Baseball {Widow} Season

Well ladies and... ladies? I'm not sure how many gents venture over to this side of the internet. It's that time of the year again... Baseball Widow Season. If your boo-thang plays, coaches, or eat/sleeps/breathes the dang sport, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Justin and I already have pretty opposite works schedules -- I work your typical 8am-4:30pm while J works mostly evenings -- but with his coaching season just getting started, late practices are making our time together pretty sparse. Once games start? Well see ya never!

Don't know if you're a true baseball widow? The checklist below should solve that problem for you...

You're a baseball widow if....

Your time spent "together" includes a) watching from the stands as your significant other coaches a game or b) watching any team play on TV...and don't expect to talk unless it's related to the game.

Your phone calls get ignored because your significant other is watching a game...or watching the highlights from the game he just watched. If you're lucky, you'll get the: "Hey babe, I'm really busy with something right now. Can I call you back soon?"

Your significant other is gone every weekend in the summer because he's coaching summer ball.

You can't talk to your significant other for at least 12 hours after a terrible game.

Watching Web Gems on SportsCenter is the most exciting thing you've watched for a couple hours.

You're already looking forward to baseball season being over...

Anyone else joining me in the Baseball Widow Club this year???

DIY: Baseball Bracelet

With only 40 days until Opening Day, it's time to dust off the ol' jersey and baseball cap. Just kidding -- I don't wear baseball caps. They make my already fine hair look like I have about 10 strands on my entire head. My fashion don't aside, it's time to get ready for baseball season. You see, when you're going to be married to a Varsity baseball coach, hitting and pitching instructor, and former college pitcher, you have no choice but to be ready for baseball season. So in honor of preparing for the return of America's favorite pasttime, I whipped up a super simple and super fun baseball bracelet.

1) Find yourself an old baseball that no one will miss and an exacto knife.

2) Begin to cut out the seams of the baseball. Leave enough of the leather on either side of the seam so as not to cut the laces. Please, be careful with the exacto knife! I won't be responsible for severed fingers!

3) Use the knife to cut the seam. (Duh, Jenna. Thanks for stating the obvious.)

4) Now, you're going to want to cut the lace holes (or whatever they're called) to make unlacing easier. You can cut the seam to fit your wrist and then decide how many lace holes you need to cut on both sides. Make sure you don't cut the laces!

5) The unlacing begins! As easy as this part is, it get's a little tedious. Unlace until you've reached your desired length. Once you're done unlacing both sides, cut off the excess leather.

6) VOILA! You have yourself a cute little baseball bracelet just in time for Opening Day!

A Love/Hate Relationship

I've been spoiled this week with two back-to-back dates with J. The first, dinner, DQ (my absolutely favorite) and a peaceful walk in the park and the second, a free Tiger's game. It was at the game that I was reminded of my love/hate relationship with baseball games.

 

{The last game we went to together. It was so hot on Tuesday that our picture together turned out awful. No one looks good when they're all sweaty.}

{Amazing seats for free tickets, am I right? 31 rows from the field!}

I know, you're probably thinking "what is there to hate about a baseball game?" Well let me tell you...

1. Birds- Could there be anymore seagulls and pigeons at baseball games? I'm pretty sure I am the only person who is paranoid about all those little frickers pooping on me. I see a flock of pigeons flying towards me and I cringe, just waiting for them to crap on my head. Well ladies, I got pooped on at the game on Tuesday. Thankfully it was the smallest of bird poop and it landed on my knee, not my hair, but poop is poop! I freaked out. Everyone was cheering over some good play by who knows what player and I was too busy screaming about the bird poop on my knee. Thank God for hand sanitizer!

2. Annoying people- Sometimes I want to ask people, "Are you annoying, or are you annoying?" It always amazes me how obnoxious people are. And doesn't it always seem like you get stuck sitting by the worst of the worst. Tuesday, we had the annoying bros sitting behind us, talking all kinds of loud as if to make sure everyone in a five-foot radius could hear their conversation about chicks who loooove them and their buddy who had kidney stones. Thanks but no thanks. And then there's that one annoying girl who squeals at every play and dances to the walk up songs like she's at Club Inferno. Who are you???

3. A drink costs how much???- It was hotter than hell at the game and I was sweating like a pig. Nothing sounded better than a big daiquiri in one of those {not so cool} souvenir cups. Oh, how much was it, you ask? NINE FRICKEN DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS! And a bottle of water is five dollars? Oh hold on, let me go to the 7eleven and get one for less than a dollar, ya money whore. 

4. Smelly people- I was super excited when the three guys sitting next to us moved down to allow one open seat between us. There's nothing more awkward than rubbing elbows with a man you don't know. But then, homeboy decides he can't see where he's sitting and insists on sitting right next to me. And to make matters worse, he obviously needs to lean on the arm rest connecting our seats the entire game. Too close for comfort, dude. I am not exaggerating when I say this man REEKED! He must have forgotten to shower for about a week. I.was.dying. When you know you're going to be in such close quarters with other humans, put on some dang deodorant!

Even though I complain about these things, I really do love going to baseball games. It may be one of my favorite things to do on a date night with Justin (but don't tell him that). Going to Tiger's games is something that Justin and I both enjoy. Justin, for the mere fact that he is a baseball freak (as I've mentioned numerous times before. I mean, the boy's whole entire life has revolved around the game) and me for:

1. People watching- Who doesn't love to be a snoop? Eavesdrop on conversations, watch drunk people make fools out of themselves, check out all the freaks that flock to sporting events. There's never a dull moment when you're people watching at a game.

2. I don't have to watch baseball on T.V.- There is nothing that puts me to sleep faster than watching the Tiger's (and every other team and their mother's) on T.V. Justin can spend hours upon hours on the couch, watching game after game, and be beyond happy. But watching live baseball is a whole 'nother ball game (pun intended). It actually keeps me entertained!

3. Walk up songs- My jams. Bottom line. The Tiger's have some legit walk up songs. I still wish someone would use "Right Above It" by Lil Wayne, because that would, hands down, be my walk up song if I ever had one.

4. Downtown Detroit- There's something about being downtown that makes me happy. There's so much history in Detroit and so many gorgeous buildings that have a lot of potential. If they City of Detroit got it's act together, it would be one heck of a place to hangout.

What do you love or hate about baseball games?

 

Tuesday's Random Ramblings: Baseball Boys

First, before I go on rambling about baseball boys, I need to share one of my bargain finds yesterday!

You must know that I decided to reward myself with shopping after getting peed on yesterday by one of my toddlers. Now, I've been peed on before, but it's usually like a small spot on my shirt where their diaper leaked when I picked them up. Yesterday, it was a completely different story.

One of my kiddos was sitting on my lap when I felt that awful warm feeling. I knew immediately that his diaper leaked. Oh, but it didn't just leaked. This little stinker must have aimed perfectly to make sure his pee SOAKED my jeans. Literally, pee running down my pant leg. Yup... that was lovely.

But anyways, I went a little overboard at one of my fav bargain stores, Marshall's. I found these lovely Minnetonka Abbey Ankle Fringe Sandals!

On to the real reason for this post...weird things that baseball boys do. As I have mentioned, my boyfriend coaches a varsity baseball team.

Last Thursday, I went to support Justin and watch his double header. It's not my favorite thing to do, and quite frankly, high school baseball is about five notches more boring than watching golf, but I'm trying to win the Girlfriend of the Year Award, so I do what I can.

Since, dating this hooligan, I've watched more baseball that I've watched in my entire life, and there are just some weird...habits... I just don't understand. My question: Why do baseball boys insist on slapping each others butts? 

{via}

 [I know this happens in all sports, but we're just going to focus on baseball for the sake of photos, people]

And when they're not slapping asses, they're constantly touching each other. I swear, Justin and his players are always touching one another. Let's take a look at some pictures to demonstrate...

Listen boys, whatever floats your boat. I'm not judging! But I didn't come here to watch you get all handsy with each other!

I love that I'm over-exaggerating this whole thing and I hope that Justin gets defensive like he did when I said he slapped the umps butt, but let's be honest... IT'S KINDA WEIRD!

And since we're talking baseball, lets just throw in a picture of the stud doing his thing.

What do you think about athletes being all handsy on the field/court/whatever the heck they're playing on and then being completely homophobic when they're not?

Well, that's all for this week's Tuesday's Random Ramblings!

xoxo, J