Emmett hit me a double for my birthday and we won the Tournament of Champions.

Woo hoo!

Apparently my uncle is a coach for my cousin's baseball team, and my mother was telling crazy stories from their league. Like, apparently there was a coach who made his less-good players stay home for important games, so he only had to play the 9 best kids. Also, his co-coach or whatever was having the better pitchers throw more than the allowed number of pitches. It's funny, my uncle is nuts about a lot of things (never get into a car he's driving unless you enjoy road rage), but is really insistent that the baseball team stay fun.

Like, apparently there was a coach who made his less-good players stay home for important games, so he only had to play the 9 best kids.

Ha! We suspected the team we played today did that. They only had 10 players. We played our full 12, including the kid who could only bunt.

Also, his co-coach or whatever was having the better pitchers throw more than the allowed number of pitches.

Yeah, that's a big no-no and will get you forfeited out of the tournament. It's why we have so many complicated rules about pitching and rest.

Had a bit of a scare this afternoon. I was on the phone with a friend, tv was on the tennis, suddenly the wind came up, the sky turned dark and it was pouring rain. Then the electricity flashed, tv, tivo and phone all went out. I actually felt it in my phone. (It's comcast digital voice.) Rained and hailed for about 10 more minutes and then it was bright and sunny for the rest of the day.

Weird.

. I was on the phone with a friend, tv was on the tennis, suddenly the wind came up, the sky turned dark and it was pouring rain. Then the electricity flashed, tv, tivo and phone all went out. I actually felt it in my phone. (It's comcast digital voice.) Rained and hailed for about 10 more minutes and then it was bright and sunny for the rest of the day.

Did you or your friend say something mean about Kaikias?

I now feel like an enormous loser: a friend just called with a question from bar trivia. Not only was I here to take the call, I knew the answer. The question was who was the first person to win the million on the US Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Happy birthday, Hec!!

And congrats to Emmett and his fellow Champion Cubs! (Not the NL Cubs--they sucked today.)

I finally worked at the bookstore, for the first time in three weeks (last weekend was by my request for the F2F, the rest of the time off was due to cutback in available hours because of lower revenue). We got new registers 2 1/2 weeks ago, so today was all about me getting used to them and their newfangled touchscreens. Also, the home office has been on the managers' cases to increase new membership card sales, and we've been doing a good job on that this week, so we only needed two more today to make the goal for this week.

I got five (buffs fingernails on shirt in satisfaction).

When I pointed out my lack of hours to one of the assistant managers (not the one in charge of scheduling), she said that they've decided that the fewer hours will be doled out to those who help the store meet their goals, so I should be getting more of those hours very soon. Yay!

I now feel like an enormous loser: a friend just called with a question from bar trivia. Not only was I here to take the call, I knew the answer. The question was who was the first person to win the million on the US Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Or you are a special sort of genius!

I was at a babyful cookout where I talked about my Chicago gentleman friend A. Lot. and played Mario Kart very very badly. Now I am home and should do some sort of housework but I think I'll retire to the airconditioned room w/ a beer and a book.

when is your gentleman friend arriving, lisah? I thought it was this weekend.

I'm trying make a Wagamama zabu. I have the foam cut and now am trying to work out a pattern. Grr. I suck at this.

I don't know who or what Kaikias is (link still swirling) - after my tv came back I turned to the weather channel and discovered that my town was under a severe T-storm warning. (That's what I get for watching cable channels!)

minor Greek storm god. Carried a shield covered in hail. Minor joke. infinitesimal in fact...