we heard this on a radio station late one night on a trip to visit the Ozarks somewhere in Arkansas or southern Missouri.....
an easy 2 1/2 minute song.....
Showing posts with label celebrate life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebrate life. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
As promised....
tires and wheels not factory......those were added after purchase without the kid's knowledge......glad he approved.....photo credit to the kid..............
thaks to the longrooffan, the good attorney, Grandpa George, the M38A1, the Willies Car Company, the kid......and countless others that enable me and the kid to............
.......CELEBRATE LIFE...........
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What did you do this weekend....????
The weekend started Saturday at 05:00......rise and shine....we got a 2 hour drive ahead of us.....gotta be at the fields by 08:00.....haven't been to these fields before...softball, not baseball......on the road, iced the cooler down at our local stop and rob and hit the Eisenhower Road at 05:45...(John is not sure what these are, Interstate 4 for him).....call the kid at 07:00, John is still not sure what time I am talking about, but he can figure that out on his own.....make sure the kid is awake...he has to be at the ballfield in South Daytona, baseball for him as he is the assistant coach on a traveling team heading to Cooperstown, by 08:00....07:30 the kid calls back checking directions to the ballfield......07:45, we arrive at the Diamond Plex in Polk County Florida....
Field 5 for our first game.....nice complex....i.e. clean bathrooms.....we are a 'B' team and faced 3 'A' teams on Saturday....lost the first 2 and tied the 3rd.....basically got our hats handed to us......first game at 09:00.....got blown out.....second game at 14:00......got blown out again......third game at 17:00..... tied that one.....all against 'A' teams......guess we aren't as good as we wished.....
the kid's sister got to catch a game and half....no plays at home and she did a good job...no errors and she got a couple of good sacrifice bunts down.....not bad for playing up two years....I keep telling myself that....so it's off to find the hotel and await notification of Sunday's game schedule.....quick dinner provided by the kid's little sister's Mother and we wait.....and wait...and the phone rings around 21:30.....08:00 game Sunday...same complex.....hey when you lose all three on Saturday, don't expect to sleep late on Sunday......got to the complex at 07:00 Sunday only to find out we are scheduled to play at another complex 20 minutes away.....follow the leader and we arrive at a softball complex to the sound of cows mooing, chickens crowing, dogs barking, and horses neighing.......
loser's brackets are NOT glorious.......
umpires give us 20 minutes.....our first game is against the spring league State Champions who threw their Saturday games in order drop down a bracket....not real sportsmanship....but some people take this stuff way to seriously.....guess they were looking for an easy way to the finals......(loser's bracket and all).....but the kid's team played like there was no tomorrow.....they held the Spring State Champions to a tie game though the time limit....on to the Texas tie breaker....
put a runner on second and you get three outs....the result is....a win.!!!!!!!!...took the former Champs two innings to lose.....talk about an emotional high.......get a 60 minute break and it's back to playing ball.....ranked 18 out of 20 teams so the confidence level is not real high despite the recent victory.....the second game starts and it is now win or go home......a tripleheader later we are heading home......what a day.....parental stress level was extremely high as the girls played their way up the loser's bracket.....lost our last game in a tie breaker againest a team coached by an abnoxious SOB.....kind of took the fun out of it....finished fifth so it was a fanatastic weekend by all standards......as usual the longrooffan was no where to be found to record the weekend on film, (I am throwing the blame on him because I forgot we own a camara on Sunday)....however, I was able to catch a couple of photos.....not surprising the most intesting to me was the osprey nest on the light pole....I was unable to record the transfer of a fish from one adult to the chicks...but at least I saw it....unlike the Bear, I often forget to get the camara ready for the next shot.....but got home and was able to download a couple of photos of the weekend's activities......hopefully next year I'll be a better photographer....but then spectating gets in the way.....
local birds of prey......
chilling out before the game...
go...........
only action shots of the kid's sister we recorded.....
Field 5 for our first game.....nice complex....i.e. clean bathrooms.....we are a 'B' team and faced 3 'A' teams on Saturday....lost the first 2 and tied the 3rd.....basically got our hats handed to us......first game at 09:00.....got blown out.....second game at 14:00......got blown out again......third game at 17:00..... tied that one.....all against 'A' teams......guess we aren't as good as we wished.....
the kid's sister got to catch a game and half....no plays at home and she did a good job...no errors and she got a couple of good sacrifice bunts down.....not bad for playing up two years....I keep telling myself that....so it's off to find the hotel and await notification of Sunday's game schedule.....quick dinner provided by the kid's little sister's Mother and we wait.....and wait...and the phone rings around 21:30.....08:00 game Sunday...same complex.....hey when you lose all three on Saturday, don't expect to sleep late on Sunday......got to the complex at 07:00 Sunday only to find out we are scheduled to play at another complex 20 minutes away.....follow the leader and we arrive at a softball complex to the sound of cows mooing, chickens crowing, dogs barking, and horses neighing.......
loser's brackets are NOT glorious.......
umpires give us 20 minutes.....our first game is against the spring league State Champions who threw their Saturday games in order drop down a bracket....not real sportsmanship....but some people take this stuff way to seriously.....guess they were looking for an easy way to the finals......(loser's bracket and all).....but the kid's team played like there was no tomorrow.....they held the Spring State Champions to a tie game though the time limit....on to the Texas tie breaker....
put a runner on second and you get three outs....the result is....a win.!!!!!!!!...took the former Champs two innings to lose.....talk about an emotional high.......get a 60 minute break and it's back to playing ball.....ranked 18 out of 20 teams so the confidence level is not real high despite the recent victory.....the second game starts and it is now win or go home......a tripleheader later we are heading home......what a day.....parental stress level was extremely high as the girls played their way up the loser's bracket.....lost our last game in a tie breaker againest a team coached by an abnoxious SOB.....kind of took the fun out of it....finished fifth so it was a fanatastic weekend by all standards......as usual the longrooffan was no where to be found to record the weekend on film, (I am throwing the blame on him because I forgot we own a camara on Sunday)....however, I was able to catch a couple of photos.....not surprising the most intesting to me was the osprey nest on the light pole....I was unable to record the transfer of a fish from one adult to the chicks...but at least I saw it....unlike the Bear, I often forget to get the camara ready for the next shot.....but got home and was able to download a couple of photos of the weekend's activities......hopefully next year I'll be a better photographer....but then spectating gets in the way.....
local birds of prey......
chilling out before the game...
ready......
set......
set......go...........only action shots of the kid's sister we recorded.....
another reason to.........................
CELEBRATE LIFE......
Sunday, December 6, 2009
At least she didn't cry about it..and other things to keep us busy
hard to imagine this is the baby girl of the family.....caught an elbow playing b-ball and she couldn't understand why the coach wouldn't let her go right back into the game......hard to explain liability to a young kid wanting to play ball.......
started to turn yellow tonight.....she got a shiner for sure....
and boy is she proud of it.....at least the eye is clear....
so guess how my weekend was spent.....
No, not at the ER....
Saturday AM at the training center for olympic atheletes in Clarmont Fl.....very nice complex sitting atop a hill in central Florida......not a hill like in the mid-west....but anything over 200 feet high in Florida is considered a very large hill......and I think we were at the peek of the highest, non man-made hill in Florida......very cold winds in central Florida on a 40 degree morning with 20 knot winds....softball and cold weather do not go together.....good for hot dog and hot chocolate sales....bad for cold beer sales....good for cuddling in bed together.....bad for standing on top of a hill watching kids play softball......good for a nice fire in the fireplace....bad for a day of forgetting where you stored your cold weather clothing......good for maybe even a jeep ride through the woods......bad for softball weather.....especially if you are a spectator.....seems Florida and 40 degree weather are not designed to be experienced at the same time.....unless you are inside with a blazing fire and a warm friend close by......
Sunday was spent at another complex enduring the cold while the kid and her team played another two games......2 outa 3 on Saturday.....1 outa 2 on Sunday.....got to figure how to get past the second round on Sundays...........short day today....left the house at 6:30 and got home at 4:30......even had a chance to watch some afternoon football before dark.....enjoyed a fantastic dinner prepared by the sungoddess and am able to record it now....
the kid has gotten a job that now requires him to subsidize our goverment....a couple of side jobs coaching the kid's sister's basketball team and another coaching a AAU baseball team heading to Cooperstown this spring....keeps him busy borrowing my truck.....but these are the reasons we.........
CELEBRATE LIFE
started to turn yellow tonight.....she got a shiner for sure....
and boy is she proud of it.....at least the eye is clear....
so guess how my weekend was spent.....
No, not at the ER....
Saturday AM at the training center for olympic atheletes in Clarmont Fl.....very nice complex sitting atop a hill in central Florida......not a hill like in the mid-west....but anything over 200 feet high in Florida is considered a very large hill......and I think we were at the peek of the highest, non man-made hill in Florida......very cold winds in central Florida on a 40 degree morning with 20 knot winds....softball and cold weather do not go together.....good for hot dog and hot chocolate sales....bad for cold beer sales....good for cuddling in bed together.....bad for standing on top of a hill watching kids play softball......good for a nice fire in the fireplace....bad for a day of forgetting where you stored your cold weather clothing......good for maybe even a jeep ride through the woods......bad for softball weather.....especially if you are a spectator.....seems Florida and 40 degree weather are not designed to be experienced at the same time.....unless you are inside with a blazing fire and a warm friend close by......
Sunday was spent at another complex enduring the cold while the kid and her team played another two games......2 outa 3 on Saturday.....1 outa 2 on Sunday.....got to figure how to get past the second round on Sundays...........short day today....left the house at 6:30 and got home at 4:30......even had a chance to watch some afternoon football before dark.....enjoyed a fantastic dinner prepared by the sungoddess and am able to record it now....
the kid has gotten a job that now requires him to subsidize our goverment....a couple of side jobs coaching the kid's sister's basketball team and another coaching a AAU baseball team heading to Cooperstown this spring....keeps him busy borrowing my truck.....but these are the reasons we.........
CELEBRATE LIFE
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Day in the Country.....playing softball.....
what a way to spend the day.....
this Sunday, my birthday plus one, yea I know, one more year closer to being an old man, was spent in beautiful Flagler County Florida at their county fairgrounds....nothing like getting up at the crack of dawn to drive 30 miles to a softball tournement....got to the field on time and the girls got warmed up and the games started on time....great start to the day.....the kid's sister started in right field and then was moved to catcher in the third inning.....she made no errors catching the second pitcher and even got a good hit on her third at bat.....along about 10:30 a sound starts to come from the stock arena located about 400 yards north of us.....a LOT of stock trailers and BIG Ford trucks encircle the arena.....the kid's sister's team won the game and during the 2 hour game break I take a stroll to see what is the reason for the woman's voice on the loud speaker.....I walk into the first honest, authentic, down to earth, say a prayer to our God before it starts rodeo.....
after the opening prayer and the playing of the National Anthem with the girl on a buckskin circling the arena carrying the American Flag...the festivities began.....the show opened with a Ford 39A tractor 'dragging' the area for no less than 20 minutes.....then 5 cowboys, based on choice of clothing they were Wranglers I guess, spent another 15 minutes setting up polls down the center line of the area.....as the big guy, maybe portly is a better word, at the entrance was directing the placement of these poles, all I could think of ......move this way, no now that way, adjust the top....was he looked like a scottish sheep herder directing his dogs.....then the loud speaker woman started calling out names like an auctioneer.....guess you better know who you are to get your turn.....after several attempts to set the timer the show began.....a whole lot of good looking horse flesh,and a couple of likewise riders, spent the next 40 minutes racing up and down the line of poles weaving in and out to see who could do it the fastest time without knocking down a pole....10 second penalty for a knock down......saw a lot of horses and the people that ride them for show.....a culture that is so far removed from my life that culture shock was a reality for me today.....when I found myself attempting to rationalize how I could enter this world I quickly retreated to the ball fields and the world from which I came.....too much temptation to buy a BIG truck and BIGGER trailer and spend a couple of year's wages on horseflesh and....like I said, back to the ballfields.....the second game of the day was againest a high school team from Jacksonville Fla...the kid's sister started at catcher and spent the entire game behind the plate....caught the starting pitcher and despite her Mother's concerns, performed errorless.....made good contact againest an 18 year old pitcher and the game ended in a 3-2 loss.....not bad for playing againest older kids......another hour game break and then "batter up" was called for the final game.....the kid's sister again started behind the plate....caught the starting pitcher again.....the kid's sister has game....a couple of stolen bases on passed balls during this game, but nobody scored on her.....she even scored from second after reaching first on a slap hit...(softball term for an intential mis-hit in baseball)...same game...but different....Yogie would love it......along about the beginning of the last inning I received a phone call from the kid.....seems the job interview he went to was a success....he is the newest employee of the Halifax Plantation Country Club.....guess they were looking for a dish washer in the restaurant at the club house when the kid walked in.....so he starts his financial contribution to our government this coming Friday.....couldn't force him to wash the dishes last Friday and he starts doing it professionally this Friday.....
go figure.....the kid's sister had a great day on the ballfield and the kid got a job........so I guess this is what enables me to ........
CELEBRATE LIFE.......................today
this Sunday, my birthday plus one, yea I know, one more year closer to being an old man, was spent in beautiful Flagler County Florida at their county fairgrounds....nothing like getting up at the crack of dawn to drive 30 miles to a softball tournement....got to the field on time and the girls got warmed up and the games started on time....great start to the day.....the kid's sister started in right field and then was moved to catcher in the third inning.....she made no errors catching the second pitcher and even got a good hit on her third at bat.....along about 10:30 a sound starts to come from the stock arena located about 400 yards north of us.....a LOT of stock trailers and BIG Ford trucks encircle the arena.....the kid's sister's team won the game and during the 2 hour game break I take a stroll to see what is the reason for the woman's voice on the loud speaker.....I walk into the first honest, authentic, down to earth, say a prayer to our God before it starts rodeo.....
after the opening prayer and the playing of the National Anthem with the girl on a buckskin circling the arena carrying the American Flag...the festivities began.....the show opened with a Ford 39A tractor 'dragging' the area for no less than 20 minutes.....then 5 cowboys, based on choice of clothing they were Wranglers I guess, spent another 15 minutes setting up polls down the center line of the area.....as the big guy, maybe portly is a better word, at the entrance was directing the placement of these poles, all I could think of ......move this way, no now that way, adjust the top....was he looked like a scottish sheep herder directing his dogs.....then the loud speaker woman started calling out names like an auctioneer.....guess you better know who you are to get your turn.....after several attempts to set the timer the show began.....a whole lot of good looking horse flesh,and a couple of likewise riders, spent the next 40 minutes racing up and down the line of poles weaving in and out to see who could do it the fastest time without knocking down a pole....10 second penalty for a knock down......saw a lot of horses and the people that ride them for show.....a culture that is so far removed from my life that culture shock was a reality for me today.....when I found myself attempting to rationalize how I could enter this world I quickly retreated to the ball fields and the world from which I came.....too much temptation to buy a BIG truck and BIGGER trailer and spend a couple of year's wages on horseflesh and....like I said, back to the ballfields.....the second game of the day was againest a high school team from Jacksonville Fla...the kid's sister started at catcher and spent the entire game behind the plate....caught the starting pitcher and despite her Mother's concerns, performed errorless.....made good contact againest an 18 year old pitcher and the game ended in a 3-2 loss.....not bad for playing againest older kids......another hour game break and then "batter up" was called for the final game.....the kid's sister again started behind the plate....caught the starting pitcher again.....the kid's sister has game....a couple of stolen bases on passed balls during this game, but nobody scored on her.....she even scored from second after reaching first on a slap hit...(softball term for an intential mis-hit in baseball)...same game...but different....Yogie would love it......along about the beginning of the last inning I received a phone call from the kid.....seems the job interview he went to was a success....he is the newest employee of the Halifax Plantation Country Club.....guess they were looking for a dish washer in the restaurant at the club house when the kid walked in.....so he starts his financial contribution to our government this coming Friday.....couldn't force him to wash the dishes last Friday and he starts doing it professionally this Friday.....
go figure.....the kid's sister had a great day on the ballfield and the kid got a job........so I guess this is what enables me to ........
CELEBRATE LIFE.......................today
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
THANK YOU
I wish there were more photos and space showing these veterans enjoying life as they have earned......and granted those of this Great Nation to enjoy....
Thank you Dad, Uncle Bill, Uncle Frank, Brother Bob, Brother Jim,
Brother Tom, and Sister Viola, for the freedom to enjoy the priviledge of your memories...
These Veterans and those unknown to us, enable us to........
CELEBRATE LIFE.......every day.....
THANK YOU
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