On softball, puppies, tangerines, and Uzbekistan

Monday night's softball game was definitely interesting. We played a doubleheader, or we would have, except during the bottom of the first inning of the first game, things got interesting. I led off by lacing a line drive to left, a good start for a night in which I was to go 5-5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored (except the second run didn't count because the umpire said I never touched the plate, which was bogus, but anyway). My own exploits aside, I got forced out at second, leading to the next play which was one of the more bizarre incidents I've seen in softball. A grounder to short was bobbled, leading to a close play at second. The second basewoman came in to apply the tag because she was too far off the base. Our runner from first was already in his slide. Feet and legs got entangled in bad ways. I've never heard a girl scream like that, and the rest of my team agreed. It turned out she broke her leg and sprained her ankle - total freak accident. 30 minutes later, after the paramedics arrived, after we had spent the time standing by our dugout waiting to hear good news and feeling helpless and cracking jokes in a desperate attempt at levity, we postponed the game. (The second game we lost by one run - for those keeping track, the run I technically scored except the ump never saw me touch the plate would have made it a tie.) All in all, a memorable but less than stellar night for our softball team. Also, the mother of two of the players was there, and after I got called out on the aforementioned play at the plate, I said a lot of really naughty words that no mother should have to hear and felt like a tool.

Which brings us to the matter of puppies. Puppies are cute and cuddly and never fail to make you feel better unless they've just taken a shit on your brand new, very expensive Afghan. Point being, I wish I had had a puppy on Monday night. Sometimes I contemplate getting one, but they are a lot of work and they do need attention, and my work hours combined with my affinity for randomly leaving town and going places don't mesh well with having a pet.

But anyway, I don't really like talking about my personal life on my blog. So let's move on to world news. Uzbekistan participated in the International Festival of Friendship in Tokyo earlier this month. Oh sure, you say, and I care why? Well, I'm glad you asked. You care because "Uzbekistan" is really fun to say. Not quite as fun as "Azerbaijan", perhaps. Certainly not as fun as "Liectenstein". But fun none the less. And having fun is the essence of friendship. Hence, the Uzbek's participation in the friendship festival.

And what of the tangerines, you ask? Good question, which is answered (perhaps obviously) by the...

Song lyric of the day:
"Measuring a summer's day
I only find it slips away to gray
The hours they bring me pain
Tangerine, tangerine
Living reflection from a dream..."
- Led Zeppelin, Tangerine

(P.S. Jeff, you'll have to let me know if this passed your coherence test. Somehow, I doubt it.)