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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Life

Focusing on life and getting out more

December 13, 2019

“It comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living. Or get busy dying.”

Those words echo toward the end of the Shawshank Redemption. Words spoken by Tim Robbins’ character as he sits in prison for a murder he did not commit as he talked with Morgan Freeman’s character.

Not too much longer, Freeman’s character, free on parole echoes the words.

“Get busy living. Or get busy dying. That’s goddamn right.”

Over the past year and change, I’ve worked to get myself into better health. I’m not where I need or fully want to be yet – lots more weight to lose and still needing to control the diabetes much better, but I’m on the right path.

Now it’s time to work on other things to go with that.

The area in which I live – central New York – has so much to offer. There are amazing things to see and do and places to get outdoors and explore.

If you expand a bit – into Northeast Pennsylvania, for example, the activities and opportunities become even more.

I love the outdoors. I love the indoors as well, don’t get me wrong. I mean a night of television or messing on the computer is a good time, but being outdoors is a lot of fun and it doesn’t require going through the middle of woods, bushwhacking, and things like that.

Get out and explore!

Instead, there are wonderful trails to wander and see; nature to enjoy and photograph; and plenty of wildlife to see and admire. There are man made and natural made areas that are amazing to the eyes. And though my interest in the bulk of geocaching has waned recently, there are plenty of them to find out in the woods. I’d like to explore some bike trails, too, and just wander along and enjoy the atmosphere. I’m looking to eventually invest in a bike rack/kayak rack for my car, as well as a kayak. That would be something I’d like to do more in the warmer months.

And I never will forget about baseball in the summer!

There are urban developments with some fantastic museums and activities not far away. There are ways to broaden your horizons and see different things within a semi-quick car ride. Breweries and great places to eat are everywhere now. There’s definitely things to do.

So maybe it’s time to start doing things like this.

One thing I really want to get back into is more photography. Because I do it so much during my professional day, I tend not to take my main camera when out and about. I mean, the iPhone is a wonderful tool – it really is. But I miss using the camera and different lenses… or pushing things to see what I can create. Especially when it comes to things like waterfalls and covered bridges, and other items that really interest me.

In the grand scheme of things, life is short. Even if you are one of the lucky ones who lives to 100 or a bit more, that’s just a speck of time when considering how long some form of life has been on Earth. So while you are here, see things. Do things. Live things.

I can’t say I’m always going to follow this mantra. I’m just as guilty of plopping down on the couch for some television or hours online. But if I’m going to do that – I need to make sure I’m balanced and I get out and see some wonderful things as well.

My DayZero list is a start.

On January 1, 2019, I started my third round with the DayZero Project. I have on it more than the 101 goals because I need to trim. I’ve looked to see what is something that can be done – be it hard or not – as compared to dreams. This is a starting point as some of it gets me outdoors.

I have life goals and life plans and hopes – all of which intermingle with one another. But as the two characters in the Shawshank Redemption noted – get busy living, or get busy dying.

In the past couple of months or so, I think I’ve gotten busy living – at least in some aspects. And my mental being seems to be doing much better. But there’s still a lot to grow from and I look forward to trying to do more (to be fair, it’s much easier to do in warmer weather).

The world is a wonderful place if you find the right angle. Now get out and find it. 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Filed Under: Geocaching, Hiking, Life, My world, outdoors Tagged With: adventure, explore, get outside, health, hike, my world, nature, outside, travel, woods

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Lessons on life … and baseball

September 13, 2019

I had been working full-time at a local daily newspaper for no more than 3-4 months when a happy gentleman wandered into the office.

He came up to my desk, extended his hand, and said “Hi P.J., Sam Nader. Here’s the schedule for the Oneonta Tigers for this season.”

Me and Sam Nader
I grabbed a snap with Sam following his ceremony. A wonderful day for a great man.

That was in March or April of 2004. At that point, Sam would have been a spry 84 years old. His 85th birthday would come a few months later.

The schedule though? Hand written.

This is the way Sam had always done it. A hand-written schedule, boxed off with the days like a calendar. A few scribbles and the such, but pretty much a clean-cut piece of baseball nostalgia – something you won’t see anymore, that’s for sure.

And even at the lowest levels of the minor leagues, it’s usually not the owner of the franchise hand-delivering the schedule. But that was Sam. And that was how things had always been done. 

We chatted for a few moments and he said he looked forward to working with me during the upcoming season.

He then left, got in his car and headed home. Little did I realize that Sam would be somebody I would not only deal with for the next five-plus seasons of New York-Penn League baseball in Oneonta, but he would also become a friend and somebody I would grow to admire more than most I’ve come across.

***

When I was first hired full-time at The Daily Star in January 2004, I was told “You do realize this position includes the Oneonta Tigers, right?”

This was a bad thing?

It seems, in the past, this beat wasn’t the most desirable. And, to an extent, I could understand that. It’s short-season Single A baseball, running from late June to early September. The players are newer to the professional ranks and it’s a grind in the summer, when small-town newspaper people (who live on local high school sports) could get a breather and prep for the upcoming fall season.

For me, it was glorious.

I had always had a goal of covering professional baseball, and I had the chance to do that for six seasons. For all but one of those seasons, Sam was the owner of the team. And until the day they sold the team, he and the only other living partner of the original group to buy the franchise did things old-school. By that I mean, Sam would still take the nightly draw out in a small metal lock box, wander to his car, and head home.

It’s not like there was any chance somebody would try and wrestle that away from Sam – people were always watching out for him.

***

Sam turned 100 on July 8 of this year.

He’s not as spry as he once was, of course, but he’s still sharp as a tack. I stopped and visited with Sam for two-plus hours in the late spring and enjoyed a great conversation about life and baseball.

Sam and Jeff Idelson
Former National Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson greets Sam.

His memory is impeccable. He still has a great sense of humor, humility, and hospitality.

Safe to say, he’s still Sam. 

At one point during our conversation, Sam turned to his aide and asked her to grab a guest book from a drawer. She handed him one and he waved it off, noting that wasn’t the one. Get the other one, he said. So she did.

Once in possession of it, Sam had a wide smile on his face. He opened and then handed me the book and said to look at it.

On the page were signatures from Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. You see, they had visited Sam at his house many years ago. That shouldn’t shock people who know Sam, though, as his connection to the New York Yankees goes deep and covers decades of baseball.

***

Sam, Sid Levine and a small ownership group brought professional baseball back to Oneonta in 1966. The first year, the Red Sox were the affiliation. The following year, Oneonta became the Yankees, forging a decades-long relationship with the most storied franchise in Major League Baseball. That relationship ran through the 1998 season. Oneonta shared the league championship that year, the last time a NY-Penn champion would hail from the City of the Hills.

Even the Boss – George Steinbrenner – had a great relationship with Sam, stopping in Oneonta a few times. Sam also still wears a World Series ring given to him by Steinbrenner after one of the Yankees’ World Series victories (though I’m not sure which year it is from).

Many well-known Yankees have come through or started their careers with Oneonta, including players like Don Mattingly, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Willie McGhee, Jorge Posada and NFL Hall of Famer John Elway. Buck Showalter managed the O-Yanks for two seasons. Other greats have been here in the early days for barnstorming games or other public relations-type events.

The Yankees left after the 1998 season, heading to Staten Island for a new stadium. Oneonta then began an eight-year relationship with the Detroit Tigers.

The history between the Yankees and Oneonta can’t be ignored, however. Teams won 12 championships (sharing that 1998 crown with Auburn) during the Yankees’ tenure in Oneonta. And despite a NY-Penn team no longer being in Oneonta, the 12 championships is still the most in league history.

The next highest? Auburn with eight.

***

The summer of 2008 was tough. Rumblings of Sam and Sid selling the team were becoming more and more widespread.

This is something nobody ever thought would happen. They had turned down major offers in the past because keeping baseball in Oneonta was very important to them.

But, in the landscape of baseball today, it’s harder and harder for locally owned “mom and pop” sort of ownership, especially when you don’t draw. And unfortunately, Oneonta didn’t draw well. The team was one of only a few throughout minor league baseball that didn’t sell beer. 

When you went to Damaschke Field, it was for baseball, not all the glitz that modern baseball gives, especially at the minor league level.

This was tough professionally, as well, as everybody was keeping quiet. Myself, and other members of the newspaper staff, tapped into every source we could. Nobody would say anything. Even Sam, who usually would be as up front as anybody, wasn’t saying a thing.

Something was up and it was a sad time.

The sale came a few days shy of Sam’s 89th birthday. Sid was 95 at the time. It took a bit of work, but we did get the “scoop” the night before the news conference. It took some prodding and pushing, but somebody close to the team finally gave up some info to me, with the understanding that they couldn’t be on the record, but that I knew what to do with the information. Whispers had been out there. We had stories pointing to different things already, but this was confirmation.

The only people who knew that source was that person, and my boss. We’ll leave it that way, too. But it was somebody who grew to trust me and he knew how important it was for us to be the ones to have the story.

The next day, the conference took force and the news was widespread. It took place in one of the new locker rooms at Damaschke Field. Following the season, the new ownership held meet-and-greet sessions with local businesses and media. They wanted to stay, they said. A two-year agreement to stay was so they could work on something more long-term.

Eventually, the sale was announced. Sam and Sid were there. The new ownership was there. Baseball would stay in Oneonta for at least two more seasons, and hopefully well beyond that, the new group said.

During the news conference, Sam and Sid noted how it was hard, but they weren’t getting any younger and it was time to let it go. The feeling in the room was sadness, and people knew this was probably the hardest decision Sam ever had to make.

The two handled it with dignity and class, a lesson that would have been good for the new group to watch and try and emulate.

The promises new ownership made weren’t followed, though. There was only one more season of professional baseball in Oneonta as the new ownership group and management talked out of both sides of their mouth, telling people one thing and all the while not actually doing what they claimed they were doing.

Following the 2009 season, they packed up and moved to Norwich, Connecticut.

Professional baseball would be gone from Oneonta following the 2009 season, but the legacy Sam Nader had in Oneonta wouldn’t leave or fade.

***

The gentleman that is Sam Nader isn’t lost on those who know him. He served as Mayor of Oneonta in the 1960s and has been a respected resident and businessman throughout his life.

Program for Sam's day
The program for Sam’s celebration day.

He greets people with a smile and a firm handshake and always has a story to tell.

Until Sid died at age 99 in 2012, Sam was still visiting him almost daily. The friendship the two had was a strong bond.

One time, after I was out of newspapers, I stopped to visit Sam with a colleague at the paper. Sam took us to his basement which is a virtual shrine to the game of baseball.

Autographs, photos, trophies and more are on display. Oneonta is lucky to still call Sam an upstanding citizen of the community.

Sam was a heck of a golfer, too. I was supposed to go with him and some others who have worked with him for years, but it never happened. It’s probably not a bad thing as he was still scoring well in those days – stories told to me said he shot his age when he was 84.

It was rare for me to shoot 84 in my 30s, let alone when I am hopefully 84.

***

Sam was inducted into the New York-Pennsylvania League Hall of Fame in 2013, the second class for the Hall. He went in with a crew of people who left indelible marks on the league – including the league founder, three league presidents, and Nader. 

The playoff championship trophy in the NY-Penn is named after his late wife, Alice. The mark of the Nader name will be part of the NY-Penn League for many years.

That should tell you something about who Sam is, and what sort of impact he’s had.

***

Sam’s reach goes well beyond Oneonta. I’ve told this story many times and it still blows my mind.

It was the summer of 2009 and I was still in the newspaper industry. Besides the Oneonta Tigers, part of the baseball beat was covering the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a piece that I truly loved.

The Hall was holding the first Hall of Fame Classic, an old-timer’s game to replace the now defunct Hall of Fame Game. This is something I called for in a column when the Hall of Fame Game was canceled, and I was pumped to see it take place.

Especially, considering who was going to start the game – Hall of Famer Bob Feller. Yes, that Feller. The one who was then in his 80s. I was told by my boss to get some sort of story with Feller. Along the way, I learned a lot about respect and patience.

See, Feller did interviews one at a time. You waited in line for your turn. When I walked up, Feller was speaking to somebody he obviously knew as they were reminiscing and enjoying the chat. I wasn’t worried as I was second in line and was enjoying the situation,

It seems the reporter in front of me didn’t have the same patience as he tried to interrupt, was then scolded by Feller, and told to leave as he would not be speaking to him. The reporter left, flustered and red-faced. I stood there with my eyes open a bit more, but didn’t say a word. The person who Feller was speaking with then said he’d be going and pointed to me and said you have a patient reporter waiting.

When the seat next to him was open, Feller looked at me, patted the seat as an invitation to sit and looked at me, shook my hand, and said “What’s your name and where are you from?”

I told him my name, the newspaper and said “Oneonta.”

With a bit of a gleam in his eye and a small smile on his face, Feller looked at me and said “Oneonta… How’s Nader?”

And like that, Feller and I got into a 10-minute conversation about Sam, and about how long the two had known one another. I barely got any questions about the game, and soon I was on my way with a unique story.

It worked well, though, as Feller pitched to three batters and when he was done, he met with reporters in the runway at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. Everybody seemed to be in awe as Feller scanned the group and not one person flinched. He looked at me, pointed and said “You… young fella – ask a question.”

So I did. And he answered with some humor, but when he was done, he looked back at me and said “And tell Nader I said hello.”

***

Baseball still remains in Oneonta, though in the form of a collegiate wood bat league team. They’ve won two championships since starting in 2010, following a championship lineage started in Oneonta by Nader, Levine and that ownership group.

In July, the weekend after Sam’s birthday, the Outlaws hosted the celebration of Sam, as well as the 1969 Oneonta Yankees, a team that won the NY-Penn Championship 50 years ago.

Sam greeted
Sam is greeted by a former Oneonta Yankees player, as Sam’s son John looks on in the back.

Several members of that team, as well as other years came for the celebration of Sam. There were local political dignitaries, as well as the outgoing president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

And what a perfect day.

Blue skies dotted with a few clouds. It was perfect for baseball. And there sat Sam, front and center at home plate and people echoed words, gave proclamations, and honored a man who had given so much to the City of Oneonta, as well as to baseball. There were a lot of faces in the crowd, too, who might normally not be at an Outlaws game – folks who came out to celebrate Sam and be part of this event.

Sam smiled and watched and it looked as though he was in a place he always belonged – a baseball field. He shook hands, had photos taken with many, shared memories and hugs with those on the field. At the end, a big birthday cake was wheeled on the field and the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to him.

It was a fitting celebration for a man who has given so much to Oneonta, baseball, and so many people over his century on Earth.

A great day, for a great man.

Thank you, Sam, for being a man with steadfast convictions, honor, and for being a friend – to so many. It’s my hope that everybody who came back to celebrate this man has showed the impact he’s had on many lives.

When the celebration was over and Sam left the field, a game started soon after. Just as it should be – baseball on a perfect summer night in Oneonta.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!  

Filed Under: Baseball, Life, My world Tagged With: Albert "Sam" Nader, bob feller, Oneonta New York, oneonta tigers, Oneonta Yankees, sam nader, Sam Nader Oneonta, Sam Nader Oneonta Tigers, Sam Nader Oneonta Yankees

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Shaping things up

September 12, 2019

The first step of getting myself back into blogging is complete – a reinvention of the look and feel. I’ve branded the site to a point, changed the look fully and got it to the spot I think I want it to be.

I’m still debating whether to keep full posts on the main page or a “read more” link, but in the end, I don’t think it’s bad as it’s currently set up. We’ll see as I keep moving forward.

Now, it comes down to shaping things on the blog itself, which is mainly recurring features, “whatever” blog posts, and challenges.

My issue over the past couple of years has been pretty simple, in all honesty. I’ve been so backlogged with work that when I get home, I just don’t want to read and write. I may mess around on the computer at home, but it might be a goofy game, or social media, or things like that. Blogging at times has been tough.

But I’m going to change myself up a little (been working on it a little at a time). I recently purchased a Google Chromebook. For those who don’t know the Chromebooks, they operate the Google system and are great for internet etc, but not really to add more things. The one I got was cheaper (after some Dell discounts and such, I paid much less than $100), so it’s not like it’s some speed demon of a computer. It will, however, do exactly what I need it to do.

I have it set up so I can access all of my Google items offline, so I can take this to a park or some other place, access my files, and write. My hope is it will give me some inspiration to write and have fewer distractions. I mean, if you can be in a place where you don’t have the normal distractions, it would seem like some writing could be done.

I hope, anyway.

I really do miss the blogging community. Not just the writing aspect, but also reading and commenting on other blogs; seeing different styles and items; and just being part of the community as a whole. Since I’ve reworked the look and feel here, I’ve also been working “behind the scenes” to change other aspects and “brand” things a bit more.

Let me share what types of items are going to be new to the site, still staying around, or even making a return. Keep in mind that some of these items (more specifically the features) are not scheduled, per say, rather are some items I will be doing when it fits.

CHALLENGES

I’ve found, in the past, challenges have been good for me. But that’s only when I really put my mind to it.

I’m sure many of us can say the same thing.

What I mean is, when I have blog challenges to work on, I usually find a way to write. And that’s a good thing. I haven’t been as diligent every month visiting others with the Photo Blogging Challenge (I am working, slowly, to catch up), but I miss the confines of some other ones in the past.

So I am going to be starting a few other smaller and easier ones in the hopes people might enjoy them, as well as keep the ones I’ve had. And, hopefully, it will get me to go out and visit blogs.

Maybe this, mixed in with a few challenges, can give me what I need to get into it.

You can also join the HooHaa Challenges page on Facebook to keep up to date as well.

So, what is already set and what’s coming up?

+ Photo Blogging Challenge (ongoing)

This will continue. Despite all the linkup issues we’ve seemed to have recently, the challenge will go on!

I intend on this continuing for years to come and hoping that I will get a lot more traction myself.

I keep trying and hoping to get more ambition to use my main camera and not just my phone, but it’s so easy to just use the phone, especially when you are up against the clock toward the end of the month!

This challenge is monthly. Themes are (usually) posted on the first of the month, with the linkup scheduled for the last day of the month. Sometimes those deadlines aren’t hit, but if that happens, I will get things up as quickly as possible.

You can follow this link to see more on the history of the challenge, as well as past linkups to see the themes we have done and what people have done with those themes!

+ 20 Days of Chill Challenge (each January)

Sometime in December, I have a post with themes for 20 days in January – all weekdays. The themes are loose and open for interpretation. You participate in as many or as few challenges as you would like.

This has been a fun challenge in the past, but has been rather quiet the past few years. I want to try and get the word out a bit more this year in the hopes that things will be a bit more active and fun. Themes can be all over the place and, usually, give other bloggers several different ways to go with it.

The days you participate, come to the blog, link up, and hopefully visit the others. Often times participants will check out the linkup on the following day with the hopes that everybody has already linked. The linkup is usually only live for a couple of days.

+ Food Photo Challenge (not started yet)

The idea will be simple – one photo per month food-related.

I haven’t decided yet if I want to have a theme each month, or make it random or something else. I just know I’d love to do more food photography, so this seemed fun to attempt.

If I do themes, it will be very broad, such as “dinner” or “candy” or something along those lines. I want to see how people take photos of food, as I think it could be fun.

It will be like the others — we’ll have a date when the post is created, and then people can come link up to it. Hopefully, it will be pretty simple.

More details when they are ready.

+ Also … 

If I can get fully back to where I want and plan to be, I might bring back a few other challenges. These are the ones I might consider, so let me know thoughts. Would you join if any of these were back?

  • 10 Days of Heat Challenge: Similar to 20 Days of Chill, but held during a summer month and only 10 days. 
  • Story Cube Challenge: Utilizing story cubes, I roll nine and you make a story out of what comes up on the dice. This would likely be a monthly challenge. 
  • Can of Corn Challenge: A baseball-based challenge, covering nine months of the year (February-October) with one baseball topic each month to write about.

FEATURES

Features are something important to most blogs. Look around the internet and you’ll find every blog has some sort of weekly or monthly features they do. It might be something silly, or something more serious. But it’s a great way to keep content on your blog, as well as give your readers certain things to watch out for.

Below are some of the features I will be doing on the blog. Some of them have been done before or are ongoing, and some are ones I am planning to do moving forward.

+ Living with Diabetes (ongoing)

Part of the hard part of not blogging was not doing this feature. This was always something that helped keep me in check, which is needed.

I have battled Type 2 Diabetes for several years and some A1C tests are better than others. Recently, I’ve started to really kick it into gear again and I know that having this feature will help me stay on task.

When I do this feature – which is usually monthly – it allows me to keep myself in check and see trends and patterns I might be able to catch. It keeps me accountable for what I eat and how I take care of myself.

+ Notes from my Noodle (ongoing)

This is something I used to enjoy doing.

Basically, it’s when I see some crazy news and such out there and I have a mish-mash of things to just write randomly about. So if I see a bunch of different and funny things on the Internet that gets my juices flowing, that’s when this will show up.

There are no set times for this – just when I feel like being really random. Could be weekly, monthly or some other random time.

+ Put it on Repeat (coming soon)

Since I’ve really pushed myself more lately to try and get myself into better shape, I’ve also started to (finally) utilize my iPod.

This, combined with my Apple Watch and not having it hooked up to cellular service, allows me to unplug a bit while out walking. It allows me to not have a phone with me, which I like.

Sometimes I listen to podcasts, other times I play music.

This feature is going to cover music that I might be listening to, so maybe I will talk about the lyrics and things like that. Basically, it’s music that I might want to repeat a few times.

Hopefully, this is something I can work on every 3-4 weeks.

+ Podcast Review (coming soon)

As above, my iPod is becoming part of me a lot more, and I’m listening to more podcasts.

The odds are my tastes in podcast don’t match some others, but that’s fine. I enjoy listening to podcasts while out walking, so every once in a while I will work on a review of a podcast, giving it the goods and bads and an overall rating.

From my eyes, of course.

No set time on this one, just when I feel I have time to give a good and honest review.

+ Snapshot Saturday (ongoing)

I haven’t done this in a good while, but it’s something I always enjoyed doing.

And, honestly, it could be planned out a year or so in advance, so there’s no real reason to not do this.

Basically, it’s a weekly snapshot from the family and friends photo album. It’s always a lot of fun and family and friends have always enjoyed. It’s a little more personal in nature, too, which is never a bad thing.

I am going to be having a lot of photos scanned, and once I get them back, I will start scheduling these quite a bit in advance so it’s always publishing on Saturdays. I hope to start this back up in the next couple of months.

+ One Meeple

One Meeple is a feature I’ve only done a few times, but it is one I want to start doing more.

I own quite a few board games and many of them are able to be played solo. I enjoy the solo aspect of board gaming, so this is a spot where I can talk about those adventures.

I’ll talk about the game, have some photos, and any other thoughts. In a perfect world, I’d like to do this every 3-4 weeks.

+ On the Trail 

The idea of this is to allow me a spot to blog about things I’m exploring, be it a park, or a rail trail, or something else. It might have to do with geocaching, or something else with getting out.

But this isn’t just walking on a street, rather getting out into nature and seeing different places and such. This feature might also include going out for a paddle or a bike ride. It will encompass things, though, more in nature or “on the trail.”

There’s a lot of places in my area, and within a couple of hours, so it’s time to start exploring and seeing what’s out there. There will be no set timetable for this one, rather it will be just when I have some place I’ve explored!

I really want to make sure there’s a lot of photos to go with this as well.

+ Walking with a Purpose

A simple idea, actually. This is more about me and, again, a health kick. The thought process is to talk about things with walking.

I try and walk as much as I can, so I’ll cover topics from a random person’s eyes about walking.

It could be about times to walk, items I use (sneakers, trackers etc.), and different ways of staying motivated. There is a whole range of topics. I might even throw in some stories about seeing others out walking etc., or just random observations from my own walks. I assure you I see a lot with the times I tend to go out!

It’s just another way for me to take control of things and hold myself accountable.

+ DayZero Project

I am attempting the DayZero Project for the third time.

The basis is to complete 101 goals in 1001 days. I haven’t completed the past two attempts (though I made a good dent), so I decided to give it a go one more time.

So far, I am doing OK, but I need to push myself to check in on it more, set goals, and get things finished.

There is no guarantee how often this feature will be done, being it is based on when I actually cross off a goal.

+ Also …

I am still debating a few other features. Some could include baseball stadium reviews, photo of the week, some travel things etc. I first want to see how all of these do, and then I’ll eventually reevaluate features and if they need to be shaped up or not.

The basis for the way I am doing things now is to somewhat “brand.” Even though I may never profit financially off the blog, I do like things having their own look and feel. It sometimes makes it easier to not only write about certain things, but also always have an image associated with the feature.

REGULAR CONTENT

This is the randomness that is a personal blog.

I’ve always said it’s hard to build a following based on my own personal wanderings of life as I am not sure I am that exciting to want to read about. So mixing in some features as well as some of my own adventures seems like as good of a mix as any. 

I’ll still have things like this within the blog, but I’m going to try and shape and find a path and get myself back into blogging on a semi-regular basis, and not just when I have the Photo Blogging Challenge.

Some of these things will take some time. Others I’ll break out sooner rather than later. We shall see how it goes!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Filed Under: blogging, challenges, Life, My world, Photo Blogging Challenge Tagged With: blog, blog challenges, blog themes, blog topics, blogging, photographer, writer, writing

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Rest in peace, Coach

September 10, 2019

Have any of you seen the video from this year’s Little League World Series, where the one coach from New Jersey gets all emotional saying how honored he was to be called coach?

If you haven’t, you should. You can view it by clicking here.

To me, there’s only been one coach. Sure, I’ve been coached by many, but that term – “Coach” – is and always will only point to one person in my mind. And many others in my town or who graduated from my Alma mater would likely agree, especially if they were coached by him.

Jack Gariepy.

Coach died last week at the age of 75. I hadn’t seen him over the past few years, but what he meant to me over the course of my younger years can’t be measured. The memories can’t be erased.

“Coach” — Photo from funeral home site.

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Coach was a top-notch baseball player in his youth. I remember him telling us he got looks or was offered a minor league contract out of high school, but he opted for college. He played two years (1966, 1967) for the University of Scranton, which, again, if I remember right, he blew out his arm and thus ended his baseball career.

Turns out, that would be something that would benefit many kids in my town as he went on to teach history for 30 years at Delhi. He also coached cross country, baseball, and golf. On top of that, he served as a high school and college basketball official for several decades.

Three times he led the girls cross country team to state championships – in 1978, 1979, and 1981. Those stood as the school’s only state championships until the football team won in 2001, followed by girls basketball in 2018.

I knew Coach from a young age. He had a larger-than-life personality, a smile that wasn’t overshadowed by a slight gap in his front teeth, and those thick-rim glasses he wore for decades. For decades, it was never “P.J.,” with me – it was always “Piege,” something that only a few ever called me. If he wasn’t teaching, you’d likely see him in a Detroit Tigers hat, and if cooler out – jacket.

He was always involved in baseball, from youth to high school. I played varsity my junior and senior years and spent time back and forth from starting to the bench, I was never much of a great player – a bit average and never a standout. He always would give people chances, though. Sometimes we succeeded, sometimes we failed.

To be sure, those who played for him or were in his class will likely have stories. I mean, for those in school at that time (when teacher’s still could smoke in the break room), who doesn’t remember him smoking at his desk after school? Or those on the baseball team remember Coach in the catcher’s position, leaning against the fence during a game with a smoke?

Times have changed, that’s for sure.

I used to sit toward the front of the bus on baseball road trips. Following games, Coach would take the book, go through everything and have the team and individual stats updated before we got back to school. All by hand. No smart-phone calculators or anything. Just knowing how to calculate ERAs, averages and everything else. I love baseball stats, but I definitely need a calculator.

A few memories really stick out to me with baseball over my two varsity seasons. These first two came during my junior season.

First, we were playing in Afton. I had singled, so I was pretty stoked. My brother was the assistant coach at the time and was coaching first.

The steal sign was pretty simple – Coach would say your name and clap. So he did that. I looked at my brother and seemed confused. I asked if he did what I thought. My brother shrugged. So I .. stayed put. It had to be a mistake. I was definitely not some nimble-foot runner.

Before the next pitch, Coach looked across the diamond, and with a little more force said my name and clapped. I got a lead and took off and slid in safely, much to my surprise.

Again, I am not some sort of a base stealer.

So I was pretty stoked. Stolen base… all right! I look over and wouldn’t you know it… my name and the claps… AGAIN.

I took a deep breath and on the pitch, I took off, sliding in – shockingly enough – safe again. I couldn’t believe it. He says to me, quietly, if I hadn’t ignored the first sign, he probably wouldn’t have made me steal third – though it worked out in the end. Seems he was always teaching lessons.

But hey, in my high school baseball years, I had a 100 percent stealing average – he never sent me again.

The second memory came during a Saturday double-header. As a junior, I didn’t play a ton. So, that was normal. Our third baseman – also one of our top pitchers – got hurt in the first game. So, Coach looks down the bench, calls for me and sends me out to third.

Third base?

OK, let me get this out there – I am not a great fielder. I never have been, I never will be. I do OK, but I am average at best, if not a bit below. My strongest point was always my hitting, or at least my ability to sacrifice bunt (which I did a lot during my junior and senior years). I was a pretty good catcher, but there were several ahead of me on that totem pole. So when I played the field, it was more at second base.

Today? I was the one going in.

Coach, I said… I’ve never played third base. Just get in front of the ball he said.

So off I went to third. I must have looked nervous as the opposing coach said something to me. And, despite knowing I shouldn’t say anything, I noted it was my first time ever playing third, and that I was a wee bit nervous. He told me that it was like any other position and just relax and play the game.

First batter rips one right at me and I had no chance to think. I scooped it and threw it across to get the out. The opposing coach noted it was a good play and well done. At the end of the inning, I ran into the dugout and Coach didn’t say a word to me – he didn’t have to. He just looked and smiled.

I ended up playing third base for both games. I made some plays. I had one or two errors, too. I never played third base again after that game, but the lessons were endless it seemed.

There’s plenty more. From being benched my senior year, to getting other chances along the way, Coach was also working to give everybody the chance to succeed in baseball and in life.

One final one I need to add — the nicknames. Those of you who played for him in baseball, do you remember your nicknames at the sports awards? I’ll never forget mine — “WWF Hulk Harmer” and “Coach, I can pitch if you want me to.” I think we all looked forward to those names every year.

In his later years, I had the chance to play a few rounds of golf with him, or even just seem out when he worked at the local course as a ranger. He was one of the three or four teachers many of us wanted to have a beer with when we hit 21, and I had a couple with Coach over the years.

His passion was also found in his teaching of history. It wasn’t just from books, it was from his research and learning that made you get into his classes. He was unique and ahead of his time. He found ways to reach all kids and make them interested. History wasn’t just about what happened – it was much bigger. He found a way to get you interested in the topic by his passion and the way he’d deliver the material. He challenged you as a student to think outside the box. He’d offer advice and tips. He always was teaching.

But baseball was a love we all knew about.

And goodness did Coach love the Detroit Tigers. Many conversations I had with him over the years, be it seeing him on the street somewhere or at the golf course, centered on our mutual love of baseball. When I was covering the Oneonta Tigers for the local paper, I had a bunch of conversations with Coach about the old Tigers I had the chance to meet and get to know.

He truly loved this community. He gave back and he was definitely a one-of-a-kind personality. May you rest in eternal peace. You will be missed.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Filed Under: Baseball, Life, My world Tagged With: coach, Gariepy, Jack Gariepy, jack gariey memories, John "Jack" Gariepy, Rest in peace, teacher

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November 13 is World Kindness Day

November 13, 2017

Remember those old days of video stores — the VHS days, not the DVD days. There’d be a sticker or something to remind you — “be kind, rewind!”

It seems kindness isn’t something that everybody practices anymore, wouldn’t you say?

There’s a lot of hate in this world.

It doesn’t matter if it’s over political beliefs, religious beliefs, personal moral beliefs, or whatever other belief you want to insert here.

It’s just a fact that there’s a lot of hate in this world.

People can’t have an opinion anymore, it seems. Well, they can. But be ready to be told you are wrong. There’s no more “respectfully disagree” sort of thing.

Everything has become right or wrong, with no gray area to discuss and understand what other people think or how they might believe what they do.

It’s just … right or wrong.

It seems, as society, we’ve taken a step back. People can’t be who they are without the threat of somebody else telling them they are wrong or something else.

You would think, as a society, as time evolves, we’d be better.

We’re not.

With the internet and so many different ways to talk bad about people or to bully or whatever else, it has been worse than the days without all the things we are used to.

That needs to change.

One thing I’ve tried to do lately is smile more at people. I always find when somebody smiles at you, it can brighten a part of your day. Just that simple act can make somebody’s day change.

Seriously.

It doesn’t have to be a long conversation or anything else. Just smile.

Today is World Kindness Day.

Though not celebrated everywhere (and doesn’t seem like much when it comes to the United States), it seems like an observance and movement that is worthy of joining.

Introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movemement, it’s observed in many countries such as Canada, Japan, and Australia among others.

But no matter if it’s celebrated officially or not in your country or place, why can’t we just practice something like this? It makes sense, doesn’t it?

Be kind.

As you go about your day, be kind to one another. Smile. Say hi. It’s a day of kindness … pass it on!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Filed Under: Life, My world Tagged With: be kind, kind, kindness, kindness day, world kindness day, world kindness day 2017

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hoohaa29

Writer who loves images just as much as words! In search of perfectly poured pints of Guinness and great hot dogs. Find me on twitter @softball29.

I guess the April Fool's joke is on us, Mother Nat I guess the April Fool's joke is on us, Mother Nature? Oh .. ha ha ha.
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I also guess this is why hitting back roads to work is good -- you can stop and take a photo and not worry about anybody coming (usually)! Main roads around here are fine for now, but it's definitely quite picturesque on the lawns/trees etc.
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#snow #winterspring #springwinter #april #blackandwhite #photography #photooftheday #goawaywinter #love #instagood #picoftheday #bestoftheday #nature #backroad #road
This was pretty relaxing and fun. #lego #legos #ea This was pretty relaxing and fun. #lego #legos #easter #legoeasterbunny #legoeaster #relax #hobby #fun
It shouldn’t be so hard to find a trash can... # It shouldn’t be so hard to find a trash can... #litter #mask #masks #blackandwhite #streetphotography
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softball29P.J.@softball29·
11 Apr

I mean, if you hold a #Wrestlemania in an open stadium... eventually rain delays had to come, right? 🤣

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RealKentMurphyKent@RealKentMurphy·
7 Apr

28 years ago The Sandlot was released and this iconic scene was brought into our lives.

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softball29P.J.@softball29·
2 Apr

New blog post: Photo Blogging Challenge (March 2021): Eight #photobloggingchallenge #pbc #challenge #blogging https://hoohaa.com/?p=15201

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