Just hangin' out, listening to the Goldmine Pickers and Trent Wagler*, and wondering why this past week was like junior high AND early college days, which, as you might imagine, is a real stretch.
*If you enjoy bluegrass/folk music at ALL, you need to pick up a copy of their new albums. The Pickers' new album is called "Lonesome Gone"; Trent's is "Adrienna Valentine." They'll be playing together March 29, at a new venue in Harrisonburg named Clementine. **
**Apologies to Joe Posnanski- I'm stealing his format for asides.
So, a week after I was thinking wistfully about Strat-O-Matic and how many games we played in one year in the EMC dorms, I found myself heading to the roller rink in Harrisonburg (called "Fun Zone") to join my family at a birthday party for a couple of my daughter's friends. The last time I was in roller skates was in junior high in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. Back then, my hormones were going nuts... all I was interested in was not falling and make an idiot out of myself* and angling to have a partner for the next couple skate.**
* Cause, you know, that would be uncool, man.
** My memories of those couple skates? Clammy hands. This was years before we learned we had to wash our hands every ten minutes to avoid the flu. Or is that just my OCD*** coming out?
*** I don't really have OCD... just a few tendencies, is all. Please don't ask my friends about that.
We pulled up to the rink, and my daughters were in skates and lurching around the rink within minutes. I decided to give it the old college try, and soon had a very smelly set of size 13 roller skates on my feet.*
* Yes, I wear size 13 shoes. And I think I'm about 6 foot 8 in skates. And they were really smelly. I didn't make that up.
Pretty soon I was chasing my daughters around, and having a great time! Who knew? Skating came back pretty quickly... I just had to dodge the debris of small children. Once, that was my daughter, who fell right in front of me. I went over her- just missing her hands. That would have been bad.
I didn't recognize most of the music, which means that it must have been Britney Spears* or Hannah Montana or whoever is popular these days. I didn't recognize it because I am an old fart.
* Britney Spears made it big while we were living in Kenya. I honestly have never knowingly listened to one of her songs, which means I have more of my soul remaining than you.
Suddenly, however, the annoyingly young DJ put on some music I know (unfortunately): Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean!"* I think the song was played the last time I skated! Has this song been played at roller rinks for all these years?
* Good thing my daughters were too busy falling down to notice the words. "The kid is not my son" may have sparked some uncomfortable conversations around the supper table.
Right after "Billie Jean?" Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun!"*
* The song came out in 1983. Imagine what some of the adults who fought for women's rights and feminism in the 70's thought about Cyndi's ideas?
So what is my point to all this?* Well, I find it interesting that some pieces of our culture survive- and it can be very odd where it survives. Would radio stations, even oldie stations, play old Cyndi Lauper? But the roller rink still does, just like when my hands were clammy even thinking about skating with a girl.
* Want to know the Valley League connection to this riff? Fun Zone is right across the street from Wease's Auto Exchange!
Arizona State's Jason Kipnis (Covington 06-07) has continued his hot streak, pounding two home runs and driving in 5 runs against the Michigan Wolverines in the opener of the Coca-Cola Classic in Tempe, Arizona, yesterday. He hit a solo shot in the 4th, and repeated the act in the 5th, launching a grand slam over the center field fence.
The Colorado Rockies are already set at first base with 34-year old Todd Helton. Helton, however, will not travel to away games this spring due to his bad back. 
This year's NAIA squad features four 2007 Turks: 
