Softball Tournament

Hey y’all!
Well, for some lucky people this kind of thing would not be any big deal, but for me it is downright EXCITING--yesterday morning I played in my first ever softball tournament! What better way to celebrate a birthday than by trying something new? About a month ago I got to sign up for the company picnic/tournament only because our department needed a GIRL to make a quota. I was a little worried about how it’d go since I’ve 1) never really played baseball & 2) can’t run, hit catch or throw. I had this vision of myself in deep right field, like by the hot dog stand. But, I was really just excited about getting to play, and what could be more hilarious than watching a grudge match between a bunch of software geeks and corporate bankers? I’m in!!!
Our team had to choose a name, & “dot Ballers” won the vote—e.g. “dot Commers”, only the “dot Ballers”. What an awful, embarassing name! Our team shirt design had a small softball like a dot in front of the word “Ballers” in giant lettering. Unfortunately the joke did not make sense, so we were just walking around w/tshirts that said “Ballers”:

There’s computer geek humor for you. Our first game was against Loss Mitigation—we call them Loss Mit for short, & so their team was the Loss Mitts. Now that’s cute!

For some weird reason, instead of deep-right-hot-dog-stand, the position they put me at is CATCHER. I have no idea why, except that maybe it seemed like the place I could do the least damage—but when you factor in that I’ve never played at catcher before, am quite reasonably scared of someone throwing balls at me, and don’t have any catcher’s gear… Well, I was pretty sure I was going to end up on You-Tube in one of those videos that people laugh at all over the planet. Oh well, as one of my favorite life coaches Brooke Castillo said, if you REALLY want to do something, you have to be willing to suck at it.

So, how did we do? We won our first game, and lost our second and third to place 4^th out of 6. I was quite pleased with myself since I had a hit almost every time I went to bat, & once even made it all the way to third base before getting stranded. Actually, I was so surprised and impressed the first couple times I hit the ball that I just stood there & watched it go sailing out, forgetting all about running until someone yelled at me from the bench (a little Forrest Gump moment there)! Run, don't run, hit, don't hit--it’s a lot to keep straight!

Surprisingly, I liked playing Catcher. I managed to catch a few of the pitches, got a lot more accurate with my returns, & even got hit with a bat once (A sports injury! how cool am I???). Unfortunately, our hyper-competitive pitcher kept running to cover home plate whenever there might be a long throw to home. He managed to push me off the plate & step on me once or twice. There's always those one or two guys who think they're playing in the World Series! He did NOT catch any balls thrown to home, but he did miss several plays when the ball was thrown to the pitcher’s mound and no one was there. Oops! Also this part is a little weird, there was a very-friendly umpire who came up behind me a few times & started rubbing my shoulders. I had another Tom Hanks moment there, there's no shoulder massages in baseball!!!

Today, the day after, my shoulders are on fire, my lower half is incredibly sore, & I have a bat-shaped bruise across my thigh…. But, I have such a sense of accomplishment! I feel like such a rock star!! Next week, i'm going kayaking!! :)

Yep, it's My Birthday!

Today, the 21st of September is my birthday. I may be about 30 years older now than I was in this picture, but I STILL get just as excited! The great news is, it turns out 36 is way more young and fun than I ever would have guessed.

Life is good!!!

xoxo,
Layla
:)

Oklahoma football game

Go straight to the PICTURES (mouse over pics to read the captions)

Hey guys! Well, something really cool happened last Saturday. I didn't start to get interested in football until about a year ago, but after living in Oklahoma it has rubbed off on me--it's hard not to get swept up in the enthusiasm. After 9+ months of trying to get my head wrapped around this ridiculously complicated sport, I finally got to attend my first real college football game.

So, Saturday I headed to the OU campus in Norman, just south of OKC. My work friend Huntur was kind enough to go with me, & answer about a hundred questions that day. The Sooners were playing the Utah State Aggies, which unfortunately was not a great pairing--Oklahoma is a much better team, and Utah was seriously overmatched. OU scored their first touchdown within a minute or two of play, and then continued to pound the bejeezus out of the the Utah team the entire game. OU ended up winning easily by more than 50 points. That makes three home games in a row that they've effortlessly blown away the other team. Who made the schedule this season? However, this Friday night's game against Tulsa is supposed to be GOOD. Tulsa has a strong offense and a grudge to prove, so hopefully it will be a real challenge.

Anyways, it was quite a spectacle--they fire an honest-to-God cannon every time OU kicks off, and blow off fireworks each time they score! A white horse and covered wagon made circles around the field after touchdowns. The OU band was there & played their 5-second fight song, "Boomer Sooner", about TEN THOUSAND TIMES. Being in the same place with 80,000+ other excited and crazy people was quite an experience. Compared to TV, it was definitely MUCH more interesting watching the game in person. Four quarters seemed to go by VERY quickly. I have a few pictures from the game posted here. My camera wouldn't take good pictures of the actual play, but I got some good ones of the fans.

After it was all over, I had ringing in my ears, an awful fight song stuck in my head, a sunburn from sitting in the Okie sun for four hours, & a headache from three hours in traffic trying to get HOME after the game. But, I can't WAIT to go again!!!

Much love--xoxo,
Layla

New York City, Savannah

Happy September! Maybe i'm biased because this month is my birthday, but September has always been my favorite month, & autumn is one of my favorite times of year. Something about the hot muggy days of summer easing and the tree leaves turning gets me feeling refreshed & renewed (it's a Virgo thing). That on top of celebrating a birthday feels like the start a fresh new year for me. Usually I try to sneak off by myself for a few days, but this year everything that possibly COULD seems to be happening this month. Hopefully October will be quieter!

Anyways, no matter how busy I get i'm never TOO busy to start thinking about my next getaway. There are a couple places I've never been that I would really like to visit next year. My mother and I are planning a trip to New York City around March or April. Thanks to a friend of hers we already have a great place to stay just across the bridge(?) in New Jersey & a willing tour guide, but don't know anything beyond the usual tourist spots. I'm guessing we'll be there around 5 days.

Also, I'm also looking to visit Savannah, Georgia and Tybee Island for 4-5 days. I'm interested in the architecture, the gardens, the oak trees, and to a lesser degree the history. Plus, I just really want to eat some decent seafood and spend some time at the ocean again. I know I don't want to go in the dead heat of summer, or during St. Patrick's Day, so i'm guessing it'll be spring or fall. Ideas....?

Anyways, if you have visited or are familiar with either of these places, I would love to hear about it! Best areas/places to stay, great hole in the wall eateries, hidden beaches, best things to see or do, etc! You can email me directly, or better yet post it in the comments for everyone.

Thanks y'all!!