Reno Aces Baseball Game (More Dangerous Than Swine Flu)

Oh man! I am so behind on blogging, and you know I hate that because then it feels like homework, which turns into to feeling like housework... and well... you know the rest of the story on that...

So let me start catching up with the Reno Aces game we went to on Friday at the new stadium. It was really a great time and I kind of felt as if the stadium was mine. You know what I mean? Like I had some sort of vested interest in something local. Something I can get into and support, and like everyone else there felt the same way (insert group hug here).

We met my in-laws, Marv and Joanie, and Matt's brother Ryan and our nephew Ben at the entrance for the game. It turns out that Friday's are perfect for a family night. In addition to all the entertainment between innings, there was a fireworks show afterwards, and then kids under 12 got to run the bases. I think we were there for about four hours, and the kids never complained :)

It turns out though, that standing in the concession stand line, the one that's about parallel with right field, is more dangerous than the Swine Flu. True story. A woman was nailed in the head by a foul ball in the exact spot I had been standing only two minutes before she was hit. She was in my line about four people back, but was still out in the open. I had already entered the covered area of the stand. It was shocking, to say the least, to hear that loud thud and then gasps all around. Surprisingly though, it didn't knock her out, and she remained standing, with support, and had the most terrible look in her eyes. She didn't say a word, but just stood there for a few moments (kind of looking like I imagine we were all supposed to be looking right now dying from Swine Flu), with her eyes all popped out and her hand on her head - and then they whisked her away. I wish I knew what happened to her.

So don't worry about taking your hand sanitizer to the ball park - take a helmet instead.

Oh, and note to self: the end of the fifth inning is the worst time of all to go for snacks. It's when EVERYONE goes for snacks, which causes people to have to stand out in the open to be struck by foul balls. And it's also the reason you missed the Barry Bonds home run that landed just two seats from where you had been sitting back in 2002 - that moment was one of the most shocking of your life, and sent you into a funk for days. You and Matt were the only two at Pac Bell Park who weren't celebrating. And on top of all that, you had that foul ball almost near death experience standing in line to get Eva garlic fries, only to find out, when it was finally your turn, that you were at the wrong concession stand, and that you had to go to a different concession stand for garlic fries and stand in line all over again. So, don't ever go for food right after the fifth inning. That's when bad things happen.

Ella's new photo policy since getting braces

Ben, Ryan and Ella

Joanie and Ben - no greater love hath a grandmother for her grandchild, but that she will crack open each and every individual sunflower seed for him

Eva

Sophie, unaware that she is about to be consumed by Archie

Matt's in the middle with the red hat, Eva's holding a glove over her head

Ryan and Ben - that's the same glove I've had since I was about twelve

Matt and Eva

The new Reno Aces Stadium with Downtown Reno in the background

The End of an Era - 80 Nightowl Drive, Part 3, The Kitchen Island

We'll miss all the action in the kitchen, especially the birthday cake scenes around the center island. The singing was always out of tune, out of time, and with lots of cha cha chas. Then there was a mad rush by the kids to lick as many candles as possible.

2001

2001

2005

Lighting

Singing/making a wish

Blowing

Grabbing

Licking

2008

2008

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The End of an Era - 80 Nightowl Drive, Part 2, Easter

We'll miss surprise visits from the Easter Bunny, and Easter egg hunts in the backyard and garden area.

Eva as the Easter Bunny

2005

Sophie's turn

2005

Jordan as the Easter Bunny

2002

The Easter Bunny making a quick getaway before being seen

2002

Sophie

2003

Eva and Ella

2002

Jordan

2002

Ella and Jordan

2003

Jorge, RJ, Jordan, Ella, Eva, Sophie

2003

The End Of An Era - 80 Nightowl Drive, Part 1, Out Back

Marv and Joanie (my in-laws) are officially moving out of 80 Nightowl Drive this weekend. It marks the end of an era for the Hamrick family. They moved out to Mogul when Matt was twelve, and the house has been the center of Hamrick family activities and get togethers ever since. It's a place of many happy memories, and some sad as well. But we'll only talk about the good times here, as we take a little trip down memory lane. These are some things we did out back that we'll miss.

Matt, 1993

After a huge storm, the guys built a couple of ski jumps

That's my guy

There were lots of pretty bad basketball games...

...and kids eating ice cream while bad basketball was being played

It was always entertaining and fun to watch!

Part 2 coming soon...

Cherie Dawn Hamrick

1948 - 2005

Today we are thinking of Matt's mother. It would have been her 60th birthday. We miss her!

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Pt. 2 - The Pics

Part 3 (that's right, I'm not quite finished yet) will be my reasons why the Boardwalk is preferable to Disneyland, Six Flags Marine World, Great America, and all other über-large and über-themed out amusement parks. But until then, here are the pics.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Pt. 1

I'm dedicating Pt. 1 of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk portion of our weekend post, entirely to the Looff Carousel and the Giant Dipper. The family photos must wait :) These two attractions alone are not only blog worthy, but worthy of taking precedent over the family pics and having their own post!

To begin with, both the Giant Dipper roller coaster, and the Looff Carousel were declared National Historic Landmarks together in 1987. When you ride them, you're riding history (I love history, btw). The Giant Dipper was built in 1924, and the Carousel in 1911. The carousel also still has its original pipe organ that was constructed in 1894, so not only are you riding history when you're on it, you're listening to it as well.

I first rode the Giant Dipper with my friend Tauna Fudge when I was a teenager. I remembered it all these years until we went as a family to Santa Cruz last year and rode it again. The thing about riding a National Historic Landmark that happens to be wooden roller coaster that is over 80 years old, is that you feel that you are taking your life in your hands when it's your turn to step into its car. Half the thrill of the ride, is realizing the cars didn't jump the tracks and you weren't killed or maimed. Besides that, it's just a great ride!!!

I've been to the Looff Carousel a couple times too, and even have a cute picture of Eva and Sophie riding it last summer. But I guess I'd never been on it myself, or I would have noticed that it's not your ordinary carousel, besides being a National Historic Landmark. I'm kind of ashamed I didn't notice before what's different about it. This carousel has a brass ring dispenser that you can grab a ring from as you ride past, and then you try to throw the brass ring at a giant clown face. The target is the clown's mouth. I was wondering why all these adults were chucking money at the wall kind of violently when the ride started, and I was down watching the kids. Then I peeked around the corner from where I was standing and saw the clown. I didn't realize at first that they were grabbing rings. Well it was all such a surprise - and a pleasant one! To see a bunch of adults taking over a child's ride and wildly throw things at a target was heart warming :) Of course I had to do it myself too! Unfortunately, we were moving on as a group to do other things, or I would have stayed and done it a few more times. You can rest assured, that the next time we go to the Boardwalk, I'll be pushing children out of the way to get to a horse on the outside - my own children if need be :) That carousel is too much fun!!!

This is the ring dispenser and clown face target

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Randomness Vol. 1

How cute is this? A boy and his bug. Tuesday evening out at the Hamricks in Mogul, RJ (my nephew) brought in a wounded dragonfly and placed it on the kitchen counter for all of us to enjoy while we made dinner.

The dragonfly wasn't quite dead yet, and was still moving its wings ever so slightly. Ella was appalled at its suffering and wanted it smashed with a rock to put it out of its misery. I don't think that happened - no one volunteered for bug smashing duty. The thing was as practically the size of a small bird, but it did eventually disappear from the kitchen, and is probably blowin' in the wind somewhere.

I really like dragonfly art, btw. Stuff like dragonfly garden ornaments, candle holders or jewelry with dragonflies are wonderful, but they're really horrible up close, and you would certainly never want one near your face - unless it was in earring or neclace form.

************************************

This male roosting pheasant (my father in-law Marv informed as to what it is) has been hanging out in the wetlands off of Double R Blvd, just north of Double Diamond Blvd. Ella and I first saw it about three weeks ago. We both couldn't believe our eyes, so I flipped a u-ey (how is that spelled?) and drove past it again. It was a strange sight! Since then, Matt and the girls have seen it on several occasions in the same general area, and yesterday I was finally able to get this picture. Isn't he beautiful? Marv says he used to see these in this area while out surveying, before there were any houses out here. He said there was a hunting club somewhere near the gun club that used to release them for hunting. Hmmmm, maybe it survived some lousy hunters who couldn't shoot straight.

***************************************

I was able to revive my latest hydrangea from dehydration, after having taken very good care of it for a couple weeks. It had a near death experience Tuesday morning, but made a comeback that took an hour! My last one died when we went to Idaho, and this one will be dead by Sunday morning- we're going out of town tomorrow - RIP beautiful blue hydrangea

****************************************

This is our very impromptu family get together family portrait. It happened that we wanted a picture of all of us (right when I stepped out of the water of course), and when we were looking around for someone on the beach to take it, Robert (in the red shirt next to me in the back) spotted a professional photographer getting ready to shoot the sunset. So he took Janene's card out of her camera, quick thinker that he is, and took it over to the photographer and asked him if he would put Janene's card in his camera and take our picture - and he did :) What a nice man!!! That's how we get stuff done in our family, lol! Never with very much forethought, but it always turns out alright. It was all crazy because we were trying to hurry for him though, and we were running around to get in place so we wouldn't waste too much of his time. Sophie had to be dragged over in the boat because she was too cold from swimming to move or do anything, but it turned out pretty cute I think, for throwing it together in about 60 seconds :)

Fourth of July weekend

For the fourth of July weekend, we invited ourselves to Joanie's cabin. She's quite a hostess, and even gave us the master bedroom, and we were selfish enough to take it, because that's how we are :) We all had a great time, and the smoke mostly even stayed away until Sunday.

Here's a video montage, my very first, that's not yet finished. I've been waiting for some pictures from Joanie, but she's taking her sweet time, lol. Send them when you can Joanie, and I'll add them. Mostly I can't wait to post this video because I'm anxious to see my superior handiwork on display ;-) I also have some captions, but that feature is a 'premium' feature, and I don't feel like going to fetch my wallet to sign up for the service. So, here is the as yet unfinished montage (I also have to take care of some of the bad wind sound)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Obituary

Stockton, CA

Ruth C. Hamrick

July 30, 1919 - June 9, 2008

Ruth C. Hamrick, 88, of Stockton passed away June 9, 2008 in Stockton. She was born July 30, 1919 in Aitkin, MN. She also lived in Camanche, Modesto and Barkerville, BC. Ruth worked at Breuner's for 24 years. She was a member of Stockton Covenant Church and Imperial Mobile Home Park Association.

Ruth was the beloved wife of 46 years to the late Harold Hamrick; the loving mother of Jerry Hamrick (Ron Dunning) of Stockton, Lynn Mayer (Dale) of Stockton, Marvin Hamrick (Joan) of Valley Springs, and devoted grandmother of 8 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

Friends are invited to attend funeral services Friday, June 13, 2008, 1:00 p.m. at Stockton Covenant Church, 1720 Oxford Way at Grange St., Stockton. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Wallace-Martin Funeral Home. Committal: Cherokee Memorial Park.

Remembrances may be expressed to Stockton Covenant Church or Hospice of San Joaquin. wallacemartinfuneralhome.comPublished in The Record from 6/11/2008 - 6/13/2008.

We'll miss her like crazy...

Ruth Caroline Hamrick

30 July 1919 - 9 June 2008

As we last saw her on May 17, 2008, and will always remember her - smiling and having a good time!

2 March 2008

Serving us all a dessert she made for our visit, as she loved to do, and below - playing cards, click the play symbol to listen