Yeah, that was Miriam. I was there with her when her dog died, and later when one of her cats died. So she totally owed me.

But yeah, it helps so much to have someone else there.

{{{tommyrot}}} I'm so sorry, you. That all just happened so fast. I'm just so sorry.

I'm sorry, Tom.

I'm back from the wilds of Fremont where we won our tournament. The final was tied at 1-1 and went into extra innings. Our best player, Arlo hit a triple with a man on in the bottom of the 8th to win it.

Going back to last summer they've won their last three tournaments and 20 games in a row. They're going to be insufferable.

Emmett had fun though he was in a hitting slump the last couple days. But he made a lot of key plays in the field and pitched successfully yesterday so it's okay.

I'm fried and sun dazzled. The world gets very small at these tournaments where you're spending three days in a row sitting on the same middle school baseball bleachers.

I've got one more regular season game of the team I manage. Then we're in the playoffs. Then another tournament at the end of June. Then there's the all-star season in July, which is a whole other thing. No wonder I'm always so relieved when September comes.

Matilda seemed glad to see me when I got home. I flopped on the floor and let her hang onto me and she managed to pull-stand up for the first time (that I know of).

tommyrot, I know it was the best choice for Senor Sock, but I'm so sorry that the situation existed where you had to make it. He was damned lucky to have you as his human.

Yay, Hec and Emmett! Congratulations on the win!

Oh, Hec! How exciting for you guys! Congratulations.

I am so very, very sunburned. I'm afraid to take off my top; it's going to hurt very, very badly. And I have no good lotion to put on it. And the grocery store and pharmacy are closed, so no getting any until tomorrow.

Can I get a collective, "OUCH!"?

vw, I can't remember if you can take ibuprofen (somebody here can't, and I just can't remember who); if you *can,* then take 2. It's not a magical cure-all, but it will help, believe it or not.

And yay Emmett and Emmett's team!!!

vw, also -- do you have any vinegar? (White vinegar or cider vinegar -- NOT balsamic or red wine.) Seriously, it works to quell the burn-y pain. Just soak a washcloth with it, and pat the sunburned areas and let air dry. Or if you have an empty spray bottle, pour the vinegar in that, and spray it on.

I speak from many years of sunburns as a fair-skinned kid.

Yay, Emmett!

Random snippet of conversation with Paul.

Me: "It's a truly tragic hole in our collection that we don't have Zeppelin IV."

Paul: "I don't think we have any Zeppelin."

Me: "We don't, because mine didn't make the transition from tape to CD. I wonder if there's a store where I could go get Zeppelin IV and some cheap beer."

Paul: "The same store?"

Me: "Yes. The Zeppelin IV and Cheap Beer Store."

Can someone find em the Zeppelin IV and Cheap Beer Store? I think it would really help this freaking writing I'm trying to do if it existed.

Ok. Just took ibuprofen, and I'll try the vinegar. Just took off my top and put on a very soft t-shirt. It's worse then I thought, and most of the way down my arms to my elbow. I'm glad I had a good day, because otherwise I'd be beating myself up for being this stupid.