.....And now batting for the Clinton Twp, Bronx Bombers, wearing number #8

Jimmy.





we opted to spare everyone but yes he did go on to score. Actually, at this level everybody scores as no outs are called and no score is kept, seven batters a side take turns and the lucky 7th batter gets to hit a home run regardless of power or lack thereof at the age of 5 & 6. Once and while a ball does trickle out of the infield.

At the end of the season, every kid gets a league champion trophy. AAaaaaah, what a wonderful world of peace and harmony......well, except for the parents.....or maybe just me.

As you may be able to see, there are no bleachers at these games. Basically parents sit up some summer folding chairs and watch the games. All the teams in the league play at local schools which happens to have two fields. At the first game, everybody gets pictures taken, teams and individual, and games are fairly tightly time monitered to stay on schedule, between t-ball, machine pitch, coach pitch, minors and majors about 20 game need to be played.

Anyway, Fun Guv sits down and i open up my chair next to hers and Macks and sit down to watch Jimmy play.

Then i hear....

"so that's the way it is then," right behind me.

So i turn and look and a guy is standing there, with 4 folding chairs and i guess i didn't see him as i walked up to where Fun Guv and Mack were sitting. i tend to get a little lost just looking at the surroundings and Fun Guv needs to rein me in to the smaller picture.

i guess i had sat my chair in front of where he was setting up chairs for his family.

Totally, my bad, So i apologize.

"y'know, i'm real sorry, i was just sitting here next to my wife and daughter, i didn't see you."

Now, Lisa had sat next to another Mom, with whom she had struck up a conversation, so she was fairly set, and i guess i could have moved, with the 10 -15 feet of room to my right, where nobody was sitting and be closer to the diamond.

If so, sitting on the third base line for this game. pecking order would have been...

homeplate, third base, a few parents, 10- 15 feet space, me, guy with four chairs, Mack, Fun Guv, Mom with said convesration, or

homeplate, third base, a few parents, guy with four chairs, me, Mack,Fun Guv, Mom with said conversation.

So the guy just won't let it go. He keeps on about how i wouldn't move, just talking to nobody really. He starts to move the chairs and just keeps on about how he can't believe how difficult i am being, and how he has to move to sit, and see the game.

Now, i assume he's got a kid on the same team as i do. And looking back, i should have handled things differently. i could have extended a hand in friendship, offered to help reposition his chairs, struck up a conversation, but.....

...and not to make an excuse, i had bartended the night before. It had been busy at the bar, so getting home after 2:00 am and back up at 7:30am to go to a t-ball game had left me tired. i basically sat, and opended up my new issue of Runner's World and sat to nod off in between Jimmy's T-ball action.

i really felt the honest, humble apology was enough, but it wasn't.

i know, at most it took him 30 seconds to move these few chairs, but after i apologized he first stood behind me and kept on me, the as he moved the chairs he just kept on me, and finally i snapped....

"Will you stop??!!!"

"huh??," the guy looked at me, as i snapped my head up, and turned to face him. i stayed sitting in my chair.

"Look, i tried to apologize, apparently that wasn't enough. You would rather keep on-and-on, if you want something ask. Get over it, this is the first game of the season and we may be seeing each other at every game. Thanks for helping to start the season great. If this is the way you will be at every game, i can't wait!!"

"well, you know, you sat right where i was opening up my chairs"

y'know, i got that. i understood. i had felt bad for doing it, not so much anymore. i didn't want to have a scene here, with the kids, and really, it's a stupid no-competitive t-ball game. i finally, just responded in the only way possible, without dropping a f-bomb or getting vile...

"will you just, SHUT YOUR HOLE!!!"

That seemed to do the trick, and he must have really wanted to pounce, but while still sitting down i had actually used my gutteral, scream at the rookies on the marching band practice field, or make MacKenzie cry, voice.

So he kinda got real quiet, real quick and slinked off, presumably to find back-up.

Now i had to apologize to ALL the parents, who were looking at me like i was born with 666 birthmarked into my scalp.

"i'm real sorry 'bout that. i swear, i'm not a jerk."

And y'know what? Everybody seemed to have heard the entire exchange and thought i was okay.

i think the funniest part, if there is a funny part, is that remember how i mentioned there were two fields at this school? Well, eventually the guy came back, with his entourage, in case things escalated, to collect his chairs cause.....

yep.....

he was at the wrong field. D'oh

anyway, no fun running stuff, except i had a wonderful 12 miler saturday. The taper is on!!!!

thanks for reading, next post preview....brush with semi-celebrity.oooooh the suspense, but i have left a clue