baseball | Nana's Whimsies

Webelos
Tuesday night at 7:30, our doorbell rang. These days it’s starting to get dark at 7:30, so I couldn’t imagine who would be visiting us. I cautiously looked out my peephole because I fully intended not to answer the door – or at least make sure that Bill was standing next to me if I did – unless I knew who it was. Standing on my front porch was the cutest Cub Scout you’ve ever seen, minus his Cub Scout uniform. It was Alastair. And it was that time of year. Boy Scout Popcorn time. Forty bucks for three bags of popcorn. But did I mention it was Alastair? Could you have said no to this face?……..

Breaking Up
I might owe a few of you apologies for yesterday’s blog, in which I led with a paragraph about breaking up. I quickly went on to say that it was my hair stylist with whom I was ending a relationship. However, after I posted it on Facebook, I noticed that it was really misleading. You see, FB doesn’t let you choose which photo it posts. So all my Facebook friends initially saw was a photo of Bill and the first paragraph about breaking up. I got more hits on my blog from Facebook than I think I ever have. Apparently people thought my marriage was ending. My apologies, and please know that in the unlikely event that my marriage should end, you will never, ever find out on Facebook. Especially not with a picture of a smiling Bill holding a delicious sandwich. I would definitely edit the sandwich out.

For It’s One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out
Yesterday evening, Bill was invited to join Dave and two of his kids – Dagny and Alastair – at the Rockies game. Neither Bill nor I are particularly baseball fans, though we do enjoy the spring training games in Mesa during the month of March. But MAN, it’s not every day you get a chance to enjoy a game on a lovely late summer night with your son and grandkids. So he was excited to say yes. Dagny was even tossed a practice ball…

Rolled Up
In two simple photos, I can show you one of the immense differences between neat and tidy Bill and his wife, Pigpen Kris. I will simply show you how we roll up the hose in the backyard. Here’s the hose when Bill rolls it up….

Here’s the hose when I roll it up….

Need I say more?

School Bell’s Ringing
And the last of my grandkids’ back-to-school photos, with Micah starting preschool….

Hurricane Season
Court and Alyx are refinancing their home. Because of this, they are required to get a new appraisal. As you would expect, they are hoping for a good number, so they have both been frantically getting their house ready for the inspection. I got a text message from Alyx yesterday afternoon asking if I could possibly pick up the girls from school so that she could keep cleaning, pointing out that it was somewhat difficult to get a lot done with Cole as her helper. As proof, she sent me this photo…..

Seriously, have you ever seen a child look more mischievous? That is a boy who loves his work.

Ciao!

Bill and I went to our second Cactus League Spring Training game yesterday – this one the Rockies v. the White Sox at Salt River Field at Talking Stick. We actually had real seats just above the third base line instead of sitting on the grass, or so far in the outfield that you have to rely upon the rumor mill to know what’s happening.

My first selfie.

Several funny and wonderful things transpired at this game. For example, I took my first selfie. Perhaps as I get better at it, I will learn not to shoot from down to up, as it shows all of my many flaws. J-Lo always looks good in hers….

J-Lo selfie.

Oh, and I forgot my phone in the car, so after we found our seats, I left the ballpark to go get it. I was feeling very smart because I remembered to take my ticket. What I didn’t remember to do – in fact, never even thought of it – was to get my hand stamped. It was only as I walked back up to the gate that it occurred to me that there is absolutely no reason they shouldn’t think I am coming in on someone else’s ticket that had already been scanned.

Which, of course, they did. And it is one of the few times that I think it’s better to be old and lucky than young and sexy. “I promise that I am telling you the truth,” I said, because I’m certain if I was lying I wouldn’t say that. I’m sure that’s what they were thinking. But I guess they just didn’t want to take on this frazzled baby boomer in her Rockies shirt. They let me back in, rolling their eyes all the while.

Probably my favorite thing that happened, however, was on the field. It was the bottom of the fourth inning. Rockies were ahead 2-0, and both of those runs had come that inning. Two outs and the bases were loaded. The batter hit a foul ball down the first baseline. Instead of letting it go foul, the White Sox outfielder DOVE for the ball, literally disappearing into the Rockies bullpen as he caught the ball. He comes up a second or so later with the ball in his hand and a big smile on his face.

And here’s what I like about baseball. As he left the field, the crowd stood up and cheered him. Not just the White Sox fans, but the Rockies fans as well. Now, maybe that wouldn’t happen in a regular season game, but it felt good to let him know we appreciated his hearty effort.

But, friends, I buried the lead.

Just this past week I learned something you all probably knew, but I didn’t: the plural of Cracker Jack is Cracker Jack. You will know just what a nerd I am when I tell you that for 61 years, it has bugged me that “Jacks” didn’t rhyme with “back” in the famous seventh inning stretch song. So it was with great pride and enormous gusto that I sang out “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack; I don’t care if I never get back.”

It rhymes.

Have a good weekend.

Nana's Whimsies

Musings of a Baby Boomer….

Tag Archives: baseball

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