I've spent many a sunny afternoon playing a pickup game of baseball somewhere in a backyard (or front yard) with this ball....this is a wiffle ball. - though in the South, it is more commonly pronounced "wuffle" ball.
My fascination with this holy ball, (not religious, but literally, it has holes) began when I was a youngster. It's played on an uneven field, a lopsided diamond, as no yard I've ever played in was a perfect baseball field, and no one ever really takes the time to measure distance between bases. 2nd base is often a rock, 3rd an exposed root, and in our yard, 1st base is the corner of the sidewalk. I've also seen crushed aluminum cans, pine cones, a bicycle tire, and several times a whole car used as a base! (or home plate.)
If you played wiffle ball where I'm from, you'd know that it is legal gameplay to peg a brave base runner with the ball, just not in the head. You can't play off or steal bases, bunting is for wusses, and a home run is usually scored after a ball is hit over a roof somewhere. Yes, "3 strikes you're out (in) the old ball game," but the little kids get a few extra. And we usually let preschoolers get inside-the-park home runs even though we could have easily gotten them out.
It's a fun game. To me, my favorite backyard pastime. Batter up!

Huh? My wife sent me a text that while I was at the grocery store I needed to pick up a rose for Landon (my 4th grader) to give to a girl. WHAT!

You've got to be kidding me. When did we go from thinking all girls have cooties to giving away roses?

Thinking back, I faintly remember it was 4th grade when I started to notice the fairer sex. Not that I didn't notice girls before, it was just then that I started noticing their beauty, and they suddenly stopped having cooties.

Here lately, Landon has been texting a few girls from his Mama's phone. - think what you will about that. I'm not a bad parent, at least they aren't on the dang phone all night! When I was his age, there was, of course, no such thing as texting. We would call each other on the phone. And in MY house any girl that called me was not a girl my mother wanted me to associate with. (This was the 80's, my mother had and still has very conservative values, God bless her.) But we've allowed it to some degreee and I don't mind sharing that I'm a little bothered by it. Not that I think anything bad about these young girls, but I guess I just hate seeing my little buddy grow up.

I confess that I've read a few of these texts and the dialogue hasn't changed for 4th graders conversing with their sweetie at night.....

"What u doin?"

"Nuthin"

"What U doin"

"Nuthin"

-and that's pretty much it.

There's also the will you go with me -type stuff. Guess that hasn't changed, just the medium in which it transpires. Remember the notes we used to pass that said, "Will you go with me? Circle Yes, No, or Maybe."

The other night, as I was prying him away from the phone to go to bed, he had to say good night to TWO different girls via text before he would relinquish the phone. - keeping his options open I guess. I don't have to like it. And I KNOW my mother wouldn't. And where are they actually going anyway? Guess I'll waller in my old age and look down my nose at these silly kids even though they act JUST like we did when we were growing up.

On the way home from the restaurant the other night, we were listening to Johnny & June Cash sing "Jackson."

Every time they would sing the word "Jackson" in the song, OUR Jackson kept saying, "Hey! That's me!"

- Too cute not to share.

Landon, who just finished 2nd grade yesterday has told both Kelly and me numerous times that he wants to be a "rock star."

Of course, nothing makes me prouder being the musical father I am.

He kinda started getting this in his head after the School of Rock movie with Jack Black and all the kids that learn rock n roll. Wish I had a teacher like that when I was coming up.

Anyway, we had a discussion last night about what it takes to become a rock star. I told Landon how I learned drums.

Not only did I take several lessons from a drum instructor before sixth grade, but I practiced and practiced and practiced. Everyday. I played on a practice pad for a few years before I was able to get a drum kit. Of course, I was in the school bands and piddled around with friends in the garage.

I didn't paint a pretty picture. I told him how hard it is to perform for no money, the travel, the late nights, and so on and so forth.

Then he asked me, "Daddy, it's just like that ACDC song isn't it?"

He didn't even have to explain. Iknew the song he was talking about. And he's right. IT's a LONG WAY TO THE TOP....

Here are the words to that tune....

Ridin' down the highway
Goin' to a show
Stop in all the by-ways
Playin' rock 'n' roll
Gettin' robbed
Gettin' stoned
Gettin' beat up
Broken boned
Gettin' had
Gettin' took
I tell you folks
It's harder than it looks

It's a long way to the top
If you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top
If you wanna rock 'n' roll
If you think it's easy doin' one night stands
Try playin' in a rock roll band
It's a long way to the top
If you wanna rock 'n' roll

Hotel, motel
Make you wanna cry
Lady do the hard sell
Know the reason why
Gettin' old
Gettin' grey
Gettin' ripped off
Under-paid
Gettin' sold
Second hand
That's how it goes
Playin' in a band

So I'm glad that at my office we are now recycling. When folks are tossing aluminum cans & plastic bottles into a container, they are often in a hurry.
At some point the containers got mixed up, and no one has bothered to sort. For months now, the plastic has gone into the "cans" container & the cans have been tossed in the plastic container.
Guess everyone is just too busy with real estate to care.
Had to share!

So after many years of just using mobile phones in leu of a home phone, we decided to buy the Magic Jack.

The way it works is, you buy the Magic Jack either online at magicjack.com or at any Radio Shack. I went to Radio Shack and bought one for around $40. Your first year is free, then after that you only pay $19.95 per YEAR for home phone service.

NOTE: You must have high speed internet!

After you get your magic jack, plug it into a USB outlet on your computer, then plug the phone line (attached to ANY phone you want to use) into the other end of the Magic Jack. The software automatically pops up and installs on your machine and then takes you through the sign up process, all of which literally takes minutes.

Even got a local phone number.

Works GREAT. They've come a long way with VOIP.

I give Magic Jack a thumbs up!

The following is an email I recieved from the "FBI" supposedly. I did not change any of the syntax, just copied and pasted. Enjoy!

 

"Hello honest people.........

This is to let you know that all of you who have lost money to Scammer in Africa and Usa i let you know that there is a quick opportunity for you all mostly lottery. my name is FBI brad Martins i assure you that i will do all i can to get it back to you in 3 days okay About your lost money.. an opportunity to get your money back I believe what scam means. i work for the global scam Fither in CA 93535.we have all the global scam computer to trace all ScammerS name and location.Pls hurry reply back to us because 1 just cought a scammer now and we found the sum of 5 miilion dollars with him. this mean your money will be refund back to you... my private email is scamtnt@gmail.com"

 

I often get these scam emails from Nigerians trying to trick Americans into giving away vital information so that they might gain access to a bank account or something.

Normally, I just delete these, but this one was too funny not to share!