Hey guys! Alright, sorry for the delay my posting. I enjoy the fact that I am putting a little more intrigue into some of your lives. To the comments! Lendsey, thanks brother for the comment and I will never forget I always hit so well when you were on the mound, Oh I'm reppin' youngin', Karly, thanks for reading qt, and you have to comment! Kim!!!, thanks for the comment and I hope you will join the small band of people who comment! Hope the Bell family is doing well. Critter, you take the cake of best comments, doesn't matter if you are first or not, I look forward to hearing what you say, Ian, WHY COULDN'T READ THE CORRECT RELEASE DATE!?, well, love you anyway, Emily and JoJo, I love hearing you guys on the computer, Alex, I love you and I am glad that we have this together, haha Grant always makes fun of me when I talk to you on the phone because he always makes fun of me because of how many "Love you Al's" I can fit in our conversations, Phyll, I love that Tai Fu cream and just where the hell are you? Mom and Dad, Love you guys and thank you for the support you are giving me.
Alrighty then. It is Friday morning here and the sun is finally shining. This post is dedicated to the past few day's events of pouring my heart onto our field. I am going to post pics of our field for the most part. If you could see the change in our field you would be amazed what this prima donna is capable of. My goal this entire week has been to get our field playable for our home game this weekend against GIF. Not only would I need the help of extra hands but mother nature has to do her part as well. And so far, everybody has cooperated.
Let's start with Monday, I got up and put that "Last of the Mohican" jig on my Ipod, and was getting mentally prepared to get my hands dirty. At this point, we had covered the whole field in new dirt except for the first base line, home plate, and a little bit of the third baseline. I know what you are thinking, sounds like you haven't done shit, but, I tell you that there is a lot of ground to cover on the diamond. So it was just me at the field from 12-4. Those were some grueling hours, lemme tell you. I had to fill wheelbarrels with dirt, lug it into the marsh land, and dump it. And continue this procedure for about 2 hours. After that, I have to spread it out and rake. I just kinda got into a madman's zone. I just wouldn't stop. I got as far as the third baseline on Monday.
Tuesday. When Jean-Luc said he bought a new mower for the field I was absolutely ecstatic. But what I failed to interpret was that it was a push mower, not a tractor. The first thought into my mind was like,
"Thanks Jean-Luc, I will see you in about week when I get done with the infield grass."
So we put the push mower together. And the Bois-Guillaume field heard a sound that hasn't been heard in a long time. The buzz of mower blades.
So I was dragging the whole field with my rake and Jean-Luc started mowing.
I will tell you that it was a sad moment when our only big rake broke in my hands. I had pushed that little guy to the limit and it seemed like the tool just said to me,
"Tony, I'm sorry. I have no more life left."
You might think it is weird but I wanted to bury that rake.
A moment of blood, sweat, and tears.
So I grabbed his replacement with dried blood in my hands.
Wednesday. It was N1 practice that day but I doubt there would be any 'practice.' So about 7 of us went to work. Dumping dirt, spreading dirt, dumping dirt, raking the mound, dumping dirt, filling in divots, and hmm....DUMPING FUCKING DIRT. Just as the sun was about to give up on us, I yelled from home plate.
"Grab your bats boys, let's take some Bp."
Everyone with pure excitement threw their tools on the ground and scrambled to put on their baseball gear. So on early evening, Wednesday April 9th, at approximately 6:00pm, the Bois-Guillaume Woodchucks took Bp on their field for the first time for the 2008 season. We had worked our asses off and were ready to play ball.
I will tell you this. I have never seen such pure joy and love for the game until that day. I am not lieing either. There was diving catches, roars of laughter, and smiles on everyone's faces. This is baseball to the grit. This is why I love this game. This is why baseball has been in my life since I picked up a bat at age 3.
Thursday. Jean-Luc and I went out to the field to do some minor improvements. Mainly just adding more dirt to home, fixing the mound and giving the infield a fresh trim. Wouldn't you know it, the city tractor workers mowed our outfield. We have a field ladies and gentleman. That night Jean-Luc and I talked about the field, the team, and other things. He told me that I was the first foreign player to do any work like this and that he is blessed to have me a part of this club. That meant a lot to me.
This post is dedicated to the hard work of Jean Luc and the Bois Guillaume baseball team.
That night, it was Laura's birthday and he invited me to join his family at an oriental restaurant to celebrate it. My meal was really good but it is no Hong Kong Inn I sadly say. I love you guys and I miss you very much. Talk to you soon. Au revoir.
14 comments:
That's Right--say it with me--Ian
Tony--
I really enjoy reading your stories. It gives me an escape that I know Alex and I really need. So while we may give you a hard time regarding the lag time, just know that your posts are eagerly awaited by a 30 year old on the 8th floor of the Black Tower. I thing my favorite part was the rake dying. Is that stupid? maybe. Good picks. With out a parking lot or bleachers it looks like your playing baseball in the middle of the Black Forest. I hope you are not rained out this weekend---Go Chucks
Dear Tony:
Your post reminds me of the Glendale fathers removing and replacing the infield grass - hard, dirty, grimy, shitty work. From what you told me of the condition of the field when you arrived, the pics show a great improvement.
Sounds like Jean-Luc realizes what a find he has in you. How you described the guys' joy in throwing down the tools and actually getting to play ball on the field was great - I imagined I was there - watching the grins and joy of the boys of summer.
Bon chance ce weekend.
Love, Dad.
All i know is that I am sitting here at my desk thinking - "Where the hell was Tony when Ian and I were mowing our yard?" - Good to see that you have turned into the energizer bunny with the manual labor - hey just in time to help your older brothers with the yard -Good luck this weekend - don't try to put on a show - just see and crush the ball - relax and be aggressive - love you - Alex
and by the way Ian - you really didn't help me that much by mowing "the side" of our house -
Anthony,
I don't comment, but I am keeping up with you and the field. Love, Phyl
As I'm reading your post about all of the hard work you have been doing, I'm not only impressed but a little dumb founded as well. I go back to that first summer in Nevada. The parts that I remember include a lot of tequila and rum,(Tony's own lime) the pool, and the baseball diamond. There is also a voice is ringing through my head, a voice asking for help out in the yard, to get up off your a$$es and do some work, all while we hear the sound of the Jill on the riding lawn mower zooming by. Who is the voice... none other than David. While that summer was filled with leisure (I think picking up all of the bottles and throwing away the limes was the extent of your hard work that summer... no wait I believe SamJo and I did that), this ones looks like you are finally going to get off our butt and do work!! Only if we could get Grant to do the same ;-) hahaha
As always love the post. Glad to hear you are settling in. Good luck this weekend. Don't pull a hammy trying to be a hot shot on your way to first. =)
Karly K
AL---You would always mow the side and the top of the front and the square in the back, leaving me the bottom of the front, the back rectangle, and behind the shrubs, which, as anyone knows, is all the parts that have obsticles in the way, ergo...the most difficult parts. And yes, tony wouldn't do jack shit. And here he is, thousands of miles away, "Building it...so they will come"--Jesus.--
Ian - all i remember is you mowing the side and once that was finished sitting out under an umbrella at the tomato stand waving to potential customers - and then arguing that as we split the profits that 4 quarters did not equal one paper dollar -
A
Hahahaha, I'm loving it. I really have no defense for the yard work. Didn't really do jack shit.
no, I think it was more like "I will give you two quarters becasue two is more than one dollar" And Tony is the one we set out to sell, with his red cheeks and TMNT Sweatpants.---ian
TOBEY TOMLINSON!!!!!!!!!!!! come on down! you're the next contestant on the Price is Right!
hahaha! fun times today!! :) miss you!
do you mean to tell me they didnt have springfield cashew chicken?
"Honk for service" Ian - that about sums it up - Honk for service -
Talk about a pipe dream!! Where was I during all this mowing by you two? As I remember, I mowed the back and Dad did the front! By the time Alex and Ian argued about who was to do what, I had half the back lot done.
Having fun reading about the field's improvements and proud of everyone's work getting it up to snuff! Hope you get to play this Sunday. Do you think Springfield's cashew chicken would go big in France? I do have the recipe. Love you.
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