At the ballpark

Spent all morning at the ballpark, watching 2 of the kids play baseball/softball.  Trevor is in his first year of t-ball.  He looks bored in the field but he says he has fun.  It was very chilly due to the lack of sun and lots of wind for his game.  He hit the ball ok, but the coach needs to bump up the tee when he’s up to bat.  He’s a little tall to have it as low as he does.  Samantha is playing her last and first year of pitching machine league.  Last year I had all kinds of trouble getting her to pay attention when she’s in the field.  This year, she’s a totally different person.  She’s out there to play.  She hit the ball well and have even heard a few people in the stands talk about how good of a hitter she is.  But what impressed me was she played 3rd for the first few innings and fielded a grounder and went over and stepped on 3rd for an out and fielded a couple of throws to her for force outs, also at 3rd.  After those few innings, they moved her over to 1st base where she caught everything thrown to her.  I was a very proud father of her today.  Now if I could the ex-wife’s new husband to shut up.  He kept talking to her while she was in the dugout when she needs to be focused on the game.  From what I could hear, he was trying to give her batting tips, which as I said, she hits well and doesn’t really need her advice.  I know baseball, every position, including offense.  I’ve been working with her for 3 years, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t need his help.  I don’t mind other people helping her because I don’t know everything, but what he was telling her makes me think he doesn’t know baseball worth a crap.  But it was a good day, got to hang with some of the family while watching the games.

Update

Just an update on what’s going on, I haven’t posted much here as I’ve been working more on “My Sports and Sports Cards” blog.  I enjoy working with cards, always have, so I’m trying to be involved while spending little money on it.

Anyways, not much going on here.  Enjoying my 3 day weekend.  It’s especially nice after only having a 1 day weekend last week.  I was able to sell my grandfather’s stereo for him.  I was hoping to hand him a grand, but it went for $880.  Was expecting more but I’m sure he’ll be happy with it.  It’s the least I can do for him, he’s always been there and is the leader of our family.  I am lucky enough to have both my grandparents still.  I don’t spend enough time with them as it is.  I can’t imagine life without them around.  I keep telling my wife that I need to get over and see them more often but life gets in the way.

Heading over to my mom’s tomorrow for Easter.  We’ll have a great lunch and then the family walk down the street to the river while a few of us, including me, hang out and hide Easter eggs for the kids to look for when they get back from the river. 

Facebook entries for the last few weeks:

• It's nice to see all the people wearing Michigan gear at Walmart. Think I saw more than ND today.

If you know where I live, then that’s a big deal.  I live just east of Notre Dame so it’s always nice to see fellow Michigan fan’s in the area.  There has been a lot more the last few years.  It’s nice to see some of the local people not get diluted with all the Notre Dame crap in the area.

• Quick shout out to my grandparents who are celebrating their 60th anniversary today. Best grandparents ever!!!

Enough said above.

• Watching the Maize and Blue spring game on the DVR. Was supposed to be there but had to work.

Tony and I had planned on going to this for a few months, it would have been our 1st one.  But they posted the weekend on Wednesday.  I could have used a vacation day, but after driving our daughter to Virginia for spring break, and then driving to Cincinnati the next weekend to pick her up, I really could use the time and a half.  We get a check 2 weeks after our anniversary for our vacations.  Then when we take a vacation day, you don’t get paid for the day.  Would have been crappy weather for the game, but it wouldn’t have been the first time I sat in the Big House and froze my ass off.

I don’t need to go through my Twitter feed since it’s on the right side of the blog so I guess I’m done here.  As you can see, not much going on here.  Another reason for lack of posts.

Mint Condition

Just finished “Mint Condition – How baseball cards became an American obsession” by Dave Jamieson.  Very good book.  Loved it.  If you collect or have collected baseball cards, then you need to read this book.  It’s a history of baseball cards and it’s sordid, if not dark, past.  It starts with the genesis of baseball cards in the late 1800’s all the way to the present.  This isn’t a picture book, with lots of pictures of cards.  I assume most are like me, you know where cards came from and how they started.  In tobacco packs.  But there is so much more to the story.  The underhanded tricks early companies used to get people to keep buying.  Why Topps was the only one around for all those years, and why Fleer and Donruss waited until 1981 to start putting cards out.  Which also explains why Donruss had so many errors that year.  It explains why a child’s hobby went from just that, to a multi-million dollar business and how the child is no longer a factor and with that, a slow death of the baseball card is inevitable.  It bring back memories of collecting when I was kid, all the trading that went on in the neighborhood’s.  I still get the itch to open packs but can’t get into collecting in general.  The companies and big business side of cards has ruined collecting for fun anymore.  Reading this book reminded me of trying to collect whole sets or team sets and I’m thinking of doing it again.  Shhh!  Don’t tell my wife.  I highly recommend this book.

Some Humor

I know it’s hard to believe, I got away from my cards for a few minutes to post some more humor.  Of course after this, I’ll probably post some cards on my sports blog.

Finished/Next Book

I finished “Fool Moon” by Jim Butcher which is the 2nd book of the Dresden files.  Great sci-fi or urban fantasy read.  Better than the 1st but I’ve been told they get better as they go and there are 12 (I think) in the series.  Detective/Wizard Harry Dresden goes against werewolves in this book.  You get more supernatural characters and more humans learning the truth about what’s really out there.  Like I said, a great read.  I look forward to starting the 3rd but I downloaded a few free e-books for the Kindle and I am starting “Mint Condition – How baseball cards became an American Obsession” which if you read my previous post (I need an Intervention!!!), you know why.  It’s brought back great memories already and I’m still in the first chapter.  I’m guessing the author is about my age because he talks about buying cards as a kid about the same era that I am.  Looking forward to really getting into this book.

I need an intervention!!!!!

Got my tax check a few months ago, bought a few boxes of Baseball cards, and I’m addicted to them, again!!  I LOVE baseball and I LOVE baseball cards.  I’ve kind of always had an obsession for them.  I collected as a kid, as did most of my friends, and cousins.  I had thousands upon thousands of cards.  I loved to watch and play baseball as well.  Then, they had the strike, and I got out of baseball and got rid of my cards.  I kept anything worth $5 or more in a couple of books.  I think I gave all my other cards to my mom’s friends kid from work, who was just getting started.  I can imagine his eyes light up when his mom came home with a case (if I remember correctly) about 36 inches wide and 32 inches tall packed full of cards.

Anyways, I got back into cards (and baseball) in 1998 with the whole Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa HR race.  I started collecting again and got thousands upon thousand again and replenished my collection.  I remember having 20 or so of the card albums packed pull with the players I liked or were worth something, along with boxes and boxes of commons, labeled by years.  I don’t remember how long I collected again but I did for awhile again.  I ended up needing cash and decided I was only collecting for myself and nobody saw my collection anyways, so I decided to sell them.  Ebay was quickly becoming very popular and I started listing and listing and listing until they were all sold.  Then I got addicted to Ebay.  Did I mention I have an addictive personality.  I still love cards so for a long time I would buy cards on Ebay and turn around and resell them.  I would try to purchase lots of jerseys or autographs to where I was only averaging a few bucks a piece and turn around and sell them.  I would also buy packs and blaster boxes here and there, hoping for that great pull, to sell.  The only card I ever really pulled worth anything was out of a blaster box I bought at Target.  I don’t remember the year or exact card but it was a Hideki Matsui autographed rookie card.  That was the 1st time I listed as shipping international as well.  It ended up selling for close to $300.  I would take the commons, make lots (players or teams) and list those as well.  So I would satisfy my need for buying packs and cards and my need to sell on Ebay all in one.  All in all, I probably lost money that way but it wasn’t a lot of money so I could keep doing it.

I got out of doing that a few years ago when the economy went to crap and I just couldn’t afford to spend the money on the cards like I wanted to.  Until a few months ago that is.  And I’m doing it again, only now, with this wonderful thing called internet, I’m reading all kinds of blogs about cards, getting to read or watch other people pull packs, it’s not the same, but it doesn’t help my itch to buy cards.  So I started a sports blog  (http://mysportsandsportscards.blogspot.com/) and have been posting some pics of cards I’ve sold and mainly talking about the White Sox at this point.  I’ve even started a virtual card album (http://whitesoxcoltswolverines.shutterfly.com/ – site isn’t done yet) which I showcase any really good pulls along with all the White Sox, Colts and Michigan cards I’ve come in contact with.  So I still get to collect them, without keeping them.  Sounds corny to most of you card collectors but I spend less money and get to satisfy my addictions as well.  I’m thinking about listing all my cards I don’t list on ebay and trade for stuff that I might list.  The team lots just don’t go as well as I would like them too.

So for those of you who have noticed my lack of humor posts, that would be why, I don’t go through my bulk emails which is where I got a lot of my humor material because I’m too busy reading all the blogs and working on my cards.  I’m sorry, I have an addiction and I need help!  Although I don’t want the help because I enjoy my addiction.

It’s been awhile

I haven’t been on much this week due to I’ve been trying to get some auctions going on ebay. Between all the scanning and typing out the lists for the lots, it’s been a busy week. As a matter of fact, I only posted once on facebook this week so that should say something.

I started Jim Butcher’s “Fool Moon” today. After a brief hiatus to read some freebies, and for the most part, be disappointed by said freebies, I am back to reading “the Dresden Files”. I’m over half-way through and it’s as good as advertised. I’ll type more about the book when I finish it. Which will probably be early next week. I’m on the floor at work so I’ll only get to read on breaks so it may take me the rest of the week to finish.

As far as the rest of the week goes. Not much has happened. Been mostly working on my cards. They posted Saturday and then cancelled it which was a good thing so I could go with Cheri to Florence, KY to pick up our oldest daughter. Left this morning about 20 after 7 and didn’t get back home again till around 9 this evening. Hit a horrible rain storm going through Dayton, for a little while you couldn’t see 20 or 30 feet in front of you. There must have been an accident just in front of us because all of the sudden everyone was hitting their brakes and sliding all over. I hit my brakes and slid but managed to go across 3 lanes and then back over 1 to avoid all cars and debris from the crash. Cheri was a little freaked, John Paul had his head down and didn’t see anything. We survived. Picked up Skyler and headed to Cheri’s sisters to hang out and have some very good ding dong cake. It’s exactly like it sounds, a cake that taste’s just like ding dongs. We had it for Skyler’s birthday. Had a good time hanging out and then went to my grandparents to take a few pics of some stuff they want me to sell for them. Then finally home. A long day, but now I’m sitting and relaxing while watching “Love and Other Drugs” with my baby. And catching up my blogs. And thinking about bed.

Weekend

Trip to Virginia for the most part was uneventful.  Left after dropping my son off at Kindergarten on Friday.  Got there in about 10 hours due to some traffic difficulties at a few places.  We came to a complete stop twice on major highways but didn’t really stay stopped for really long.  It was a long drive it isn’t nearly as much fun to make when you don’t want to be making it.  When my wife lived there, I would drive down every weekend if I could afford it, not now.  I’m disliking that drive every time I make it.

Saturday we didn’t do anything much, had to pick up my oldest daughter’s stuff at 3 so we couldn’t go to Asheville and see some of my family like I wanted too.  Seeing my wife’s family was uncomfortable, as always, but we survived.  Went back to our friends house, where we were staying, and watched a movie on Netflix then crashed.

Sunday morning, my wife and I both woke up between 3:00 and 3:30 in the morning.  After neither of us could go back to sleep, we decided screw it, let’s start heading home now.  So we left about 4:30 and drove all morning and day.  It was nice getting home in the early afternoon but I zonked out for a few hours because I was just too wore out from the trip back. 

So, like I said, pretty uneventful.

We will head back to the half way point of Cincinnati this coming weekend to pick up our oldest daughter and bring her home.

Weekend

Not that I have any loyal readers, other than my wife, or at least none that I know of, but I wanted to let you all know that I'm going out of town to take my oldest daughter to Virginia to hang out with her friends during spring break so there probably won't be any posts this weekend. Not a big deal for this blog, but my sports blog will be lacking during opening weekend for baseball.  Anyways, see you all after the weekend.

Here's a little humor to get you by.

BestAt: RT @SlappNuttz: She gave me her hand in marriage, but I'm still stuck using my own. I must have
missed the fine print somewhere!