Good Job, John

John has had a lot of firsts since moving to Western PA this summer.

Filling out his first sales order.

Ridding the house of a thirty-inch snake.

And..........

umpiring his first Pony game.

Yup, Sunday evening found John at one of our local baseball fields umpiring his first Pony game. His mask is adjusted and he's good to go.




He looks good in blue doesn't he? He even looks like he knows what he's doing.




Why look who else is here.




That's Dave out there on the bases. Sorry, Dave, but it's not about you tonight. My camera will be aimed at the youngster this evening.

Uh oh. This doesn't look good.




Call reversed. Stuff happens.

But why is Dave wearing this patch on his shirt? Reality check, Dave. We've moved from the Mitten.




The game continued under Dave's watchful eye but honestly John did fine. Dave even called me over between innings to tell me how well he was doing.







It looks like John has this umpiring thing down.

He made calls.




He watched foul balls.




He cleaned the plate. Always a fan favorite.




He called "time".




He checked his indicator which was in the correct hand.




In short he looked like a real umpire.




I think we have a real umpire in the making. Good job, John.




To celebrate we went out for ice cream after the game. All in all it was a wonderful night of baseball. Especially the ice cream part.

Play Ball!

As most of you know D and I spent the past week in Orlando. Now most sane people go to Oralando to visit the mouse. But not us. We were there to visit this Florida landmark.





Yes, our purpose for visiting Florida involved baseball. D spent the week umpiring two games a day for five straight days and then on the sixth day he umped three games. On the seventh he rested. This is the time of year when college baseball teams go south to get their baseball season started. D umpired the division two and three baseball teams. Most of the umpires were college level but there were a few minor league umpires there too.





I was hoping to spend some time by the pool but it didn't work out very well. It was cold. It gradually warmed up through the week but I ended up going to the pool only once during the week. Well, twice but I wore a sweatshirt on one visit so that doesn't really count.

I wasn't the only one who braved the cold weather to watch D umpire. Sarah and his sister Judy also joined me for a couple of days. Even umpires have fans.









As you can see by the way they are dressed it was cold. We only went to the second game D had that day hoping it had warmed up some but it really didn't help.

Getting hit by the ball is always a possibility and this game proved that. D got hit in the back from a ball coming over the back stop from a game on another field. That wasn't so bad but with two pitches left in the game he took a ball on his arm that came off of the bat. He said later that he thought his arm was broken at first because it hurt so bad. Luckily it wasn't but the ball left quite a mark. One week later there is a bruise where the ball hit and a bruise on the opposite side of his arm. His hand and arm are still swelling up. It must be affecting a nerve because his hand is tingling now. Poor guy, he hasn't been hit that hard in a long time.

It is the middle of the week and as you can see it is still cold.





By the end of the week it had warmed up and umpires (and wives) were in shirt sleeves.





This was about as controversial as it got this week.





Something about stolen bases, dead balls and high school vs college rules. The umpires agreed on the call and the coach agreed after the rules had been explained to him. I like it when it all works out like that. D's partner for this game is a minor league umpire who does Lugnuts and Whitecaps games. He is trying to work up to the major leagues.





All in all it was a good week of baseball. D thinks he may do this again next year and I am voting for Phoenix instead of Orlando. A little more warmth would be nice.

Welcome to Sixburgh

Are You?

Beverages. Check.





Snacks. Check.





Who am I trying to kid? Snacks. Check.





A big-screen HD television featuring my favorite Steeler. Check.





The most important item of all. Check.





We're ready. Are you?

ND vs Syracuse, Part Three

I believe when I last left you Sarah and I were making our way to our seats. We went up when we should have been going down and therefore got to the entrance where our seats were just as the band started playing the National Anthem. We stood in the entrance and listened and just as we started moving again we heard a familiar sound.





We caught just a glimpse of them as they flew over.

We finally made it to our seats to find this at our feet.





Let me just say it was cold. Though I understand from people who moved down in front of us in the fourth quarter it was even colder in the seats above us. I understand why the snow wasn't removed but it really became an issue more than cold feet later in the game. But for now, Here Come the Irish!!





After the players come onto the field they run to the other side of the field and kneel and say a prayer. Knowing now how the game ended, I say there should have been a little more kneeling and praying.





Who in the world could she be talking to?



I think John was really surprised at how plain our scoreboards are. That's the Nd way. No fancy scoreboard, no logo on the field and no names on the backs of jerseys.





John and D seem to be enjoying the game.





Isn't he just a happy little guy? Well, he was until people started pelting him with snowballs. Yes, people weren't content to just stand in the snow, they had to throw it. Many people were escorted out of the stadium that day.





He wasn't the only one used for target practice that day.

Notre Dame football players were pelted by snowballs from fans sitting in the student section during their loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

“To throw snowballs at their own team, I didn’t think that was a smart thing to do. I guess (they thought) it was funny,” defensive tackle Pat Kuntz said after Syracuse upset the Irish 24-23.

South Bend was hit with about 10 inches of snow Friday. While the field had been cleared before the game, there was still snow along the fringes and in some areas of the stands.

Fans at first threw snow in the air, but then quickly switched to tossing snowballs toward the Notre Dame sideline. Defensive lineman Ian Williams got hit in the helmet, defensive end Ethan Johnson was struck on the left cheek and a St. Joseph County police officer on the sideline looking into the crowd got hit in the chest. An NBC camera man also was a frequent target and several snowballs reached the field, although none landed near where play was occurring.



I won't even try to defend the people throwing the snowballs. I understand their frustration about the game, the coach, and the 2008 football season but throwing snowballs at the football players and various other people was just plain stupid.

But one student disagrees with me, here is his view of throwing snowballs that game.

The Associated Press wrote an article entitled, "Notre Dame Fans Shower Players with Snowballs," but this drastically over-exaggerates the extent of snowballage. Let's be real, if you give drunk students snow, anonymous coverage in crowded stands, and the worst football game to date, then they are bound to send some snowballs flying. Truthfully, few snowballs were actually directed at the players, as 90% of them were thrown just within the student section. Cops on the sidelines got absolutely creamed but no one is complaining about that (for good reason). The camera man standing in a large crane in front of the students was hit pretty consistently too, but only because he has intruded on our view of the game for the last four years. But by the end of the game, most of the players that were hit were merely casualties of snowballs obviously intended for head coach Charlie Weis. It should be noted that these snowballs weren't actually made from the snow in stadium, but rather, students collected their own frozen tears and just tried to make Charlie feel some of their pain.

Anyway, at the half we were ahead and it was time for the half time- show. I really enjoyed this song and from the sounds of it so did the rest of the crowd. It's always fun when the whole stadium sings the same song. From the looks of it this was filmed in the student section. If you look carefully you should be able to see us just to left of the goalpost in the upper right corner of the screen.





A half-time tradition is that the seniors throw marshmallows at each other. The administration has tried to put a stop to it the last couple of years but they haven't been very successful. It was better than the snowballs that they had been throwing during the first half.





Things started to go downhill after half-time. Look carefully at the scoreboard.



Second and 47?! That was an omen of bad things to come.

It is now the beginning of the fourth quarter.

"This is Tim McCarthy for the Indiana State Police...





Here is an explanation of that announcement.

"Who wants to listen to a policeman telling everyone to behave themselves?" Tim McCarthy asked himself. He knew the answer.
The year was 1960 and McCarthy had just been promoted from trooper in the Indiana State Police to safety education sergeant. One of his new responsibilities was to make an announcement at Notre Dame home football games reminding people to drive safely on the way home, but after two games he knew people weren’t paying attention.

He decided to change that by adding something to the message.

At the first home game in 1961, the message was about drinking and driving, and McCarthy ended by saying, "The automobile replaced the horse, but the driver should stay on the wagon."

More than 220 stadium announcements later, fans in Notre Dame Stadium fall silent in eager anticipation during the fourth quarter when they hear, "May I have your attention, please. This is Tim McCarthy for the Indiana State Police."

They know what’s coming: a reminder to drive carefully and courteously on the way home, punctuated by an often groan-inducing play on words.

By the end of the game we had seen too much of this.





The final score: Notre Dame 23, Syracuse 24. It is hard to believe but things went downhill from there.

After Saturday's football game, in keeping with tradition, the Notre Dame marching band played the "1812 Overture" as a tribute to its head coach.

For most of the last four years during that song, devoutly loyal students have further honored Charlie Weis by forming a "W" with their hands.

On Saturday, for the first time, it felt like an honor for a goner.

Some of those hands formed into fists. Some cupped around mouths that booed. Some formed around snowballs and flung them.

Only a handful of those hands formed a "W," with most students instead trying to figure out how to shape an "F."

That's the only letter that suits their coach these days. LA Times, Bill Plaschke

It certainly was an interesting game. I can say I have never been to a football game like that. Let's hope next year goes better than this year. Charlie is coming back but that will be his last year if he doesn't turn this team around. Any predictions?

All in all we had a good time. I wish John could have seen a better game but that just means we will have to take him back. Maybe we can get his dad to come too?

ND vs Syracuse, Part Two

I believe I ended my last post with us leaving South Dining Hall. We were now headed to see the football team. Before the game the team attends Mass and then as a group walks over to the stadium. Everyone lines the sidewalk and claps and cheers as they walk by. When we were in the Basillica I had asked the usher when Mass was and when they would be leaving so we our timing should have been perfect. The usher was mistaken, Mass was earlier than he had thought so we had missed the football team. Oh well, next time.

While Sarah and D headed for the parking lot to get our football tickets from Uncle Phil, John and I headed over to watch and listen to the band on the steps of Bond Hall. They perform all of Notre Dame's traditional songs as well as the music that will be played at that day's halftime show. It is a popular event and usually is quite crowded and today was no exception despite the cold. But as luck would have it we were early for that so we walked over to the Library to pay homage to Touchdown Jesus.





Back to Bond Hall and the band. Did you know the band is the oldest collegiate marching band in the country?





Here is a short clip of the band playing on the steps.





As soon as the band was finished playing we headed over to the Administration building to listen to the trumpets play. I have never seen it so crowded. John and I couldn't even get under the dome. Despite that it still sounded great.





John and I didn't know it but Sarah and D were there too except they had managed to get under the dome. Can you see them in this video?






Various parts of the band are performing in this general area and then regather outside the Administration Building just like us. Another piece of trivia for you, students are not allowed on these steps until they have graduated. Until she graduated Sarah always went in a lower level doorway and would walk up the stairwell to get to the first floor. Graduation has its privileges.





The band regathers and then are led by the Irish Guard and the cheerleaders to the stadium. People line the sidewalks to cheer as they make their way to the stadium.
Even though it was cold there was still quite a crowd.





We walked to the stadium and took up our perch so we could watch the band enter the stadium. Sometimes we can get to the front but no such luck today. Here comes the band!





Once the band was in John and D decided to find their seats but Sarah and I decided to stay and watch the rest of the show. The teams will be coming through to do their warm-ups on the field. When the visiting team comes through the Irish Guard stand at attention at the top of the tunnel and the band stands at attention. As the football team walks by everyone is quiet and stares.





All that changes as the Irish make their way to the field. The Guard remove their hats in respect and the band plays the fight song as the crowd cheers. It really is fun to watch. Here comes Jimmy!





Here comes Charlie!





The show was over and Sarah and I made our way to our seats.

ND vs Syracuse

Knowing what I know now, the game was as dreary and gray as the day appeared to be but let's just pretend we don't know the outcome of the game and just enjoy the day.

After parking and a short walk to campus our first stop was The Grotto also known as The Cave of Candles.

But first a photo of an outdoor walkway I had never noticed before. Sarah couldn't understand why I wanted to stop and take a picture but I liked it for some reason.





For those of you that don't know the official name of ND is the University of Notre Dame du Lac which means Our Lady of the Lake. Here is a description that I found on the internet that describes what the Grotto means to those that visit.

Father John E. Fitzgerald penned these words about that special feeling that radiates from the Grotto and touches the heart:

It's quiet and shady there. Just what there is about the place can't be described because it's different for everyone. Nobody knows how many candles have been burned or prayers answered there. From the great Golden Dome of her University Our Lady reigns as our Queen. Yet at the Grotto she seems to have stepped down a little closer to us that she might emphasize the other side of her personal relationship with us -- that of Our Mother.













Next stop, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.





John is about to get his first look inside the Basilica.





I know from the outside it looks quite plain but the inside is another story.





This is Sarah would like to get married. Do you think she and Cory have made a good choice? I don't think we need to put bows on the pews to pretty it up.





Our next stop was South Dining Hall. One, we were hungry and two, this is a possible reception site. Imagine it without all of the students and with round tables. There are other options but this one is in the running.





After lunch we decided to walk around campus and see the sights. Because of the snow and cold it wasn't as busy as normal but I think John got some idea of what game days are like on campus.



More tomorrow.....