Persey has a cat fight abcess. She's having surgery today. She'll have a drain and a clown collar but she should recover just fine.

We're in Athens. We're mostly alive. I found the toolbox. The bed won't fit up the stairs. I closed the baby's finger in the car door. We locked ourselves out of the house 10 minutes after we arrived, but mr. flea broke in using a crowbar, so that was okay. The cat is missing at the moment; I think she is probably in the house somewhere but mr. flea is sure she has escaped and will be lost/killed. The poached wifi remains slow slow slow and we won't have real internet for days so I will be dim for a while. Please wish us sleep-ma. I am so tired.

Since beth yelled at me the last time and I didn't mention it...Emmett is playing in the State Divisional Championships today in Fremont. We'll be playing at 1pm at Vallejo Mills Elementary School at 38569 Canyon Heights Dr. (which does appear to be near Niles).

So, any South Bay folks that want to drop by - please do.

Mom has been discharged from the hospital and is at home resting comfortably (a.k.a. -- doing more than she should and driving my little sister nuts by not STAYING THE HECK IN BED).

Thanks for all the ~ma guys.

Wish me safe travel ~ma. I'll be some degree of gray-to-dark for the next week. But I'll be seeing some of you in person.

Back from Canada. Umpty-jillion posts behind everywhere.

Canada pics start here!

Emmett's all-star team is playing the State Championship game this morning, 10am PST.

Wish us thunder in our bats, stellar defense, dominating pitching and all-around heady play.

We won!

No great heroics by Emmett though he did ironman duty and caught 69 out of 72 innings over 12 games.

The game was a nervewracking, nailbiting pitcher's duel.

We scratched out one run in the first inning on a double by Matthew, and two passed balls. And the score stayed 1-0 into the fourth inning.

Then our best player, Arlo, who was pitching this gem, drove in a run with a triple.

2-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Saratoga loaded up the bases with no outs.

Then Arlo struck out the side! Boom, boom, boom. Down they went. It was insane.

In the fifth inning, they were able to push a run across. We were still up 2-1.

Arlo had reached his pitch count so he switched to playing second base and Ben pitched the bottom of the sixth (last inning).

First batter rips a clean single into right field. We're still up 2-1. They've got no outs and the tying run on first. A walk and a single is all they need.

Next batter hits a sinking liner to Arlo, who catches it at his knees and doubles off the baserunner at first.

Suddenly they've got two outs and no runners.

Next batter hits a dribbler that our third baseman, Alex, scoops up and fires across the diamond for the last out.

For the first time in its 51 years of Little League existence, Albany is the Northern California State Champion.

After the game I congratulated Arlo on his amazing game.

"Yeah, except for my hitting. I only went one for three."
"Uh, you drove in the run that was the difference in the game."
"I helped myself," he chirped, like a pitcher who got down a sacrifice bunt instead of a triple against a dominant pitcher.

We're home. Sorting through piles of laundry and photos now. Slowly releasing residual vengeance demon attributes following 6 hour plane ride seated in front of 4 20-something Italian boys making a trip abroad for fun and, apparently, Olympic level seat-kicking and airplane acrobatics and loud, constant chatter. The plane trips out and back were not a highlight, but the rest was amazing.

This just in: Jars and JarsDH are made of awesome. They are fantastic hosts and absolutely incredible cooks (Jars is, especially). And they have acquired an adorable kitten perfect for toddler distraction.

Have returned to discover that my former minion's father needs some heavy-duty buffista health-ma and she's making an emergency flight to be with him this morning. If there is any to spare, it would be appreciated.