Game of the Year

Peña addresses the crowd, applauding the fans' heart saying, "We did this because of you!"

Addressing his team, "I love you guys!"

Group hug.

Picture this: your team is down 4-0 in the 9th inning, you've already been eliminated from playoff contention when your rivals won their game down in Cleveland, and maybe the only reason a huge crowd of 7,400+ is hanging around is because there's fireworks after the game. Do you give it up?

Nope.

Single. Walk. Walk. And with two outs, triple. Squeeze play and we are TIED 4-4. And with a fielder's choice in the 10th, an amazing comeback win to end the season with a 5-4 victory. 

Pandemonium ensues, with players, honored guests, and a dinosaur rushing the field. Midwest League manager of the year Bryan Peña addresses the crowd to give props to his players saying "they never give up, and it's because of you, the fans, who never gave up on us. It's because of youuuuuuu! It's heart! It's HEAAAAAAAART!" 

We didn't get to too many games this year because of our schedules, but enough to know we saw the game of the year. 

HBD Garrett

We did have two players taking residence in the basement, Aaron and Garrett, so we can claim baseball sons 25 and 26.  Garrett went home on his birthday, promising if he returns to WM, to come back home. 

And they always leave us a shower gel or shampoo. 

Typing Out Loud: Edge of 53, and What Happiness Is

What the middle-aged is this?

There's no denying it - by turning 53, I am, without question, deeply middle aged. And this week started with me feeling cranky, anxious, and fat. This is no way to approach my next revolution around the sun. 

How do we turn this bus around?

For one, I think it's time to shake off the COVID mentality and start working out on a regular basis. Even if it's jumping back on the elliptical after dropping Will off at zero hour jazz band.

Lay off the sugar. Judges' gifts have included way too much chocolate and Daily Deals has had too many bags of cheap jelly beans. Back away, I need my pancreas functioning.  

Skating - I have to figure it out. Between central and west Michigan, I've got to get back on the ice and start working on programs and pattern dances. At least I will be getting back in the saddle with a couple of Olympians this week, as I am attending a skate camp with Mirai Nigasu and Gracie Gold. 

Name drop! 

Intellectual pursuits. Harvard is offering a certificate in Managing Happiness out of the business school and Kennedy School of Government. Let me earn a certificate from the most prestigious school in the nation for the fluffiest of subjects. Let's earn me a Harvard alumni sweatshirt!

Picking up a prescription at Walgreens, I contemplated box color to even out the crazy bleach blonde from summer that was making me look washed out when the most amazing song came on the intercom, Confidence by Natania. Shazamed, I've got my vibe for the week. 

Yeah, happiness. Let's do this. 

September Playlist: The Lady Madonnas

What do we have here…?

So I post all the time about The Beatles, which can be a bore, so my alt universe band has to be a mashup. Purely due to the song Lady Madonna, this tribute band is an homage to the Fabs and the Material Girl.

Since personas are her thing, like The Ramones, each member adopts one of her alter egos - Madge, Dita, Susan, Evita, All the Way Mae. 

I loved Madonna as a teenager, I thought she spoke for repressed Catholic schoolgirls everywhere. So following the Classic Albums Live format, TLMs would perform in its entirety 1989's Like a Prayer, Madonna's best album. It’s got drama, empowerment anthems, girl group pop, melancholy, family sing-a-longs, sex, and her bizarre fight with a hotel desk clerk. Incense during a must, a nod towards the scents still present in my old, worn cassette. Encore? A wistful swan song version of Music, the point in her career where she lost me. Couldn’t you have grown old gracefully? 

As for The Beatles side of things, hm. I’ve read recent articles about how feminist they were, especially Paul. What songs would an all-girl cover band do that might dive deeper into the catalog? And I want to cut this short, because I think the Lady Madonnas are eyeing new age Ray of Light era next.

Lady Madonna, natch

Lovely Rita, I mean she takes him out to dinner

Two of Us, because friendship

Your Mother Should Know, because moms

She Said She Said, because it’s trippy

If I Needed Someone, because it’s George being a bitch

Roberta, do not pair this with lavender jeans.

Causing a commotion

We have to talk stage costuming. I like the idea of sporting the Desperately Seeking Susan illuminati jacket. And then there was her early street punk phase, because I covet the Keith Haring neon yellow pumps. The Who's That Girl street urchin look was kind of cute, makes me wonder if she found all-stretch lace all the time a little too itchy. 

That Sucked

Longest week of my life.

After 2 1/2 years, it finally got me and I was laid up for over a week with covid. Even being vaccinated and boosted wasn’t enough, I had a fever for three days and am still feeling a little exhausted. Enough that I haven’t written anything since the beginning of this month.

What to say, except I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

Why Art Matters: Converting a Kiddie Guitar

…after!

I discovered a junior guitar at a garage sale for $5. It surprisingly holds its tune quite well, has metal strings, and is going to be a nice companion for the cottage up north.

But I’m not a Marvel superhero kind of gal. What to do?

My first attempt was to paint it a deep sparkle black. The body is, however covered in a durable plastic to manage the rough and tumble punishment an 8-year-old rock star would inflict on its body. Five coats of paint would not adhere to the body, was tacky in the summer humidity, and peeled right off. 

Well, I’ve always loved a sticker collage. One search for rock band stickers on Amazon, and I got a lot of 100 for six dollars. I ordered, not expecting much for the money, but intrigued by all the five star reviews.

Did they deliver! Classic rock, modern rock, punk rock, rap, and just music in general. I tried being careful and calculating, but then I started slapping them on to fill in the empty spaces. To finish it, I placed the cartoon Queen sticker from my Italian graphic artist friend Rachel in a place of honor. I did keep Ironman up in the head. 

The little guitar now lives at the little house for those days when I feel like a little acoustic jam. Yesterday after screwing the hanger into the wall, I practiced Ceilito Lindo for about 30 minutes. 

Rawk.

Letting Go of Running

The boot box, where I cataloged my finish line songs and stored awards and prizes. 

It's happened: I've made the decision to "retire" from doing road races and concentrate on skating and doing other stuff. 

I don't even miss it. 

I meant what I posted before about attempting to see a version of myself that doesn't exist. I didn't find a tribe in running like I did in skating. The only way I broke 30 minutes was if I was doing a virtual race on an elliptical or on my skates when organizers would allow alternate methods of race completion. And usually, I just felt relief when it was over. 

But... I devoted over 11 years to the sport, so I want to salvage something out of the time I dedicated to it. 

What am I most proud of? 

I did 1 milers, 5Ks, 4.1 miles, 6.2, a 13.1, a couple of indoor triathlons at the Y (20 minutes on the bike, 20 minutes running, and 20 minutes swimming), and a cumulative marathon (two 13.1s) and several ironmans. 

I got my mother-in-law moving. 

I did get some second place medals in my age group, including one of my very first 5ks. 

I've raised some money for breast cancer research, diabetes, and adoption/foster care.

I won a case of Power Gel for writing an essay about what I discovered about GR running a 10K. That took care of my tossies at Adult Nationals one year. 

Actually, I won seven of my 10 entries in the River Bank Run for the Tell Your Story promo. 

Last time I counted, I had accumulated over 70 finisher's awards that included medals, drinkware, stopwatches, pedometers, headlamps, magnets, shoelaces, jewelry, lunchboxes, and a Santa suit. That's the result of over 11 years of running. 

Who knows, once I get the hip up and going again, I may sneak back on a course for a fun run. Hot chocolate at the Whoville 5k in December sounds great on this 90 degree day. 

August Playlist: The Wonder Girls

Do they run they run, do they run run. 

This is a continuation of the tribute band genre, and imagining myself as a member of such a band. 

I’ve never seen a Monkees tribute band, but it’s not as if one doesn’t exist out there, somewhere. Gotta go search… I found:

The Frodis Caper

Monkeemania

The Blue Meanies (which doesn’t make sense but ok)

Missing Links

Zilch

The Good Times

Monkeephiles

The Daydream Believers

Wow. 

We are making it an all-girl group, because why not - there was an episode where they went head-to-head with a girl group, the twist is both bands had their lead singer in drag because the promoter wanted mixed groups.

The band name, The Wonder Girls is a reference in Randy Scouse Git to Micky’s girlfriend at the time. 

Set list!

She Hangs Out - was the song featured in the above-mentioned episode.

Randy Scouse Git - in addition to WG, it references The Beatles (the four kings of EMI), they use a Moog synthesizer, some dramatic drumming, and rollicking piano. It's a three-minute spectacle.

Daydream Believer - you will get a crowd singalong.

I’m Not Your Stepping Stone - the punks loved this song, Micky sneers through the lyrics. From a girl group, would be an empowerment anthem. 

Tapioca Tundra - because it’s weirdly cool.

Porpoise Song - because Mad Men.

Pleasant Valley Sunday - the 60s version of Black Hole Sun. Carole King and her ex husband hiding darkness in the sunshine. 

Words - my longtime favorite Monkees song. Do you change the lyrics in order to be heteronormative or are you faithful to the lyrics and open the narrative to a new perspective? First word in the song is girl. Representation matters. Do what Joan Jett and Melissa Etheridge fought to do playing with pronouns to stay true to themselves. 

Next month: The Lady Madonnas. Because of course the world needs a Beatles/Madonna mashup. George Harrison and the Material Girl made for strange bedfellows in the mid-80s.