A Fan no More part 2

Following my teams.
I continued my love of baseball as a fan of the Angels and also the Dodgers. Some would say you're not a true fan of one team if you like other teams, but I disagree. I just liked baseball and on the nights the Angels were not playing I would tune to the Dodger games. Back in those days, games weren't televised near as often as they are now. You were lucky to get a game a week on TV. But I would listen to a lot of games on the radio. Sometimes for instance, I could listen to two games if I chose to. The Angels could have a game on the east coast against the Yankees, that would start about 4:30 in California. Then I could listen to the Dodgers if they had a home game or were playing on the road against the Giants. I was spoiled though. I grew up listening to Dick Enberg do the Angels games on radio and tv. Vin Scully was the Dodger broadcaster, and to this day I don't think there's anyone better at decribing not only the game but the setting. I think he still does home games for for the Dodgers and road games on the west coast. One of my favorite quotes of his had to do with a former player who I think was playing for the Cubs when he made this statement. " Andre Dawson is listed day to day." (short pause) "Aren't we all?"
I remember listening to games on my transistor radio and falling asleep, waking up to see my radio was dead (batteries weren't alkeline yet) and asking my mom for 10 cents so I could go to the radio shack to buy another one. This happened often.
I grew to like other sports and the local teams also. In football, it was the Rams with Roman Gabriel as the quarterback. His favorite target was Jack Snow. Their running back was Lawrence McCutchon, who had a few very productive seasons. They always seemed to lose to the Colts back then, who had Johnnie Unitas at the end of his great career.
Basketball gave me the Lakers with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Keith Ericson, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, and of course, Wilt the Stilt. I even remember his back up Mel Counts, who had to be the worse career free throw shooter in the history of the NBA.
And so it was for many years following these 4 teams. I would root for the Raiders when they had Jim Plunkett as their quarterback. I liked him when he played for Stanford in College and had read his autobiography.
The impact that sports had on me as a young boy can be supported by the fact that I can remember so much about certain games. I already wrote about my first Angel game I attended. The next year I went to my second game. The Angels were playing the Orioles. The Angels brought up a rookie and this was his first game. Jim Spencer played first base in that game and for the rest of the season, I believe. He went 3-4 and hit a 3 run home run that lifted the Angels to a 4-3 win. I was estatic. Spencer went on to have a successful career playing for the White Sox after his Angel days.
I shouldn't remember this stuff, but I do. This is proof that baseball was a huge part of my life.

A Fan No More part 1

The Beginning
I used to be quite the fanatic when it came to sports. I had my favorite teams growing up. It all started when I was nine years old and aquired my first pack of baseball cards. That was the first year I played little league baseball in Riverside California. I was on the Pirates. A perk of being in little league that year was going to my first major league game at Angel Stadium. Back then it wasn't enclosed and was quite the sight for me as I walked through the tunnel and beheld the spectacle of the field and the players warming up. I had started listening to the Angel broadcasts on the radio just a month or two prior and was familiar with the names of the players. Every thing was absolutely a feast for my senses. The sounds of the program guy barking as you came through the gate. The bat hitting the ball. The P.A. announcer. The organ playing tunes throughout. The smell of the food. The sights of the field crew scraping the field and watering it down. The umpires making their entrance and getting booed. They were playing the A's that night back in July of 1967. Pat Dobson held the Angels to three hits. Phil Roof, a light hitting catcher hit a three run home run. The Halos lost 4-0. I went home sad because MY Angels lost, but I also was on cloud 9, because I attended my first major league game. It didn't matter that my seats were way up in the upper deck in right field. Or that only 7 thousand or so fans were there. It was cool, before we used the word cool.

The Phenom and the Hot Dog Guy

Yesterday was just a good day. It was Father's Day. The U.S. Open was on the television. Church was good and is the basis for this post. An associate pastor presented the message. The message was very good and was about the question asked Jesus: Who is the greatest among us. (meaning the disciples). We are to seek being servants and not being greatest. The scripture: The exalted shall be made humble and the humbled shall be exalted.
Rory mcElroy won the open easily and was an shining example of the humbled being exalted as only months ago, he blew a nice lead going into the final round of the Masters (a very humbling experience). How refreshing it was to see him get the trophy and to see what appears to be a young man not full of himself. Stay humble Rory.
Contrast that to the recent headlines regarding the Hot Dog congressman that just resigned in shame. He was exalted by his peers and was pegged to be the next mayor of NYC. When facing adversity, did he show any humility? Nope. Now he is humbled.
And America is all the better for both events.

Happy Birthday to Me (I'm glad I made it)

Well......I'm 52 today.....and I don't feel any older. A little wiser perhaps and I do feel like a lucky and blessed man.

Yesterday I missed being in a tornado (ef2) by only a half mile.

Every morning I deliver a paper route for the Tulsa World. It's something I generally enjoy doing. I tell people I get paid for listening to the radio and excercising. I generally like it except for mornings like yesterday.

At 4:30 AM I was making good time and the radio was saying there would be rain or a thunderstorm hitting the west side of Tulsa (where I deliver) by 6 am.

I deliver over 400 customers and I had to make a decision because the lightning was getting closer. I decided to head to the retirement village and break off from what I call my "country part" of the route. This would enable me to do my inside portion of the route when the rain started dumping as it looked like it would do any moment. So....I'm doing the "outside" of said retirement village and was at the back side of the complex when the clouds opened up immediately. I proceded to the inside part and 45 minutes later resumed the outside portion of the route. I found that the part I had broken from originally had down power lines and trees all over the place. I delivered what I could while some places were inaccessable. While delivering this part the radio informed me Tulsa Schools had cancelled school today, so I found myself with an unexpected day off. When I returned home, the local stations were showing damage done. This same tornado on the west side was the same one I think that took the roof off the businesses at 61st and Peoria and later did damage at Southern Hills CC and the area around LaFortune Park. They later said this was a EF 2 tornado.

I feel lucky and blessed because if I had not "broken off", I would have been right in the middle of it. One house was severely damaged as well as several roofs and countless trees, street signs, etc. You can see picks at

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100514_11_A1_Seanna660014

there is a slide show at the bottom. None of these show damage of where I was (or could have been)

Here a video of where I'm talking about thanks to KJRH.

http://www.kjrh.com/mostpopular/story/Tornado-hits-Sapulpa-and-storm-damages-homes-in-W/kVNr1avEeUi9m7PsfwkAsg.cspx

So I'm 52 and alive. Life is good.

Awesome Memory

A memory that stands out as "Magical" also happened at Disneyland which is known for its magicalness. I was dating Sandy and we spent the day doing what people do at this grand place. It was approaching the end of our visit. The parade was to start in about an hour and we decided to meet at the Crepe place (don't remember the name) and get something to eat or drink some hot chocolate. I believe it was Christmas time. This place is located on Main Street not too far from where you enter the park. I remember it was real close to the Abraham Lincoln attraction. We had our omelet or whatever and were getting ready to leave when the server said "Why leave"? "You have the best place to view the parade right where you're sitting. They start the parade right here". So we got refills of what we were drinking and 5 minutes later, it started. It was just such a cool, fun experience, one that we've always remembered..... watching the parade unfold so close to us. We were the first ones the characters would come up to. The whole experience was just wonderful. We repeated the event several times after, and while it wasn't as "magical" as the first time, it was still always a good time.
It seems like the last time we were there, the little cafe wasn't there anymore (maybe a victim of corporate America, and it didn't bring in enough revenue), but it's one of the memories that just stays with you for a lifetime.

Feeling Up

I went to see this wonderful movie today. My oldest son Ryan raved about it so I was eagerly anticipating a good time, and I wasn't disappointed. Without going into too much of the story line and ruining it for anyone, it is the animated tale of a man named Carl Fredricksen who after the death of his wife is about to lose his house to developers. You've seen the previews of how he uses helium balloons to transport his house. The script nicely sets up the story up to this point, which allows you to understand his reasons for doing such a preposterous thing. (hey this is fantasy, so you won't view it as preposterous).

I found myself getting a little weepy (I'm such a sap), 10 minutes in when the set up to the main plot happening.
The music was very well done as it covered several time periods and locations. The characterizations were on point. Carl is voiced by Ed Asner. Christoper Plummer (Sound of Music) has a main part. One of my favorite characters is a dog named "Dug", who is able to animate his voice in a nicely done magical way (you want to know how, see the movie).

There's enough in this movie to make the Kiddos and the adults thoroughly enjoy it. The humor is well thought out. When you're not laughing watching this movie, you're definitely smiling.

I highly recommend you see this in 3D if at all possible. I made a mistake and saw in in non 3D and plan on seeing it a second time. I don't do that often, so you know I loved this movie.

nothing in particular to say

It's been awhile since I've been here but have a few things on my mind. School is over so I have much more time for my blog and intend to visit it more often.

Foremost on my mind has been that of the happenings of the past year. In contrast to most other people, my happenings while somewhat depressing to me aren't really that bad compared to many people who are going through much worse. For me it's been a year of self realization. It's been a year of coming to grasps with who I am and what is important to me. It's been a year of disappointment and adjustment. I honestly don't think I'm having a mid life crisis, cause I don't feel regretful of where I am right now. It's just been a year of growth both spiritually and emotionally. It's been a time of awakenings.

I've always been a somewhat optimistic person, one that sees the glass half full. I'm always anticipating good things to happen to me. I think that's why the past year for me has been tolerable. It's my hope that over the next few blog entries I can address some of the stuff that has happened in the past 11-12 months. It won't be Earth shattering to the reader, but maybe it will help to further put the past behind me.

I sometimes think of the lyrics of a Gilbert O'Sullivan song.....

Whatever you are..... whatever you miss
Whatever you're thinking...... whatever it is
Whatever you feel and whatever you do
Remember there's always somebody
Worse off than you
Always somebody worse off than you
You know that there's always somebody
Worse off than you -

Yesterday it was learned a person died that was very active in the Tulsa music scene for the past 3 decades....here is what the Tulsa World Web site has to say. His name...Larry Dalton.

"Dalton was maybe best-known to Tulsa audiences for his work with the Signature Symphony throughout much of its three-decade history, in particular the Christmas concerts that featured Dalton's wizardry at the piano -- whether performing his own arrangements, a classical work, a popular standard, or improvising a medley from suggestions shouted at him from the audience.

But Dalton was truly a world-wide talent, from his days as part of the music ministry with Oral Roberts University, to working as an arranger, composer, conductor and performer with orchestras around the world, to overseeing an international music ministry -- the scope of his talents and the quality of his generosity often seemed boundless.

Tulsa -- and the world of music -- has lost a truly great and good man."


So while this is sad news for me, it's much sadder to many others....those that were close to him and of course his family.

so whatever you're going through, remember there's always somebody dealing with something worse....keep going....... you can make it!