Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year . . . . Brian Adams!

The regular season is over and the Patriots are in the midst of the Atlantic League Championship series against the Newark Bears. Brian finished the regular season with 15 wins, a 3.68 ERA, and 117 strikeouts which apparently earned him the honor of Pitcher of the Year!

To top it off, he pitched a great game in the first round of the playoffs (against the Camden Riversharks), allowing only 1 run in 8 innings. In the second round of the playoffs the Patriots lost the first game to the Newark Bears. Even though Brian didn't have his usual 4 days of rest he decided he really wanted to pitch the second game of the series (on 3 days rest). Once again he only allowed 1 run in 7 innings to get the win!

I'm so thankful the Lord has allowed Brian to have such a great season. It's been a fun and rewarding time. Let's hope he keeps up the good work in Mexico!

Playoff Bound

The Patriots are playoff bound! A few days ago they clinched the second half championship. Therefore, we'll be here a little longer than expected. They have three regular season games left, an off day on Monday, and then the first round of the playoffs start on Tuesday. It's a best of 3 series and the coaches have told Brian that he will start the first game. If they win the first round, the second (and final) round will be a best of 5 series. So we may not be home until September 28th! Of course I want them to win the whole thing, but that won't give us much time at home before we leave for Mexcio on Oct. 3!

By the way, it's only Sept. 14, and it has really cooled off up here! I'm not used to 60 degree weather this early. In the South it doesn't cool off until October! I'm not complaining because I love it! Fall is my favorite time of year. I hope we get to see some leaves change before we leave for Mexcio cause I don't think I'll be seeing any of that down there.

Go Tigers! / My favorite hotel

Brian and I were in Camden, NJ yesterday when our Clemson Tigers played their home opener against Florida State. Needless to say, we were disappointed that we weren't in Death Valley to see it! Brian's game was at 5:05 pm in Camden so we got back to Somerset just in time to catch the second half! We're so excited that they won the "Bowden Bowl" for the fourth time! Let's hope they can keep up the good work for the rest of the season.

On different note, today our travels took us to Bridgeport, CT where we get to stay in my favorite hotel (out of all the hotels we've stayed in during this baseball season.). It's the Doubletree Hotel. When you check in they give you free, hot out of the oven, chocolate chip cookies! They certainly know how to make me feel welcome! The beds are so comfortable too. The decorative pillow says, "Sweet Dreams." Cheesy, I know. But I like it.

Into the Day

I love the fact that God chooses different methods/ways to speak to us. One day it might be a verse, the next it might be a person, or song, or place. I also love the fact that when I hear His voice, there's no doubt that it's Him. God is so good to be so clear to us at just the right time, isn't He?

One way that He frequently speaks to me (as I'm sure He does with many of you) is through music. Many times God uses a song to confirm in my heart what He's already told me. How good of Him to realize that I need confirmation, and sometimes need to be told more than once or in a different way.

The song God has most recently been using and therefore is my favorite song of late is "Into the Day" by Bebo Norman. I thought you might enjoy reading the lyrics.

You could turn a hundred years and never empty all your fears
They’re pouring out like broken words and broken bones
They could fill a thousand pages, be the cry for all the ages
And the song for every soul who stands alone

The ache of life is more than you are able

Hold on love, don’t give up
Don’t close your eyes
The light is breaking through the night

Step out into the day, all the clouds and all the rain are gone
It’s over now
Step out into the sun, for you have only begun to know
What it’s all about
As the hungering dark gives way to the dawn, my love
It’s over now

Time will let the story told grow and grow ‘til it unfolds
In a way that even you cannot ignore
You can say the seasons change but never if you just remain
In a place where the freeze is at your door

What you don’t know is the signs are right for the turning tide

Hold on love, don’t give up
Don’t close your eyes
The light is breaking through the night

Step out into the day, all the clouds and all the rain are gone
It’s over now
Step out into the sun, for you have only begun to know
What it’s all about
As the hungering dark gives way to the dawn, my love
It’s over now

Hold on, hold on
It won’t be long
So hold on

Mexico

I just got back last Saturday from a beach vacation on Oak Island, NC with my family. I had a great time as always, but of course I missed Brian and was happy to see him again! I didn't take many pictures this year but here are a few from our time at the beach.

Mom and Dad on the swing


Colter, Caleb, Bridger, and Tucker playing in the sand


The face we made


We also have big news about this fall! Brian has been given the opportunity to play in the Mexican major leagues! We're very excited about it because he will be paid well, and it will be a good opportunity for American major league teams to see him pitch. I'm very excited about experiencing a different culture for a couple of months too! We will be living in Culiacan, Mexico which looks like a wonderful city from what I can gather off of the internet. It's only a few miles from the western coast. Brian will be flying out on October 3rd, and I will join him shortly thereafter. It's unknown how long the team will keep him there, but at the latest we should be home by mid December. I hate that I'll be missing my favorite time of year, Autumn, but this is such a great opportunity that we couldn't pass it up!

Record Breaker

I gotta brag on my hubby! In the past couple of weeks he has set two new Patriots records. The first was for consecutive wins without a loss (9), and the other was for wins in a season (12). He set that one tonight! Since the season isn't over yet hopefully he'll get the opportunity to improve his record even more!

Some new pics

My friends, Tara and Anne, at a game


Marcy, me and Megan


See! There really are a lot of deer in NJ! I finally got some pictures of the ones we frequently see right outside our door.

Excitement

Although I don't have much to write about, it's been a while since I've updated this blog so I feel like I should write something today.

We've been in Long Island for the past 3 days. Brian didn't pitch so I was just going for the fun of it. He did pitch last night in Somerset and did a great job! He went 8 innings, only allowed one run, had six strike outs, and got the win. I'd say it was a good night! Today's game is at 11 am and I think I'll pass on going to it. It's just not much fun sitting in the heat and humidity for 3 hours with screaming kids. (On day games a lot of kids' camps come to the game, but I don't think any of them actually watch it.)

My friend, Jennifer, came to see me last week! She's doing an internship at Sesame Street in New York City this summer. Since it's just a train ride over to Somerset, she came to the game last Friday! It was so good to see her. We were good friends in college, but had not seen each other in a few years.



I'm struggling to find things to write about so I'll just fill you in on what else has been exciting for us lately. As for Brian, he's really pumped about one of his teammates, Jeff, giving him a bow to hunt with this off season. Apparently Jeff was given some really nice bows by bow-making companies when he was in the major leagues. Since Jeff is left handed he said he'd give Brian one!! Brian's always hunted with guns, but he's really thrilled about trying it with a bow. Someone's going to have to teach him though!

As for me, I'm getting really excited about the beach vacation with my family. It's coming up on August 11th! I've already begun to pack in my head. I may attempt to get everything in two carry-on bags so that I don't have to check any baggage. I fly out of the Philadelphia airport and I've heard that it's not only chaotic but that frequently your baggage doesn't get on your flight. Anyway, I'm glad it's a direct flight to Durham, NC and I get to ride with my cousins from the airport to the beach! Family traditions like our annual trip to the beach are great aren't they?

Well, that's about it for now. I'm off to finish our laundry!

All-Star Game Results

Brian and I had a good, but busy all-star break. It wasn't much of a break since he played in the all-star game, but that was fine with us! He pitched one inning and did very well: one strike out, two fly outs. The day before the game, there was a "gala" for the players and their families. There we got to meet Brooks Robinson, Gene Garber, and Tommy John (all famous baseball players). After the all-star game there was a reception that I was really looking forward to because I knew the food would be delicious! Among other things they served us beef tenderloin, crab cakes, and lobster ravioli. It was sooooooooo good! On Thursday we had an off day so Brian and I went to New York City. We didn't have much time, but we got to walk around Times Square, shop on Canal Street, and eat dinner at the ESPN Zone. As you can imagine, that's where Brian wanted to eat. Here are a few pictures from the all-star festivities and our short trip to NY.

The poor pig that was cooked for the gala:



Brian and Tommy John:



Opening ceremonies:



Brian takes the mound:



The "Rolex" Brian bought on Canal Street. He calls it his Frolex (combination of fake Rolex):



My new Coach purse, which Brian calls my "assistant coach" since it's also fake:

All-Star!

I'm so proud of Brian. For the second year in a row he has made the All-Star Team!!!! This is the picture that was in the newspaper:

A Great Article!

There was a very flattering article written about Brian in today's local paper. Here's the link if you'd like to read it.

Traveling

Sorry it's been a while since I've written anything. Brian and I have been traveling so much that I just haven't had time to sit down and "blog." A week ago we were in Long Island, NY with Brian's mom, Marilyn, and her best friend, Mary Wade. The Patriots were playing a three game series against the Long Island Ducks, so Marilyn thought it would be a good opportunity to see Brian pitch, see Long Island, and take a day trip to New York City as well. The first day we were in Long Island we went to the Hamptons and Fire Island. Here are a couple of pictures I took that day (the first was taken at a boat slip near the Hamptons, the other at the beach on Fire Island):






The next day we went to New York City. We had to drop off a baseball signed by Brian for the Vice President of Bloomingdale's! This needs a little explanation, I know. Apparently, Marilyn and Mary Wade looked pretty lost and desperate when trying to find their way around NY Penn Station the day before. This nice gentlemen took mercy on them, gave them his map of the train system, showed them how to buy a ticket, and helped them get on the right train to Long Island. In the course of conversation, he learned why they were traveling to Long Island and asked if they would bring a signed baseball to Bloomingdale's for him. I guess he's a fan. Of course they felt like it was the least they could do after all he had done to help!

So after our trip to Bloomingdale's we hopped on the subway and did some illegal shopping on Canal Street where all the "knock-offs" are sold. Most shops along Canal Street are permanent and therefore, I guess, legitimate? But then there are the people who stand on the street and ask you to come with them to see a certain designer's purse or watch, etc. I have no idea why Mary Wade thought it would be a good idea to go with one of these people, but she did. So we followed an oriental lady down a dark alley to an old high rise and climb 5 flights of stairs. (At this point I was extremely nervous and thought we might be in danger, but as we passed other women going down the stairs, they assured us it was worth the trip.) We got to the top and walked into what looked like a Chinese sweat shop. No joke. The girl took us to the back and opened the door of a walk-in closet where there were "designer purses" lining the walls. I couldn't help but laugh.

Mary Wade bought so much stuff along Canal Street that she had to buy this extra luggage bag just to get it all home!





Marilyn and Mary Wade went home after spending three days in Long Island. Brian and I headed to York, Pennsylvania where the Patriots played another 3 game series against the York Revolution. Originally I wasn't going to go to York, but Brian decided he'd like me to come see him pitch, and he also thought I'd like the historic town. We definitely stayed in a historic hotel! The rooms were pretty small, but had a lot of character. Here is a picture of our hotel, and the view from our hotel room:

Good thing it wasn't a buck in rut!

I had heard, before we moved to NJ, that the deer population was quite high. After several close encounters with some, I believe it!

One example . . .

Yesterday Brian had an off day. We slept in, visited the mall, and ate lunch at Chick-fil-A (after assuming they didn't have any up here, we found one about 20 minutes away!). Brian had to go to the baseball field and throw a little bit, so afterwards we decided to go to the local park and take a walk. By this time it was about 6:30pm. The park is really nice and has paved walkways as well as trails through the woods. Brian and I were walking along the well traveled paved sidewalk when Brian suddenly stopped and began to walk backwards. I couldn't figure out what he was doing but I followed anyway. He pointed to the thin patch of woods beside us and said, "Look! There's a deer right there!" I was looking through the trees to the field just beyond and didn't see anything. But then I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and low and behold the deer was standing 7 yards in front of us!!!! I have never in my life been so close to a deer! I could see the veins in her ears! The funny thing was, the doe didn't run. She starred at us for a bit, but then resumed her evening meal. Brian and I stood there talking and looking at her for probably 2 or 3 minutes and she acted like we were no threat at all.

Every time we have a close encounter with a deer I wish I had my camara with me. Of course I never do, so I guess for now you'll just have to take my word for it. I'm determined to get a good picture of a deer before we leave NJ because I'm convinced I may never come as close to one as I have while being up here.

Our goings on

Just a few new items:

1.) Darren came to visit us and just left this morning. It was great having him here. Sadly, it was a very short visit. We got to hang out a little bit and he got to watch Brian pitch last night too.

2.) Our roommate's wife came into town a few days ago as well. She is super sweet! I like her a lot and almost wish she were here for the whole season. Unfortunately, she'll be leaving in a week or so. As you can imagine, we've had a packed apartment for the last two nights with Darren sleeping on the pull out couch!

3.) We went to a church last week that was about 10 minutes from our hotel. We probably won't go back to it though because it just wasn't a good fit for us. I've found another one I'd like to try, so maybe we'll go there this week. I heard the pastor speak on the radio and really liked him.

4.) I have to take back my comment about NJ gas being expensive. Apparently, over Memorial Day weekend NJ was the only state who's gas was under $3.00/gallon!

5.) Three new observations about NJ: there are no country music stations, a lot of people smoke, and a lot of roadkill. We counted four dead deer and two dead otters (or beavers) on the side of the road today.

Brian is famous

Not really. He just got his picture in the paper the other day. That's all! Below is the picture I took of the front of the local sports page. Although it doesn't say much about Brian, here's the link to the actual article if anyone is interested.

NJ

I have to say, I thought I wouldn't like someone else pumping my gas all the time. It's probably the control freak in me. I've learned to really appreciate the fact that all of New Jersey's gas stations are full service. The attendants are always friendly and if I want to pay with cash I don't have to go all the way inside to do so because you just pay the attendant. The best part about someone else pumping your gas is that you don't have to smell gasoline on your hands for the rest of the day! I don't feel obligated to tip either because I heard that gas prices are higher here because the stations are full service. I have no idea if that's true though.

Unfortunately, everything else up here is more expensive too. Groceries, houses, perscription drugs, baseball tickets, everything I can possibly imagine is cheaper down south. I'm hoping that means they'll pay me more, wherever I end up working. I applied at Ann Taylor the other day. I figured they might have flexible hours for their employees. We'll see!

This part of New Jersey is full of italian restaurants. There is a local pizza/pasta place on every corner! I bet Dominos and Pizza Hut struggle to do well in these parts. I've only gone to one italian restaurant so far, Alfonso's. It seemed authentic and I thought it was pretty good. I love the NY style pizza they have up here. It's so greasy and good! I'm anxious to try a little place just down the street, but since Brian's already sick of italian food I guess I'll have to wait until he's out of town to try it.

It's rainy and pretty chilly up here today. I'm hoping it either stops raining, or they cancel tonight's game. I don't enjoy watching a ball game in the cold and rain. If there's a suite available (unrented), and the weather's bad, they'll let the wives go up there and watch the game. It's so nice! There's comfy leather couches and chairs , a flat screen tv, and a great view of the field. Not sure we'll get that lucky tonight since it's Saturday and the game is likely to be highly attended.

Brian has pitched in four games and has made two starts so far. His record is 2-1 so he's done pretty well. His last start wasn't as good as his first one and he ended up getting the loss. That's ok though. You win some, you lose some. I'm just thankful that his arm feels good and he's enjoying playing the game!

A Few New Pics. All of Brian!

This is Brian sitting at the autograph table signing stuff for season ticket holders.










The team had to walk in the parade in downtown Somerville.








This is Brian giving his beauty queen wave!








The players are all announced on opening night.








Brian is number 27.

Sorry!!

I apologize that it's been such a long time since I've updated this blog! Brian and I are in New Jersey for the summmer, living in a hotel suite that's brand new! The only problem is that the internet isn't working! I'm fortunate to find internet access where I can. Hopefully it will be up and running soon and I can post some pictures.

On our way up here over a week ago, we still had no idea where we were going to live. No host family turned up, but we found a great roommate with whom we share a two bedroom suite. His name is Andy and he's another pitcher on Brian's baseball team. He has a wife, but he's not sure yet if she's going to come up for the whole summer, or just visit from time to time.

The hotel is nice because (as I said before)it's brand new and it provides a free breakfast every day, free dinner 3 nights a week, free laundry facilities, and maid service! I have to say, it's pretty nice to have some one else make up your bed every day!

Brian's games have already started, but unfortunately his team has lost 2 out of the first 3. Brian is supposed to pitch tonight, so lets hope they win!

The first week we were up here, Mom and Dad were here as well. Dad was running in a marathon on April 29th near the coast of NJ, so they just decided to stay a while longer and visit us in Somerset. Dad ran such a good time that he qualified for the Boston Marathon! Way to go Dad!!!!!

Well, it's probably time to go change out my laundry so I better run! I'll try not to let it be 3 weeks before I update the blog again!

Head um up, Move um out!

I have no idea if that's the actual saying, or if it's, "Headin' up, movin' out," or something like that. Anyhow, we're getting ready to move again! Monday is my last day of work in Charlotte - woo hoo! Then we'll be moving out of our apartment later in the week. I'm excited about living somewhere different for the summer (NJ - the garden state), but I'm not excited about the actual "moving" part. It's just a pain in the rear, but good excercise I must say. We haven't found a place to live yet, so if anyone knows people that live near Somerset, NJ, and would be willing (and have the space) to host a couple for the summer, let me know! The other option is to live in a hotel. I don't think it would be awful, but eating out for at least one meal a day would probably get old very fast.


Somerset isn't too far away from New York City, so if anyone wants to take a trip this summer and come see us we'd have lots of fun things to do!

Cured by Coke

Brian finally stopped hiccupping after drinking a coke! Hallelujah!

So there's a tip for any of you that get chronic hiccups . . . drink something carbonated. However, I read on the internet that soda can cause hiccups. I guess if you already have them, it has the reverse effect?