12/29/04
Softball: The End of Another Era ;-(
Dear People,
Frank’s team crushed my own 15-6, in a demoralizing aerobic evisceration that is simply not in keeping with the humanitarian spirit of the holidays. But that’s not important now, so let me cut to the chase:
On this upcoming Sunday, Chris Fure will be playing his last regular game with our community before moving the next day to Seattle, Washington, where it rains, and rains hard, about 360 days a year. I don’t pretend to understand this decision, but ultimately that’s between him, the Lord and Microsoft, and we as a softball playing people are in no position to say "What the fuck are you thinking?; There’s no email-organized softball league, Northwestern women are pale, jejune and aloof, and in case you hadn’t heard, it rains, and rains hard, about 360 days a year."
Of course his plans are already made, and I, for one, am not going to sit here and embarrass him with some sort of over-the-top hagiography that draws needless attention from the game itself to any one individual. Nevertheless, I think we as a community have to face the hard reality of our communal crisis, for Chris’ departure is undoubtedly the gravest threat to the cohesion of these games since Jen and Mikie fled to Kentucky, nearly three years ago. As you’ll recall, the emotive strain of that loss was so intense that we ended up losing several additional players to crack, clinical depression and lurid pagan cults, and yet just for the record, Chris is cuter and more cuddly than Mikie, about 300 times more softball-dominant than Jen, and truth be told, more conceptually irreplaceable than Jen, Mikie and their darling nine-month old toddler-pooh combined. He will be greatly missed.
In any case, and as you know, the local weather has started to suck in a Seattlesque sort of way, and thus I fear Codornices will resemble the Everglades right through the weekend. However, I refuse to idly sit back and watch as Chris possibly loses his opportunity for one last game, and if that means ensuring Frank gets to Kleeberger’s lush Astroturf sheathing at 6AM to fend off potential soccer-playing enemies of our people, then so be it (I’m optimistic on the Kleeberger front since it was empty last weekend, Cal is still not in session and faith in Frank is a given). And therefore there will be a game at Codornices or Kleeberger this Sunday at 11AM IF I get enough commits by this Friday morning, AND, no matter what, there will be a post-game send-off of good cheer and reminiscence at a local eatery to be announced…Raymond
12/31/04
Softball: Uncertainty
Dear People,
There will hopefully be a game at Codorncies or Kleeberger this Sunday at 11AM, and as of now, there are still two slots left. Regardless, all are welcome to eat, frolic and help send Chris Fure off to Seattle, post-game if we play, sometime early that afternoon if we don’t.
Given the yucky weather, expect final details by email/voicemail around 10AM Sunday morning, and given the fragile state of the human world, I think I’ll end 2004 with not a word of shtick, but rather best wishes to all for a happy and healthy new year…Raymond 845-7552
1/2/05
Softball: Sunday 10AM: The Varied "Forms" of Aerobic Activity ;-(
Given the bitter cold, the contemptible rain, the odds of it clearing up in the next hour and the logistical hurdles of exploiting that clearing even if it did, I must cancel today’s game. HOWEVER, all are invited to gather at NOONish at TRIPLE ROCK, on Shattuck just South of Hearst, in order to eat, drink and frolic, as we send Chris Fure off to Seattle, where it rains, and rains hard, about 360 days a year.
Extra added bonus!: There is a long and wondrous Air Hockey table at the pub, and while I’m not one to boost, the simple fact is that when it comes to that grueling game, there isn’t a person reading this email whose ass I couldn’t kick.
See ya soon…Raymond
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