Thursday, June 1 - Survive the Day!

5:35 a.m. - Summer softball season is here.  And we shall start off with a bang.  The first day is a "double-double" day.  I'm at a junior high double-header this morning, and then I have a high school double header this evening.  Oh what joy.  Plus, somehow I managed to screw up my back.  Apparently all this getting stuff done around the house wracked my back somehow.  Getting old has it's benefits, but sometimes the body just doesn't react like it used to.  Plus, the weather is supposed to be more humid today along with temps in the 90's...geez.  

I also got my schedule for Saturday at Muscatine...working USSSA youth ... have not done that for a long time.  I'm working with someone named Bob Stotler, and we will have five games together at Kent Stein Park starting at 8 a.m.  I just hope I don't end up (like a fear) kicking myself in the head for this decision of trying to umpire some youth games.

And as if that wasn't enough softball, Amber's decided we are going to the Rockridge game Friday evening in Peoria.  Softball, softball, softball...my four days of summer break are over.

Things to do

• send check to Wilbur
• spread weed and feed in front yard
• answer the Loud Thunder question of the week
• pick up Stihl weed trimmer from Huffman's
• wack the  rest of the swamp (after it is serviced)
• transfer UT regional arbiter money to checking
• June 23-24-25-26 -- Springfield trip - Double J  https://doublejcampground.com/ -$62.00 per day

June

Thurs., 1 - 10 a.m. at Gooselake by myself - one hour travel time

                 - 5 p.m. at Pleasant Valley with Steve Butler

Fri., 2 - open

Sat., 3 - Work USSSA at Muscatine - 8 a.m.

Sun., 4 - Joe's clinic at Knoxville - 8:30 a.m.

Mon., 5 - 10 a.m. at Assumption with Lennie

Tues., 6 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Cahill

Wed., 7 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Vern 

Thurs., 8 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Ralph

Fri., 9 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Kraig McPeek

Sat. 10 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sun. 11

Mon., 12 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Steve Connell

Tues., 13 - 10 a.m. at North with Jason

Wed., 14 - 10 a.m. at Central with Duane Rakestraw

Thurs., 15 - 10 a.m. at Assumption with Jason

Fri., 16 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Chuck Schuette

Sat., 17 - referee at Monmouth Shootout - 8:30 a.m. ; Kraig at 1:10

Sun., 18 - Amber's Birthday

Mon., 19 - 10 a.m. at Clinton with Brad Ebersole

Tues., 20 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Jason

Wed., 21 - 10 a.m. at West with Jason

Thurs., 22 - 10 a.m. at North with Jason

Fri., 23 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sat., 24 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sun., 25

Mon., 26 - BLOCKED OPEN

Tues., 27 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Jason

Wed., 28 - 10 a.m. at DeWitt with Cahill

Thurs., 29 - 10 a.m. at DeWitt with Chris Law

Fri., 30 - 10 a.m. at North with Kraig McPeek

July 28 - Mexico

Wednesday, May 31

6:44 a.m. - Yesterday was productive.  The biggest accomplishment was replacing the pool motor seals, but I also go other stuff accomplished.  And I ended the night by helping mom get her new horse.  It was fun for me to help her out.  I didn't do much...just drove the truck and trailer and provided moral support, but she was excited.  And her new horse "Peaches" seems to be at home in her new surroundings. 

I got an early start to the day yesterday, but I'm not off and running as fast today.  That's okay...one more "off day" before Iowa softball starts its thing.  And it will be a long day....a double-double to kick off the season. 

1:33 p.m. update - I was able to finish at least a couple of items.  I got all the weeds sprayed with Round-Up, which is a big one, and then I got a new door knob/lock on the downstairs basement...also a big one.  I spent some time outside in the pool, but then the skies clouded up, so it might be nap time.

5:04 p.m. update - No nap today, but Amber and I rode our bikes up to the El Barrill and had supper.  I had this fajita burrito thing...very good.  Plus the margarita was nice...not real strong, but nice.  Then when we came home, I worked on organizing the garage...I through a lot of stuff out in the trash, which was good.

Things to do

• spread weed and feed in front yard
• answer the Loud Thunder question of the week
• fix/change the door knob in basement
• clean/organize the garage
• pick up Stihl weed trimmer from Huffman's
• wack the  rest of the swamp (after it is serviced)
• transfer UT regional arbiter money to checking
• check weeds that remain
• June 23-24-25-26 -- Springfield trip - Double J  https://doublejcampground.com/ -$62.00 per day

June

Thurs., 1 - 10 a.m. at Gooselake by myself - one hour travel time

                 - 5 p.m. at Pleasant Valley with Steve Butler

Fri., 2 - open

Sat., 3 - Work USSSA at Muscatine - 8 a.m.

Sun., 4 - Joe's clinic at Knoxville - 8:30 a.m.

Mon., 5 - 10 a.m. at Assumption with Lennie

Tues., 6 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Cahill

Wed., 7 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Vern 

Thurs., 8 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Ralph

Fri., 9 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Kraig McPeek

Sat. 10 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sun. 11

Mon., 12 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Steve Connell

Tues., 13 - 10 a.m. at North with Jason

Wed., 14 - 10 a.m. at Central with Duane Rakestraw

Thurs., 15 - 10 a.m. at Assumption with Jason

Fri., 16 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Chuck Schuette

Sat., 17 - referee at Monmouth Shootout - 8:30 a.m. Kraig at 1:10

Sun., 18 - Amber's Birthday

Mon., 19 - 10 a.m. at Clinton with Brad Ebersole

Tues., 20 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Jason

Wed., 21 - 10 a.m. at West with Jason

Thurs., 22 - 10 a.m. at North with Jason

Fri., 23 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sat., 24 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sun., 25

Mon., 26 - BLOCKED OPEN

Tues., 27 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Jason

Wed., 28 - 10 a.m. at DeWitt with Cahill

Thurs., 29 - 10 a.m. at DeWitt with Chris Law

Fri., 30 - 10 a.m. at North with Kraig McPeek

July 28 - Mexico

Tuesday, May 30

5:29 a.m. - I couldn't sleep in this morning; I guess there are just too many things on the to-do list to stay sleeping.  I'm hoping to knock a few things off the list.  

Yesterday, it was mostly fun-in-the-sun, as around noon we had family over for some pool time to celebrate the official start of summer.  Before that all began, I did get the bushes trimmed with the helpers of the Harrison kids.  And before that the four of us went up to the school to open up the building for the Kolak family.  Niko was a foreign exchange student from Croatia, and his parents were here to pick him up, along with his two brothers. 

Later today, I am going to help my mom get her new horse.  I learned yesterday that she bought a horse that is a little more her size, so I'm supposed to meet her around 4:30 p.m. later today at her house to drive over to Matherville and help her out.

So today it's time to get to work.

Things to do

• water the front lawn
• spread weed and feed in front yard
• get mom's horse 4:30 at her house
• answer the Loud Thunder question of the week
• fix/change the door knob in basement
• clean/organize the garage
• pick up Stihl weed trimmer from Huffman's
• June 17 - see if I can find a partner
• wack the  rest of the swamp
• transfer UT regional arbiter money to checking
• put mortgage payment in the mailbox
• replace pool motor seals - haven't received that yet
• recycle chlorine jugs - West Lake
• check weeds that remain
• take weed trimmer for service
• buy birdfeed
• plant grass seed to stop erosion
• June 23-24-25-26 -- Springfield trip - Double J  https://doublejcampground.com/ -$62.00 per day

June

Thurs., 1 - 10 a.m. at Gooselake by myself

                 - 5 p.m. at Pleasant Valley with Steve Butler

Fri., 2 - open

Sat., 3 - Work USSSA at Muscatine - TBA

Sun., 4 - Joe's clinic at Knoxville - 8:30 a.m.

Mon., 5 - 10 a.m. at Assumption with Lennie

Tues., 6 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Cahill

Wed., 7 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Vern 

Thurs., 8 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Ralph

Fri., 9 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Kraig McPeek

Sat. 10 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sun. 11

Mon., 12 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Steve Connell

Tues., 13 - 10 a.m. at North with Jason

Wed., 14 - 10 a.m. at Central with Duane Rakestraw

Thurs., 15 - 10 a.m. at Assumption with Jason

Fri., 16 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Chuck Schuette

Sat., 17 - referee at Monmouth Shootout - 8:30 a.m. Kraig at 1:10

Sun., 18 - Amber's Birthday

Mon., 19 - 10 a.m. at Clinton with Brad Ebersole

Tues., 20 - 10 a.m. at Muscatine with Jason

Wed., 21 - 10 a.m. at West with Jason

Thurs., 22 - 10 a.m. at North with Jason

Fri., 23 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sat., 24 - BLOCKED OPEN

Sun., 25

Mon., 26 - BLOCKED OPEN

Tues., 27 - 10 a.m. at North Scott with Jason

Wed., 28 - 10 a.m. at DeWitt with Cahill

Thurs., 29 - 10 a.m. at DeWitt with Chris Law

Fri., 30 - 10 a.m. at Bettendorf with Kraig McPeek