The Best and Worst of All Star Game 2006

Brian and I had a great time in Kansas City last week! We got to do a lot of fun things and enjoyed meeting a lot of other players. However, we both would have enjoyed the game itself a lot more if Brian had pitched better. He had a bad game, but that's the way it goes sometimes. We're trying not to dwell on it, trusting that God's plan hasn't been thwarted. There were a lot of activities planned for the players to do within only two days. In an effort to share some of our experiences over the all star break I've come up with two lists, "The Best" and "The Worst" of All Star Game 2006. Here it is:

THE BEST

1.) Going to all the festivites: The All Star Luncheon, the Celebrity Game (played by former famous baseball players), the Home Run Derby, and the post game party at Dave and Busters where I played skee ball all night (my favorite game).

2.) Staying at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Kansas City where the view from our room was incredible. They also have the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in!

3.) Listening to Brian as he told me what it was like meeting his favorite childhood baseball hero, George Brett. Brian said he was so nervous that when he handed George some baseball cards to sign, his hands were trembling.

4.)Meeting and getting to hang out with players from other teams. Most guys were extremely nice and fun to talk with.

5.) The food was great! We even found time to go eat at one of our favorite restaurants, Stix, that just happened to be across the street from the baseball stadium. Brian absolutely loved the breakfast buffet served at the hotel too. It normally cost $18 per person, but it was free since he was an all star!



THE WORST

1.) Sweating it out every day because it was 103 degrees with high humidity.

2.) Having to watch my husband work so hard and be so excited about the opportunities pitching well in this game could afford him, and yet pitch poorly. Heart wrenching. I wish I could just heap all the pain he experiences on myself so he wouldn't have to go through it. I hurt at the very core of my being when I see Brian so devestated. And as I'm tempted to ask God why, I'm reminded of James 1:2-4 which says, "Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything." I guess the saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is biblical!

3.) Mapquest giving me incorrect directions to the hotel (partly due to construction), and therefore aimlessly driving around an extrememly complex system of interstates and highways throughout Kansas City, desprately hoping I'd find the right exit. Obviously, I was a little later getting to the hotel than I had planned.

4.) Sitting beside an 8 year old girl at the All Star luncheon who made me jump a foot out of my seat when she suddenly sneezed all over my left arm. Gross! I literally felt the spray all the way from my shoulder down to my hand. And of course I was sitting at a table with the owner and vice president of the Redhawks so I couldn't be unprofessional and wipe my arm down with sanitizer.

I think I've taken up all the memory with the photos I posted on other entries. So I'll have to email the pictures from the all star break.

All Star

I tried to get these pictures side by side so you could see Brian "in motion," but it didn't work. Oh well, it was a cool idea.

Just wanted to let you guys know that Brian made the 2006 Northern League All Star team! We're pretty excited about it. The game will be played this Tuesday, July 18, in Kansas City. Nine pitchers were selected, so each one will get to pitch one inning. I hope I can figure out a way to get down there and see Brian pitch. It will be quite an expensive trip for only 2 days, and I'll have to drive by myself. I think it would be worth it though!

I thought I would be the first one to get an ultrasound!

Well, he beat me to it. Between Brian and I, I thought for sure I'd be the first one to get an ultrasound. After all, I'm the one who will eventually carry the babies. Nevertheless, I will have to settle for second place. At least when I have an ultrasound it will be more interesting because we'll be looking at our baby.

I should explain why Brian got to get an ultrasound first. A couple of weeks ago he started experiencing pain in his shoulder when he pitched. After a while it wasn't getting better so he finally told his coaches, and they sent him to the doctor last Thursday. In order to see what was going on in Brian's shoulder the doctor performed an ultrasound. I got to watch as he explained what we were looking at. It was quite fascinating! The good news is, his injury is nothing serious. Please excuse my feeble attempt to explain the diagnosis. Apparently, Brian almost pulled a ligament out of a groove, but didn't (thankfully). If he had, the doctor said we'd be looking at something much worse. With therapy and rest it should only take him a few days to recover which is great news! We'd certainly appreciate your prayers regarding his recovery.

I'm thankful that we have things like ultrasounds that allow us to look into our own bodies. It's just fascinating.

Home Alone

Home Alone is one of my favorite movies, but actually staying home alone is not something I'm fond of doing. Today and tonight, I am home alone. Brian is in Canada for a week, and our host family went somewhere for a reunion and won't be back until tomorrow. So I'm all by my lonesome.

I remember thoroughly enjoying staying at home by myself when I was a teenager. Maybe because it was a little taste of sweet freedom. But some time during my college years I developed a severe aversion to staying by myself. When you have great roommates like I did, and now a wonderful husband, who would rather be by themselves? Inevitably when I'm alone, I end up staying up too late (1:30am last night). It's probably because I unconciously don't want to turn off all the lights, curl up in a cold bed all by myself, and wonder if the noise I just heard was someone breaking into the house. I know what all you mothers out there are thinking, "Oh just wait, after you have kids you'll love it when you actually get a day to yourself." Well, I'm sure I'll agree once I have children.

Even now there are some perks to being alone. For example, in my case, I have the car all to myself. Therefore, I can be on my own schedule. I can also go rent all the "chick flicks" I want. In fact, I did just that on Thursday. I rented The Family Stone, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. The last road trip Brian went on I rented Pride and Prejudice. I loved it by the way!

The good thing about tonight is that while my host family is gone, they left their two German Shepherds here with me. So I've got some companionship, and a security system all in one! The whole neighborhood will wake up if those two hear someone come in at night. Especially this big guy, he hears everything!