What a Ball!

It was a real yes-siree-good-ole-American kind of weekend, complete with hot dogs and baseball.

The boy and I went to the Indians/Cardinals game Friday and enjoyed the win (and some vertigo) from the cheap seats.

And yesterday, my sister and I took my nephew to a farm-team game with the Lake County Captains and the Lakewood Blueclaws, which, believe it or not, was a far more exciting time than the pro game.

First of all, a player got ejected for yelling at the ball. Seriously. The ball landed on the third base foul line, and the guy literally got down on all fours in the dust and started blowing on the ball and yelling at it, a la Happy Gilmore. Apparently the ump didn't find it nearly as amusing as I did.

Then a player broke a bat on a hit, and wood went flying everywhere (that's what she said).

Then a player got knocked out after colliding with another player.

And then I had chili cheese fries.

Plus, they let the kids run the bases after the game, which was all sorts of cute. The day got an A+.

This weekend took me back to when I was growing up and played softball. While I was no Shin-Soo "Coo Coo a Choo" Choo, I did enjoy running around and hitting things.

Here are some low-quality pictures of pictures of my first year playing (my scanner is schizo); though they're a bit fuzzy, I think it's the last documentation of my real hair color. I was about eight or so.





"Moose" wasn't my nickname (fortunately) -- the local Moose lodge sponsored us. I still have the shirt, which is into its second decade. Now, though, the only one that can fit into it is the dog, though he does so begrudgingly and only with the aid of peanut butter cookies.

"If I had thumbs, I would cut you for this."

In the Comments section, tell me what your favorite relics from your childhood are and/or if you like to dress up your dog.

It's Only Natural

The boy and I hit up Cleveland's Museum of Natural History last night, which is open until 10 on Wednesdays AND for only $5 per person -- holla!

I love that kind of junk -- fossils and soil samples and gem stones and such. Oh God, the gem stones! So, so lovely and such crazy names! Zoilite. Andamooka opal. Kornerupine. Grossularite. Bixbite. Potch. All of them lovely despite their silly names.

Know what else is lovely? Jewelry by the muy, muy talented and clever WendyB. I'm eyeing some of these very tasteful cuff links for the boy's upcoming birthday. I think they would actually be more for my amusement, but as they say, tis better to give than receive.

We'll see, though. To buy birthday gifts for his future birthday assumes that I'll keep him around until then. He's definitely a strong contender, but my track record with stick-to-it-iveness isn't the shiniest, I admit. And sadly, I'm not sure my Dad could really rock those cuff links, so I have to be really sure, WendyB.

But, if we make it through about six more weeks or so, he'll either get those cufflinks or a weekend at Cedar Point. Woo hoo! America's Roller Coast!

I know Ohio gets a bad rep, but, honestly, I rather like it here. I mean, we got coasters, culture, nightlife, dinosaur bones, music, an Iron Chef, and the Duct Tape Festival. What else do you need?

In the Comments section, tell me what you like about Cleveland.

What a Waste

Hey Innernet Friends, I have a query for you. Any ideas about green solutions for dog poop?

I already use bio-degradable bags for walks (yes, I do the doo, as it were. So should you. People who don't clean up after their dogs are worse than people who don't return their grocery carts to the corrals, and you know how much I detest those people).

But, I feel like there's a way to make it even more eco-friendly. All thoughts appreciated.

In the Comments section, aside from the obvious advice, tell me what kind of people are worse than dog owners who don't clean up after their pets.

Weather Permitting

I've become preoccupied with the weather lately. Historically, I was the kind of person who just stuck my head out of the window and adjusted plans and outerwear to the conditions.

These days, I check the hourly advisories and pour over the extended 10-day forecast like it contains the meaning of life. Strange.

Well, maybe not. I've hit a kind of a stride. I guess you could call it a rut if you were feeling less generous but at least I can count on the weather to change.

Fortunately, the new boy is proving to be a comfortable match for where my head's at right now. He's a good apple. Sorry for the vagueness. I told Megan Jane I'm going to give it the "appropriate" space and energy to develop, and I've had to learn the hard way that blabbing the minutia to the Interwebnets isn't necessarily appropriate.

I should probably savor this quiet, since I've got an impending move ahead. Not far -- just a few blocks from where I am now, but you know how even a small move can shake shit up.

Speaking of shaking it, we had a random celebrity sighting in our neck of the woods. We were out to dinner at a little local place and looked over to see American Idol contestant Scott Savol. I'm not a big fan of the show, but it's always nice when local somebodies can make good.

I didn't talk to him, of course, given my track record with celebrities, but our waitress did. She reported that he was very gracious and he said he was spending his time in Nashville and was just home for a visit. So, there you go. Your daily entertainment report.

In the Comments section, tell me what the weather's like where you are. Cleveland's East side is currently enjoying mild temperatures, increasing cloud cover and a 60% chance of rain.