Dear Thursday, Move out of the freak’n way. Sincerely, Friday.

Arab world in turmoil, Renteria leaves the SF. Giants, earthquake destroys New Zealand...and Justin Beiber cuts his hair. Will tomorrow's headline be Justin Beiber uses 2-ply Toilet Paper? But now on to the good news: Only 21 more days until the S.F. Giants Opening Season. I can't wait, seeing how I now have High Definition and I'm confident that I will enjoy watching the games even more.

Baseball is the only place in life where a sacrifice is really appreciated. It's not just a game ~ as simple as a ball and a bat. It’s complex ...it's a sport, it's a business - and to some people, like my son, it's  religion. Sure Baseball is only a game. True Fact. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.

Life is like Baseball. It will always throw you curves, you just have to keep fouling them off. The right pitch will come, and when it does, be prepared to run the bases.

Unlike Football (and I really have to admit, I don't see the thrill in watching football, sorry) you can't just sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the goddamn plate and give the other opposite team player his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all. It just ain't like football. You can't make up no trick plays.

Every hitter likes fastballs, just like everybody likes chocolate. But I’ll bet you wouldn’t like it when someone's stuffing it into you candy bar after candy bar. I’ll bet that’s what it feels like when Tim Lincecum throws balls by you. Lincecum’s fastball is so fast, I’m surprised some batters don’t start to swing as he is on his way to the mound. Something about this 2010 season made me a true fan of Lincecum's. Not sure if it was my affinity to him being a Washingtonian like myself or just that watching him pitch had me in awe. Sure, his nickname is 'The Freak', he has long hair, he wears T-shirts with no sleeves and wears his baseball cap backwards. So what?  I also really liked  Buster Posey. Watching him work his Catching 'magic' was inspiring. I always pay close attention to the 'Catchers'.  For personal reasons, they are my favorite players in the world of baseball. I see them as the 'Captain' or the 'Leader' of the team. The Catcher is by far in the best position possible. He can direct. He can lead. He has to have a true understanding of the game itself, all the strategies. He can't stop thinking, not for a minute. Always on his toes.  He's the one who will suffer the most physical abuse in baseball. He has to catch those balls, he has to block those balls, he's always directly in the path of that ball, using his mitt or his body.  He has to prevent that stolen base. He has to mentally evaluate that umpire behind him, learn what this fella is gonna call...he has to be able to react and respond immediately. And not in a position that's easy to be in, that's for sure, squatting behind home plate. His role is team leader. He's a coach for the infield. The Coach for his team. He's like a General in the Army, leading his troops. I have nothing but admiration for the man who puts that face mask on.   For a Catcher, the practices are never too long, the sun is never too hot, the pain is never too much to bear - it is a passion.

My personal opinion is that Edgar Renteria is such a great hitter that he probably gets intentional walks in batting practice. I'm no expert on 'hitters' and I could very well be wrong but WTH?  Did we really lose him to Cincinnati? As a free agent? The guy who hit the three-run home run? The MVP in the 2010 World Series? First off I thought he was talking about retirement. Now he’s with the RedSox?  Ok, I’m confused. I'm sure my son will explain it to me.  One time I told him "Baseball wrong - man with four balls cannot walk." He explained that to me. (Ok, just kidding)

My son spent a good portion of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. Baseball had a grip on him. Still does. Always will. I now wonder about how he diapered his first child, Shadwic. I think this may have been how he did it. He would spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with himself at bat. Then he would fold second base down to home and set Shadwic on the pitcher's mound. Then he would put first base and third base together, then he would bring up home plate and fasten the three together. Of course, in case of rain, he would have to ‘call the game’ and start all over again. And now....Shad is the next generation to get the 'love of baseball'........

You just can't deny the smile on this face. I've seen that smile before. On his father's face! I couldn't be a happier 'Nana' ~ my grandaughter Kaihla loves her gymnastics and my grandson Shad loves his baseball.

 

Ok....I can't have my blog without my facebook slamming. Sorry folks, but it just makes me feel better. Bear with me.

Heard the geese start to return this morning. I just hope they don’t go overboard on Facebook with pictures from their vacation.
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook is down. Worker productivity rises. U.S. climbs out of recession.

See that was short - the facebook slamming I mean. I’ve made fun of Facebook so much, I think I should thank it for all the good times I’ve had!

Now on to my usual thoughts...you know, give you something to think about:

Is it true that the Seahawks  Stadium banned Apple iPad after players confessed to buying performance enhancing apps?
Do mountain climbers rope themselves together to prevent the sensible ones from going home?
Do you ever wonder if the people who think the world will end in 2012 just laugh uncontrollably when they purchase something with no payments until 2013? (Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. Think about it. It is already tomorrow in Australia.)
Are any of you worried about your home’s security? Here’s a thought. Put six locks on your door, all in a row. When you go out, lock every other one. It’s reasonable to say that no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three.

My final words:
Prove that lightning isn't my Finnish wizards fighting. You can't.

Got things to do now. My Welsh grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is. Might be time to go looking for her.

Remember this ~ Be tender to the young, compassionate to the aged, tolerant with the weak. For in your lifetime you will be all of these. And.......Always, ALWAYS be kind to animals!　

     

Just another Monday

I'd like to say don’t worry about Monday morning. Focus on now. Not the alarm, the struggle to get out of bed & the mind-numbing, soul-destroying day ahead. Monday is the root of all evil. It’s been freak’n Monday all week. Not sure exactly why I despise Monday’s but I do. It’s not like I have to get up and go to work. Those days are over. Maybe it’s because it’s the day I have to haul garbage cans to the street. Not an easy task in the snow. Today the sun is out. There’s actually a technical meteorological term for a nice sunny day which follows two rainy days. It’s called a ‘Monday.’ My snow may be melting away as I write this, but now my entire back property is flooded. So if any of you are wondering what happens to the 'white' of the snow when it melts, well.....it's all right here in my flooded yard.

I had a great week-end though. Had a visitor from Washington State. A woman I met last year when I was in Washington for my brother's memorial. We immediately 'clicked' when we met. Not sure if it was because she had lost her husband a few days before I had lost my brother, or if it was because...well...because we are both 'crazy' women. Probably because she is Norwegian and I'm Finn. Yep, the 'Nordic' thing. Usually I don't really trust people who like me the second we meet. I'm an acquired taste.

(Sean, does she or does she not have a striking resemblance to Michele K. ? )

My dog Finn absolutely loved her black lab Tucker. Actually all my dogs loved Tucker, even Kesä. I was afraid that Tucker might see Kesä as a chew toy, but it all went really well. When it came to 'toys' I think Tucker had every one of the dog toys out. He was just an all-around enjoyable dog, full of personality. Even Shadow-Man liked him, and Shadow-Man doesn't particulary care for any 'outsider' dogs.

Easter is coming soon. I never have plans for Easter. I'm not a religious person. But I do have one question. How long do I have to sit on these Cadbury Eggs before the Peeps hatch?

My Monday Observations:

Each and every time I see a mattress on top of a vehicle I think it’s a prostitute making house calls.
　
Don't waste your money on expensive ipods. Simply think of your favorite song and hum it. If you want to 'switch tracks', think of another song you like and hum that instead.

And next, my slamming of facebook:

Nothing in this world is free and you pay by signing away your privacy when you sign up for facebook.  You have allowed yourself to become a digital lab rat whose behavior is closely monitored in a ‘controlled' environment. Think 'Big Brother',  I kid you not.
　
The most impressive thing about marathon runners is how they don’t check their facebook for 3+ hours.

Ok, short Blog. I just wanted to inform you all that due to our crappy economy, the rising cost of electricity, gas and damn near everything else, that the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. Be safe out there.