When the Ship Goes Down...

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert…on anything.  I am just an A’s fan who loves talking about the A’s.  So if you find yourself shaking your head at my amateur ramblings or wondering why I even bother in the first place then please, move along, move along.  If, however, you are like me and just love talking about the A’s then, by all means, welcome aboard! 

     Optimism, pessimism, realism.  The reality of the A's right now is that they are struggling, struggling bad, and have a very real risk of losing out on the playoffs.  The starting pitching has been sub-par.  The hitting at best is sporadic to non-existent. Errors at the worse possible moments.  And the once mighty bullpen is reduced to Jesse Chavez and the Question Marks.  This is not the feel good season of yesteryear when a young and plucky group decided they were not going to give in to Texas, and the frustration from A's fans is showing its ugly side on twitter lately.  Name calling, trolling, having an air of superiority towards others because you think you are Keith Law or Dave Cameron, taking shots at players' WAGs, and the general BS that happens when good times turn into bad times.  There is no denying that the A's are bad right now and may be bad until the end of the season.  But you know what?  If the A's are going down then I am going down with them.  If you want to label me a "fanboy" or "blind optimist" so be it. If you want to question my intelligence because I choose to continually support Reddick, Sogard, Straily, or anyone else wearing the Green and Gold, well, so be it. There is nothing wrong with pointing out reality or using stats to put the team or players in proper perspective.  There is nothing wrong with using analysis to reach conclusions that may go against the hope we all have(had) for the A's this season.  There is nothing wrong with saying "Well, it looks like this will not be the A's year.".  But to become completely dis-interested or petty, calling out other fans for not doing the same, or even betting that they won't make the playoffs seems counterintuitive to me.  If you are the type of fan who can only be happy and "root" for their team when they are winning then the A's are the wrong team for you.  If this season is causing you to lose your cool then I can't imagine how you would of handled '93-'98.  Losing sucks.  Watching crappy baseball sucks.  But if this is something you can't handle with a little decorum and a lot of humor(at some point you just have to laugh and enjoy the sheer comedy of it all) then it is a good thing the NFL is firing up.  I hear this Kaepernick kid is going to be great.

Grampa...

I lost one of my Grampas last night.  I often think we take our Grampas for granted.  We assume that this strong yet comforting man will always be there for us to turn to.  A man who served proudly in the Korean War. A man who could fix anything you broke, often with some duct tape and good ol' American ingenuity.  A man who only drank Oly or Pabst back when they were considered a man's beer & not something for hipsters to pretend over.  A man who put in 8-10 hours a day working at a job but still came home to work his almond orchard and gardens.  A man who could be ornery and curt yet would still shed tears every time one of his dogs passed away.  A man who taught two rambunctious boys and one tomboy girl what it meant to work hard to get what you want out of life.  A man...

My Grampa was known for his gardens and freshest vegetables, next to his family they were what he was most proud of.  My Grandmother asked me to write a short poem for the service dedication to honor what he loved best doing:

My Garden, My Life

My garden is life

through which all were nourished

growing strong and vibrant

with my love and caring

to make sure all around me

were bathed

in my sun’s warm light

onions so tasty...so powerful

they’ll bring a tear to your eye

tomatoes so juicy...so zesty

you’ll be smiling for a week

peppers so crisp...so strong

even the coldest nights seem warm

My garden, my life

My garden is life

I put myself in my garden

each plant a small part of me

an image of my being

for all to see beauty and strength

full of life’s flavor, full of life’s color

and through the sharing of my garden

with all that I loved

I know I will be part

of the lives forever

of those who loved me

My garden, my life