all along, a journey of trying to find our stuff. sometimes a curve ball. sometimes a fast ball. sometimes a knuckle ball that felt so slow and out of control that we wondered if it would ever make it over the plate.
a few headhunters, and a few perfect strikes. a few out of the park bombs and a few swings that showed intention but no fruit.
now the game is over. now my trunk plays whiffle ball with itself. now the bats go silent and the ball rolls, hoping to someday, once again, make contact.
looking forward to whiffle ball in OR.
ReplyDeletewhere's my andrew hill piece?
sanmukh says..."That's gorgeous"
ReplyDeleteWiffleStop Tour 2009
ReplyDeleteCo-Pilot's Log
1/19 9:50 AM 20 degrees
Inning 1
Dickeyville, WI
Town Park
Couldnt' get into the hillclimb grounds as planned. Continued into town. Followed green signs to Town Park. Bella ate snow. Jugs and Bugs made a hit each off about six lame pitches each. Played next to old army tank.
Score B2 J1
WiffleStop Tour 2009
ReplyDeleteCo-Pilot's Log
1-19-2009 4:10PM 28 degrees
Inning 2
Council Bluffs rest area off I80.
Western edge of Iowa.
Bella pooped, J stepped in poop (not Bella's) (note: don't play wiffle in the dog walk area) and B thinks he found his "stuff". Learned about trans-continental railroad; tracks stretched out along the highway in the background while we played.
Score: B5 J4
J figured out pitching strategy for getting it over the plate and now needs to stop swinging at terrible pitches. B's still working on getting it over the plate, but will thrive until J stops swinging and figures out that a truly good pitch is HARD to hit
1/20/09 11:42AM 30/40 degrees
Sidney, NE (home of cabela's)
Stopped for gas. Sat listening to Obama's inaugural speech. Pulled into parking lot with a retired yellow caboose. It was windy and hits traveled far (note: don't wiffle on HUGE blacktop surface unless you need/want to run around after the ball a lot). Score B7 J5. Bella nosed around the perimeter, careful about the barbed wire.
That was Inning 3 in Nebraska.
ReplyDeleteCo-Pilot's Log
ReplyDeleteInning 4 Wyoming.
We skipped it.
Should have played at the gas station where B bought a keychain and J bought a travel mug for ginger tea. There were jackalopes in the gas station too.
Inning 5
Bonaroo Salt Flats. Nevada
1/2/09 23 degrees, felt bitter
'bout noon.
Bitter cold and a desolate landscape after driving out of downer Salt Lake City past the Grt Slt Lake, where folks write messages along the road with stones and bottles. Good session. Both gettin better at pitching and hitting. Less concern over the score, more play for the sake of that small rare thrill when you connect w/the ball. Even better when you hit one out onto the flats.
Really nice bathrooms despite the outer appearance. J almost left the bat in the women't restroom.
Inning 6
1/22 9:30 35 misty degrees, felt good. Pores were thirsty.
Outside Reno, NV. Came out of gas station with daily bag of Rold Gold, bowled over by scent of mtn sagebrush. J was a bit high on the smell. Bella nosed around the edges of the red gravel field next to the gas station. Scoring got even more vague, but B stayed a bit ahead.
Inning 7
1/22 40 degrees, 2PM
Yreka (why-reeka), CA. (technically Mythical state of Jefferson, or JE) Almost Oregon.
Took a u-turn and went back to an old train yard to play an inning. Lost track of two of the balls (later found in the trunk), so this inning went fast. (note: two bats would be nice, each player ready to hit/pitch at all times) Played on black gravel in the trainyard, in the mist. Checked out if/when trains run. They do, in summer. Steam trains. No windows. Through the mountains.
Inning 8
Medford, OR.
Rain delay, pending.......
INning 9
Who knows where
some time after Inning 9