...although we're not formally Little League, we do play by some of the formal rules for the 9-11 age range, I think the title still applies.

This weekend was an eye opener on the field. Not so much for the way the kids can play, because I knew that they could, but more for what's going on behind the lines that I wasn't paying attention to.

First off: when your DH ends up being a regular on the field for catching and first base coach, a lot of the other parents talk to you a lot. Most of that is because they're trying to convince you that their son and your daughters have been buddy-buddy for quite some time, which is not always accurate. I'm good at side-stepping those.

Next: There's Always Somebody Else... meaning: coach sends out a reminder email about what time the game is, what time everyone needs to take the field, and could someone bring him some coffee because he'll really need it. And no one brings him coffee - except for you. And he's slightly surprised by this, but extremely grateful. That's really sad that no one bothered to bring him coffee. DH commented that it probably was because everyone was running late since only 3 of the players were there at the time the coach said to arrive (and 2 of the players were A & B). I looked around though and saw others with coffee, so I doubt that it was that. If they had time to stop for coffee for themselves, they could have added one grande strong black to their order. It's not like he was asking for a triple mocha non-fat latte, with extra foam and a shot of espresso or anything like that.

Next: Some Coaches Are... hrm. Found out from another parent that while we were rained out and rained out and rained out of practice after practice and game after game another coach was shelling out bucks to rent some indoor baseball training facility for a week so that his players could really work their skills into the ground. They're undefeated at the moment... if you count a tie. Apparently this team and the team they were up against went to a 20-20 tie this weekend, and called it. And the reason they called it a tie? One coach had the balls to say, in front of one of our team parents, that they called it just to make our coach mad. He wasn't mad - and he was loud about this issue, including emphasizing the fact that he was smiling as he said it. Of course, that jaw was clenched pretty darn tight and that wasn't so much a smile as a... baring of teeth.

Next: What are the odds? What are the odds, in a valley this vast that you would find out that a kid that's been in class with yours for the last 3 years happens to have a parent that was in the Santa Clara Vanguard? Care to tighten those odds with the parent also having been in the drum corps segment of Vanguard? And further with the fact that your DH and this parent were in at the same time, and vaguely knew each other, and only figured out that they knew each other at a baseball game that was near to miserable (a few weeks back we played in clouds, cold, and sprinkles after work one night)? Want to spike those odds a little more? The guy's wife cross-stitches...

And Then For Fun: DH gets a free buddy picture with the girls because the coach names him as one of the assistant coaches. Which is pretty cool I have to say. But then he also ends up in the team picture for the year, so I called him coach for the rest of the day.

Long and short of it though? We won the game, 12 - 10.