better days...

Ok...so I'm feeling much better after last weeks' angst fest. I guess I needed a reminder that words can have an adverse effect regardless of their intention. At least I'm not taking sniper fire!

I'm really trying to reel in the diet, but I likes to eat and I likes to eat LOTS. #1 son and I took VGFATdog for a great walk Monday night. about 1-1/2 miles.

Baseball practice was good last night. We worked on infielder responsibilities on grounders. I have to constantly remind myself that none of this is instinctive for these little dudes. By the end of practice improvements were being seen. We've got a LONG way to go, and a short time to get there. (tip o' the cap to Waylon)

careless whisper...

Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend. To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind..there's no comfort in the truth..pain is all you'll find

So I thought I had good news for a friend and ran my mouth off, only to find that as usual I didn't know what the fuck I was talking about. Now he's deeply hurt and I feel like crap.

In other happy time joyful first day of Spring news, someone with his head up his ass has decided to juxtapose civil law and family law, leaving me holding the bag for my oldest's legal fees, even though she's not lived with me for a year. The fact that she was arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced as an adult means nothing in his eyes.

ch ch ch changes....

Still dont know what I was waiting for..And my time was running wild. A million dead-end streets and Every time I thought Id got it made...It seemed the taste was not so sweet. So I turned myself to face me, But Ive never caught a glimpse of how the others must see the faker. Im much too fast to take that test. (tip o' the cap to that noted philosopher, David Bowie)

There are many changes afoot in VGFATland. I've been offered a new position here at the big U, and I've decided to take it. The boss and I have decided to not do beers at night, and I'm starting a lifting program tomorrow with my friend, the nerdgardener.

We're going to start the renovation this weekend, painting the living room. The old carpet is on it's way out, the front door is being replaced, the kitchen cabinets are going to get refinished. Damn, that sounds like a ton of work, and we've not yet begun to discuss the garage into living space remodel.

Mini me and I had our second baseball practice on Saturday. 40 degrees and a little misty, but we survived and the kids loved it. Soccer will begin its six week run in the next week or two, so we'll be chasing our tails, but we'll git-r-done.

musings...

So the soon to be former governor of NY got caught with his pants down, and credit card out, apparently. Saw some pictures of the femme' fatale on the smoking gun web site...she's a "would", definitely. When he was AG, he reveled in taking down the big boys, the more publically the better, and now has gotten his just desserts. (even though I am personally rather ambivalent about the whole prostitution is a crime thing)

However, one lesson to be taken from this whole sordid mess is that when someone talks the talk, regardless of the subject, that person had better be ready to walk the walk. This is how I find myself going to umpiring school this weekend. I've been a vocal critic of the manner in which summer rec games have been officiated in the past, usually because of age and improper training, and so I felt obligated to attend the class when the opportunity arose. I probably won't be called on to officiate many games, it's a great way for high school/college kids to make some coin in the summer time, but at least I can stand in if called upon. It should also give me perspective as a coach and help me revisit the rules of the game.

Speaking of coaching...our boys hit the field tonight for the first time. I'm rather incredulous at the prospect of 9-10 year old boys having a season that lasts nearly 5 months, but it is what it is, so we'll have to go with it.

In exercise news, the nerdgardener himself and I have arranged for an unholy cabal of fitness, to convene twice weekly at 5:30 am in his garage, to lift weights. I've come to the point where I'm totally reliant on external motivation, so the thought is that this will get me back into fitness mode.

Weekend Wrap up

A friend called Friday and offered me 4 great tickets to the Illini game, and I gladly accepted. Took the boss and the sons while the daughter stayed with a sitter whom she idolizes. Went to BW3 for lunch, then bussed to the game. I sometimes forget how rural our childrens' upbringing is. I'm sure that the internet and some of their video games have made them more sophisticated than I was at their age, I was as hick as hick can be until middle school, when I grew up way too fast. However, certain occurances drive home the fact that they have led a sheltered existence. We used a Peoria charter bus for transport from Savoy to the Assembly Hall, and I was amazed at their sheer joy at being on a charter, rather than a school bus. I've posted this before, but I hope the innocence of their childhood lasts for a long, long time.

As for the game...A section, 7 rows from the floor, right behind Tubby Smith. Sweet. The illini made some free throws down the stretch to win a game that wouldn't have been close except for some amazing three point shooting by the Gophers. Television sure changes the ebb & flow of a game. It seemed as though every time the Illini would start a run and the crowd got fired up, it would be time for a tv timeout. That and the style of play employed by the UI insured a quiet assembly hall for great periods of time. Let's please get one win in the BTT. I don't think I could handle losing to Penn St three times in one year. At least Thursday's game is during working hours, so I guess I can't get too loaded.

Took #1 son and a 9 iron out to the back yard for his first swings yesterday. It's tough teaching him the grip and such, since he's a righty and I'm a wrongy, but by the end of the session he was hitting some pretty good shots. The best thing is that they were straight...they didn't travel very far, but they dissected the "fairway". We'll work on the takeaway and all that other golf stuff as we move along. I'm just ecstatic that he's showing interest.

Tired...

Tired of pwaying the game. Aint it a fwiggin shame.

So, the Illini did me in again last night...drank WAY TOO MANY beers while watching them go down in flames. If this season doesn't end soon, I'm gonna have to make reservations at the pavilion.

Thirsty Thursday...

The fighting Illini have another opportunity tonight to win a game against an upper echelon conference foe, the MSU Spartans. We usually do a good job of not allowing them to score a lot, but the question, as its been all season, is where are our points going to come from? Hopefully Trent can find the range at home....drain a few threes and give Pruitt room to work down low. I've been hyper critical of #55 most of the season, and truthfully he's probably deserved it, but I thought Saturday's game at Iowa was his best of the season. If he can play like that, we can win out, then win a couple in the Big Ten tournament...then go to this CBI (?) tournament and play a couple more games.....any experience our youngsters get will bode well for 08-09.

Jules (the realist) and I (the dreamer) have been at odds over the remodeling project. She wants the quick, simple, cheapest approach, while I want the expansive, to hell with how we'll pay for it, overhaul. I think we reached an amicable solution, finally. In a close one to one vote, I lost again. We're thinking one room addition, for now, with a deck, rather than monster addition with family room, complete with home theatre and gymnasium.

VGFatdog and I went a little over a mile this morning...it was around 19 degrees with strong northerly breezes. I also got a good stretching and lifting session in on Tuesday.

Weekend wrapup...

The three points of the trefoil stand for the three parts of the Scout Oath.

The shape of the Scout badge means that a Scout can point the right way in life as truly as does a compass in the field.

There are two stars on the badge. They symbolize truth and knowledge.

The eagle and shield stand for freedom and a Scout's readiness to defend that freedom.
The scroll bearing the Scout motto is turned up at the ends as a reminder that a Scout smiles as he does his duty.

The knot at the bottom of the scroll serves as a reminder of the Scout slogan, Do a Good Turn Daily.

#1 son and I traveled to merit badge training on Saturday. Left VG at 6:30 and returned home around 5. 550 boy scouts crammed into Holy Cross School. Thankfully, it was very well organized, and the instructors were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. All in all, a great way to spend a saturday with my son. He earned merit badges in computers, fingerprinting and first aid/cpr. Technically, I guess I did too, since I attended all three sessions. I'm well on my way to Eagle scout, apparently.

It's too bad that so many boys view scouting with a jaundiced eye, as something that the "popular" kids would never join. They teach so many values that can be lacking in todays' youth...crazy stuff like personal responsibility, initiative, leadership, and accountability to the group. The best part is that they teach these values while doing cool things like camping, orienteering, skiing, hiking, fishing, swimming and the like. There are also cool topics like the aforementioned computers, telecommunications, space exploration, etc., basically something for every interest. The other thing I noticed was the general lack of parental involvement, especially from my son's troop. It's just my opinion, naturally, but I think parents, especially dads, miss a great opportunity by not accompanying their boys to this and other Scouting events.

Yesterday was the draft for little league. I'm going to help coach Mini-me's team, and it looks like we've got some potential. We're going to have to find some pitching, but that's true of about every team every year. Took advantage of yesterdays' mild weather and went to the park to throw a baseball around. Mini-me wants to pitch, and he's miles ahead of where he was at this time last year.

VGFatdog and I went about a mile this morning, in the rain. It was about 45-50 degrees....great day for a run, and I did 3/1 splits. Down two pounds for the week, Hurray!!