3-3... and Goodbye MBB..

my baseball boys are 3-3... YUCK 3-3... I am a hard woman to please -- i know i know.. our team is way better than 3-3.. this past weekend we went to Russellville Arkansas, pretty good weather 45-55 degrees... way nicer than what we've been dealing with in Eville.. Anyways - Friday Tyler took on Arkansas Tech (the wonderboys) and Phil (the umpire) had a hitter friendly (?) zone.. Tyler is pretty darn good at keeping the ball down, and well Phil didn't like to call the low strike.. soooo, it was a lil crappy on Phil's part -- but Tyler got thru and got the win. Saturday we took on the stupid griffins from Mo West... whom is my least favorite school in all of america! I do NOT like Mo Wo Ju Co at ALL!! our infielders were just plain terrible... hitters 2 stike approaches could have been better... bullpin was below average.. starting pitching was alright... but we lost -- and I was not happy about it... Soooo.. hopefully my boys get back on track this weekend as we begin a nice lil home stretch.. Bring it on Tiffin, Parkside (DREAM WEAVER) and Wayne...

Well, basketball is done. Last night was seniors night. The girls won vs Quincy and clenched a home court advantage for the GLVC 1st round of the tournament. The girls also went undefeated this year at the PAC. Pretty awesome! The men also won, and their senior send off was after the game... VERY EMOTIONAL.. This girl, was struggling.. I'm gonna miss Andrew, the manager, always a great laugh -- yeah I laugh at him. Especially the day he was in a HUGE hurry and rounded the soda machine and his ankle didn't hold up... he bit the dust.. but popped right back up (def limping) and went on his mission... I laughed.. not nice, but it happens. Issac is an official eville family member.. he is in our crew.. and now i'm really excited to spend lots of time w/ him! he is reallllly funny and i look forward to more family dinners.. but will miss him hustling on the floor.. hopefully he'll come to baseball and pitch a lil for the screaming baseball eagles... Marvin and Ty's parents were unable to make it, but they still had pretty great years at USI this year.. I'll miss marv's give me that.... comments and Ty stole all the cookies I made for the boys.. real cool - NOT.. Boog's mom and Auntie from Baltimore were on hand, dancing in the circle and thanking the crowd.. Boog is excited to go to Los now that basketball is over and have a Marg... should be fun. Jamar will really be missed as well.. yeah, he is really freaking great at basketball, but it's the off the court stuff that makes me remember him most.. his songs, his laugh, his smile, and his stories about growing up... whirlpool and heat packs.. and candy stories -- i'm gonna miss that boy! And last but not least, Dori's family and friends from Ft. Wayne made it to the ceremony.. it was soooo great seeing them all there and the love that they have for USI and the respect for USI. it was awesome. I miss Dori so much every single day. His lil mini me was at the game also... talk about adorable.. he is!! lil Jamel is just sooo amazing! He has Dori's nose!! and I love it! ...

My friends are pretty much the best -- EVER.

Ok, I have always had a lot of friends... growing up my friends were the neighborhood boys. I played a ton of pick up basketball, football, and baseball. In high school I had 2 groups of friends my softball teammates (girls from all over NW missouri) and my boys. I'd never say I was popular or anything like that, but I don't think I was ever lacking in the friends dept. In college is where I got my BEST friends, those people that I can talk to any time about anything and NOTHING has ever changed.. that includes Jenn, Abby, Kyle, Jill, Steph and Codeman. In grad school a few more people were added to the list. Then the tricky part happened, I move FAR far away. Now I still have my college friends, all just a txt or phone call away (thank GOD for that!). I have a few more friends -- since arriving in Evansville, one friend in particular (yes we've had ups and downs) has been there the whole time, Miss Brooklyn. Arch is def on the best list... There are a couple others, that guy, bdub and kate... we got into a ton of mischief my first two years of real adult life, but have since settled down, unless we are all together -- then the "chit show" is on.. but thankfully it isn't an every day thing..only a once (maybe twice if we are lucky) year thing. The other group of friends that have always been around, but I didn't ever really consider them friends -- my family. Wow -- I have such an amazing family and am extremely lucky for that.
Friends make us who we are today -- and for solving the worlds problems last night w/ Jacks this is what we decided about friends --
1. Friends are people you know are going to be there whenever.
2. Friends are people you get mad at and get over being mad at in the same minute.
3. Friends are those whom you wanna be around, it's not forced.
4. Jack and I really have the all the answers in life.. so contact us if you have questions...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY FRIENDS...

2 and 1....

I know, I know.. it's been a couple days and you are all patiently waiting for the results of the weekend "According to Beck"...

Sunday -- Valentines Day (got a super sweet card, from a very NON Valentine -- making me tear up)... Got to the field around 10ish.. Game 1 started at 11... Wandy started the game w/ a homerun. Taylor threw really well and we won. Ole chomper was very smelly today, I told him about it also... yuck! For anyone that knows me at all, they know that smells are one thing I can't stand, smells make me really sick to my stomach.. So needless to say, chomper didn't really hang out beside me -- which was AWESOME! Game 2 didn't exactly go the way we thought it would, a rough bottom of the 8th put Armstrong up 8-7 and we couldn't rally back to get the W.. so we split for the day -- but won the series... We left Armstrong around 430ish and headed west... I slept and slept and slept, waking up periodically to a grunt or some weird noise coming from Michael Irving the bus driver, not the football player... and a snow storm was hitting Tennessee and Kentucky and Indiana.. so therefore the trip took a whole lot longer than we had initially thought it would. However, we made it back to Evansville safely at 6am Monday morning.

School was closed untill noon... so I took a lil nap till 10 and then got some errands ran.. had to get a new iPhone -- which I might add is FREAKING SWEET!.. and then I went to work. Got nothing done at work to speak of, did a few treatments on baseball boys, and before I knew it -- it was GAMETIME for basketball.

Basketball was playing KWC... the girls won, kinda a boring game, but a win is a win.. the mens game was started by a welcoming from Jon Mark to KWC.. it was a nice lil speech, thanking them for their greatness and respect of USI after the death of Jeron Lewis. Last time we played KWC was the last time any of us saw Jeron alive, he died during that game. KWC is normally a HUGE rival game -- now it isn't so much. USI men didn't play very well, Jamar was battling a bum foot and MOMO an ankle injury.. .our defense was NOT very good and well honestly KWC was just a better team last night. KWC spoiled the undefeated season hopes for USI. Bummer of a game, but I think that will be the only loss for this special team.

Grandpa Lloyd had a heart cath today.. got boLth good and bad news.. bad being that he has some blockages in his stint and in the area of his last bypass surgery, they put a new stint in and said it could last a year or 20... so who knows... good news for grandpa was that he still gets to drive the bus for the old folks home (no my g.pa isn't in the home, he just takes the old people where they need to go a few days a week -- my g.pa doesn't think he is an old man (he's 74 or something like that))... So just keep Grandpa Lloyd in your prayers as well as the rest of the family (mom's side).. You never wanna hear that your grandpa is having health issues.

23-0.... 1-0

Well yesterdays rain out had no effect on my lil baseball buddies. Today they showed up ready to do their jobs. And yep -- Arch and I were on the same page with the line ups!! I tell you what - he is pretty freakin awesome!! Our boys were alright today at the plate... most of the hitters looked alright... Tyler had the quote of the game "the ball looked like a mouse going into a hole" but yeah, hitters looked pretty good. Our defense was not good... While talking to my mother earlier in the evening, I said "I'd charge 2 errors on each single error cause we were mentally dumb today when fielding balls.." so yeah, defense was ugly!! I guess it is to be expected having not really taken balls live off the bat since mid Jan... I'll give them a break today.. but -- I hope to see improvement tomorrow! lol.. listen to me - like writing this like I have some pull or something -- which I don't.. but I guess that's why I blog.. to share my opinion with ya'll! lucky you. Tyler started the game on the bump and he did alright, I thought he was pretty darn good, but he says he was alright... so that's what we will go with. Trevor came in and finished the game and he was just alright also.. the miracle tape was working for him -- weirdo! But yeah -- today baseball was decent. Good enough to win, but we are way better than we played today. and 1-0 isn't to bad to start off the season... Tomorrow Taylor and Dan have games 2 and 3 of the series... so hopefully they will be ready!! I know I am! man I just love baseball...
I do have to gripe just a min, I don't really like ppl in my "space" or trying to talk to me during the games... and someone on our team DROVE me nuts today. This person was supposed to be charting something and kept freakin asking me a million questions -- i wanted to ask them if they just wanted me to keep the freakin chart cause it was obvious they couldn't pay attention. GRRRR.. I was super frustrated! This person whom we'll call "chomper" (he chews his food with his mouth open, which is also super annoying) has officially driven me nuts this trip. I'm praying for patience with him and for him to FIO before tomorrow, or at least before next weekend... I might just have to find a different home in the dugout -- or kick him to the opposite side! Let's all just say a lil prayer about that one? Maybe God will give one of us a hint on how to tolerate... ole chomper prolly doesn't even know he drives me bonkers!!
On to basketball, they are still undefeated!! perfect 23-0! and b.hogg was a thief today!! He led our team in steals and from what I hear, he was pretty darn good today! atta boy b.hogg!!
The women also won today -- they upset unbeaten University of Indianapolis (Indy)! Way to go ladies!
This girl is super tired and about to hit the sheets! Gotta LONG day tomorrow, 2 baseball games and a 10 hour trip back to evansville.. Monday is KWC basketball games and I have to get a new phone!! my iphone is dead :-( which makes me super sad! G'nite!!

It is almost here....baseball 2010...

Well, it's not 60's or even really the 50's... but today the boys got outside on a real baseball field and had practice. And even tho it wasn't shorts weather, it was still amazing!! Fielders got to take real pop flies and real ground balls. Pitchers got to throw! Hitter's got to hit pearls.. And, me, I got to just sit back and watch it all. Just a lil perk of having one of the best jobs in the world.

This morning I had an awesome P90 workout. I went for a lil run. Arch called and said I was going to the field with him a little bit earlier. We stopped to get some money and COFFEE!! He truly is the best coach I've ever worked with. I know it may seem like I brag about him alot, but I really feel like he is a great coach. I often wish I were a boy so I could play baseball for him.

Tomorrow it's the season opener!! well -- maybe -- they are predicting rain here in Savannah. bummmmmer! Rain wears me out!!! It is one of my least favorite things about baseball. Arch said today if it does rain, we will play one game Saturday and two on Sunday.. which puts us back to USI early Monday morning -- hopefully by 3am..but who knows.

I'm gonna throw a line up out there for tomorrow's game, I just wanna see if i'm anywhere near Arch's page...
Choate, Mooney, Enright, Vance, Wandy, Fink, Blinn, Huling & Ehmke.

Well, I guess I'll get back to writing powerpoints and grading papers... sometimes life in the hotel can be soooo boring. Yeah -- I get my fill of alone time that's for sure!

22 and ZERO!!

The boys beat Drury tonight!! that is such a tough place to play!! and USI went in there and WON!! Oh how special is this USI team.. yesterday the boys were hanging out in the ATR just talking about how tough this game was going to be.. they said.. teams can play with us for 20 min, some for 25, a few for 30, Drury may take us to 35 min, but there really isn't anyone that can play with us for 40 min. I believe that.. This USI team is sooooo special! They are awesome to watch! I just love them!

Well, tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for since last May!! We get on the bus to start our trip to Armstrong Atlantic in Savannah GA. Tonight I should have been doing more to get ready -- but -- leave it to me to slack and now i'm way tired! I've gotta throw my dishes in the dishwasher and fold some laundry... that will leave packing in the morning, cutting Dyl's rice crispy treats, straightening my hair, and doing last min stuff around the apt. Man I'm soooo ready to be on the road. I'm due for some ipod.land time!! i've missed it!! hahah.. I got some new music - A lil Lady GAGA (tman told us she had some good stuff, and i didn't listen at first, but yeah, HE WAS RIGHT and she does have some good stuff!) the new lil wayne, and some great new christian tunes.

For those of you concerned that i'm not packed yet -- i promise you i will be fine, i'm a pro at packing in like 10 min... i pack WAY to much, WAY to many pairs of shoes, but man -- that's just how it goes.

Welp - that's all for now.. YAY USI baskeballers!! 22-0! Awesome!! Jamar was awesome tonight and like always Kev's defense was stellar... i just love them!!

Jamel's Benefit

Today was a benefit for Jeron's son, Jamel's college fund. Hacienda on the west side was giving a portion I heard 10% or 20% of each person's bill to the college fund for Jamel. How awesome is that. Evansville has been so gracious. I'm def not a Hacienda fan, but for tonight, I choked it down for a great cause. And some really great company -- the softball girls! Not a day goes by that I don't think of Jeron... RIP Dori..

Basketball left for Drury today -- they play tomorrow... It is such a lonely place when they are gone. I really miss them!

Baseball is completely over being inside...it's sooooo boring! I can't wait to be on the field on Thursday!! Then to play a game on Friday (pray the rain holds off!). PAC 200 is wearing on me.. being inside is wearing on me...I'm an outside girl! Give me sun, baseball, some seeds...maybe a diet mounTain dew and some citrus...and I'm a happy camper!!

Welp - it's snowing again.. part of me really wants school to be cancelled tomorrow!! I teach class on Tuesdays only -- soooo pray for a snow day!!

21 and ZERO

My lil defensive LOVE -- this is Kev! We are just taking a lil break for a photo. Kev is my fav to watch play defense. He's our lil point gaurd. I just love him to pieces.

Dear John -- WOW -- what a great movie! I had a wonderful time w/ Brooklyn at the movie. It was packed there! But man -- it was really good. Channing Tatum is really easy on the eyes. lol..

Saturday was GAMEDAY = and OT win for the ladies and a GREAT mens game w/ USI coming out on top! 21 and 0!!! Rockhurst was really good. They seemed to be really prepared for us and their Hill guy was pretty darn good, but we've got JAMAR -- Sorry.bout.it -- GLVC player of the year for sure! And our defense was as in your face as ever.. just a fun game!

Saturday was also the big 21 for my favorite #16. Dyl's family was in town. I wish I would have been able to meet up with them at Turoni's...but seeing my lil athlete's celebrate their 21st is something I can't be a part of. However, I'm sure I'll join his family in Savannah for a dinner.

Baseball leaves in 3 days!! I really can't wait. I'm almost ready.. just gotta pack Tuesday night. get the rest of the treats - chewy spree's, seeds, and citrus, maybe some different starbursts... and something choc.. I've gotta make the birthday boy some riceKrispy treats for the bus ride.. Other than that -- I'm soooo ready!! I hope my bug spray comes in!!

BLESSED!!

I am just sooooo BLESSED!

Baseball season opener in just one week.
Baseball blessings - Arch - the best teacher of the game I've ever met. Marx - can teach hitting to anyone. BradleyVance - 2nd basemen - he's a gamer. Dyl - our catcher, great friend, amazing person, wonderful family. T.man - intense, hard-nosed, GAGA, funny and our ACE!

Basketball - 20&0 - WOW... that in its self is a blessing!! That team has 15 blessings in my life. BHogg can always make me laugh. Kev gives the BEST hugs, he is at a good hug height. Jamar's sense of humor. Dori's watching over us while hoopin in heaven. CJ's smile and ornery grin. MOMO's hotness. Nick's shelf. Issac just being Issac. Boog making me "look". Marv's personality and always having a song to sing. Ty who knows. Coaches being more than coaches -- treating people like people.

I have softball blessings -- Brendel, Fink, and Alex -- my 3 musketeers.. three really wonderful young ladies... always able to make someone smile.

My lil runners -- Hol and Ade.. keeping God in mind

The lady ballers -- Ghetti, Cootie, and Abs --

I'm currently on a soccer and volleyball hiatus... def over those sports. Can def wait till fall to deal with them again.. is that mean?

DEAR JOHN = Beck+Brooklyn= GIRLS NIGHT!! sooooo excited!!

My parents are a blessing... they've allowed me to be who I am. And for that I am sooo thankful.

Speaking of blessings -- today while reading the courierpress.com -- so many people were commenting about UMSL's men's basketball coach. Sometimes I just wish that people would take it a lil easy on the coach if they just watch or see the coach in one game setting. Yes people coaches get excited, they get fired up, they get angry. They share all the same emotions that all the rest of us have with our jobs. Could you imagine losing your job if you didn't win? It is a coaches job to WIN. A coach is going to do what they think is necessary to get that WIN. It may not always "look" like they are doing the best thing, but probably at the time, they are doing what they think is best. So next time, take it a lil easy on those coaches, all they are trying to do is keep their jobs.

Sometimes it is just really important to thank God for the blessings he has given us. And I think it is more than ok to Blog.Thank.Them. for the greatness they possess in my life.

I agree with Carlei!!

I was reading Carlei's blog and couldn't agree more! I am also becoming (have become) a hermit! I LOVE being HOME!!

For me, it's my quiet place. I love my athlete's and I love my job -- and I LOVE coming home at night and not having to talk to anyone. I love coming home and being able to do whatever I want. I love being able to go to the gym if I want, do P90x if I want, or do NOTHING if that is what I want. I am so thankful every single day for having a place to call home. So Carlei, I am with you, I love my friends -- but man -- I really love my home!

Family dinner was a blast. Never a dull moment. I am a person that loves laughing and loves awesome friends and tonight it was boLth! Funny stories to make great memories.

Tomorrow is a HOME basketball game and I am STOKED!! It will be the first game I have seen since Jeron's death. It will be tough for me personally, and I'm sure it will be hard on others. I want to take the time to thank those of you that have sent me txt's and emails and voicemails. I'm not avoiding you, I promise, I just really don't want to talk about it yet.

Tonight on the way back from the log inn, we were talking about relationships with God. I just love hearing other peoples opinions (as long as they are believers, I shut off when people say they don't believe). I think there is so much we can learn from each other when we listen to what they think about their relationship with God. It really made me think about my life and my friends.

With everything I've found out about my brother lately, it is NOT for me to judge and that is really hard for me. Part of me wanders what my brother is doing and thinking and that is the hard part for me not to judge him because of it. I try to remember that God has a plan for each one of us, and I guess it's just not for me to understand right now why my brother is doing what he has/is doing with his life. I guess all I can do is pray for him and ask you to also.

ONE WEEK AND I'LL BE BLOGGING FROM SAVANNAH GEORGIA.. I CAN'T WAIT!

Feb = BASEBALL SEASON OPENER!!

I LOVE that it is February!!

Y?? -- Dear John comes out on the 5th! Fit in Feb!! BASEBALL season opener on the 12th!! and of course, being a SIGMA -- you just gotta love all the love in feb!!

I read the book Dear John and LOVED it.. one of the best books I've read in a long time! I hope the movie lives up to the hype!! and Channing Tatum.. it's gotta be great!

Fit in Feb.. is a lil thing some of my friends and I are doing.. just to keep our resolutions going strong.. for me -- i make a deal with myself, No tanning unless at least 60 min of cardio is done that day. Yesterday I got to tan, today I didn't... Tomorrow I will tan!!

Baseball is back inside thanks to Mother Nature dumping a late January snow in eville. I really shouldn't complain, the weather (knock on wood) hasn't been very bad in eville. The bad news about the snow dumpage, the lights and fence at the baseball field are not getting done.. we have our home opener on the 27th (I think).. I am getting so excited for baseball to start! I'm seeing some good things in the pitchers workouts..

I need to give a shout out to my 04 CMC classmates, I got so many cards and nice letters from lots of y'all! Thank you so much! Y'all are GREAT! I love that no matter where we are in the nation, we are still here for eachother. Thanks for helping with the rough patch.

Basketball is finally having a HOME game Thursday night!! COACH WATSON is The D2 Coach of the MONTH!! He truly deserves it! He is an amazing person and coach. Yep - lets just give Tyler credit on this one, he said before Coach Watson ever even got in eville, that Coach Watson would be the real deal. Once again Tyler was correct. Today Tyler said the boys won't go undefeated, I hope he is wrong on this feeling..but Tyler is not wrong often (you can ask him, he will tell you, he isn't wrong often at all).

Family dinner tomorrow night w/ Dyl, Tman and DodgerBlue.. at the Log Inn!! YUMMMM.. I can't wait!