Category Archives: Mr. Boy

The June Swoon

Posted on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off on The June Swoon

It’s touching, if a trifle saddening, to watch Mr. Boy become such a fan of the Texas Rangers baseball team. Partly, it’s because they’re from Texas (he also likes the Astros but not to the same degree) but it’s also because they have a .506 season-to-date average. But I know that they frequently look good by early June, only to crater by the end of the month, and be out of hope for the pennant long before August. But maybe this year will be different. I hope so. Hate to see an eight-year-old disillusioned, especially when he so loves to play (and watch) baseball.

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How boys learn sexism

Posted on June 22, 2008 | Comments Off on How boys learn sexism

Mr. B. was in tears before the sleepover last night had even started. One of his "friends" was slandering him to the other boys. "He said I like Barbie."

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Oh, Tartar Sauce!

Posted on June 20, 2008 | Comments Off on Oh, Tartar Sauce!

Having a SpongeBob moment here, after watching the Rangers lose to the Nationals 4-3 in fourteen innings. Fourteen innings, no less. My hearing’s none too good, but Mr. B. assures me the announcers said the Rangers, when they have a .500 win-loss average, as they do right now, start finding that each opponent is an electric fence. Sure was tonight. Zap.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Texana

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Over for another year

Posted on June 17, 2008 | Comments Off on Over for another year

The Blue Cheese lost its second, and therefore final, game in the district tournament tonight, going down 9 to 5 to a Western Hills team under the lights on the Little League ball fields in Del Valle, a suburb in southeast Austin near the airport. Although Mr. B. is hinting that he wants to play fall ball this year, despite his not-so-good showing tonight: a strikeout, and a walk, followed by being thrown out at second base. Oh, well. He had fun, and we enjoyed watching him and the rest.

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The air-conditioning generation

Posted on June 17, 2008 | Comments Off on The air-conditioning generation

Started considering this concept the other day while playing catch with Mr. B. He was whining about the heat. I realized that he’s never known anything except air conditioning while I grew up without it. It wasn’t common until the early 1960s when I was in my twenties. Did that help acclimate me to heat? Maybe. But the notion falls apart when I think of the volunteers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them are in their late teens and early twenties. So they were part of the air-conditioning generation, too, and they aren’t getting much, or any, of it over there. Maybe Mr. B. just has to toughen up by growing up. I hope so. Father worries.

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Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mr. Boy, Weather/Climate

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Another Big Game

Posted on June 14, 2008 | Comments Off on Another Big Game

Mr. B.’s Little League team has another district tournament game tonight, against another team that beat them 20-1 in a scrimmage a few weeks ago. So tonight could be the beginning of the end for Blue Cheese. They can only lose two games, and then they’re out of the city-wide tournament.

UPDATE:  The Cheese lost, 15-13, putting up a respectable, though still losing effort. Mr. B. walked and stole home, then struck out, but made a nice play in right field to save another run.

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The Big Game

Posted on June 10, 2008 | Comments Off on The Big Game

Mr. B. and his Blue Team play their first district tournament game tonight at 7:30 which is to be conducted like a professional event: introduction of each player, playing of the National Anthem, recitation of the Little League pledge ("I trust in God, I love my country…"), and very little coach involvement in actual play. Should be interesting. The coaches have cautioned the boys not to swing until they have a called strike on them, to improve the chances of drawing a walk. Their defense is more likely to tell, however. Despite some long, hard practices, especially the past three days, their defense still is none-too-good.

UPDATE: Nevertheless, the Blue team, which players and coaches have dubbed Blue Cheese, won 8-7. Mr. B. struck out three times so he was not happy about that. Next game is Saturday, with practices every day until then. Talk about intense.

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