A Rain Delay, 17 Innings & A Cold

Thankfully our home stand is over and I now have 4 days off to recover. Not only was our 5 game stretch at home cold, it was also longer than any other 5 game stretch I've ever worked. Saturdays game went 13 innings...which we lost. Sundays game was longer than normal, but we also has a booster club luncheon afterward. Monday's game was the killer. We new rain was coming, we just didn't know how much. The rain delayed the start of the game by only 40 minutes. After the rain, however, the temperature dropped into the low 40's with 20-30 mph winds. We then proceeded to play 17 innings of baseball until our first baseman was forced to pitch and gave up 2 runs breaking a 2-2 tie. I got home a little before 2 am. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling like I swallowed a pin cushion, dizzy and worn out (to many people that would have meant a good night). I suffered through our 11:05 am Education Day game today knowing I could go home and rest soon after. I now have 4 days to rest and hopefully feel better before Derby Day.

More Cincy Trip...

The Mysterious Blood Gutter

After gathering my keys and stuffing my wallet in my back right pants pocket, I hoisted my back pack over my shoulder and stepped out the door for another day of work. I turned from locking the door, it's black paint chipping exposing the gray metal underneath, and strode toward the top of the steps. Before taking the first step, I looked down to find an extremely large pool of blood on the second step from the top. My first thought was blood, but it was only in the one spot. I didn't see a trail of smaller drops leading to our neighboring apartment or further down the steps. I then second guessed myself and thought someone had spilled a red drink or dessert. After closer inspection, I knew it was blood. I stepped over the pool and went down a few steps. I turned around and looked up at the gutter. There was a red streak on the outer edge of the gutter directly above the pool. The blood was no longer dripping, but it appeared extremely fresh. It was very red and had not yet taken on the brownish rust color. I figure it must have been a raccoon, possum or squirrel that had cut itself, maybe on the gutter. I'll keep you updated if I see any animals with fresh stitches.

One Disappointed Geology Dork

It seems all of Louisville and the entire Ohio Valley were awakened by last weeks 5.2 earthquake west of Evansville on the Indiana-Illinois border. That is everyone except Beth & I. I have long wanted to feel an earthquake (except for the concrete and wood beams falling on my head). When I am finally presented an opportunity, I sleep through it like I was on a NyQuil bender the night before. I have not asked a single person yet who did not feel it. I have a friggin' link to the USGS on my blog and I am the only person I know who consistently reads books on Geology...but I stay asleep. CRRAAAAAAAAAAP!

Anyway, the ballpark had its share of minor damage. The quake created a little ripple in center field which the grounds crew had to sand, tamp down & re-sod. We watched the surveillance cameras when we came into work and you can definitely see them bouncing around. One even picked up a tree trembling in the parking lot. It is easy to tell a tree moving due to wind compared to a tree being shaken. All in all, very interesting for my first earthquake experience...I just missed out on the actual shaking. CRRAAAAAP!

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"

I remember Mark reading this book not too long ago and decided to pick it up at Half-Price Books while selling a few stinkers. I figured it would be a short, quick read while I decided what I really wanted to read next. I can't say it's the best book I ever read...not even top 20. However, it is a unique and interesting book. Assuming the point of view created by Mark Haddon (the author) is correct, it gives an interesting perspective from the viewpoint of an autistic person. The funny thing is, I found myself identifying with Christopher (the main character). Sometimes all a person wants is white noise and be left to their fancies.

Things are Going to Start Happening to Me Now!

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=B2&Date=20080414&Category=SPORTS07&ArtNo=804140810&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=13

Miscellaneous Thoughts

First, I hope any Hoosiers reading my drivel don't take it seriously. Having numerous wonderful family members who reside or were born in the Hoosier State, it is more of a friendly jab than anything else.

Second, what is up with the twitching. For the past year I feel my muscles have taken on a life of their own. It's not what it sounds like...I'm not ready for the Cougar 3000 (see Seinfeld for reference). I often have muscle twitches taking place in my back and in my arms and legs. Last week, I encountered a weird fluttering of my left eardrum. It wasn't loud, just odd. I noticed it made the sound when I rubbed the top of my head (don't laugh...I couldn't make this up). I used some ear drops and it seems to have helped. It is the ear with which I have had past trouble. Last night, a new and even more bizarre twitch developed. It felt as if someone was gently bending the top of my right ear in short, quick little pulses. No muscle in that part of the ear...just cartilage and nerves.

Based on these experiences, I have formed a theory when it comes to people who experience "ghosts" touching them. Most of these little episodes do feel as if someone is poking on the muscle (or "bending your ear"). It is completely possible many of these ghostly encounters could be debunked and written off to no more than a twitch. Or maybe it's a small toad or a dwarf living in my stomach. Oh well...I guess I'll go see the Barber for a good bleeding.

A Pirate Looks at Forty (Cents)

I haven't had the chance recently to get out and detect much, but this is what I have found the past couple of weeks. It's not much, but I have not gone to any interesting places either. You've read about the bottle cap and the salamander and the rest is mostly pennies, dimes & quarters (I have found very few nickels...not really sure why). I have found a few tokens (one to The Park & another with the skull & bones-the back has a treasure chest. I thought this was funny because it represents all I want to find in a cheap little kids coin...except for the bones). I did find my first foreign currency in a Canadian cent. It's not a big deal, but it's somewhat of a milestone in my short detecting-life.

Is 40 Days & 40 Nights Too Much to Ask?

In anticipation of the heavy rains forecasted this week in the wake of last weeks deluge, I thought it appropriate to republish my poem...

Metallic Garden Globes & the Fiberoptic Tee Pee
The great Iroquoian river erodes
carving Ken-tah-ten
dividing the land of tomorrow
from land of native men.
North of the muddy ribbon
parasitic towns emerged
oh' only if tomorrow
had purged this festering scourge
Now the lights of winter
cast bleak shadows on our face
as we gaze o'er the river
and ponder wasted space
Glaciers past devoured, scoured
a once proud pristine land.
Now our hope lies with rain drenched skies
to use what is close at hand
Oh river, oh river swell thee wide
depths deadly deep
quicken your current, reclaim your road
and from us Hoosiers keep.

("Ken-tah-ten" is Iroquoian, translated as Land of Tomorrow)

Smallmouth Salamander

Since Beth was in Lexington Tuesday night with Mary Kay, I decided to head over to Charlie Vettiner Park and do some detecting. I headed toward a huge open field I was sure would yield few finds, but do to a lack of recent research, I was basically out for the fresh air. One lone tree stood in the middle of the field. I searched around it for a few minutes and got a hit on something that ended up, like I expected, to be a piece of aluminum. However, in digging for it I came across this ugly little cuss a few inches down. In my limited searching of the web, I think it is a smallmouth salamander.

The picture on top is from the web, the one on the bottom taken with my cell phone. It's blurry, but the toes are identical to the "web specimen." He's lucky I didn't slice him in two. I gently buried him back under the tree. Hopefully he will survive the ordeal of being dragged from hibernation. If anyone thinks this is a different critter, let me know.

I also found $.37 in clad. Besides Mr. Slimy, the neatest find was a Coca-Cola bottle cap. Usually, bottle caps are a nuisance, but this was different. It was obviously off an actual glass Coke bottle. It was in great shape except for the edges being bent in. The top was shiny and looked new. It read "Instant Winner" & Coca-Cola in the famous script underneath. I turned the cap over and I saw the familiar blue-green rubber disc with writing underneath. It was good for (1) Free Admission to an Early Bird Matinee at Champs Roller Dome at any participating Louisville or Lexington location. Unfortunately, I'll have to keep my skates in the closet. The expiration date was 10/31/84. DAMN IT!

(I'll post pictures when I get more booty)