The phrase of the night:  The "Rack Pack".    That's what Samara and her friend Lisa call each other.   Gotta love it.



So tonight was the Fordham Young Alumni Softball Game...    It was a blast. We got great turnout, and a lot of people who don't normally show up to these sorts of things.  Even more importantly, Team GM maybe have signed two new females.  Who knew Alexis Kramer was a softball juggernaut?   The girl has a cannon and she can hit.  Nice late season acquisitions for the stretch playoff run.... very exciting.



I had the most amusing bus driver on the way home from the Gin Mill.  When we hit 2nd Ave, he announced, "Next stop, Atlantic City."    When we hit East End, he announced, "Manhattan Riviera."   Its the little things that keep us going, you know.



Anyway, there's a story about last weekend waiting to be told, but you know what, I'm over it.  Its not worth harping on... and the best part about it, I've had some really great times with fun people this week, so last weekend is a distant memory.... except of course for the time I spent with my family, which was great.  My mom and Nana went down to Tampa, and I came down for the second time this summer to see my brother and his family.  My nieces are wonderful... such smart kids, maybe a little silly, but they're 6 and 10, so who can blame 'em.  :)    Anyway...  I may have future stories for you...  we'll see how things go.

Its apparent to me that my life has become my own personal crusade... to weed out idiots, assholes, and the inconsiderate. The world, or at least this city, has run let these people run amuck. Amuck, I tell you! People who aren't doing the right thing, mostly in the realm of treating their fellow human beings with decency and respect, need to be stopped, or at least told off. When this guy parked across two spaces in front of my apartment, to save a spot for his other car, I said something to him. "Its hard enough to park in this city without people like you doing shit like that. That's a bush league move, dude." He just stared at me. The people on the stoop next to me looked at me like I had two heads--but I shouldn't be the one to be made to feel like I'm taking the world too seriously. We need to put a stop to all this--to speak out when wrong is done. Its like that movie where Chris Rock runs for president. You need to just turn around and say, "That ain't right!" Otherwise, all of these people will just gone on doing the same insensitive, selfish things over and over again. We need to collectively put our foot down as a society. No more laughing at someone when they drop a fly ball in kickball. No more saving spots, or even worse, going headfirst into one from behind while someone else is pulling in. And, when you makeout with someone, you owe them an explanation if you decide you don't want to anymore. Ignoring phonecalls is bush league and so is stalling. Stop the insanity!

http://www.nydailynews.com/07-02-2004/city_life/story/208129p-179460c.html

That's me in the orange shirt!!

So the last softball game went much better... In fact, it nearly went perfectly. We won 16-1 in a mercy rule shortened five innings, and the only run they scored was on the last play of the game, where the next runner they tried to send home got cut down at the plate by yours truly. :)

Anyway... Its 3AM on July 5th, and I'm eating an apple w/peanut butter. (Skippy Super Chunk) I've been spending more and more time, as I did tonight, with people I've met kayaking. I think what I like about spending time with these people is that it expands your social horizon--challenging you to mesh with people you would otherwise have no social connection to. I mean, when I go to ILPA conferences or Fordham Young Alumni events, there are certain shared sets of circumstances that give you something to work with--social training wheels so to speak. Here, there's nothing of the sort, and the extent to which I know zero of the lives of the people around me overwhelms me (in a good way, I think).

As I was driving home, there was a car in front of me whose license plate said, "Howyedoin".

I think pretty good.

I'll let you surmise how yesterday's GM Softball game went. This is the note I sent to my team afterwards...

"Yesterday's game was an embarrassment, and it will not happen again. I'm not talking about the final score, but in how we acted--both in how we carried ourselves and in how we acted towards each other. Almost to a player, every single one of us made a bad play at some point in the game. Our heads weren't in the game and we tossed the ball around like a bunch of little league kids. The idea that anyone thought their performance yesterday rose above anyone else's, enough to criticize your own teammates, is ridiculous.

Considering the fact that our team counts on outsiders to play with us, we need to be a lot more thoughtful about how we act towards each other. Anne has played with us four games, Kristy Glass for three... and we've counted on other invites from myself or Mike D. before. If I was playing with us for the first time yesterday, I'd never want to come back. We can't afford for our guests to start dropping out on us or we'll start forfeiting games. When I invite my friends to games, I'd like to have them walk away thinking that we've got a great bunch of people playing--not leave with the bad taste in their mouths they had after yesterday.

Cross made a great point after the game yesterday. Think of the teams we've played this season, and for those of you who were around last year, even the teams last season. We are the ONLY team I have ever seen in this league yell at their own players. NO ONE else does that. Its pathetic, and going forward, if it happens again, in any situation, I will just ask those people to leave the game. I don't care who I have to play at what position, I refuse to subject anyone on this team to that kind of treatment. Its completely disrespectful. If we have another complete breakdown of respect like we did yesterday, I'll just ask the commissioner to forfeit the rest of our games and that will be the end of our season.

Next week, we are not just going to win, but we are going to play the right way from the first pitch to the last---supportive of our teammates, cheering every at-bat, shaking off bad plays, and knowing what to do when the ball comes to you. Its important that every individual goes out of their way on every single play next week to make up for this game."