July 1-4

The second half of 2013 started much as the first half ended: hazy and hot with the threat of rain all around us. It stormed overnight into Monday but the evening's street hockey game at the rink went on without incident. Dominion Pizza beat Union Station to stay alive in the West division finals and force a fourth game. We scheduled it for Tuesday at 7:30 and the way the day played out was nothing but a cruel tease. It rained in the morning and early afternoon, the evening's forecast indicated more moving from the south. At 6:00 Don and I had preliminary discussions, a half-hour later with a light drizzle falling we postponed the game. The rest of the night was virtually rain-free, the storms from the south either dissipated or missed us altogether. If anyone on either team was upset about it I can tell you that nobody was angrier than I was. Whenever we postpone games we attempt to make an informed decision, this was one occasion where we got screwed over. You pay your money, you take your chances. On Wednesday morning I was with Jenny at her place, we did lunch a day early. In the evening we were back at the rink for game #4, Dominion Pizza once again stayed alive to force a fifth and deciding game. Since Thursday was a holiday that game was set for Monday the 8th, if it comes off as planned the series will end two weeks after it started. On Thursday Jenny and her mother were invited to a cookout (thus the reason for our Wednesday lunch date), I spent the afternoon at home in the AC watching some games on TV. In the evening the Barnstormers were at home, the Sugar Land Skeeters were the opponent in the final game of a three-game set. The Stormers lost the first two games (both in extra innings), on this night the Skeeters finished the sweep with an 8-1 win. It was 3-0 Sugar Land into the sixth inning, Daryle Ward got the Stormers on the board with a solo home run. It stayed that way until the ninth when the Skeeters scored five runs and salted it away. Brain Grening started for the Stormers and took the loss. After the game there was a holiday fireworks show but I was gone in short order (if you've seen one you've seen them all). Take care, thanks for reading.