonderful Easter with Leo's parents and his sister's family. I guess I should mention his brother-in-law, Adrian, he misses out on recognition sometimes. Well, when we got home Leo took the recycling to the bins. On the way back he noticed that the older kids in the neighborhood had stolen poor Chandler's chalk and written on the brick on the side of our house. It cleaned up rather easily but still it was a pain in the rear to do. I actually felt sorry for these kids. It is apparent that their families aren't big on the Easter celebration. We spent all day blessed with family presence and these kids had nothing better to do with their time then to steal an eight-year-old's chalk and do graffiti. Today, I have spent most of the day cleaning. I got the downstairs straightened out. Tomorrow, I plan to work on the upstairs. Wednesday, I will clean off the doors and baseboards. Then, everything should be looking nice. I am trying to get as much done and keep up with things, so when the house does finally get to go on the market it is easy to clean. Of course, there a five four-legged creatures that do their best to keep that from happening. One of which is lying on my lap as I type. Apparently, Lace got hit the head or something. It must be a ploy to get something since he is being nice. We know this doesn't happen often. I am off to check on the chili I have going. We will see what tomorrow brings.

One Shining Moment

If you know anything about song titles, you should be able to guess the blog topic for today. Okay, I am guessing Patti if she reads this would be able to guess the topic. Yes, it is tournament time of the year. I have spent the last few days watching the NCAA basketball tournaments. I like the cinderella stories that tend to come out of here, and do we have some potential dandies. This years tournament has two 12 and two 13 vying for the sweet 16. You didn't want to be the high seed and playing in Tampa yesterday. I love when the little school beats the big school. That shows the true heart of the tournament. These kids come in with everyone saying they really don't have a chance and then going out and playing the game of their lives to win. Villanova came back from being down 18. Western Kentucky's buzzer beater sent Drake packing. Siena looked like a one seed against Vanderbilt yesterday. San Diego gave UConn their first first round lost in the Jim Calhoun era. You have one moment to prove everyone wrong, and these teams did it. Kansas State as an 11 seed had done it the day before. I watched all the low seed games yesterday. You couldn't help feed off of their energy. I particularly routed for San Diego, sorry Patti, due to Rob Jones being on the team. Here is a boy just trying to give his last name something good. For those who don't follow sports and don't know the story, his grandfather is Jim Jones Sr. He is best know as the leader of the Jonestown massacres. The only reason Jim Jones Jr. did not die was due to the fact that he was with the basketball team at a tournament during the time. I saw something on ESPN and you couldn't help but be touched by the story. Rob Jones brought good to his name yesterday, and proved that what happens in the past doesn't define one, it is what you do for yourself establishes who you are. I would be worried if I were higher seeds this year. The little guys have come to play. I am a true believer that heart has more to do with winning that talent. You can be the most talented on paper, but if you don't have the heart you are going to be going home. This tournament is definitely proving that, and I am glad to get the chance to watch it.