Baseball Begins, But...

...It is different this year.

I love making the first on-air ball game of spring training my own personal school holiday. This year I've been cheated out of that holiday.

Not that that will impact my listening to the game. With the Tribe moving to Goodyear, AZ, they are in a different time zone. Their game will not start until 3:05 in the afternoon Cleveland time. Hopefully, the kids will have completed their regularly scheduled school work by that time.

So my annual day to sleep in, laze in front of the computer, pick up the knitting needles and tune in to the radio with no constraints on time goes the way of all flesh. Instead I'll get to listen to the game while making dinner and cleaning the kitchen. Or maybe walking on the treadmill.

In any case, I'll still be listening.

Passing Along A Love of Baseball

There is another generation in the family learning a love of baseball. Yesterday was the first day of the Engineer's instructional T-ball league.

He had been counting down the days towards the beginning of baseball for the last month. When at last the day was at hand, it was a special father-son time. Rick took the Engineer to the ball fields where they met the coaches and other players and received all the information for the season.

When my guys came home again both were all smiles. The Engineer had as much fun as we had hoped. I heard all about how he went down the bench asking his teammates how old they were. Once he had gotten through the line, he went down the bench again telling each child how old they were.

His favorite part of the day was running the bases. His second favorite was fielding practice. And when asked the biggest surprise, he told me it was the team putting hands in for their team cheer.

We know he'll have fun for the next several weeks!

Gates Open at 1 pm

and radios go on at 1 p.m. (if not sooner!). And for baseball fans all is right in the world today. At 1 p.m. fans will begin to fill Progressive field. Will it be a new name for a new era? Time will tell. And at 3:05 CC Sabathia will throw the first pitch of the 2008 season to the Chi Sox's lead off hitter. Tom Hamilton's golden voice will fill my family room and I'll have a smile on my face and a light hope in my heart and fun on my mind.

Yesterday was special too. Thank you, Pistol Packin' Presbytera for remindng me that yesterday was the Artist's baptismal birthday. We took the occasion to enjoy some brownies!

To all baseball fans, A good season to you!

It looks like this opening day will not be a repeat of last year's Snopening Day.

Delightful Duo

Oh Happy Day!

I'm listening to the Cleveland Indians on the radio.
and
My latest purchase, 40-inch circular needles in sizes 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 arrived in the mail today.
I can listen to the game while completing the button band on my Audrey cardigan. Hooray!

Baseball Heartbroken

My baseball heart is broken...
...but hot stove league talk is fascinating to me and February is not too distant in the future. And I have lots to keep me busy between now and then.

Unfortunately, the first spring training game is late, not until Feb. 27th this year.

The first game of spring training has always been a school holiday for Homestead Lutheran Academy and I'll keep that tradition in 2008.

Go Rockies! This story about their organization is touching.

My Engineer asked me the score this morning. "How many points did the Boston get?"

I had to say "Eleven" as compassionately as I could.

Then the next question, "And how many did the Cleveland Indians get?"

Alas, the expression on his sweet face when I could only hold up two fingers.

He hears from us that you are not allowed to cry when you lose (or are losing) a game. He looked truly hurt, but I am proud of him for his delayed response.

Dear readers, laugh with me, he said "At least we still have football."

Two Projects

I have two projects underway at the moment. With the cold weather coming on and my favorite every-day cardigan showing signs of wear I've begun a simple shrug. The first sleeve is nearly complete at this point.
There were scores of patterns to choose from at Knitting Pattern Central. I knew I wanted something with a longer sleeve and a longer back for utility, not a cute or a swanky accessory. I settled on the Chocolate Shrug because I thought I had enough wool-ease on hand to complete it. But my search through the patterns has left me

entranced by this garment.

Something else to yarn-shop for! I'll have to look in my closet and find what would be the best color to consider.

The other is the summer top I started about a week and a half ago. I am enjoying the sleek feel of the Berroco glace yarn. I do find it very difficult to work with the skeins. The yarn is slippery enough to become tangled easily no matter how careful I am, but then I have only had the practice of working with three skeins so far. Untangling a skein and winding it into a ball takes enough time to make me not want to use this yarn again.
I have not made a reverse stockinette garment before, it is interesting to see how it will turn out. The section I've knitted so far is not long enough for me to get a good idea of the drape yet, and being so tightly packed onto a straight needle the results are skewed. In the past I have not worn many things with this much texture. The photo has such a classic-natural feel that I could not pass it up.

Rick has had another horrific work week so we're headed out dancing this evening. We'll visit, Spectators Sports Grille, the club his band is playing next week, to see the band Disco Inferno. Hopefully we'll get to enjoy a little Tribe while we're there. Should be fun!

Science Center

Yesterday the Artist, the Engineer and I joined friends on a trip to the Great Lakes Science Center. They very generously used their membership to bring us along on this otherwise unaffordable field trip.

We arrived early and enjoyed the Baseball as America exhibit. It was a wonderful collection of baseball memorabilia and artifacts. I was most interested in reading about the Cleveland Forest City's, the club that organized the area's first team in 1865.

After that we browsed many of the museum's regular exhibits and saw two shows: What's the Matter? about solids, liquids and gasses and Bubblemania (you can guess what that one was about).

Artist and Engineer enjoy a flight simulation.

The Engineer and Friend play with water clocks.

The Artist gets a static charge.

The Engineer feeds balls into a launching tube.

The Artist and Friend set a machine in motion and watch the design they created as it is traced on paper.

SnOwpening Day

That's what they called it. Indians flagship station WTAM host Mark Schwab took some photos.

This is what the grounds crew faced when they arrived at Jacob's Field this morning. Those hard-working folks got the field snow free and looking like this for the pregame festivities. John Adams is out there, as always, under the 'W' in the Budweiser sign. The game started. Then more snow came. This photo shows the crew clearing snow with leaf blowers for the fourth or fifth time today. After several delays, the game continues like this. At one point during a snow delay a fan is arrested after entering the playing field to make a snow angel. That's probably a first. The announcers are hoping to make it through the fifth inning as the Indians are leading at the moment. Lets hope the injuries already sustained by the teams braving the snow today are not serious. Bring out the orange baseballs! It is supposed to snow the whole time the Mariners are in town.

As the hours wore on the game was called (one strike away from being an official game. Hargrove knows what he's doing!) I guess it was Opening Nay, and the Indians 4-0 lead is all for naught.

Beating the Drum

This is the exciting opening day of a new season for the Cleveland Indians. As I write, the grounds crew is scraping ice from the outfield. The Artist is outside trying to catch the big snowflakes in her mouth.But all is well, John Adams and his drum are at Jacob's Field. The new season is up and running, and the hearts of the fans are warm. Click on the link!!! This is a special photo.

I love to hear the interviews on the radio with Mr. John Adams. He has been bringing his drum to Indians games for the last 34 years. He attends about 80 home games a year to cheer on the crowds these days. In the days when there were no crowds he led the drumbeat for the faithful few.

Opening Day

It seems the Indians never open the baseball season at home. Again, this year they play their season opener in Chicago against the White Sox. I was compelled to note this important day here, and I'll be listening on the radio and wearing my old-style Tribe hat with the red C while going about my afternoon at home.My Tribe will be treated to more blustery conditions when all the excitement comes to Cleveland for the home opener on Friday. Early forecasts call for a chance of light snow showers in the afternoon. I'll have my Chief Wahoo hat to keep me warm.

Sigh...Almost Time

I have Spring Fever! The hint of warm weather on Saturday and the expectation of it today have combined with baseball on the radio. Together they have stolen my ability to concentrate on school or my willingness to try.
Thanks, WTAM for the spring training photo.

This week will be filled with cleaning. The messy parts of the new bathroom are completed, and there are piles of drywall dust all over the first floor to prove it. I was able to do spring cleaning in one room so far and now I want to get the rest over with.

Last night we got a call that my mother-in-law was taken to the emergency room. She was admitted, and today I'll be driving my f-i-l over to spend time with her then the kids and I need to leave to fulfill a commitment I have for the afternoon.

The kids are itching to go ride their bikes and I'm inclined to let them. After an insomnia-filled evening, in addition to the spring fever, I'm in no condition to teach. And it supposed to be in the upper 60ºs F today. I wonder if today's baseball game will be on the radio....