I watched my bro play ball!

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Back to the game.  Last night Matthew and I went over to Mike and Sarah's to watch the game with them.  You would have thought we were watching the Lakers playoff with how loud we were.  And Davis pitched 3 amazing innings, keeping them to only 1 run during his time, and 2 strikouts.  Point Loma did lose, 11 to 8, but they played a really good ballgame.  I am sure my Mom will have a more eloquent post, so I will leave it at that.

But I am so incredibly proud of my little bro.  Go Davis!

Lewiston Stinks...

... and I'm not just saying that because we lost tonight.

There is a pulp mill in town that provides employment for a good percentage of the population. (Population, by the way, is 30,904 of Nez Perce County's total 37,410. Neighboring Clarkston has a population of 7,337 of the total Clearwater County population of 20,551.) The pulp mill, as I understand it, takes trees and turns them into the pulp that later becomes paper. It also produces a foul odor that pervades the town, especially mornings. You step outside into beautiful sunshine, take a deep breath, and - yuck. I tried for a couple of days to define the odor. The closest I got was some sort of sewage mixed with mildew. One local told me they call it the smell of money. I've never even had a pile of wet money smell that bad. Come to think of it, I've never had a big pile of money, wet or dry.

Back to baseball. Tonight was the championship game, or at least it would have been if we had won. We both had our #1 pitchers on the mound, and theirs turned in a masterful performance. We lost 5-1, with our sole run coming in the bottom of the ninth. Our pitchers gave up 3 home runs. Once again, Davis warmed up but did not come in the game.

This means that we play Lubbock again tomorrow night, since as of tonight both teams have one loss. Tomorrow's game will decide who is #1 and who is #2. No pressure or anything. I heard we will have Chris Honer on the mound. Chris threw 125 pitches Monday in our win over Oklahoma City. Chris is a senior. I asked Davis how his arm will be for this and if he'll be able to go very deep into the game. Davis said, "Mom, it's the last start of his college career. He's going to pitch the best he possibly can and the longest he possibly can." That didn't really answer for me whether or not his arm has had enough rest. Good thing I don't make these decisions.

So we have another day to enjoy Lewiston. Our frustration is that we can't really go off and do fun stuff that takes too much time. The guys sleep in and move slowly, and have to leave for the field by 4:30. Two popular excursions are helicopter tours and jet boat tours of Hell's Canyon. Unfortunately they are a bit pricey and they take some time. However, two of our players did take the 1/2 hour helicopter ride earlier this week and they both hit home runs that night, so maybe we should take up a collection and send our starting lineup on a tour tomorrow.

Today I went with a few other parents to Moscow (pronounced like Costco) because we'd heard they had a bakery with great muffins. We finally got there at 4 pm, only to find they closed at 3. Moscow is a college town (University of Idaho - terrible baseball team, I hear) so we drove around the campus and then headed back.

The front page of the Lewiston Tribune this morning reported that Lewiston was named the best place to live in the US for outdoor activities, particularly hunting and fishing, by Outdoor Life magazine.

Other observations:

Speed limits are really limits in this town, and not just suggestions as they are back home. People actually drive 25 mph in a 25 zone (20 near schools). One young woman we spoke to, who is from Fresno but living and working here while her husband finishes his degree, said her car hasn't been over 50 in months.

Coming from California, we are accustomed to all the housekeping and food service staff being Latino. In this area, they are all Caucasian - not even Native American. I commented on this to one of the other moms. She said she'd heard they "run them out of town." Sounded unpleasant, perhaps similar to San Leandro in the 50's and 60's.

There was a small cruise ship docked nearby this weekend. We thought it a bit odd but remembered the river cruises Mom and Dad have taken. Very plush. Lewiston/Clarkston seems like an odd port of call, but I guess you can take a shore excursion to Hell's Canyon, and enjoy the Lewis and Clark history here.

People are unbelievably friendly here. Davis and I went out for a late breakfast this morning, and the waitress talked about how much they love it when the world series comes to town. We said we were hoping for a win tonight, and she said she hoped not - she wanted us all to stay another day. That restaurant even gave a 15% NAIA discount. Oh, and a mom with two young boys came over and asked Davis if he had played in last night's game. I think she was a little let down that he hadn't.

The people here have season tickets for baseball and the world series. We've sat with the same people every night. One man told me he'd had the same 4 seats for 16 years, except that now that the "kids growed up" and moved away they cut it back to 2 seats. The other day I went and sat in some seats way down the right field line, before the game, to chat with some other parents. A man came to sit in his seat, and I started to move my stuff. He told me I'd be OK, that the other seat holders would be filtering in and I could probably stay. I thanked him but said my tickets were closer to home plate. He said "How'd you get those? I've been coming for 6 years and this is the closest I can get!"

One woman approached me to let me know how impressed she was with our team - she teaches at one of the schools they visited. She thought they were exceptionally kind and patient with the kids. She also told me she's rooting for Point Loma.

Today's pictures - can you tell who one of the major sponsors is? We caught this in downtown Lewiston this morning. The second photo - when Dean left I changed hotels to be where the team is. This is the view from my balcony - a putting course, the Snake River, the bluffs beyond. Take a deep breath ...

~ Claire

[We finally paid to watch the game last night (8 bucks, seriously??) Anyways, it was heart-wrenching to see them lose. But it was cool to watch the game, it seemed like a pro-game. And I even saw Davis a few times on the screen. We 're going to watch the live stats tonight, maybe my bad luck curse will wear off. :( ]

Late Late Update from Lewiston

Actually this is from early today, it was emailed at 1 am, Who know my parents could stay up so late??

Well, we beat Lee tonight, 8-5, but it wasn't without drama. A couple of nail-biting innings left some of us parents concerned about the condition of our hearts. Dean watched the game online and we texted back and forth quite a bit during the game. He would text to tell me Davis was warming up (I also got those texts, once I sent out a text at 8:30 saying, where are my updates? I was no longer in the dark about the game!) (I can't see the bullpen from my seats) and I would text about the status of the 50-50 raffle.

The raffle, by the way, was the most impressive I've seen. Veterans of youth sports know the frustrations of trying to sell, and having to buy, 50-50 tickets when the prize is so minimal - one time I won about $30.00 and that was actually a good take. Opening night, the winner's portion (50%) was over $900.00. Tonight it was a measly $300 and I still didn't win. There's always tomorrow though.

Our starting pitcher went 6 innings but was pulled when he couldn't record an out in the 7th. Our 7th inning pitcher let a couple of the starter's baserunners score before closing them down. Our closer pitched the 8th and 9th but I think he was pretty nervous or excited, too, because it wasn't exactly a smooth ride. However, they got the job done, and three home runs helped our cause immensely.

Davis did not pitch, but warmed up so long he ended up having to ice his arm. He's still loving the ride and eager to make his contribution when the time comes.

I shouldn't say tonight because it's after midnight, so it was actually last night ... and our next game is tonight (Thursday) at 7 PM. This will be the championship game. Our lights-out starter from last Friday night will start this game. We will face Lubbock Christian again.

After the game, several members of the team and parents, etc. went to a local restaurant on the water.that had agreed to stay open for us. There were about 30 of us and it was a fun time. Most fun for me, two of the dads split the bill for everyone! (Not really - I had a great time hanging out with the players and parents and learning a little more about them, and that was the best part.).

I am ashamed to say I have no picture to share. I thought I took a great one at the restaurant, but it's a blur. My little camera does not do well in low light. Instead I'll select another random amusing "welcome to town" picture. The other side of this sign says "Kung Pao Chicken." Apparently they didn't notice the problem on this side.

Have a great Thursday!

Claire

Wednesday Update from Claire

Last night the Sea Lions won a nail-biter.  We held #1 Lubbock Christian to 1 run, and no home run.  We scored two runs on walks, a single, and a sacrifice. So, no home runs for us either. It was the first series game this year not to feature home runs.

The headline in today's Lewiston Tribune's World Series section said "Sea Lions Take the Wheel."  You can believe we're saving the papers!

There was also some sad news: in yesterday's game, two of Oklahoma City's outfielders collided, leaving one of them with a compound fracture and breaks in both tibia and fibula around the shin. Nobody wishes that on anybody, even the teams/players they don't like.

Lubbock came out mad today, I think. the last update I heard (their game is currently in progress) they were up 9-2 in the fourth innng over Oklahoma City, their arch-rival, after scoring 5 in the first. 

I don't understand the series from this point, because they changed the brackets yesterday. We would have had a day off today as the undefeated team, with teams having one loss battling it out for position. However, we have a game today against Lee University. It would be really nice to have a little more rest and not use up pitchers but we'll make do! Could mean that Davis will get in tonight (and my anxiety level will thus increase!)

I drove Dean up to Spokane this morning for his flight home, and rather than drive straight back, I drove over to Coeur d'Alene before turning south. Very pretty area with lots of high hills and trees, and views of snow-capped mountains.  That gave way to the rolling farmland that goes all the way down to the Lewiston Valley, where there's about a 2,000-foot drop in elevation down to Lewiston, elevation about 750.  the farms are on steep hills, or at least they seem steep to someone whose usual views of farmland are from Highway 5 - can't get much flatter than that.  The wheat and barley are impossible shades of green - lime, emerald, kelly.  It is really beautiful in that pastoral sense, with ocasional farmhouses and barns and teeny towns along the way.  .

Someone asked if we'd eaten a lot of potatoes, and I'm afraid it's been mostly the french fried type.  The food here, to quote the wisdom of the ages, has been nothing to write home about - so I won't, much, except to say we had breakfast at a place called "The Bait Shop."  Consistent with other odd things in town, this was not near the water or by a dock, but on a hilltop.  We ate a huge, country-style breakfast. I'm somewhat ashamed to say I ate biscuits and gravy, sausage, scrambled eggs, and hash browns - and didn't leave much on the plate!  I did feel like a slug for the rest of the day. But our culinary highlight has been huckleberry ice cream cones. A daily treat I'll miss when I go home.

It's 5:30 now and I'm about to head over to the park for ice cream, and then maybe dinner, and of course a ball game.  I'll send an update after the game!

~ Claire

(A note from Megan:  I don't know if anyone is reading this, because usually my Mom is the only one who reads the blog.  oh well.  Also, in case you were wondering, you have to buy tickets for these games with assigned seating... seriously?  It's like having season tickets to an A's game.  I talked to my mom earlier and she was telling me about how there is a couple who've had the same seats for 16 years. Wow!)

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway

This giveaway is closed. The winner is announced a few posts up. Thanks for coming by!



If you are here, you probably came from SMS. Welcome to my blog! My family is in love with everything Hawaiian, and so I love this little soap set. It's a perfect way to bring the Islands to your home too (and no, we do not live in Hawaii, just California). I hope you enjoy this soap!

How they look without packaging...

In their pretty packaging, perfect for gift giving!

To enter, answer the following question: What place do you like to visit on vacation?

You already know, I love the islands, so my answer is Hawaii, Tahiti, San Diego... anywhere with a beach!

And of course, there are always a few rules:
-Leave your email in the post, so I have a way to contact you, if you win.
-The contest begins now and will end at midnight, pacific, on May 31.
-I will then choose a winner by random (I will probably write down the names on slips of paper and have my lovely hubby pick one, but I make no promises, there is always random.org)
-I will only ship to the United States, not internationally, sorry
-I will do my best to ship by June 3.

And please visit the other amazing sites with giveaways, see Sew Mama Sew for a complete listing (or click the picture up top)

Good luck!

NAIA World Series Day.... Monday

Wow, this update came at 11:46 pm last night, way to stay up late, Mom. I think she needs to be a pro blogger, anyone else? Now, her email:

First things first: in the interest of journalistic purity, I need to correct two erroneous earlier reports.

1. Lewis & Clark did not overwinter with the Nez Perce. However, the Nez Perce did feed them when they were near starvation, and showed them how to make canoes the Indian way.

2. We did not play the #1 seed tonight. It was the #2 seed.

Now to the good stuff: we beat them in one of the most exciting games I've seen. I doubt my reporting can do it justice. The Oklahoma City Stars are a power-hitting team, and are approaching 150 team home runs this season. They're a bunch of big boys. They're pretty intimidating. We've been a team that's played a lot of small ball this year and we don't have an outfield full of giant players like some of these other teams do. In fact, we have one player that's 6'4" and many that are under 6'0". We joked about having him walk around wearing one jersey for awhile, then another, then another, so the other teams would think we had a bunch of big guys. Anyway, our game started off well, with our left fielder hitting a solo homer in the first. This was followed by a two-run homer in the second by our shortstop. We were feeling pretty good until we had a bit of a defensive meltdown in consecutive innings and allowed OKC to tie the game.

As parents we had gone into the game knowing they hit the long bombs, and were prepared for a close game. So we settled in. Early in the game we had a scary moment when a line drive came straight back at our pitcher, who put up his glove, but it hit his glove and then bounced into his throat or sternum. We're not exactly sure about that yet. Anyway, he went flat and the ball rolled away and he didn't get right back up. Coaches and trainers came out and he slowly got up, they checked him out, he took a couple practice throws, and proceeded to strike the next batter out.

Our next at bat we strung together back to back doubles and a single to put the score back up to 6-3. We felt a little more comfortable. Our backup first baseman came in and made a couple of amazing plays at first base. Then he came to bat and hit a home run. In the bottom of the 8th OKC had the bases loaded with two out and one of their sluggers at the plate. He unloaded on a fast ball and sent it to straightaway center field. We watched it going and I was thinking, OK, 8-7, we can still do this, when our center fielder timed a perfect jump and caught the ball at the wall, then hit the wall, but came down with the ball. I think I still haven't calmed down from that one.

I think it totally knocked the wind out of Oklahoma's sails and they never recovered. I think they came in expecting to beat up on this small-ball team, and got a rude awakening. It's fun to be on the winning side sometimes!

Our pitcher completed the 8th having given up 3 runs, only 1 earned. To my mild disappointment they did not tap Davis Koenig to close, so once again he did not appear. Our closer had a few scary moments, allowed a couple of base runners, but our center fielder again caught one, not at the wall, but diving into the dirt on the track. The game ender was our left fielder catching a long foul ball that we never expected him to reach.

Final score: 8-3.

An interesting dynamic tonight was the crowd. Earlier in the day, host team and defending champion Lewis-Clark was eliminated. We expected local interest to drop off immediately and to have a very small crowd. However, the locals still came out. Those around us asked, "who are we rooting for?" and they rooted for Point Loma. One person told me there's no love lost for Oklahoma around here, as they've had some bitter rivalries in past years. At some points it seemed the crowd was cheering for Point Loma. Perhaps they were just cheering against Oklahoma. Either way, it was exciting to have such a loud and vocal crowd on our side.

Tonight's photo is of first baseman Ian MacMaster crossing home plate after hitting his home run.

Tomorrow we play #1 ranked Lubbock Christian. 7 PM. We like the night game because it cools off! It's in the mid to upper 80's during the day, 70's in the evening.

Have a good Tuesday.

~ Claire

(Editor's Note: I'm really liking this whole guest blogging thing, so much easier to get the blog up! And also, Mom, how many other parents are in attendance? Thank you!)

Sunday Update from CK

Today the team went to church at Orchards Church of the Nazarene. This is one of those towns that seems to have a church on every corner, and there are a couple of Nazarene churches in town. We learned at the last minute that we (Dean and I) were about to go to the wrong one. It would have been sad to miss, since the church had a welcome greeting on the marquee. Our team, coaches and a few parents accounted for probably half of the attendance, and they were stars. The pastor came over before church started to meet our home run hitters and winning pitcher from Friday night's game.

In the afternoon the team went to the Bryden Canyon Golf Course where our corporate sponsor/honorary coach and the sponsor for the Lee University team put on a BBQ for the two teams. The teams feasted on pulled pork, brisket, and all the sides. They had competitions between the teams for putting, drives, chipping, etc. Our team did not do terribly well in these events - we claim it's because baseball is our focus right now!

We continue to be amazed at the town's enthusiasm for the tournament. The local paper, the Lewiston Tribune (www.lmtribume.com) has a special daily supplement to the sports page with articles and photos covering the tournament, teams and games. Needless to say, the favorite is host Lewis-Clark. At last night's game between L-C (as they abbreviate) and Oklahoma City, the fan presence, involvement and volume were just amazing. Someone told us today they just love baseball here. Even Little League games are heavily attended and hotly contested.

The Sea Lions spent the rest of Sunday relaxing. We took a walk with Davis on the Washington side of the Snake River, went to dinner, and dropped him off for a planned hot tub party. They have most of tomorrow free, too, with game time at 7. (This part of Idaho is on Pacific Time, even though other parts are on Mountain.) I hope they are still fired up and ready to play ball tomorrow night after all this down tme.

I'll leave you with a picture of the ballpark last evening as the sun set. The stands were full. Friday's attendance set a record at over 8,000 for the day - approaching the attendance at some of the A's games we've been to this year!

~ Claire

Guest post day 2

Today (Saturday) was a day off for the team. They had practice from 11 to 1 so Dean and I went for a walk along the Snake River in the AM. Walked to a spot where Lewis and Clark camped, after their overwinter with the Nez Perce Indians.

The Snake river runs from south to north, and then makes a sharp bend to the west here. The Clearwater River flows in and joins the Snake right at the bend, to form a "T". It was neat to walk where such an interesting part of our US history took place, even though levees and dams and locks have changed the way the river looks compared to the way Lewis & Clark saw it.

Lewiston is to the east and south of the "T' in the rivers, beginning at a low elevation and rising rather steeply on bluffs as you leave from the river. Our motel room is on a bluff overlooking quite a bit of the town and the Clearwater just where it reaches the Snake. Clarkston is to the west and south of the "T". Point Loma's team is staying there, right on the river. This afternoon we drove east along the Clearwater, in the Nez Perce reservation, and it was beautiful. The main attraction around here is Hell's Canyon (editor's note: Mom, didn't we go there a long time ago, or talk about going and I freaked out?), a gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon. We will probably not get there this trip.

Despite it being a day off, we maanged to watch part of three games, checking out the competition. A few minutes ago we learned we wll play the #1 seed Monday so we have our work cut out for us.

Tomorrow is Sunday and there are no games, because (I'm told) there is a large percentage of Christian schools in NAIA and they generally don't want to play on Sunday. We will visit the local Nazarene church with the team, and later in the day there's a BBQ for the team, hosted by the local team Sponsor. Parents are invited to this too.

I spent about an hour on the phone with Dell Support this morning and got my card reader working, so I can send a picture along. Hope you enjoy!

-Claire

My mom is guest blogging

My mom is sending emails about the PLNU NAIA World Series events.  I have decided to post them on my blog (I called her, but she's in church, so she can't answer.  I think it wont be a problem, if this disappears, you all know why

As promised, here is a bit of an update on our first day.  Dean and I arrived just in time for Point Loma's game to start.

Most important, Point Loma beat Embry-Riddle University in their first game, 10-0, with the mercy rule invoked in the 8th inning. Mercy rules only apply in the first round.  Next game is Monday at 7 PM but the opponent is not known yet.  Our starting pitcher pitched a complete game, so Davis did not have opportunity to make an appearance in relief.  Our players had 3 home runs and hit well against a pitcher that was undefeated in regular season and playoff appearances.

 The tournament is hosted by Lewis-Clark College here in Lewiston.  Many of the businesses in town have signs up welcoming NAIA teams and fans.  the event is huge in town. Tonight's opening ceremonies included a fire departtment honor guard, bagpipes and drums. along with the introduction of all the teams and a description of their success in their home conferences.  A rumored F-18 flyover didn't happen.  Lewis-Clark as host team has a built-in fan base and much of the town comes out for the tournament.  Yesterday our team visited two elementary schools where they talked to the students, answered questions, and signed autographs.  In the afternoon they did a clinic at the ballpark for the local kids. Our team taught bunting. 

Tournament teams are:  Berry College (GA) Vikings; Campbellsville (KY) Tigers; Embry-Riddle Eagles; Fresno Pacific Sunbirds; Lee Universiy (TN) Flames; Lewis-Clark Warriors; Lubbock Christian (TX) Chapparals; Oklahoma City University Stars; Point Loma Sea Lions; Southern Polytechnic State (GA) Hornets.

They are approached for autographs at the ballpark too.  If I weren't so technically challenged I'd have a nice photo of Davis signing for a couple of kids attached to this (it's on my memory card, can't figure out how to get it onto my laptop yet). We had dinner at a local pizza place in neighboring Clarkston, WA tonite, with Davis and a couple other players, and enjoyed hearing their stories of how they've been treated.  A man from the next table came over and asked if we were here for the tournaent, how we were doing, how we liked their town, and when we'd play next.  It's very fun!

 As to TV Coverage, we only know of updates on the NAIA website, and there may be some livestats or streaming web video there.  There's a nice article on Point Loma's win there now.  http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/naia-m-basebl-body.html.  We heard rumors that with the field's addition of a $300,000 lighting system this year, they've attracted ESPN2. I saw no evidence of it - perhaps in later rounds.  Or that could be the same source as the F-18 flyover rumor.  :)

 

More to come!

-Claire

A long list...

Edited and re-posted.

I have accomplished some of the things, like making cupcake soap, yay! Time to continue onward...

I do not do resolutions. Because I always break them. I bought a one year bible one year. I quit reading in like March and now I dont even know where it is. However, I do have a "project list" of things to do. Some are not necessarily for 2009, some are. Mostly, I like to do lists. and I like checking things off. So heres my list of things to accomplish, hopefully in the next year (and in no particular order).

In general:
X Buy a House
X Get a 4.0 in the Spring Semester
READ my schoolbooks (didn't happen and won't happen as I quit school)
Get MegN Designs up and running

To cook or Bake:
X Lasagna
Chicken Broth
Brown Sugar Chicken in the Crockpot
Java Roast in the CrockPot


To create:
Full size quilt (probably not a 2009 dream) but this is a cool way...
X Cupcake Soap Visited Otion's Soap Bar!
X Bath Bomb
Roller Coasters (for glasses to go on)
Do something about the leftover candles from the wedding

This cute baby quilt
A Skirt
Potholders
Pencil Case
This is a challenge, a folded star trivet
Redoing a Kitchen Towel
A redo of the oven mitt that was too small.
Ipod case
Birthday Cake soap Loaf
Chapstick
Pillowcase Dress (obviously for a friend's child)
Old T Shirt bag

Long term (like lifelong) goals:
Go to the Olympics
Visit Harry Potter Land
Hike half Dome (again)
Be a part of 10 loft houses being built (I think I'm at 3)

This list will go on....

Seattle!!

My visit to Seattle to see Lisa. Sorry the pictures are a bit out of order! It was so good to spend time with Lisa and just relax (Saturday = pjs and a movie day). And we had movies and dinner with Elizabeth and Bekah, I missed them too!

Chocolate factory (have to wear a hairnet!)

We made these wine charms. Too cute!

Wine tasting at Pasek Cellars. Wow. My posture needs some work. ugh

Easter

Why yes, Easter did happen. And yes, we did take pictures! haha Here are a few from the DeGhetto's house. Enjoy.

Ps. For those of you still wondering, I obviously found my camera cord. However facebook is stupid and the upload keeps failing. Maybe I need to post pics else where...