Core values

Hi! I'm back....although not really, since we flew south yesterday for a few days. I have the trusty laptop and am ready to write. With teaching two classes, I have been consumed with work. Right now, I am thinking about grading papers.....thinking....pondering....nah......

So, BPM, whazzup? Oye, lots and lots of roller coaster ups and downs. On Monday, the Big kid threw a bullpen in Houston. Guess what? His velocity topped at 85 mph.

When I say that he was 'salty', I am not exaggerating. He called and was hostile on the telephone...."Blah, blah, blah, blah....@#BDO%^$>>>...."

As I listened 3 seconds to this rant, I got salty too..."What do you expect? You have not thrown a ball in two years? Do you think that the Pitching Doctor is a genie? Rub the lamp and you get three wishes?"

Click.....

"Uh, Tink, did he hang up on me?"

"yes, mom, I believe he did...."

Nice....so, was I supposed to listen to this young man who has unrealistic expectations and expects to drink a magic elixir and throw 90 mph after 8 days? Actually, no....I don't want to...don't need to...don't have to.....so there.....

That night, neither of us heard from him since dad gave him the same lecture. However, the kid did not hang up on him.

The next day on my way to a tennis match, he sheepishly calls the cell phone and begins to tell me that he has made great strides in the past day. Yipppee....OK, time for a confab....'You were rude yesterday when you were out of control, yelled, and hung up....that does NOT make me happy. A little respect will go a long way. Just sayin'...'

"yeah, mom, I know. I'm sorry.  My expectations were too high. I got crazy (an understatement) and hung up because I did not want to say something that I would regret."

Let's ponder this.....hang up on your momma after screaming into the phone about some fast ball OR say something that you will regret. OK, I see the logic. Time to let it go....

So, after the big Texas-size meltdown, he called last night. He has figured out the problem and changed something in his foot.....his location and command are back and he is a happy guy. In fact, he is going on E-Bay to look for old Mack truck tires to purchase. He is going to tie a thick rope around them and drag them through the backyard to strengthen his core and legs.

The neighbors will love this one. The tires are about four feet high and heavy. Apparently, the pulling of the tires help the core. Only in Texas....and now in my backyard. And so, if anyone wants to work on their core, stop by my backyard. Instead of getting that cool patio with the fireplace in the corner, I will have old tires and perhaps empty gatorade bottles strewn around the lawn. A spectacle? Perhaps. I will take photos of our new outdoor gym. Perhaps I can charge admission. What is going to happen to my lawn? Will the birds, foxes, and deer leave the backyard for a less frenetic pace. And what about 8 year old Little D who loves Buddy? Will he sit on a lawn chair and watch the show? Perhaps the big leftie can pull Little D or Diva dog around in the tires.

 



With that, I am going to sit back, grab a coffee or Merlot....and enjoy the show. If it works for him, maybe I will take a few bike tires, tie the rope around my waist and pull them around the cul de sac. I may charge the neighbors for the show. Another thought...why am I paying the YMCA so much money each year when I can drag a tire around my waist in the yard and get a great workout?

 

Never a dull moment....time to grade papers and ponder other creative ways to work out. Perhaps I can add a few ounces of merlot to my wine glass and do arm crunches.