Thursday, April 29, 2010

A Nuisance

The ice cream man has been driving around the apartment complex and surrounding area for the last 30 minutes, maybe longer. I heard that awful “music” blaring from his speakers when I pulled into the parking lot…half an hour ago. Who knows how long he’d been going before then?

Apparently “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” is the only song in the repertoire, and I can’t take much more of it. That is NOT a song I’d choose to listen to anyway, and certainly not after a busy day at work. (I should mention, as well, that being inside has not provided escape from the sound. The noise is infectious and has made its way indoors.)

Bobby says I’m being a “Grinch”. Today was a long day, and I have a headache, and perhaps I’m a bit irritable. I’ll admit it. (He asked if I got us some ice cream…I said no, I was trying to get the guy’s license plates. Really, I was.)

I cannot come home to that incessant noise all summer long. (Much less listen to it for half an hour or more.) And, I truly suspect that this very well could be the start of an all summer long pattern. I know this because I remember that awful tune playing on a regular basis at the end of last summer when we moved here. I went so far then as to look up what I’m sure was the same company online and e-mail a complaint. (That shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me well.) I’m not sure it did much to solve the problem. Although I don’t remember the truck being around much after that, ice cream season was on the way out at that point…. And, the truck IS back now, after all.

Perhaps I am overreacting. I just don’t have much tolerance for nuisances…especially those that get in the way of my enjoying restful evenings at home.

I think I need a bowl of ice cream.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Go Dragons!

Bobby’s “Little League” coaching experience has not been what either of us expected. It’s amounted to spending lots of time, energy, and effort (on treasured Saturdays) put into teaching a group of 10-year old boys (none of whom are our own, or of any relation) who seem to care precious little about baseball (they prefer soccer). True, Bobby gets to spend time on the baseball field and pass on his lifetime of knowledge to the youngsters, but truth be told, they don’t seem to care much for the game.

The experience has been a bit of a letdown…until last night.

Last night was the first game of the season, and to be honest, we were prepared for the worst. They had had only a few practices, only two of which had been outside…on a real field. Who knew if they even knew any fundamentals?! By all accounts, it wasn’t looking good. Bobby and I were counting each little guy as he arrived (hoping enough of them showed up), decked out in their new uniforms. (“Hmm”, I thought. “They at least look like baseball players....”) Ironically, the team’s colors match Bobby’s college team, so all of his CMU gear (and there is plenty of it) coordinates perfectly. And, sure enough, the whole team showed up. Who would've thought?

Then, the (completely) unexpected happened. The Dragons took the field, and lo and behold, those little stinkers became a baseball team right before our eyes. They were hitting the ball like nobody’s business, and stealing bases left and right. Somehow, it all came together, and they were doing more than just holding their own…they were competing, and looking pretty good while they did. They had all the baseball moves, the swagger, the style…and the talent!

It was like the stuff movies are made of. You should’ve seen it.

But, precious as all this was, my favorite aspect of the night was watching Bobby interact with those kids. As surprised as I was at the performance of the boys, I was not surprised whatsoever by the class and positive energy that Bobby brought to the field. He is incredible. His enthusiasm and genuine encouragement made all the difference, in my opinion.

It's taken a while for the kids to figure him out, but now that they’ve realized that he’s a good time, he has them eating out of the palm of his hand. They watch him and listen to him, and I cannot think of a better role model for those young boys. He knows about baseball, sure. But, more than that, he knows what it means to be a respectful, well-mannered, “class act”…on the field and off. And, the boys are drawn to that! I’m sure he’s influencing those little men so much more than he knows, and I suspect they’re going to learn a lot this season.

Watching “Coach Bobby” last night brought tears to my eyes. He has a gift, and it’s going to be a fun summer…watching the team, and watching him.

The Dragons won their first game, 15-11. It was a surprise to everyone, I think, but certainly a welcome one. I’m pretty sure that everyone left the ballpark with a smile. I know I did…because I left with “Coach Bobby” (who I’ve been married to for 8 months today!)

I’m relatively confident that I’ll be watching a good deal of Little League games in the years ahead…and I’m prepared for that. With Bobby as the coach (and perhaps, one day, “little Bobby’s” on the field), I’m sure they will be games I won’t want to miss.

--Before "Coach Bobby" was "Coach Bobby"--

Friday, April 9, 2010

Egg McPhillips

Bobby had to go into work at 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning, and when he got home at 6:30 a.m., I was just crawling out of bed. I showered and dried my hair, and when I came out of the bathroom, I peeked in the kitchen to see my wide-awake husband standing over the stove. He was fixing us bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on English muffins! What a surprise! Did he have a vested interest in fixing breakfast? Absolutely. He was a hungry guy after a long night’s work! Still, it was a delightful treat, and a fantastic, unexpected way to start my day. I went to work with a smile on my face AND a full tummy…and Bobby went back to sleep with one.

That man makes me feel so loved, so often…and for that I am incredibly blessed. (Oh, yes, and he can fix amazing breakfast food. That’s pretty great, too.)

Bobby has the same routine tonight-another early day at work. Perhaps tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. he’ll have a hot breakfast waiting for HIM. I can’t make any promises….tomorrow IS Saturday, after all. But, you never know, it could happen. He’s totally worth it.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Days Like Today

Some days, like today, I just feel so INSPIRED! So MOTIVATED! I start thinking about all of life's possibilities, and all of the things I could try and do and become. I decide that I want to do more blogging, traveling, reading, cooking, coupon-ing, photographing, etc. and I get IMMENSELY excited about buying and then decorating a house, and being a mom, and raising a (large) family, and all of that fun stuff.

What is the catalyst for this upbeat attitude and optimism? Spring? The middle of the week? A good night's sleep? I've GOT to figure out how capture this motivation that comes around on days like today. Because it feels good to feel good about the future and to feel like I have the energy to take on the world.

The reality is this: there aren't enough hours in the day to do all that I'd like to do! (And that's probably a good topic for another post. Hmm, maybe I will accomplish more blogging, at least!) Tonight I'll do laundry, clean up after dinner (...which happens to be BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. The pork has been in the slow-cooker all day and I think it's going to turn out even better than I expected. Yum.), fold laundry (goodness, it feels like I do a LOT of laundry...all the time), and collapse on the couch once I realize what a long day it's been. That's the way it seems to go!

The "every day" chores and routine are blessings and I try to recognize them as the gifts that they are. But, for some unknown reason, today I just feel very motivated to increasingly live life fully. And what a blessing that is, too....