I'm tired.

I was told I was slacking with the blogs.  Sorry!  I've been busy and probably sound like a broken record.

We had a few days worth of decent weather and have been doing our best to do some summer readiness.  There are nine ball diamonds to work up.  I used the pulverizer earlier and will need to do again before the first game but it really doesn't help when we're trying to "fluff" up the infield then you drive on it with the tractors.  Back to hard pack.  Thanks.

We shoveled lime onto three.  Two, in my opinion, are good to go.  That leaves seven.  I need lime delivered to the complex but the city guys will have to bring it.  I'm pretty sure they won 't allow me to drive the dump truck.  They did trust me with the new street sweeper though.  I've worked the backhoe and the skidloader.  Not with amazing ability but with pitiful results especially with the skidloader.

Anyway, a few guys donated their time to build me a "lime box".  Looks great!  I really appreciate it.  I just need the lime to go in it.  Crud.

Started taking down the chainlink fence at one ballfield yesterday.  It was only 32" high.  Boss man says the city guys will pull the poles.  Karson pulled a couple right out of the ground.  No cement.  Really.  It will be replaced with 5' foot high, industrial chainlink.  We will top it with a new fence cap like the big boys have! 

We have been working on those two diamonds for 2-3 years.  Replaced the backstops, painted benches, dugouts, made the bathrooms handicap accessible, new batting cages, now new outfield fence and bringing the outfield in on the other.  The little kids, when in the outfield, were almost on the infield.  The bigger kids have a newer diamond to play on, we'll make this one smaller. 

The lime is dug out and dirt was brought in.  Needed more than anticipated.  Waiting for a skidloader driver who knows what they're doing.  Next week.  I hope it won't rain too much.  Need to get that seeded.

There was another project suggested last week.  Cement in the batting cages, carpeted, of course.  Not sure how much we can/have to fundraise before the season starts.  That'll take a bit.  THEN that area will be finished.

The "Old" diamond, is well, the oldest.  It needs some work too.  That one will have to be sprayed but it works up pretty good.  We took down the scoreboard last year as it was falling apart.  Magnetic kind.  Stick whatever number in the space for the score.  And the guy across the street was having trouble watching the game from his house as it was blocking his line of sight.

Speaking of scoreboards, another was blown off its' posts.  Same kind.  No one uses it either.  But I need to pull those posts out.  I could use one of those posts to fix the broken one in the dugout at the "old".  I'm always thinking, trying to have a plan.


I heard I cancelled the soccer games for tomorrow.  Correction:  I said if it were pouring down rain and snowing, we will postpone.  The coaches can get with one another and make the games up at any time during the week.  I will show up tomorrow to see who comes and just let them play each other.  We've played when it was cold, drizzling and windy.  Tomorrow won't kill anyone.  Only if the parents catch me will I be harmed in any way.  I'll be driving the Polaris aka The Potty Wagon.  Catch me if you can.

I don't think I'm doing my job correctly.  At least that's what I had a call about.  The kids should be playing 3-on-3.  Kindergarteners!  Really?!  I have 85-90 kids.  No way and what website were you looking at?  We've always done it this way and we will continue.  Maybe in the big city....

I have a praying mantis egg case on the desk.  We had hail and it was knocked off the branch.  I wondered what would happen if it hatched (?) overnight or the weekend when no one was here.  Would I have a mess of babies or just one?  Luckily I have these plastic shot glasses, ahem, and one fits nicely over it.  I swear I see the thing move but my eyes are messing with me.

That's the latest news from the parks department.  Sorry for slacking.  I alomost forgot my password.

I'll be good!

I was holding a grudge.  She had the balls to ask about our strained relationship, I had the balls to tell.  I felt better.  No apologizes were given from either side but it's off my chest.

I was curt with a gal on the phone earlier.  She wanted to sign her son up for Little League.  We held the draft last night and I don't remember it ever going so smoothly.  Nice bunch of coaches...so far. The deadline was March 11.  Twenty six days ago.  No, I will not allow another to play.  They pick the kids they want on their team.  It was like that before me and I'm not going to change it.

The little K-1 teams in t-ball and soccer, I don't have a problem with.  At that age they aren't Pele or Derek Jeter (I made reference to a Yankee!  Gag!).  Probably didn't spell their names right.  I order an extra shirt or two because there are always late signer-uppers.  Sometimes right to the day before the first game.

I send forms to the schools, broken down to each teacher, for boys and girls in each class, boys will get one color, the girls another with a note saying which is for which.  I'll put an article in the paper reminding people to turn in their forms.  I'll hang posters at the middle school letting them know it's time for sign up.  I called the boys yesterday that hadn't signed up for Little League yet, making sure they were/weren't going to play.  Just doublechecking.  So there are plenty of chances to turn your form in on time.  I hate to be a rip but that's the way it is.  She'll probably call my boss.  Wonder if she needs the number?

I did have one parent sign her son up TWICE because she didn't remember doing it and didn't want to miss the deadline.  Bad thing, I didn't remember her handing it in the first time.


We moved our 2nd-4th grade soccer fields from the new location.  We weren't allowed to play on the old location before.  They blocked off the ground so people couldn't park in the grass, understandable, but the parking lot is way too small.  People were upset that the grandparents won't come anymore because they can't walk that far.  It would be quite a hike for the elderly, no lie.

The school must have received a lot of complaints because it was okay that we played closer on the old fields.  I know I had a lot of complaints.  Ouch!

The band teacher had his class load the goals, they are not light by any means (the old set), plus they had to carry part while he drove so they wouldn't drag on the ground.  Our new set is light, 81 pounds each.  I had them move those first so Matthew and I could start measuring and marking.  Of course there were games that night.  Under pressure but we finished.  I didn't mark the center circles.  I had to call coaches so they had time to let their teams know where to go.  There's always something.

Matt and I finished up the K-1 fields yesterday.   Center circles and all.  Goals are down and waiting for the first set of games this Saturday.

I still have a Mangling Maroon shirt and a Bashing Black shirt yet to fill....