So much for the repeat. My softball team lost again last night, 10-0, to the eventual champions of the tournament. I was 1-2, bringing the season total to 21-40 (.525). We just could not get anything going. It was a scoreless tie until the 5th when they got 4, then 6 in the 6th, and a 10-run lead after 6 innings invokes the mercy rule. Oh well, if softball's over that means bowling starts soon. And also on the plus side, the cherry tomato plants we planted outside the door this year have started producing very nicely and haven't been raided by deer. I built a ridiculous looking barrier out of some 2x4s and chicken wire, and it seems to be working. So far.

The softball team lost a heartbreaker last night. We blew a 7-3 lead in the last half of the 7th inning. If we only could have hung on, we'd be in the championship game next week. I was 2-2 but got picked off first after a line drive was caught. One more loss and the season is over. Next week we play the team we beat last week. If we win, we play the team that beat us last night. If we win that, we play another against them. If we win that, we're champs again. It's the same scenario as lat year.

We have a lot of nasty bugs around the house this summer for some reason. About a week ago I was killing a nest of baldfaced hornets under the eaves when I noticed several yellowjackets going in and out of a hole in the ground. Just as soon as I noticed it, one of them stung me on the leg. Now a week later, it still itches. I think I got the nest in the ground cleared out the other day, but now there are more of them behind the siding near the edge of the house.

Tonight the softball team won the opening game of the tournament. Two more wins and we're champs. I, however, am struggling mightily at the plate. 0-2 today with a strikeout. It was so bad that when we had a late-inning rally going on, I was thinking "please someone get the third out so I don't have to bat again." I sure hope I can break out of this slump before the season is over so I only have the slump to remember for the winter. Oh well, at least bowling starts up again soon.

We've had the new computer for a week now, and I can't even express how much better it is than the old one. I like finally having a CD burner. I'm still exploring it, but I gotta say I'm pretty pleased with it so far. I had to buy a new joystick because the thing doesn't have a serial port, but it has 6 USB ports so I got a better joystick anyway. The game that was too much for the old computer to run is fun. My favorite cars (it's a racing game) so far are the Dodge Viper, the Jaguar and the '70 Chevelle. The Chevelle can dust 'em all. Beth and I finally got to see "Pirates of the Caribbean" tonight, which was extremely entertaining. Thumbs way up. On the way we gave a lift to a man and his 5-year-old son who were stranded on the freeway because their Jeep had actually been struck by lightning on the road. I bet it fried their alternator because it just died on them, and they were stuck in a downpour and nobody was stopping to help them. We gave them a lift to his brother-in-law's house a few miles away. Coincidentally, the boy's name was Alex. And our Alex has had another milestone; last week he sat in his exersaucer for the first time. He really likes it. He always seems to be trying to sit up lately but he can't, and I think he gets really frustrated at that. He likes to be held up or sat up and look around. But, he drools a lot when he does. Last weekend we all went to Indianapolis to visit PJ and Roma and Isabella, the little girl they just adopted. They were having a baby shower for Roma, since she hadn't had one before Isabella came to them.