No Ball is an Island (update, again)

  November 18, 2019:

 You can see the baseball field at the end of the hallway on the second floor of UHS.

You can also see the top of this small roof.

Last year a foul ball landed on that small roof. The lonely baseball sat there during the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I'm sure the custodians are too busy to worry about retrieving it. I had thought about taking a picture of the ball during all four seasons. I've seen it covered in leaves and in snow. I suppose I didn't take the pictures because I felt a little sad for that baseball.

The ball was still there in August for its second year of school, but this time things are different.

Everybody needs a friend...

Update November 9, 2020: 

... or two.

Update March 28, 2023: 

... or three. 

"Hey guys, got room?'

Update September 3, 2024:

... or four. Glad to see they're keeping themselves hydrated. 

Update September 16, 2026:

.... or seven. I think I can see three "new" balls through that drain...

Let's try a different angle.

Oh yeah, that makes eight balls in total.They're almost ready to make a team.

No Ball is an Island (update, again)

  November 18, 2019:

 You can see the baseball field at the end of the hallway on the second floor of UHS.

You can also see the top of this small roof.

Last year a foul ball landed on that small roof. The lonely baseball sat there during the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I'm sure the custodians are too busy to worry about retrieving it. I had thought about taking a picture of the ball during all four seasons. I've seen it covered in leaves and in snow. I suppose I didn't take the pictures because I felt a little sad for that baseball.

The ball was still there in August for its second year of school, but this time things are different.

Everybody needs a friend...

Update November 9, 2020: 

... or two.

Update March 28, 2023: 

... or three. 

"Hey guys, got room?'

Update September 3, 2024:

... or four. Glad to see they're keeping themselves hydrated. 

No Ball is an Island (update, again)

 November 18, 2019:

 You can see the baseball field at the end of the hallway on the second floor of UHS.

You can also see the top of this small roof.

Last year a foul ball landed on that small roof. The lonely baseball sat there during the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I'm sure the custodians are too busy to worry about retrieving it. I had thought about taking a picture of the ball during all four seasons. I've seen it covered in leaves and in snow. I suppose I didn't take the pictures because I felt a little sad for that baseball.

The ball was still there in August for its second year of school, but this time things are different.

Everybody needs a friend...

Update November 9, 2020: 

... or two.

Update March 28, 2023: 

... or three. 

"Hey guys, got room?'

Update September 3, 2024:

... or four. Glad to see they're keeping themselves hydrated. 

No Ball is an Island (update)

November 18, 2019:

 You can see the baseball field at the end of the hallway on the second floor of UHS.

You can also see the top of this small roof.

Last year a foul ball landed on that small roof. The lonely baseball sat there during the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I'm sure the custodians are too busy to worry about retrieving it. I had thought about taking a picture of the ball during all four seasons. I've seen it covered in leaves and in snow. I suppose I didn't take the pictures because I felt a little sad for that baseball.

The ball was still there in August for its second year of school, but this time things are different.

Everybody needs a friend...

Update November 9, 2020: 

... or two.

Update March 28, 2023: 

... or three. 

"Hey guys, got room?'

No Ball is an Island

You can see the baseball field at the end of the hallway on the second floor of UHS.

You can also see the top of this small roof.

Last year a foul ball landed on that small roof. The lonely baseball sat there during the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I'm sure the custodians are too busy to worry about retrieving it. I had thought about taking a picture of the ball during all four seasons. I've seen it covered in leaves and in snow. I suppose I didn't take the pictures because I felt a little sad for that baseball.

The ball was still there in August for its second year of school, but this time things are different.

Everybody needs a friend.

Story Material: My Iowa Cubs Shirt

The teachers at UHS can wear jeans to school on Fridays if they follow the shirt theme. 

Today I am wearing one of my favorite shirts. I'll tell you why.

Grandma Deb, Charlotte, Daphne, and I went to Principal Park to watch the I-Cubs play in the summer of 2011*.  (Check out Char's Cubbie hat.)

We were sitting in a row of seats by ourselves in the general admission section. During the first inning, a large group of 20-year-olds chose to sit in the same row. They filled every seat, and the guy who sat next to me was roughly the size of a grizzly bear. He apologized, wedged himself into his seat, and then pretended that his left elbow and knee were not touching my body.

The rows in front of us and in back of us were empty, so there wasn't any reason their group couldn't have split up. But no, he just sat there looking away from me as his frame slowly invaded more of my personal space. I shook my head at Daphne and said, "Sorry, but we have to move. I can't watch the game like this."

We picked up our food and all of the baby stuff and moved back four rows. While we were leaving, bear-man smiled at me and stretched his left arm across the backrest of my empty seat.

Again, the rows in front and in back of us were unoccupied. So, you can imagine my frustration when a group of three men then chose to sit in the seats directly in front of us. Ten seats were open on either side of them, and these jokers sit smack dab in front of us. 

To make matters worse, the guy sitting in my line of sight had a melon so big I couldn't see the pitcher or the batter. And he wasn't even wearing a hat. I couldn't believe my luck. We had to move again. This time we slid down to end of the row. 

The inning was over by the time we got reorganized. I don't think I had been seated for more than 30 seconds when I heard the whoomph of the t-shirt cannon. I looked up, and what do you know? A rolled-up shirt landed neatly in my lap. 

I held the shirt above my head in triumph as Grizzyman and Mr. Melon looked at me with envy. I looked from one to the other and hollered, "Thanks!" I don't know if they knew what I meant.

So, that's why this is one of my favorite shirts. It reminds me that you never know when life is going to throw something good your way.

*Because she passed away so early in Char's life, we don't have a lot of pictures of Grandma Deb and Charlotte together. This I-Cubs photo is in heavy rotation in our digital picture frame. I see the picture quite a bit, but due to the rule of thirds, I catch myself looking at the guy in the upper left of the photo. I keep thinking that he is never going to get a bite of that hot dog.

Congratulations, Cubs!

Char's been rooting for you her whole life! (Or at least since she was two.)