It's just KICKBALL!!

For the past 4 years, I've been playing kickball on Thursday nights in the fall and the spring on a team in the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA). Our team plays in one of the most competitive divisions in the nation... over the years a few of the national championship teams came from our division.

I know... you're thinking "Kickball???"

Yes, kickball. It's a great, fun game and it's something that you can definitely play after a few beers without risking too many injuries. And although some teams are very competitive, we're not one of them. That's not to say that we lose every game... we usually go about .500

Our team (Turn Your Head and Cough) considers itself a social team, with a goal of meeting new people, networking, and generally having a good time. It's supposed to be fun and relaxing.

Last night, that wasn't the case. We were playing the team who was in last place, so it should have been a very easy and relaxed win for our team. But instead, the game was marred by controversy... Two of our players were ejected for explicit diatribes directed at the ump, and one of those two had also physically assaulted the ump. And this was all within the top of the 1st inning!!!

Needless to say, after that we were a bit off of our game. In the end we gave up a 6-2 lead and allowed Irish I Was Drunk to score a tie out of us.

The only question now is... do we boot those two players from our team, or will the division do it for us?

And to think... it's just kickball...

Deep Thoughts

Wow... June 22nd was my last post. I'll tell ya', it's been a fast crazy summer!!

I know that I haven't posted too frequently in the past, but that's going to change. I'm going to try to post something every day... or at least 3 or 4 times a week. Feel free to blast me through comments if I don't hold up to my end of the bargain.

A few days ago, something happened that made me think deeply about what it is to be a friend, an acquaintance, or a family member. I read a post from Spicy Little Pi over at Adventures of a Cubemonkey... a sad post. As it turns out, her father passed away on Sunday night.

Now, I visit Pi's blog frequently, and we dialogue through her blog's comments, but I've never met her... I've never spoken to her on the phone... I've never even sent her an email. Yet I know who she hangs out with... I know what she likes to do on weekend (and sometimes during the week)... I know what the inside of her new condo looks like (and what it looked like before she remodeled some of the rooms).

So what does that make her? Certainly not a family member... sadly you don't get to choose those (*Note: I love my family and have nothing agaist any of them... I was very lucky when I was assigned a family. I wouldn't have asked for any different had I been able to). And I can't really call her a friend (at least not in the traditional sense of the term)... remember, I've never actually spoken to her. But acquaintance doesn't seem to fit either... I usually reserve that designation for people I know, but sometimes wish I didn't know ;) She's more like someone I wish I had a better opportunity to know, but circumstantially, it doesn't work so well... someone with whom I KNOW would get along well with and would have lots of great, fun, hilarious times with... but can't.

I think we need to come up with a new term for these types of people and interactions. People whom you've never actually met, but about whom you know a great deal and respect and admire enough to interact with them in some capacity (in this case through comments on her blog). And a special designation for those you know would make a great friend if only they were local.

Beyond all that, I was amazed at how much I was affected by reading her post about finding out that her father had passed. I'm sure she's still away from home dealing with the aftermath of his passing and I hope she knows that my thoughts and prayers are with her (okay, I don't really pray... but you know what I mean). After reading that post, I felt my mood change for the rest of the day. Maybe it was what she wrote... maybe it was the way she wrote it. Regardless, I was deeply moved and saddened for her and couldn't figure out how to convey this to her. Of course I posted a comment on her blog telling her how sorry I was to hear about her loss... but beyond that, I felt compelled to do something for her to help ease her pain.

But what can you do for a person who lives hundreds of miles away and with whom you've only communicated through blog comments??

Well I couldn't think of anything (at least nothing that the comments feature would allow me to do), other than resuming my blog by posting an entry dedicated to her and her father.

So Pi... this one goes out to you. I'm so sorry that your time with your father was cut so short... but remember all the good times you had with him... the holidays, the times growing up, the fatherly advice he gave you and you ignored :)

It's going to be a tough few weeks or months ahead... but know that there are people out there... people you've never met and probably couldn't pick out of a crowd... but they are out there. And they are thinking about you and pulling for you to help you get through. And if you need anything... any advice, any support... any place to crash to get away from it all... know that they will be there for you. And know that I am one of them.