Brigadoon Pond

We did not purchase waterfront property when we built our house eight years ago. Instead, we found a beautiful wooded lot that would remain fairly private, even as houses were built around us. However, the back part of our property and the wooded area behind us should probably be designated as wetlands. The builder could only go down 2 feet for our foundation, then we backfilled and graded the remainder. Each year about this time, Brigadoon Pond emerges. With the snow thaw and spring rains, we have a rather large swampy area for about 10-12 weeks. Luckily, it tends to dry up before mosquito season hits. In the past, we have had ducks swim around on their trip back north. If you look closely at the picture below, you will see a pile up of twigs between the two cottonwoods. I'm thinking maybe we had some beavers building a dam out there recently. (I can't believe one of the guys actually would have stacked them up, but I could be wrong).

This year, our ghost pond has been a bit oversized. The ground is pretty saturated from the massive amounts of snow we had over the winter, and the 4 inches of rain we had last week didn't help matters. It's dried up pretty well right now (it should since there is a drainage system under it!). Luckily, we didn't have any flooding in the house but the sump ran steadily for several days.

This is just another harbinger of spring.

I'm What?

OK, the creative juices are lacking today. It's been a busy week. Just a quick update--dad is doing better; the freshman basketball team won another game; the tangled web at work just keeps getting crazier. I gave up several things for Lent, but I'll save those for another post when I can be humorous about them.

Because I'm spending an inordinate amount of time online (I caved in and joined Facebook), I thought I'd take this little quiz. I think it is pretty accurate. The one about which girl scout cookie I am was not--I would much prefer to be a thin mint (thin anything) than a peanut butter sandwich/do-se-do (I don't care for those). Anyway... what Internet slang are you?

You Are LOL

The internet is always cracking you up. You could waste the day away finding things to laugh at. You're usually the first one to find a new funny video, picture, or website. You're always up for wasting time online, even if (especially if) you're at work. You also tend to spend a lot of time chatting, especially with people who make you laugh out loud.

What Internet Slang Are You?

My Latest Science Experiment

My boys take sadistic delight in telling their friends that I don't know how to cook. I take exception to this sentiment; I am an excellent cook but I don't do it often. I worked in a restaurant kitchen in high school and used to have nightmares about the dinner or lunch rush. I cooked enough meals to last several lifetimes. Also, with sporting events on multiple evenings each week 12 months out of the year, concession stand food and fast food are my friends (unless, of course, I need to get on the scale).

Their friends will tell you that I make outstanding pancakes, french toast, and scrambled eggs. Breakfast and baking are my specialties. I have a great spread on holidays as well, when I cook for 20 people.

Last night, after going a little stir crazy being snowed in most of the day, I decided to make a meatloaf. This is another of my prize recipes. Except I don't really use a recipe--at least not as it's written. I have a friend I'll call "Kate" who is a very good cook. She will tell you, though, that she almost always uses a recipe and prefers one with a picture. I figure if I don't know what it's supposed to look like, no one else does either, so if it comes out looking lopsided no one is the wiser.

I view the cooking process--especially with pancakes and meatloaf and other such meals--to be something of a science experiment. Measuring spoons and cups are guidelines, not precision tools. I have secret ingredients that I use in my pancakes that mean no one else will ever make them the same way. Same goes for the meatloaf, and frankly, both of these are kind of like snowflakes: no 2 batches are ever the same.

I got mixed reviews for my meatloaf last night. The eldest and youngest were torn. I mixed so many things together that every taste was a new adventure. They weren't too certain they were ready for that. The 17 year old, on the other hand, was very appreciative. I'll give you all my ingredients, but since I didn't measure anything, I can't give you proportions. My megaloaf contained:

Ground beef; sausage; 2 eggs; milk, clubhouse crackers; honey bbq sauce; chicken wing sauce, seasoned salt, onions, tastefully simple onion onion and garlic garlic, Worcester sauce, oregano, basil, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese.

Any suggestions for my next experiment?

An inch away

I would like to congratulate the Bedford Varsity football team on their incredible season. They were an inch away from a playoff spot, at least in the officials' eyes. Those of us who were sitting in the stands know that they were in the endzone on each of the last two plays in regulation and should have had the win. However, that's not how it turned out,. While we are disappointed in the outcome, there is no way that we are disappointed in our boys OR our coaches.

It has been exciting to be a part of Bedford football this year. All three teams at the high school level had winning seasons. Coach Wood has brought much needed discipline to the program without being hard-nosed about it; most of the parents and the boys have great respect and admiration for him and his coaching staff. I had chills each time the varsity team sang the fight song after home victories, and they did that often. What a wonderful tradition to start. And I literally teared up on Thursday when the FRESHMEN lined up and sang to us after their win (as did the JV!).

I was privileged to spend a good part of the past 9 Friday afternoons with the Varsity boys when we gave them their pre-game meal. This is an outstanding group of kids--polite, smart, funny, and truly supportive of one another. I saw absolutely NO finger pointing the few times that things didn't go right. I saw boys turn into men as they accepted responsibility for whatever went wrong (even if it was beyond their control!), and spread the praise for what went right--no glory-hogging.

While we wish we could have a Halloween game, this season has been quite a treat! Good job guys.

Homecoming 2008

This week marked the annual homecoming celebration for Bedford. With 2 boys in the high school, it was pretty crazy at my house. Wednesday night was Big Ball, then the Football moms helped to resurrect the traditional homecoming bonfire. If you haven't seen a big ball game, it is a pseudo-powder puff activity, but instead of football, the junior and senior girls move rather large medicine balls up and down the field. Of course, the boys show their class spirit, as pictured here:

On Thursday, we traveled up to Ypsilanti Lincoln to watch the Freshmen and JV games. Both teams won--the freshmen by a score of 36-21, and the JV by a score of 69-6 (trust me, it could have been MUCH worse!).

Friday brought the varsity game. The lovely and absolutely delightful Ashley was crowned this year's queen. I have known her since she was very young since her brother TJ and Craig played youth ball together. I am very happy for her. TJ also had a big night on Friday, helping to lead the Mules on to a 37-6 victory. Lots of incredible talent on that field--many big play makers including Nate, Joe, Shane, and Tyler. Way to go boys--one more and it's a winning season.

Saturday was the dance. Craig went with his friend Megan (whose brother is one of Matt's best friends!) This group is pictured below, as are just my boys plus the big bunch that went. All in all, I'd say that this year's homecoming was a smashing success.

Autumn Quiz

Love the linked site for funky quizzes (thanks Robin at Befrazzled!). Combine that with my favorite season, and here's what I get. Take the quiz for yourself and let me know how you stack up. I have to say that this is a pretty good description of me....

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a energetic, warm, optimistic person. You approach everything with a lot of enthusiasm. When you're happiest, you are outgoing and expressive . You love celebrations, and you enjoy showing off a little. You prefer change to come slowly. You need a long transition period when your life changes. You find solitude to be the most comforting thing in the world. Being alone with your thoughts feels very peaceful. Your ideal day is spontaneous and surprising. You like to play things by ear, and you always end up doing something interesting. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

A new season of DWTS

A new season of Dancing with the Stars began on Monday. I am not going to do the low-down of who is who. I'll just give some general reflections this time around.

• The first man out was the right one. Jeffery Ross couldn't dance and he wasn't particularly funny, although in the end, his praise for his partner was surprisingly touching.
• Ted McGinley was this year's Steve Guttenberg. I wish "Ace" would have lasted a bit longer, but oh well.
• I don't get the whole Brooke Burke thing.
• Warren Sapp is graceful. Who'd have thunk it?
• I have a soft spot for Cloris Leachman. She was Phyllis on the Mary Tyler Moore show and the subsequent spin-off. Mike Allen used to sing the theme song from "Phyllis" to me in Mr. Tienvieri's history class in 1977. Anyway, I about peed my pants laughing last night as I watched her dancing and dishing out the tom foolery (which was a great bar in Mt. Pleasant in the late 70's and early 80's). She won't go all the way, but she'll make it entertaining.
• I'm cheering for Toni Braxton or Misty May-Treanor this time. You girls rock.
• The others are fun, but eh.

On a side note, did you know that "thunk" doesn't come up as wrong on a spell-check?? Have to add that one to my pet peeves list.

Oh What A Night!

Actually, what a couple of nights. On Thursday, the Bedford Freshman and JV football teams travelled up to Ann Arbor to take on the Huron River Rats on their turf. Both teams emerged victorious, with similar scores--20 to 14 for the Frosh and 21-14 for the JV, although the games were paced very differently. The Freshmen were dominant--the game was nowhere near as closely played as the score indicates. Matt is the backup quarterback, and when his good friend Aaron went down with an injury, he had to step in. He did a very good job, but timing was a bit off on a couple of plays, which resulted in fumbles by either him or the RB, ending drives deep into River Rat territory. A field goal attempt by first year player Nick Harvey just missed as well. What a terrific group of kids! They all played well.

JV was a close game from start to finish. The great off-season conditioning Coach Wood ran really made the difference. The JV RR were visibly exhausted in the 4th quarter. The defense did their job when it counted most! Having watched all 3 games in this series, I'd have to say the Huron JV team was the best of the 3, and it was encouraging that our boys played as powerfully as they did.

Then there's varsity. It was a crazy day, but oh, what a night! It was a designated "white out" game, and the football moms sold over 1000 themed t-shirts for the occasion. We originally had ordered something like 600. We had to do several special orders. The last one arrived just in time for the pep rally. Trying to get them distributed was a circus. Then we had a lasagna malfunction when it came time to feeding the boys, so more chaos.

At game time, the stands were full. I went over to the other side to see the impact of the "white out." It was very cool--probably 85% of those in the stands were wearing white, and the home side of the field basically glowed. I took a couple of pictures, but they don't do it justice.

No one thought our boys could pull this one off--no one other than the families and the coaches seem to have confidence in the team. The first half was a defensive battle--the Mules scored pretty quickly and Huron answered, then the defenses held tight. The second half was a different matter. Nate Davis and Doug Harmon had the offense going on all cylinders. They put on quite a show. The O-line was impressive. While some think they are undersized, they did a good job of leveling the "big boys" across the ball. Our kids may not have the pounds or height of some of our opponents, but they are like a brick wall and they know how to execute!

And what can you say about our defense??? AWESOME, AWESOME evening boys!!! Big plays when things got tight (the interception on the 1 yard line changed the whole rhythm of the game!) and consistent pressure kept the Huron offense on the sideline for most of the game.

Go Mules, and thank you! You made us proud!

Cheer, Cheer for Ol' Bedford High

We are now one-third of the way through the high school football season. It has been an exciting season thus far--at all levels.

The Freshman team is doing well. Thursday's game was especially exciting! As the game wound down, the score was tied 20-20. Adrian went for the bomb with 4 seconds left and missed, but alas, there was a pass interference call against our young Mules, so Adrian got another shot with an expired clock. Their QB lofted it toward the end zone, where it was tipped into the hands of "T", who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown and the win. There are a few more gray hairs today among freshmen parents!

JV are also looking strong. They've played 3 tight games, but have managed a winning record. The teams that they have played against certainly know they've been in a battle--this is a VERY physical, hard-hitting group of kids.

Varsity is 1-2, but they have played to the very end in every game, and it has made for some heart-pounding action. The Airport game was disappointing, but the kids NEVER gave up. Saline was a game for the ages! A TD with 44 seconds to go, then the gutsy decision to go for 2 and the win (which was successfully executed!). Good stuff! Last night's game at Adrian was also exciting although our boys couldn't quite pull it off. Take 4 plays away (or even 1 of the 5 turnovers), and the score could have gone the opposite direction. Adrian is a highly ranked team, and people around the state didn't have very high expectations for our boys, but the Mules managed to hang with the Maples until the final seconds. The guts will bring glory. We have faith!

So, here's to the remainder of the season. Good Luck boys. Win or lose, we will always support you--but we think you can win the rest!

How long until summer?

It was warm enough at last night's final track meet to forego the 3 blankets I usually have, but not to go without a sweatshirt. I've noticed some freckles after the past few meets, so the sun is there somewhere--but my legs are ridiculously pale and it doesn't look like they'll get out from under slacks any time soon.

By this time of year, it's usually safe to move my hibiscus plants from their indoor warm spots to the front porch without killing them, but I'm not so sure that was a good idea this week--one has a nice dose of the plant equivalent of frostbite. My landscaper buddy Paul was surprised at how late my rose-of-sharon trees are in even budding this year although they are obviously still alive. However, I am seeing some more signs that warmer weather may soon be coming.

My irises are in full bloom. If you enlarge the picture, you'll also see some peonies that have budded up nicely. I wish they'd bloom at the same time as the irises, but they always seem to be a wee bit later so the impact is missed. If you have any need for irises (or daylilies--I'll post when they bloom), all of mine are in need of thinning, so I'll have bulbs available. have typical purple and white ones, and then I have the spectacular coppery-lavender ones that are HUGE. I can't recall where I found these--it was in one of the bulb catalogs that I receive--but they are very unusual.

My yard has also been overrun by gnomes. They've built a house in my oak tree. Craig (my 16 year old) looked at this and rolled his eyes. He thinks I'm getting eccentric in my middle age (although he uses other verbiage). Bonus points if you can identify what the vine climbing up the tree is! It's bigger around than my closed fist, and the leaves are as big as my hand (luckily, they're about 40 feet up in the tree!).

And finally, as I've indicated in the past, I have critters that eat my flowers, herbs, and veggies. I chased away a squirrel who was nibbling on my lemon balm and lavender this morning, then I put cayenne pepper in the planters to discourage the wily critter (and I actually don't mind the squirrels). Over the winter, I found a patio planter that may be my saving grace. It stands about 4 feet high. If you look at the plants coming out of the bottom--those are tomatoes and cucumbers. Having them grow downward eliminates the need for staking and keeps the "fruit" out of the reach of most animals. On top, I have cilantro, basil, and a couple of types of hot peppers. I'm just hoping that it's not too cold still to have these out.

Enjoy the long weekend. Remember our vets on Monday.

DWTS -- The Final Dances

OK, it's down to the final 3 on DWTS, and all are deserving. All 3 have to dance the Cha Cha to the same song. This should be fun (hopefully it's a good song)! I am eager, though, to see the freestyle. Dance order for the Cha Cha: Cristian, Jason, Kristi.

Dancing to Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling."

Cristian & Cheryl: fuschia outfits? bare chests (ok, that's not so bad). Entertaining. (Len's tie matches Cristian's outfit!)

Jason & Edyta: ooh, he looks stiff and that's not a good thing on this dance. He got bad marks on this one last time. Lots of tricks thrown in. She just missed a move.

Kristi & Mark: She's having a blast. This one is hers (judges agree).

Scores: C+C 26 J+E 24 K+M 30--perfection.

The Freestyle Round! Curious to see how C +C are going to do lifts with his arm out of commission.

Kristi & Mark: WOW. lots of energy. very difficult moves. Awesome. Score: 30.

Jason & Edyta: very hip hop. Fun. More bare chest. Crowd loves it. Score: 27. hmm. judges usually leave all the contestants tied so the fans can decide. not this year.

Cristian & Cheryl: love love love it. nice lifts. good job! Len didn't like the lifts. Carrie Ann didn't think it was as good as Kristi's. Score: 26.

Looks like it's Kristi's to lose. I'd like to see her win, but I'm also pulling for Cristian. (My kids want Jason)

Dancing, Dancing, Dancing Machine

It's Monday, and that means it's time for DWTS. I'm going to try to follow along with the show tonight--they are down to the final 5 (with a nod to Befrazzled, who follows AI so I don't have to). This could get long, so I'll apologize in advance. Two dances from each contestant.

• Kristi and Mark doing the quick step. The footwork looks a little slow, actually. Cheesy lift. Len loves it though, and Bruno agrees which is a rarity. Carrie Ann isn't as thrilled. score: 29

on a side note, I just looked out my window and my least favorite rodent, the woodchuck / groundhog that lives under my deck was out on the dirt hills in the vacant lot next door. Think Carl in Caddyshack and the great gopher hunt. I'm about there!

• Mario and Karina doing the Viennese Waltz. He needs to be stiff. Footwork is a bit off, but what do I know. Nice lift. Judges liked it. All of them. Score: 27
• Marissa and Tony doing the Fox Trot. She's trying too hard--too much walking, not gliding. Great lift. Not as good as last week. Bruno agrees with me about the gliding but didn't like the lift. Score: 25
• Jason and Edyta doing the Tango. Wow. I think they did multiple lifts though. Her kicks looked like lifts. ooh Len and Bruno are getting into it. Score: 29
• Christian and Cheryl doing the Tango. to Michael Jackson?? Too much walking again. Nice lift ! Not bad. Not great but good considering his bad arm. The judges don't agree with me--they think it's brilliant. Score: 28

Round 2

• Kristi and Mark-Samba:Cool costume! out of sync at first. Very interesting spin at the end. Carrie Ann didn't like it. Not going to score well, except with Bruno. Score 26
• Mario and Karina-Jive: Not sure I like this. He almost dropped her on the lift. Len agrees with me. The others liked it. Mario will probably be in the bottom 2 tomorrow since his scores are on the low side and he hasn't always had viewer support. Score 26
• Marissa and Tony-Mambo: They are having fun. Same turn Kristi did. hmm. Carrie Ann is rough again. Score: 25
• Jason and Edyta-Samba: He can move for a big guy. WOW on the lift. Carrie Ann didn't like it. She's really mean tonight! Len didn't like it. Bruno didn't like it. The good news is that everyone is scoring low in this round. Score: 23. It really wasn't that bad.
• Christian and Cheryl-Mambo: He needs more hip. Ok, he has more hip. dynamite lift. Very clever. a little slow in parts, but good. Score: 29.

Either Marissa or Mario is probably going to leave tomorrow. I think Marissa, although I think I'd rather see Mario.

Update on blooms

I should have waited a couple of days--my dogwood has bloomed although it isn't as spectacular as it has been in prior years. My tulips are also starting to bloom. Too bad the frost we're supposed to get the next few nights will probably do them in!

Spring flowers, without many showers

My yard is starting to come alive. I said I'd share. I wish the dogwood tree (in the background of the shot below with the pear tree) would bloom at the same time as the others--it's starting to open, but none of the vibrant colors yet. There are several beautiful white azaleas that will bloom by the dogwood as well, but they are also holding out (although my other azaleas are in full bloom). The down-side to all this? The pollen; but I'll put up with that to enjoy the benefits of Spring.

My "double-sub weeping cherry" tree (and a few hyacinths underneath).

Just click on the pix to get an "up close and personal" view.

My pear tree (no partridge!)--dogwood in background; daffodils up-close (you can't tell, but these have ivory petals and pink centers!)

Azaleas

The whole picture... HAPPY SPRING!

Brainiacs and Jewels

Today was the MCISD Middle School Quiz bowl, which brings the brains from the various middle/junior high schools together to match wits. Big doings for Bedford, which is the 2x 8th grade champ (and has also made it to the championship round with the 7th graders the past 2 years). This is only the 3rd year of the contest, so pretty good stats! Not much pressure on the kids!

The 7th graders flew through their competition. No close matches, and they emerged victorious.

.The 8th graders had my heart pounding a bit. They won their first match handily, then proceeded to get trounced in the next match. Now something was a bit off on the questions in this round--it was against a Catholic school, and they kept getting asked things like "what is the nationality of the group that guards the Pope?" or "what nationality is the current Pope?" Our kids didn't have a prayer (so to speak). After lunch (look at these boys--they were staving!), they won their next round (against the team that had won as 7th graders). That put our boys in the finals AGAINST THE TEAM THAT HAD BEATEN THEM. In order to survive, they had to beat the St. Charles team TWICE. Round 1 was a squeaker--I sat in the lobby because my stomach was in knots. BJHS by 5 points. On to the rubber game of the match. Another close one, but it was a Bedford sweep. Good for the balance in my house since the 16 year old was on the winning team 2 years ago!

As for the jewels, well that's for me tonight. I'm off to what others in my household consider "cult" parties--a girls's night out. Sometimes it's for food products, sometimes for candles. Tonight it's about the bling. I have my eye on a stunning necklace.... (Really, I think it's a good excuse for a cocktail party, and I'm sure we'll be using some of the food from the last get together.)

Congrats to the Bedford Junior High Quiz Bowl teams for bringing it home! And remember, diamonds are a girls best friend!

Oh my aching back...

I am having a tough time getting out of a chair; an even harder time standing up straight. My thighs are singing and tomorrow is going to be worse. I should have been hitting the gym over the winter, doing squats, but that would have meant going out in the snow, if my kids didn't have some sort of athletic endeavor, so that didn't happen. But it's all worth it because it means I've hit another spring rite of passage--the de-winterizing of my beloved flower beds.

I spent the better part of 7 hours today bending, stooping, sitting. I pulled all the weeds that got neglected last year. I did my final dead-heading of the plants that flowered late into the fall. I cut back most of my decorative grasses. I still have to trim up some of my shrubs, but that will wait for another day.

This all heralds good news. First, it was actually warm enough to be out there today without a jacket.. Yahoo! (of course, it also means I'll be loaded with freckles by Monday. Grrr) Second, I had insect activity (worms and such) which means the soil is healthy. I saw very little root-rot, which means I lost little in the way of stock. And most importantly, my hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils are pushing up through the remnants of the mulch (another chore-ugh), my salvia is raring to go; my irises and daylilies are looking good. My dogwood tree is laden with ripening flower pods. My lilacs and forsythia are on the brink! Oh the glory I will have in a few short weeks. I will share. Spring has sprung!

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack

Spring is here! My spring obsession, NCAA basketball is drawing to a close, but now it's time for one of my passions--BASEBALL. This sport is a way of life!

I have been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. My family is originally from Chicago--the south suburbs. By all rights, I should be a White Sox fan. But on opening day 1964, my dad took my brother, who was 5 1/2 at the time, to see the White Sox. He said I was too young to go although I was only a few days shy of my 4th birthday. My mom taught me how to ride a two-wheeler that day without training wheels, but more memorably, that was the day I became a Cubs fan.

I am also a Tigers fan, although not as passionately as in my youth. I can remember standing on the corner in Detroit, hooting and hollering when they won the Series over St. Louis in 1968. This was a few short months after we watched the National Guard roll down the same streets to attend to the riots in the summer. What a contrast. I believe my dad also took my brother to see a Tigers game at the end of that season--one of Denny McClain's big wins (30 or 31). I got left home again. But I got the last laugh--I'm the baseball fan and my brother couldn't care less.

In the '80s, I became a KC Royals fan, unless they were playing the Tigers. My friend Margo had met one of the players, and he used to leave us tickets for all of their games in Detroit, and occasionally in Cleveland, for a 3 year span. We'd go out with the players occasionally after the games. The parking attendents and stadium security knew us by name. Pretty cool. One of the players is now in the hall of fame; one is a major league coach. Don't know if they'd remember me or not, but oh what a time it was.

I have spent the better part of the last 40 years watching youth and high school ball. I was the head statistician for 3 years in high school--had my choice of running track and being on the bus with a bunch of smelly teenage girls, or keeping score and being on the bus with a bunch of smelly teenage boys. It was no contest. I even played a season of baseball (fast pitch) in a parks and rec league in Detroit when I was 12--an all girls team that played against boys. We won our division, mainly because 2 of the 4 other teams wouldn't play us, and forfeited, but we did win half the games we actually played.

Now I'm involved w/my kids' games. Between the two younger boys, I probably get in 60 games a season. Matt had a scrimmage last night. It was more like being in an ice rink than on a baseball diamond. BRRRR. My fingers and toes are still thawing out! But oh the anticipation!

Closing with a few quotes from my favorite baseball movies:
From Bull Durham, the words of Annie Savoy:

• Baseball may be a religion full of magic, cosmic truth, and the fundamental ontological riddles of our time, but it's also a job
• Walt Whitman once said, "I see great things in Baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us."

From Terence Mann in Field of Dreams:

• Ray, people will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.

Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams:

• You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day.

PLAY BALL!

I could have danced all night

More like I could have watched dancing all night. I like reality shows. Really, I do. But it's easier to read about the results the next day than to actually watch them, so that's usually what I do. Except this season. I made the mistake(?) of turning on Dancing with the Stars last week when there was nothing else on, and I am TOTALLY hooked. Aside from the two low-men on the totem pole, even the more mediocre stars can do a whole lot better than I could! To quote Steve Guttenberg, "WOW!"

Penn Gillette and Monica Seles are done. Since they had to vote off one from each gender, the decision was the right one, although I'd rather have seen Adam Carolla and Penn go this week and Monica inevitably leave next week. Monica just wasn't as graceful as the others. In another season, she might have lasted longer, but the women this year are amazing. Penn has two rather large left feet, and he named his kid Moxie Crimefighter. That has nothing to do with dancing, but the dude just isn't right. Here's how I see the rest (as they say, in no particular order although more from the bottom to the top):

Adam Carolla: Can't dance. Not particularly funny and although paired with two time defending champ Julianne, is likely to be the next out the door.

Marissa Jaret Winokur: bubbly. makes you want to vote for her, but likely to drive me crazy soon. Just not up to snuff with the other performers (LOVE her partner Tony--that's who I'd want since Maks isn't on this season). Most people have never heard of her though, so that doesn't bode well.

Christian de Fuentes: (probably butchered that name). Very cute. A decent dancer paired with Cheryl Burke. I almost cried with him when he was called safe. Hopefully will last awhile, but not likely to have a large enough fan base in the US to go the distance.

Steve Guttenberg: My sentimental favorite. He's about my age (he's a little older) and he is SOOOO darn cute! OK dancer. Doubt he'll be long for the competition though.

Shannon Elizabeth: Boys in their teens and 20's appreciate her. Something tells me they aren't voting. She's cute and she's pretty good. Others are better.

Priscilla Presley: She'll get the over 50 vote, but they can't dial the phones as fast as the young'uns, and texting is probably not an option. I hope when I hit her age, though, I can still move the way she does! Top 5 pick.

Mario: This kid can move. So far, the dances have been up-tempo (and looks like next week will be as well). Going to be in trouble once votes move from those lower--I'm not seeing him picking up as many as the others.

Kristi Yamaguchi: Wow, wow, wow. Her skating and artistic background shows. She is by far and away the best dancer. I don't think she's going to win though. She's almost too good and that's going to scare off some votes.

Jason Taylor: This guy is 6'6" and moves like a dream. Awesome. I'm torn--but I see him in the finals.

Marlee Matlin: Absolutely incredible. She has hit the steps more in tune with the music than anyone else. Graceful. I think she wins.

Bringing out the tomboy in me

Today is a day of indulgence for me. I initially took the day off because it's Good Friday. Then I discovered my church wasn't having services this afternoon. So I spent the morning pampering the girl in me. I had a wonderful massage, courtesy of Mary over at HMH Wellness in Sylvania. I don't do that often enough--but then again, daily wouldn't be often enough! Then I did a little retail therapy. I'm not much of a mall rat--I prefer to shop online. But sometimes, things don't fit right and I find it easier to return them to real stores rather than via couriers. So I hit Coldwater Creek to return a dress. REALLY bad timing--they were having a 60% off sale, and I ended up spending my store credit x3, but I got some really great stuff. Hit the grocery store so the boys would have something to eat on Easter besides grilled cheese sandwiches. Now, it's time to bring out the tomboy in me!

I grew up in a neighborhood in Detroit (in the city itself!) that was mostly boys. There were 2 girls on my street that were my age, and one of them wasn't allowed to play with me because I was a bad influence (forget the fact that I was a straight-A student and was too afraid of doing anything that would really get me into trouble). So I hung out with Lori and the boys. I learned to love sports--I keep a mean baseball scorebook and can throw a football like a boy. But my favorite was always basketball. I played for the Mule team during the '75 (JV), '76, and '77 seasons. We were good. My junior year, I saw more bench than floor because I played behind Terri Blok. Terri still has the single game scoring record (42 against Ann Arbor Pioneer, who scored 41). Especially impressive since this was way before the 3 point line came into being. I was a really good defensive player since I spent most of practice being Terri's foil. It came in handy the one time I had to guard one of Stan Joplin's sisters.

But I digress. It is Day 2.5 (if you count the play-in game) of the NCAA Men's Basketball finals. I am obsessed. If I were a betting person (deep clearing of the throat), I probably would have turned in 4 brackets in the office pool, which is also a fundraiser. I probably got 15 out of 16 games right on one of those brackets yesterday (woohoo). What happened to USC??? And if Duke and Wisconsin keep it up, I could go gray prematurely (well, maybe not so prematurely). So I'm going to sit this afternoon and soak in the hoops action.

I am also going to be keeping an eye on the NCAA D-1 WRESTLING championships. My beloved CMU Chippewas qualified 9 out of 10 wrestlers, all of whom remained in the championship bracket after the first round. I am a Bedford girl, so while my personal sport of choice is the hoops, I totally appreciate what it takes to be a first-rate wrestler. My Chips were ranked #2 in the nation going into this tournament, behind Iowa and ahead of Iowa State. That's the position they were holding after the first round yesterday as well. They are the only non-Big 10/non-Big 12 team ranked in the top 13. FIRE UP CHIPS!! EW-WAH; CHIPP-EWA; FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!