The Pitcher’s Bag o’ Tricks

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My career as a baseball player was short, limited to a year of tee ball and a year of “real” baseball around age 6. I think I played second base and outfield. After that I took a break from the sport until junior high, when my parents told me about a pitcher named Nolan Ryan. Big Tex. The legendary flamethrower who happened to pitch for the local MLB club. I went to a few games with the family and started watching on TV.

The more I watched, the more fascinated I became, largely with the pitchers. The guy on the mound had so many options – location, spin, speed, delivery, even illegal tricks. Some guys like Nolan relied largely on their fastball, hoping to blow the ball past the batter. Some guys like Maddux had outstanding control, walking very few and placing the ball exactly where they wanted it. Some guys threw lots of breaking balls or exotic stuff like knuckleballs. Some guys like Clemens could do pretty much everything. Adding to the complexity was the skills, tendencies, and handedness of each batter. Some batters liked it high and fast, while others jumped on a curveball away or a slider inside. Much of the game’s drama came from the battle between pitcher and batter: part physical, part mental, part luck. Which one would guess right? Which one had the stuff to beat the other? Which one would blink?

Although I never really learned how and don’t have any particular ability for it, I still think it would be fun to be a pitcher. The batter steps into the box, and I reach into my bag o’ tricks for the right pitch. Heat high and tight to rattle his cage? A nice hard forkball in the dirt to make him feel foolish? A slider on the outside corner to prove I can throw strikes instead of walking him?

At some point I made the connection between pitching in baseball and serving in tennis, a sport that I play. I apply some of the same principles to my serve: looking for my opponent’s weak areas, moving the ball around, changing the speed and spin to keep him off balance. After all, even a 100mph fastball or 130mph serve can be sent right back at you if your opponent knows exactly what to expect every time.

Unless Brenden decides to give baseball a try, I might never pick up a glove again, but pitching is still fun to think about and just as fun to watch. I get so jazzed when I see highlight reels of strikeouts, especially when the batter goes down swinging and misses the ball by a foot. I saw Nolan do it over and over and over again, and it still gives me chills.

Winding Down

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Things are a little crazy at the Box house these days! Our move is scheduled for Wednesday morning with All Tex Movers. I’ve never used them before, but they got good reviews from various customers and the BBB, so I’m giving them a try. I was very disappointed with the only other movers we’ve hired, so I’m a bit uneasy about these guys. I’ll post a review after we’re done. So far I’m impressed.

With that deadline in mind, we are furiously trying to pack up the apartment while also doing some of our final CARES events, babysitting, working at SWA, and working on the house. Here are some highlights:

CARES – Unfortunately, it has been decided that we will be the last CARES team at our property. We are disappointed since we’d hoped another team could pick up where we will leave off, but God can work all things together for the good for those who love Him. Instead of a new team, the staff will be taking over event duties, so the residents will still have fun stuff to attend. We have a lasagna dinner Friday night and a pie event on Sunday afternoon. After that, only our goodbye pizza party will remain.

House – Due to illness and busyness, we haven’t been out to the house for the last couple of days. We have swapped out the outdoor lights in front and finished painting the kitchen a pretty blue-gray color. Jenny’s dad plans to come up on Sunday to continue working on our cabinets. I ordered a DIY wireless alarm system made by Honeywell that I’m really excited about. It should arrive soon.

Packing – Jenny has worked hard and packed up tons of stuff. Some of it is already over at the house, but much remains. Since we’re paying the movers by the hour, we’re trying to get as much of it boxed up and stacked in the garage so it won’t take so long for them to load into their truck.

Next week you probably won’t hear much from me on here. Our new Internet connection won’t be set up until next Friday, and we’ll be busy packing and unpacking most of the week. Perhaps I can sneak in an update or some pictures if I have time.

Department of Redundancy Department

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Have you noticed how often people use redundant phrases without even realizing it? Here are a few examples.

  • ATM Machine – Since ATM stands for Automatic Teller Machine, the incorrect version is actually saying Automatic Teller Machine Machine.
  • PIN Number – Similarly, a PIN is a Personal Identification Number, so it’s unnecessary to add an extra “number” at the end.
  • Hot Water Heater – As opposed to the cold water heater? Jenny used to work for a plumbing company, and apparently plumbers HATE this one.
  • Tuna Fish – I’d rather have the tuna chicken, thanks.
  • Cease and Desist – Can I cease and persist instead?
  • Please RSVP – RSVP is an abbreviation for the French phrase repondez s’il vous plait or literally respond if you please.

If you enjoy studying quirks like these, here’s another website that lists dozens more. Can you think of any redundant phrases, particularly ones that really irritate you?

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Kitchen Remodel

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We have big plans for the kitchen that don’t require spending the tens of thousands of dollars that a typical remodel might require. The simplest (and cheapest!) thing we’re doing is painting the light green walls a nice blue color. I’m sure there’s a better term than “blue”, but I’m a guy and only know primary colors.

On Monday a company called Miracle Method is coming out to refinish our laminate countertops. We thought about replacing them, but that’s pretty expensive and seems wasteful when the main thing we want to change is the color. Miracle Method has a special painting process that will magically change our butcher-block countertops to a more modern black with flecks of white.

This part seemed pretty straightforward a week ago. Then we learned that MM couldn’t remove the built-in cutting board that was over the dishwasher, so we would have to do it ourselves. The trouble was that under the cutting board was a gaping hole rather than wood, so we had to buy a small section of laminate countertop, have Jenny’s dad cut it to fit, and install it in the space. Unfortunately, this required removing the dishwasher, which didn’t want to come out. Then when we disconnected the dishwasher’s water line, after (we thought) shutting off the water to the house, we were horrified to see/hear/feel high-pressure water spraying from the open pipe until I figured out how to shut it off! I don’t know how long it actually sprayed, but it felt like twice as long. Finally we got the plug installed in the countertop and put the dishwasher back in place.

The third major component of our plan is refacing the countertops. Jenny’s dad works for a company that makes cabinet doors, so he is helping us get new doors and veneers for our cabinets. The original honey oak cabinets will soon be gleaming white with hidden hinges and brushed nickel pulls. On Saturday after the countertop plug mini-project, we pulled off all the cabinet doors and molding. I’ll try to post some pictures soon.