Ernie and the First Day of Spring

Just over 3 weeks ago my childhood hero celebrated his 90th birthday (here’s a great article about it). For well over half a century Ernie Harwell has been calling baseball games. He started in Georgia and after several other stops, he ended up in Detroit where for 31 years he was the play-by-play announcer for the Tigers on the radio. As a child I delighted in summer days when I could play catch with my dad and listen to Ernie’s voice softly drifting out from my bedroom windows as my radio was tuned to WJR. I miss those days. I miss nights of falling to sleep to Ernie’s voice as he called a game. For it was through his voice that I first saw Tigers Stadium, that I first saw my Tigers play baseball. 

Each winter I looked forward to hearing his voice on the radio once again. Ernie and Tigers baseball were a sign that Spring was here. I know that if you look at any calendar you will find that the official beginning of Spring is still some 35 days away and it may not feel or look like Spring outside, but for me Spring begins today. This the the first day that pitchers and catchers report for Tigers Spring Training down in Lakeland, Florida.

On this day I want to wish my beautiful wife a happy Valentines Day. I love you with all my heart. To everyone else I wish you a happy first day of Spring!

It’s Time To Appreciate Bubble Wrap!

Last January I came across a link to the greatest stress relieving (and probably time wasting) web site ever. I have to post it again since today is the famous Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. It’s a real holiday. I’m not making it up, I promise. Do any of you have the day off school for this wonderful holiday? I’m guessing not. Anyway, you can click here to end up at the best the world wide web has to offer and make sure that you try “Manic Mode”. Here is another site that even offers more excitement. Enjoy and have a happy BWA Day!

What an Exciting Morning!

Well, I had the wonderful civic responsibility to report for jury duty this morning. It was a learning experience and maybe just a wee tad boring at times (or most of the time). Here are some things I did while on jury duty today.

• Read some of “The Gospel and Personal Evangelism” by Mark Dever
• Sat through a very old video orientation and was very thankful when a judge came in to finish the orientation so we didn’t have to watch the blast from the 80′s any longer.
• Chatted on Gmail with my wonderful wife
• Looked around at SharperIron.org
• Worked on the Ladies Newsletter for church
• Perused several college/grad school classmates blogs (here & here)
• Drank Diet Pepsi
• Ate Chili Cheese Frito’s
• People watched (like my wife likes to do)
• Received a slip of paper telling me that I will be getting a check in the mail in about three weeks…a check for $12.50 for a half day of sitting in a room with 129 other people…a check that i am paying to myself as a tax payer in the great county of Macomb

Here is a list of things I did not do while on jury duty today.

• Get seated on a jury
• Get randomly chosen by the computer to be taken to a court room with the possibility of being seated on a jury

Well, that pretty much describes my first encounter with jury duty. Boy, was it exciting!

Happy Slurpee Day!

Today the 7-Eleven convenience store chain celebrates it’s 80th birthday and since they are such nice people, they give gifts on their birthday. I just finished my first FREE 7.11 ounce Slurpee of the day. I think daddy will need to take Camden and Josiah to get a treat after church tonight. Here’s a question for you. What is your favorite Slurpee flavor? Mine is without a doubt good old plain Coke. It is just simply the best. What do you think?

Try to contain your excitement

According to this web site today is “International Moment of Laughter Day.” It is really too bad that the IMofLD does not fall on a Wednesday, because then maybe there would be a reason for you all to laugh at my dry attempts at humor! So even though you don’t get to hear any of my lame jokes today, happy IMofLD to you! Just as an added bonus I give you a groaner to laugh at:

“Waiter! This coffee tastes like mud.”
“Yes sir,” came the reply, “it’s fresh ground.”

Can You Smell It?

I can smell it. It is the smell of new shoes, of fresh leather, of a floor newly refinished, of sweat, of the gym. I can also hear it. It is the sound of a screen called out, of squeaky shoes, of the kiss off the glass, of string music as the ball goes through the net and of fans chanting “Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU”!

Tonight the men from KU will take the floor for the first time this season. It is the first of two exhibition games that start off the year. The last time I saw them play was when they lost in the opening round of the tourney last year to Bradley. I haven’t been able to forget that game for two reasons. First, it was the very first time that I got to see KU play in person (my wonderful wife got me tickets) and secondly, every time Schmitty hears the letters “K” and “U” anywhere near each other, he kindly rubs it in and reminds me that they lost to Bradley. I love you too Schmitty!

Today I look forward to a new season and as my 3-year old says “Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU!”

Yesterday was a Great Day!

I know some of you will read that and say, “It sure was, I got a lot of candy.” Other’s will read the title and say, “It’s sure wasn’t, after all it was Halloween. You’re not a Satan worshipper are you?” Well, it was a great day for reasons totally unrelated to the candy holiday (that I am sure dentists are behind, and not Satan worshippers).

Last night at his Mimi and Bapa’s house (my mom and dad) Josiah took his first steps! Dawn and I both missed the first one. But there were several others after that. How exciting! A lot has changed since this pic. He was about 6 months old in it and now he’s 13 months old and walking. Tomorrow he will be plotting to take over the world, or something like that.

The Catch

I am really enjoying being a Tiger’s fan this year. For the record, I have always enjoyed being a Tiger’s fan (I had to say that just in case you might think I was pulling a Schmitty on you).  I have loved the game of baseball from a very young age. My first memories of baseball were playing catch with my dad. I have often said that I wish that I could have been able to see the same guys play that my dad did, to see Al Kaline and Norm Cash and Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle and Sandy Kofax and Ted Williams and Rocky Colavito and Whitey Ford. Obviously that won’t ever happen. I really would have loved to watch Mays play the outfield. Well, it was on this day in 1954 New York Giants centerfielder Willie Mays made what is widely considered the greatest catch ever. It was a running catch with his back to home plate on a 450-foot blast by Cleveland Indians batter Vic Wertz (a former Tiger) in the opening game of the World Series. I am excited about the chance for this years Tiger’s to leave their own memorable mark on the post season. How cool would it be if in twenty years Camden and Josiah would be able to say, “I wish I would have been able to see Ordonez hit that home run (it has to be a home run, because we all know he’s not makin’ a great catch) like you did dad.” I love the game of baseball, and all the memories connected to it. There’s no better game on earth.

Where Were You?

That question is often asked about major events in history. Many of our parents and grandparents ask where you were when JFK was shot or when man walked on the moon. My generation asks where you were when the Challenger exploded or the Berlin Wall fell. This youngest generation now has one of those “Where were you” moments. They ask where were you on 9/11?

For me it was one of the weirdest experiences ever. That day was the first day my wife began teaching 2nd grade at CBCS in Watertown. I went into work (in the gym at MBBC) early and was taking a nap in the “Green Room” off the stage in the gym. I was laying on the couch and started having what I thought was a dream. In my “dream” I kept hearing the voice of Peter Jennings. He was reporting something about an airplane crash. I remember being frustrated in my “dream” because I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. When the second plane hit I jolted awake totally to realize that it wasn’t a dream, but that I had been half listening to a radio broadcast of a very real event. The stage manager had been listening to his radio while working and once the first plane hit, they put the report through the sound system so I began to hear it in my “dream.”

It is a day I will not soon forget, as I am sure is the case with most Americans. I am still saddened by the lose of life and overwhelmed with gratitude to those who gave themselves trying to save others on that day and to those who have given their lives since then defending freedom in our country and around the globe.

Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” To those of this generation who have stood up and fought for our freedom, for my freedom I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Birthday, Have a BLAST!

There are a number of significant things that have happened on this day (August 24) in history. Here is a short list of events.

• In 79 Mount Vesuvius erupted and Pompeii was buried in ash
• In 1456 the printing of the Gutenburg Bible was completed
• In 1683 Puritan theologian John Owen died
• In 1960 Cal Ripken Jr. was born
• In 1960 a temperature of -127 Fahrenheit was measured in Antarctica (a world record)
• In 1989 Pete Rose was banned from the game of baseball
• In 1995 Windows95 was released with a great deal of fanfare
• This day is also Flag Day in the country of Liberia
• This day is also the Ukrainian Independence (from Russia) Day

Oh, I almost forget one very unimportant thing that happened on this day. One year ago today the BLAST blog was started, so happy birthday blog. Have some cake, or something like that, if a blog can do such a thing.