What a fun night last night. In the semifinal game we were hot -- we won, 27-5! Only in softball do you see scores like that...yikes! And that was with the "only two home runs per game" rule. I went 3-4 in that game, and scored 2 runs. The game ended on with an outstanding catch in right-center that sent us all running for the outfield in celebration.
The championship game was a lot closer. It came down to the very very last inning. We were visitors, so the other team got the last at-bat. A hit, and three straight walks (the other team didn't even try to swing the bat) on some questionable ball-strike calls, and the other team won, 15-14. I went 1 for 3, with walk.
We felt good, though. We were down 5-0 in that game, then came from behind to take a 14-8 lead. Our defense was really good (in both games, actually) and we were holding them. But the ump's strike zone kept shrinking. I was catching both games, and I watched this happen. It was frustrating to see good pitches be called balls. Plus he was not consistent; our pitcher would drop one in on the corner of the zone, and one time it would be a strike, and another ball.
Well, anyway. Considering that the team only managed to win 1 during the fall season (and apparently got beat a lot over the summer before I joined them), that we got as far as we did and played as well as we did and nearly beat the best team -- we were really happy. And it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed playing catcher, which I haven't done since 7th grade. And to play two back-to-back games felt like playing one nice, long game, which is how it should be. Co-ed softball is corrupted somewhat by having to play "on the clock" (which is an abomination unto the lord) and starting hitters off with a 1-1 count (which messes with the poetry of the game).
And on a final note, I now have not 1, but 2 lovely softball bruises. I got hit by thrown balls TWICE while running to first. In the first game I got hit in the back, near my right shoulder blade, on a throw from short. Then in the second game, I got hit in the, um, well, on my ass, on a throw from third. That one hurt like heck. I was surprised that one hurt more, considering there's a little more, er, padding there than on my back. They're both sore this morning, the one on my left cheek more so. The bruise there is lovely, a perfectly round imprint of the ball.
No, I will not be posting any pictures!
Awaiting spring training...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Staring Out The Window
Life is...interesting...right now. Working part-time, and doing the new church, juggling schedules and trying to have a life. It's all good. Trying to figure out how to make time to write, cuz there's things I want to say, reflect about, stuff like that. Good stuff I'm doing, although I find myself rather pensive, struggling with cynicism. Maybe my hope muscles are just tired after the last year.
Playing ball tonight -- we were supposed to play last week, semifinal "playoff" and if we won that the final, but we had weather as bad/worse as what Philly had last night, plus a bit of snow and lots of lightning.
So, we're playing tonight instead. It'll be brisk, but at least it won't be wet. It's a gorgeous day.
Hope y'all are well.
Here are a few pics from the Transform columbus day Protest this year:
Gathered on the Capitol Steps.
13 Indigenous Women going through the police barrier (the police let them...go figure) to present a Treaty of Transformation to the paraders (that's one there on the left with the striped shirt).
The 13 Women reading the Treaty. The paraders threw it on the ground.
Back at the capitol...with all these cops. Cuz we're so scary, I guess.
Playing ball tonight -- we were supposed to play last week, semifinal "playoff" and if we won that the final, but we had weather as bad/worse as what Philly had last night, plus a bit of snow and lots of lightning.
So, we're playing tonight instead. It'll be brisk, but at least it won't be wet. It's a gorgeous day.
Hope y'all are well.
Here are a few pics from the Transform columbus day Protest this year:
Gathered on the Capitol Steps.
13 Indigenous Women going through the police barrier (the police let them...go figure) to present a Treaty of Transformation to the paraders (that's one there on the left with the striped shirt).
The 13 Women reading the Treaty. The paraders threw it on the ground.
Back at the capitol...with all these cops. Cuz we're so scary, I guess. 
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Anniversary Week
I wrote a few days ago that a few of my friends, arrested with me, would be marking the anniversary of our arrest by going to the intersection for a remembrance, then to the courthouse for some ritualized profanity (see Psalm 10 and 109, which go nicely with some other choice words).
Turned out that just my cielo, JT, and I were able to make it. We met at the intersection -- I have stopped by there several times since we go downtown with some frequency and actually park most often at the lot that's right there, so it was not the first time. JT and my cielo were both disoriented, a little. JT had no memory of the convention center looming near us. My feeling was that the street seemed so small now. We remembered our friends who couldn't be with us.
Then JT and I walked down to the courthouse (my cielo had to work on a paper), and sat on the steps, and just talked. Talked about all the trials and hearings. Talked about both of us being called for jury duty in the winter (yes both!), and the weird experience of sitting in the jury room, where we had been processed for our arrests just a couple months before. My strange response to seeing people in wedding attire having their picture taken on the steps one afternoon when I came down for a trial -- you mean something good happens in this building? Her sudden outburst of songs from Godspell. Our shared cynicism, with which we struggle, after the way the city treated us.
I read Psalm 10, and 109, and then JT mentioned 137 so I read that one, too. Then I decided I wanted to go see the columbus statue in the park in front of us. I wanted to see if the graffiti a certain person in her clergy collar had written on the base of the statue while we were waiting for my verdict (unbeknownst to me) was still there.
It still is.
columbus kills, it says.
Freshened up a bit now, shall we say. And translated into Spanish.
That's all you need to know.
We shared brie and crackers and an apple and chocolate, and laughed together. I'm so thankful for JT, what a good friend I have found. Generous and funny and encouraging.
After our snack we headed over the CIW vigil, which was lovely. We had CIW activists come to my church the night before, and they invited me to lead one of the songs we did in worship for the vigil, which I was happy to do. We prayed together underneath Chipotle's offices. When they mentioned that they would be sleeping on the street that night in front of the building, when the temperature was supposed to drop into the 30s, I did a quick check with my other church members who were there and we decided to use some of our money to bring hot chocolate later.
But how does one do that?
JT had the brilliant idea of stopping at a Starbucks and asking for those gallon-size cardboard jug-things they have, just the jug. So we did, and managed to get two. I stopped by the store and bought trail mix, fruit, hot chocolate and hot cider mixes, and lara bars. Then I went home and boiled water and filled up the jugs with hot water. Then my cielo and I went back over to the vigil site, and delivered the goods, at about 11:30.
On the way, we remembered where we were the year before -- me in jail, her waiting outside in the cold. Suddenly I began to choke up..."Did anyone bring you something warm to drink in the middle of the night?" I asked her. "Yes, they did, they did," she said. And we talked about how important it felt, on the anniversary of that day, of that long night, to be attending to others in this way.
It was a good day.
The rest of the week has been interesting. Mostly good, settling in to my new job (I have a new job...I think I've forgotten to mention that...) and doing church stuff and getting ready for this weekend. There have been a few things that let me know it's an anniversary time, though.
Turned out that just my cielo, JT, and I were able to make it. We met at the intersection -- I have stopped by there several times since we go downtown with some frequency and actually park most often at the lot that's right there, so it was not the first time. JT and my cielo were both disoriented, a little. JT had no memory of the convention center looming near us. My feeling was that the street seemed so small now. We remembered our friends who couldn't be with us.
Then JT and I walked down to the courthouse (my cielo had to work on a paper), and sat on the steps, and just talked. Talked about all the trials and hearings. Talked about both of us being called for jury duty in the winter (yes both!), and the weird experience of sitting in the jury room, where we had been processed for our arrests just a couple months before. My strange response to seeing people in wedding attire having their picture taken on the steps one afternoon when I came down for a trial -- you mean something good happens in this building? Her sudden outburst of songs from Godspell. Our shared cynicism, with which we struggle, after the way the city treated us.
I read Psalm 10, and 109, and then JT mentioned 137 so I read that one, too. Then I decided I wanted to go see the columbus statue in the park in front of us. I wanted to see if the graffiti a certain person in her clergy collar had written on the base of the statue while we were waiting for my verdict (unbeknownst to me) was still there.
It still is.
columbus kills, it says.
Freshened up a bit now, shall we say. And translated into Spanish.
That's all you need to know.
We shared brie and crackers and an apple and chocolate, and laughed together. I'm so thankful for JT, what a good friend I have found. Generous and funny and encouraging.
After our snack we headed over the CIW vigil, which was lovely. We had CIW activists come to my church the night before, and they invited me to lead one of the songs we did in worship for the vigil, which I was happy to do. We prayed together underneath Chipotle's offices. When they mentioned that they would be sleeping on the street that night in front of the building, when the temperature was supposed to drop into the 30s, I did a quick check with my other church members who were there and we decided to use some of our money to bring hot chocolate later.
But how does one do that?
JT had the brilliant idea of stopping at a Starbucks and asking for those gallon-size cardboard jug-things they have, just the jug. So we did, and managed to get two. I stopped by the store and bought trail mix, fruit, hot chocolate and hot cider mixes, and lara bars. Then I went home and boiled water and filled up the jugs with hot water. Then my cielo and I went back over to the vigil site, and delivered the goods, at about 11:30.
On the way, we remembered where we were the year before -- me in jail, her waiting outside in the cold. Suddenly I began to choke up..."Did anyone bring you something warm to drink in the middle of the night?" I asked her. "Yes, they did, they did," she said. And we talked about how important it felt, on the anniversary of that day, of that long night, to be attending to others in this way.
It was a good day.
The rest of the week has been interesting. Mostly good, settling in to my new job (I have a new job...I think I've forgotten to mention that...) and doing church stuff and getting ready for this weekend. There have been a few things that let me know it's an anniversary time, though.
- My right hand and arm/shoulder are hurting more. The pain in my right thumb has never completely gone away, although, as Crimson Rambler noted, my softball playing does not seem to be affected, thank goodness. I still make perfect cutoff throws. Mostly I don't notice the pain. But this week the pain has increased, for no apparent reason, so I'm sure it probably anniversary-related.
- My cielo has a busy day tomorrow -- in addition to the protest-related stuff -- and as we were trying to figure out the day's logistics a couple of nights ago, I said it was important to me that we march together...and then began to tear up. Part of my emotion: fear that "something" will happen to us, and she wouldn't be there. Rationally, nothing is going to happen, there is no plan for any kind of confrontation like last year...but still...that fear is there.
- Today we were back downtown, to do a couple of errands after work. We had parked at that same intersection. When we headed back, she went on across the intersection with a group of people, but against the walk sign. Since yours truly still has probation to contend with, I waited for the walk signal. While waiting, I saw a cop car in the intersection, across the street from me on the street I was about to cross (does that make sense?). No big deal. I got the walk signal and headed across the street, and about half-way across, suddenly I heard the siren behind me. I jumped, walked more quickly, checked behind me. What had I done? The cop was pulling over a bicyclist, and had to have come across the intersection against the red light to have been behind me like that. I was spooked, I tell you. I went to the car, got in, shaking, and began to cry. We just stayed put for a few minutes, my cielo comforted me, and we drove away once I'd calmed down. I've been a little shaky ever since. I'm supposed to speak at the rally tomorrow, and every time I tried to write down my remarks, I'd start to cry. I'm better now, thanks to my cielo and a call from JT.
See You There
1. Columbus Day Resistance March and Rally
The annual protest of the Columbus Day Holiday and the racism that it embodies will begin with a march from Four Winds that ends at the Capitol Building followed by a rally for a better future.
When: March starts at 8 am, Rally at 9am, Saturday, October 11
Where: Start of March is at Four Winds American Indian Center at 5th and Bannock in Denver, CO
(Note: Yours truly will be one of the speakers at the rally.)
3. All Nations Council
Following the Columbus Day resistance, people will be gathering to organize a new alliance locally that can act as a national vehicle for resistance to oppression. Bring your thoughts and cooperative energy.
When: 1pm, Saturday, October 11
Where: The Great Hall at the Iliff School of Theology just past Evans on University Blvd, Denver.
4. Student Walk-out on Racism
Whether you are a student or not, join the students of Iliff, CU Denver, CU Boulder and DU as the educate the public about Denver's hidden racial past on the 101st Anniversary of the Columbus Holiday. There will be a student walk-out, a short rally, followed by a march to locations with a racial history that will end at Civic Center Park.
When: 12 Noon, Monday, October 13
Where: CU Denver's Auraria Campus, The Plaza Building Lawn
Monday, October 6, 2008
One Year Ago Today
What a day, what a year.
Some of us are going back to this intersection to commemorate everything we've been through, celebrate all the good stuff that has come from this event. From there we'll walk to the courthouse for some ritualized profanity...I'm bringing some Psalms that talk about God wreaking vegeance upon one's enemies. Then we'll break bread together and perhaps have a few words with the columbus statue in the park across the street.
And, most appropriately, from there we'll go participate in another protest, this one with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who are in town to protest Chipotle.
A good day, one year ago. A good day today.
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