On the Mound

Andrew was the starting pitcher today in the Chatsworth Padres vs. Pirates game. He's a Padre. That's the second game he's started out of five he's pitched in this season. Usually he's been the reliever and they're already losing by the time he gets the ball but they won for the first time this season today. One game was close but the others have been blowouts.

Andrew doesn't normally pitch but it's fall ball and his team is really undermanned. It's age 16 to 18 so if you are 18 you can't pitch. There are three kids on the team who are 18 and there's only 10 total. Two of the kids have never played organized baseball before so now you're down to 5. Only one of them can catch so he's needed behind the plate. Another hurt himself and he can play but he can't pitch.

So by default everybody else has to pitch because no one player can pitch more than three innings and they play seven innings. Andrew pitched when he was younger but not for the last three years and he doesn't like the position. I was happy when he stopped because I thought he was always too hard on himself if he had a bad game.

He did pretty good today though. He gave up only one hit, one run and he walked two. Best of all he didn't hit anybody. Last week he hit one batter and he felt so bad about it. The other player of course knows you didn't mean to hit him but it still hurts like hell.

Jury Duty

Since moving to California 22 years ago I've probably gotten a jury duty summons about 14 or 15 times but have never actually been assigned to a jury. The handful of times I've actually been told to report I've sat in the jury assembly room all day and my name doesn't get called so they tell you that you are released.

I recently got a summons and reported as requested this week assuming I'd probably be released so of course I got picked. It's a civil trial, kind of complicated but interesting. The jury selection itself took two days. We've been told that the trial will likely go until Nov. 6th or 7th which is going to make life a bit hectic.

Fair Weather Fans

Watching the final game in the NLCS with Andrew tonight he commented that for the past couple of days at school their had been a bunch of kids suddenly wearing Mets hats or t-shirts. Andrew took exception to this because he dislikes what he calls "fair weather fans", people who suddenly start to support a team they previously had no interest in just because they are in the playoffs.

Andrew has been a Cardinal fan for years and as soon as the schedule comes out Andrew marks the days they'll be in town playing the Dodgers on the calendar. We can't go to all the games but we usually make one or two. We go early for batting practice and he loves to get autographs from the players.

Albert Pujols is his big hero and he devours everything he can find about how he trains, eats, etc.

Good game tonight but a bit of a nail bitter for the Mets final ups after the Cardinals inched ahead. Needless to say Andrew is thrilled and I have to say I'm looking forward to watching the world series with him.

Steph Update

It is family weekend at Occidental College this weekend. So the boys and I will drive over to Oxy on Saturday and meet Stephanie at her dorm before the four of us go to the BBQ and homecoming game. Adam has to take the PSAT this weekend and Andrew has a game Sunday so we can't partake of all the festivities but we're really looking forward to the game.

Stephanie is enjoying her second year at Occidental. She calls frequently, always excited about what she's up to. When she told me she was going to take another upper division course this semester (Shakespeare) as well as a grad level lit class I thought she might be taking on more than she was ready to handle but she's loving it and thriving.

She's enjoying her work with the admissions office and the tutoring center. Working with the early education center is part of her teacher training and she works one on one with a little fourth grade girl named Cammie, who she is growing very fond of.

Although we keep in close touch and she's been home for quick visits I haven't been to her dorm since we helped her move in so I'm curious to see how the girls have decorated their room this year.

Bowl-a-thon

The UFPI club Nemesis Station in Bakersfield holds an annual bowl-a-thon to raise money for the Jamison's Children's Center. Yesterday I drove up to Bakersfield to take part and considering how infrequently I bowl I didn't make to big of a fool of myself.

They are a real nice group up in Bakersfield and the event was, as usual, a lot of fun and I'm told it raised just over $3,600.

Student Driver

After school on Thursday I took Andrew over to the DMV to take his written test for his driving permit. He passed easily and as I drove us home he immediately began calling anyone he could think of to tell them he had his permit. When we were off the main street in our own immediate neighborhood I pulled over and we switched so that he could drive us the two blocks to our house.

We crept home slowly and cautiously, my main concern being the one right hand turn Andrew would have to make onto our street. As expected the turn didn't go so well but we didn't hit anything and Andrew stopped just short of our driveway and I pulled the car in.

Yesterday after school I took him out driving, we circled the block a dozen times in one direction until he was more comfortable with right turns and then again a dozen times the other direction so he could try left turns. There were a couple of folks out walking dogs who I'm sure wondered why we kept passing them.

My nerves needed a short break at that point but Andrew was so excited I let him talk me into going out again so out we went and he slowly drove up and down the streets of our neighborhood until it started to get dark.

He was very nervous of course but gradually relaxed and I'm proud to say I only let out a loud squawk once although I admit to gripping the hand hold on the door a bit tightly at times.

Second Degree

I'm so proud of Adam. He did an outstanding job this weekend on his second degree black belt test.

This test was a walk in the park compared to his first two black belt tests. The purpose of the second degree test is to demonstrate that you can apply the martial arts techniques in real world self-defense situations. You also have to demonstrate the weapons forms.

So Adam was attacked in a variety of ways both from the front and behind with weapons and without. For example he had to disarm someone coming at him with a knife and again with a gun as well as disarm someone who had him held firmly with a knife at his throat and again with a gun at his head.

Nicky, his master instructor was just bursting with pride, he has taught Adam for 8 years now, since he was 6 years old, and Adam is the first of his students to achieve their second degree.