Random Fact #17

I was pretty darn good at softball.

Not to brag, but I'll go out on a limb at say that, at my best, I was one of the best pitchers in the state. I started pitching when I was very young. I don't think I started out pitching - I always played infield.....third base, shortstop, second base, and even first base at times. And back then, pitching was kind of a back up thing that I could do if the team needed me to. As I got older, I think we all realized that I had some talent. So my parents worked with me on all the dynamics of the game....hitting, pitching, fielding, etc. Along the way, I went to pitching camps, met with pitching coaches (including Mr. Greg Alder, who was asked to play for the Men's Olympic Softball Team) and fine-tuned my skills as a pitcher. When I was getting ready to go from middle school to high school, I made the decision to try out for varsity softball. My dad tried to talk me out of it - not knowing if I really had what it took, and not wanting to see his child disappointed if she didn't make the cut. I had a rival my entire softball career - and ironically, she was on my team. You aren't supposed to be rivals with your own teammates! Anyway, I had heard that she and one of my best friends, Shoshauna, had made the varsity team as freshmen. So I made up my mind. I was going to try out. And so I did. The fielding portion went very well. I didn't hit worth beans and was very defeated because of that. But then the coach came to me and told me that she had heard I could pitch. Why yes, yes I can. :) So she had me go to the gym with a couple other pitchers and catchers. I got all warmed up, noting that my speed was pretty much matching my rivals. I thrived on competition, so I threw everything I had - all my pitches, as fast as I could. And I knew right then that I blew the coach away.

I think we had two days of try-outs (Saturday and Sunday), and on Sunday after try-outs, they posted the team roster. My name was on the list. The only freshman that year to make varsity - and let me tell you, not many freshman AT ALL make the team.

That first year, they didn't really know me and what I was capable of during games, so I was kind of a back-up pitcher and player. I remember sitting there one cold game, watching as our second baseman got hurt - nailed in the face with a ball that cut her upper eye open. The coach put me in and the first pitch after that was a screaming ball hit to me. I caught it, tagged the runner, and threw the ball to first, for a double play. This girl can play. :) Our "star" pitcher, my bitter rival, struggled through the season....often doing great at the beginning of a game, but tapering off towards the end. Which made for some nervous games. So the coach started putting me in to save our butts. And that's how I started making a name for myself - put her in and she'll pull us out of this mess. And I did just that - winning games.

My junior year, we made it to the District Championship Game and played one of our rivals, Centennial High. It was pouring rain - an absolute downpour. Which is a pitchers nightmare - a wet ball is hard to pitch!! My rival was pitching and doing a great job - we were leading and that's all that mattered. While she was running the bases, she tore her ACL - ending her career. I was put into the game to finish it off and ended up winning the District Championship. We went to State..............and did poorly. The whole team lost their morale when my rival tore her ACL. I think we could have done far better and wished the team didn't think that SHE was the whole team and carried us. Because she didn't - we were good without her.

I decided not to play softball my senior year and honestly, it's my only regret in my life. I usually don't believe in regrets, but that's my one. I had a boy that I wanted to spend more time with, so I gave up playing softball in high school and decided I wasn't going to go away to college to play either. I gave up a damn fine career for some loser and I will never forgive myself for that.

However, the dream was amazing while it lasted.

Addicted

I'm addicted to my son. I'll admit that much. He was enjoying standing tonight, so I had Eric snap some more pictures. He eats it up - Carter that is..........the camera. I'm told I was quite the camera ham when I was a child. I see the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Working on it......

So Carter has been showing more and more interest in putting some weight on his noodle legs. So this weekend, I was playing around with him and he humored me by playing along. He hasn't really shown interest in crawling yet - his main mode of transportation is rolling EVERYWHERE. So maybe he'll take after his mama and completely ditch the crawling and go straight to walking. ;)

Concentrate!!

Ok, that's enough. Are we done?

Dad, make her stop!

He was much happier like this!

Random Fact #16

I have been to Ground Zero.

Aside from a few specific deaths in the family, and giving birth to Carter, this was one of the most moving moments in my life. Back in May of 2005, when I was visiting my friend, Rita, in Boston, we went to NYC for about a day and a half. We canvassed as much as we possibly could in one day...........seeing The Bronx, Soho, Greenwich Village, Central Park, Queens, Times Square, etc. One of the visits included Wall Street, and Ground Zero happened to be across the street. What a moment. There was not one person standing or walking by that was not crying. And I didn't know how I would react, but standing there, knowing what happened and the lives that were lost, the tears came in abundance. It was very emotional. I'm glad I had the chance to see it while it was still in clean-up/construction, before anything new had been built.

Blast From the Past

Here is a picture of the fearsome foursome. My cousins Matt, Brian, my brother, Dana, and me. I feel like I had three brothers growing up, not just one. Mostly because there really aren't that many family vacations where we weren't all together. Sure, there were some. But 9 times out of 10, it was just the eight of us (my parents, my aunt and uncle, and us kids..........and the dogs). Every single vacation comprises the best memories of my life.

Random Fact #15

I was a devil child!

I think I was perfectly nice until all the other children started showing up! ;) I wasn't particularly fond of my little brother growing up - and we made no secret of it. When he was just a few weeks old, my mom was vacuuming, so I took him and put him on the shower floor and left him there. When my mom came to check on us, she asked where he was and I just shrugged my shoulders and gave the "I don't know, mommy" response. She eventually found him - he's still alive!

One time in Cascade (I think?) there was this green car that my cousin, Matt, was fascinated with. I'm not sure what possessed me, but I told him that a witch lived in the car. He wouldn't step near that car after that!

When my brother was a little bit older..............maybe 6? I'm not sure. Anyway, I was cleaning out his ear with a q-tip, and it tickled him and he jerked his head toward me. Well, the q-tip ruptured his ear drum and it was bleeding like crazy. He wasn't really crying or anything, so I just covered him up and told him to go to sleep. I went to my room, put on my pj's and crawled into bed. My mom came tearing into my room minutes later telling me that we were going to the hospital. Of course, I ask "why, mom?" She told me I knew why. ;)

There are many other stories of my constant harassment of my brother and cousin Matt. Too many to share here. It's so much fun being the oldest!!!

(Easter, 1984)