FYI--Mom & Dad's Blog Page

If you haven't noticed yet, there is a link to Mom & Dad's Blog Page in the sidebar on the right. Currently, it just consists of the emails that Dad sends out. There is a photo page link on their page as well. The address is tomonainc.blogspot.com.

Softball Updates and Another Injury

Wow--it's been a week since my last post. Doing two separate posts today, one for softball and one for other news. Ugly Sticks lost both games on Monday the 17th. The other team should have been in a higher league based on their ability. Oh well. Naggers & Braggers (the coed team) also lost on Sunday the 23rd. In the second inning, Daniel's first at bat resulted in a walk to second base (men advance 2 bases in coed on a walk). Virginia hit and made it to first. The next guy struck out. Then Jadira was up to bat. She hit the ball between 2nd and 3rd base. The ground ball went to the shortstop. Daniel, who was on a dead run between 2nd and 3rd, saw that the shortstop would likely tag him, began to turn his body, and the two collided. Daniel barely had time to react. As the shortstop was standing up from stopping the grounder, his head went directly into Daniel's sternum. The two rolled out of the collision. The shortstop's head hurt, but he was okay. Daniel didn't come out of it so well. He appeared to be holding his chest (he was sitting upright) and then fell on his back. We ran out to check on him. The wind had been knocked out of him and he couldn't breathe. Air was coming out slowly, along with an awful moan. Brian called 911 while Joe held Daniel's head and I tried to get him to breathe. Daniel's eyes were rolling back in his head and he seemed to be in a panic (though Daniel never panics). His back arched and his arms and legs flailed...then he began to hear me. I was telling him that he needed to hit his chest so he could breathe. He hit his chest several times and finally began to breathe again. We cancelled the dispatch from 911 after finding out that he was okay. He stayed on the ground for a few minutes with about 30 people standing around him before leaving the field to finish recovering. Talking to him afterwards, I found out that he blacked out about the time that he fell on his back. He was out for about 45 seconds. He says that me talking to him is what brought him back. The convulsion freaked everyone out. I was ready to hit him in the chest to get him breathing, but didn't want to freak him out if he was aware (which I thought he was). I was very calm during the ordeal. I usually am in emergency situations. My stomach turned for the next two innings or so, thinking about the severity of the situation. Daniel is doing well, perhaps some cracked ribs, but otherwise okay. I ended up playing second base--something new for me. Didn't do bad, didn't do good, but I survived. Like I said, it was a loss and we are now 2-2 for the season. We have one more game for the first half. Will let everyone know the second half schedule when I have it. Daniel's next men's games are Thursday the 27th beginning at 7:45pm at Faragut. Not sure if he will be playing much as he is still recovering. Schedule changes require me to work that evening, so I won't be there. But feel free to come out and support the guys if you would like.

The Rest of the News...

Last week I got to work at the Wolf store at Lloyd Center. It went decently, but I caught crap (in fun of course) from my co-workers at JB about helping another stores numbers during a company-wide challenge. I'll be working there some in a week or so too. I've also been getting a lot more hours since one of our salespeople left for another job. Practiced softball a few times last week. I think I've finally got the batting thing figured out. A bit of coaching from Daniel, Joe, and Patrick, a change of stance, a change on my grip, and I can hit with some consistency now. I am working on getting more power into the hits now. My glove is also getting worked in better (I got it for X-mas) and I am catching balls more consistently now. On Saturday the 22nd, Mom & I went to Tualitan Park to help with a community service project. Several groups were coming together to remove invasive species, including ivy, blackberry vines, and canary grass, and garbage from the park (there were actually numerous Oregon & Washington parks participating for the Ninth Annual "Down By The Riverside" Enhancement & Appreciation Days by SOLV). We participated as part of GE Elfuns, an employee member group for all divisions of General Electric. Wouldn't call it fun, but it was for a good cause. We worked hard from 9am-Noon (and I have the blister to prove it!). Got to see MatchboxTwenty on the big screen yesterday. They have a new concert DVD coming out and we got to see it at one of the local theaters. They are one of our favorite bands. It's a great show--and I can't complain about looking at/ listening to Rob Thomas for 2 hours. Today, Daniel & I went to Mount St. Helens with his parents, his great uncle, and 2nd cousin (who are both visiting from Florida). It was a long drive, but the weather was beautiful today. The view from Johnston Ridge is awesome. It sits 5 miles from the crater on the north side. If you aren't familiar with Mount St. Helens, when it erupted, the summit and much of the north side blew/slid off of the mountain during the May 18, 1980 eruption. From Johnston Ridge, you can see into the crater where the new bulge has been forming since that eruption. The bulge is now roughly the size of downtown Portland, Oregon. Perhaps we will get to hike/climb to the crater rim this summer. The link in the text above is a great resource for more info and pictures of the volcano. For those of you not from this area, I have the luxury of being able to see Mount St. Helens and Mt. Hood, as well as many other peaks EVERY DAY. So lucky to live here. I'm taking reservations for anyone who wants to come visit...

Living with Crohn's Disease

**Sorry for the VERY long post. I started writing and wanted to get it all out. Hopefully you'll find it insightful or at least educational.**For the last 6 years, I have suffered with abdominal pain. After years of visits to the doctors and numerous treatments, we concluded that I had endometriosis, a reproductive related disease. About 4 years ago, I had a surgery to have the endometriosis cauterized through laparoscopic surgery (they went in through a small incision in my belly button and another small incision about 4 inches below it), the normal treatment for this. I still suffered after the surgery and decided to see a specialist in Bend, OR. Instead of cauterizing the endometriosis, he uses a method in which he cuts out the diseased areas, and can therefore remove it from all the layers. I went ahead with the surgery, despite a less than comfortable pre-op with the doctor. When I awoke, my husband and parents came back to see me in recovery. They (not the doctor) informed me that the doctor believed I had Crohn's disease. During the operation, he found no indication of endometriosis, but saw that my ileum (connection between the small and large intestine) was covered in fatty tissue, typically an indication of infection. We were all shocked at the news. While I recovered, my family sought out as much information as possible about the disease. At the end of our one week stay in a Bend hotel, I returned for yet another unpleasant visit to the doctor. His bedside manner was poor, he was very belittling, he hit my incision (with no apology), he RIPPED the tape off of my incisions (three of them this time, one in the bellybutton and two 4 inches lower), neglected to listen to my chest (essential after anesthesia), and also handed me a letter that I should have been given before the operation, stating that he didn't believe that I actually had endometriosis. I was furious. In the aftermath of everything, my husband and I talked a lot about our feelings on everything. I'll sort of sum it all up here. Regarding my original doctor/ gynecologist, I have no bitter feelings. I saw the pictures from my first surgery and there were several spots which are in line with other pictures of endometriosis. All of my symptoms were also in line with the symptoms of endometriosis. I believe that he did everything he could and put extra time into researching my condition. I still see him regularly and wouldn't want to ever switch doctors. Regarding the specialist in Bend, I was very angry at him. The letter that should have been given to me pre-op was a big issue for me. When I asked why I wasn't given the letter before my surgery, he said that he didn't feel that it was necessary. The letter did say that he believed surgery was still necessary (though I'm not sure why since he didn't think I had endometriosis). I was stunned (and crying from the physical pain he inflicted during the post-op appointment) and just left the office with unresolved feelings. Some people asked me if I was going to sue him. I do feel that he kept vital information from me that could have ultimately affected my decision to proceed with the surgery, but I'm not sure if I would have believed him since I had been dealing with endometriosis for so long. I decided not to pursue anything further. I had new problems to deal with and did not want to put any more effort into dealing with him. I do believe that he helps a lot of women, too. Adding to the already poor experience, I also got to learn what it was like dealing with a doctor who does NOT work with insurance companies. I paid $4000 (that I had been saving for a future home) up front and had to agree to pay anything that the insurance company decided not to cover. This was more than $1200--just for his services. In addition, I also paid the anesthesiologist and hospital fees, though the insurance co-pay helped to cover and there was no agreement regarding un-covered billings like with the specialist, and the one week stay in Bend as well. I have not and never will recover the expenses. I was told that I could petition my insurance company to pay more, backing it with articles about the notoriety of the doctor, but again, I had new problems to put my energy into. I have let go of all this and do not have bitter feelings that haunt me now. A month after the surgery, I sought the services of a gastroenterologist (G.I. doctor). The pictures of the ileum meant little to him as Crohn's is a disease that is diagnosed from within the intestine. My symptoms seemed inconsistent with Crohn's except for the location of the pain. Though none of us, including the doctor, thought that I had Crohn's, we decided to pursue diagnosis to at least rule it out. Diagnosis includes blood tests looking for indicators, taking laxatives in both ends prior to being knocked out to have your ass snaked with a camera (colonoscopy), and also drinking what seems like gallons of barium for moving x-rays. It was the radiologist who told me that I have Crohn's Disease. I think her exact words were "You know you have Crohn's right?" **I do explain Crohn's Disease later in this blog. Keep reading, you'll eventually get to it.** It has been quite an experience dealing with the disease. Initially, I was on an emotional roller coaster. I was angry, depressed, and self-pitying. I started a regimen of medicine and vitamins (a total of 21 pills per day) and scheduled a surgery for the summer. The medicines were Pentasa (4 pills, 3 times/day) and a Corticosteroid that I can't recall the name of right now (1 pill, 2 times/day). Steroids have some side effects that I wasn't aware of before. 1.They deprive your body of potassium, causing muscle cramps several times per day, typically at very in-opportune times. 2.They cause a sort of thrush on your tongue called "Hairy Tongue." This will go away when you stop taking it and comes off in chunks (I invested in a tongue scraper to speed the disgusting process). 3.They caused increased hair growth. As if I wasn't already dealing with enough! I began growing sideburns and back hair! It was all very light blond and not noticeable to most, but I called my parents (who were working in Oklahoma) and broke down crying. Another small investment, a 'buff naked' hair-removing buffing pad, hurried along the process of the hair falling out. I had to stop taking the steroid because there are too many side effects, including a weakened immune system, for patients to take it longer than a few months. Believe me--there was no argument on my part. After a second consultation with the surgeon who was to perform the operation over the summer (during which they remove the diseased section of intestine and reattach the two healthy parts), I cancelled my surgery. I have adjusted my diet, eating no beef, more lean meats, less greasy foods, more vegetables, and less spicy foods (DOH!). I have also since been able to reduce my Pentasa to 2 doses per day. It is often a conscious effort to keep my pain from affecting my mood. I also have to fight fatigue and make sure to eat, even when I feel bad. I do go through periods of time when I hurt more often, but I am doing pretty well for the most part. Some things that I have found out in my research: *2/3 to 3/4 of all Crohn's patients will have a related surgery in their lifetime. About 1/3 of those people will end up having multiple surgeries. The two other people that I know have had surgeries, one having just one (he is younger than me) and the other having multiple surgeries (he is in his thirties). *Crohn's affects mostly young people, beginning sometime between age 15 and 35. *It is important to be in remission and have your doctor's OK before becoming pregnant. *Stress can contribute to flare ups and pain. One of the best resources for people with Crohn's Disease (or those who just want to know more is theCrohn's and Colitis Foundation of America web page. I find it difficult to explain, so I am pasting an excerpt from their page describing what Crohn's is. What Is Crohn's Disease? "Crohn's disease is a chronic (ongoing) disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Although it can involve any area of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus, it most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon. The disease is named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn. In 1932, Dr. Crohn and two colleagues, Dr. Leon Ginzburg and Dr. Gordon D. Oppenheimer, published a landmark paper describing the features of what is known today as Crohn's disease. Crohn's and a related disease, ulcerative colitis, are the two main disease categories that belong to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Because the symptoms of these two illnesses are so similar, it is sometimes difficult to establish the diagnosis definitively. In fact, approximately 10 percent of colitis cases are unable to be pinpointed as either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease and are called indeterminate colitis. Both illnesses do have one strong feature in common. They are marked by an abnormal response by the body's immune system. The immune system is composed of various cells and proteins. Normally, these protect the body from infection. In people with Crohn's disease, however, the immune system reacts inappropriately. Mistaking food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign or invading substances, it launches an attack. In the process, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation. These cells then generate harmful products that ultimately lead to ulcerations and bowel injury. When this happens, the patient experiences the symptoms of IBD. Although Crohn's disease most commonly affects the end of the small intestine (the ileum) and the beginning of the large intestine (the colon), it may involve any part of the GI tract. In ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, the GI involvement is limited to the colon. In Crohn's disease, all layers of the intestine may be involved, and there can be normal healthy bowel in between patches of diseased bowel. In contrast, ulcerative colitis affects only the superficial layers (the mucosa) of the colon in a more even and continuous distribution, which starts at the level of the anus." No one is really sure what causes Crohn's Disease. Here is a short explanation of current beliefs from the CCFA web page: "Although considerable progress has been made in IBD research, investigators do not yet know what causes this disease. Studies indicate that the inflammation in IBD involves a complex interaction of factors: the genes the patient has inherited, the immune system, and something in the environment. Foreign substances (antigens) in the environment may be the direct cause of the inflammation, or they may stimulate the body's defenses to produce an inflammation that continues without control. Researchers believe that once the IBD patient's immune system is "turned on," it does not know how to properly "turn off" at the right time. As a result, inflammation damages the intestine and causes the symptoms of IBD. That is why the main goal of medical therapy is to help patients regulate their immune system better." So, I hope I didn't bore everyone to death. I wanted to share this information so others can have some insight into what I have experienced and to offer at least some connection to others who live with a medical problem.

Tips on Viewing My Photos

Thought I would give a quick tutorial on my photo page. *To view, click the link in the sidebar on the right of this page that says "My Photos." This will take you to my Main Gallery on Buzznet. *Photos in the Gallery that you are viewing will appear in the box on the right side of the page. Galleries with more than 15 photos will have an arrow at the top of that box. Click the arrow to view the rest of the photos. *To view any of the photos larger, click on the thumbnail (small image) in this box. *To view other galleries, scroll down to the "My Galleries" box near the lower right corner of the page. Click on the gallery name (i.e. "Our Wedding" or "Our Honeymoon") *The "Browse Archive" link below the thumbnail box on the right side will allow you to see photos that have been posted in the past, organized by month or year for each gallery. *The "Slideshow" link is kind of cool. If you click it, a new window opens and shows a 2-3 second view of each photo, but only the ones on that page (if there are more than 15 photos in the gallery, it does not show the ones on the next page). *The comment box on the bottom of the page allows viewers to post comments regarding a picture. Feel free to use this if you have something to say. Just fill out the form and click "post". *Finally, if you have a buzznet photoblogging page, tell me your User ID and I will add you to the friends link on the bottom of the page.

Naggers & Braggers Suffer First Loss

That's right. We lost our first game today. We played well, they played better. As my friend/ co-worker/ teammate Joe says, "it's a loss--with an asterisk (*)." The game ended in the bottom of the sixth due to the one hour ten minute time limit (rather than the normal 7 inning game). A couple of good hits into the (way) outfield, and the game was over. I got to play catcher for a few innings and then out to right field, my first time playing either position. Had fun regardless. Big parental fan base at all the games too. Parents of Brian & John, Joe, Virginia, Daniel, and myself have come out for some much appreciated support. Regarding injuries, Kristi was the (un)lucky winner tonight, taking a ball in the leg. We figure that it has to be someone every game and we (hopefully) only get one turn per season. After the game, Daniel, Joe, Virginia and I headed to Bridgeport for an excellent dinner. We got to talk about the apartment that we are going to try to get with them this summer. I'm looking forward to getting the hunt underway and hope that it doesn't prove too stressful. A walk across the street to Ben & Jerry's was a delightful end to the evening...Gotta love that Chunky Monkey...yummy! It's the best because there are not enough banana flavored foods in the world. So...What's your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and why? Post it in your comments.

Ugly Splits and Other Less Notable News

The Ugly Sticks had there second double-header last night. They lost the first game and won the second. Scott hit a line drive toward third base, where Daniel was waiting to run home. Daniel tried to jump out of the way and took the ball on the inside of his calf--ouch! He says it doesn't hurt that bad because it grazed off the side rather than hitting him square. It looks ugly regardless. I got to put in some hours at another store yesterday. I worked at one of the Lloyd Center stores in the lab mostly. Being a mall store, the clientele is different than ours. Mostly repeat photo-finishing customers who stop by in the morning and pick up at lunch or after work. There is also a huge science and engineering fair in town (Intel ISEF 2004), so there are also lots of teachers, parent hosts, and students coming in for disposable cameras. The staff members at the store were all nice and welcoming, which helped the day to go by pretty fast. Next week, I will also get to work at the other Lloyd Center store for 3 days. Daniel has the bathroom cabinet/sink almost done. All that we lack is replacing a fitting that broke when he was re-installing the sink. It looks really nice. Up next: the kitchen counters/ cabinets/ sink. It's hard to get things done fast when you are working a full time job and all the other stuff that we do, plus whatever else life decides to throw at you. We've been making time to do stuff with eachother on at least one of our days off together. It will be nice to have everything finished in here...maybe another month.

Guestbook

WooHoo! Dad takes the cup on being the first to sign my guestbook. Everyone else out there...don't be shy!

New Items in Sidebar

I have added some new goodies to the sidebar. I'm working on getting the photo album updated, but it's not cooperating very well. I'll change the Updated Date next to the link each time I add new pictures.

Guestbook

I have added a guestbook link in the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Ireland 2003 Blog

I copied my blog from Ireland. To view it, go to the November 2003 archives.

Life As Usual, Calls from the Village Idiot, and a Win

I went with my mom earlier this week to a thrift store again. This time, she was the one that had a great thrift store find. My brother, Erik, collects anything and everything Coca-Cola. He has stuffed beanie toys, melted coke bottles, barbecue tools, ornaments, magnets, collectors bottles, a decoupage box made by our aunt, and cans and bottles from all over the world. The collection has been growing over the years and has been increasingly more difficult to display. At Paws & Claws (a local thrift store that helps animals), my mom found a Coca-Cola refrigerator with glass doors on two opposing sides. It stands about 5 ft. tall, 2 ft. deep, and 3.5 ft. across. It works (though it needs to be recharged) and looks great full of his Coke collectibles with the light on. The two of us struggled to move it into its place and get it loaded up before Erik got home. He was excited when he saw it. Daniel's first softball games were on Thursday night. Unfortunately they lost both games. They had to pick up a few players as they were short 2. One of the guys that played on the other team was incredibly cocky. When he got up to the plate to bat the first time. He was talking a big game saying "They're actually going to pitch to me...They don't know who's behind the plate here." among other things. I'm thinking "You're an overweight, 40 year-old un-athletic guy with a bad haircut playing in a crappy men's league in Portland." I was thoroughly unimpressed with his batting ability. Not once did a ball make it out of the infield much less over the fence and out of the park. As a catcher, he also missed a foul/fly that landed a foot in front of him after calling it. He also harassed our team after the game for missing some catches. What a loser. Daniel had fun regardless of the outcome and caught an out or two as an outfielder. Friday I got to work at the camera store since Daniel had to be at a manager's meeting all day. It was an incredibly boring day for sales and I sold exactly zero cameras all day. I left from there to go to the Portland State Spring Football game out in Tigard. It took almost an hour to get there. We brought the T-shirt launching air cannon that we use throughout the year at sporting events to shoot some T-shirts into the crowd. A few of us insisted on testing it after suffering through some embarrassing misfires during last football season. A joint came loose and messed up our air pressure when we were picking it up to go test it. We finally got it functioning again, but the pressure was a bit high. Nearly every shot hit one of the stadium ceiling beams and dropped in the same place. Hopefully we'll get all this perfected by football season. The after game party was at the Outback Steakhouse in Beaverton. It was a successful event and we mostly filled the restaurant and bar. Last year we were concerned about having enough people there to make it successful, so we marketed the event heavily and literally packed the place beyond comfort. We compensated this year with a bit less advertising and I think we got it just about right. Saturday morning began with an 8:15am phone call for Crystal or "some little Asian girl." Despite telling the guy that he had the wrong number, he called back an hour later. When we got out of bed, we noticed that we had a voice message from the previous night. It was from the same guy who called Sat. morning. Apparently James Dickenson met Crystal in front of a restaurant and got her number and wants to meet up with her. Crystal must have realized what an idiot this guy was and gave him a bogus number--OURS! Despite the outgoing message stating that he has reached Daniel and Erin, he left his pathetic message anyway. The callerID revealed that he called 4 times between 7pm and 10pm on Friday night (stalker material??). We got out of the house to visit the Soapman at Saturday Market and got some yummy natural soaps (Honey & Oatmeal and Lavender & Comfrey are our favorites. Up next, a few other errands and then some geocaching for a bit. We did get a cool CD from one of the geocaches. It is called "Superhero Sandwich" and was compiled by a fellow geocacher. It has themes from misc. superhero TV shows, cartoons, and movies as well as some sound bytes and regular songs (like "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down). In all, there are 58 tracks and we enjoyed listening to them on the way home. Out to the movies for Mother's Day with Daniel's family, my mom, and Daniel's aunt and then a midnight dash to our cousins' house to visit and see their new place. Today also began with a phone call. The village idiot James called back again asking for Crystal or a little Asian girl. I told him that he still has the wrong number and he insisted that he talked to Crystal yesterday and she confirmed this number. I said "Listen--She gave you a bogus number. STOP calling here and waking us up." He kept trying to reason this out on the phone and I told him again to stop calling and then hung up. As of yet, he hasn't called again. Daniel is building the cabinet for the bathroom right now. It is kind of hard to help him without being a pain and in the way, so I'm just letting him do his thing. We also had our coed softball game tonight and took another win 15-3. It's fun winning. Our record is now 2-0-0. I couldn't bat worth a damn tonight, so I'm going to try to practice more before the next game. Mom even got to get up to bat once since one of our girls was running late. She struck out, but gave it her best effort, and was a good sport, and that's better than the automatic out we would have had to take otherwise. Unfortunately, we had to miss Milo, our god-son's (Daniel's cousins' son) 6th birthday party today, but I think we'll try to go see him sometime this week.

Men's Softball Schedule & Results--First Half

The Ugly Sticks Schedule & Results The above link is for Daniel's Softball Schedule and Results. Here is the quick list for the schedule. Th. 05/06 7:45pm & 9:00pm @ Farragut Fr. 05/14 6:00pm & 7:15pm @ WVO/ Pepsi Mo. 05/17 7:45pm & 9:00pm @ Westmoreland #2 Th. 05/27 7:45pm & 9:00pm @ Farragut Mo. 06/07 7:45pm & 9:00pm @ Westmoreland #2

Coed Softball Schedule & Results--First Half

Naggers & Braggers Schedule & Results The above link is for our Coed Softball Schedule and Results. They aren't the quickest at updating, but maybe it will get better in the weeks to come.

Coed Softball Schedule

Here is the schedule that some of you have been requesting for our coed games. Our team name: The Naggers & Braggers. Sun. 05/09 5:30pm @ Bloomington Sun. 05/16 5:30pm @ Bloomington Sun. 05/23 6:45pm @ Westmoreland #1 Sun. 06/06 3:00pm @ Lents #1 If you need directions you can get them from www.portlandsofball.com I will get Daniel's Men's Team (The Ugly Sticks) schedule posted when I have it. His first game is this Thursday 05/06 @ Farragut. I believe game time is 7:45. I will correct this ASAP if I am wrong.

This week was quite busy for us. We have been working all week at getting our accumualtion of household and other stuff sorted (still not done yet!). Daniel is still working his regular job and I also got to put in some hours there, too (though I had to leave for a meeting downtown and return to finish my shift afterwards). I also worked double header PSU softball games on Wednesday. Friday we got to do some more packing, this time to help my brother-in-law get packed to move to California. Fortunately, he did a good job getting mostly packed, so we helped load the truck up in preparation for traveling the next day. My sister got into town (she had been in California working and looking for a house) later that day and we all met at Juliano's for pizza and a little going away party for the herd. (*Side note: Juliano's has some of the best pizza ever. The pizzeria is also a shrine to all things Greatful Dead. Anyone close should venture over to the restaurant in Vancouver, WA to experience it themselves.) They stayed at my parents' house for the night and awoke early the next day to start the long drive. Sometime around 7 or 8am, my three nephews and niece (ages 11, 10, 9, and 8 respectively) came down to say goodbye. It was hard to see them all leave but I know that they will settle in and do well. Saturday, I worked another double header for Portland State, lasting 5 hours (quite long compared to normal). Most of the games have fallen on the nicest/ hottest days and this was no exception. The heat seems to make the game longer. Following the games, I went to work at the camera store. Daniel, myself, and two others stayed until 1am for inventory. We were exhausted when we finally got home sometime between 1:30 and 2am. Today, I worked at the final home games of the season. Everything went smoothly, but I am glad that the season is over and I will not be talking on the microphone for the "Pizza Hut Challenge" or "Stump Coach Mariani" anytime soon. After the games, I ate dinner with some of the coaches and other instrumental game day operations co-workers at Amalfi's. Daniel, who had been working at home all day, met me at another ball park for our first co-ed softball game. I wasn't nervous, but I didn't really know how well to expect to play since I haven't played in 12+ years. I played first base and feel that I covered the base well. We all worked good together and put together some good plays. Daniel played outfield, a bit different from his normal position as catcher. Everyone made it on base one way or another, which was a great confidence boost. We ended up taking the win 19-13. I even got to take home a souvenir--a bruise and bulge on my left side due to a poor catch on my part. I managed to hold back the tears until our pitcher Scott came to check on me. I let it all out, then sucked it up and finished the game (one more inning after that). After our game, Daniel, Joe, and Patrick left for Silver Lake for some photo shooting tomorrow. The drive takes a few hours, so they decided to have a slumber party (though I don't think that is what they call it) to shoot in the best light Monday morning. So I'm home alone for the night, which has rarely happened in the 7+ years that we've been together, with only the internet and our guinea pig to keep me company. The internet can only provide so much entertainment, so I will go talk to Pablo now. At least he talks back to me (okay, he squeaks, but it's something).