Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Checking the Stats

Game 1 of our Summer Softball season was tonight.
It was a low scoring game, but we pulled it off. It was also a very quick running game. We started late and we still finished 17 minutes early. Weird.

Anyway, here's my stat line:

1 for 2, BB, rbi, r, 2 lob

Those 2 runners left on base pissed me off because I swung at the first pitch and I popped up in the infield. My other at-bats were much more patient hence the better results.

As for last season, I decided to take a look at what I had.

6 gs, .750, 10r, 8rbis, X-lob (didn't keep track, but obviously I had a lot)

Anyway, our batting avg. stats are bloated because we consider fielder's choices as hits. Nonetheless, hitting .750 ain't too shabby. Made me feel better. I always am hard on myself for not producing enough, but I got at least 1 rbi per game and almost 2 runs per game.

Ulam cooked @ 1:13 AM

 0 of the headscratch variety

Monday, June 27, 2005

The End of Baseball Week

So the unofficial baseball week for me ended this weekend with two of the A's versus Giants game at the Mac. Originally, both games were bought not only for my own pleasured viewing but also to kick it with Miss Super Diehard A's Fan Cyndi at a game since we haven't done that before. Friday night was a whole bucket of fun with 3 diehard Gmen fans and 3 diehard A's fans - even though Cyndi had to flake out because her new neice was just born. (I suppose I can accept that as a valid excuse. j/k) Fortunately, the A's won - but the energy at the Mac on top of being there with knowledgeable and good natured baseball fans/friends was unbeatable. Definitely the most fun I've had at a game ALL year.

Saturday was basically dedicated to the game. Since we had bleacher seats, we felt the need to go early and fortunately Ian, Patra, and others were there a bit earlier than us so that they were able to save us some seats. I saw some Davis folk I hadn't seen in a long time. I was supposed to stop off at two tailgate parties, but decided to head up to make sure Cyndi and her co-triplets would find the right group of friends. That was the first time I sat in the left field bleachers where all of the "unofficial" A's fan clubs are - the home of the flags, the drummers (before at least), the guy with the hockey mask, etc.. and I guess Ballistic Bill who started all of the 2-strike clapping with his noisemaker. There was a hella obnoxious Gmen fan up there who spent more time looking at the crowd than the game - the guy was so irritating that his co-Gmen fans started to turn on him. Pouring salt on his own wounds, the guy left at the end of 7. That was classic. Anyway, it was fun being there in right field - fun cheering on the A's with Cyndi - fun teasing her friends about changing clothes (to wear the A's green and [gold]) - fun messing with Chel for the second straight day. It was just fun! I think Friday was a bit more fun - but Saturday wasn't too far from the same level. Moises Alou blasted his homerun over my damn head. That's damn cool, also. (It was insignificant in the outcome anyway.)

Here are the pics:

Before the game:


and AFTER the game:

Ballistic Bill is the older guy in the back. He jumped on on the picture unknown til the pics were seen after the game, but it was just fitting. Woohoo! Go A's.

(Go Giants - pick yourselves up and kick some ass, damnit!)

Ulam cooked @ 10:31 PM

 1 of the headscratch variety

Friday, June 24, 2005

I had me my first San Francisco Field Trip. It was a beautiful day. I don't have everything covered with my pics so far, but I'll be developing two rolls of film hopefully today.

Anyway, here's my itinirary:

- Embarcadero Center (to meet with Dar)
- Ferry Building, Seafod Something (lunch on Dar) CLAM CHOWDER WAS damn good.
- walk down Embarcadero to Levi's Plaza (parted ways from Dar)
- walked up the steps to Coit Tower
- strolled down Embarcadero towards SBC Park
- stopped at "my spot" the dock - took pics
- kept strolling towards SBC, kept snapping shots
- under the Bay Bridge
- SBC Park (with Rob) to watch the Giants not produce runs
- Walk to the Bart, headed to...
- The Mission, Jay's Cheesesteaks
- Returned to South City Bart to retrieve car
- Chel's house
- Mitchell's (long line so...)
- Ghiradelli Square (had single scoop cookies and cream with blueberries sundae)
- Rob's house
- Chel's house for long hours of catching up

Here are 3 of my favorite digital pics:







Definitely gonna do another field trip. Definitely will get used to it. Definitely will continue to LOVE it!

Ulam cooked @ 4:58 AM

 0 of the headscratch variety

Thursday, June 23, 2005

The Speed of Hate, I mean Life.

We spend so much time stressed about making it to one place or another that we take for granted patience and human decency. Road rage. Express lines. Automated everythings. Where would Kitchen Stadium be if we lived in the Jetson's Food-o-matic world of pushpin roast beef pills?

Anyway, I am guilty of this myself and that is why I love driving around aimlessly. Though it kills the gas, it offers a contrast to the everyday grind. I'm also trying to walk more. I don't know why younger and/or healthier people who have the time to don't walk from the Bart station to Pac Bell park - ESPECIALLY in summer. Tuesday afternoon was just beautiful. There was a nice breeze. Everyone was eagerly inching their way towards the ball park. Just beautiful. Instead, too many people crunched themselves into the Muni transfer. Nah.

Today, I went to mail a video game I sold on half.com. I went to the automated postage mailer machine and there was this older woman there. Because I really wasn't on a schedule I was patient. I think she felt pressured that she was holding up the line that consisted of me and me. She was concerned that her card wasn't working right or that she wasn't putting it into the slot properly. I showed her which way. She then said that I could go ahead of her since she was having problems. I declined. Instead I helped her a bit. She mistakenly pressed Priority Mail twice, but it was okay. I wasn't in a rush. In the end, she finished and I felt much better about myself because had I been in a schedule or just an urgent desire to get home or wherever, I may have been less inclined to be patient. Or maybe I still would have knowing that such incidents are a vice of my own and our society's.

In 1999, I think I overcharged this really elder woman for a fax to Canada. I was there at the store by myself. She was faxing one of her children who was in Canada. She was ready to pay - she had done it before. When I rang her up, I charged international rates because, well, Canada's international right? I still don't know. I never ended up finding out. Anyway, she was surprised and thought we had raised our rates, but she maintained her sweetness and just paid. It broke my heart. It always does when I think about it. I still see her face, he demeanor, her aura of sweetness, how cute she looked with her bike helmet. She was really older - at least in her 70s and she was riding her bike as did the Davis folk. Counter transference: I saw my mom riding that bike. I saw my mom's facial structure in that woman's. That might've amplified the emotions I felt. From that point on, I knew I needed a new job. From that point on, I knew I couldn't ever own a business and operate with the mentality of a "bottom line". It still hurts. I feel it in my body.

Everytime I'm driving around and I get impatient with older folks driving, I try to stay calm - hollering at them quietly and referring to them as Lolo or Lola despite them not even being Filipino. I feel bad anyway. It's time to stop feeling guilty, right? Let's not find myself in a situation to feel regret.

Ulam cooked @ 3:58 AM

 0 of the headscratch variety

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Funny Story Involving "Skeet"

You're thinking, "NO WAY! There's no way any story with skeet could be funny." Alas, I foil your fruitless theory.

At the ball game yesterday, Lisa was asking for the definition of "skeet skeet". I told her to call Dennis and he gave her the definition. I preferred not to since there were little kids in front of me (who were helping me find the Churros vendors so I could take pics of them. I'll get that roll of film developed soon.)

Anyway, once she found out she says, "I'm glad I didn't ask my kids for the definition". Her kids as in her high school students.

So, the funny image popped in my head later on. Because, if Lisa had actually incorporated "skeet skeet" into her vocabulary at school without knowing what it meant it could've been quite awkward and damn funny.

Imagine 5 minutes left in the period and the kids are taking a test. Some of them are really grinding hard to finish - others are taking sweet time. In order to encourage her students as well as remind them of the time they have left, she yells, "You only have FIVE minutes left to complete this test. SKEET! SKEET!" (as in skidaddle or skeedaddle).

The kids look at her in shock, amazement, and outright astonishment. "What the hell she just say?" they think in their heads. "This b!*$# is crazy" some others think. But no one laughs. There's just silence. Silence until the bell rings. No one finishes the test. They all fail.

Next test day. Five minutes left. One of the outspoken jokesters in the class raises is hand. Lisa acknowledges him. He responds, "Hey teach, 5 minutes left. What should we be doing?"

"Skeet, skeet, class! Skeet! SKeet!"

Thankfully, Dennis was there for the save and Lisa doesn't have to encounter a quite inappropriate and unfortunate incident in class that she'd have to mop up later.

Ulam cooked @ 3:36 PM

 0 of the headscratch variety
I throw emotions outward
onto your lap
for you to manipulate while
pondering...

I throw emotions externally
as a mask,
like my superhero identity
because I have an alter ego.

I throw emotions away
from the core of truth,
personal justice,
that is my way.

I throw emotions
to distract you,
to confuse you,
to hide from you,
to be something unlike you,
to not be

Ulam cooked @ 3:35 AM

 0 of the headscratch variety

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

I think I'm addicted to rejection - in girl-drama sense. I think rejection or the perception of being rejected and the subsequent feelings act as a catalyst to my expression.

Call the girl -> no answer -> no returned call -> some Mac Mall -> some Linkin Park -> maybe some Eazy -> thoughts wander -> hormones produced -> I compose -> I write - I express.

Maybe that hormonal production has become dependent upon that feeling of disappointment mixed in with frustration mixed in with sadness. That is where the addiction resonates.

Ulam cooked @ 12:34 AM

 0 of the headscratch variety

Monday, June 20, 2005

SELLING OUT

I didn't think I'd ever resort to the blog machine again - at least for my daily updating pleasure, but the quilt format ran its course with supergaling and I don't have the prowess to program my own blogging uh.. program. SO, yes, I've sold out.

Ulam cooked @ 2:19 PM

 0 of the headscratch variety