Last Friday I told you about a few things I had observed over the past couple of weeks or so, and I realize that everything I mentioned had a negative tone to it, so I want to tell you about a few positive things I’ve seen. 

Last week the Roughriders had a three game home stand, and on two of the three nights they played I was grilling burgers out on the pool patio. The night I remember most had me grilling for a group that at one time numbered over sixty, and promise that’s not a preacher’s count. There were people everywhere. Thankfully, I only had twenty-five burgers, and twenty-five dogs, so I didn’t have to feed the whole bunch. My guest that night was a company that had rented out the big party patio on the first base side, the adjoining suite, and the pool patio. All together there was well over one hundred people at the three locations. 

As the crowd began to dwindle at the pool there was a lady and two kids who came onto the deck. The younger child was a girl, and I’m guessing she was eight or nine years old. She quickly got in the pool and began enjoying the water, while her mother and teenage brother came to the end of the pool my grill is on, sat down with their feet in the water and began to talk. I couldn’t hear what they were saying to one another, but what I observed was wonderful. They were there for about an hour, just the two of them visiting while the girl swam. I gotta tell ya, I was warmed by watching them touch, and smile, and laugh out loud. This mom and her son shared a meaningful hour together, and judging by the way it occurred I believe it must happen all the time. They truly enjoyed each other’s company.  

Now moving on to the second observation. Remember I told you on Friday that I have heard, in the neighborhood of, 272 National Anthems over the last four years? Well please forgive me, I lied. After thinking about what I had seen for three days it occurred to me that I have heard roughly 544 National Anthems being preformed in the last four years. The reason being is because the song is practiced every day about a half hour before the gates open, and I am usually there when the practice takes place. So I hear it twice each home game. 

It was during the practicing of the National Anthem that saw another heart-warming action. On all three evenings of last weeks home stand, the visiting, Midland Rockhounds stopped their batting practice, removed their ball caps, and stood silent as the song was being sung. Some where in my head I keep hearing Allen Iverson in a completely different context saying, “Practice. We talking about practice man.” Yes, it was practice, but I appreciate the honor the Rockhounds gave the song, the flag, and the country. 

And finally, a couple of weeks ago Mary Alice and Major stayed a few days with us. On Friday of that week Paula and I took them bowling. We had a great time watching their ball bounce from one side of the lane to another thanks to the gutter guards that were up for them. I however, was hoping that none of my manly friends showed up at the bowling alley. Have any of you noticed that bowling balls don’t come in one dull black color anymore? And did you know that the bowling balls now come in nice bright opaque colors made to shine like the stars under the fancy black lights they have on during the “cosmic bowling” time of the day? And did you also know that the lighter weight the bowling ball is the more feminine the color of that bright shinning ball? Well since I gave up being macho several years ago I will proudly proclaim that my ten pound, bright shinning, lavender bowling ball looked quite nice as it lumbered it’s way toward the pins at the lightning fast speed of twenty-seven miles per hour. 

“What’s that?” “You didn’t know the fancy score keeping machines at the bowling alley could tell you how fast your ball was going?” “Well…. you really should get out more.” 

Till next time,

Grump