Dad of the Year

The umpire didn't show up for Val's softball game in Hilliard yesterday so Ken was volunteered (by me, mostly) to fill in so they could play.  My only requirement was that he wear a mask behind the plate - he got a baseball in the face just this weekend while playing ump during Jason's practice.

I was very impressed with Ken - as was the other volunteer umpire who actually was certified for high school softball games. Ken called a great game and was very professional about it. He had to make several calls against our team, including two at the end of the game which resulted in our loss. On one of them, he even over-ruled the other umpire who had called the girl out at 3rd. Ken had a better view from the front and saw that she was tagged too high (in the shoulder) and, after conferring, the Hilliard player got the base.  He also called that girl safe at home when the throw came in to Val too high to get the tag on in time. 

Ken was almost sick about the game and about offering to help.  On the ride home, he kept imagining Val getting treated terribly by her teammates on the bus.  He expected her to be very angry with him when she got home.  However, that's not how it happened at all.  Val came home and was fine; did her homework, ate food, got ready for bed, and she treated her father and everyone else fine (and that's saying a lot for a teenager on any day of the week).  When Val was headed to bed, I told her I was proud how she handled her father umpiring and making calls against her team. She responded by giving Ken a compliment. She said he did a good job at the game and he called the pitches better than some of their real umpires.  She was proud of him, too.  How cool is that?!?! 

I told Ken that he taught his kids many things on that day. He set a good example for volunteering. He ran a competent game with good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. And he was fair. He did not make calls that favored his own team, but called them as he saw them. Val said that the other girls thought he was a very fair as an umpire. Although it was not easy, Ken was a great example for his kids today. In return, I give him the Father of the Year award!  Great job, Ken!

Val had another game tonight. She is catcher and took a foul tip in the shoulder (above the chest pad) in the second inning. She played through the rest of the inning and even batted and made a run. No one knew she was hurt. However, her arm seized up and she couldn't throw when heading out for the third inning.  So she sat the bench with ice on her shoulder and was sad and angry that she was letting her team down.  Her team did great, though and they won with a 10 run rule in the top of the 7th.  We went out to Dairy Queen with some of her teammates afterward and she was invited to a birthday party for tomorrow night.  Yea!  All is good with the world now. 

Just an update

My run was rushed again today.  I got out of work late and hurried over to RPAC.  I ran 3 miles in 29:56.  Since I knew it was a short workout, I ran the whole thing in a fairly consistent pace (no walking).  Afterward I had to postpone the shower to hustle to pick up Jason from swim team practice.

Valerie is in softball tryouts this week.  If she was swimming at the Ohio Junior Olympics, she would not have tried out for softball this year because swim practice would have been mandatory this week.  Val seems to be doing well and is having fun at tryouts.  She made the first cut today.  Another cut takes place on Friday.

We're headed to Bowling Green this weekend so Jason can swim backstroke with his medley relay at the Ohio Junior Olympics.  His relay is faster than 4 other relays which is great news because it's tough to be seeded last place.  I hope Jason has a good experience at State JOs.

I'm not sure when I'll get my long run in this week.  It was scheduled for Saturday, but we'll be driving to Bowling Green in the morning and will be there through the day on Sunday.  I'll have to take a look at my schedule and move things around.  Maybe I can run on Friday. 

 

Exciting softball game

The VP for our department gave me a compliment today that surprised me, was unsolicited, and very validating.  I don't work much with him and I had no idea if he thought I was doing a good job in my new role or even if he thought I should have been given that role.  I guess I still don't know those things, but I do know that he values my leadership skills and notices that I do a lot for the department. 

In giving me that feedback, he also reminded me to give informal, spontaneous feedback to others - even to people who are outside of my staff group.  Please take this as a reminder for yourself, if you are so inclined.  Let someone else know that you notice what they do and appreciate it.  It's wonderful to get feedback.

I dragged myself out of bed a little early this morning and got in a quick 2 mile walk (16:00 and 15:16) before work.  I was still sleepy and a little stiff, so it took more of an effort to try to get my feet moving fast.

Day 25 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: egg over medium and two strips of bacon
Lunch: Chipotle salad with chicken guacamole, and hot sauce
Snack: cocoa roasted almonds
Dinner: spinach salad with steak and black beans and a sour cream/salsa dressing
Drinks: iced tea at lunch (2 of them) and water the rest of the day

Valerie had a great softball game tonight.  Two of her friends were visiting and watching the game, too.  Val was nervous about having them there, but it didn't show.  I was most impressed with how she kept her head in the game, listened to coaches (and her parents), and played smart and focused.  She showed mental toughness as the relief pitcher who was called in after the other team tied the score by rattling our best pitcher with obnoxious cheers and screams.  Val pitched that half inning and the last full inning.

She also batted 4th and got a hit every time she got up: One double and two singles.  Both singles were hard hit balls that good players knocked down but they didn't beat Val to the base.  Twice during the game, Val was up to bat with 2 outs and runners on base.

Overall the game was very exciting with lots of people making critical plays. Val's friend Sarah made several very impressive outs at shortstop, including a catch running backward with the ball way over her head.  The girl at the bottom of the order got a hit at the beginning of the last inning and scored.  In the end, the pitcher who got rattled by the cheers had a great hard hit to score a runner and win the game.