Yesterday was my kind of day. Not too hot, not too cool. A little crisp. If I had to dote on one thing to fine tune it would have been the breeze.

We continue to operate under the illusion that we are in charge of our home and our lives. Upon closer scrutiny, it is very obvious we aren't in control, Maple Syrple is. She dictates when and what she wants. She is a master manipulator. Lately she has developed this pitiful whimper when she feels we are being negligent in performance of our assigned duties.

This past week I thought she might spazz when I was away from the house for extended periods of time. When I walked in though, she was HAPPY to see me! She probably tells all the hounds she talks to through the fence that I am her luxury item!

Yesterday morning we went to Kathryn's first softball game. That was interesting. I'm not sure why, but the recreation people had the field lights on, but not the score boards. After the first inning it became evident it was probably a good idea not to use the scoreboard, especially if they weren't equipped with adding machine capabilities. Ten run rule. Ten to eight after one. If you want to use the four out rule, we saw a triple play. The pitcher was a Coach from the team that was batting, although there was a pitcher from the other team to "field" the position. At times it was almost like, "Hold your bat out there and I will see if I can hit it with a pitch!" The circle around the pitchers mound is magic. Once the ball is returned to these confines, everything stops. It was almost comical to watch the fielders get the ball and run to the circle to return it to their pitcher. I guess they didn't trust their throwing abilities. In the end, the official score was twelve to four, but they must have used some sort of common denominator.

Kat went one for two batting and fielded one ball while playing second base. She also had an inning in center field.

Trc has voiced her dismay over some of the league rules for Kathryn's age group. A parent or guardian must be present for the duration of every practice or game.

I know from personal experience that parents use to drop the kids off at practice or more often at the public swimming pool for childcare purposes. As I have gotten older I think about how stupid I probably was for allowing this. You have fifteen and sixteen year old lifeguards, depending on the day watching any where from fifty to one-hundred kids. I'm sure it has changed (price), but back then where else could you get an afternoon of childcare for fifty cents but at the city pool! You could get a season of child care for twenty dollars payable to the youth baseball league.

Trc was in Dallas Saturday with Ln for a volleyball tournament. Brently made a comment at Kat's ballgame that it wouldn't do for him to figure out how much the athletics expenditure for the weekend was for his family. Four hundred highway miles. At least one night in a motel. Meals. Closer to home, Brently said when they arrived at the ball park, when Kathryn exited his truck she fell and hurt her knee. This required a trip to Wal-Mart for a first aid kit! All through the game, Kat hobbled around.

I was amazed at how important it is to "look good". You may stink as a player, but look good while doing it! Jersey, shorts, socks, and shoes. Gotta be stylin'. Glove. Need one. Bat, top of the line aluminum. Equipment bag, necessary, with logo! The really upper crust have their very own customized batting helmets Complete with face mask. Stars, lightning bolts, stripes! Of course everything has to be color coordinated!

I believe these kids would be just as satisfied playing in hand me down T-shirts and shorts, using a community bat and helmet. It isn't a style competition, it is a game!

I think that often times parents biggest failure is to let their kids be kids when they ARE kids!

I have been reminiscing about my childhood. We didn't always have to have someone "over". We were expected to entertain ourselves. I kind of laugh to myself, we used to be happy with a piece of wax paper to "slick up" the slide or the cellar door! As a child I was fearless. As a parent I had tunnel vision. As a grand parent I am extremely aware of impending danger! I think back to riding bikes and trikes on top of the storm cellar. (It was about thirty inches above ground level, with straight drop offs). Round and round, down the cellar door, make a circle and begin the circuit again. Down to the interstate bridge, riding in and out of the bridge posts, up the cement angular side. Challenging skills and defying gravity. During rare times we had snow, we would rush to the interstate bridge and ride cardboard boxes down the slopes. One successful innovation was the use of grain scoops. We would break the handle and then stand in the scoop, squat down and grasp the short metal handle and nudge our way over the precipice. It was a four ticket ride until Dad figured out what happened to the scoop handles. My worst innovation was removing the rudders from water skis, expecting to glide down the bridge slope. The result was you got to walk up the side of the bridge, put on these large wood appendages and then walk back down. Absolutely zero slide!

Maybe I expended too many brain cells as a child.

I did my normal Saturday grocery trek. We didn't need too much, but I had a different mentality as I was thinking of leftovers to take to work this next week. In fact I decided to do one of those rare meals in our house. Maybe two or three times a year we will fix a Texas staple. Chicken fried steak. As most of you know, this is pretty messy in and of itself. I decided to do some curly fries and fried squash as well. Triple the mess. Being the kind and conscientious person I am, I moved the cooking activities to the patio. Hello turkey fryer! To have owned this setup for almost five years it amazes me that I have never fried a turkey. Oh but the other uses. I've done anything from the above mentioned menu to boiling chickens for giblet gravy and dressing, to making six gallons of instant potatoes (in one batch) for last thanksgivings jobsite meal. Anyhow, in about thirty minutes I had prepared everything except the cream gravy!

I think I will wait a while before I cook this again. But it does bring out the Texan in me!

On the horizon I can see a baked turkey (or baking hen/Cornish hens) with squash dressing, yams, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce! (I think I have been unduly influenced, I saw a turkey in the freezer yesterday).

I sure hate it when my taste buds are preparing the menu that we have to cook.

Monday finds a doctor appointment for Krl on tap. X-ray, quick look, a couple of questions, and make a co-pay donation as we exit! See you in two weeks! I am hopeful that we are on track for the three month recovery. It will surprise me if we are. Krl has been diligent in taking her vitamins and calcium tablets but about the only milk she gets is from the ice cream in her coke floats! I know it will be tough for her if she doesn't get her cast off in another five weeks.

No word on Merrit. I haven't talked to her since Tuesday. That usually means either she is O.K. or in jail! Ha!

C.O.T.. For seven years this has stood for Car Of Tomorrow. Today it becomes Car Of Today. Seven years in development, Nascar introduces a standardized car body, for all makes. Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota. They all look alike. What will determine the make of car is the engine under the hood. It is supposed to be a larger, safer car, that will make for better racing and an even playing field. Toyota can already see some improvement they have five cars in the field at Bristol today. Of course it didn't help Michael Waltrip any. He failed to qualify for the fourth consecutive week. The only race the NAPA #55 Toyota Camry is winning is the race back to the shop!

The new COT will be used at sixteen races this season. Primarily at the short and mid-length tracks until the Fall race at Talledega. The car is supposed to be fazed in over the next two seasons before becoming used exclusively. I think economics will speed this up as most teams are using more labor to field two type cars.

Well, my rise in the Yahoo NCAA tournament brackets was only a little rough turbulence. I found myself cheering for teams I didn't pick. But then that is the type of old boy I am! As quickly as I rose four hundred thousand positions, I relinquished most of them. Today is sink or swim day. I might be mired in the middle if I am successful or I might excel at the wrong end of the spectrum if I am unsuccessful!

You don't think Yahoo will make me pay the million to the winner if I end up last do you?

Have a day!

FATHER, give me YOUR focus.