Pull Your Seat Up To The Bar - Part 4

[Underdog]

BA,

It has been a real struggle based on all of the expectations for this team.

The older I get, the more I loathe expectations - large or small.

When the Nats bowed out of the playoffs last season, you should have seen the uproar my brother and I caused. My younger bro and I have fought about baseball as long as I can remember. It's our thing. But in this case, we were both taking on the Natitude world, which included... well... all our relatives. My parents stayed silent through it.

Everyone said (on FB as off), "Oh well, we'll get it next year." Having experience on this front, I said, "You guys don't get it. Do you know HOW HARD it is to get back to the playoffs? It's virtually set up so that you fail unless you're one of the perennial faves." Everyone jumped down my throat and my bro came to the rescue. They jumped all over him. He returned with, "Even IF you have the same team and the same coaching, you have injuries. You have weather. You have mental issues that come into play. And Betsey is right."

So here we are, 9 months later. My relatives are all disgusted. I reminded them that Clippard STILL blows leads and games. Clippard is the bane of my dad's existence. He literally groans and hopes for the best.

As my dad and I both agree, "we both have teams that look like they try to blow it when it matters". It's aggravating. I won't even go into the 8th inning debacle at Coors Field yesterday. It had a happy ending, but not for lack of trying to throw the game away. Ugh.

Okay, so I love baseball almost more than anything else in the world. I love hockey almost as much, but not quite as much as baseball. Which is my segue to Sweet Stuff...

Thanks for your well wishes! In our conversation last night, he told me very quietly that he was in love with me all the way and that he would wait for me. After I wiggled around in a little discomfort, he told me, "I'd be in love with you without you being a sports freak. But I swear to God that your massive love for baseball makes me absolutely HOT. The pitcher in me wishes I met you first--before I met all the other girls and my XW."

I'm pretty sure that's where I knew I was a goner. NOBODY--and I mean NOBODY--has ever fallen in love with me because of my love for sports. I always knew one day, someone would appreciate it. But until it happened, I always wondered if it was always going to be the reason my love interests wound up with stupid, misanthropic shopping Barbie bimbos (sorry Barb-definitely not personal since my sister's name is also Barb and she's not of this ilk) instead of me.

So take that, plastic doll types. I finally got the guy.

as I'm sure he will be excited to know how you feel about him.

Yes, he will, BA. In fact, my guess is that if I tell him this tonight, it's a guaranteed date out in public cancel. I'd bet my mortgage and yours too! I just have to figure out if the movie is what he really wants to do. If I sense that he's invested in going, I'll hold off until I see him again - alone - which will probably be the night D19 leaves for school (it's my usual night without D16, who I have this weekend).

Will let ya know.

Carry on! And hugs to you, BA. I don't think you'll get another skittish person again. Maybe you should take a page out of Sweet Stuff's manual and follow up with being able to wait? It was definitely endearing to me. FWIW.

Betsey

p.s. Just when I was about to hit Submit, I got a text from SS. He's feeling sick. So all of this might have to wait. Darn.