A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Writing

Secret Subject Swap: It’s just the way the story goes…

This post is for the Secret Subject Swap, a monthly blog challenge. Information about the swap can be viewed at the end of this post, as well as links to all others taking part. Have a peek at some of the other bloggers and see what they had to come up with. If you are a blogger, consider joining up for future months!

My theme is “It’s just the way the story goes” and it was submitted by Part-time Working Hockey Mom.

I’m tired.

That can be normal for me at times, but especially now. The whole COVID-19 situation has really taken a toll on me.

For those who don’t know, I work in public relations. And for it, I work in two school districts.

Yeah. Two.

So that means doubling up a lot of things I do. Though it always seems I am behind, the things I am doing now because of the pandemic has amplified it. And I’m beat.

Schools are doing all they can to honor students and the Class of 2020. Graduations are going virtual to a point, and the way the two schools I work at are doing it… it puts me deep into video and video editing. It’s tiring and long.

I don’t know anything about this “work from home,” that’s for sure. I’ve done a few of those days, but after the first several weeks, I was basically always in the office.

I’m sure when things are done, I’ll look back and be really proud of all that was accomplished. That doesn’t take away with how stressed and tired I am!

I need a vacation. The problem is… if I went on one, where would I go?

Maybe just to bed. I can say once July is here, I will definitely be looking to take a week or two off, if even just to let my body rest a little.

Now, allow me to say this. I’m happy to have a good job with good benefits. Being salary, at a time like this, isn’t the most fun, but I’m always trying to look at the bright side of things.

As things are now, well, it’s just the way the story goes.

Be good to one another. Try and smile. Listen. Talk. Understand. One day, we will be out of the situations we’re in. Hopefully, for the better. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Five others have taken part in this challenge, so go check out the other posts and have some fun reading their secret subjects!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen at A ‘lil HooHaa, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! We also have the Food Photo Challenge (current theme listed at end of post) and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

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!

Can of Corn 4: On paper

There’s a lot of paper in baseball. 

You have lineup cards. Press notes. Programs. Notepads. And, of course, scorecards. 

Can of Corn Challenge logo

I’ve blogged about scorekeeping before. It’s something I’ve done at baseball games for much of my life.

It’s not something everybody does, but I do consider myself a bit of a baseball nerd. 

Scorekeeping at a baseball game is an old-school tradition for baseball fans. Though not all do it, most know about it. Scorecards are in most programs. Kids do it. Adults do it. 

The best part about scorekeeping at a game is there is no set style. Though the concept is the same – you record each play in a game on a scorecard – everybody has their own style and way of doing things. 

That’s really cool, too. 

Sometimes when I am at a game and see somebody keeping score and sitting by themselves, I’ll go say hi, just to talk scorekeeping and see how they do things. I’ve seen a lot of cool things. And some people do very little and just keep score on a piece of paper. Some people have full-fledged scoring systems. 

Keeping score.

And thought I enjoy getting in-depth, I like the simplicity of keeping a scorecard. The craziest I seem to get is using colors when a new pitcher comes in.

I have my own system, but in general, I can look back on most of my scoresheets and can take you through a game just from the way I kept the sheet. 

Most programs at baseball games will show you a basic way to keep score. The basics allow you how to keep score and understand the things one needs.

From there, you can develop your own system and style and let it blossom. I’ve changed some things over the years to the point where I feel I have something I like.

Having things on paper at a baseball game is something of the norm. But once you delve even deeper into things, you’ll find that the way of putting some thing on paper is definitely unique and helps tell the story of a baseball game.

Can of Corn Challenge 4: On paper linkup

The Can of Corn Challenge is a monthly blogging challenge that runs from February-October. You can see all information, as well as themes for 2020 by visiting this blog post. Feel free to join us for any and all themes! The linkup will remain live each month for about seven days.

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!

Secret Subject Swap: Matrix moments

This post is for the Secret Subject Swap, a monthly blog challenge. Information about the swap can be viewed at the end of this post, as well as links to all others taking part. Have a peek at some of the other bloggers and see what they had to come up with. If you are a blogger, consider joining up for future months!

My theme is “Have you ever had a glitch in the matrix moment? If so what was it?” and it was submitted by Climaxed.

I had to Google to see what this even means. But from my searching it seems it means “deja vu.”

So my short answer is, yes, I have experienced these moments. Several times. Thing is, once they happen, they leave my mind. I can’t think of an actual moment where it happened.

I know I’ve experienced it and I know it’s always a wild feeling. But outside of that, I have no memory of the actual moment. But that got me thinking about the word “matrix.”

Have you ever seen Ferris Bueller? The scene with the one teacher that has the slow words, and then speeds up a little?

“Anywaaaaaaaay…”

Yeah, when I was first in college at a two-year school, I had a sociology teacher that talked like that. It would put you to sleep. And most of the class wasn’t about sociology.

It was about the learning process. And I’m not kidding.

He had this thing he called a learning matrix. For the life of me, I can’t remember the whole thing behind it (we’re talking 25 or so years ago), but it was all … how to learn.

Every.

Class.

He would start by drawing something on the board and would go over the matrix for 3/4 of class. Then he’d do a quick lesson, assign homework and call it a day.

Rinse. Repeat.

And it was tough to stomach. Think about a whole college semester. A M/W/F class. About the learning matrix. I mean, I guess to a point it got drilled into me because I still remember it all these years later.

Though I don’t remember the actual matrix.

Maybe I’m experiencing a matrix moment every time I think about it? Knowing I’ve seen it before.

When all said and done, I think it was his way of trying to help us find a way to learn. I had another class with him that wasn’t a 101 and he barely even touched on it.

No matter what though, I always think of that when I hear “matrix” and it always brings me back.

Six others have taken part in this challenge, so go check out the other posts and have some fun reading their secret subjects!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen at A ‘lil HooHaa, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! We also have the Food Photo Challenge (current theme listed at end of post) and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

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!

Secret Subject Swap: Favorite holiday

This post is for the Secret Subject Swap, a monthly blog challenge. Information about the swap can be viewed at the end of this post, as well as links to all others taking part. Have a peek at some of the other bloggers and see what they had to come up with. If you are a blogger, consider joining up for future months!

My theme is “What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?” and it was submitted by Wandering Web Designer.

It seems odd to be talking about certain holidays in April. 

Alas, such is the world when you are in a secret subject swap. 

I’m sure I share this with a lot of people, but my favorite holiday is Christmas. And it’s not just Christmas day, it’s everything surrounding it. The festive look and feel. The music. The smiles. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I dislike the idea that stores start doing Christmas sales in like October or earlier now, but the overall feel is what I like. 

I love seeing the look on the faces of kids during that time, especially the innocence of what it is. 

To me, it’s the perfect time of year. 

Family time during that holiday season is usually pretty good. As I’ve grown older, I’ve tended to appreciate the whole season a lot more. It was always my father’s favorite holiday as well. And I think most of my family is usually in the spirit. 

Christmas candy and foods are always amazing as well. From my mother’s homemade caramels (family recipe) to cookies from friends and other things galore, you can’t go wrong with the season! 

I even enjoy a cup or two of store-bought eggnog each year. 

And though I know there are plenty of people who do not enjoy the Christmas holiday, it’s a season I find to be enjoyable and carefree. Innocence only goes so far these days, and I feel as though you can still capture it quite well during Christmas. 

And yes, I like snow during those holidays as well!

Five others have taken part in this challenge, so go check out the other posts and have some fun reading their secret subjects!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen at A ‘lil HooHaa, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! We also have the Food Photo Challenge (current theme listed at end of post) and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

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!

The world as we know it …

Does anybody else feel like they are living in a reality movie?

This is like The Truman Show, times a million.

A few months ago, we all heard about this COVID-19 coronavirus. It was pretty spooky, but it was far away. Though it didn’t seem those in charge were too worried about what it could become.

But, now it’s here. And it’s downright scary.

Now, let me preface this by saying I think the widespread panic is a bit crazy. We’re in a panic stage, which is never good. If we all use extreme caution, don’t put ourselves in bad spots, and use common sense, I think we’ll be fine in the long run. We can’t go bonkers.

But you have to be smart.

Hoarding toilet paper or hand sanitizer, and then trying to mark it up to ridiculous amounts of money doesn’t help. Not one bit. People need to be able to get basic supplies. Stocking your freezer with enough meat to last two years doesn’t help anybody.

It honestly makes me wonder about society as a whole.

This is a crazy illness going around. Things are being shut down. Businesses are closing — and many likely can’t afford it. People are alarmed and in a panic — and that definitely doesn’t help. We’re in uncharted waters here.

I work in two school districts, handling PR. That includes maintaining social media and websites at each. Each are putting out information as fast as possible. Most people have been thankful and appreciate how much each district is attempting to do for their communities. Some are negative and it makes me wonder about things. This is new for the schools, as well. Usually, they aren’t told to shut down to students for this long — especially now in the day of social media.

Speaking of that, the media and social media are hard to watch and look at. A human’s mind can’t grasp everything that is going on and process it that well. It’s impossible. Rumors become “truth,” and and the truth and facts gets questioned by people because they don’t want to believe it.

We have to practice self care. For me, it’s trying to process things and remain calm through it all. That doesn’t always happen. I’m a human just like anybody else. Despite thinking this reaction could be way over, I understand it. And I have fears and caution just like anybody else. What we’re doing is being done for a reason. Yes, it will inconvenience people. Yes, people will suffer. But in the end, we will get through it.

One way or another.

So practice some self care. Go for a walk and try and avoid close contact with people. Get some sun. Show social distance. Try not to feed into the hysteria and breathe. Play a game. Video chat with an old friend.

And if looking to help small businesses, see if you can buy gift cards. Or go get some takeout.

We will get through this. It might be faster than they thing; or it might be longer. But we will get through it.

Most of all, be good to one another. Basic human kindness or a smile from six feet away can go a long way.

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!