God blessed us with a great son. I could spend a long time listing his great traits here, but I want you to make it to the end of this post. Let’s just say my wife and I are both pleased with how he’s turning out. One thing we struggle with is homework.

Several teachers have commented that he needs to get better at turning assignments in on time. Sometime he doesn’t write it down, other times he forgets his homework at school. Then there is the whole idea of actually doing it. Think that’s enough? He actually leaves completed work at home, thereby making it late.

We have a new policy: 8:30 bedtime. For each assignment he fails to turn in on time, bedtime gets moved up by five minutes. (Thanks for the idea, mom.) We’re still working out the system for earning back bedtime.

The Business Analyst in me decided to document the process of getting homework turned in on time. I printed a copy and hole-punched it. I think it’s in his binder. In the interest of making families a happier place to be, I share it with you. Feel free to suggest modifications to the process.

1. Write assignments down in Assignment Notebook

• Your notebook is your notebook. Feel free to use it as you want to. If you want to break Memory Work, Handwriting, or Spelling down by day, then do it.
• Write the assignments so they make sense.

2. Put all books/sheets/other things in backpack

• Bring things home that are due in the next two days, so you can work ahead if you need or want to.

3. Bring homework home

4. Do homework

• Do things neatly and correctly the first time.
• Take your time and show pride in your work (like you show pride in making a good throw to first).
• Have mom and/or dad check the homework to make sure everything is right.

5. Pack up all finished homework, books, workbooks, etc.

• Put things into the correct folder as each thing is done.
• Make sure bag is packed as soon as all homework is done.
• Leave everything where you put it; don’t take it out again.

6. Take homework to school

7. Turn in homework

Walking into the back of the Apple Store where the cases are…

Searching for an armband for the Classic…

Still can’t find it. Is there an associate handy?

I’ll grab this guy when he’s done…

“Need something?” asks a tall Apple store associate with the hip orange shirt and WiFi bankcard machine in holster. (Cash registers are for suckers.)

“I’m looking for an armband for the iPod classic.”

“They should be right on the bottom.” OrangeShirt continued in a condescending tone. “Now the classic is basically a disk drive. It’s got moving parts, so I wouldn’t recommend jogging with it. It pops out and – BOOM – it’s ruined!”

“Actually, I need it for weight training. Nothing too heavy,” I retorted quickly.

OrangeShirt was quick with a volley back over the net. “Even still, it’s really not meant to be on the move.”

A few thoughts went through my mind in a split second as I began searching the wall for a case, including:

“It’s an iPod, not a Victrola.”

“How many times have I dropped my iPod in its case over the last two years?”

“If it couldn’t be moved, why make an armband for it?”

After finding a case, I turned to the next question. “I have the 80GB 5G – will it fit in this case? I know they’re similar.”

“On the back of the box there is a list with all of the models it’s compatible with.” It was said with a tone that seemed to imply that helping me select a case was a waste of his time.

I rephrased my question. “The box says iPod Classic 120GB and iPod Classic 80/160GB. The sizes aren’t that much different, are they?”

Once I heard him say “back of the box,” I could tell this was going nowhere. And fast.

I figured the easiest thing to do at this point would be to open the box and check out the design. As I did that, I put a small tear in the front of the box. I didn’t trash it, but it was enough to damage the pristine nature of the tagboard. Keep in mind we’re talking about a display box for a $30 iPod case.

OrangeShirt piped in before I could go further. “Be very careful sir we have a…” I was waiting for him to say that any further damage to the box would require that I purchase it.

He didn’t get that far. I closed the box up, and said “Let me look and see if there’s something else here.” He walked away.

I could have done any number of things at this point: asked for a manager, reopened the case and tried it out, bought the case and returned it if it didn’t fit my needs. None of those seemed worth the trouble. I decided to vote with my feet and wallet; I put back the case, walked out of the store, went to Best Buy across the street, and bought an armband. It was only $22.

For some reason, I can’t get over this dude at the Apple store. I know their products are cool and chic. I love the design of their Macs. I’m looking forward to getting an iPhone when the contract is up for renewal.

But this experience put a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t want to feel like I’m talking to Dieter from “Sprockets” every time I need an accessory or have a question about something. Maybe he had a rough day to that point. Maybe he works on commission and was worried about losing a sale on a MacBook Pro.

After sharing my experience with a colleague, he didn’t seem that shocked. So what’s your experience with the Apple store? Feel free to leave a comment.

Never mind, mom.

25 Random Things – This seems way too self-indulgent…

1. My wife rocks.
   
2. Now that I know what Liberal Arts means, I can safely say I became a liberal arts student at 10 and will remain one until the day I die. (I’m personally holding out hope of becoming omniscient in heaven – for the Kennedy Assassination alone.)
3. I have a great family and thank God for the blessing they are.
4. I am also blessed to have a great church family, some of whom are closer than my actual family.
5. Of all of the educational institutions I’ve attended, I am proudest to call myself a Milwaukee Lutheran Red Knight. I even bleed MLHS Red.
6. Of the many adults who shaped me in my formative years, I’d set these apart from the rest:
   1. Jerry Fangmann (Grade school teacher and coach)
   2. Wallace Wilde (Scoutmaster)
   3. Rozanne Schwarz (German teacher)
   4. Joan Moeller (English teacher)
   5. Pastor Harrmann (Religion teacher)
7. IT Consulting found me for a career, and I like it more than I am willing to admit. It’s cool to be on the cutting edge of stuff.
8. At the same time, I like doing things the old-school way: shaving with soap and brush, using a fountain pen, carrying handkerchiefs, mixing cocktails like they did a long time ago, and keeping a journal. I’d love a smoking jacket (I don’t smoke) and maybe even a straight razor with strop.
9. Much of #8 comes from watching way too many old movies. It doesn’t make sense for me to go hi-def until Turner Classic Movies does.
10. I am fascinated with Black Music: Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Soul, R&B, Funk and Hip-hop. Junior Wells, Louis Armstrong, and Missy Elliott (among others) make for interesting playlists.
11. One of my childhood idols was Paul Joseph. I was the 4^th Grade Weatherman at Northwest Lutheran.
12. Baseball: Babe Ruth, Basketball: Michael Jordan, Golf: Jack Nicklaus, Romance: Me. (Ask Nicole.)
13. Lest you think me arrogant, I make up for #12 by falling short in many other areas.
14. Moving about outdoors is regenerative. Camping, sports, and cycling back-country roads with a map and compass allow me to face civilization again.
15. Leaving Law School was one of the best things I ever did.
16. One (of many) reasons why #14 is true: I became free to read all of the plays, novels, and short stories I was supposed to read in high school and college but never did. I have since experienced many good books.
17. I accepted Jesus sometime in grade school, but until recently did not understand or experience God’s Grace on a personal/emotional level.
18. The Joshua Tree is and will always be my favorite album of all time. It changed the way I saw life and gave me the courage to be myself.
19. The only thing that would make coaching baseball more rewarding would be to have my (late) Grandma Paape in a lawn chair behind our dugout. I’d exchange smiles with her, watch her live and die with our fortunes, and maybe even ask her advice.
20. Baseball is wonderfully simple and complex at the same time. As if that weren’t enough, it is the sport that gives us the most perspective into our past. Wonder why I’m a baseball fan?
21. I am a jack of all trades and master of none.
22. One of the many ways I pay homage to my Grandparents’ generation is by having a liquor cabinet in my living room.
23. I am seemingly the only Eagle Scout alive who doesn’t also have his Order of the Arrow. The best news there is that one can earn OA as an adult.
24. Everyone in my immediate family is a Type “A” personality. It made for fun times!
25. There are more than a few statements I would have loved to put here, but they were way too inappropriate/irreverent for my Facebook page.

Enter Google. Google is the most-used search engine in America. Click on the address bar of your browser and enter www.google.com. Enter one of the searches above or pick something of you own. Voila! All of these links appear and you can explore. The internet makes sense again. And you won’t have to figure out how to publish an Access database in Citrix.

(In case you were wondering there is a great deal of sarcasm to this post. It’s amazing how many novice internet users don’t use Google or another search engine. My dad once called me in the middle of a meeting to ask for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s web address. All he had to do is search for it. How many more of you folks are out there? Feel free to reply.)

Then my OneNote bliss was shattered. In the middle of a meeting in March, I lost my OneNote Mobile notebook in the OneNote Windows Vista Application. I still had the old notes on the phone, but my ability to add and edit notes and transfer them to my phone was lost. This issue was the proverbial cobbler’s shoes. I worked on it when I had time, which has been little. Plus I never seemed to get any good information.

I have always hated the troubleshooting issues on mobile platforms because the solutions were always guessing. Delete partnerships, reset factory settings, basically starting from scratch. The proposed solutions here were no different. I finally fixed it, so I will share it with you. I’ll tell you the two errors and what I did.

I run Vista so ActiveSync is now Windows Mobile Device Center. I also run Windows Mobile 6 on a BlackJack. The two errors were found in Sync Manager.

The first was a “Sync Failed” message. Even if I took OneNote out of the equation, I was still getting this message.

Once I fixed error #1, error #2 appeared: “Microsoft Office OneNote: Attention Required”

First, I’ll tell you what I did that didn’t fix it:

• Deleted and recreated the partnership between Windows Mobile Device Center (WDMC) in vista and the phone
• Reset the phone to factory defaults
• Uninstall/reinstall OneNote on the mobile phone.
• Recreate the Windows Mobile OneNote notebook.

Now onto the solutions:

Error #1: “Sync Failed” in WMDC

Fix #1: Uninstall the phone in Device Manager and remove/reload the driver. (All apologies to whoever posted this solution – I’d link to you if I could find the post again.)

Error #2: “Microsoft Office OneNote: Attention Required”

    Fix #2: Run a repair of Office 2007 Enterprise. (If you have OneNote installed separately, repair OneNote.) When I ran this, the problem immediately was fixed. Based on this fix, I have to assume that some file in OneNote 2007 got corrupted when the OneNote Windows app hung. In recalling how I got to this broken state, it made sense. I suppose that’s the hazard of constantly fixing stuff. Sometimes your own problems get lost in the shuffle.

It was a warm spring day. I was driving home from school with my Grandma Paape. (When I had my temps at 15, my grandma used to drive to school and move over to the passenger’s side before school let out. Then I would walk out of school, walk over to the car on Grantosa, and drive home. How cool was that?)

Back to my story: I was stopped at the traffic signal on Fond du Lac and Maxwell. A twenty-something guy pulled up next to me with his window down and “With or Without You” came on the radio. That was the first time I’d really heard the song in its entirety, and for some reason it resonated. (Those of you who grew up near the old Capitol Court know how long the light is.)

I bought The Joshua Tree in the fall of 1987. What I heard awoke something in me. Returning to school to share how awesome my new discovery was led to ridicule. My friends didn’t like U2 and I did. That was the beginning of the rest of my life.

I was in a theatre waiting for a movie to start, and the people behind me were talking about U2. When one person asked why so many people think U2 is so great, another answered: “Because so many people had a coming-of-age experience with U2 in the 80s and 90s.” My thoughts exactly.

“I didn’t kid myself that my beauty and personality were responsible for any of her warmth. I was a thick-armed male with big fists. She was in a jam. She spelled my name P-r-o-t-e-c-t-i-o-n. I was something to be put between her and trouble.”

“Another complication: I am neither young enough nor old enough to get feverish over every woman who doesn’t make me think that being blind isn’t so bad. I’m at that middle point around forty where a man put other feminine qualities-amiability, for one-above beauty on his list. This brown woman annoyed me. She was too sure of herself. Her work was rough. She was trying to handle me as if I was a farmer boy. But in spite of all of this, I’m constructed mostly of human ingredients. This woman got more than a stand-off when faces and bodies were dealt. I didn’t like her. I hoped to throw her in the can before I was through. But I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that she had me stirred up inside-between her cuddling against me, giving me the come-on, and the brandy I had drunk.”

Great stuff, hey?

Nuclearity^TM – Helping Families Find the True Center

Nuclearity^TM is a radio program operating out of these assumptions:

• When couples are inspired to love each other and love their children, God is glorified.  We aim to be a source of that inspiration.
  
• The world doesn’t need another radio program offering to solve problems “in three easy steps”; the world always needs more stories.
  
• We appreciate both public radio and Christian radio, but will probably be heard on neither.  Our programming may be too honest about Jesus for the one and too honest about life for the other.
  
• Language, voices and music are important parts of God’s good creation.  With his help, we aim to combine these into a lovely roller coaster of audio.
  
• Truth and beauty long to embrace each other.   We find it natural to approach topics with both reason and imagination.
  

I have all of their podcasts now downloaded, and after listening to a few, they are extremely refreshing. Rubbernecker realistically discusses men’s propensity to look at other women (with a funny anecdote involving Dolly Parton). Other episodes discuss Christian Environmentalism, and how churches can communicate with people with great impact. These are refreshing, and a great listen.

In case you are wondering, this is a parody of the MSM’s current droning about Obama’s big lead. It could be Time’s latest Obama-friendly cover, or the JSOnline article about Obama’s 17-point lead in my home state.

Keep in mind we don’t vote for three weeks, which in this day and age is a long time. All that counts in the end are the votes. Come November 4, please don’t stay home, unless you are registered as Yosemite Sam. On second thought; Yosemite Sam is one of those people who clings to his guns. Please show up Sam, we need you in Colorado…

Really… I pay roughly $4,500 a year in premiums for my health care. This entitles me to pay a $4,000 deductible. You mean little or no premiums with co-pays across the board is generous?

One of my favorite quotes was this:

“Dennis Oulahan, president of the teachers union, said a big part of the problem is the huge increase in health insurance costs, generally, in recent years. “I don’t think it’s fair for teachers to pay for that,” he said.”

Excuse me Dennis, but most other employees (like me and my colleagues) have to pay more out of pocket when premiums and costs rise. Why shouldn’t teachers pay their share as well?

What is a Carbon Offset Indulgence? It’s hard to define, but I know one when I see it. Take the screenshot below. My dad needs a new PC, so I went to the Dell website to get some pricing. This screen allows one the choice to recycle their system for free. That’s environmentally responsible. I think PC makers have been slow to find ways to take back and reuse the materials from old PCs for new ones. It’s the bottom two choices that are interesting:

• Support reforestation: Plant a tree for me [add $6]
• Recycling Kit and Plant a Tree for Me [add $6]

So I am supposed to feel guilty for buying a PC and pay Dell an extra $6 to plant a tree? I didn’t know so many trees died to make my plastic computer. Before you tell me that the reforestation is supposed to offset the gases created by the electricity my PC will use, I’ll ask you how one $6 seedling will make a difference. My dad has 80 acres up north, and the forest plants seedlings all on its own. Maybe I should have my dad call Dell – they could give him a computer and pay him for planting all of those trees for them. I wonder how Dell feels about virtualization, which allows companies to be greener by using fewer physical servers.

The final score on Saturday was 4-1. It was 4-2 briefly but Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino (who looks similar to Steve Buscemi) was called for runner interference. You can read more and see the video here. Dale Sveum astutely called for the runners to go back to third and second, as the rule calls for.

I saw the replay at home, and immediately recalled Kent Hrbek’s slide into Jim Gantner that cleared the dugouts and resulted in a melee. It turns out there is a connection between the two. Tom Haudricourt reports in his blog that Yount assisted Sveum because he was guilty of runner interference in retaliation of Hrbek slide. MLB.com also reported the connection.

Does anybody out there have video of this game? I’d love to see it.

I found the news of Gwen Ifill’s book about Obama interesting, since she is the person in charge of asking questions for tonight’s debate. That seems like a conflict of interest to me, and I think people should be aware of the fact so they can judge for themselves. So I posted this on my Facebook Wall:

Allen wants you consider this fact: The moderator of tonight’s VP debate has a book about The Age of Obama scheduled for release on Inauguration Day.

I didn’t say it was a sham, I didn’t say it was a liberal conspiracy. I just stated a fact. I got this response from a high school classmate:

    ”I want to remind everyone that Pallin’s (sic) pastor drove a woman out of a village in Africa as a witch. Maybe instead of a debate we should chuck both of them in a pond and see who floats…”

Being the curious sort, I checked into this. The controversy surrounds Bishop Thomas Muthee of Kenya, who prayed over Governor Palin in 2005. He is not her pastor, rather a guest who was in their church. The Daily Mail (UK) story about Bishop Muthee is here, and here is a follow-up piece from the Boston Herald which states this as “all smoke and no fire”. Keep in mind that the Boston Herald is not some reactionary fringe publication. Ronald F. Maxwell suggests this silly diversion distracts us from issues that really matter (energy policy, the war on terror, the economy).

I attended a Promise Keepers event in 2006, and I had a man pray over me and speak in tongues. I never got his name, but if I ever ran for president, what bearing would that man’s independent actions have on my views and qualifications for president? It’s not like the Bishop made inflammatory comments in Palin’s presence in a span of years (Jeremiah Wright). Nor does Palin have any friends who unrepentantly committed terrorist acts in the past (William Ayers).

And here is another example of the polarizing effect of Governor Sarah Palin. Tell me if this is at all coherent to you. I changed names changed to protect the innocent(?).

Jane Smith is wishing Ron Paul was in the running for president. 7:24pm – September 19

4 Comments

Judy Jones at 7:38pm September 19

Amen, sista! I campaigned for my guy RP until the bitter end. We’ll live in a socialist country soon. : o

Jane Smith at 8:44pm September 19

I just got done watching Larry King w/ my husband….Sarah Palin is an embarrassment to ALL FEMALES!! OMG…..I think we will be moving to Finland soon….since they have more experience with socialism!

Missy Michaels at 5:39pm September 22

You’ll have to fill me in…I am so out of the loop!

Deena Doyle at 9:01pm September 26

ditto.

Why has politics become more like Packers-Vikings than a reasonable discussion of ideas? Why do we put so much stake in the person instead of their views? I’d love to know…

I’d have to say that this is the best site on cocktails and spirits I have found to date. This site includes recipes, reviews, and comparisons of different types/brands of spirits. Want to know which brands of Old Tom Gin are good? How about Campari? Check here and you will be the smart guy at the bar or cocktail party next time out. I envy the contents of this man’s bar. It looks like many ingredients are more available in the UK.

When checking on Wii Fit availability, I learned that getting a Wii Console or Wii Fit was generally a product of luck or tenacity. I got our Wii Fit by keeping a spreadsheet of all GameStops in the Milwaukee area and calling when I was near one. The one I got was the only one they had and came in hours earlier. Days later, we walked into a Best Buy in Dubuque and saw three consoles and six Wii Fits on a table. Nobody was buying them, except us, who got one and sold it to an undisclosed third party.

I’ve heard several people attribute the lack of supply to some Nintendo conspiracy aimed at keeping demand artificially high. I chuckle at the thought, and usually ask the following question:

“If you were Nintendo, and all of these people wanted something of yours and you knew you could easily sell thousands or millions more, why on earth would you limit the supply?”

I then mention the only people profiting from the low supply are the resellers at places like eBay and Amazon. At that point, they usually get it. Don’t take my word for it – here’s a post that underscores and explains this phenomenon.

Prohibition, one of the best things to ever happen to cocktails, is winding down. Ned Beaumont is the top “advisor” to Mayor Paul Madvig. I use the word advisor with quotes because Mayor Madvig reminds me very much of Boss Tweed from Tammany Hall. Madvig is up for reelection, and becomes embroiled in a murder scandal. Ned becomes an ad hoc detective and works to figure out what happened. I don’t know whodunit yet, but the writing is colorful, realistic, and gritty. Ned reminds me of Gabriel Byrne’s character in Miller’s Crossing. At just over two hundred pages, it’s a nice break from the media world of 2008.  For some reason I feel like wearing a smoking jacket and drinking a Manhattan when I read it.

Our first camping trip was a last-minute deal. We planned to go to a Cub Scout campout, but I was missing time with my not-so-little girls. So I decided to give Nicole a break and take the kids to a nearby State Park. We found a site at Pinewoods Campground in nearby Ottawa, WI (in the Oconomowoc/Dousman area). They were almost out of sites, so we had to pitch our tent over my lunch hour.

There is this common-sense rule about tents (or many other camping things for that matter). The rule is never pitch a new tent (or use new gear) live onsite without testing it out at home). It’s not good to find out you’re missing poles or your tent has a rip when you’re in the middle of nowhere and there’s nothing you can do about it. Due to the rush to get a site, I ignored that rule. It worked out this time, as our Kelty Mantra 7 was a charm to put up. I finished the day at work, packed up our stuff, and headed out.

Last year I took the kids to Rib Mountain State Park by myself and it was a watershed experience. To expect a similar experience would be a recipe for disappointment, so our only goal was to get away from it all and have some fun. After buying food for the weekend, we got into camp at 10:30. The first thing I noticed was a sea of stars against a crystal-clear night sky. It brought back memories of my trips to Lefeber Northwoods Camps as a Boy Scout. A after a trip to the vault toilets (a technical euphemism for outhouse), we settled into bed. The forecast called for clear weather so we pulled off the rainfly with the stars above us, we prayed and fell asleep.

For those of you out there who don’t get why camping is so rewarding let me paint this picture: lying down on a comfy sleeping pad next to your kids, looking up at the stars. It’s hard to find any constellation, because there are so many bright stars. No phone, no TV, no Internet. I’ve no need to worry about work, home, or even the score of the Brewer game (pennant races are more exhausting at 37 than when I was 11). No stress, just some quality time with my kids while beholding the wonder of God’s creation.

While taking the kids to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I was able to teach them how to walk in the dark without a flashlight. I learned this from Rudi Dornemann the Nature Center director at LNC in the late 1980s. You basically close your eyes for 10-20 seconds and allow your eyes to adjust to the light from the sky. It doesn’t work in the deep woods, but when navigating an open road in the night it’s awesome.

After breakfast (and espresso from my Bialetti Moka) we had to go to Wal-Mart to get some dish pans and a few other things we needed. We got back to camp and went swimming at Ottawa Lake Recreation Area, only five miles from camp. Jackson was hesitant to go in the water because there were girls from his school there. It turns out he’s already self-conscious around girls going into fourth grade. Between the awkwardness with girls and getting him deodorant the day before, it was a bit much to process. I emphasized the normality of his plight and told him he should feel free to tell me anything, because I’ve been there before.

By then the kids were wiped. I made a fancier dinner (grilled chicken, rice blend, and sugar snap peas) and finished the dishes. We would have made S’mores, but I left the chocolate and marshmallows in the car to melt. Once again, we slept under the stars with the rainfly off.

We awoke the next morning with spots of water in the tent. It took a while to teach Jackson about tent condensation, but he came around. We had a full breakfast: French toast, sausage, and overcooked espresso, and milk. In retrospect, I should have done something easier. We packed up and got home at 4:00. That’s a long time, but there was only one adult. Before we left, we made a list of things we remember. I will update this post with them sometime in the future.

We finished the season with two wins. The first was against a team with like talent. The second was against a team on the short end of the talent stick. We played great in both games, and the kids had fun. We lined the kids up on the fence and did an introduction to the sound of clapping parents. Because “there’s no crying in baseball,” I did my duty and held back the tears. Those were my boys: their parents entrusted them to me, and I hope I did a great job in coaching them. I had great assistants: Coach Smith as my fellow strategy guy and pitching coach, Coaches Witty and Schaefer on the bases, Coach Christian who did anything possible to lend a hand, and coach Rakowiecki who kept our heads up and held everyone accountable. Thus the season came to an end. It’s been nice to have a bit more free time, but it’s hard to think of it in the past tense. There is always next year…

We played the Firebirds Red last night and they are a well-coached team. One of our runners was thrown out on a rundown, and the Firebirds executed a rundown just like a major league team. Any team that can involve 5-7 players in a rundown is doing something right. We won 16-7 (or something close to that – I do not have the book in front of me) and our losing streak is officially over. It was nice to finish with a win at home.

What I liked:

• The way they executed the rundown to throw Trey out. We have never worked on that as every book I have looked at lists that as more than one should reasonably expect from nine year olds.
• Our defense was great. We got the ball in well, and did not throw the ball around.
• Our base running was excellent and netted us an extra five runs or so.
• Nathan and Tre’Vaughn pitched well
• The Left-Center-Shortstop-Catcher put out at home was slick. That’s Henry-Cole-Kellen, or 8-6-2 for those of you scoring along at home.
• Watching Tre’Vaughn dive (and almost catch) that low fly along first base
• Logan’s well-placed base hit was cool. Ditto for his catch of that fly.
• The other coaches were nice, and we agreed on philosophy.
• The other team hit a few into the outfield to keep us honest.
• They struck out the side in the second inning with some true flame-throwing.
• Having parents from the other side compliment us on our sportsmanship (again).

These games all seemed the same to me. Tre’Vaughn has been on vacation, and we’re not the same team. I’m not sure how much of a difference one person makes. I will also say the packed schedule does not help either. I know Jackson has been tired. And to think we have three more in three days. (We are playing as many games as the Brewers in the last two weeks, and that’s a lot for all involved.) The first two games were against the best two teams in the league, and last night we played a good team as well. The pitching hasn’t been there, and our bats are cold as well. Two of the three games have been the slaughter rule. Hopefully things turn around tonight.

What I liked:

• Having Sean and Brian play with us. They’re nice kids.
• The great scoring job by Mr. Thomann – he kept track of pitches and all.
• Jackson’s put-out of the runner stealing second. Nice throw, nice tag.
• Henry pitched great in the 5^th.
• Logan turned an unassisted double play (thereby putting me on the ho0k for ice cream), and Henry had the ball pop loose on an awesome sweep tag.
• Putting the kids in different positions. Caleb caught a great force out at second, and having one of our shortest players at first base was great. Caleb is probably the headiest player we have. He very rarely misses an assignment.

What we could have done better:

• Not being depressed about losing by a few. I told the kids baseball is supposed to be fun, and reminded them that they waited all winter to play baseball outside. I should have given that speech in the beginning of the game.
• I think it was a function of being down three coaches, but we seemed to be in a funk, me included.
• Not much else.

I really hate it when umpires do not show up for games.

Hopefully the rain holds off and we can play today and Saturday.

We played a team that was 1-11, but you wouldn’t know it. They are well-coached and made some great plays. It didn’t help that we were stale after an extended layoff. The big key was our fifth inning, where we batted around and scored seven runs, thanks in part to some great base-coaching by Coaches Schaefer and Witty. That inning put us up for good, and we added two more insurance runs in the sixth. In the end, we won, 12-8.

What I liked:

• Our pitching was solid. Each boy did a great job settling down and being accurate.
• We didn’t give up and pulled up by the bootstraps when we were down.
• The delayed steals in the top of the fifth
• Nathan being lights-out in the sixth
• The defensive plays by the Yellow Jackets. Of note was the line drive the pitcher caught just above the dirt.

What we could have done better:

• It took us a while to adjust to the delayed steals. As a result, we threw the ball around a lot.
• Not getting upset when we drill a ball to the outfield and it is caught
• Paying attention in general. I think the layoff hurt us there.

I could have done without the mosquitoes and having to peer through a chain-link fence to see anything.

I was thinking of Neko Case this evening, and I chose this song whilst alone and chilling out. When I wanted to use this song for the blog, I immediately thought that it would be inappropriate. So I nixed the idea. Then the writer in me knew that to be anything but real would be wrong. So here we go…

I own a lot of depressing and dark music, and this may be is the saddest song of them all. The main character in this song is writing to a guy named Charlie about her past, present and future. She used to be a drug addict, alcoholic, and her profession suggests a sordid past. But she has the proverbial heart of gold, and talks about all of the things that she’s learned along the way through a hard life. So far, so good.

Then in a moment of desperation, the truth spills out: it’s all a lie. She doesn’t have it all together, just the opposite.

I’m just like the hooker. I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes, and even learned from some of them. But deep inside, my exterior is a mask hiding a very flawed person. I completely relate. On some level don’t we all? It’s nice to know Jesus made a habit of hanging out with people like her. It’s even nicer knowing that he died for the worst of the worst. Even people like me or you.

Two things: Mr. Sykes called me “a writer” and omitted the last sentence of my post because it was “somewhat tasteless”. Given his history with the McGee family, I could certainly understand. I’m honored to think this was worthy of his airtime.

The Science of Baseball is a cool and interactive site dedicated to America’s National Pastime. The specific link my dad sent was Can you Hit a 90-MPH Fastball? It explains just how hard it is to hit the easy pitch in baseball. Also included are tutorials on breaking balls, a time machine to move players (like Babe Ruth) into different eras, and too much other good stuff to mention. Check it out.

I don’t know what the proper solution to fixing up the parks is. But I smirk when I hear the idea of naming rights in bathrooms as suggested by Supervisor Coggs in this article. What company would shell out $500 to put its name on a urinal? Doesn’t Kohler already have that covered?

I personally like the idea of naming the facilities after politicians. The Lee Holloway toilet has a nicer ring to it. Don’t forget to wash your hands in the Michael McGee sink. Just don’t drop the soap.

At worst, it’s one of the most influential jazz recordings ever. At best, it defies all descriptions and superlatives. Some call it the greatest piece of recorded music in history. All I can do is tell you that this song is moving and amazing each and every time I hear it. I taught Jackson to love this song, and I will repeat with the two girls.

For your edification, I have enclosed four links for you: the first two are YouTube excerpts from Ken Burns’ Jazz series that highlight the significance and importance of West End Blues. The third is the entry of WEB in the NPR 100 (100 Greatest Songs of the 20^th Century.) The final link is from the Smithsonian and includes a brief listening guide. My favorite part is the opening trumpet call and the beginning of the trumpet solo where he plays the same note for four chords.

If you get one thing out of this post, it is to know that Louis (pronounced Lewis) Armstrong’s greatness comes from his trumpet and being the most influential jazz musician ever. Since I come from a generation that knows Satchmo mostly from “What a Wonderful World” many may not know this already.

Ken Burns’ Jazz – West End Blues Part 1: Includes commentary by Wynton Marsalis

Ken Burns’ Jazz – West End Blues Part 2: Includes full recording of song to montage of footage from the late 1920s

NPR 100: West End Blues

Smithsonian Jazz – Louis Armstrong Class

The site is the online home of the All Music Guide – you may have seen one of their publications at a library or bookstore. There are artist bios, album lists, album reviews, song ratings, and links to similar artists. Search for your favorite artist and explore. Be careful; it could be addicting.

My dad would keep score from time to time when we went to County Stadium. I began doing it myself. Jackson learned to score when he was four. I try to teach anybody who will learn. I think out two books have been written in by about ten different people.

Last night was Ilsa’s first time scoring. She mostly wrote in the book what, where and when I told her to. She did a job befitting of her fastidious personality. She doesn’t know a strikeout (K) from an SS-2B-1B double play (4-6-3), but that’s OK. At least she paid attention to the game.

Onto the song: “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” is the fifth track on Alicia Keys latest album As I Am. U2 won a Grammy in 2001 or 2002; when Bono got up to accept the award, he remarked that he expected Alicia Keys to win. I filed that away in my head and discovered Ms. Keys two years ago. Her last two albums are good enough to play as released without omitting any songs. This song is a great mix between modern and old-school R&B. Enough said.

This week’s entry is Clem’s Baseball Stadium Field Dimensions. This site offers a visual representation of what fields look(ed) like from the 1910s through today. It’s cool to see how Yankee Stadium has changed from its opening to the present. It’s also cool to see the uniqueness of today’s parks. Of particular interest would be the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, and Milwaukee County Stadium. (I never knew they added on through the years.)

There are many points at which a game can be lost, but one play sticks out from last night:

Bottom of the third inning, two outs, one run in for the Mustangs. Soft grounder to Nathan on the mound. He fields, and lobs it over to Jackson at first. The ball falls short, and the runner is safe. Instead of walking in to hit, we’re stuck out there, and six more runs come in. Both are two of our more experienced players. Nathan could have thrown it better; Jackson could have caught it. Oh well. Such is life in U9 baseball.

After that it was a see-saw game; in the end, we lost on a walk-off single with one out. We went toe-to-toe with one of the better teams in the league for six innings and came up one run short. There is no reason to hang our heads. Tense games like that make me appreciate the easier games for what they are.

What I liked:

• Watching our hitters stay alive with two strikes
• The way we made contact with the ball at the plate
• We stood perfectly in the batter’s box
• The tag-ups by Tre’Vaughn and Nathan in the 2^nd
• Our pitching was solid. Nathan gave us 2.3 solid, got tired, and battled to the end. Jackson is just beginning to find himself as a pitcher. Tre’Vaughn was old reliable.
• Kellen caught the whole game and did an excellent job. He is turning into a great catcher.
• We had several force plays work well, including a force at the plate.
• We slid well into the plate. Textbook work.

What we need to work on:

• Not getting upset when we do not get a hit
• Picking each other up
• Ball routing when it gets into the infield
• Trying to throw out runners stealing
• Shutting up (coaches). They shut down one inning as we were barking instructions.
• Asserting my position in discussions concerning rules

What I could have done without:

• The mosquitoes
• The long drive
• This next one has a disclaimer.  I think the game was called in a fair and impartial manner.  That being said, it seemed like the ump was part of their team. He spent much of the time between innings over at their bench. I know it is not his fault that he knows the coaches on a first name basis, but I thought he could have eliminated many questions about his calls had he acted more like an ump during the game.  Even the kids noticed.  All that said, please act in a sportsmanlike manner and don’t question the umpire’s calls.  It’s hard work, and he is the authority during the game. 

We have a week off, and then return next week with two games. Have a Happy Fourth!  The dude abides. 

Cole started the game on the mound for us and gave up five in the top of the first. We got eight back (with two homers in a row) in the bottom as we batted around. Cole pitched a scoreless second, and we exploded for 13 runs in the bottom of the second to make it 21-5. Jackson pitched the third and gave up one; we answered with two. That’s 23-6. At that point, it was time to shake things up a bit and put different kids in different positions. Sam was tighter than the previous day and gave up four runs. No biggie. We scored 7 more with another outburst that included a long shot by Tre’Vaughn.

Caleb came in to pitch and the inning ended in the wildest of fashions. There were three runs in and men on first and second with no outs. A long fly ball was hit between Tre’Vaughn and Sean (one of our subs). They collided as Sean caught the ball. As the opposing coaches began shouting for the runners to return to their base of origin, I noticed we had a shot for a double play. Sean threw from his back into the cut-off man, who threw it to second to double off the runner. Then the kids threw it to first for a triple play. I was so wrapped up in the play that I had to ask the ump if I had in fact seen a triple play. He answered incredulously “Yes, a triple play.” I still didn’t believe it, so I asked him again.

I have to take you all back to a practice in mid April. We were working on defense, and I explained to the kids that I would spring for ice cream if they turned a double play. They tried to negotiate pizza for a triple play, and as I hesitated, Mr. Alles agreed to buy pizza for a triple play. I joked with him about switching bets, as his promise was like betting the field in the Kentucky Derby.

As I celebrated with the kids, I was slow to realize Tre’Vaughn’s knee was hurt from the collision with Sean. We carried him in and iced the knee. I hope it’s OK.

In the end, we won 31-13. I appreciated the break from a tight game.

What I liked:

• The offensive barrage. Everybody smacked the ball around.
• The triple play.
• Playing in the sun on a perfect day with the nice breeze.
• The collective aplomb of our pitchers, both seasoned and new.
• The way the new kids fit in.
• Dax’s coaching at third base
• Watching the ball sail long and deep off of our bats.

I’m not sure what that is supposed to mean. Am I wiser? Perhaps. Do I look older? Probably.

I used to make a big deal of my birthday, but that went out long ago. The kids think it’s pretty cool. I’m blessed to have a good family and great friends. What more can I say?

For the record, I spent my birthday at church, cleaning, entertaining and grilling. I got to use my new bar, and our home was filled with beloved guests. Then I woke up this morning, and it was just another day.

We’ll see what my 38^th year on earth brings.

This was a mixed bag for planning. It did not count in the official standings, but when two teams wear uniforms, it’s a game. All said I used this as a chance to try different people in different positions. I could not be happier; everybody impressed me by making the most of the opportunities given. In the end, we won 12-11.

What I liked:

• Pitching was great. Nathan and Jackson found their groove. Logan, Henry, Caleb and Sam did great. Logan got two outs, Caleb two, and Sam three. All did good enough to deserve another chance. Tre’Vaughn was old reliable and earned the save.
• We all hit the ball well. Many extra base hits, two home runs, and good hustle down the line.
• The fielding was good. We did not throw the ball around, and we didn’t give away many free bases. We had some good putouts that saved runs.
• We acted like a team. Enough said.

What I learned:

• Each position has its own nature, and just because a kid may not be good at one “critical” position does not mean he can’t handle another.
• Each of my assistant coaches could handle the team on their own. I am blessed to have them to learn from.
• Dropping the kids in different positions is not “settling” and does not mean one cannot field a competitive team.

Off to plan the game tomorrow morning. I might just live on the edge and wing it.