butcher's homage to pink floyd!

My BFF posted this on facebook a day or so ago.
What a hoot!

"How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"

Roger Waters would be so pleased that his lyrics for "Another Brick In The Wall" are being referenced with folks who are buying their next meal's protein.
Even those who might not know what the question actually means.
You know why?
Because the butcher who made that sign has brightened the day of everyone who does know that transposed lyric.

You have to look for the light, y'all!
It's out there!
Just look for it!

My thanks, and love always, to my BFF for sharing this!

miss piggy and elephant gerald

Were you aware that there are TWO little piggies to entertain us?
No, I'm not talking about the toes on your feet.
This little piggy went to market,
this little piggy stayed home,
this little piggy had roast beef,
this little piggy had none,
and this little piggy cried 'wee! wee!'
all the way home!
No, definitely not the ones I'm talking about!
I refer, of course to Piggie and Miss Piggy.
As I had mentioned a few days ago, I had not known of Miss Piggy's impending return to television. Last week, I caught the first episode, thanks to Yom Kippur.
You see, our fearless leader for Tuesday trivia is Jewish. That means, no trivia on the high holy days. So, I found myself free to do... well, whatever I wanted. And I happened to stumble upon the fact that "The Muppets" is showing at 8 PM on Tuesdays...so, that's what I did! I stayed home and watched Kermit and Miss Piggy and Fozzie and Animal and the the whole gang, together in Prime Time again!
Tonight, I watched the show again!
No, I did not go to trivia. Going to trivia would mean forgoing my Muppet fix, and you know how addictions can be. (No, I could not TiVo it for later, as I don't have that service.) I guess I will be missing trivia for a while. I guess it's good that my last time was such a good one, eh?
Tonight's episode was really cute and featured Josh Groban as Miss Piggy's new love. I know he's supposed to be a heart-throb idol, but he really doesn't get my motor runnin'. Maybe when he gets a little more hair on his chest...
(smile)
Sunday, I saw a pink swine that is prominent in a 25-book kid series. I had never heard of her or her buddy, Elephant Gerald.
(Say his name aloud, please. Just go ahead and say it. Don't you hear a blues singer in there? I don't know if Mo Willems did that on purpose or if it's just me drawing a correlation where there is none. My friend Amy Jenkins got a kick out of it, too.)
So, why was I at the play? Well, it wasn't just a play - it was a musical!!! Plus, the Savannah Children's Theatre was performing it, so I knew it would be fun! I had tried to convince Sandy and Barbara to come along, but being around children doesn't really work for them.
Such fun! The musical had incorporated bits from seven of the books, delving into friendship topics like the sharing of ice cream and toys, going to a party, and learning to dance. I especially liked the songs about "an Elephant in the room" and the "dress-up costume swim party"! How very nice to have run into Amy and her two children so we could all share that song and the play!
These were not Muppets, though.
For that, I await next Tuesday.
(smile)

philosophy of ca-caw

Tonight, I attended the post-Philo Cafe discussion at Chili's, as I have done for a couple of weeks now. Cedric and Connie were there, of course, as was Kevin, a younger fellow working as a psychologist for one of the military bases. I admit, I have been enjoying his addition to the group. We most def needed an influx of new blood! When I'm the youngest one there, the energy lags a little!
Not the conversation, mind you. With three chemists 'in the house', the talk is bound to be lively, but maybe not as current as at other tables.
Anywho, tonight's discussion concerned the use of Ninja ducks to denote whose turn it was to talk. Seriously! Kevin administers to 'precious snowflakes', as he calls the children, and the toy is useful.
We also talked about the Periodic Table, as I had mentioned last week that I have a fondness for them. How nice of him to remember!
He even had a question for me about whether other planets might have elements which were not on our current version of the Periodic Table. Of course! The Table is not completely filled with known elements just yet! Plus, it has room for so many others that we have not yet found or synthesized. For example, the lanthanides and actinides mark only those elements with electrons in the 4f and 5f sublevels. The Table has seven periods. That means we simply have not yet found elements with ground-state electrons filling the 6f and 7f sublevels. Those could easily be added when the time comes.
I think Cedric was rather amazed by my line of logic. Truth be told, I was, too! Sometimes, I just sit back and let my mouth talk about things I didn't know I knew. Pretty amazing stuff!
We also talked about peace. You know, how the world would have less war if people truly listened to each other, keeping in mind that we all have different educations, different genetics, different experiences.
I have been preaching that message for many years.
It was also the message in yesterday's sermon, "An Understanding Heart". I'll have to find Kevin on fb so I can share that link with him...I think he'll enjoy it.
Okay, to bed I go!
Tomorrow, my car gets its third master cylinder!

mini-golf fun!

Hahaha haha!
When I saw this, I was reminded of the fun Morgan and I had up in the mountains this summer!
We played the Hillbilly Mini-golf course almost every day!
My friend Amanda spent her summer with mini-golf courses, too.
She was filming a documentary about them.
She will be the next recipient of this comic!
Sharing the fun, y'all!

story slam!

Tonight, my friend Sandy was in a Story Slam!
Yep, she's my soft-spoken karaoke buddy, but don't let that fool you.
Trust me, you give that woman a microphone and she comes alive!
She's been part of the Story Arts Workshop for a couple of months now. The guru decided it was time to share with the world, so this event was set up at Muse Arts Warehouse.
Sandy had invited me to it at least a month ago!
LOL!
Preemptive strike on her part. She knows how my weekends can get slap filled up and wanted to make sure I would be there.
She even picked me up tonight!
That turned out to be a really good thing. If she had not texted me after "The Intern", I might not have gone.
But I did go!
Her mom and stepdad were there, too, all lending moral support for her morale.
Hooray!
She was the only storyteller that used the key phrase "Best Shot".
Of the four official tale-spinners and four step-ups from the audience, she was the only one who made sure to do that.
She missed winning by one vote.
One vote.
She had all ten of my votes!
Here's her tale.



You tell me: shouldn't she have won?

from hazard point to the mountains of virginia!

Just figurative travel this time, folks!
I never once left this seaport, but boy, did I get around!
I had a comedy, a musical comedy, and a film about music!
I even managed to catch a 24-Hour Play Festival, too!

On Friday, Barbara, Sandy, and I landed tickets to this latest play from the Shoestring Theatre Co.
What a frisky outing!
"Hazard Point" featured
a little Southern inn
full of guests who were
current and former
lovers and spouses
of other guests -
you needed a scorecard to
keep up with who was,
or had been,
zoomin' who!
Hilarious!!!


And here's a cool side note: not only was it about a bed and breakfast, it was performed in a bed and breakfast! It was a new venue for us, too, so that was pretty cool!
We were invited to join Bonnie ("inn mistress") and Don ("alcoholic banker and guest"), and Don's mom, at Betty Bombers for a bite after the show. Of course we accepted!
JinHi and Mark were there, too, and then Jim Reed showed up!
Sounds like an impromptu party to me!
They brought up the new Muppet show coming soon on television. Say what? I had missed that news! They talked about the changes for Miss Piggy and Kermit and the Swedish Chef. I brought up Gonzo and Henrietta, the alien and the chicken. Why were they a couple? Well, as I said, "Once you go chicken, you can't go back!"
Laughing out loud, y'all!
(smile!)

Did you know "There's A Meetin' Here Tonight"? I stumbled upon news of it on Saturday morn and opted for the 2 PM show at Savannah Arts Academy.
Woo wee!
Those barbershop-style harmonies of the large local group, 13th Colony Sound, and of the Southern Gentlemen from Georgia Southern University offered a toe-tappin' time for all!
The young men from GSU sang three songs to open the second act:
"What a Wonderful World", "Georgia May", and "New York, New York".
How did this group fit into this tale of a barbershop closing and singers having nowhere to practice? They were invited guests! Like all of us!
Incredibly, the show had been written and produced by the men of 13th Colony Sound. Bravo!
My favorite part was in the first act. All the men entered "the barbershop" in the garb of their trades, showing they came from all walks of life. Very nice! Plus, they started off with "Accentuate the Positive"!
That's one of my favorites!

Later, I met up with Barbara and Sandy again, this time at Muse Arts Warehouse for The 24-Hour Play Festival! This year, it was organized by Gabe Kotter, former wrestler, current rock DJ, and member of Odd Lot.
I've been hooked on these ever since June of 2011. The very first one marked my introduction to kickstarter.
What a great beginning!

This time around, five unique works graced the stage, five theatrical pieces crafted from nothing but nine lines of dialogue into fifteen-minute comedies, five plays brought to life by small casts with minor props.
Wow! I continue to be amazed by the talent showcased at each of these events over the past four years!

"SSSynicism", about an entrepreneur with an eye for niche markets, like ... Albino Adventures... or Pyromaniacs Firefighters Association... or, this time, the artistic endeavors of snakes and such.
"The Interview", in which an abandoned cat has the final say on the acceptability of would-be adopters.
"Nothing Ventured" had three teen girls, sneaking off in the night, in the woods, to a boy's house, playing Truth Or Dare along the way.
"Most Important Thing" featured a dispute over a single-shot coffee-maker called Rebecca. (The judge, whose catchphrase was "The ball is in my court now!", eventually dismissed the case over insufficient grounds. Hahaha! Thanks, Thomas!)
"Three Witches and a Sacrifice" followed the bumbling antics of novices trying to time the act with a rising moon.
Yeah, I guess you can tell which were my favorites!
(smile!)

Sunday afternoon, we tres amigas were back at Muse Arts, this time for a film about two musical families.
"The Winding Stream: The Carters, The Cashes And The Course Of Country Music" presented the history of the two families that gave the world mountain music. Originating in Virginia and sweeping all around, A.P. Carter gathered together songs which had been fated to disappear into the smoke of the air, singing them with his wife, Sara, and sister-in-law, Maybelle.
The story ended with the deaths of the Carter sisters and Johnny Cash, with them falling like dominoes from 1998 to 2003.
Lots of good music, lots of stories I didn't know, and a great history lesson, too!

surprise! dinner with my cousin!

Oh, I do wish I had thought to take a photograph!
My cousin Sharon was in town for a conference and had contacted me last night. "Was I available for dinner on Thursday?" A hole had opened in her schedule.
Of course I was available!
I was even more so after I was dismissed from the job today. Good thing I had Sharon here to soften the blow! (My many thanks to God and the universe for setting up these coincidences!)
I suggested Tondee's Tavern. I had never eaten there, but Drinking Liberally Savannah has highly recommended it for its diverse menu and good service. Plus, the place was right there on Bay Street and close to where my cousin was staying. Perfect!
As it turns out, it was perfect!
The waitress entertained Sharon while I was searching for parking - nice!
Then, several of my friends from DL were there at the door when I arrived, so Sharon was impressed that I knew folks there - nice, too!
And the food was very good! I had the low country boil and she had one of the sandwiches and we both had great conversation and incredible company!
What a treat!
i thank You, God!

my thanks to roget and seinfeld!

Woohoo! What a great night at Coach's Corner!
Good thing, too, as I had an exhausting second day of training with Wanda for the inspector job at Tybee Vacation Rentals. Instead of just working with me, she is also now training two others, Tonya and Cendies, a couple who are transferring from the housekeeping division. To complicate matters, I tripped on a step and fell; Wanda proceeded to treat me like an invalid, even though I assured her I was fine.
I was glad when that part of my day was done!
Just in time for me to change and bop over to the trivia game, too! Yeah!
Tonight, I especially wanted to be there. Some folks I hadn't seen for a while were going to be there! Shane Davis was there with his cousin, Christy Kessler, a former student of mine. (She was in my Spring 2001 class of Chem1152. Wow...that was just before I took three years off after Mama died. She almost missed having me as her teacher - that would have been a shame! I would have missed knowing her!) Don Brickey was there, too, as well as the usual suspects: Sandy Karlin, Barbara Nixon, and Kathy Haile.
A second reason for my presence tonight was the promise of a free dinner!!! The group was finally going to spend the remaining gift certificates from past wins. Hooray!!!
(JSYK: I had the fish and chips, with malt vinegar, of course! Very good and it was something I had not yet tried there. I also had part of a double brownie dessert, shared with Barbara, Sandy, and Christy. Yum!)
I can lay sole claim to answering two of the questions tonight, too. One question asked something like "Who invented a reference book that had his name in the title?". I still have the copy of Roget's Thesaurus I grew up with - how cool is that?!
(Yes, I am a word nerd as well as a science nerd.)
(smile)
The other question was like "How many seasons was 'The Seinfeld Show' on network tv?" Well, I had recently read that the show had 180 original episodes. Amazing, right? Not so much that the show had so many episodes, but that I remembered that little nugget. (I guess I owe thanks to my ex and his affinity for the show. Thanks, Jeff!) Figuring twenty episodes per season, that made 9 years. Amazing!
Such a good evening with friends!

twinkle, twinkle, little star

Tonight has been such a treat!
First, I had dinner with the bfe. Mexican fare - que bueno!
It was an early dinner. He was already on his way home at 4 PM, so we met there, then headed to Carlito's for a nice, leisurely meal.
Nice, leisurely meals are our favorites!
We talked at length about my first pitch. How it came about, how cool it was to have my very own baseball fresh from a wrapper, how sweet of Fran to video the experience, how supportive everyone has been! Such a great experience!
We talked at length about his new direction in research. After his trip this summer to Greece for the symposium, he determined that theoretical work on a unified theory (like Sheldon Cooper does) was more interesting than the experimental research with neutrinos that he has done for ten years. He'll still be working in that latter field this year, but he's going to be at some intensive training in the other, too, hopefully as a week-long adventure in January.
We also spoke of the sun, that golden orb that lights our days and warms our third rock. I had not realized that this glowing star mass is now middle-aged and on the downward slope of its life. Only another 4.6 billion years remain in its life. What if it should develop dementia at sometime in the future and forget how to fuse hydrogen atoms into helium? You know, like my body has lost the recipe for lactase and can no longer manufacture it. What would be the result?
We also set up two definite future get-togethers. First, we'll be going in two weeks to see "Black Mass", the movie starring Johnny Depp, in nearly-unrecognizable form, as a Boston gangster. (Thank God he has such incredible eyes!)
Then, in October, we'll go to the BYOP party at Dawn and Chris' Halloween house! That acronym? Bring Your Own Pumpkin, of course! I also talked to him about my book. I guess I need to give him a copy, or at least lend it to him.
(smile)
When I returned him to his house, it was just after 7 PM. He had to get his place in order, as the bug man and the weekend were both coming. That left me free to go to the concert at Armstrong! That would be free, too, with my Pirate card. Sah-weet!
"Songs You Know And Love: From Bach To Gershwin" had been on my radar already. Promising Beethoven’s “Sonata Pathetique”, Schubert’s “Ave Maria”, Brahms Wiegenlied”, Mozart’s 12 variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and Gershwin’s “The Man I Love”, I was in! The concert featured solo piano pieces performed by Benjamin Warsaw, with singing by Rebecca Flaherty. All in all, the show lasted two hours! Fabulous!
I tell you, tonight has been such a treat!

that middle bro o' mine

I had just returned from a job interview/hiring down at Tybee. I had considered just heading for the school for the cool, but I decided to stop briefly at home to pick up a few things.
I was barely in the house when a knock came on the door.
Say what?
It was Ronnie!
He had walked over to my house, from Memorial Hospital, on the off-chance that I would be here to give him a ride back to his neck of the woods.
(Literally, right, y'all?)
Why had he been in the hospital?
Yesterday, he apparently got mugged (honestly, what idiots would mug a homeless man?) and had some cuts on is back and arm and chest. The hospital had been good enough to put him up for the night, but now they were done.
His timing was perfect.
Here it was a Tuesday, a non-teaching day, and all of my time was his for the taking.
Fine.
But first, I had him check in with Sue Crowe, as she worried about him, too.
That was a good move. She needed something to be down about her toilet. Could he come fix it for her?
So, off to Causton Bluff we rode.
Then, off to Home Depot for the needed parts. Then to the liquor store to fetch her some beer and cigarettes. I followed him in to make sure he didn't help himself to anything there.
He did not.
He wanted to, but when I questioned him about that 40 he wanted, he didn't put up much of a fuss about letting it stay there.
Good!
Back to Sue's house, to make her toilet flush once again.
Success!
Then she gave him a beer.
Sigh.
She wasn't doing well. She had fallen last week and her right hip was still giving her pain. Had she been to the doctor?
No, she had not.
So, we loaded up and the three of us took off for Southern Urgent Care.
By this time, it was early afternoon. Time for some lunch!
Ronnie and I walked down to Publix and got some food, then returned and kept Sue company while she waited for her turn.
Ronnie was being his jovial self and we three really had a good time together, joking and kidding around. I very much enjoy these increasingly rare times when he is (relatively) sober.
Finally, Sue was done. No bones were broken! Hooray! But she had sprained the muscle and would need some medications, including prednisone.
No problem! The CVS was right there in that same complex, between the doctor's and the grocery store.
Back to Sue's house once more! Her housemate was home, so we updated her, got Sue settled in, and left.
Back to his neck of the woods for Ronnie! He went to his tent and returned with - two phones and a charger? Not hardly. One phone and two chargers.
Better than nothing!
I'm to see him again tomorrow morning at 11. The phone is currently charging and I'll find out tonight if it's the "current" one.
(Get it? A little electrical joke from me to you!)
(smile)
I snapped that photo just before hugging him goodbye.
Good one, too!
We remembered not to be looking up into the sun this time.
(smile)
Right now, I've got to get ready for Sandy to pick me up for trivia tonight. It'll be the two of us, plus Barbara and Kathy, and we're having free dinners with our past winnings!
Hooray! Free food and good company!
Later, y'all!

singing in the choir

Twice this week, I have been fortunate enough to be part of a choir.
No, not a church choir.
I speak of being in the audience at a momentous event attended sparsely.
I've seen this happen far too often.
But I made sure that I was there at the Ocean Film Festival, there for the discussion about jobs, careers, and obsessions, and there for the three men of three faiths.
I've been to many practice sessions for the choir over the years, of course.
You see, the choir recognizes that it always needs practice.
(smile)

On Wednesday, I was at the university for the release of the results of the Climate Survey Assessment. You better believe I wanted to know the conclusions which could be drawn! I had spent quite some time last spring answering the questions.
Dr. Sue Rankin, of Rankin Consulting, covered the highlights of the findings. Ninety minutes was devoted to the discussion, in which she was sure to include those of us (like me) sitting in the first few rows. The good news, she told us, is that the students believe they are getting a good education.
That's very good news!
But the bad news was echoed by faculty, staff, and students.
The first item of bad news concerned the almost tangible air of repression on the campus. This is an air that fosters dissociation, distrust, and lack of communication between faculty members, between staff personnel, between students.
The second item of bad news spoke to the preponderance of people in positions of leadership who have no training on being a leader. Previous studies have definitively shown that such people operate as bullies in order to distance them from those they are to lead.
See the correlation?
I sure did.
And I pointed it out, too, in the form of a question to her. In front of everyone there, all the other choirmembers, many of whom know me and which department and college I serve.
"If the results show that we have leaders with no training in leadership, fostering a bullied air for those being led, what can be done to make sure all leaders, current and future, receive proper training?"
Surprisingly, Dr. Rankin responded as if she had not seen that correlation.
Then again, her function was to analyze the survey results and present the findings to us. Her function was not to fix those problems for us.
That is our task in the year ahead.
But the correlation certainly explains why Gladys has become the Department Head's secretary and not the secretary of the entire Department, as she once was.

Today, I attended church for the first time in ... well, in several months, at least. Between my summer travels and Rev. Billy Hester's travels, it has certainly been quite a while. But I had felt the need to be there, especially having seen "War Room" twice in two days. (I saw it on Thursday, by myself, with a surprising number of other viewers for the afternoon screening. I then saw it again Friday evening with two of my nieces, their choice. Considering the movie centered on an older woman helping a younger one regain her faith, I thought it a nice coincidence that I had seen it and could lead them to it.)
Plus, given my August woes, I needed the company of those who know me, I needed the comfort of Rev. Billy's sermon, I needed the grace of communion.
I needed to feel part of something larger than myself.
This was definitely the right Sunday for that immersion.
A little girl was baptized and we sang a special lullaby of welcome for her.
Two couples were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and we sang "Happy Anniversary" to them.
A violinist accompanied a guitarist for a psalm beautifully set to music.
The sermon centered on not competing with those we love, a very good message for the current couples and for those there will be in the future.
Here is the scripture from Philippiians 2:3-5.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus."

Trust me, that ties in beautifully with the message of the movie.
Afterward, I stood in line for my hug from Billy, then went to the social hall for coffee and cookies and contact. When I spoke with Kathy, she invited me to join the meeting, and luncheon, in the choir practice room.
What an appropriate place to gather to fight social injustice!
AMUMC's group affiliated with the Reconciling Ministries Network met to discuss the upcoming UMC conference and the issues to be discussed there. Issues like the ability of our pastor to officiate for gay and lesbian weddings, without fear of repercussion.
I had no idea he was in such a bind. A considerable portion of our congregation, both now and in the past, is LGBT. I was unaware that he was not able to fully minister to them because of the UMC being a "world church".
Why should that status as a "world church" hold any sway over his ability to fully tend to his congregation?
Well, it turns out that we, at this Savannah church in this LGBT-friendly seaport, have to follow the lead of those in less-progressive parts of the world. Majority rule, it seems, is the law, with our vote not enough to preserve the advanced programs we have in place.
I am in shock to know all of this is going on behind the altar, so to speak.
I believe the congregation, as a whole, needs to be made aware of the attempt of the main church to stifle the creativity and love of this church.
This choir member is ready to sing out!

pitcher 8 of 13

Woohoo!!! I had so much fun as Pitcher 8 of 13 on Wednesday! I even have a VIDEO!!!! Thanks, Fran, for filming me!Now, to see if it uploads here...

Posted by Faustina Smith on Friday, September 4, 2015

Here I am, living the dream!
Actually, if I had ever thought it possible for me to be able to throw a first pitch on the mound at Grayson Stadium, before the final game of my boys of summer, then this truly would have been a dream come true!
As it is, it is beyond any hopes I might have had on how to complete my summer season.
Thank you, Joe Shepard, for granting me this opportunity.
Thank you, Fran Luce, for recording this experience for me to see and share.
Thank you, my beloved Savannah Sand Gnats, for a glorious season and years of summer enjoyment.

i thank You, God.

first - and last ever - pitch with my boys of summer!

Wow!!! I am so very excited!!!
Between games tonight, Joe Shepard, the Ticketing Manager and man in charge of communications with the Season Ticket Holders, came up to me on the main concourse.
I was on his short list for people to throw a first pitch at the final home game tomorrow.
Was I interested?
Was I interested???
Of course I was interested!!!
And thrilled and elated and bubbly at just being asked!!!
But, thrilled as I was by his invitation, I told him I had to decline. Being the responsible person I have been all of my life, my duties as a lecturer and lab instructor would have to come first...
... or would they?
Well, let's consider lecture at this point in the semester. My students just had their first test on Monday and would be getting it back tomorrow. Although not critical that it be returned then, I know they will want to correct their mistakes while the material is still fresh.
As for new material, I would be presenting the states of matter, introducing terms related to changes in those states, and speaking of the units of energy. Yes, dear Reader, I speak of gases, liquids, and solids, melting and condensation, calories and Calories and joules. Oooh, Aaah. See? Even those gentle folk who are not chemistry students already know this material!
I am confident that my students will be able to handle the Homework Assignment quite well, especially as I have included several tutorials in that list. When we return from our Labor Day break, next Wednesday, we will have plenty of time to discuss those topics before we look at energy diagrams.
Also, I am still holding my two-hour Office Hours session tomorrow afternoon. Those concerned with the retrieval of their tests can meet with me then.
Alrighty then!
Restructuring my lecture schedule would allow me to be present for first-pitch formalities after all!!!
But what about lab afterward? Would I be able to be back in time for lab?
The lab I had scheduled for this week is a graphing exercise. It's very straightforward and should serve as a simple review for the students, to make sure we all understand the important sections of a graph. Again, dear Reader, I speak only of x and y axes, proper labeling of same, titles and point plotting and drawing a best-fit line.
Usually, after a very brief introduction and briefer still quiz, we disperse to the computer lab for practice with the latest version of Excel. Most students opt to use their home computers instead, so this lab usually lasts less than an hour.
I, of course, require them to hand-draw a graph, too, as part of their Post-Lab Report. Why? Because of the genuine wealth of information easily obtainable from such graphs, rather than the general trend depicted in a computer-generated version. Right?
The lab can easily be made up another time, so...
I can cross that off my list of responsibilities...
Alrighty then!
Shirking of Duties rationalized - check!
That left just one pesky item: my conscience. How to justify to myself this stepping away from responsibility? You may not realize this, but on Senior Skip Day in high school, my friends had to force me to play hookie.
Seriously!
I guess that sense of duty comes from being the eldest child. Whatever its origin, it's part of my core.
So, I reluctantly had told Joe I could not accept, much as I would love to be part of that special group.

Then, I went to the rocking chair in front of the stadium and sent the following text.

"I was just offered the op to throw out a first pitch tomorrow!
I wish I were more irresponsible! I sure would rather do that than lecture!"

Justthatfast, the replies came pouring in!

My friend Bill, not content with the tedium of texting, called!
"Take it!"
"This is the only time you will ever be able to do this!"
"You know you want to and you deserve to!"
"Do it!"
(and more words to that effect!)

The beautiful JinHi was the first to text!
"Do it!"
"Your students will understand."
"I approve. :)"
"If anyone should be throwing that ball, it's you!"

My ex was next up!
"Oh, cr*p! I hope they offer another night, otherwise that lecture may have to wait."
"Lectures come and go. The Sand Gnats, however, are close to the end of their season and the end of their existence."

That first niece chimed right in, too!
"Write the notes and I will go and read them for you!"

My BFF, omnipotent goddess that she is had this to say!
"By the power vested in me by the great state of Georgia I do hereby give you permission to call in sick."
(She knows I have never done that, proof positive that I love teaching.)

My biggest little brother had this advice.
"Wow. It's hell to be responsible. Just have a good time tonight."
(Practical advice, sure...)

But that was immediately trounced by the bfe!
"OMG!!! That's freaking amazing! I'd cancel class if I were you! Will you ever have that chance again? No!"
"Hey, if I could come lecture for you I would. This is just the best opportunity you could get!!!!!"

My karaoke nephew, and dad of twins, proclaimed
"I'd definitely come see that!"

The "Sweet Caroline" daughter's reply was so great!
"How cool are you?!?!? That's AWESOME!"

And the baseball fan and Eagle Scout in Alabama told me
"That's Great! Congratulations!"
"U deserve it!"

Finally, Sandy rounded up the discussion.
"That is freaking AWESOME! But how? Did you decide to skip your lecture or get a substitute or call a field trip & get the class to go (like my improv group)?"
(Now, there's an idea...)
"It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"That is so awesome you get to throw the 1st pitch! So happy for you! {HUG}"
.
.
.

Yep, after talking with Bill and receiving all the votes of confidence, I had jubilantly told Joe to count me in!
My final words to the ether on the decision:

I AM throwing a first pitch at tomorrow's [last home] game! So very excited!!!

I do hope I can throw to home plate!
We'll see!!!