Friday, 12:23 AM. I'm home watching Big Bang Theory, and head off to bed in 7 minutes, so this will be quick.
I arrived home around 5 today to 100+ degree apartment. That's the 4th time in 3 years my air conditioning has gone out. It has to either the a.c, or the apartment location (top floor, lots of sun exposure and lots of windows), because I'm sure it's not me. I set the thermostat on 74 or 75 in the summer, which I think is conservative- lots warmer than I'd like it. I'd be very happy with 65 degrees, but I try to keep it mild, both for cost and because I've learned my air conditioner has to work very hard.
With a Friday afternoon a.c. disaster I know I can't get it fixed until at least Monday. Two more 100 degree days coming up, and 4th of July week I'm not at all sure my landlord will get it fixed in a timely manner.
I called my favorite hotel, Casa de Tabler in the lovely Tyler Park neighborhood, and arranged lodging. Then I left to play softball, planning to come home, shower, and head to Mom and Dad's for the night. But when I got home a few minutes before 11:00 the temperature was down to 83 and my bedroom was even cooler- not a lot, but a few degrees.
The air conditioner definitely needs professional attention again, and it will definitely climb up to 100 degrees in here tomorrow, but tonight it seems fine as long as I have a fan blowing.
I didn't call to cancel my reservation. I hope I don't lose my deposit, but I figured nobody would be working the desk after 11:00. Or if I called that late I might make an employee cranky, especially since the guy who took my reservation was playing golf early Saturday in Lexington.
Nothing else to report, except softball doings. We won tonight, but that doesn't mean much to me because it's not my team. I was just subbing.
We lost 19-17 Wednesday to a team that crushed us by lots and lots of runs about 3 weeks ago. Nice to see improvement, but we were down 19-17 with bases loaded, 0 outs in the bottom of the 7th and should have won or gone to extra innings. Instead we got a fly out/double play on a failed tag up to home, then another out. I'd like to be mad at the guy who got thrown out but he got nailed by an absolut cannon of a throw to the plate which surprised me as much as I'm sure as it surprised him.
It was a rough night for me. Not a particularly bad night, but a rough one. I got four new bruises from ground balls off various body parts. It was the late game and I have a rough time fielding the ball cleanly under the lights. I was busy- lots of balls hit my way- and I did a decent job getting outs, but too many of them bounced off me first.
Anyway, that's it. I've run over into a 'Friends' episode, and it's just not funny. Bed time.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Due To Public Demand...
Here's another post, necessitated by a great outcry from my reading public (Mom).
I'll start with my current reading. I'm nearly done with The Windup Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami. My opinion of this novel will hinge upon the last 50 pages. It has been interesting so far, with some terrific sections, but I'll need a good ending before I say it is a good book.
This is the second of Murakami's books I've read. 1Q84 was the first. Oddly, I can't quite say I really, really liked it. I can only say I found it extremely interesting. His writing style is unique, and I'm fascinated by it, but the plot was strange and not quite satisfying. The Windup Bird Chronicle is turning out to be more of the same.
I've never read anyone who writes at all like him. Though I can't quite form a coherent opinion of his work, I must like it because half-way through this one I saw another of his novels, A Wild Sheep Chase, and bought it.
The other novel I'm reading is Sacre Bleu, by Christopher Moore. I'm perhaps 1/3 of the way through this one. Very enjoyable, as are all his books. This one has driven me to Wikipedia a lot. The plot revolves around late 19th century painters. Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Pissaro, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Whistler are all involved in the story.
I could probably fact check many of the references with Mark, and just a few years ago I would have, but now I have Wikipedia. And I turn to it frequently since my art history knowledge is (or was, until a week ago) non-existent. But I'm now learning quite a lot, especially about the post-impressionists.
Now that I think about it, The Windup Bird Chronicle has driven me to Wikipedia a lot, too. Lots of references to post WWII Japan, Manchuria, and Siberia have touched upon historical topics I find interesting but know very little about.
Other than my reading, and work, I've pretty much just been playing softball. In fact, tonight's game was my 9th in 8 days. That's too many. But I played 5 games in a tournament Saturday, so that skewed the numbers. It must not have worn me out too much, though, because after the game last night I was asked to sub this coming Friday and said 'sure, I'll play.'
Actually, I'd love to play in the Friday league all the time. It's a good league and the place is absolutely packed with people on Friday nights. It's a lot of fun. Plus I don't have to work on Saturdays.
One more interesting thing (interesting to me, anyway) about softball, then I'm done. For quite a few years I played two nights a week, and that was it. I played both nights with exactly the same team, hung out after the game with that team, then went home.
But the last 3 or 4 years I've played 3, 4, and sometimes 5 nights per week, and I've played in more weekend tournaments. I've played on different teams, too, and greatly increased the number of players I know by name and who know me. And what's most relevant to my point is that I've gotten to know almost all the umpires around town. Lots of them know my name, and almost all the rest at least know me by sight, and if they don't know my name they at least know who I play for and what position I play.
And the point is, I've noticed that I now get very favorable ball/strike calls. This year and last I've noticed that most of the time if I don't swing at a borderline pitch the umpires call it a ball. There are lots of 50/50 calls on ball/strike, but lately they all seem to go in my favor. Quite a few of them are pitches that I would have called a strike myself, but I get the call. I can't help but see a correlation between that and the fact that before my games the umpires see me, say "Hi, Kevin," and come over to talk to me for a minute.
I guess I'm finally starting to see the benefits of networking- just years too late and in a non-lucrative aspect of life.
I'll start with my current reading. I'm nearly done with The Windup Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami. My opinion of this novel will hinge upon the last 50 pages. It has been interesting so far, with some terrific sections, but I'll need a good ending before I say it is a good book.
This is the second of Murakami's books I've read. 1Q84 was the first. Oddly, I can't quite say I really, really liked it. I can only say I found it extremely interesting. His writing style is unique, and I'm fascinated by it, but the plot was strange and not quite satisfying. The Windup Bird Chronicle is turning out to be more of the same.
I've never read anyone who writes at all like him. Though I can't quite form a coherent opinion of his work, I must like it because half-way through this one I saw another of his novels, A Wild Sheep Chase, and bought it.
The other novel I'm reading is Sacre Bleu, by Christopher Moore. I'm perhaps 1/3 of the way through this one. Very enjoyable, as are all his books. This one has driven me to Wikipedia a lot. The plot revolves around late 19th century painters. Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Pissaro, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Whistler are all involved in the story.
I could probably fact check many of the references with Mark, and just a few years ago I would have, but now I have Wikipedia. And I turn to it frequently since my art history knowledge is (or was, until a week ago) non-existent. But I'm now learning quite a lot, especially about the post-impressionists.
Now that I think about it, The Windup Bird Chronicle has driven me to Wikipedia a lot, too. Lots of references to post WWII Japan, Manchuria, and Siberia have touched upon historical topics I find interesting but know very little about.
Other than my reading, and work, I've pretty much just been playing softball. In fact, tonight's game was my 9th in 8 days. That's too many. But I played 5 games in a tournament Saturday, so that skewed the numbers. It must not have worn me out too much, though, because after the game last night I was asked to sub this coming Friday and said 'sure, I'll play.'
Actually, I'd love to play in the Friday league all the time. It's a good league and the place is absolutely packed with people on Friday nights. It's a lot of fun. Plus I don't have to work on Saturdays.
One more interesting thing (interesting to me, anyway) about softball, then I'm done. For quite a few years I played two nights a week, and that was it. I played both nights with exactly the same team, hung out after the game with that team, then went home.
But the last 3 or 4 years I've played 3, 4, and sometimes 5 nights per week, and I've played in more weekend tournaments. I've played on different teams, too, and greatly increased the number of players I know by name and who know me. And what's most relevant to my point is that I've gotten to know almost all the umpires around town. Lots of them know my name, and almost all the rest at least know me by sight, and if they don't know my name they at least know who I play for and what position I play.
And the point is, I've noticed that I now get very favorable ball/strike calls. This year and last I've noticed that most of the time if I don't swing at a borderline pitch the umpires call it a ball. There are lots of 50/50 calls on ball/strike, but lately they all seem to go in my favor. Quite a few of them are pitches that I would have called a strike myself, but I get the call. I can't help but see a correlation between that and the fact that before my games the umpires see me, say "Hi, Kevin," and come over to talk to me for a minute.
I guess I'm finally starting to see the benefits of networking- just years too late and in a non-lucrative aspect of life.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
I couldn't decide whether to lead this post with something incredibly exciting, or save it for the big finish. Then I thought about it and realized there was nothing really exciting.
Softball and work. That's about all that's going on. And softball has gone downhill fast. My Sunday team is 4 and 2, but we've lost 2 of our last 3 and have been playing poorly. Today was especially bad.
I've played shortstop all 6 games for that team. I've been okay there. In a 35 and over league I'm adequate to play the position, but we'd be much better if we could find someone else to play there and move me back to 3rd base.
The Monday and Wednesday leagues have been ugly lately. The only bright spot has been the Monday rain outs. Looks like another one tomorrow. We need to start hitting soon or we're in trouble. I can't figure out how the same 11 or 12 guys can score 15 runs consistently for weeks, and then just stop scoring.
I was getting hits constantly myself, even through most of our team slump. But the last 2 or 3 games have been ugly for me as well. No worries, though. I've always been a base hit machine (ha ha. I've never been a hitter), so that will change.
On to books, then, since reading is my fun cheap entertainment. I've almost finished Collusion, the sequal (part 2 of 3, so far) to The Ghosts of Belfast. Very good, but not quite as good as good as the first. Stuart Neville is definitely a writer. He's good.
While reading the 2nd book I realized that they are both westerns. They're set in northern Ireland, post-Troubles, with cars and cell phones and all the other 21st century technology, and they are classified as crime noir, so it took me a while to realize it, but really they are westerns. The trappings are very different, but they're all about the reformed gun-fighter (IRAish 'freedom fighter'), his tortured past, and his being dragged back into violence- but this time for a good cause.
Still, marvelous writing and great stories. I really enjoy them. The 2nd book is not quite as good, but still better than most of what I've read in the last year or two.
I have a good list of books to follow, too. I have World Made By Hand, by somebody-or-other whose name I have forgotten. Some sort of post-apocolyptic thingamajig, but I don't recall the premise. Looks good though, or at least it did when I read the back cover a month ago. I also have the newest Christopher Moore book. He is always entertaining. And I'm going to plough through the rest of "That
Awful Mess on the Via Merulana," which has been a thorough chore but might be worth the effort. It's like reading James Joyce but without an at least passing familiarity with the culture, so it's that much harder.
Plus there is another Stewart Neville book, Stolen Souls. That will be high on my list. And I recently read two crime novels by Martin Limon (I'm not taking the time to figure out how to put the accent mark over his last name), and there are four more books in that series which I would like to read, so my list for the next few months looks good.
I also intend to take another stab at The Poisonwood Bible, but I don't know... I didn't care for the first attempt.
What else, what else....? My life is not must-see TV. Why do I enjoy it so much, then? I must be easily pleased. Well, the new girl downstairs is an absolute knockout. Wow. Just met her today. Over a decade younger than me and a single mom, but wow. We'll see. The pitcher might be throwing faster than I can handle, but if nothing else I might have to close my eyes and swing as hard as I can with this one.
Softball and work. That's about all that's going on. And softball has gone downhill fast. My Sunday team is 4 and 2, but we've lost 2 of our last 3 and have been playing poorly. Today was especially bad.
I've played shortstop all 6 games for that team. I've been okay there. In a 35 and over league I'm adequate to play the position, but we'd be much better if we could find someone else to play there and move me back to 3rd base.
The Monday and Wednesday leagues have been ugly lately. The only bright spot has been the Monday rain outs. Looks like another one tomorrow. We need to start hitting soon or we're in trouble. I can't figure out how the same 11 or 12 guys can score 15 runs consistently for weeks, and then just stop scoring.
I was getting hits constantly myself, even through most of our team slump. But the last 2 or 3 games have been ugly for me as well. No worries, though. I've always been a base hit machine (ha ha. I've never been a hitter), so that will change.
On to books, then, since reading is my fun cheap entertainment. I've almost finished Collusion, the sequal (part 2 of 3, so far) to The Ghosts of Belfast. Very good, but not quite as good as good as the first. Stuart Neville is definitely a writer. He's good.
While reading the 2nd book I realized that they are both westerns. They're set in northern Ireland, post-Troubles, with cars and cell phones and all the other 21st century technology, and they are classified as crime noir, so it took me a while to realize it, but really they are westerns. The trappings are very different, but they're all about the reformed gun-fighter (IRAish 'freedom fighter'), his tortured past, and his being dragged back into violence- but this time for a good cause.
Still, marvelous writing and great stories. I really enjoy them. The 2nd book is not quite as good, but still better than most of what I've read in the last year or two.
I have a good list of books to follow, too. I have World Made By Hand, by somebody-or-other whose name I have forgotten. Some sort of post-apocolyptic thingamajig, but I don't recall the premise. Looks good though, or at least it did when I read the back cover a month ago. I also have the newest Christopher Moore book. He is always entertaining. And I'm going to plough through the rest of "That
Awful Mess on the Via Merulana," which has been a thorough chore but might be worth the effort. It's like reading James Joyce but without an at least passing familiarity with the culture, so it's that much harder.
Plus there is another Stewart Neville book, Stolen Souls. That will be high on my list. And I recently read two crime novels by Martin Limon (I'm not taking the time to figure out how to put the accent mark over his last name), and there are four more books in that series which I would like to read, so my list for the next few months looks good.
I also intend to take another stab at The Poisonwood Bible, but I don't know... I didn't care for the first attempt.
What else, what else....? My life is not must-see TV. Why do I enjoy it so much, then? I must be easily pleased. Well, the new girl downstairs is an absolute knockout. Wow. Just met her today. Over a decade younger than me and a single mom, but wow. We'll see. The pitcher might be throwing faster than I can handle, but if nothing else I might have to close my eyes and swing as hard as I can with this one.
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