MLB.tv/Sox and Dodgers

I realize it's still spring training, but if the new MLB.tv settings are the same once the regular season starts, then I've been took! The "full screen" is only about half screen --which is annoying enough, but it's even more annoying since I bought a new tv primarily to be able to watch MLB.tv games on my tv. There is a 1.2M option, but the Sox game is only available in 400K. MLB Mosaic doesn't become available until Monday -- a day after the start of the regular season. I'm hoping the Mosaic settings will be better. The settings were different and better last night before they "upgraded" the settings. I'm also a bit frustrated by the fact that this game has been hyped for weeks, but it's not airing on any tv station other than NESN. I can't watch my computer on my tv in HD!

On the up-side, it's good to hear Don and Jerry even if I have to squint to see them. I'm still not used to seeing Joe Torre in a Dodgers uni. This game is in the LA Stadium where the Dodgers played when they first came to LA. There are more than 100K people here. USC football games are played here now. LA has fixed it up as a baseball field for tonight. There is a 60 foot fence in the left field. The left field wall here is MUCH closer than even the Green Monster! The Dodgers are not even using a left fielder; they are using five people in the infield. It looks like a shift is on with an extra man on third. The camera angles are beyond makeshift and bizarre. The pitch shots are coming from behind the pitcher, so it's impossible to call balls and strikes. I'm glad I didn't decide to try to score this game! It's so bizarre that Don and Jerry can't even call balls and strikes! The cameras make it look like you're actually sitting in the outfield; it's as if there is no zoom on these things. Wally keeps asking to borrow my glasses! One positive thing about tonight's MLB.tv airing is that it is showing NESN's commercials instead of blacking them out with a miserable MLB ad with elevator music in the background. I'm looking forward to my favorite New England commercials from places like: Foxwoods, Bob's Discount Furniture, W.B. Mason, Dunkin Donuts, Sullivan Tires, Charlie Moore --the mad fisherman, and bad acting by various sox players pushing whichever store has paid them (or Sox Appeal, which had the most comical sox appearances).
Have I mentioned this year how much I love Tim Wakefield?! Yea, even if he did just give up a hit and committed an error after just one pitched ball. Our SS is fielding left field. Andruw Jones has made more plays at second tonight than the second baseman!
I've seriously missed Don and Jerry making fun of themselves or the various things that occur in the ballgame. I've missed the wheezing laughter that they often break out into but are trying to be silent and not laugh hysterically into the microphone. My favorite quote from the game is:
Don: Some people say not to let [the green monster mess with your swing
by tempting you to swing for the fences] in Fenway Park. But even Fenway
Park isn't this close.
Jerry: Even the Little League Park isn't this close!
This is the first road game in years where Sox fans are actually outnumbered by the home team's fans. It actually feels like a road game! In these years of bandwagon jumpers, it's kinda nice.
Just when a late-spring training game begins to feel like a real game (two days before the opening night, real unis instead of spring unis, full effort by the players), the starters are taken out one by one so that by the middle of the 5th inning the team has changed to a mixture of single A and double A players that only ring a bell as being early round picks a year or two ago.

One random Sox fact that I learned this weekend: Closer Jonathan Papelbon graduated from Mississippi State University (no new news there, but...) and utility player Bobby Keilty played for Ole Miss. How odd is it that a team from Boston has two Mississippi alums from the two major colleges (sorry USM fans...you'll always have Favre).

Class Today

This morning in my 9:30 class, most of my students walked in right at 9:30. I began class by handing out their rough drafts for the annotated bibliography that they are working on. I was finishing up handing out drafts when Adam, on of the students, walked in late. I handed him his draft, and asked the class if they had questions about any comments I've made. A girl on the left hand side of the room raised her hand first, so I went straight there. I then saw several hands go up on the other side of the room, and I planned on going there after answering the first question. Then one of the students who had his hand raised got up and walked to where I was helping the other student. He said, "Uh, I think Adam's hurt. He's in pain." So, I jumped over to that side of the room to check on Adam, and he told me his knee cap had popped out of place. Obviously my first thought was, "I don't know what to do!" Our classroom is two blocks down the street from the hospital, but he couldn't walk. I tried calling the school health clinic (that for some bizarre reason moved off campus), but nobody answered. The students asked me to call the police, but I kept telling them the police would walk in pretending they knew what they were doing and then just stand there looking like idiots. Finally I called 911. About 20 minutes later the paramedics showed up to my class. The paramedics were two women about my size. They forced Adam to stand up and get on the gurney, they got him settled and rolled him out. The hospital is so close that they seriously could have just wheeled him down the street. Needless to say, we got very little school work done. I've had a lot of things happen in class before, but I've never had a student taken out by 911! One of my students took a picture, so you can totally see I'm not lying.

I miss my boys!

Momma babysat Charlie yesterday, and they were playing with the globe. Charlie and Lauren went to Jackson for several days last week, so Momma was showing Charlie where New Albany was on the globe and where Jackson is (Jackson has a star!). Charlie loved it! Then he asked, "Where's Libby live?" Momma pointed out Atlanta and the purple state of Georgia. Before Momma even realized what was happening, Charlie leaned down and kissed Atlanta!
It's the little things like this that make me sad I live far away from them.

Storms

There are few days of the year that I dread and hate more than the 15th of March. Shakespeare and Julius Caesar have historically created a dark atmosphere for the day. I usually spend the day trying to stay busy and to not stop to think; it never works. However, the last 24 hours have reminded me of something.

Last night Atlanta was hit by a tornado that caused a lot of damaged, left hundreds homeless and sent several to the hospital. I was home, and the rain and thunder outside my apartment was louder than any I've ever heard. While these thunderstorms ravaged the city, I sat in my apartment half fascinated and scared out of my mind. This morning, the storms still raged outside. At one point in the day, I was awakened by the tornado siren blaring, and I scurried for shelter. After ten minutes, the storm had moved on. Less than an hour later, the sun was shining. I'm not talking about a non-rain situation...the sun was actually shining brightly!

It reminded me of storms we face in life. Whether we're holed up in the innermost bathroom with a candle or if we're buried in our covers, storms are still scary. When the wind blows and the lightening strikes, we try to find safety. But, what is inevitable is that the storm will end. The sun will come out! When we come out of our shelter, we walk among the rubble and assess the impact of the storm, and then we begin to pick up the pieces and go on with life. The impact of the storm remains with us forever, but slowly it becomes less consuming. We see God's hand more clearly in the storm. We may not be able to see 2 inches in front of us or be able to stand up to the winds and think life is over, but then God makes himself visable. And when the storm has passed, the sun comes out, and through the sunshine we're reminded of God's grace, comfort and protection. No, storms aren't fun, but we can take comfort in the fact that the sun will shine again.

Songs for JD: Day 11

This is the last day of the songs for JD posts. This is an old song that I had never heard of until I was with the Ervins at a Better Than Ezra concert. Both Matt and I went home and downloaded the song. Here's The The's "Love is Stronger Than Death"

Lovelovelove

Lovelovelove

Me & my friend were walking

In the cold light of mourning.

Tears may blind the eyes but the soul is not deceived

In this world even winter aint what it seems.

Here come the blue skies here comes springtime.

When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.

When everything that dies.

Shall rise.

Lovelovelove is stronger than death.

Lovelovelove is stronger than death.

In our lives we hunger for those we cannot touch.

All the thoughts unuttered & all the feelings unexpressed

Play upon our hearts like the mist upon our breath.

But, awoken by grief, our spirits speak

How could you believe that the life within the seed

That grew arms that reached

And a heart that beat.

And lips that smiled

And eyes that cried.

Could ever die?

Here come the blue skies here comes springtime.

When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.

When everything that dies.

Shall rise.

Lovelovelove is stronger than death.

Lovelovelove is stronger than death.

Shall rise. shall rise.

Shall rise. shall rise.

Today I was driving back from Tuscaloosa, and it was a gorgeous day! I had the sunroof back and my sunglasses on. As I was driving, U2's "Beautiful Day" came on. There is no way to do a list like this without U2 showing up. Jonathan loved them and thought Bono was the coolest person on the planet. So, here's a little U2

"Beautiful Day"

The heart is a bloom

Shoots up through the stony ground

There's no room

No space to rent in this town

You're out of luck

And the reason that you had to care

The traffic is stuck

And you're not moving anywhere

You thought you'd found a friend

To take you out of this place

Someone you could lend a hand

In return for grace

It's a beautiful day

Sky falls, you feel like

It's a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

You're on the road

But you've got no destination

You're in the mud

In the maze of her imagination

You love this town

Even if that doesn't ring true

You've been all over

And it's been all over you

It's a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

It's a beautiful day

Touch me

Take me to that other place

Teach me

I know I'm not a hopeless case

See the world in green and blue

See China right in front of you

See the canyons broken by cloud

See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out

See the Bedouin fires at night

See the oil fields at first light

And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth

After the flood all the colors came out

It was a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

Beautiful day

Touch me

Take me to that other place

Reach me

I know I'm not a hopeless case

What you don't have you don't need it now

What you don't know you can feel it somehow

What you don't have you don't need it now

Don't need it now

Was a beautiful day