August 12-15

The early part of the new week was relatively quiet except for two nights of dek hockey at the rink. On Monday afternoon I was downtown at the courthouse, a representative of the law firm met me there. The estate has to go through probate and there were papers to be signed, they told me the process would be relatively simple since I am the lone beneficiary but it still needs to be done. On Wednesday Jenny and I had our usual lunch date, we were back on the regular day for the first time in three weeks. We had done lunch on Tuesday each of the previous two weeks because either she or her mother had an appointment somewhere. There was rain in the area on Tuesday afternoon, the radar indicated some light precipitation that would be gone by 6:00 or so. We had some spotty drip-drops right up to game time at 7:00 but it didn't stop us, night #4 of summer season went on as scheduled. This night was the second go-around for Orange vs Green and Blue vs Gold, they meet once more on the 22nd. Thursday featured no weather issues of any kind (except for the fact that it was hot), night #5 marked the midpoint of the schedule. Green met Blue and Orange met Gold for the second of three times, they pair off again on the 27th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 9-11

Went to the lawyer's office on Friday morning, they needed a copy of my mother's most recent tax return. They said when April 2020 rolls around they will prepare her return for 2019 and they can handle mine as well so that's one less thing to worry about. In the evening I was at the ballpark, the Stormers continued their homestand with a visit from the Long Island Ducks. This was my first look at the Ducks for the season, they had visited in May for a series I missed completely. On this night the Barnstormers fell behind 1-0 in the first, in the third Devon Torrence singled and scored on Caleb Gindl's two-run home run. The 2-1 advantage lasted into the eighth inning where the game fell apart, the Ducks scored once in the eighth and twice in the ninth to win 4-2. Cody Eppley took the loss in relief of starter Connor Overton (recently signed, late of the SF Giants organization). On Saturday we had our usual lunch date, in the afternoon Jenny and her mother came back into town for the ballgame. They had missed the last few Saturday games because of the heat but the weather has been more comfortable lately, this was also their first time at the house since the middle of June and they both commented on how strange it seemed without my mother there. There were quite a few stuffed animals in the upstairs back room that Jenny asked for to remember her by and I had no objections, there were also a few items I thought Helen might appreciate which she took home as well. At the ballpark in the evening the Stormers scored first on a two-run home run in the second by newcomer Gift Ngoepe (that spelling is correct, it's pronounced "en-GO-pay", he's a native of South Africa and a former big-leaguer with Pittsburgh and Toronto). In the third Destin Hood's RBI double made it 3-0, one inning late Anderson De La Rosa singled and scored on an error. That advantage was all Nate Reed needed, he carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and earned the 4-0 win with relief support from Matt Marksberry and Logan Sawyer. On Sunday the series ended with a Long Island win but I was not there, I was taking my usual personal day at home. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 7-8

Had an appointment with our law firm on Wednesday morning to set the wheels in motion for settling my mother's estate. This is uncharted waters for me and I'm not anywhere sure exactly what all it involves but I guess that's why law firms exist, they said they will do most of the work and keep me informed when they need anything specific from me. In the evening I was at the ballpark on North Prince Street, the Barnstormers hosted the New Britain Bees in the middle game of a three-game set. On this night the visitors from Connecticut scratched out a single run in the third inning and made it stand up for a 1-0 win, John Anderson started for the Stormers and took the tough-luck loss. On Thursday I made my usual morning errand run in an effort to keep up the regular routine, in the evening we played night #3 of summer dek hockey. I went to the rink at 5:45, shortly after 6:00 it began to rain. The radar had indicated a quick-moving front was on the way, I was on the rink with the Billy-Goat when it arrived. I brought the machine into the building and waited it out, within ten minutes the rain was over and the sun was shining. We started right on time at 7:00 with Green vs Gold and Orange vs Blue, those matchups happen again on the the 20th and the 29th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 5-6

Out and about on Monday morning running errands and trying to keep my mind clear. There were other events taking place in Lititz but I was not there for one simple reason: I just couldn't be. I was present when my mother said goodbye, I said my goodbye at that time and I felt no need whatever to relive the moment especially for the benefit of an audience. Everybody deals with times like this in their own way, mine may not be the accepted standard but I make no apologies. In my younger years I was traumatized by similar events and I've never forgotten it. When I was thirteen years old my grandfather in Elmira passed away, my father's family held three nights of viewings at two hours each plus the funeral itself and I was FORCED to be present for EVERY LAST SECOND of it. Two years later my mother's grandfather passed and she wanted me to be a pallbearer. I resisted because it made me uncomfortable, I wanted nothing to do with it but she refused to take "no" for an answer. When I reached the age where I could make my own decisions one of them was that NOBODY would ever subject me to anything like that ever again. When a loved one passes away I can accept it but I will deal with it my own way, anybody who doesn't like it can keep their opinions to themselves because I don't care what they think. To anyone who would say "that's just terrible, why couldn't he be there for his mother?" I would say "where the hell do you think I was the last sixty-two years?". I was at the cemetery in the afternoon after everyone had gone and from an emotional standpoint I'm at peace with it because I know in my heart I did all I could do and at this point there isn't anything more I can do. In the evening I made my first trip west of the river to the ballpark in York. I hadn't been there yet because I didn't want to be thirty miles from home if an emergency arose but that is obviously no longer a concern. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a Telvin Nash two-run home run, Carlos Franco's two-run shot in the third made it 4-0. The visiting Somerset Patriots exploded for eight runs in the middle three innings, the Revs got one back in the fifth on a Melky Mesa RBI hit but it wasn't enough as the Pats took it 8-5. Julio Perez suffered the loss in relief of starter Duke von Schamann. On Tuesday Helen was in Willow Street for an appointment, we got lunch for ourselves and Jenny and ate at their house in Quarryville. We had some rain in the afternoon but it cleared off, night #2 of summer hockey went on as scheduled. The games were Gold vs Orange and Blue vs Green, they pair off again on the 15th and 27th. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 31-August 4

In Lititz on Wednesday morning to make arrangements for my mother, there is a firm there that her side of the family has utilized for generations. Many years ago she and I had discussed this eventuality and at that time I freely admitted that there was no way I could handle this by myself. She worked for many years with a woman named Norma and they were best friends, it was decided that she and/or her daughter Melinda would assist when the time came. Unfortunately Norma's health is not the greatest anymore, Melinda was present to lend her help and it was greatly appreciated. I had planned to go to the ballpark in the evening for the youth tournament semifinals but the schedule was changed thanks to weather. The second game on Tuesday was suspended by rain (it must have been an isolated storm, I never saw any rain anywhere I was), it was completed on Wednesday with that night's original schedule pushed back a day. Thursday night found us at Reservoir Park for the opening night of summer dek hockey. On this night Blue met Gold and Green played Orange, those matchups happen again on the 13th and 22nd. Saw on the Internet where the Jr. Tornado lost in their semifinal game on Thursday, the championship game on Friday featured Lititz vs Manheim Township. I was there even though I had no rooting interest, it was just an excuse to get out of the house on an otherwise uneventful weekend. The game turned out to be a barnburner, Lititz rallied from behind to win 9-7. With the Barnstormers (obviously) out of town and the ballclub in York on the road as well Saturday lunch with Jenny was about all else that happened. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 30

My good friends, I begin this post with news no man should ever have to report. My mother passed on the morning of July 30 in the ICU at Lancaster General Hospital, I was with her when it happened. I was awake around 6:00 to use the bathroom, I noticed the message light flashing on the telephone. When I saw it was the hospital I instantly knew something was wrong, they wouldn't have called before 5:00 if it was good news. I called them back and they told me her condition had nosedived overnight, it would be good for me to get in there ASAP. I arrived about 6:15 or so, they said they could continue the medications but realistically it would be useless. The infection she contracted had done its damage and given her physical state she was simply unable to fight it any longer. We were in her room having this conversation and I asked if she could hear us, when they said she probably could I told them what she would say: if it's my time so be it, let me go peacefully. I know she was aware I was there because she opened her eyes occasionally but she said little, once they disconnected everything it was just a matter of time. The official end came at 8:20 when two nurses came in, listened to her heart for close to a minute and said "I'm sorry". It goes without saying that it is painful but in a way I'm glad I was there because nobody should die alone. The hospital chaplain came in and we talked for a few minutes, he asked if he could say a prayer over her. I told him I'm not a religious man and it meant little to me but it was something she would have appreciated so I allowed it. Under the circumstances I was in no particular hurry to leave, I stayed for about an hour and got the word out to friends via social media. I'm a big believer in going about your regular routine as best you can during troubled times, I had previous plans for the day and I saw them through. Jenny was in town for a orthopedic appointment at 9:45, we were going to have lunch and we did. I went to her appointment from the hospital, she and her mother both took the news very hard. After lunch I went to the care center to tell them what happened and to pick up what few personal items she had there, they were all very sorry to hear the news. I donated her walker to them as a thank-you for what they tried to do and for what they may have been able to do had she been there longer (if you want to count minutes she was there for less than four full days). In the evening Don and I got together and firmed up the summer dek hockey season as planned. Don had heard the news, he said we didn't have to if I wasn't up to it but I told him how I feel about the "regular routine". I told his wife Brenda about how the last thing I said to my mother was "just rest and relax and don't worry about me, I'll be OK", she said maybe that was all my mother needed to hear. All I can say is she indeed went peacefully, it happened quietly and without any apparent pain. After all she went through over the last few months she deserved that much. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 28-29

First stop on Sunday morning was the hospital, my mother was in and out of it most of the time I was there. I guess it's not entirely surprising given all she's been through over the last little while. By noon I was with Jenny at her place, she and Helen were invited to a birthday party. One of Jenny's friends has two small daughters, the older recently turned five and the younger was two years old in June. In 2018 their mother ran a combined party for both of them, such was the case this time around. The party was outdoors in a small county park just south of the city, the same place as before although in a different area of the park. It was close to ninety degrees, even though we had shade from the tall trees it was still uncomfortable. They were talking about having the party indoors in the future simply because it's summertime and it was just too hot. When I got them home Helen thanked me for taking them, I didn't mind at all because given everything else going on it was good for me as well (that plus the fact that I've known both of the girls practically since birth). On Monday I was at the hospital in the morning, as I was coming in the ear/nose/throat doctor was leaving my mother's room. He said she was doing better, maybe a few more days in ICU and they'll see what happens from there. Had lunch at the mall, in the evening I was at the ballpark for the opening night of the annual youth baseball tournament. The local print media company has sponsored it since 1946, for the last several years the Midget Division has played its bracket at the ballpark. The Lancaster Jr. Tornado qualified for the eight-team tournament, on this night the won their quarterfinal matchup over Cocalico 4-3. They play in the semifinals on Wednesday with a possible championship game appearance on Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 26-27

When I visited with my mother on Thursday I noticed some swelling on the left side of her face, the staff said it hadn't been there earlier but they would examine it. On Friday I was there in the morning, the swelling was more pronounced and she had a cold washcloth on her forehead because she was running a fever. She spent most of my visit in and out of sleep but she knew I was there. Shortly after 5:00 I got a call from the care center, they were taking her into the ER at the hospital. Her fever was up, her pulse rate was sluggish and she was having trouble breathing (this despite the fact that she's been on oxygen since she went in originally on July 10). I had planned to going to the ballpark but needless to say that didn't happen, I left immediately for the hospital and actually arrived before she did. They eventually got her established in the Intensive Care Unit, once that was accomplished I came home because the one thing she needed at that point was REST. I woke up earlier than usual on Saturday morning, had some breakfast and decided to go over to the hospital since there was no really good reason to wait around. They told me she was in isolation but I was still able to enter, they said she had a glandular infection and it would be treated aggressively (I guess they call it ICU for a reason). Had lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening I was at the ballpark by myself since they elected again to stay home because of the heat. When this month is over I'm expecting to read a newspaper story about it being the hottest July on record, if it isn't it should be because most of it has been an oven. The Barnstormers had lost the series opener on Friday, on this night they won 5-4. Destin Hood hit a solo home run in the second inning, in the fourth Darian Sandford had a two-run single, K.C. Hobson had an RBI hit and Zach Shank picked up a ribbie on a groundout. Jared Lakind started and got the win, Cody Eppley earned the save. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 24-25

Noted recently that this blog had exceeded 20,000 page views, I don't know who reads the pablum I write here but whoever you are I thank you. Had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday and checked in at the care center on the way back into town, on Thursday my visit with my mother was the first thing on the calendar. When I visit her she never wants me to leave and I can certainly understand, if I were in her place I'd feel the same way. I can't begin to imagine what the last several months have been like for her even though I've basically lived it right along with her. On Wednesday night the Barnstormers continued the series with Somerset and made it two straight  with a 5-3 win. The Patriots took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, K.C. Hobson's solo home run in the fifth cut the lead in half. A four-run uprising in the sixth put the Stormers up for good, RBI hits by Joe Terdoslavich and Anderson De La Rosa were sandwiched around a two-run double by former Washington Nationals property Destin Hood (who spent the first half of the season on the DL). Somerset added a meaningless run in the ninth off closer Cody Eppley who saved the win for Jonathan Albaladejo. On Thursday the Stormers completed the sweep with a no-doubt-about-it 10-0 verdict. Andrew Aplin's two-run single in the first broke the ice, a two-run double by Greg Golson later in the inning made it 4-0. In the fourth Caleb Gindl picked up a ribbie on a fielders choice, Joey T followed with a three-run bomb to extend the lead to eight. Single runs in the seventh on a Golson base hit and in the eighth on a RBI double by Hood ended the scoring but the offensive fireworks were only half the story. Buddy Baumann started on the mound and went all the way on a four-hit shutout, he K'd five and walked only one. The Barnstormers had a subpar first half and started the second half poorly but a sweep over Somerset (traditionally one of the league's strongest franchises) could be a sign that things are turning around. The ballclub stays home over the weekend to host Southern Maryland. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 22-23

Went to the care center on Monday morning to get my mother officially enrolled and admitted, later in the afternoon I was informed that she would be discharged from the hospital to the center at 5:30. The center is on the west side of town, I went over a little after 6:00. They were getting her situated in bed as I arrived so she could have only been there a few minutes before I was. On Tuesday I met with our broker to sign off on the check for the first month, it's a costly proposition but it simply is necessary because there is no way she can be at home under the current circumstances. She needs to be where she can receive proper rehab, therapy and nutrition from trained professionals. Over the years she saved and invested wisely, she's not a millionaire but she isn't a pauper either. She's at a point now where the money is needed and it's for a good purpose. I guess you could make a case that we're spending my inheritance but I don't care about that right now, it's not my money until she's gone and the idea is to postpone that as long as we can. On Tuesday night I was at the ballpark, the Barnstormers hosted the Somerset Patriots. In a way it felt good to be there in a effort to get my mind on other things, it didn't really work but I had to try. The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the first, K.C. Hobson's two-run home run in the bottom of the second put the the home team up 2-1. Somerset tied it in the fourth and went ahead 4-2 in the fifth, in the bottom of the ninth Andrew Aplin's two-run single pulled the Stormers even. In the tenth each team batted with a runner on second to start the inning (one of several new rules the league has been experimenting with), Somerset was unable to cash in but the Barnstormers did. Devon Torrence was the baserunner with nobody out, he advanced to third on a hit by Hobson. On the return throw to the infield the Patriots tried to catch Torrence off base, the throw sailed down the left field line as Torrence raced home with the wining run. Nate Reed (ex-Stormer recently resigned as a free agent) started on the hill, Scott Shuman (the last of six relievers used) was the winning pitcher. The series continues with single games on Wednesday and Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.