March

For the first time in years, I do not have a "March Madness" pool going. I filled out a bracket on yahoo or something, but I have watched ~10 minutes total of basketball this first weekend. Wild...

I have begun in earnest my "Ball and Stick" umpiring. I call it that because they are the same game, played with slight modifications for each sport. Yet the Non-Testosterone version is very acrimonius towards the one with the bigger field. I have to have a totally separate uniform for Softball and the patch signifying that I am indeed allowed to be on the field has to go in a different place. The problem is I don't want to sew the patch in place because Baseball umpiring leaders, being gifted with a full brain, will allow you to use the light blue shirt when it gets hot but the patch goes in a different place (BB = Left Breast Pocket, SB = Left Sleeve.) Ridiculous. If they would both agree to the same place, then I could use velcro, but alas, I am going to have to buy another shirt if I want to permanently attach either. Lame.

So, in my first 8 games, I had exactly ZERO controversial plays, mostly because I worked with competent partners, had decent teams (well, except for the 2 JV Softball games that had maybe 8 total players that had played before), and I knew what I was doing. Then, in game 9, I finally had an incompetent partner. His strike zone was too high and it led to some cat-calls from the stands. And we had a crazy play, but we got it right. An infield fly rule pop up, and the runner from 2nd collided with the Shortstop. We called the batter out for the infield fly, and the runner out for interference. Pretty sure that was right.

I am really enjoying the umpiring, but not the missing out on hanging with my girls. I don't get home until after they have eaten (or are eating) dinner, and I have less time to play with them. I am trying to do bath time and bed time on these nights because I want to be with them!!

Spring break this week. I have quite a few things to get done both for school and for my Masters Degree. Would be nice if the people I e-mailed would respond with my survey questions!! I might have to go knock on some church office doors! AND, the wife and I are headed to Rancho Mirage for a night away from the girls. That will be nice.