Back To Normal

May 16, 2007

I’m sitting in 25 MPH wind gusts in fifty-five degree temperatures watching my eldest daughter practice softball. I’m not connected to the internet out here on the ball diamond, so I can’t tell you what the wind chill actually is. Suffice it to say, my youngest daughter says it’s cold and she keeps shivering from time to time. We’ll go sit in the mini van and warm up when her lips turn blue. Until then I keep telling her that sitting in chilly weather builds character. I don’t think she knows what that means. I’m not sure I do, either.

I was going to write about the French thirty-five hour work week and what a great idea I think that is, especially for the French. But I left my rough draft at home and I don’t remember enough of it to try faking it. So, instead, I’m going to yammer on about miscellaneous crap until I feel that you’ve gotten your money’s worth. And since no money is exchanging hands here I won’t tolerate any complaints about the lack of focus in my ramblings, since ramblings are just that – rambling.

Hannah just found another jacket in her book bag. That means she’s now wearing five layers of garment to ward off the late, late, late winter wind. I only have two layers, but I’m carrying a little more body fat, so I’m still comfortable from a hibernating bear sort of perspective.

The softball practice is going well, though not too many balls are being caught. They’re trying really hard, but I suspect it’s probably a little too cold to really try very hard. This will be an amusing season because Haley is in the Kid Pitch league, which means that the kid’s pitch (not the coaches) and there are balls, strikes, and outs.

Two geese just flew over head and the one on the left pooped. Hannah pointed this out to me, then she laughed. I’m just glad the birds waited to poop until they were past us. Goose poop is pretty big for bird poop and I suspect it might sting a little when it hits.

Some of the girls are bored because it rained last night and the dirt on the ball field is too clumpy to properly kick into vast dust clouds. So instead they’re just squishing little clumps of the “mud” together into what looks like little crumbling sand castles.

The ice cream man just trundled (haven’t heard that one in a while, have you?) down the neighboring street and not one of the girls even noticed. That is the best demonstration of maturity in this U10 league (all the players are ten years old) that I’ve ever seen. Three years ago, in the U7 league (for ages 7-8), you would’ve heard at least five girls ask if they could have ice cream, right in the middle of practice, even in the middle of games!

Or maybe it’s just too bloody cold. I mentioned the ice cream man to Hannah and she said, “I don’t feel like having cold ice cream on a cold day.” So much for my proof of maturity.

The girls are beginning to warm up now, and balls are being caught and plays are being made. Me, I’m losing feeling in my finger tips, so it’s getting too hard to type. And Hannah’s complaining in between shivers. Time to go warm up in the mini van. As always, thanks for reading