Do work...

Well, I keep getting griped at for not blogging in a while, but I try to tell everyone nothing super special is going on with us! But when I woke up this morning (BL hangover in tact), I could NOT stop thinking about one thing...the Rangers. Y'all know I'm obsessed, and that I follow the Rangers like white on rice, so it should come as no shock that the biggest thing going on with Miles and I right now is the playoffs!

Now...let's get real. Last night was awful. Talk about going from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat in about 20 minutes time. Damn you 8th inning Yankees. I was so mad last night that I forced Miles to leave Hooters (yes, that's where we choose to go on dates) and come home because I honestly felt like I could cry (sorry Haschkes!!!!). I was so pissed off at the decisions that were made during the game that reality was clouded by angry judgment. I woke up pissed. I was still pissed when I got in the shower and started to get ready to head out to the Ballpark. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm totally over it 20 minutes later, but the more I think about difficult decisions and our jobs in life, it gets a little easier to understand that sometimes...people just make mistakes.

In my profession, if I make a mistake, sub a wrong player in a game, make a bad decision about a player, or even mis-grade a student's test, the repercussions are minimal. Perhaps (not very often) we lose a game or even a match, or I have to raise a grade or apologize to a student or talk to a parent...no harm done. But in Ron Washington's job, a mistake is a platform for city-wide, state-wide, and now even nation-wide scrutiny. Yes, he chose that profession, yes he makes millions more than I do...but yes, he is still human. Same for Darren Oliver, O'Day, and the rest of the pitching staff that made one-pitch/batter appearances last night. A bad day at work for them results in a bad day for thousands and thousands of disgruntled fans and media outlets...and for that, I have to feel bad for them. A bad day at work for me means a lot of bitching and whining and poor Miles doing everything he can to NOT say the wrong thing (which, typically, he sucks at) :). A bad day at work for them means every form of media - internet, tv, radio, etc. - bashing them for hours on end...and fans going to sleep pissed off unable to think about anything else. That's a LOT of pressure! As a coach, I know what it's like to have people completely pissed off at you. I got cussed out by a parent just the other day (yes, one of those bad days at work...everyone's babies are A team material, right?), but it comes with the territory I guess. Washington, we still believe in you!

So as I get ready to go out and support the team that I've followed since childhood, through the good, the BAAAAAAD and the super ugly, I will go to the Ballpark with only positive thoughts and realize the adversity this team has had to overcome to get where we are today. Sure, the Yanks have the right to have such obnoxious fans - they can seriously back up their shit-talk. I was listening to the Fan yesterday on the way home and they were talkin about the fact that if there was a salary cap in baseball, this wouldn't even be a game. The Yanks are good, and I'm not taking anything away from them. They SHOULD be good. They're a dynasty. They've got more money than they know what to do with. They attract the good players based on their legacy and the ability to WIN. The money doesn't hurt either. But the Rangers are a team with a lot of heart, with guys that just want to play ball. The Josh Hamiltons and Michael Youngs are two in a million. That's what I love about this team. The camaraderie is amazing. The Yanks can have their Mark Teixeiras and A-Rods. We don't want them - we saw what happened when we had them. The Texas Rangers aren't built on big boys like that. I'll take an Elvis Andrus, David Murphy or a Nelly Cruz over them ANYDAY.

So for those of you dying to know what's up with Miles and I these days...this is it!!! That and my amazing 8th grade volleyball team. We have a huge game this week (yes, 8th grade volleyball has huge games!). The two undefeated teams will battle it out this week! Unfortunately we're going in with two injured starters...but we, like the Rangers, can overcome those obstacles! I totally just caught myself singing Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" and turned it off IMMEDIATELY.

Ok - heading to the Ballpark now. My favorite place on EARTH!

Go Rangers. Do Work. Claws and Antlers baby!!!!!!!!!!!!