Why do the spring and summer months fly by like Carl Lewis on a nuclear-powered rocket sled while the winter months crawl by slower than an elderly man driving a low-rider on 1st Street? Willmarfest is over and the 4th of July beckons.
Last year my wife Sharon and I were a host family for Willmar Stinger's player Seth Spivack. Seth, a relief pitcher, lit-up the radar gun in the mid-90s, before his arm got sore and he had to sit out. Then Seth got a temporary shot at being the regular catcher, and immeadiatly got a serious infection on his face. When Seth went back to his college, U-Cal Berkeley, he learned the baseball program was going to be cut, but after the program was reinstated, Cal got into the College World Series. But Seth wasn't there...he reportedly was cut from the team for undisclosed reasons. Anyway, our player had rotten luck last year.
This year we got another player, Tyler Zupcic from Appalachian State in North Carolina. A fine young man, polite, smart, and fast and talented enough to be the Stingers starting center fielder. Sharon and I didn't have a chance to see him play because we were on vacation the first week he was here. Just before we finally were ready to see him play, one of Tyler's own players accidently stepped on Tyler's hand during a play in the outfield. Tyler's hand was cut, needing stitches, and possibly broken, thus ending his season...he returned to North Carolina Saturday.
It makes Sharon and I have second thoughts about being a host family next year. Why bring such misery to a young ball player?
Speaking of baseball, isn't it nice of the Twins to remind us that yes, despite a hot start to the month of June, they stink.
I saw the Barn Theatre's rendition of "Don't Hug Me-Deer Camp" on Friday night. I went in, knowing the Deer Camp shows embrace low-brow fart humor and ridicule rural Minnesotans. I expected maybe a smile or two in recognition of some familiar "Minnesota-isms." It turned out to be one of the funniest plays I've been to.
I enjoyed "Run For Your Wife" last year, but "Deer Camp" blew it away. I left there with a sore face from laughing so much. Great writing, music, and the cast of Connie Dornbusch, Charlie Olson, Tim Ostby (playing two roles) Tim Miller and Matt Schiller were brilliant! It was directed by Nikki Betcher Erickson. Great play guys!
