#i am both a basketball and baseball enjoyer

[total-zone]

Yankee moots...Knick Moots...let's unite.

[papihomo]

Hi, since I am currently hyperfixated on Omori! I thought I'd spill some of my character headcanons!

Sunny/Omori - Full Name: Sunny Seraphim Liao - Ethnicity: Chinese-Coptic Canadian - he enjoys the literary works of William Blake & other romantic period poets - involuntarily mute.

Mari - Full Name: Mari Iris Liao - Ethnicity: Chinese-Coptic Canadian - favorite musical artist is probably Erik Satie - she is an avid enjoyer of obscure artforms - absolute theater kid lets be honest - embraced both of her cultures with pride.

Basil - Full Name: Basil Ivan Kaminski - Ethnicity: Polish-Canadian - brought up in a heavily Polish Catholic household - closeted baby gay - obsessively plays mario on the gameboy advance - total hypochondriac.

Hero - Full Name: Enrique "Hero" Almanzar - Ethnicity: Mexican-Guatemalan Canadian of Mayan descent - can probably cook better than Gordon Ramsay lets be real - probably worked at a blockbuster video rental store as a part time to get by during high school - one of the best people you can hang out with lets be real.

Kel - Full Name: Kelsey "Kel" Cristobal Almanzar - Ethnicity: Mexican-Guatemalan Canadian of Mayan Descent - has a goofy little obsession with terrible low budget films such as "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" - idolizes Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabbar - has one of those basketball hoops near the driveway - ultimate gremlin.

Aubrey - Full Name: Aubergine "Aubrey" Hadassah Bernstein - Ethnicity: Israeli-Canadian of mixed Ashkenazi & Balkan Sephardi descent - raging lesbian - probably the Captain of her school's Baseball Team - Polyglot - can & will cuss you out in English, Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Yiddish & Ladino - absolutely ruthless when it comes to being honest about shit - usually listens to grunge music - her favorite song is "Stacy's Mom" - neurodivergent af.

[mcrsk]

✰. — √ ❝ eѕpn eхclυѕιve. ❍ { MARS X NIKE ( !! ) }

“ i am one of the few football players that genuinely enjoy every sport. while football is my first love, i played everything from baseball, soccer, basketball, and tennis. hell, i even mini golf during the off-season. playin’ sports gave me a purpose in life. i don’t know where or who i’d be if i was unable to play. i am more than just a football player — i am an athlete. ”  — MARS KNIGHT.

what is the nike crossover project and why do you feel you were chosen to be the face of it?

MARS nodded his head slowly as he mentally gathered different components to provide an adequate answer to the inquiry. while doing so, he glanced to the side to see his agent mouthing an answer for him to use. instead of using the politically correct definition of the project, as mentioned in his contractual agreement, he cleared his throat and proceeded to convey his own version. “ the nike crossover project is a challenge to all athletes to showcase themselves playin’ a sport that they do not play professionally. it is an ode to the solidarity of sports, as well as a lesson to children that you do not have to box yourselves inside of one specific sport despite what society may tell you. ” after supplying an answer for the first part of the question, he glanced over his shoulder to scan the ensemble of photography used to promote the newest addition to nike’s roster of projects. “ i mean, you see these pictures, right? i look good in every sport. ” the wide smile brightened his features before he offered a hearty bout of laughter to indicate that he was only joking. “ actually, this is a project that i presented to nike. i wanted to create sumn’ that would give back to the community. when i was younger, the only place i could recall that allowed the enjoyment of multiple sports at one time was field day. now that we are partners, i plan to start my own annual TRIP TO MARS event, which will be a field day at different youth centers across the nation. so, to all my youngins out there, shoot me a dm if yo’ city has a boys and girls club, ymca, or any facility that we can use to make things happen. ”

my research shows that you played basketball, football, and ran track while in high school. why football professionally?

“ football changed my life. ” MARS replied shortly. he tilted his head to the side, configuring the verbiage to hone his statement. without providing too many details on the troubles of his adolescence, he spoke. “ i was goin’ down the wrong path after my parents died. a lot of people gave up on me. not that i blame them, but i went years without anyone remindin’ me that i could do sumn’ more than what i was doin’. it took one person watchin’ me play football and tellin’ me that i could actually be sumn’, if i took it seriously, to change my whole perspective on what i wanted out of life. plus, football is a contact sport. it gave me a reason to be aggressive without gettin’ into too much trouble. ” he confessed, laughing along with the sports commentators.

what advice would you give those up and coming athletes who are stuck in between two sports?

“ this is probably goin’ to sound absurd, but there’s a method to my madness. ” MARS released a chuckle beneath his breath following his statement. as someone who had experienced the same circumstance, he wanted to give the proper advice that he felt helped him along the way. “ i was stuck between football and basketball for two years. while i was tryna’ make a decision between the two, i decided to run track. not only did that help build my strength, endurance, and agility for both sports, but it also gave me a clear head to navigate which sport i felt was more fit for me. ” his visage hardened slightly as he began to lose himself in his own thoughts. swiftly, he trampled through a few of his own experiences. when he landed on a memory that he considered beneficial, he decided to share an anecdote. “ my track coach in high school told me that it’s never about where you’re runnin’ from but where you’re runnin’ to. you just have to keep runnin’ ‘til you reach yo’ final destination. keep runnin’ and eventually, you’ll get there. you’ll find yo’ way. ”

while you currently play for your hometown team, the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, we know that your contract is nearing its end. we hear that there’s a bidding war between the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS and the BALTIMORE RAVENS. care to give the fans a statement on that?

as the commentators knew, MARS was not allowed to speak on his knowledge of which team was trying their best to get him to sign a contract. “ where did you hear that? ” the inquisitive visage matched his facade of pretending to be ignorant of the rumors of where he would be furthering his career. while he had an immense amount of loyalty to his hometown team, he hadn’t planned on staying in one place for the rest of his life. however, now was not the time to share that with the world. “i dunno’ ‘bout any of that, man. however, i’m blessed to be able to play the sport. wherever i end up, just know i’m on the field. ” he concluded with a humble response to dismiss the topic as a whole.

you may not be able to tell us about the potential trade, but you can at least give us your thoughts on the espn body issue that everyone is buzzing about. while there hasn’t been any confirmation, the people seem to want you to be on the next cover. are you in talks with espn to do the next body issue?

“i mean...” MARS placed his hands on top of the table in front of him, then released a light chuckle. while his social media presence became a quest to figure out what he was wearing beneath his football pads and workout gear, he had been iffy on the subject for some time. he wasn’t keen on the process of a naked photo shoot, though he was assured repeatedly that none of the ‘tasteless,’ or extreme nudity, images would ever see the light of day. “ who am i to deny the people of what they want? espn, give my agent a call. ” he curled the three fingers between his pinky and his thumb towards his palm, bringing his hand to his face to mimic the action of being on the phone. “ if it’s my body they want, it’s my body they’ll get. tell espn to cut the check. ( !! ) ”

[chubby-bearded-nerd]

Am I allowed to choose all odd numbers?

1. Coffee or Tea? Tough one as I like both but I drink coffee more. Yum yum baileys!!

3. drawing or paintings? drawings

5. Books or movies? Movies. I rarely can read for enjoyment anymore.

7. Chinese or italian? Food - Chinese. Spoken Language - Italian

9. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

11. Hugs or kisses? YES sorry not going to play by the rules on this one. Both!

13. Winter or Summer? Winter hands down. Cold rainy snowy nasty shit outside. Bring it on!

15. Rural or Urban? Rural

17. Tan or pale? Eh really no preference.

19. Ice cream or yogurt? Ice cream

21. Sweet pickles or dill? Fuck like this is a real question. DILL!

23. Boots or sandals? Boots!

25. Pop or Rock? Rock

27. Checkers or chess? Checkers, dont have to think as much

29. Wine or Beer? BEER!

31. Honey mustard or BBQ Sauce? BBQ Sauce

33. Baseball or basketball? Eh not really a fan of either but if i am going to go to a game... Baseball

35. Facial Hair or Clean Shaven? Facial hair

37. Skiing or snowboard? Snowboard

39. Bracelet or necklace? Necklace

41. Sausage or bacon? Ughhh sausage

43. Dark chocolate or white? Eh neither? Dark i guess

45. Anique or brand new? depends. They each have their place

47. Cowboys or aliens? Cowboys

49. Pancakes or waffles? Waffles

51 - 61 answered

63. Grammys or Oscars? neither lol

65. Multiple choice or essay? Multiple choice

67. Saver or spender? spender but getting better

69. laptop or desktop? Laptop

71. Personal chef or personal trainer? Well since i cook... personal trainer

73. Call or text? CALL ME!

75. Shower in the morning or evening? Morning

77. Marvel or DC? Marvel

79. Sky dive or bungee jump? Done both. Prefer Sky dive

81. Jello or Pudding? Pudding

83. Roller coaster or ferris wheel? Roller coaster!

85. Stripes or solids? Solids

87. Whole wheat or white? Little bit of both. Depends on whats going on the sandwich ... now if you said sourdough,  that!

89. Hardwood or carpet? hardwood

91. Be older or younger then you are? Younger

93. Picnic or nice restaurant? Picnic

95. Long hair or short? Short.

97. Fiction or non? Fiction

99. Think before you talk or talk before you think? Think before you talk.

Thanks!!

[fourpinespt]

Youth Sports Specialization

By Kaysha Heck

Youth sports specialization is a topic of high discussion and debate. In today’s world, there seems to be a strong push for young athletes to become bigger, stronger, faster, and specialize before they’ve even learned to multiply and divide fractions. If frequent, intense, and dedicated practice is what builds champions, then a kid should be “all in” as soon as possible. The idea being more hours, more volume, more training, and more coaching all equates to a better chance of getting recruited, winning a championship, or hitting some landmark along the projected path of “success.” What ten year olds are doing today, can be equated to what 14 years olds were doing ten years ago. This can have detrimental effects on a skeletally immature athlete. In our current world, the bombardment of social media, development camps, coaches’ clinics, showcases, “elite” tournaments, etc. has only fueled the flame of an already rapidly growing fire.

The push for early youth sports specialization has paralleled the discussion of increased injury risk among athletes who participate in one sport year-round. As a medical provider, it may shock some people that I am not against youth sports specialization. However, I think there are some key factors we need to be aware of when training youth athletes and a systematic approach that needs to be followed regardless of whether a kid plays one, two, or five sports.

In the last five to ten years, a plethora of studies have looked at the topic of youth sports specialization. What it really comes down to is the load (games played, innings pitched, flips thrown) and the volume (playing four sports with overlap in practices and seasons) of training that leads to increased risk of injury. A high school football player that plays club basketball and skis on the weekends accumulating 20 hours of sporting activity is at just as much risk as the 16-year-old gymnast who trains 20 hours per week in her one sport. Just because you play multiple sports, doesn’t mean your risk is less. Research says we need to pay particular attention to the number of hours per week of athletic participation.

The recommended number of hours per week of athletic activity should equate to the child’s age. For instance, a ten-year-old should participate in ten hours of sporting activity per week, no more. This may seem like nothing, but children still have immature musculoskeletal and body systems. Kids are not small adults. They are very different, and their bodies respond to training in a different way.

Regardless of what and how many sports a kid plays, early intensive training should be avoided. Instead, the focus should be on movement development, motor planning, and enjoyment of the sport. You must build good humans and athletes first, then they can specialize. Think of the best player on any team, what do you say about them? “He/She is an athlete!” There are fundamental patterns of movement, speed, loading, strength, and development that are the same across all sports. If you forget to build this solid foundation, you are missing the most critical piece of the puzzle, no matter the sport.

This is where playing multiple sports may be beneficial. For example, a running back who spends fall/winter developing his running, cutting, jumping, agility and lower body strength who then transitions to baseball in the spring/summer working on developing his upper body power, strength and throwing speed. This split of activity allows rest and recovery of one system while building up and enhancing another. Where this becomes dangerous is when you have a running back who also plays fall soccer for both a club and travel team. This athlete is no longer resting one system, but rather risking overload and overuse just like the specialized athlete who trains 20+ hours per week in one sport.

Here is some food for thought regarding injury risk and sports specialization:

In baseball alone, pitching more than 100 innings per year increases injury risk by 3x. A baseball player is 4x more likely to get hurt if they throw more than 80 pitches per game, and 5x more likely to get hurt if they throw more than eight months out of the year. In fact, some of the best pitchers come from colder climates simply because they can’t throw year-round.

By age 12, the highest number of specialized athletes are seen in women’s gymnastics (88%), men’s soccer (63%), women’s soccer (61%), men’s ice hockey (59%), and women’s ice hockey (57%).

David Epstein, author of “Range” and researcher of athlete genetics and performance, wrote in his book, “Parents always ask, ‘What workout is Michael Jordan doing right now? I want my kid to do that’ but they never ask, ‘What workout was Michael Jordan doing when he was 12-years-old to get to where he is now.’”

Steve Nash did not start playing basketball until he was 13-years old, and he won the MVP award, twice.

Members of the 2014 German National soccer team that won the World Cup didn’t specialize until age 22 or later.

The bottom line is, as medical providers, coaches, athletes, and parents we need to be smarter. No matter what the end goal is (professional, college scholarship, high school, or just fun) each athlete has a bank account. And every time you step on the court, field, floor, mountain, or rink, you are tapping into those savings. We have to be better about how we allocate training in order to reduce injury and prevent burnout.

Four Pines Physical Therapy offers Sportsmetrics ™ programming as well as an Arm Care Program for overhead athletes. Dr. Kaysha performs an injury assessment clinics with exercise recommendations for Axis Gymnastics athletes. We also provide Video Running Analysis in both the Alpine and Jackson Clinics. Finally, Dr. Kaya Tuchscherer, PT, DPT, CSCS in our Alpine Clinic provides video analysis and assessment for weightlifting and the barbell athlete.

[lawrencedienerthings]

Silverman: Colorado gamblers face some homework as legal betting begins

#life🍽 🤣 🐎 👮 🎲 👀 👺 🗞

Colorado News

Start spreading the news. Odds are you will benefit from this column. 

Life’s a gamble. Especially now. Should I take this elevator? How close is too close? Does this mask make my face look fat? When will I feel safe in a restaurant? Or standing with strangers rolling disinfected dice at a craps table in Las Vegas or Blackhawk?

At least now we can gamble from our Colorado homes. All we need is something to bet on. Other than the stock market, please.  This coronavirus is awful for gamblers craving action.  

Craig Silverman

I learned about gambling from the finest man I’ve ever known. A Denver boy, he grew up to be an attorney, just like his father. At West High, he played football, basketball and baseball. Then he served two years in the Army, coached youth sports, and went to DU for college and law school. My Dad rooted hard for the Broncos, Nuggets and Rockies.

Sheldon Silverman was a homer! When we watched sports on TV, he had a wager on the outcome. A shrewd observer of athletics, my old man thought he could handicap better than bookies could set odds. However, when it came to Colorado teams, my Dad put his money where his heart was.

I grew up taking tiny fractions of my father’s action. We celebrated and commiserated together. Sports wagering’s long been common here in Colorado. Vegas is so close. My father also taught me how to gamble in Sin City.

When I left Denver for college, I would call home collect on autumn Monday evenings asking for Homer Wade. My Dad would answer shortly before kickoff and might announce that, “Mr. Wade won’t be home till 7:30 p.m.”  I could respond, “I’ll call back in five hours.”

From that exchange, I’d understand my Dad bet on the visiting team plus 7.5 points. My response let Dad know I was down for five dollars of his MNF wager. More father-son bonding! From afar!

I learned about fair bets and rip-off risks. Betting the pass line at craps is almost a fair bet. Taking odds behind the pass line is completely fair, matching exactly craps’ true percentage chances. Play the hard ways and field bets at your peril because the house has a bigger edge. Casinos shamelessly put out confiscatory sucker bets like the Big Six, Big Eight, where payouts are way less than the true odds.

READ: Colorado Sun opinion columnists.

If Colorado casinos or sportsbooks are unfair, consumers will go elsewhere. Sportsbook sites contain foolish traps to be avoided such as parlays and teasers. Thinking about my late father, I went through the signup process at the five operating Colorado sportsbooks this Memorial Day weekend. 

Let the competition begin between my new depositories at FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fox Bet and BetRivers.  I am shopping for maximum bonuses, and better odds and point spreads. 

Bookies balance wagers on both sides and make their profit by setting the right odds. Vigorish is the percentage collected from gamblers’ losing wagers by the sportsbook. In retail terms, it is the mark-up.  More than 5% vigorish is awfully expensive for bettors. 

If a point spread is fair, risking $11 for the enjoyment of winning $10 is traditional.  Risk $11.50 and the enjoyment goes way down. Make me wager $12 to win $10 on an evenly matched contest, and I’ll gamble elsewhere.  But let me bet $10.50 to win $10, and I’ll become a regular customer!

On Saturday night, at FanDuel, I took da Bears over the Lions laying $15.40 to win $10. Not football. Korean baseball. At BetRivers, I would’ve had to bet $19 on the heavily favored Doosan Bears (10-6) to win $10 for beating the Samsung Lions (5-12).  

What do I know about Korean baseball? Not much until I watched the livestream on FanDuel, with its amazing ever-fluctuating in-game wagers.  Samsung beat Doosan by a score of 13-0. Oops!  I lost my $15.40, but $3.60 less than I might have!

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When pro and college sports resume, even without fans in the stands, there will be major new attention because of legalized sports wagering. But let not the people of Colorado get ripped off. 

Vigorous vigorish competition should be encouraged at Colorado sportsbooks. Let the marketplace decide. People enjoy bargains. Walmart is thriving. Nieman-Marcus just went bankrupt. 

Colorado sportsbooks want our business. They want us to link up our credit card or bank account. Big deposit bonuses and $500 “risk-free” first bets are exciting incentives. But risk free? We shall see.  

Study the terms and conditions. It might take three years to comprehend the fine print and collect that incentive cash. That’s how long law school lasts! But at least there is no worry about a sudden disappearance of your bookie down in Costa Rica. This is regulated by the great state of Colorado. 

While sometimes stressful and expensive, gambling and sports betting provided challenge and entertainment for my father. It was exhilarating to play along and learn lessons about math, luck and sports along the way. My Dad never let his family down. And he never made me pay any vigorish.

Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA who also has worked in the media for decades. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun. He practices law at the Denver law firm of Springer & Steinberg, P.C.

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggested writers and more to opinion@coloradosun.com.

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from https://ift.tt/2y2XQuD https://ift.tt/2LV857z

[stevedonnellyfaith-blog]

The Football Game (Post 106) 9-16-15

                        Sometime on Saturday afternoon my brother Sean sent me a text message asking me whether I still wanted to go to the Kent State University football game that evening even though it was already raining pretty hard and the chances of the weather clearing during the Ohio fall monsoon season were pretty slim.  I considered for a good thirty seconds before answering that I did still want to attend the game.  It seemed odd that we had decided to go at all.  Neither of us is a KSU alumni, although Sean’s wife graduated from Kent and they used to have season tickets.  Amanda is not an active alumni or former cheerleader, but Sean played football for a different university, and he and I both used to enjoy watching sports together twenty-five years ago before I left the area, so we like to catch a football, baseball, basketball or hockey game together when we can.

The idea of sitting outside on a fifty degree fall evening in a drizzle on an uncomfortable aluminum seat did give me pause, though.  While I do enjoy reconnecting with my brother when I can, California living has thinned my blood considerably.  I also had a mountain of boxes still to unpack if I planned to reach my goal for the weekend of finally moving out of my parent’s house and into 1175 Delaware Trail in earnest.  I had also stayed at work much longer than I intended that morning, as the hourly folks at the plant are growing tired overtime and especially Saturday work so a fair-weather manager slepping out the back door early would only demonstrate lack of commitment, a contagious malady under the circumstances.  Also I had, in the minutes before receiving Sean’s message, wrenched my back hauling a large box of Pfalzgraf stoneware from the garage to the kitchen.  Was calling a cease-fire to my moving activities so that I could sit uncomfortably in the rain the thing to do under the circumstances?

Still I said yes.  I don’t have many friends in Ohio, so I don’t get invited out very often.  I try to say yes as often as I can in all circumstances that do not guarantee hypothermia.  Certainly I worry that I if I commit to something and then back out, I might not be asked on the next occasion, but mostly I have become very respectful of time. While I still waste more time than I should frivolously, I am, at least, more cognizant of the precious resource I am squandering.  Sean had likely forwent an opportunity to schedule something to do with his wife and daughters in order to attend the game with Nick, Stephen and I, so backing out of the commitment seemed like a betrayal of his offer.  Also I find myself more likely to go out of my way to interact with others because my understanding of our mortality is that we take our experiences with us to heaven but not our stuff.

The value of earthly time was brought home to me again this week in a different way. My friend Terry Weiss, who got me the job at his company in Ohio, let me know that the mother of another friend of ours, Tim, had died over the weekend from complications following a stroke that she suffered several weeks ago.  She was a parishioner of the parish that we are joining so I was aware of Tim’s mother’s condition and prayed for her.  Terry, Sean and I attended the viewing together in support of the family – Terry drove forty-five minutes from Youngstown to attend. Although I felt tired, social awkward and inconvenienced after working night-shift all week, spending the time to honor a person who I have known since I was two years old seemed the right thing to do.  My father, who doesn’t move well, even came to the family gathering at a local restaurant after the viewing to show respect for an old friend. Viewings and funerals are not entertainment or enjoyment, but time spent in that kind of activity can often be described as profound and hopefully prayerful.  There are many good uses of time; not all of the most spiritually profitable are pleasant.

On the other hand, the football game was enjoyable but not pleasant in the slightest.  In the drizzling rain I bought seat pads, because I remember from my Naval Academy days, without nostalgia, how uncomfortable the cold aluminum tread-like pattern felt on my backside in a fall drizzle. Sean and I enjoyed the football even though the game was a total slaughter of the over-matched Delaware State Hornets.  DSU looked like a competently athletic team and appeared to be effectively coached, but they seemed to have marked into Dix Stadium like Custer’s troopers arriving at their Little Big Horn engagement without Gatling guns.

We got to see things up close and personal from the Delaware State point of view as our general admission tickets allowed us to sit almost directly behind the visitor’s bench. The coaches and players worked throughout the game to make the best of things, but even their momentary good fortunes were swept under by an avalanche of disastrous plays.  It is the first time in nearly fifty years of football watching that I have ever seen a team gain a negative net yardage offensively.  It was that bad.  Having been on the losing end of several lopsided blowouts ourselves, Sean and I chuckled at the one poor positions coach that isolated himself from the rest of the players and coaches for quiet fits of mild swearing.

For reasons that neither Sean nor I could comprehend, Kent State used gadget two point conversions after the first three of their four first half touchdowns.  It seemed silly to demonstrate a variety of special plays to future opponents during the first game of the season that was obviously going to be a win after the first couple of drives, sacks and blocked kicks.  The DSU quarterback and punter ought to be closely monitored for PTSD symptoms.  It was that bad of a shellacking.  There was no need for gadget plays.

Then for the extra point of the fourth touchdown of the half, Kent broke the huddle and lined up conventionally and kicked a regular extra point.  It seemed momentarily as if the Kent coach had called of his dogs of war and shown mercy to his hapless opponent.  Then I noticed, as I peeped out from underneath my umbrella, that Kent lineman were carrying their placekicker off the field on their shoulders like the scene from the movie Rudy.  That seemed like excessive celebration for what seemed like the thirty-first point of the Arclight Strike that they were laying down on the hapless hornets.

Quite perplexed, I turned to my brother for an explanation.  Sean told me that I had just witnessed a minor historical event.

Evidently, the Kent State back-up placekicker is a senior named April Goss, a very unusual name for a guy, but an entirely appropriate name for April who is, of course, a young woman. She is also a determined one who can kick a football straight and true from a distance of under forty yards.  She has clearly impressed her coach and teammates through her hard work and dedication throughout her four years at Kent and doesn’t appear to be playing football as a gimmick.  A publicity stunt is not something one does for four years of long, hot, wet or freezing practices.  Kent State University is not a place where someone comes as a novelty act.  ESPN doesn’t cover fixtures between the Golden Flashes and the DSU Hornets.  The second point scored by a woman in a NCAA Division I football game was not hyped or publicized any more than Crash Davis’ minor league home-run title was in the movie Bull Durham.  I believe April was on the field for the love of the game only.  Because I don’t have television yet, I assume she did not end up making the circuit on Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and whoever else has a show after my bedtime.  If she did, good for her.

I was excited to see her kick retrospectively, because I knew she had realized her dream.  I didn’t intend to see someone rewarded for years of quiet labor, but I did see it.  The sight warmed my contemplative bones as I sat in a drizzle on a nylon encased polyurethane pad that fully compressed way too early in the contest. It was all worth it, though, because I was able to witness and partially understand a great moment for another human being.  In my life I have seen many people in pain but only a few in Rocky-like triumph.  Only a few days before I had attended a viewing for a Catholic woman who had spent the last weeks of her life lying paralyzed in a hospital bed with a tracheotomy knowing that she would never again be able to verbalize to her sons and grandchildren how much she loved them.  Yet in her suffering she was, in a way, lifted up also on the shoulders of her family and left the field of life in the triumph not death.  For Christians that is the transformation that Jesus created for us on that afternoon on Calvary hill two millennia ago.

[paigewritestrash-blog]

Just One Yesterday - Aomine Daiki x OC

I wrote this when I was bored and thought of something really fucking angsty. Towards the very end I’m going to add a twist, making Midorima a witch sort of like the ones in AHS Coven. You’ll see why when you read.

Warnings: angst. lots of it.

My whole school life I spent my time in the shadows. I had a few friends, but none that I spent a lot of time with after school. I joined the women's baseball team this year at Touou after playing volleyball in middle school in hopes that I would make some friends while I play a different sport. After my older sister passed away a couple years ago, I didn't have much interest in making friends or being noticed by others. I have yet to spend a lot of time with my team mates, because I was sort of a ghost to them. That is until my boyfriend at the time had cheated on me. I broke up with him in the cafeteria when I found out through my acquaintance Momoi that he had been seen going to the movies with another girl. I dumped my food and my drink on his head, and proceeded to get suspended for two days. Was it worth it? Yes, and it was worth getting grounded by my parents too. Not only am I known now as the girl that dumped food on her ex, but as rumors circulate, they tend to get twisted. I'm also known as the girl who's boyfriend cheated on her with a woman twice my age. It's both disgusting and completely untrue. I used to wish I wasn't invisible to everyone at school. But now that I'm not, I regret ever wishing I was noticed. I want to go back to being a ghost. The judging eyes burn into me as I walk the halls and make me uncomfortable. "Kaori!" A boy calls out as I walk to lunch. I roll my eyes and keep walking. He runs to catch up with me, slightly breathing heavy as he looks down at me. I've seen him in a few of my classes. His hair is short and black, his eyes a bright blue. I can't recall his name because I don't pay much attention to people at school. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me this Friday." He smiles. I watch him from the corner of my eye, his arm reaching around me. I swiftly duck away from his grasp, smacking his arm away. "No. And keep your arm to yourself. Next time I'll break it." I threaten with an ice cold tone. He seems taken aback. I leave him standing in shock as I walk towards the doors. I'm desperate to get away from here, at least for a second. The only place I can think of is the roof. I pull my phone and headphones from my bag, plugging them in and putting my music on shuffle. I climb the ladder to the roof, sliding my bag off of my shoulder and shoving my phone into my pocket. I sing along to the song I'm listening to, rejoicing the fact that I'm alone, and no one can hear or see me. Though I don't understand the words to the song I'm singing, because it's English, I sing it anyways. I pronounce the words the best I can. In the midst of my enjoyment, I find myself dancing to the upbeat electronic tune. It's not until I open my eyes at the end of the song that I see someone standing at the edge of the roof, watching me with an annoyed look. My face immediately turns red as the boy scans me up and down. I take out my headphones as he starts to speak. "Are you done? I came here to nap." He mumbles in annoyance. I raise a brow. How could this boy be so harsh to me without meeting me? "Maybe. If you can check your attitude." I cross my arms across my chest, sending him a cold stare to match the one he gives me. He groans, stretching his arms out over his head. The boy yawns. "I don't feel like arguing with some girl. If your singing and, whatever you were doing, matters that much, I'll find somewhere else to sleep." "Hey!" I cry out, unfolding my arms. I stomp my foot and clench my fists.  "I'll have you know that my dancing is great! And you're not the only one that wants to get away from school." I point a finger at him, narrowing my brows. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors about me." He takes a look at me once more, then shakes his head. "I don't care about school drama, or people at school." He sounds dull. I watch him look over to my bag where my bento has fallen out, probably after I tossed it to the ground. "I might forgive you for invading my space if you let me see what you brought for lunch." I roll my eyes. I never eat my lunch as it is. I hand the bento to him. "Help yourself." I think I see a hint of a smile on his face as he tears it open. He doesn't look over the food for long before digging in and sitting down, crossing his legs pretzel style. "You can continue whatever you were doing." He says through a mouthful of food. I scoff. "I'm so glad I have your permission, um...." I trail off, realizing I don't even know his name. I recognize him from the basketball team, however. I see him around Momoi a lot. "What's your name?" "Aomine." He mumbles, not taking his eyes from the food. Aomine Daiki.... He's been friends with Momoi since I can remember. People used to think they were a couple for a while. I smile. "I'm Kaori. And for the future, I'm going to come here again. So if you want to avoid me, you might want to reschedule." "Reschedule?" He cries out. Bits of food fly out of his mouth and I scrunch my nose in disgust. Boys. "I've been coming here since the first day! I'm not moving my nap times, either." I roll my eyes and flop down on the roof, crossing my legs. "Then you're stuck with me." I grin. "If I keep giving you my lunch, will you compromise and share this spot with me?" He doesn't hesitate. "Sure. Whoever cooked this, they should continue for the future." He looks to me, motioning his pointer finger to the bento, that's already almost gone. I smile wide, feeling warm inside at the compliment. "I cooked it, actually. So thank you." I beam with pride. I've never been recognized for my cooking. My parents work a lot, and they leave for business trips a lot. So I'm often left to cook for myself. "You're an impressive cook." He mutters. He sets the empty box beside him, wiping his face with his sleeve and proceeding to lean back on his palms. "I've seen you around before... Are you on a sports team?" He furrows his brows together, scanning my face. "I'm the ace of the baseball team." I beam, suddenly feeling proud of myself. "I used to play basketball a lot in my free time, so you may have seen me around parks and such." He thinks for a moment. "Could be. So you like basketball?" "Of course!" I grin. "I love running around the court, and scoring a point is so exhilarating! I love everything about sports." I have a lot of energy, though I don't let that off with my personality. I don't get hyped up unless I'm talking about something I enjoy. "Although, I'm a lot better at baseball than basketball. I'd beat anyone in a pitching contest, and I could score a home run with any fast pitch." I say with confidence. I have amazing hand-eye coordination, and I can tell how fast the ball is coming at me with ease. I'm a force to be reckoned with on the field. "I'd love to see you live up to those words, Kaori." He smirks. "When's the next game?" I raise a brow at him. "Next Monday... Are you sure? I don't see you as enjoying any other sport besides basketball." "I don't, for the most part." He runs his fingers through his hair, heaving a sigh. "But I don't like people with mouths that are bigger than they are." I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, signalling I need to head back inside for class. I smile to Aomine. "Trust me, I would never say something I can't live up to. You'll see next week, Dai-chan!" He's immediately taken back, his face turning to an outraged expression. "Don't give me a nickname, we just met!" He cries out. I wink. "I'll see you tomorrow. If you want my lunch, that is." I grab my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. I wave a goodbye to Aomine, climbing down the ladder. I'm not sure why I'm so excited for him to watch me play. My parents never come to my games, so the idea of having someone there specifically to watch me makes me overwhelmed with happiness. ***** The following days I returned to the roof at that time, as did Aomine. His first question upon arrival for the first two days afterwards were strictly food-based. He would continuously praise my food, and we would talk about whatever came to mind. We both laid back on the roof, staring at the bright blue sky. "You said there were rumors going around about you, right?" Aomine breaks the silence. "Yeah..." I trail off. "Why? What did you hear?" If he heard some of the things that have been circulating, I doubt he would be here. I heard from one of my team mates I supposedly got an STD from my ex... I was disgusted. In order to contract one of those you have to do something with the other person, right? "Nothing. I was just wondering what this school could have possibly conjured up about you." He says simply, not taking his eyes from the sky. I roll over onto my side, propping up on my elbow and resting my head in my palm. "Well, it started when I dumped food on my cheating ex in the cafeteria after Momoi told me he was seen going to the movies with another girl." I smile, remembering the shocked look on his face as I called him a liar and gave him a face full of piping hot food. "I remember seeing that." Aomine laughs at the thought as well. "I didn't think that was you, though." He turns his head to look at me now. "It was." I grin. "But, after that rumor got out that the girl he cheated on me with was twice my age, which wasn't true." "Gross." He scrunches his face in disgust. "Unless she had big tits, then I'd get it." I roll my eyes at his comment. "It gets more disgusting. People are saying that I got an STD from him now." "Ew!" He sits up quickly and looks at me with a gaping mouth. "You don't... Do you?" "Dai-chan!" I punch him in the arm, which hurts my hand as much as I hurt him. "Of course I don't! I didn't even sleep with him." Daiki rubs where I hit with a frown. "Okay, sheesh... But you know, you shouldn't care much about what people say. It's high school, everyone will forget in a couple weeks." I heave a sigh. "I hope so. I've gotten so many guys trying to talk to me because of this." Daiki's head snaps toward me. "What do you tell them?" He asks. He watches me closely, and I give him a confused look. "I tell them to piss off... I don't want some random guy who I've never talked to taking me on a date." I grumble. "It's weird." "Yeah... Really weird." Daiki scratches the back of his neck, lying back down on the roof. "Those guys just care because of the rumors they hear." I nod. That's why I didn't pay them any mind. My phone buzzes, reminding us we need to get going. Daiki and I groan with irritation in unison. He sits up, and we both reach for my phone. Our hands brush in the midst of it, and I feel my face grow hot as he quickly snatches his hand back. I shut off the alarm and shove my phone back into my pocket. "Back to the chamber of torture." I grumble. I hear a small laugh from Daiki and I feel a sense of accomplishment. He doesn't seem to smile or laugh often, so when I'm the cause of that, I can't help but feel happy. "Hey, uh, Kaori?" Daiki stops me before we go separate ways to class. "The basketball team is entering the Interhigh prelims... I wanted to invite you to a game on Friday-" "I'd love to!" I cut him off, thrilled that he'd ask me. I stand on my tip toes to attempt to ruffle his hair, just barely reaching. I mess up his hair slightly. "I'm honored you asked, Dai-chan! I'll definitely be there." He huffs, fixing his hair reluctantly. "I'll look forward to it." I can see a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth, which only grows wider when we make eye contact. "I should get to class, but I'll see you tomorrow, Daiki!" I give him a warm smile, and he nods at me. "Have a good day, Kaori." He waves goodbye, and as I walk away I can't help but smile to myself. Daiki is the first person I feel like I've developed a friendship with. He's the last person I thought I would befriend, because when I see him around he always looks so bored and disinterested. Even with Momoi, he doesn't seem to want to be there. But with me, it's different. He actually asks me questions and seems interested in our conversations, though I'm not sure why. I appreciate every moment we've spent together. I've enjoyed myself more with him than anyone else. I overflow with excitement knowing that I'll see him tomorrow, and that we're attending one another's sports events. For once in my high school baseball career, I'm going to practice. I want to amaze Daiki. ***** Watching basketball usually bores me, but watching Daiki play was invigorating. He has undeniable talent, and then some. Touou absolutely crushed the opposing team, as I expected within the first quarter. The difference in strength was far too great, and Touou will advance in the prelims. I leave my seat and find Daiki walking the halls. "Congratulations!" I call out to him. His attention averts to me quickly, and I can see the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin. I run up to him, flinging my arms around him. He's sweaty and warm, but I don't mind. He's taken back at first, but he hugs me back. "You guys dominated out there! And your plays were flawless!" I overflow with excitement, letting go to look up at him. His expression seems kind of bored, as usual. "I know. I've been undefeated since middle school." I frown. "So none of the games you've played have been challenging?" I raise a brow. He starts to walk toward the exit, and I walk next to him. "No one can match my strength. That game you just watched? I didn't even give my all. I don't think I'll ever find someone that can make me put effort into a game." He sounds disappointed when he says this. I know he loves basketball, because if he didn't he would have quit long ago. I sort of feel for him, because that's why I quit playing volleyball and didn't join it this year. I got too good, and I didn't love the sport anymore. So I started practicing baseball over the summer. I pick up things easily and perfect them quickly. I became the ace of the team very fast, and I fell in love with playing the sport. The thrill of running to the bases and sliding to home before getting struck out, it's invigorating. I frown, looking up at him. "Someone will come around and test your strength, Daiki. You just have to be patient." I smile, trying to be optimistic for him. "It could be this year, for all you know!" He sighs. "I don't know. Maybe." I change the subject quickly, seeing as he's not very interested in it. "We should go get milkshakes to celebrate your win!" I exclaim. "I'll buy." His face lightens up a bit and he nods. "I'm in." ***** When we got our food at Maji Burger before I could get money from my bag, Daiki ended up paying for our drinks, and his food. We talked for so long that we had lost track of the time, and the workers warned us that they would be closing soon. That night he walked me home, and I could feel the mood between the two of us changing. He didn't seem bored when I would ramble about certain topics. He would listen to me intently, and sometimes ask questions. That weekend I got invited by Momoi go shopping with the two of them. She claimed he'd be more willing to go if he knew I was coming. I reluctantly went, sort of excited to go shopping with Momoi and Daiki. This must mean I've made two new friends. While shopping Momoi and I walked around the mall, excitedly going through stores and picking out clothes for one another. Daiki trudged behind us, complaining most of the time and asking when we would get to the food court. However the excitement from the weekend came to an end Monday, when I realized that my game was today. I've never gotten nervous before a game, but knowing that Daiki will be watching is making me strive to do the best I can and give it my all. When I actually show up to the game early, my teammates are in shock. "What're you doing here so early, Kaori?" I shrug, grabbing my bat from my bag. "I figured I'd actually go all out in this game." I twirl the bat in my hand, heading towards the field. A basket of baseballs already sits from practice earlier that day. I swing the bat a few times before actually grabbing a ball and tossing it into the air. I hit it dead on, and the ball soars across the field. I repeat the process and each time I don't miss the ball. I'm filled with confidence, just in time for the seats to fill up and for the opposing team to arrive. I end the game with four home runs, and I even sent a ball completely out of the stadium as well. I struck out all but one person I pitched to. My opponents sent curve balls, high balls, and even fast ones at me. None can get past my close eye. I definitely put my all into the game. Daiki finds me after the game as the crowd flows out of the stadium. "Kaori! You were so cool out there!" He exclaims. I've never seen him this excited, so I'm taken back. I laugh nervously. "You really think so?" I scratch the back of my neck, looking at my feet. "Yes! You hit a home run each time you were up to bat, and no matter what they threw at you, you saw through it!" He makes elaborate motions with his hands. "That curve ball, you were like swish! with the bat, and woosh! with that pitch! It was like I blinked and the ball was already in the umpire's mitt!" I can't help but laugh at how excited he's gotten over me playing. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself then." I can feel my cheeks turning red, flattered at the fact that I amazed him. Daiki is a very aloof and laid back person, for him to be excited over something I did? I can't believe it. "Um, my parents are away on a business trip, if you want to come back to my place for something to eat..." I trail off, not sure where I was going with the sentence. He raises a brow. "Sure." The corners of his mouth twitch into a smile as I throw my bag over my shoulder, and we both walk towards the direction of my house. After I made food for the both of us, I show Daiki the place I go to relax. My roof. I grab a blanket and lay it across the roof. The two of us lay down beside one another, taking a deep exhale as we stare up at the sky. "If you could have any power, Daiki, what would you pick?" I ask, not looking away from the stars in the sky. He thinks for a moment. "Time control. I could get hours of sleep, and resume time as if nothing happened." He says it so simply, as if he's thought this through completely. "You could pause time, zoom past someone on the court, and bam! You win the game easily." He hesitates. "I wouldn't need a power for winning though. I already have that ability." He scoffs. I laugh, pondering the possibilities of powers I could have. "I would want to have the power to teleport. If I'm late for school? No worries! I can just teleport there. And you wouldn't have to worry about plane tickets!" I exclaim. A small snicker comes from Daiki. "Do you think you could teleport to space, though?" "Oh, you bet!" I sit up, excitement flowing through me at the thought of going to space. "I'd teleport to a spaceship on the moon! Astronauts would be in for such a treat." I grin. The thought of leaving the atmosphere gives me a thrill. I want to explore the world and then some. Knowing there's stuff outside this Earth that we can't touch or see, it's fascinating. I can feel Daiki's eyes on me as I stare up at the twinkling stars, but I don't mind. "It's so beautiful out here, don't you think?" I turn back to look at him, and he wears a content smile. "It's breathtaking." He smiles at me, and my heart begins to race. I can't ignore how he makes me feel. The way he makes my stomach do flips and the way I get lost in our conversations... It gets stronger everyday. I turn my attention back to the sky, laying back down on the blanket. "Kaori, do your parents travel often?" He asks. "Yeah." I sigh. "That's how I became such a good cook. I've had to cook for myself for a while." "They'd leave you by yourself even as a child?" Daiki seems exasperated at this. I giggle slightly, turning on my side to look at him. He's already watching me, his hands folded behind his head. "No, of course not. My older sister used to be here to stay with me..." I trail off, not wanting to drag the mood down. He furrows his brows together. "Where is she now?" I swallow hard, looking away and back up at the stars. I'm not sure if I should tell him or not... I haven't really opened up to anyone about my sister's death. I hardly talked to my parents about it, let alone someone I met a week ago. Daiki senses something's wrong, because he clears his throat. "If it's a hard topic, you don't have to answer me, Kaori." I heave a sigh. I want to tell him, though. "She died a couple years ago. I was fourteen at the time." "Oh... Um, I'm... Sorry you had to go through that." His tone is solemn. I shake my head. "It's fine. I'm okay." I laugh nervously. In the midst of my thinking, I must have gripped the blanket for some sort of release or comfort. My knuckles are white and the blanket is crumpled. I hear Daiki sigh, and I can feel him scoot closer to me. I feel a sudden warmth on my hand, his hand slipping in mine. He intertwines our fingers without a word, and I don't dare to say anything either. I just squeeze his hand. I assume this is his way of comforting me. Words don't seem to be Daiki's forte. "Thank you." I whisper. I'm not exactly sure what I'm thanking him for. For being the first real friend I've had, or for giving me some sort of comfort... I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm grateful. He squeezes my hand tight. I can feel the warmth radiating from him, warming me in the cold night air. Exhaustion from my game is setting in, and with the warmth of Daiki next to me and the comfort of my own home, I can't fight my eyes as they force themselves closed. ***** As Winter draws closer and closer, Daiki and I do the same. The three of us, including Momoi, have become really good friends. I feel like I belong somewhere finally. Baseball season is over, just in time for the basketball team to start practicing for the Winter Cup. Daiki skips practice to spend time on the roof with me. He doesn't seem to care for practice, because he claims he doesn't need it. I don't think he does either, seeing his true strength during the Interhigh. He claims even then, he didn't give it his all. This weekend, I invited Daiki to my house. The air between the two of us is different lately. I obviously have feelings for him, and I think he's felt the same for a while too. Neither of us have yet to make the first move or come out to the other, so if he doesn't do so tonight, I'll take it upon myself. I sing along and dance to a song I play while I finish cooking food for the both of us, using my spoon as a microphone. I whirl around mid-song to see Daiki watching me with a content smile spread on his face. "Daiki!" I jump, throwing the spoon I held into the air. It lands on the ground with a loud crash, and Daiki muffles a laugh. "You can't sneak up on me like that." I frown. "What if I were in my underwear or something?" Daiki smirks. "That'd be a sight worth seeing." My face heats up as I pick up the spoon I had dropped, tossing it into the sink. I make a plate for him, and one for myself too. "Since you picked the movies last weekend, I picked the movies this weekend." I smile, excited to see his reaction to the movies I chose. He follows me to the living room. The play screen sits, showing the name of the movie: High School Musical. "A musical?" He groans, sitting down on his usual place on the couch. I sit down beside him, grabbing the remote. "Yes, a musical. No complaining, either! I didn't complain when you chose a movie from the '50s with Marilyn Monroe in it." I point out. He heaves a sigh, knowing that I'm right. I press play and the two of us silently enjoy our food as the movie starts. After we both finish eating, I take our dishes to the kitchen and shut off all of the lights. I grab a blanket from the back of the couch. When I offer some to Daiki, he shakes his head. "I'm warm enough." He waves a dismissing hand at me, not taking his eyes from the screen. He seems to be enjoying the movie, which makes me warm inside. I snuggle into my spot on the couch, enveloping myself in my blanket. It's dark and Daiki isn't paying attention to what I'm doing... Now's my chance. I lay my head on his shoulder, his body radiating warmth to my cheek. He tenses for a moment, and I can feel him look down at me. Daiki's arm wraps around my shoulder though, making me more comfortable. While the movie plays, I end up singing every song. Needless to say, I love these movies. Daiki doesn't seem to mind that I sing, seeing as I do it all the time anyway. The feeling of being so close to him makes my heart race. I don't want this moment to be interrupted. I could fall asleep being held so close to him. I wrap my arm around his torso, hugging him closer. My face burns, and I silently thank that I turned off the lights so he can't see my bright red face. Daiki seems to relax in my touch, exhaling deeply and putting his feet on the coffee table. By the end of the movie I could feel myself drifting to sleep, but the ending credits woke me from my daze. I pull away from Daiki, the both of us stretching in unison. He yawns, which causes me to yawn as well. "Did you like it?" I ask with a hopeful look. He gives me a small smile. "I did. Are there more?" "Two more! We can watch them, if you want? The other two are a lot better," I explain excitedly. Daiki watches me intently. "The last one is the best by far. It captures the struggle of not knowing what you want to do in life, and Troy and Gabriela experience more relationship issues." I wiggle my brows at the last part. Daiki snorts. "I'd love to watch them with you." He says calmly. He holds eye contact with me, his eyes flitting to my lips and back to me. I wait for him to make a move. He takes me by surprise when he grabs my face, pulling me to his. The kiss is hesitant at first, but I quickly kiss him back. This is what I've wanted since we became friends. Our lips move in sync, both of us breathing heavy. I'm caught between wanting to keep going and stopping before this goes too far. I guess Daiki thought the same, because he pulls away. His hands have dropped to my shoulders. This time he smiles wide, his eyes twinkling even through the light of the TV. I can't help but smile and laugh nervously at what just happened. My face is probably bright red. "Sorry if I uh... Took you by surprise..." He drops his hands to his sides. I shake my head. "It's okay. I've wanted you to do that for a long time, actually..." I look down at my lap. "Me too, Kaori." He wipes his palms on his pants and clears his throat. "Movie number two!" I exclaim, breaking the tension. "Shall we?" I ask him with a giddy grin, and he simply nods. "Bring it on."

Shortly after that night Daiki and I decided to start dating. Momoi was the one to call it first, as she always said we would when the three of us were together. It's the first couple of days at school as we're open with the fact we're together, holding hands in the hallway, brief kisses, the usual. It's been about a month since I broke up with my ex in the cafeteria, and a month of ignoring his constant texts and phone calls. Once I started getting close with Daiki, it seems he realized that I really was done with him. But it seems that he doesn't take the hint, because when I open my locker that day, it's filled with roses. "Daiki! Did you do this?" I exclaim, looking at him with an excited grin. Though he doesn't look happy. In fact, he seems furious, as he's let go of my hand to clench his fists. "It wasn't me." He says through gritted teeth. I tilt my head at him in confusion. It takes a moment for it to click when I see my favorite types of chocolate sitting in my locker buried under the roses. I pick up the chocolates, and on it reads a note: Meet me after school at our old spot if you feel the same. I start to match Daiki's fury. "Does he not understand that I'm with you now?" I throw the chocolates onto the ground, my shouting causing everyone to look towards me. I hop up and down on the chocolates. "I. Don't. Want. You!" I scream out with every jump. I can hear a small snicker coming from Daiki. He's been good at keeping his calm over this whole thing. I've had him respond to multiple texts from my ex, but he doesn't seem to care. He wants me back. I heave a sigh and pick up all of the roses and the chocolates. There were at least thirty. I throw them into the garbage. "This guy is pissing me off, Kaori. We have to do something..." His fists are clenched tightly, his knuckles turning pale. "If he keeps doing this shit I'll kill him." I think for a moment. Our usual spot is by the river downtown. We used to sit on the fence and talk for hours. "I'll meet him at our usual spot like he said, and I'll make sure he gets it through his head." I reassure Daiki, grabbing his balled up fist. He exhales deeply, intertwining his fingers with mine. "I hope so. Because you're my girlfriend. He lost his chance." He seems more calm now that I've reassured him, but I can tell how jealous this is making him. This is infuriating to me too, however. Before Daiki and I started getting serious about our feelings toward the other, I didn't mind the texts from my ex. I would block his number, block him on social media, and so forth. But he continued to find a way to harass me. This will come to an end tonight after school. I'm sure of it. ***** When I arrive at our old spot, Shou sits on the wooden fence already. His eyes meet mine and my stomach drops. His smile makes me want to shove him off of the fence and into the water. I stand beside him, crossing my arms across my chest. He opens his mouth to speak, but I stop him. "This is the last time I'll tell you this, Shou. So are you listening?" I look him the eye, my tone firm and stern. I'm making my point clear, and if it doesn't get through to him, I fear Daiki may step in. Shou nods. "I don't want to be with you. You broke my heart and you ruined the one chance you ever had. If you ever make a romantic advance towards me again, I won't let it fly." I glare at him now, recalling the thirty roses he put in my locker. "If you love me so much, you should've shown it when we were together instead of giving love that was supposed to be for me, to some other girl. I didn't deserve that, Shou. I loved you with all I had." "I'm so sorry, it was a mistake-" "A mistake that can't be taken back. So don't you ever get an idea that I may want you back. Because I don't. Am I clear?" "Kaori... Just listen to me, I love you! I always have," his face contorts with sadness, his eyes welling with tears. "I regret what I did... It eats me up everyday." I roll my eyes. "You won't convince me." I decide to sit beside him on the fence, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I do forgive you for what you did. I met someone because of that." I smile at him, and he looks up to me with a small smile. "You forgive me?" He sounds hopeful. I nod. Before I can blink I feel his lips on mine. I shove him back so hard that he wobbles on the fence. "Shou, what the hell?" I scream. "You said you forgave me." He frowns. "And that I met someone else! Do you not understand that I have a boyfriend? A boyfriend that's so much better than you ever were, might I add." I'm fuming now, jabbing his chest with my fingernail. "He makes me feel loved and he makes me happy! Two things you could never do, and oh, don't even get me started on how great he is-" Something hits my cheek, causing it to sting. I bite my tongue in the process, my head tilted to the side and my jaw gaping. My mouth fills with the metallic taste of blood. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was thinking..." Shou stands up on the wooden slats of the fence, but I stop him. "You crossed a line." I'm even more furious than before. He had no reason to hit me. I may have provoked him, but I couldn't see another way to get it through his thick skull. I lift my leg and kick him in the stomach. Hard. He cries out in pain, clutching his stomach. He stumbles on the fence and I watch him splash into the water. I fight the urge to laugh at him as he curses, pulling himself out of the muddy, shallow waters. "Don't look at me, don't speak to me, and don't you ever touch me again. My boyfriend isn't the only person you have to be afraid of." I climb off of the fence. His face has dropped as he stands in the water. I think he gets it. When I get back to my house, Daiki waits for me outside. He leans up against the side of my home, sleeping soundly. He truly can sleep anywhere. I touch his shoulder, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Daiki!" I shout. He sits up quickly, his head smacking mine in the process. I'm knocked backwards onto my butt, clutching my forehead. "Babe I'm so sorry! I just reacted!" He rushes to my side, but I just let out a laugh. I heave a sigh of relief. After the encounter with my ex, it feels good to be with someone I'm comfortable with. His concerned expression just grows deeper when he sees the redness of my cheek. "What the hell happened?" His voice is low and threatening. I smile, remembering how well I defended myself. "He tried to kiss me, and in response I got mad, as I do." I shrug. "He slapped me, and I kicked him in the stomach. He fell into the water, and I warned him that you're not the only person he should be afraid of." Daiki doesn't seem to be any less angry though. "He hit you?" I can almost see the steam rolling off of him, his teeth gritted in anger. He stands quickly and starts to walk. Shit. I run after him, grabbing his arm. He just shakes me off and continues to stomp down the street. I stop him the only way I know how. I jump on his back, covering his eyes with my hands. "Damn it, Kaori, get off of me!" Daiki roars. "I'm gonna kill this kid!" He pries my hands off of his eyes and continues to walk. I karate chop the top of Daiki's head. "You're not going to do anything, Aomine Daiki! I took care of it." I put my fist on top of his hand and push down, twisting it. "Stop walking you navy blue bastard!" "Ow!" He cries. He slides me off of his back, turning to look at me with a frown. "Are you sure you took care of it?" I laugh. "Daiki, you should've heard how hard I kicked him. I think I heard him throwing up as I walked away." That brings a small smile to his face. "And plus, he fell into muddy water. He was filthy, Daiki! He had to walk home like that." I laugh mid-sentence just looking back at the look on his face. I grab Daiki's hands, kissing his knuckles. "I'm strong, babe. I can defend myself, although I appreciate you wanting to stand up for me." His frown turns into a pout as he sighs deeply. "Okay, Kaori. I trust you." He pulls me into his embrace, hugging me tightly. He doesn't say he cares about me, but by the small things he does, I know how he feels. I love the posts he makes about me on social media, the stuffed animals he wins in crane machines for me, and when he watches my favorite things without complaining. I pull away from him only a little to look up at him, his arms slinking around my waist. "Can I tell you something?" "Hm.. Is it something good?" He asks. "It's just that... I'm in love with you. Nothing special." I wink, giving him a toothy grin. I watch his mouth twist into a smile as his grip on my waist tightens, pulling me closer. "Me too, Kaori." I furrow my brows together. I want him to actually say it. I push him a little. "You're in love with yourself too? I knew that already." I play dumb, tilting my head to the side. Daiki grumbles. "I'm... in love with you, too." He says quietly. I smile so wide my cheeks hurt. I stand on my tip toes to kiss him deeply. He kisses back instantly, a small hum coming from his throat when we break apart, his eyes still shut. Though it's still early in the relationship, I have a feeling this is a start of something good. We balance one another out really well. I feel like I've finally found peace and happiness in my life, something I longed for since my relationship with Shou started to decline. I have a feeling this will last. The happiness I feel when I'm with him is something I can't put into words. ***** After losing to Seirin, Daiki became a lot more focused on basketball. Now that he knows there are still people out there that he can battle at full strength, I think it's driven him to work harder. And that he has. We've finished our second year of high school, and Daiki has joined a street basketball team this summer with the Miracles, Kagami, and Kuroko. They plan to beat a team named Jabberwock, from America. They came to Japan and threatened our street teams with their undeniable strength and harsh play. We walk down the street to the gym they use for practice. Daiki and I stopped for ice cream on the way, the two of us trying to finish our cones before we arrive. I contently ride on Daiki's back, my legs locked around his torso tightly. I hold myself up by his shoulders. I watch my ice cream start to drip in the beating UV rays of summer. Before I can open my mouth to warn my boyfriend, a scoop of ice cream slides onto his head. He quickly shakes his head, and I immediately slide off of his back so he can freak out more freely. I hide a laugh as the scoop falls off of his head and splashes to the ground. He touches his head, then turns to me with an exasperated expression. "Kaori!' He screams, dragging out the vowels in my name has he throws his arms into the air. He throws his ice cream cone onto the ground in his outrage. "I'm going to be so sticky because of you! How could you miss it falling onto my head?" He shouts. I have to chew on my lip to fight the laughter that builds up. "I-I'm sorry.... Babe it just happened..." My snickering comes out when I speak, and Daiki looks at me with a frown. "My hair is all sticky now!" He cries. "I can't believe this. And now I don't have ice cream!" He scoffs. I sigh. "You can have mine. And," I pull a bottle of water from my bag. "Rinse your hair with this." A small smile forms on his face as he takes the water. "Aw, Kaori... I love you." He kisses the top of my head, cracking open the bottle of water. ***** After I began my third year of high school, my parents decided that I was old enough to take care of myself, as I had done it for all of these years as it is. They claimed they bought a place in the next town over, and they left the apartment to me. I love living alone, and Daiki basically lives here now. His parents don't seem to mind that he stays here, they just want him to come home after school to eat dinner with them. Part of me hates eating alone, but I understand that Daiki is close to his parents, since he's an only child. When Daiki comes home I'm finishing up cleaning the apartment. I sing along to the music that plays and dance around the living room in my underwear and his old Touou basketball jersey from our first year of high school. Daiki exhales loudly as he takes off his shoes and coat. He even slips off his jeans, kicking them off in the doorway. I laugh, "Long day?" I ask. "Something like that." He mutters. Daiki looks to me, his exhausted expression seeming a little livelier as his arms wrap around me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Are you okay?" I ask, hugging him back tightly, relishing in his warmth and the comforting smell of his cologne. "I am now." He pulls away to look down at me, kissing my nose. "Well," I rest my head on his chest again, squeezing my arms around him. "If you want to talk about it I'll be here to listen to you." He shakes his head. "My parents don't agree with some of the decisions I've made." His hand rubs my back soothingly. "But I don't care." I pull away to look at him, obviously confused. "What decisions? Do your parents not like me?" He gives a small scoff. "Not that... I just-" Daiki shakes his head. "You'll find out soon, okay?" My brows knit together in confusion and I pull away from him completely. "Is it a surprise for me?" He's very good at keeping secrets. Daiki just shrugs, trudging across the room to grab his jeans he had kicked off. He disappears into our room, leaving me to ponder what he could possibly be planning. For our second year anniversary, Daiki takes me to my favorite restaurant. It's extremely expensive so we only got to go once with money my parents had given me, but this time, he insists he's going pay. Daiki showed up to the restaurant with a very large bouquet of flowers and my favorite candy too. I bought him a very nice and expensive watch, because he seems to always arrive late to functions. But tonight, he was right on time with a wide smile on his face. "Happy anniversary, babe." He kisses my lips gently before taking a seat across from me. "I can't wait to give you your gift, so I'm going to give it to you now." He grins, though his aura has turned anxious. Daiki pulls a box from his pocket. "I'm not proposing or anything." He laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck as he hands the box to me. "But I am promising that I will, someday." I open the box to see a beautiful stone that's turquoise, my birthstone. It's surrounded by two other white diamonds, the band silver. "I uh, had to guess the ring size... So we can take it to get fitted-" I slide it on, and it fits perfectly. I look at it under the lights with a bright smile. "I love it, Daiki!" I smile, leaning across the table to kiss him multiple times. "This is beautiful, and I promise that we'll get married someday." I reach under my chair and give him my present, put in a small bright blue bag with tissue paper. "Aw, Kaori, you didn't have to..." He tries to hide his excitement as he rips into the bag, tossing the paper onto the floor like a child. He opens the larger box to reveal a gold watch. His jaw drops. "How much did you spend on this, babe?" I shake my head. "Probably as much as you spent on this ring." The two of us had gotten jobs in our second year for a sense of independence. I work at a small retail shop, and Daiki works in a sports store, shockingly. Daiki puts on the watch and beams at it under the lighting of the restaurant. "I love it! Now I won't be late to everything." He grins at me from across the table. I hope when I'm older I can look back on this moment. I want to be able to remember the way I felt when Daiki and I first kissed. The butterflies I still get when he smiles at me, the way my heart races when he kisses me. I want to remember it all. And most of all, I want to remember him. ***** After high school, Daiki got recruited by the NBA team the Cleveland Caviliers. I'm moving with him to America for training camp in a month. He's attending the same school as Kagami, who got recruited his second year of high school. I'll be going to a college in America with a scholarship with softball (what they call women's baseball). I'm still undefeated and continue to get better at the sport. Until we can move, however, I'm working as much as I can to have money to transfer to US dollars. It's towards closing time, and the store is getting slow with customers. I walk around, refolding clothes that have gotten messed up, and putting things back where they belong. The bell on the door rings, and I whirl around expecting a customer. A man with a gun walks in, aiming the gun at me as he locks the door. "Don't try anything and I won't shoot." His voice is low and threatening. I nod slowly, watching as he walks through the store. He slips up and takes an eye off of me, and I run to the cash register. I pull a bat out from underneath the counter that I keep there in case of a time like this. I grab it just in time for him to turn to me. The gunshot is louder than I expected. It makes my ears ring and I'm crying out in agony before I can process what had happened. My hands hold my chest that gushes with blood, my lungs constricting and struggling to fill with air again and again. I slink to the ground as the man steps over me, punching the register open and shoving money into a bag. "You won't... Get away." I say through my struggle to breathe. My phone lays on the counter, and so does the landline. The man sees my eyes, and he shoves my phone into his pocket and rips the cord off of the landline phone. Now what? I start to think of Daiki as I realize I might die here. What will he do? I won't be there to see him succeed. "I won't leave you to die, sweetheart. Just suffer a little bit." I don't want to die. I want to see Daiki one last time. I want to hear his voice. I want to see his smile. I want to hear him laugh at my jokes. I want to tell him I love him. The man's sinister laugh however is the last thing I hear before my eyes force themselves shut. *Aomine's POV* I had been sleeping soundly when I get a call from a random number. It's late, and I notice that Kaori isn't home yet, either. My heart immediately begins to race as I put the two pieces together. I sit up and answer the phone. "Aomine, come to the hospital." It's her father. "Wh-Why?" I ask, standing up. I turn on the bedside lamp as I put on pants, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder. "Is Kaori okay?" "We don't know. Just come." He says. And with that he hangs up. Her dad never cared for me much, but he sounds distressed. He's not one to show much emotion. I slip on a shirt as well, cramming my phone into my pocket and grabbing my car keys. I make the drive quickly, and I was lead to a waiting room for surgery. Her parents explain that her store was robbed, and in an attempt to defend herself, the man shot her. It could be hours before her surgery is completed, therefore hours before I know if she'll live or not. I twirl the watch on my wrist that she had gotten me a year ago for our anniversary. I can't bare to never see her again... I must have fallen asleep in the waiting room, because a door clicking shut wakes me. Kaori's parents are looking to a man who appears to be the surgeon. "The bullet just barely missed your daughter's heart... We were able to get it out but she's not doing well." He explains solemnly. It feels like someone punched me in the stomach. I can't breathe. "So... She's going to die?" I croak. The doctor looks to me with a sigh. "We can do all we can to prolong her life and make her comfortable... But the bullet damaged her lungs. It's making it difficult for her to breathe properly." It feels like I got shot too. I feel nauseous, like I'm going to puke. It feels like someone is squeezing all of the air on my insides and twisting my heart strings in a knot. I try to imagine life without Kaori in it completely. I don't like what I see. I stand up, leaving the room despite the questions from her parents. I throw up into the nearest trash can, finally able to at least breathe. She can't die. She has so much going for her... I want to see her be the greatest softball player in America. I want to see her in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle to marry me. But most of all, I want to see her. A life without her is a dark one with lack of light and happiness. She's been my positive energy for three years, my motivation. She's pushed me to achieve so many things. Without her I would have quit basketball... Quit school. I do the only thing I know. I call an old friend as I walk towards the exit. "Midorima?" I ask. "Nanodayo." He grumbles in a grumpy tone. I probably woke him up, but I don't care. This is urgent. "You still have um... Powers right?" I ask, not sure what I should and shouldn't say in the middle of this hospital. "Yes. What's it to you?" He asks. "Listen... This is an emergency. Can you bring back humans from the dead?" The line goes silent for a moment. "I can't play fate, Aomine." "Shit. What if uh, what if I sacrifice something? Like my life, or-" "I will not let you give up your life for someone else's, Aho!" He shouts over the line. He hesitates for a moment as I walk into the parking lot and towards my car. "Who are we talking about, exactly? It's not Kaori is it?" I sigh, feeling a gaping hole in my chest that aches every time I breathe. "We are." He doesn't speak for a long time, but I hear pages being flipped as if he were looking through a book. "Is she dead?" "No, but she's struggling... The doctor doesn't know if she'll make it." I feel a lump forming in my throat as my voice starts to shake. I can't bare the thought of her being gone. "I can't play the path fate has intended... But I can get around it in a way, if you're up for it." Midorima explains. "She'll live, and she'll be healthy, but... She won't remember anything that has to do with you." I feel a large twinge of pain in my chest. I won't be able to kiss her, or hug her... I won't even be able to hear her laugh. But she'll live. She'll be happy, nonetheless. "She'll remember that she's going to go to America to play softball, right?" "Yes. She will remember her life in school, too. But anything to do with you, it will be a gray area that her mind will never be able to recall." He clears his throat. "She won't know who you are, and you won't be able to interact with her once she's alive, or fate will take over." I want her to live. That's the only thing I want more than anything... She deserves to live, even if she has to live without me, she won't experience the pain of ever losing me. "I'll do it." I say before I change my mind. "I'll meet you at the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Make sure no one else is in the room, of course." Midorima says. "You're sure about this, Aomine?" "I don't want her to die." "Okay. Get some sleep." Midorima doesn't give me a chance to respond, he just hangs up. That's the most caring he's ever been towards me. All of my friends are aware how much I love Kaori. I sit in my car, scrolling through pictures on my phone. I think of all the memories that Kaori will never be able to look back on. She won't know what happened on our first date. She won't know that she promised herself to me, and I her. I don't try to stop the tears that fall. I stop when I see a picture of Kaori that I took when she wasn't watching, as I do always. She's singing, of course. She clutches her chest as she belts out a note, her heart and body into the song. I can't help but smile. I want her to be happy. She can't be happy if she's not alive.  Though this decision will bring me pain that I don't think I'll ever move on from, I think it's worth it.. If Kaori can live a happy life, I hope I can find the ability to be happy too. ***** I meet Midorima at the hospital that afternoon after asking her parents if I could have some alone time with her when I visit. When I enter her hospital room, Midorima stays outside. "I'll give you a few minutes to say what you need." He closes the door behind me, and I'm left alone. I stare at Kaori as she lays in the hospital bed. She's attached to so many cords and monitors I can't help but want to rip them all out of her and carry her home. There's a tube down her throat to help her breathe. I see they left her ring on her finger, though I can spot splotches of blood on it still. I lose it then and there, standing over what was supposed to be my future wife. I choke on a sob, lacing her fingers with mine. Squeeze my hand. Her hands are cold, as usual. "You won't remember me when you wake up, Kaori..." I trail off, trying to speak through my tears and shaking voice. "But you're the only woman I'll ever love." I squeeze her hand tightly, putting it to my lips. "All I've ever wanted is for your happiness... I never thought I'd have to go to such a length for that though." I kiss her cold, frail hand and reach my other hand to brush her hair back from her face. My fingers trail her jawline, some of my tears dripping onto the blanket that covers her body. "You've made my life so bright since the day we met... I hope someone will do the same for you later on in your life, Kaori." I slide the promise ring off of her finger, twirling it in my hand. "I'll never forget you." My voice has become a shaky whisper, and it seems the tears keep coming. "I promise." I kiss her forehead, sniffling as I put her ring in my pocket. I sigh, trying to compose myself. I wipe my eyes and open the door. Midorima puts a hand on my shoulder. "You're still sure about this?" I roll my eyes. "Yes. Let's do this." He nods. "When this works, she'll probably sit up straight and start gagging on the tube. So we'll need to book it out of here before she sees us, okay?" He asks, making sure I understand. I nod. "We'll tell the doctors we were visiting when all of a sudden she woke. Easy enough?" "Yeah." I grow more nervous now that he's actually going through with it. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he stands over Kaori. His hands hover flat over her body, his eyes shut as he breathes steadily. Kaori's body starts to lurch upwards on the bed. I take a step back, not sure if I want to keep watching. But I can't look away. Her hips raise up off of the bed, then back down. It's as if someone tied a string to her and lifted her up. She lies still now, and Midorima gets inches from her face. He whispers a few words before standing back. Kaori sits up straight in the bed, and Midorima grabs my arm as monitors begin to beep incessantly. Doctors are already running down the halls towards her room when we exit. "What happened?" A nurse asks as doctors flood the room. "I-I don't know, she just.. Woke up." I say, trying to hide how nervous I am. I peer around the corner enough to hear her voice. "Where am I?" She asks. I want to run in there. I want to hug her and tell her exactly where she is and what happened... I want to feel her embrace. Something hits the back of my head. Midorima threw a cup from one of the medicine carts at me. "Let's go." He mouths. I follow him reluctantly. Where do I go from here? ***** Adjusting to life without Kaori is one of the hardest things I've done. I had to unfollow her on everything, delete every picture of her on social media, and inform her parents that when she woke up, she didn't know who I was. I couldn't tell them what really happened, so I made up a lie that they seemed to believe. As for my career, I play for the Cleveland Caviliers. I still go to watch Kaori play in college, although she doesn't recall me, I watch every single game. She's still so amazing at softball. I put her ring on a chain and it hangs on my mirror in my bedroom. I have not taken off the watch she bought me since the day she gave it to me, only to shower and sleep. Sometimes I contemplate if I made the right choice. Would she have lived if I hadn't? I'm sure she wouldn't have. I still can't help but grieve. I would give up every tomorrow I have to be able to relive one memory with her. I want to relive the first moment we kissed. I want to relive the moment I realized I was in love with her as she danced in her kitchen cooking dinner for the two of us and as she sang along to her favorite movies, High School Musical. I didn't care for the movies at all, but seeing that smile on her face was enough to make me want to watch them with her until the day I died. I wonder if she still loves watching them. I wonder if she still loves to sing and dance, and if she still scrunches her nose in disgust when she smells onions, or when she tastes something she doesn't like. I would give up anything to relive a moment with her. Not only did I lose someone I was going to marry, but I lost part of me. I'm not sure if I can be the same if I have to live with every single memory of Kaori, while she lives her life never knowing I existed. She doesn't know that I love when she wears blue, because it brings out her eyes. She doesn't know that I love how she says my name in the morning, when she's still waking up. And more than anything, she doesn't know that my heart will always belong to her.

[mubal4]

Sharing Our Childhood

 When I was a kid my dad took me to baseball games. It may have been a dozen times but looking back, it felt like hundreds.  Growing up in Northeastern PA, we were fortunate to be about 90 minutes from Veterans Stadium, where the Phillies played, and about the same from Yankee Stadium. This gave us the chance to go see both teams.  I liked both and cheered for both over the years.  In college, living in Philadelphia, I really didn’t follow the Yankees all that much because I was intrenched in Phillyland but as the Yankees when on their run in the late 90’s and early 2000’s I followed them, and rooted for them closely.  As I look back on those years as a kid, growing up in that era, baseball meant a lot to me, and to us as a family.  Hell, being a young boy in the 80’s that is much of what we did as kids, play, watch, and follow baseball.  Going to games was typically a luxury but we did get to a bunch and I remember eating hotdogs and my dad catching foul balls for us.  They were a number of great memories and wonderful experiences.  

 Being a father of two girls, as they grew up, they didn’t have much of an appreciation for baseball.  We took a number of trips when they were young to see the Phillies play in different parts of the east coast, but baseball was “boring,” but they did enjoy the little getaway vacations.  We did have season tickets for a few years in Philly and they both actually sang the National Anthem at games for their 3rd grade chorus. Still, with that exposure to the sport, they really had no interest and to their credit, they were involved in so many other sports.  That said, baseball really didn’t do much to market to the 6-12-year-old female demographic 😊.  

 That story told, things have changed to a degree; well, Bella, our oldest, still thinks baseball is boring but seeing the games in person is much more fun now.  Over the last few weeks, Bella has been to 2 games live, Phillies at the Dodgers and San Francisco at the Diamondbacks.  At each of those games, the entire family went, and we really had a great time at both games. The Diamondback’s game was really cool because it went into extra innings and they ended up pulling it out. Bonus baseball is always fun.  It also helped that we got hooked up with some primetime tickets too 😊.  Although Bella does enjoy going to games live, I don’t see a tremendous amount of daddy/daughter trips to the ballpark.  However, Alaina on the other hand, I can see many. In the last month, her and I have been to 4!!  One of them just the two of us, and it has been a blast.  She cheers, gets excited, not just for the food but the game too 😊, and she asks questions throughout.  She is 13 but obviously has not been exposed to baseball except most recently, so she isn’t too knowledgeable of it.  I think it is fantastic though because we get engaged in conversations throughout and she really seems to get excited, and seems very interested, in learning about it. For me, as a former player and dad, it gets me jazzed up.  It has also helped me fall back in love with the sport again. Just on Sunday at the Diamondback’s game, even though they aren’t “our team” (the Phillies will always be #1 😊), it was super exciting to see them have a walk off win; & they also have a kid playing for them from Norristown, PA, the town right next to where the girls grew up. It is starting to become very fun and enjoyable to go to games.  Yes, when the Phillies made their run to the playoffs and ultimately winning the World Series it was mucho exciting but over the years the passion and that excitement dwindled because of the product that was out on the field.  

 It seems as though the whole process of being a fan of baseball has gone in cycles.  When I was a kid, it was fun, exciting, and incredibly important to me; it was very close to my heart.  Then those feelings reduced as I went through high school.  In college, as the Phillies when to the World Series it was again high on the radar then went back down.  As the Yankees made their run, again up there and that one lasted because it migrated into the beginning of my relationship with Robin; at which time we went to many baseball games as we were dating.  Then that started the whole vacation and weekend getaways to see the Phillies play somewhere and then to their run to the World Series.  However, as the girls got older and gravitated to other hobbies and sports, my interest waned, and baseball took a backseat.  Up until now when I am really having fun again, enjoying games with Robin and the girls. Not just going either and no paying attention; we are engaged and talking about certain plays, where players are playing, why certain things are happening and absorbing the experience.  The last few weeks have been incredibly fun with our family and baseball has been a cool part of that connection.  Will we go through another downturn?  Possibly but who knows, maybe the Phillies will make another run, or the Diamondbacks will do their part in our new city to keep us entertained.  Whatever the case, getting to experience these moments and memories, brings back many of those similar feelings I had when I was a kid. Being able to share those and pass them on to my girls, it is, well, pretty cool and I am grateful for it.  

 Wherever your interests lie and whatever your spouse or kids may be interested in, we can share them all with one another. Yes, there will be those that we don’t like and not all of them will work.  You may go to a dance recital or a Broadway show and have not connection at all. Sports may not be your cup of tea and your kids may think a concert with their parents is the least thing they would ever want to do because “parents aren’t cool.” I can say, from experience, we’ve been fortunate enough to take our kids to Broadway shows, a couple Zac Brown Band concerts, baseball, basketball, and football games, and most movies, and each time, for the most part, we have been blessed with a great experience AND, they have wanted to do it again.  Having similar interests and likes helps, of course, and again, not all experiences have been super amazing, some have not been ideal.  My point is, that when I look back at those moments, memories, and experiences, it is not necessarily what it is that we were doing, it is that we were doing it together.  To close this out I will circle back to an entry from a few weeks ago, our girls are going to be leaving the house at some point soon to start their own journey, I want to enjoy as many experiences as possible before they go. Hopefully, over the next few years, we will create many more of those great ones.

[nogistreet]

Whisper. Momoko Oozono (Blog 5/15-2017)

I’ve always been bad at dodgeball. It’s scary to see the balls come flying towards you.

In soccer you shoot the ball into the goal Same applies for basketball. In volleyball, you’re supposed to avoid letting the ball hit your side of the court. In baseball, you send the ball flying by striking it with a bat.

Only in dodgeball are you supposed to hit people with the ball.

If the balls were to be replaced with knives… it’d become a game where you stab each other. I always end up thinking stuff like that.

I remember that in elementary school and junior high I was always sobbing hard whenever we played it. In the end my teacher told me that they won’t force me to play if I don’t want to, so I often ended up watching from the sidelines instead.

Today’s blog started with some stuff I’ve been thinking about since elementary school✨

Good evening, it’s Momoko

Yesterday we wrapped up the 3rd generation stand alone concerts. Six days, with eight shows in total. It was over before I knew it.

It was tough. Starting with the rehearsals there were a lot of choreographies and lyrics to memorize. Whenever there was a part that I couldn’t understand, it really got me down.

Even though I earnestly listened to the instructions, my head got crammed with so much stuff at once, it seemed like nothing more would fit. It made me feel bad about myself.

The thing that I was the most stressed out about was the piano.

Piano, the instrument I played since I was five, up until when I was 15 years old.

Not being able to play properly, despite having practiced it for such a long time… I guess some of the fault lies in the fact that I haven’t been keeping it up, but I was never good at it to begin with.

Other kids start practicing the pieces they play during recitals around two our three months before the show, but in my case I always started half a year early - and even then I was barely able to master it until the very end.

Up until now, I’ve never really been serious about it.

When they said that they wanted me to play the piano for this show, I told them that I don’t think we’d make it before the show starts, as I’m really not that good, but the staff kept cheering me on. They told me that it’d be all right, that I could do it, and they stayed by my side all the time as I practiced from morning until late at night - they even made it so that I’d be able to practice at the handshake venues.

Up until the day the show started, I gave the piano my all, every day. Playing during dance rehearsal breaks, during handshake breaks. It was the first time I had ever faced the piano this seriously, and to be fair, it wasn’t easy.

I’m already lagging behind the rest in dancing to begin with, so adding playing the piano on that made me realise I had to work harder than ever before. And I did give it my all, but both my body and my spirit couldn’t keep up with the strict schedule all the time. This combined with other worries in the back of my head…

I ended up inconveniencing a lot of people at the time.

I made everyone worry about me, yet they still kept cheering me on. But wouldn’t hear any of it, I just kept breaking down, by myself. Even so the staff, as well as the other members didn’t give up on me. I think they’re truly amazing.

Minamin would stay by my side at all times, pointing out my mistakes, as well showing her support for me whenever I needed it. I am really grateful to her.

Even when I had nothing but complaints and similar bad things to say, she would lend me her ear, listening to everything, as well as encouraging me by once again telling me that everything will be okay.

Even so, I ended up lashing out at her, which I regret now. Yet though I’m like this, Minamin doesn’t complain about anything! Even though she was probably thinking stuff deep inside, she didn’t let it escape her mouth. She’s so strong, so commendable.

But she shouldn’t keep it bottled up inside! Minamin has helped me out so much, so one day, when she might need it, I���d like to return the favour! I want to become stronger as well.

Before the lives started, a lot of the older members cheered me on and told me to do my best. They’re all so nice, it gave me a lot of strength(TT)

Those of you (members) who came to see the show, thank you very much!!!

In the end, I’m glad we were able to pull this show off with these twelve members. In the middle of it all my voice got really hoarse too, but it’s thanks to all the fans support that we were able to have spend such an enjoyable time together. And while it was really tough, playing the piano ended up being a good experience too.

Thank you so much.

I’ll be giving it my all for the Hibiya Outdoor live too!

Let’s go out and play sometime soon! We’re close ya’ll. ◎

This is from the first day when I was able to succeed with the piano. Deshinjirou (I assume this is her nickname for Kaede) came at me all congraaaaaaaaats. Always so funny, love you. lol

So I’m kinda changing the topic but I’ll in weekly playboy together with Shiraishi, released May 22nd!!!

While the shoot only lasted for a short while, she answered a lot of my questions, and it was a lot of fun✨

Shiraishi smells really good. When standing next to her it’s almost as if you’re drifting into a different world… which is rather troublesome(//∇//)

Before I headed to rehearsals after the shoot ended, she wished me good luck with the piano training, and also said that she’ll go to the live if she’s able to... And she did come to watch us on the 13th’s evening show!!

I promised her that I’d definitely succeed with the piano, and asked her to focus on me. Then after wishing me good luck she gave me a tomato and told me to eat it after the show ends. I ended up failing with playing the piano properly though… very frustrating（ ; ; ）But even then she told me that she was moved by seeing me there on stage, playing it, so I’m glad she was able to show it to her(^^

I’ll do my best in order for us to be able to work together again soon! Thank you very much◎♡

For those of you who watched Nogichu!

Ever since that time we got teased during kindergarten about calling our mom Chaachan, saying it sounds like fried rice… (Cha-han) My brother has been properly calling her mother... Maybe I should start doing something about how I address her too(￣▽￣)

Anyhow, I’ll wrap it up here.

After the final show, when we were having dinner, our singing coach attached a note to me, lol. I’ve got a piece of sushi in my mouth by the way.

Thanks for sticking with me until the end◎

(I, Momoko, will only respond using body language or written messages for a while. Please hit me would I use my voice.)

[astormyjet]

December 28th 2016 - March 12th 2017. Hiroshima Part 2, New Year, A Visit From Some Old Friends, Birthdays and a Few Long ‘See-you’s!’.

Opps. I got lazy. What else is new? As per usual a bunch has happened since I last wrote. Things got busy basically as so as I started back after Winter Break and I haven’t had time to think. Or sleep properly. But hey, that’s being an adult right?

On the 28th I got on the Ferry and took myself to Hiroshima for a few days of shopping and just wandering around. I met up with an old Uni friend and her sister. We went out for dinner on my first night in the city, I took them to the big Okonomiyaki tower and then Hannah and I walked around the Heiwadori Illuminations.

We hit the Itsukushima Shrine on the 29th and I climbed up Mt Misen from the top of the Ropeway station. I had taken like three steps into the bush track when two Pheasants ran out in front of me. I nearly had a heart attack because at first I thought they were snakes, because all I saw were their tail feathers, but then they started clucking at me/each other and I spotted the rest of their bodies as they bolted up the hill. The view from the top of the mountain was pretty amazing. It would have been better if it had been a clear day though. There was snow on the mountains on the mainland, but the sky was pretty grey and you couldn’t see out to the other islands as well as you can when the sun is out.

On the 30th we got on the Ferry and came back to Matsuyama. We climbed up to the Castle for the sunset and then I took them out to my fave Izakaya. I think we went our own ways pretty early that night in prep for doing stuff the next day. On the 31st they explored Matsuyama a bit, and I sorted my life out before meeting them at their hostel. We watched the Kouhaku (Red and White Singing Wars) together with the other guests in the house plus the lady who was in charge. At a little before midnight we went up the road to a wee pub behind the Dogo Onsen and saw in the new Year with a beer, and then we climbed up the stairs to the Shrine on the top of the hill for Hatsumode.

On New Years Day Hannah and I met Jiovaane and a few other ALTs to go “Fukubukuro” shopping. Basically this is when you get to the mall as soon as it opens and the go and buy a pre-bundled lucky bag from a shop. You can pay anywhere from 1000yen to over 20000yen for a bunch of stuff. I got bags from Right On, Village Vangaurd and a sports store. I basically paid 25000yen and got over 40000yen worth of clothes and home goods. It was a cool experience.

Hannah left on the 2nd or 3rd and I celebrated my birthday on the 4th. I’m 24 now apparently. Probably should start planning what I’m going to do with my life from now on...

Nothing much other than work happened between then and the Tsubaki-Matsuri on the 3rd-4th-5th of Feb. I went down with my mates on the 4th. A bunch of my students were there and said hello. A group of my third-year JHS kids stuck around and tried to figure out what we were saying. During that weekend we went and saw a concert/live show that one of our Japanese friends was playing with his new band “Seaslugs”. It was pretty cool!

On the 11th of Feb, the Chuyo RA held a “Harry Potter” Murder mystery night which was a heap of fun. Props again to Jiovaane and his imagination for making the night enjoyable.

On the following weekend one of the other ALTs had a game night at his house, where a bunch of JET Program ALTs, Private ALTs, Eikaiwa teachers and University Students were massive nerds and played board and card games. We also ate a heap before going back into town and hitting the bar. The following night was also a game night, this time at Mat’s, as him and his girlfriend were getting ready to leave for travel. Both nights were a blast even if I was shattered by the end of the weekend.

On the 25th, my mate from Uni came and visited. She took me out to a wee station on the ocean front famous for it’s sunset. Shimonada was the name of the place. We got out there and enjoyed the view with a surprising number of other tourists. It was such a great day for it though. The sun was out and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. It was a bit hazy out towards the islands, but as the sunset drew near, it got easier to see out to where the islands were. There was lovely older couple who volunteer out at the station who made an effort to come and talk to us both. The old dude was super keen on photography and helped Misa out with a few cool angles and shots of the station and the islands. The Iyonada-Monogatari, a local sight seeing train, pulled up a little before the sun started to properly set, and everyone scrambled to snap photos of it. It was about twenty minutes after that that the sun started to do it’s thing. We snapped a few shots and then jumped back on our train to Matsuyama.

That night we went out for dinner and then walked into town to meet up with my mates. There was a birthday/farewell party on for Mat, Miku and Paul. It was a good night, albeit a bit sad. But that’s what happens when you live in another country. People come and go fairly regularly.

Misa and I went up to Matsuyama Castle in the morning and got some shots of the plum blossoms and the castle itself before we walked down to JR Station and parted ways. It was really cool to catch up with someone from Otago. It’s amazing how far everyone has come since graduation.

On the 4th of March I went and watched my Baseball boys play a game. Basically the pitcher had been bugging me to come and watch them play since I watched them lose a game at the fall tournament. This time they played fiercely and stole a last minute win. It was really neat to see how confident they’ve become since September. I’m hoping to catch the Girls Basketball team play next weekend. I havent watched them play yet, but a few of them have been bugging me to come watch since they heard I went to the soft tennis tournament to support their classmates there. Which is fair enough - and I am honestly looking forward to it. It’s really awesome that they want me there, and that even if the hate English as a subject, they’re not opposed to interacting with me in English outside of the classroom.

This Friday night, a bunch of us went and had nabe (hotpot) at Dillions in celebration of his birthday. Basically we cooked, ate, played card games and just enjoyed each others company. After how hectic the last few weeks have been, it was really nice. The food was fantastic too, Yukie made the soup base and it turned out really well.

Last night we all met at Pauls place for another game night/the actual birthday party for Dillion. We played Dixit (which is a fantastic abstract concept game), at a bunch of junkfood, watched a bunch of youtube and then got on our bikes and headed into town to continue at the bar. I got home fairly early bar.

Today I basically woke up and hit the ground running to get chores done before rolling out the door to do a bit of exploring. I finally stuck my head into the shrine by the castle park moat. It was super cute, and the lighting was really nice. There was also a part where you could hang over and photograph the fish from close up, which was really cool. I also went up to the big cemetery on the hill. I wanted to take photo’s of the cats that hang out there and live off of the offerings people leave. I found a few but wasn’t fast enough to get pictures. Still it was nice to get out into the sun and see parts of the city I hadn’t.

Basically in between the busy weekends, there’s been even busier weeks. I go to Karate twice a week from 7pm-9pm and I have a Japanese Lesson every Tuesday from 4.30-5.30pm. I study, clean and plan lessons on the other nights, so I haven’t really had much in the way of a proper break for a couple of months. Being this social really takes it out of me. Not that I hate it, I’m just not used to it after so long being a hermit Today was the first time in forever I had some time to myself and could ride my bike around for the sake of it.

I finished teaching my 3rd Year JHS students on Monday this week. I have one lesson left with all the other classes from ES grade 5 to 2nd year JHS. My ES kids have done so well over the last couple of months, the 6th graders surprised me with their creativity when doing the Momotaro unit of Hi Friends and also with their dreams for the future.

Graduation for my JHS kids is this week on the 16th. I’m going to cry so hard. I really hated teaching them last year, but something changed this year and they became really cool to teach. I think because I’ve known them for nearly two years now. that it will be harder than last year. ES Graduation is on the 23rd, but that’s not so hard as most of them come to the JHS. A couple of my favorites are leaving to other schools though, largely for special needs or sporting reasons. Which is really cool but sad at the same time. The teacher shuffle happens in April too, which will be interesting.

I’m going to Osaka South Korea with one of the other ALTs on the 25th of March. So I’m looking forward to that and the three day weekend next weekend. Hopefully the political situation will stabilize a little bit there so we’re ok.

This has been a bit drier/disjointed than the last couple of entries, but to be honest I am so tired. I just wanted to get everything down before I forgot it all and had some time to think.

[billyagogo]

'The Last Dance' proves why Michael Jordan's the only athlete who could ever be loved as both hero and villain - CBS Sports

New Post has been published on https://newsprofixpro.com/moxie/2020/05/12/the-last-dance-proves-why-michael-jordans-the-only-athlete-who-could-ever-be-loved-as-both-hero-and-villain-cbs-sports/

'The Last Dance' proves why Michael Jordan's the only athlete who could ever be loved as both hero and villain - CBS Sports

The greatest trick Michael Jordan ever pulled was becoming a villain right in front of our eyes — and looking like a hero while doing it. That’s the essence of what has to be acknowledged as the most enjoyable and enlightening Jordan interview excerpt we’ve seen so far from “The Last Dance,” which is now eight episodes deep into its 10-episode run.  On Sunday night, millions saw the clip that’s going to birth two or three more everlasting M.J. memes.  The Gary Payton reaction clip.  Near the end of Episode 8, director Jason Hehir once more pulls a move that has served this documentary-as-cultural-event so well. Hehir hands Jordan a tablet for him to watch interview subjects speak about him, in the present day, with Jordan getting the benefit of being afforded a last word on whomever it is he’s provided to roast or rebel against.  I am here to tell you that Michael Jordan reacting to Gary Payton talking about Michael Jordan is as pure a look into the mind of M.J. as you’ll ever get of the man — at least away from his greatness and killer instinct so often laid bare on the basketball court. 

Payton is one of the best defenders in NBA history. He was as good of a trashtalker as Jordan could claim to be, and in fact Payton did a great job guarding and harassing 23 in the ’96 Finals. Payton was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1995-96, and he helped Seattle sidestep infamy by dodging a presumed sweep at the hands of the 72-win Bulls. Loaded up alongside Shawn Kemp, Payton and the Sonics worked to a respectable six-game defeat. Like more than 100 other interview subjects, Payton agreed to have a chat, to reminisce on his team getting worked by Chicago. He could have said a few platitudes, offered up a nice quip of a quote and been done with it.  But that’s not the Glove’s style.  And so it had to come to this. On Sunday night, Jordan took off the cape, donned a proverbial villain’s mask and ended Payton. There is no coming back from this. Whichever reporters wind up tracking down Payton for a follow-up, well, that will be forgotten about almost immediately anyway. This video is what makes Jordan, and this documentary, so irresistible.  You’ve got Payton being so damn sure of himself, saying things would have been different if he guarded Jordan from the outset. Jordan can’t wait for this. The cackling. The big eyes, the raised brow. Jordan busts a gut again when Payton says, “It was a difference with beating him down a little bit.” Then, a beat to take it all in.  “The Glove,” Jordan says. Oh, it almost sounds reverential for just a second there. The Glove. One of his contemporaries during the golden years of the NBA. 

“I had no problem with the Glove.”  As smooth as it is savage in delivery. Like Jordan forgot about this man for two decades before needing to be handed a tablet to remind him of who he played against in June of 1996. Jordan in fact averaged 27.3 points on 41.5 percent shooting against Seattle. It was indisputably his worst Finals; it’s the only time he failed to average north of 30 points and shot worse than 45 percent. Payton does have a case.  But the Bulls won the series in six and Jordan was the MVP. That’s all anyone remembers or cares about. The 1995-96 Bulls culminated the most dominant wire-to-wire season in NBA history by winning a championship in Jordan’s first full season back in the league. That’s the legacy, and it’s really what sets the table for the 1997-98 doc to even happen anyway. But that clip is so telling. Of Jordan, but also of us. It’s compelling as hell. Jordan comes off looking like some sort of unhinged supervillain — and we like him even more because of it. He’s laughing at roadkill 24 years in his rearview. With the hand-back of a tablet, Gary Payton and SuperSonics are disposed of. It is affable arrogance, and there isn’t another athlete alive today who can pull it off.   Watch it again; you know you want to. Jordan looks more villainesque than at any other point during Episodes 7 and 8, which is notable because Sunday night was supposed to be the night we had to reckon with Jordan’s abusive behavior to teammates. These two episodes were to be what made us feel uncomfortable about all the praise from the prior six. These were supposed to be the two episodes that humanized — and villainized — the greatest basketball player in history. 

Instead, the documentary continued to blast Jordan’s legend and likability beyond the stratosphere. Buzzed-about behind-the-scenes footage of Jordan picking fights with (or just plain picking on) teammates were practically muted compared to legends of his alleged abusive behavior. We predictably saw him rag on Scott Burrell and yes, we got firsthand accounts from both Jordan and Steve Kerr recalling when Jordan took a closed right fist directly into Kerr’s eye socket. But even that long-established anecdote was wrapped with a bow on the doc with Kerr proclaiming it was “the best thing I ever did” to further his career and push the Bulls closer together in the infancy of that historic 1995-96 season.   Sunday night brought into focus the murder of Jordan’s father, James, and how that set into motion his earth-stopping retirement in the fall of 1993. We learned two things from Jordan in Episode 7: that when the Bulls won the ’93 title, his dad was the only one who really knew he was planning on retiring, and that the final conversation James and Michael Jordan ever had included a father telling his son to chase his dream of playing baseball.  James Jordan was next to Michael after the Bulls’ championship-winning nights in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He’s in the photos, soaked in celebration, sitting or standing beside his son in celebration. 

This was juxtaposed against Jordan’s beloved villainy, which was laid out in his sociopathic motivations. Inventing grudges or actions that pushed him to new levels of vengefulness. But the devil of it all is that Jordan balances this by showing how human and fragile he can be. He cares so much, his joy for killing his competition so genuine, that emotion is a finality for every ending in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Each time is catharsis. And it never seems staged, forced or fake.  That’s why this documentary is reeling millions in. Jordan gave a damn more than anyone ever gave a damn and losing was death.    The end of Episode 8 brings around that ever-familiar image of a stretched-out Jordan on his stomach, in Chicago, crying in solitude after winning Game 6 against Seattle. His father’s been dead for almost three years. You’ve seen this video tens if not hundreds if not thousands of times. But did you ever actually hear it? On Sunday, yes. You can hear the heaves, hear the expulsion of misery and regret, the outpouring of joy and emission of probably three or four other types of emotions that Jordan himself would have trouble articulating to this day.  That coming at the end of Episode 8 wraps a ribbon around the even more powerful conclusion to Episode 7, where again we see Jordan as villain as much as we do as hero. But instead of being animated in a comical way, he’s the most emotional we’ve seen him so far in this doc. What a moment. And just before that clip, Jordan’s most intense, clear-eyed quote of this entire thing: “You ask all my teammates? The one thing about Michael Jordan was: He never asked me to do something that he didn’t f—–g do.”

That’s power, that’s intimidation and that’s 100 percent accurate. He was the hero and he was the villain and he was everything you wanted him to be while being nothing no one else could ever be. 

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[foodoliplife]

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[karenuse54-blog]

Talking baseball with John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseball and coauthor of The Hidden Game

(John Thorn, photo by Alison Richards; Bill Savage, photo by Rich Lalich.)

In 1984, John Thorn and Pete Palmer helped launch what would become the sabermetric revolution in baseball by publishing The Hidden Game of Baseball: A Revolutionary Approach to Baseball and Its Statistics. More than thirty years later, we have seen the game of baseball absorb the insights of Thorn, Palmer, and those who came in their wake in a way that no one could ever have predicted back in the days when RBI, batting averages, and pitcher wins were king.

In 2015, we were proud to bring The Hidden Game back into print. To kick off the baseball playoff season, we hooked up our old friend Bill Savage, lit prof and Cubs fan, with John Thorn to talk about the book and the game.

In The Hidden Game, you and Pete Palmer helped explain new forms of baseball statistics to fans (and the powers-that-be in The Game).   Many of these stats have come to be widely accepted, despite the stubborn adherence to BA/HR/RBI and W/L records among the more retrograde fans. Which of the even more recent statistical categories do you think most add to our understanding and enjoyment of players’ accomplishments?

I admire the work of modern statistical analysts even as, over the years, my interests have drifted more to the history of the game, particularly its earliest period—even before statistics entered the discussion of which player was better than another. Voros McCracken’s FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) has seemed to me to be a great breakthrough in the way we look at the game, and how we measure it. BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) is also a solid new stat, as it reveals the good luck or bad that may inform short-term outcomes. WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is a refinement of Pete Palmer’s Linear Weights System, with the principal difference being its baseline of a mythical replacement player (available via callup from Triple-A) rather than the LWTS baseline of zero. The latter still seems to me more elegant mathematically and philosophically, as an average team will go 81-81 and thus provide no extra wins above a team that is 0-0 on Opening Day.

What’s your take on the new measurements of hitters (launch angle and exit velocity) that are based primarily on technological advances rather than new mathematical ways of framing the game’s data points? Back in the day, people might have seen such things but not have been able to quantify them.

Interesting . . . which is to say that I am interested in their likely assistance in evaluating hitters’ future chances and perhaps their suitability in certain trade ruminations. I am not, however, impressed by these measures’ in-game or in-season utility. They seem to me to be the shiny tinsel on the otherwise perfect tree.

The powers-that-be in MLB are concerned with how long a game takes—but recent research by Grant Bisbee of SBNation.com (comparing two games with strong statistical parallels, from 1984 and 2014 https://www.sbnation.com/a/mlb-2017-season-preview/game-length) suggests that the difference between today’s game and the game of a generation ago is simply how long pitchers take to throw the ball.  Why not just have a 20-second pitch clock, as some minor leagues do?

As it has turned out, few pitchers exceed the 20-second mark with any regularity, so this argument may be moot, or at least window dressing, compared to other problems of pace/length, e.g., number of relief pitchers used, number of pitches thrown (deep counts), time between balls put into play (“Three True Outcomes”), and so on.

The powers-that-be in MLB are also worried about their aging fan base, and blame pace-of-play and length of games for a potentially lost generation of young fans.  But my experience is that some young people (many of my students at Northwestern, for instance) love baseball, and the pauses inherent in the game fit with their constant fiddling with phones, Tweeting and texting.  (Ahem.  I have been known to tweet between innings as well.) If you could mandate anything to get younger fans into baseball, what would it be?

This is above my pay grade, of course—I work for the Commissioner but do not presume to mandate anything. As an advanced fan, however, I might speculate that more balls in play, fewer strikeouts, and fewer situational relievers might well make the game more appealing to fans of any age.

Part of baseball’s historic continuity is the relative stability of the rules, with the lowered pitcher’s mound and the DH being prominent counter-examples.  Is it worth changing fundamental rules to speed up the game?  The gesture for an intentional walk, starting extra innings with a runner on second, and so forth?  Some sports chatterers are even suggesting making the game 7 innings long.  I’d (unseriously) suggest just starting every batter with a 1-1 count, like in park district softball.  How should baseball balance historical continuity with modern demands?

I think most fans do not appreciate the fairly violent gyrations in the rules that characterized the game into the twentieth century, and those that characterized the 1960s and early ’70s. Baseball has always had an experimental quality—just as one might say of the America’s evolving adventure into democracy. Both the nation and its pastime may be viewed as solid, inert institutions, inhospitable to change, yet that is not the way I see either. Continuity, yes; obdurate resistance, no. Traditionalists will tend to be older and bound to affirm their life’s experience of baseball (or America). But older fans, while they may dominate today’s marketplace of ideas, do not represent the economic marketplace of tomorrow.

Baseball is America’s most ancient and historic game—yet many people think MLB doesn’t do enough to teach its history to current or potential fans.  As MLB’s official historian, how would you like to see teams in MLB (and the minors) use the game’s history to enrich the fan experience?

My dear departed friend Larry Ritter, author of The Glory of Their Times (1966), liked to say that the best part of baseball today is its yesterdays. For older fans, certainly that is true. But I think baseball’s past enriches the experience of younger fans, too, and when a seemingly unique event resonates across the canyons of time to recall another, similar happenstance, the effect is warming, enriching, beautiful. I believe that my mission as MLB’s official historian is to share the pleasure I experience in making such connections, and perhaps to inspire a new generation to explore the depths of this endlessly fascinating game. No sport connects with its past on a daily basis the way that baseball does. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson—these are names that all baseball fans know and revere. Can the same be said of our other team sports—say, for Red Grange (football), or George Mikan (basketball), or Howie Morenz (hockey)?

One huge issue lately is cultural differences between “old school” baseball people and younger players, especially stars from Latin America, who play with more overt emotion and exuberance.  This moment parallels the reaction of many players, coaches, and executives to how Negro League players brought their style of play to the Bigs after Jack Robinson’s debut.  It seems ironic that MLB can simultaneously worry about not appealing to young fans, and criticize players whose style might very well appeal to such young fans, accustomed as they are to the more emotionally-charged behavior on basketball courts and football fields.  The term often used in this conversation is about “respecting the game.”  What does it mean, to you, to “respect the game”?

Respecting the game has meant different things in different eras. The ungovernably rowdy 1890s nearly placed baseball permanently in the shade, trailing college football, cycling, golf, and automobile races. When decorum returned to the game, female fans did too. In the 1950s, Mickey Mantle ran around the bases with his head down after a home run, so as not to show up the pitcher. Given its roots in sublimated martial activity, baseball has sometimes struggled to strike a balance between chivalry and bravado. I am utterly confident that it will do so again, embracing Hispanic conventions while not abandoning North American reserve.

Electronic strike zone: Yes or No? If yes, how?

It may come. Certainly cricket and tennis have accommodated it. I  have always accepted mistakes as an inevitable feature of human endeavor, and almost miss the vanishing error in the field as much as I miss the triple. But it is hard to deny the appeal of greater accuracy.

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is not directly run by MLB.  Right now, while executives from the PEDs Era are being inducted (Selig, Cox, LaRussa, Torre), the writers who vote on players seem pretty set on excluding Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and other players whose records they call “tainted.”  If you could mandate how players are selected for the Hall, what system would you enact?

I do mandate how players are selected for the Hall of Fame between my ears, but not for the one in Cooperstown. It is a grand institution, and part of its enduring vitality may be accounted to its annual controversy, stirring fan interest and sometime outrage.

  Source: http://pressblog.uchicago.edu/2018/10/01/talking-baseball-with-john-thorn-official-historian-of-major-league-baseball-and-coauthor-of-the-hidden-game.html

[arrestyourdebt]

A while back I was feeling rather bored with life because I didn’t have a hobby. I tried to pick different hobbies here and there but nothing really stuck. I quickly lost interest in everything I tried because I didn’t really have a passion for it.

Not too long ago I stumbled into something I absolutely LOVE to do. I started a blog and I find myself thinking about strategies and different ways to help people all day and night. What started as a hobby has quickly turned into an obsession. It has reenergized me to levels I didn’t think were possible. Blogging may not be right for you, but I encourage you to explore different hobbies to find something that excites you if you have found yourself stuck in a life rut.

What Hobbies Do You Currently Have?

A while back when I was in a rut, I did not have any hobbies. As I got older, I lost interest in things I previously liked to do. I no longer had time to play video games for hours on end and I found myself in a revolving daily routine. My daily routine involved the following sequence:

Get up and go to work

Work all day

Come home, eat dinner, go to bed

Repeat

Weekends were not much more exciting. They involved doing yard work and going to church on Sundays. Don’t get me wrong, I was still happy with life, but I was just bored with life in general. I wasn’t being challenged.

Signs You Need A Hobby

If you find yourself bored with life and no longer challenged, I encourage you to find an inexpensive hobby to reinvigorate your life. Just like being debt free can change your life, so can finding a hobby you are passionate about.

I can not tell you how my life has improved 10 fold now that I started blogging. I am challenged, energized, and my life has a new purpose. I help people on a daily basis and I get to use my creative side as well. Combining everything I enjoy, (reading, writing, creating, helping others) I stumbled upon blogging and it has been the perfect hobby I wish I had discovered sooner.

Enough about me – let’s focus on ways to help you get your fire and energy back!

New Hobbies To Try

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Here is a list of 28 hobbies that you can start with a minimum amount of money.

Category: Online Hobbies

Start A Blog

Ok, I had to start this post with my absolute favorite hobby. If you’re a creative person who loves helping others or telling a story, blogging may be the perfect fit for you. I seriously wish I would have discovered this years ago.

A blog can be whatever you make it. It can be a private journal for yourself or you can create elaborate articles to help people with their problems. There really is no limit to what you can do with them. I get the enjoyment out of writing all my posts as well as designing all the graphics and images for it. It hits every intellectual creative aspect I enjoy.

You can also start a blog for pretty cheap. My current blog is rather large and I utilize a bunch of plugins, email services, marketing avenues, etc that can get rather expensive. However, if you are just starting out, you can start a blog for less than $10 dollars a month.

If you are just starting out, I recommend signing up through Blue Host to keep your costs way low while exploring this as a hobby.

Click here for my link to the Blue Host Blogging Platform.

Fill Out Online Surveys

Online surveys are great time killers and many of them will actually pay you to complete them. I personally use SwagBucks when I feel like killing time and I earn points that I can exchange for money and gift cards.

Check out SwagBucks through my link here.

Create Products on Fiverr

Fiverr is an online marketplace where people create content and sell it online. People create graphics for businesses, write content for bloggers, and everything in between. I used Fiverr to find an artist to create my logo for Arrest Your Debt. If you’re creative and like designing, writing, or a myriad of other things, you may be able to sell your work on Fiverr as a hobby.

Check out Fiverr through my link here.

Find A New PodCast

I recently started listening to PodCasts on my way to work. PodCasts are a great way to learn more about a new topic, be entertained by a comedian, or a combination of both. There are many online PodCast episodes you can download or stream online and the topics are only limited to your imagination!

Play Fantasy Sports

I started playing fantasy football years ago and it was one of the best decisions I made. A good friend of mine invited me to play in their league but I was hesitant because at the time I was not a big football fan. Playing fantasy football quickly turned me into a football fan and I know more players and their stats than I ever thought possible.

If football isn’t your thing, they also have fantasy soccer, baseball, hockey, basketball – you name it. You can sign up for a team through Yahoo, ESPN, and other networks for free. For more information about Fantasy Sports, here is a quick overview:

Category: Outdoor Hobbies

Going outdoors can have calming effects on your mind and soul. I find that I can reset my mind and de-stress by jogging outside rather than on a treadmill. Try one of these outdoor hobbies to calm your mind.

Hiking

If you live in a city, it may take you half an hour or so to find an area to hike. You don’t need to be too far outside the city to get away from the stress of city life. The hustle and bustle of the cars driving by and the overall noise can add stress to your life. Spending time in nature by hiking on a small trail or a rocky mountain can help you regain your focus and energy. The calming effects are definitely worth it!

Camping

When was the last time you went camping? For many of us, we have not been camping since childhood. Camping can be a great way to explore nature and have a bit of an adventure. Depending on how rugged you are, you can camp at a local campground with provided restroom facilities, or you can rough it without any amenities!

Plant A Vegetable Garden

There’s nothing like the taste of an organic vegetable garden. If you have never experienced the taste of freshly grown produce, I suggest you give gardening a try. When I first started a garden, I didn’t know anything about how to grow vegetables. It turns out, it’s relatively simple if you watch a couple of Youtube videos and pay attention to the planting season. I quickly found out through trial and error what grows during the winter, and what doesn’t.

You can either plant a vegetable garden in the ground or you can use a raised garden bed if you are short on room. These raised garden beds from Amazon.com are a great option if you have limited space to start!

Check out these raised garden beds on Amazon.com

Plant A Flower Garden

In the past, my wife would kill everything she planted. However, with a bit of trial and error, she has now gotten the hang of it – and I love it! She now regularly plants perennial and annual flowers near our entryways and porch swing. It adds beauty to our yard and is also relaxing for her while she does it. Below are some of her plants. (Yes, there are a lot of cacti because we live in Arizona)

Running/Jogging/Walking

For me, exercising outside is much more beneficial than working out in a gym. I see similar physical results but being outside gives me the opportunity to think and relax. Working out in a noisy gym is distracting and doesn’t usually relax me the same way running outside does.

When my wife first started running, she started with an app on her phone called, “Couch To 5K.” It worked wonders for her and now she can easily run 5+ miles no problem. I, however, am still working on it….

If you need a little motivation, check out the motivational free app, C25K in your app store!

Ride A Bike

Disclaimer – Biking can be a very expensive hobby. Bicycles can range anywhere from your $100 Walmart special to a $5,000 road bike. Even after the bicycle purchase, you will still run into maintenance costs for new tires, chains, etc. This is not a cheap hobby but it can be a great way to get into shape while enjoying the outdoors!

Category: Learn A New Skill

When I was a kid, I had a list of things I always wanted to learn how to do.  The top two things I wanted to learn were:

I Wanted To Learn How To Juggle

I Wanted To Learn How To Moon Walk

Now before you ask me for my autograph, I want you to know that with enough practice – you can do stupid human tricks like me too!

Seriously though, I spent hours as a kid trying to learn how to do these two things. Think back to when you were younger. What have you always wanted to learn how to do but never took the time? Learn a new skill today!

Learn A New Language

In the United States, most of us know only know English. Some of us dabbled in Spanish because our high school forced us, but for the most part, we are not very linguistic. In other countries, it is not uncommon for people to know 2-3-4 or even 5 languages! If you ever wanted to learn a new language, what are you waiting for?

Babble is a language learning program with great reviews. Right now they have a 35% off a 6-month subscription promotion through this link here.

Rosetta Stone is also one of the old time tested and proven ways to learn a new language.

Learn To Play An Instrument

Recently my sister in law started taking piano lessons in her 30s. This can be an expensive hobby if you need to purchase an instrument and pay for lessons. However, a quick search on YouTube will bring up plenty of free lessons depending on the instrument you want to learn. It’s never too late to learn how to play an instrument!

Learn To Sew/Crochet/Knit

Many people enjoy working with their hands and creating masterpieces at the same time. If you have always wanted to know how to sew, crochet, or knit, now is the perfect time to learn how. A quick search on Amazon will offer some inexpensive books to get you started.

Learn Magic Tricks

I went through a phase a few years ago where I wanted to learn how to perform card tricks. Sleight of hand intrigued me and I wanted to learn how they did it. I bought a book about card tricks for beginners and watched several videos on how to perform them.

Category: Improve Your Finances

If you are struggling with your finances, I highly recommend you take the time to learn how to control your money rather than your money controlling you.

Start A Budget

Starting a budget is the #1 way to take control of your money and to improve your finances. I have written several articles about budgeting and have created a free budget printable that you can download here!

Check out my related article: How Do I Create A Monthly Budget? to get started.

Learn About Different Investments

My first rule in investing is I will not put my money towards anything I do not understand. I encourage you to follow this same principle to avoid falling for a get rich quick scheme.

I wrote an article about investing here: What Should I Do With $10,000?[Answered]

Start Couponing

I never had the time or patience to get into the extreme couponing but I know several people who do. You can definitely save a ton of money by using coupons effectively. Here are two great articles on how to coupon if you are a beginner:

Your Money Geek – Grocery Shopping With Coupons

The Practical Saver – Couponing For Beginners

Category: Sharpen Your Mind

Keep your mind active with these great hobbies.

Reading

Have you read a good book lately? I went years without reading after I finished college but a while back I started up again. It’s amazing the amount of knowledge that is in a library and how much more you can connect to a book. Some of my favorite books can be found in this article here: My Top 10 Reading List (2018)

Write A Story

Did you know that Stephenie Meyer started writing the Twilight book series in her spare time as a stay at home mom? I’m not saying we all are bound to become multi-millionaires like her, but if you enjoy writing you never know what you could create!

Put Together Jigsaw Puzzles

It has been years since I sat down and completed a jigsaw puzzle. If this is something you enjoy, you can pick up many different puzzles on Amazon for under $10 dollars!

Adult Coloring Books

I will admit, I have been tempted to pick up some of these coloring books in the past. Unfortunately, right now all my free time is used up on my blogging otherwise I would totally buy some! If you haven’t seen these adult coloring books before, check them out here on Amazon.com!

Put Together Legos

Since I have three children under the age of ten, they give me an excuse to play with legos. Putting together legos is extremely calming but I will warn you, they can be super addictive! In addition, legos can also get quite expensive so make sure you budget accordingly if this is a hobby you want to start.

Yoga

Don’t be tricked into paying an expensive membership fee to attend a yoga studio. Yoga can be practiced at home by following YouTube videos. Yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility and sharpen your mind at the same time.

Explore Your Genealogy

How far back does your family ancestry go? If you don’t have that one family member who has done the extensive background on your family, this could definitely be an interesting hobby for you. Tracking your family line back on both your mother and father’s side is extremely time-consuming. You can either do this through public records, marriage and death certificates on your own or you can use a company like Ancestry.com.

Learn To Meditate

Some of the most intelligent people on this planet meditate on a daily basis. I started to meditate a while back by using the free app, “Headspace.” If you want to try meditating to clear your mind and improve your focus, check out Headspace here!

There you have it. 28 of the most reasonable hobbies you can start with a minimal amount of money – with a few exceptions thrown into the mix. I avoided some of the more obscure hobbies such as stamp collecting (no offense if that’s your hobby) to bring you the most comprehensive list that I have seen.

What other great hobbies did I miss? I’m sure there are a ton, comment below – I’d love to hear what hobbies you currently have that could help my readers!

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Need A Hobby? Try One Of These 28 Ideas! [2019] A while back I was feeling rather bored with life because I didn't have a hobby. I tried to pick different hobbies here and there but nothing really 

[reallifeblogthings-blog]

COMM 3P18 Blog #3

Welcome to my last and final blog… at least for this class. I like to think the best for last, because these topics had me thinking about what is really going on on social media, and why? How digitization and convergence shape new media, as well as what is important to the audience in terms of both enjoyment and experience.

While reading The Influences of Sports Viewing Conditions on Enjoyment from Watching Televised Sports I could relate to multiple aspects of the perception of presence. In the article, perception of presence was defined as “the phenomenon in which an individual develops a sense of being physically present at a remote location through interaction with media”, as someone who watches a lot of mediated sports, I am able to relate to that feeling of being involved in such a way (Kim, Pg.392). Specifically, I related to immersion which is “the degree to which an individual feels involved in a particular experience and is caught up in the presentation of the media” (Kim, Pg.392). I believe that immersion can be anywhere, watching a sports game at any time. I also believe that immersion can happen at a real-life event due to the way a game is presented with media. For example, each year my friend Cassidy and I would buy each other birthday presents, as most would. During the summer I bought her Bluejays tickets because she loves baseball, and in November she bought be Raptors tickets because I love basketball. Neither of us liked the other sport, but of course, we went together to each event because we knew, either way, we would have a good time together. After reading about immersion, I couldn't help but think back to the time we went to both games, specifically the Raptors game. Screens everywhere, big flashing lights, loud announcers, all part of the experience of going to an event live. I found myself becoming more rowdy then I would watch the weekly games in my living room, and I believe this was due to all the media that was used throughout the game to create a greater audience experience. Now only was I becoming a true rowdy fan, my friend Cassidy was just as into it as I was. Thinking back to that memory, I always thought it was so strange she had so much fun cheering for a team she doesn't even follow. Although, I then thought about the atmosphere and the media that creates such a particular experience almost forcing one to become a fan. The big bright lights, large screens making you feel closer to the court than you truly are, and the loud voices of announcers heard across the stadium. These tools of media presented an experience for Cassidy that would draw her in to become a fan. I believe her immersion, was at a high degree, creating a fun experience she wasn't expecting from a basketball game.

During class and seminar, I had quite the throwback to my elementary and early high school years. I remember being so “in love” with celebrities, trying to always see what they were up to and follow their every move. I started to think about the continuum of a fandom and realized I’ve reached each level. I truly believe most people have, as Sullivan explains “We are all fans of something in today’s media-saturated environment, which makes the cultural and sociological study of fandom all the more important for understanding media audiences” (Sullivan, pg.195). Firstly a consumer, simply put as one who consumes the media content. This could be done by watching a sports event, reading tweets, or maybe watching a movie. Specifically, I believe I am only a consumer when it comes to movies. Unlike others, I never had much of an obsession when it comes to Harry Potter, or like the example of the super fan in class Star Trek. Therefore, since I've still seen them I could classify just as a consumer. Secondly, I also believe I am an enthusiast. For example, when I go to concerts, specifically this summer at All American Rejects, I went to watch them perform. Not only this I ended up buying one or their merchandise t-shirts, even so, but I would also call myself anything more than an enthusiast because I never find myself following their every move, not even following them on twitter... I don’t think they would be very funny. To be a fan is to be a fan of one's content, following them, cheering for them. Currently, I wouldn't consider myself a fan of anyone, but in high school, I was a big fan .. yep I’m gonna say it (DONT JUDGE ME) Justin Bieber. Now I wasn’t crazy, but I definitely kept up to date with his life, would watch live performances, and follow him on all social media. Lastly, the producer, the least favorite person out of the four. I was a producer when I was MUCH younger and was obsessed One Direction (double whammy ... I know). My friends and I all had fan accounts on Twitter, which was strictly to tweet about them, and only them. I definitely would have considered my group of friends super fans, there was a point where One Direction was truly the only thing we talked about. Thus, showing even though I’m not so proud of it, in my life and I think more people than who really know it, have hit each stage of the continuum of a fandom after all “the category of ‘fan’ has dramatically expanded as a result of the even smaller niche media products and platforms available today” (Sullivan, pg.195). 

After reading about Rebecca Black’s ‘It’s Friday’ video that went viral a few years ago. I truly couldn't help but laugh, mainly because I remember when that video first went viral and circulated around the school, it seemed as though every single person knew about it. Yet, I always wondered why such a terrible video and song became so popular? Even as the texts stated critics hated it as well… Although as Sullivan stated “unknown artists can create their own cultural materials and circulate them to millions of people at a time via the web, effectively bypassing the institutional gatekeepers in the traditional media” (Sullivan, pg. 214). I found this extremely interesting because it’s true… It’s so simple nowadays to make a terrible music video or post a wild photo that critics and most of the public would utterly hate, yet it would go viral! I believe due to the user-generated content such as twitter, facebook, and youtube, it becomes so simple to widespread information at such a fast pace. On the other hand, I also believe the reason it's much easier for content to go viral is partly due to the participatory culture that youtube brings to its viewers. Youtube allows users to talk to one another about the videos, to comment on each others posts, and even respond to them. Just looking at figure 9.1 on page 221 in Sullivan, youtube’s content is 50% user-generated. For an example of my own, I constantly find myself time and time again watching videos that have little to no meaning for self. Why’s this? Well scrolling through Twitter, something has gone viral, scrolling through Facebook, videos shared over and over again. I can’t stop myself from clicking to see what the fuss is all about, and that’s exactly why I end up on Youtube in the first place. But, what makes me stay is being able to look at what others think, seeing what they comment, how many views it gets, and even related videos that pop up with it. If these factors were not part of youtube, there is absolutely no chance it would have been successful as it is. Which is also the reason Instagram and Twitter have become increasingly popular as well.

During the reading Framing News in 140 Characters, I was really intrigued by the basis of the frames from both generic and issue-specific frames. Generic frames meaning they “are broad and structural themes and are limited to conflict, human interest, economic impact, responsibility and morality” (Wasike, pg.9). Issue-specific frames meaning they “are flexible and vary depending on the content being analyzed and they change based on the topic under study and the prevailing context” (Wasike, pg. 9). I mostly found it interesting when the author spoke about studies not specifically using the framing theory, but still found that it does exist in its findings. It truly made me think about what was circulating on twitter now, what news was at the top of the feed due to importance. Currently, the California fires had been circulating, not only on the news but it was literally all over my twitter! I thought for a second that this was odd but it certainly brought me in to read more about it. As I was reading I saw celebrity house after celebrity house after celebrity house, and no wonder, most celebrity issues are the ones that circulate most on twitter. It then made a lot more sense. The generic frames used in the theory that were favored were conflict, human interest, technology, and economic consequence. Why does this matter?… well, what sparks more human interest than a celebrity who is in distress over their house being burnt down?  It circulated twitter so much because it was someone who was famous, who tweeted photos and it thus, sparked human interest rather than some random person who would have tweeted about it. At the end after all who would want to read about someone who is really suffering and truly lost everything and probably has no place to go? Or even dying animals losing their homes? NO, what’s important is the celebrities who have hundreds of fans waiting for something ever so tragic to happen to them, so they can then tweet back and let them know the support they are giving.

Chapter 9, had a lot of important aspects of how new media shapes and differs every time something changes. Yet, I believe the more important topics that were talked about were the convergence of such media technologies and the digitization of all media. As said in class, we as an audience have a massive power when it comes to media now, just as the magazine Time also knew when putting the person of the year as ‘us’. Not only this But audiences have gained so much power that we overwhelm the producers. Considering we have such niche markets, there is so many smaller groups that ask for so much at the same time, and how could anyone keep up with that? I found it interesting that quite a few YouTubers are one by one taking time away from posting videos for subscribers due to being overwhelmed. So I got to thinking during class (weird, I know), but, when Jenn asked “are you happy? Does digital technology make you feel good? And who has the power?”  I really questioned a lot of media technologies that I use. What uses do I get from them? Are they keeping me entertained... Well yes, of course. But, am I happy with how I’m spending my time, watching things I don't even want to watch, not really. But in the end, I do believe that the audience holds the power, they have shut down corporations, and even taken away the middleman. 

But that’s enough deep thoughts about audience studies for now. Thanks for tuning in :)

-Kim Parker