it's gold, jerry... gold

there are good days. there are great days. and then there are days like today. and to think that it had all started out so horribly wrong. this morning i awoke to the sounds of my own groaning. my back had stiffened up overnight and it looked as though the day would entail an endless series of sharp pains and mind-numbing aches. but then, following second period, i staggered downstairs and to my amazement, everything was absolutely perfect. the layout was perfect. the food was perfect. the music was perfect. the ambiance was perfect. perfect. and as the event progressed, i kept thinking to myself, "this just keeps getting more and more perfect." the hosts were perfect. the helpers were perfect. the demonstrations were perfect. the ceremonies were perfect. perfect. and when it was all over, i sighed a sigh of relief and climbed upstairs again. and the best part... the best part is that the kids didn't really need me at all. they pulled it off all on their own.

but that's not all. today was also our first game of the season. and i have to admit that i was a little bit nervous about facing a squad that as recently as last year was competing in tier 1. when the game began, our team seemed a tad shaky and we fell behind by two runs. but then, to my amazement, something remarkable happened. suddenly the girls began to hit the ball like they had never hit the ball before. one after another, they just kept knocking the crap out of that red dot, 12 inch, asa-approved softball. and when it was all over, we had tallied an amazing 14 runs in a row to steal the game by a convincing 17-5 score. our team played with pride. our team played with spirit. our team played with, dare i say it, fight. even the opposition noticed our scrappiness. indeed, at one point i overheard one of our opponents say about our crew, "those girls don't like to lose." no, we don't. and why should we? after all, this team does have my imprimatur written all over it. and the best part... the best part is that the kids didn't really need me at all. they pulled it off all on their own. absolutely perfect.

and so, as the sun sets on this, a most extraordinary friday, it occurs to me that i haven't really noticed my back pain all day. until now, that is. but i did manage to work on my tan this afternoon with a few hours in the sun. which is good. 'cause i think i look better with a tan. just saying.

"you can be flawed, insecure, vulnerable... and yet you can still be perfect." - unknown

it's the band, man, not the singer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIjxGKLTADE