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Monday, April 30, 2007

The first league game: slo-pitch

So it was the real thing on Sunday. We were ready, rarin' to go, and rather dapper in our blue uniforms. And I even had three fans who came out to jeer cheer me! Yay for Muffin, Suzie, and my guy!

It was so-so close, but in the end we lost 15-13. Our bats were crackin' some wood, but our fielding definitely let us down. There were too many errors from our team -- in reality, an inability to stop infield hits that would have prevented plenty of runs from scoring. But we also had some awesome plays when it counted. And not that I was without error myself -- my fielding was fine, but I had a baserunning error that I'm still kicking myself over.

Still, it was our first game and we did OK. Personally, I went 3-for-3 at bat, with 2 RBI's and a run scored. I had some good catches at 1st base, and caught an infield fly. I had that one baserunning error, but managed to do some other good stuff around the diamond -- including two star-riffic slides that left me with ugly wounds on both my left shin and my left elbow. The first slide wasn't executed all that well -- can you blame me? I'd never slid before in my life!!! -- but the second slide saw me avoid the tag at 3rd base, from where I eventually scored my run. Yippee!

I tell ya, it was tons of fun! And, while my second and third hits were infield dribbles that I managed to convert into singles with some pretty solid speed to 1st, my first hit was a whopper. Well, for me, anyway. After a full count, my hit went over the head of the shortstop and was easily the best hit I've ever had. And, again, given the fact that my slo-pitch has been pretty limited to now, that's not a huge achievement. But still, I was pretty damn stoked to have a great hit after having taken a full count. Yay me!

Oh ya, and there was the other little point about my accidentally blocking runners along the baserunning path. OK, I'm the rookie -- please remember that! But I really need to remember to step out of the baserunner's path as I'm watching the play develop, instead of mistakenly blocking his or her path to 2nd. Must remember, must remember, must remember.

Next game: Thursday night!

The Weekend Wrap

Great weekend. Where do I begin?

  • A Canuck win in OT on Friday night. A Canuck loss on Sunday : (
  • My first league slo-pitch game (more on that later).
  • Great weather all weekend long!
  • A great Saturday brunch with Little Bub and Muffin.
  • Had some great news in anticipation of a trip to Vegas!!
  • Cleaned the hell out of my "pile of forgotten stuff" tucked away at the back of my closet.
  • Plenty of time spent with friends.

And you? How was your weekend?

Thursday, April 26, 2007

The first league game: soccer

We had our first soccer game last night in the cold and rain. I played pretty well (considering it was my first game in 4 years!!) and had some good chances on net. I didn't connect with any goals, but was in the thick of several great plays.

My fitness was better than I had expected. I'm still not where I want to be, but playing through the fitness issues will help get me there. Let's just say that when I need to put on a burst of speed to get in the open and take a pass, that's not a problem!

My legs are a tiny bit sore today. Specifically my quads are a bit tight, which isn't a huge surprise after last night. Normally, my quads of steel are immune to pretty much any fatigue and trauma. But last night was cold enough that, once you trotted off the field to sub out, you got cold and tight within minutes. I subbed out in both the first and second haves, so felt it in my quads nearly immediately. Yes, I stretched, but unfortunately, I ain't a youngster anymore : (

We have a fun team, and made a point of going for a post-game beer despite the fact that we all smelled like wet dogs. I think I'm gonna have fun playing in my league again -- yippee! Oh, and we're the blue team, naturally : ) Thank goodness I ain't playing in orange -- it just doesn't bring out the spectacular blue of my eyes!!


Oh ya, and I nearly forgot! We won 4-3 on a late goal. Check out the Blue Team -- we're undefeated!!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

"Our dinner special tonight is Duck..."

Round 2. Game 1. Tonight. 7:00PM PDT.

Gosh, I think the sky is gonna be clear tonight. That's cuz the Stars are out : ).

And it's nearly dinner time. Anyone care for Duck?

Go 'nucks go!

Thanks to the Swedish German twins for the jpg!!

UPDATE: OK, OK, so those pesky Ducks took the first game. But we can still win the next 4 games and take the series in 5....

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The first pratice game: slo-pitch

So we had our practice game yesterday, and I broke in my new glove (which will take a couple of games for me to really get used to it). The main difference between practice and this game: everything comes at you much faster! Holy heck, is that ever true! And, although I had an error at first base, I went 3-for-4 at bat and made a couple of good defensive plays. It was fun, I felt OK, and I know I'll just continue to improve all season long, so bring it on!

I think we lost the game (someone was keeping score, but I really don't know the final score for sure -- nobody really cared), and we most definitely need to do some work on our cheerleading and teambuilding. Still, we had fun, we gave the rookies (me, in particular) a chance to get game-tough, and we got to look at some fairly attractive young specimens on the opposing team. Not that this league is all about that or anything....but it certainly helps to pass the time as I stand on first base.

Our first league game: Sunday, April 29 @ 2:15PM. Come on out to Brockton Oval and look for the team in the flattering blue uniforms!!

In from Surrey

Last night, we had our practice game (more on that later), which prevented us from seeing the first two periods of the game, but we got home just in time to see the non-stop drama of the final frame. Thank goodness, cuz I would have been pretty pissed if I'd missed it, Mary!

And, in a nailbiter, the Canucks won it in a game much closer than the score would indicate. The final was 4-1, but the final two goals were empty netters and, until notching their third goal, the Canucks were hanging on by the skin of their teeth against the relentless Stars attack.

In the end -- and with the able assistance of series superstar Roberto Luongo -- our fellas played like the heroes they've been all year, and prevailed. Next stop: the Ducks!

But now for my pet peeve. What is it with all those people who have no lives insist on celebrating the victory by jumping in their car, hoisting all their team paraphernalia (jerseys, flags, etc.) outside their car windows, driving down Robson or Denman Streets, and honking their horns for freakin' ever?

I swear, it's like they all found their car horns for the first time ("Oh look, Darryl, that's what this here thing is for!") and started honkin' 'em for the next couple of hours. Clearly they're bridge-and-tunnel folks, in from Surrey to add some much needed spice to their otherwise-pathetic lives spent on the periphery of civility.

Monday, April 23, 2007

A bigger pouch

I got myself a new glove the other day. It had become apparent that the old glove I was using -- my sister's -- was a bit small for me.

Having no baseball/softball/slo-pitch experience to speak of, I honestly had no idea that it was too small until my captain told me. He made it clear that I needed a bigger pouch : )

Our practice game is on tonight. At the same time Game 7 of the Canucks series starts. Bugger.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Game Seven

After leading the series by three games to one, the Canucks have had two chances to wrap up their first-round series against the Stars.

And twice they've failed to send those pesky cowboys packin'. Bugger!

Hopefully Monday will see the series end as it's supposed to -- with our heroes taking the series and moving on to face the Ducks. Fingers crossed for Game Seven!

Friday, April 20, 2007

No special reason

I love my family. I just thought that I needed to say that. And there's no special reason for saying it now, except that it feels good every now and again.

Thank you for your time. We now return to our regular program, currently in progress.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Ultrasuede

It finally arrived today! A promise of four weeks turned into triple that -- an agonizing 12 weeks. But the good news is that it's here, it's all mine, and I love love love it!

Flat: Easily converting to a bed for the company that I fully expect to visit at some point, it's remarkably comfortable and long enough to easily fit all 6'1" of me -- plus a close friend beside me, if I'm lucky. But I'll likely leave it for Luscious Lorna, Tower Girl, Cookie, Lucky, and anyone else who may be making their way through Vancouver anytime soon.

Lounging: But not only can it lay flat, it clicks into place at a nice, relaxed angle for lounging. Perhaps viewing a flick, perhaps just cudding with someone special, the partway up position will be a favourite, I'm sure.

Tall: Next stop is fully, ahem, erect. This is the standard position for more intense television viewing. Lost, Brothers & Sisters, or even Project Runway will be best viewed from this fully up position.

Versatile: And, like a fabulous luxury automobile with split back seats, my new couch is versatile! Leave half the couch fully flat while the other half sits up. Perfect for the couple that enjoys different levels of vertical.

For some reason, it's a much darker colour than I remember from the showroom, but I love it nonetheless. It's a very groovy ultrasuede that demonstrates how cool and hip-and-happening-bachelor-like I am. But if anyone -- and I mean anyone -- spills a cocktail on it, they're banished from my skypad forever until they bring me some Three Olives cherry vodka!

I love my Summer sports!

I'm all signed up for my soccer league and my slo-pitch league.

We had our first couple of slo-pitch practices this past week and I'm bloody surprised -- I'm way better than the last time I played! Yippee! In fact, I'm showing so much potential that my coach is making me the first baseman. While nervous, I'm also excited because I had a freakin' fantastic practice on Sunday and feel really good about how much fun our team had. Well, and beers afterwards didn't hurt things at all : )

So I'm a slo-pitch rookie, but a soccer veteran. And after three Summers away from Canada and away from my league, soccer evaluations begin tomorrow. This is the chance for each player to go through drills, impress each captain, and get rated prior to the draft. I'm way more confident in my soccer skills than my slo-pitch skills, so (judging by how much I seem to have improved at slo-pitch) I'm damn stoked!

I love my Summer sports! Volleyball may be done -- unless I play the odd tournament and/or some beach ball at some point -- but bring on soccer and slo-pitch, baby! And as soon as my ankle is fully healed, I can't freakin' wait to start running again. I gotta lose this paunch of mine!!

Monday, April 16, 2007

My specialty

On Friday, I hit IKEA and realized that I'm a weak man it was full of things I needed to buy. Chief among them -- and the reason for my going in the first place -- was the need to get balcony furniture during the "Suddenly it's summer!" sale. Well, bejeezus if I didn't walk outta there with more crap than anyone in the history of the world has ever needed. But at least I managed to find furniture for my wee balcony-with-a-wicked-view.

Picture #1: This chair, table and bench were a very thrifty purchase. And, coincidentally enough, they are the exact same pieces I used to have for my VIP terrace at the circus. Except that apparently Canadian IKEA assembles these pieces for you, while American IKEA makes you do it yourself. God bless Canada!

Now, I need your opinion on something. Despite the minimal size of my balcony, I think I may be able to find room for one more single chair to go along with the bench and the table. What do y'all think?

And just in case anyone needs reminding, here are some pics (fresh from Saturday) to entice you to come over and enjoy my hospitality! Imagine it at sunset with a cocktail in-hand!! Anyone interested in martinis? I could even be persuaded to mix up a batch of margaritas or something else fruity. Fruity, after all, is my specialty!!

Picture #2: I counted 10 tankers in the harbour -- a fairly solid showing for a Saturday afternoon!! This picture depicts the view looking West-ward, towards the amazing sunsets we get over English Bay. Can you feel the ambience?!

Picture #3: This is the view looking over English Bay Beach towards Stanley Park and West Van. You may be able to see the Seawall snaking its way between the shoreline and the road, then towards Stanley Park. The Seawall is where all the action happens, particularly on weekends -- it's packed with walkers and runners, families and singles, old and young, gay and straight, normal and on-the-fringe -- and is the perfect place for people watching particularly with a cocktail in-hand, stealthily concealed in a thermos or Big Gulp cup.

Picture #4: This is the view looking down onto a couple of buildings just below mine. Notice the rooftop gardens and balconies where folks gather to try and look at the fireworks displays in July and August. And then, notice how poor their view will be compared to mine : ) The fireworks barge parks itself smack dab in front of the beach seen in the Picture #3, and spits out its spectacular show for 500,000 peope to see. But who'll have the best vantage point in town? Me and everyone else in the four towers that make up my apartment complex! And notice as well the fact that I'm a two-minute walk from the beach. Out my front door, turn right, turn left, cross the street, and I'm there. I love living in Vancouver's West End!

All you readers are invited to come on over for a drink. Just give me some warning first so I can clean the bathroom!

Friday, April 13, 2007

Polyester

Happy Friday the 13th.

Steer clear of people in polyester black cats!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Now is the time

I've never posted a video on this here blog thang, but now is the time.

If you haven't already seen it, you need to take the next minute and a half to enjoy this. But you gotta wait until the end, when they get separated and manage to float their way back to each other!

Filmed right here at the Vancouver Aquarium!

Tails

Go Canucks, go. Send them tired ol' Stars back to Dallas with their tails 'tween their legs!

Game time: 7:00pm PDT tonight!


UPDATE: it took four overtime periods to finish the sixth-longest game in NHL history, but the Canucks finally prevailed in the end. Yippee!!

Monday, April 09, 2007

Reminded

So how did Calgary go?

There were a total of 10 teams in the B division. During pool play on Friday, we played each of the other teams once -- each time a single game to 25 points. We ended up having some good games, some bad games, and some downright ugly games. One of the disadvantages of being a team that's never played together is that you never know how you and your teammates will react in pressure situations. You know what I mean -- when you're playing well and in the lead, things are rosy and playful, bright and fun. Then you lose a string of points, and things turn on a dime. Pressure mounts, energy levels drop, criticism creeps in, tempers flare.

As the team captain, you do everything you can to turn those episodes around. You keep things talkative, you make sure to maintain eye contact with your teammates between points, you let a struggling teammate know that he's still playing well by doing a lot of slapping of the hands, you lead by example as best you can. But I have to admit that there were times when I didn't feel like putting myself out there for everyone on my team -- when I didn't feel as invested as I had been when playing with a team that I felt really connected with; when I let thoughts creep in like, "He's the one in the funk, so I'm not going to spend my energy in a futile attempt to get him engaged again." And that, my friends, is very un-captain-like behaviour, so shame on me. In the end, there were some frustrations but we all just did the best we could to deal with them.

After Friday's pool play, we had a record of 4 wins and 5 losses, which we figured would put us right near the middle of the pack. The 10 teams were ranked according to their won-loss records and, sure enough, we were seeded sixth. The 10 teams were split into two divisions -- High B division, and Low B division. The good news was that our sixth place seeding meant that we were the top seeds in the Low B division, and that we would have some close matches in medal play -- with a chance to take home some hardware after it was all over!

Saturday's playoffs were double-elimination format, with matches consisting of the best of three games, and with each team in contention until they incur two match losses. To make a long story -- and a long day -- short, we ended up going undefeated and won the gold medal in Low B. Withstanding some patchy play, some on-court (well, off-court as well) tension, and a near-disastrous injury in our final match, we ended up as the champs. And, perhaps most importantly, one of our team members won the "Shut Up and Sleep With Me!" award, voted on by members of all competing teams! I guess it pays to be cute, skinny, and 22 years of age : )

So Calgary ended with the Bus Drivers driving home the gold medal. And with me reminded of the dynamics of team play.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Guns and roses water

I often don't sleep all that soundly before a trip, and last night was no exception.

I'm headed to Calgary today for my favourite volleyball tournament -- one that I haven't played in since 2002 -- and so, predictably, I had a restless sleep last night. I remember dreams about guns going off in every direction. Oh, and there was another dream this morning about bottled water. I don't remember any more details except that there was lots and lots of bottled water.

What the hell? Oh well, I'm awake and fully stoked about Calgary. Bring on Apollo Cup!!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Calgary, here we come!

After wanting to be there two years ago and having to bow out because I started my life as a circus freak, I'm finally getting to Calgary again for the first time since 2002.

I fly out Thursday and return Sunday. Pool play is Friday, while the double elimination playoffs happen Saturday. There are 9 teams in the B category, so there should be plenty of action and plenty of potential for our team to do well. But most importantly, I think we'll have lots of fun.

Our team name: Bus Drivers.

Don't ask....

Monday, April 02, 2007

Monday, Monday
Can't trust that day

So another Monday rolls around, and what do I have to show for it? How about:

  • A Friday night spent having a drink with friends, followed by a great tapas dinner to celebrate the birthday of one of said friends.
  • A whole lot of time -- all weekend, in fact -- spent with my guy.
  • Fantastic skiing Saturday in paradise. Sunny, cloudless, perfect day with abundant snow. Oops, forgotten sunscreen = red face!
  • Games night on Saturday night with friends of my guy. It was interesting saying farewell at evening's end, because his friends shyly said to me things like, "Hey Jeff, it was nice to meet you. Hopefully we'll see you again sometime...." Well, I'm definitely planning on seeing 'em again sometime, cuz I ain't expecting this thing with my guy to be a temporary thing!
  • An awesome brunch with Muffin and Little Bub on Sunday afternoon. Muffin really outdid herself with an amazing menu of waffles, fresh fruit, delicious whipped cream, savoury peppers and home fries, scones and cream, and champers. Dee-lish!
  • Cocktails and the Junos with Suzie and my guy on Sunday night. My gal Nelly cleaned up, with 5 awards!

Stellar weekend! Only 3 days to go until I go away for Easter!!