PIWTPITT & The Hubs Take Manhattan

Well, it's been close to 7 years since the last time I visited NYC.  It's been 10 years since we lived here and we were pleased to see that the city still smells the same - a combo of B.O., car exhaust, subway steam, ethnic food carts and garbage.  Mmmmmm.  Delish.

The Hubs and I arrived at LaGuardia (after flying over my old apartment building - I really don't miss living in the LGA flight path AND a block away from an extremely active firehouse) and caught the Super Shuttle into the city.

There are a couple of different bus/shuttle services you can grab at the airport, but we opted for the SS since they're the only ones who drop you directly at your hotel and silly us thought that might be faster.

Our SS driver took FOREVER to get us out of the airport.  He picked us up, no problem and went to the next terminal to pick up more people. He hopped out and told us he'd be right back.  Fifteen minutes later he still hadn't appeared again.  That's when I got out my phone and tweeted Super Shuttle:

@supershuttle i am on the bus waiting. Let's roll. I am ready to hop on the nyc airporter.

Yeah, the NYC Airporter is the competition.  What do you know?  The driver was back in 3 minutes telling us that he was looking for the people who called in a reservation and to please be patient. 

I don't necessarily mean to use Twitter for evil, but come on, Super Shuttle.  We waited 15 minutes for the driver with no word and then we still didn't move for another 12 minutes after I tweeted you.  UN-acceptable.  I understand that people had a reservation (as did we), but if they can't have their asses on the curb waiting, they miss the bus.  It should not be the driver's responsibility to scour the airport looking for these losers.

On top of all our waiting, we were literally the last ones to get dropped off, which made no sense when you look at a map, but whatever.  I just took a scenic ride of Manhattan with the Hubs giving commentary to anyone who would listen.  "I worked in that building!" and  "Ooh, terrible food at that place." and "Cheap pizza!  99 cents a slice!  Do you think it's any good?"

I had a feeling we'd still have some snafus before we got to our hotel.  Sure enough, the people who held us up wanted to pay by credit card (as did we).  I told the Hubs, "Just watch, his credit card machine won't work and they'll have scramble for cash."  As I told him this, I dug in my wallet for cash.  "We are not waiting for him to get his shit together, when he drops us, we're paying in cash."

Sure enough, the driver swiped that couple's credit card easily 5 times.  Finally, they had to go into their hotel and change whatever foreign money they brought with them so that they could pay him.

I know what you're thinking, "Jen, why did you take this crappy Super Shuttle?  You should have taken the NYC Airporter with free on-board wifi."  I know, but the Airporter drops you at Grand Central Station and I'm glad we didn't catch that one, because I'm pretty sure I would have been hit in the head by falling facade debris when this shit for brains decided to try and take his semi truck on a road closed to semis and sent concrete chunks raining down on the sidewalk below.  I have that kind of luck.  Super Shuttle might have actually saved me from a massive brain injury.  Thank you, Super Shuttle??

Anyhoo, we missed the accident at Grand Central, but we did get to see this one outside of Rockefeller Center:

A bus will always win.

What do you think happens when a TLC car goes head to head with a bus?  Yeah, it loses.  Crunch.

This crash made me take a second look around and see where I was.  Outside 30 Rock, of course!  

I hung around for a while hoping Tina might happen by.  I'm guessing she saw me lurking around the door and went out the back.  Don't worry, Tina, tomorrow I'll be at Stage Deli all day.  Come have a sammie with me!

Tina, are you up there?

Waiting for Tina made me and the Hubs hungry so we decided to find some dinner.  We were really in the mood for our favorite pizza joint.

Sometimes the Hubs and I dream about this pizza.  Truly.

 And then we saw it.  

TGI Friday's - the place to woo your lady.

The site of our infamous first date.  TGI Friday's.  The Hubs was totally willing to split the bill with me again, but I forgot my overalls at home so it wouldn't be as classy this time.  

Instead we opted for pizza.  YUM! 

It's great to be back in NYC, but it's even nicer to be a visitor.

The Visitor Center had all kinds of business cards, I thought they might like some PIWTPITT ones too.  I put them in the NBC spot hoping that when Tina comes to replace them, she'll see my cards.

Allison Niemeyer - Another Mother of the Year

I read this news story today about two sisters who went into Wal-Mart and tried to shoplift around $55 worth of shit and got caught by security at the door.  When security asked them to come back, they dropped the bag holding their stolen goods and made a run for it.  Along with the bag, they left one of the sister's 1 year old son behind.

Police caught up to them later when they received a tip that the sisters were at a dance club and paged them regarding their car.  Yup, the girls clearly cared more about their vehicle than their son/nephew.

When I read stories like this my blood literally boils.  People like these two should be punched - literally.  We should round up a bunch of women who have infertility problems and put them in an arena with parents like this shit for brains and just let them have it.

I have so many friends and acquaintances who struggle daily with infertility and would do anything for a child and this fucking moron takes her infant on a shoplifting trip and abandons him and then goes dancing?!  Fuck you, you piece of trash, Allison Niemeyer.

It is people like this woman who convince me that there should be a test that people must take before being allowed to have children.  It's not a difficult test, but imagine how many fucking numbskulls it would weed out:

1.  Should you take your child to Wal-Mart to steal a bathing suit?

2.  If you are caught stealing a bathing suit from Wal-Mart should you abandon your child and make a run for it?

3.  Must children eat daily?

4.  Is it ever OK to lock a child in the closet/attic/basement/etc.?

5.  Should children know how to cook meth/perform a keg stand/smoke a bong?

6.  In your opinion was Casey Anthony a good mom?

Weekly Wrap Up 7.28.12

I am getting ready to head to BlogHer next week.  The Hubs and I are hitting NYC a couple days early.  Woohoo!!  I'm so excited for BlogHer.  It's going to be so much fun!  I'll be posting a bit sporadically on here, so be sure to follow me on Twitter where it's so much easier to update than Blogger or FB.


Top Read Posts This Week:


This Lady Who Thinks I'm Invisible - There were several different angles people took on this lady's behavior, but they boiled down to: bitch (probably), snob (definitely), socially awkward (I don't think so), jealousy (I doubt it) and why do I care (you know me, I can't stand to be ignored).


Kristen Stewart - Kristen cheated on Rob.  I had an opinion about it.


Open Letter to PR Reps Who Write to Me - I really did think about contacting the "Teen Mom" and asking for an interview, but I thought that was even too bitchy for me.  Would have been hilarious though.  Might just make up my own at some point. 

Cuz'n's Trip - Ozark Style - I went "glamping" with my cousin and my kids and we met some skunks.

Over Achieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies - Whaaaat?  This little bugger hasn't been in the top posts for months now, what gives?


New Feature on the Blog:  


PIWTPITT is now available for subscription on Amazon Kindle.  This is perfect for people who can't log in on their computers every day, but don't want to miss anything.  Do you read this blog on your Kindle?  Would you like to read this blog without the ads?  Would you like to receive the blog delivered wirelessly to your Kindle?  Then this feature is for you!  You can sign up and get 14 days for free and then if you like it, it's only 99 cents a month to subscribe.  If you sign up, please let me know and give me some feedback about it.

Message Board Update:  

Have you seen The Hubs' message post yet?  He's posting lots of funny pics.  If you're not looking for funny pictures, there are lots of other good topics on the board too or you can start your own.  Did you know that when you comment on the message boards a link to your newest blog post shows up?  That is a great way to find new readers for your blog and new blogs for you to read, so join the message boards today.  It's easy and fun.

New Posts for Babble This Week:


When Did Babysitters Become Nannies?

I Think Young Adult Books are not Just for Teens

I Love My Family, but Sometimes I Just Want to be Alone

Best Selling Product at the PIWTPITT Store:

People I Want to Punch in the Throat Notepad.  Make a list and check it twice!

My Favorite Comments (and my Replies if Necessary):

Shared this with my DD who also hates the odd couple...she said she couldn't decide if you should buy the Twilight hair dryer because you're an extreme fan or because Twilight blows... on Kristen Stewart


Maybe that's why they squint so much...they both stink to high Heaven! Ick. That shit is gross. on Kristen Stewart


So is this the blogger version of the OAM? (The brag of being so successful disguised as a complaint?) I think we owe you a punch. on Open Letter to PR Reps Who Write to Me


Uhh...which part was a brag?  The "opportunity" to interview a "Teen Mom?"  Whatever.  You let me know your blog address and I'll be happy to send them over to you.  If I was going to do a brag disguised as a complaint I'd complain that Nordstrom's contacted me and asked me to try out all their shoes this year and I can only pick 10 pairs to keep.  What a pain in the ass!  Believe me, no one is bragging over here.  You'll KNOW when I brag, because I'll tell you.  


I think she is clearly intimidated. She has issues. Forget her. You are Jen from PIWTPITT, muthafucka! on This Lady Who Thinks I'm Invisible

Kristen Stewart

Kristen, Kristen, Kristen.  What can I say?  I've never been a fan of Kristen Stewart.  I've always thought she was a terrible actress who really only has one skill (squinting eyes and stuttering a bit and looking like she could suck the chrome off a bumper).  When she first came to my attention she had been cast as Bella Swan.  A terrible choice in my opinion. K-Stew was nothing like I imagined Bella.  When I watched the first Twilight movie I alternated between groaning in pain and laughing at the terrible acting, I mean squinting.  That is when I could take my eyes off the terrible make up job (am I the only who was bothered by how pink all the vampires were below the chin line??).

Now Kristen is all over the news because she cheated on Robert Pattinson and I'm ready to give you my opinion on their private lives:

1.  I realize Kristen is young and young people do stupid stuff and we shouldn't judge her and she we should let them all get through this privately and blah, blah, blah, but this is what happens when you decide you want to be a movie star.  When you're a movie star your private life is no longer private.

2.  I'm not sure I'm buying that Kristen cheated on anyone.  Let me explain.  I've always thought "Robsten" was a little too easy.  Let's face it, there are Twilight blow dryers out there.  This is a huge franchise about true, deep and once in (an eternal) lifetime love aimed squarely at young, impressionable teenage girls (and their mothers) and their wallets.  


How quaint is it that the stars just happened to hook up and fall madly in love?  I've never really bought it.  (Especially since at every photo op K-Stew rarely looks madly in love and almost always looks like she has something shoved up her ass.)  Maybe this "relationship" was carefully orchestrated by studios and agents and anyone else looking to make Twilight money.  Maybe both Rob and K-Stew have been having flings on the side when they're not on the red carpet and K-Stew just made the mistake of getting caught.


3.  To bolster my theory that the "Robsten" is fabricated, check out Kristen's apology.  I think Stephenie Meyer wrote it.  When have you ever seen Kristen say anything even remotely that emotional?  I think the studio and her agent sat her down and said, "We've got spin control working on this right now.  You are the highest paid actress in Hollywood right now.  I just bought a Ferrari.  This shit can NOT be happening.  We've got to fix this.  Stephenie just emailed us the apology we think you should go with:  My darling Rob, you are my sun and my moon. You are my one true North and I am so very sorry for hurting you. You are the last person on the planet I would ever want to injure.  You are my soul mate.  Please, Rob, forgive me.  I am lost without your love.  You are my Edward and I am your Bella."


A studio exec added, "And to my Twilight fans, remember, Bella always stayed pure and true to Edward and you can see that on the big screen this fall, see our website for details and where you can purchase your own commemorative wedding invitation."  


At that point I think K-Stew's agent threw up.  They did some quick edits and came up with what she released to People magazine:


"I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry." 

Still, quite a bit of emotion for that girl, don't you think?

4.  I am actually more disgusted with the director, Rupert Sanders.  (BTW, can you imagine saying, "Oooh, Rupert, yes, that feels good"???  Ick.)  I'm always irritated when married men cheat.  I'm also always irritated when OLD married men cheat with YOUNG women.  It's so fucking cliched.  Rupert has a lot more to lose than Kristen.  He has a wife of several years and a couple of kids.  You don't throw that shit away for a romp with a sour puss with a tight ass.

5.  I think it's funny that ANYONE thinks this dalliance will affect the upcoming Breaking Dawn movie.  Please, I am the perfect example.  I despise K-Stew and Rob in their roles.  They are nothing like I ever imagined Bella and Edward to be.  However, that has not stopped me from shelling out money repeatedly to go and watch them squint at one another.  The young fans will get over it by November and if anything they will just love Rob more since he's hurt now.

6.  I have read reports that Rob does not bathe as often as one might and he tends to smell.  If this is true, then I think Kristen does not get any blame for messing around.  That shit is uncalled for.

Open Letter to PR Reps Who Write to Me

Dear (insert your name here):

Oh, I'm sorry, did that offend you?  How about I just address this letter:  Dear PR Rep.  It's about as personal as Dear Blogger or my favorite:  Dear [ ] - you would get a bit further next time if you actually put a name in there, dipshit.

Every day I get several emails from PR reps asking me to shill absolute shite.  Most of the times the product has absolutely nothing to do with the topics I write about or my readers.

My suggestion to you, dear PR Rep, is to actually read my blog and some of the comments before you start in with your bullshit about your "extreme interest" in my "well-written" site.  Are you kidding me with that?  Every other word on here is fuck or douche.  I think an English professor just died somewhere when she heard what you said about my blog.

photo:  freedigitalphotos.net

If you took a moment to read one or two of my posts, you would realize that I have absolutely no interest in "spreading the word or telling" my readers about:

a.  Your shitty book about the terrible side effects of television on kids.  I think we got the message a while ago.  While you were busy writing this book, it was all over the television.  Go figure.

b.  Your "exciting and informative" new daytime talk show that is debuting soon.  Daytime talk is where most stars go to die.  Unless you are Ellen or Oprah I'm not buying what you're selling. 

c.  Boring interviews.  Yes, I have children, but that does not mean I want to actually interview a child psychologist for my blog.  Maybe you should call the daytime talk show people it sounds like your cup of tea.

d.  Comic books.  Did I give the impression that I read comics?  Because I don't read comic books, I've never once mentioned comic books or anything remotely like that so don't ask me to pimp your stupid comic book.  Yeah, I'm a dorky "Star Wars" fan and a Twi-Mom and a Harry Potter fan, but I have to draw the line somewhere.  I don't do comic books.

e.  Interviews with F-list celebri-trash.  Let me be clear, Mister PR Rep, I have absolutely no fucking desire to interview your crappy F-list client slash reality star about breast feeding tips or parenting tips or whatever your client thinks she's an expert on this week.  This is especially true for you, PR Rep to Teen Mom 2 breakout star Chelsea Houska.  


I do not pretend to be a parenting expert nor do I think I have this parenting thing all figured out.  However, I do know that I have a much better handle on it than your 20 year old client.  I would rather kill myself than listen to her "mommy tips."  I can only imagine what she could teach us.  It must be hard for her to juggle her budding career as a reality star slash wanna be Playboy centerfold slash beauty school drop out along with motherhood and dating.  


If I ever need to learn how to make horrible decisions, pick shitty boyfriends, look sexy in Twitter self pics and not pay my bills, I'll be sure to look her up.  

Cuz'ns Trip 2012 - Ozark Style

Lucky for me, Cuz likes the camp the same way I do.

You might have noticed that this weekend I was fairly quiet.  That's because I was in the Ozarks having a mini-vacation with my cousin and my kids.

My cousin is a young, single, childless professional and she had meetings at Big Cedar Lodge near Table Rock Lake.  The resort is a family-friendly place and she doesn't have kids so she invited us to come as her "family."

We had never been to Big Cedar Lodge, so of course we said "Yes please!"  We packed our bags and off we went.

We arrived early Friday afternoon so Cuz could go to her meetings.  The kids and I hit the putt-putt course and the pool.  That evening we were invited to a private dinner for all the conference attendees and their families.

What an Ozark-y experience!

Just imagine a ballroom full of taxidermied animal heads and my kids asking where the bodies are.  We were served a buffet dinner of bar-b-que complete with red gingham napkins.

When the band got going, I hit the open bar.  Nothing makes me want to drink more than a 14 piece rock-a-billy band consisting of 50 plus men in Hawaiian shirts (WTF?) and Tevas.  Cuz had warned me this would be quite the party.  She summed it up as a hillbilly wedding reception and she was not off the mark.

On the plus side, the ballroom overlooked the lake and the view was spectacular even if the music sucked.

After an hour or so, the kids were ready to head out and hit the movie at the pool.  Yup.  You watch a movie on a big screen while you lounge in the pool.  Pretty cool.

Cuz was still working the room so we took off.

The movie in the pool was fun if you've seen the movie.  If you haven't, then you have no clue what's happening.  Kids are screaming and splashing and jumping in.  There is no one just lounging on pool floats and watching the movie.

We lasted about halfway through and then I decided to call it a night.  I was being eaten alive by the bugs and I was bored to tears since I couldn't hear the movie.

By now the grounds were pretty dark and we had a bit of a walk ahead of us.  We didn't have a flashlight, because we were "glamping" and I didn't really expect to be roaming outside much after dark.  I also expected there to be streetlights.  Silly me.

There were lots of cars on the narrow road so I thought we'd do better traipsing through the grass to get up the hill to our lodge - less chance of being run over by a drunk band member in a Hawaiian shirt.  We started across an open space when something light caught my eye.  It was low to the ground and waddling towards us.  It was an animal of some kind.  At first I thought it was an armadillo or a possum (yuck - giant rat) and then the moonlight hit it.

SKUNK!!

I swear like a truck driver on this blog, but I really never swear in front of my kids.  That night I couldn't hold it in.  I believe I said, "Shit!" when I saw that white stripe.

"What did you say, Mommy?" Gomer asked.

"Skunk," I replied.  "That's a skunk.  Crap.  Stay still.  Let's see where he's going."

We stayed perfectly still while the skunk waddled about 5 feet in front of us and crossed the road to the closest trash can and started digging around for left over s'mores.  

"Crap!" I said again.  "We'd better get back on the road.  There could be more of them in the woods here and we might startle them and get sprayed."

"We'll need a tomato bath," Adolpha said.

"No.  Tomato juice bath," Gomer corrected her.

"Tomato juice comes from tomatoes, so I'm right," Adolpha argued.

"Shhhh!!  The skunk might spray us because you're both so annoying.  Be quiet!" I said.

We got back on the dark road and started moving as quickly as we dared.  "Another one!" Adolpha cried pointing.  Sure enough, here was another one just off to the side of the road.  I looked around for a trash can, but I didn't see one close.

"Let's go.  Keep an eye out," I said watching the new skunk. "Son of a bitch!" I muttered under my breath.  I was sure I was going to get sprayed by a skunk.

We got to our room without any mishap or attack, but I was a bit on edge to say the least.  I texted Cuz and told her to be on the lookout for the skunks and she let me know that she knew about them, because people from her conference were diving head first over 4 foot high fences to get away from them.

I got my kids to bed and I started thinking about how close I came to stepping on a skunk.  I was a bit irritated.  I realize I'm supposed to be out in nature at this place, but come on!  I don't want to be THAT CLOSE to nature!  Rooms in this joint start at $250 a night and go up to $700.  I hardly doubt someone paying that kind of cash wants to have a tomato juice bath after a run in with a skunk!

I was secretly hoping that these were hired skunks.  You know, the kind that the resort keeps and takes the "stinker" out of them so that they can release them on the grounds and make idiots like myself feel like they just had a "close call" with nature and now they can go home and blog about it.  Yup, I think there might be a skunk wrangler laughing at all of us jumping over fences and running for our lives when we see Pepi Le Peu coming our way.  

Bonjour ma cherie!  I enjoy long walks in the moonlight and left over s'mores.

The more I think about it, I think I'm right.  I actually think they might do just that.  This morning just before we left we walked across an open space where butterflies, dragon flies and big, fat, lazy bumblebees all hung out.  They were diving in perfect circles, bopping from flower to flower and just messing around.  They were picture perfect.  I'm pretty sure there's a skunk wrangler and an insect wrangler on the payroll.

We had a great time playing putt putt golf, shuffleboard and swimming in all 5 of the resort's pools.  We never made it down to the lake for paddle boats.  You may recall the last time I went on a lake with my children it didn't go so well, so this time I didn't encourage it.

Cuz was a good sport to bring us along, because I know we totally cramped her style.  When she stayed out "late" (10 PM) on Friday night hanging out with her colleagues, my kids were ready to organize a rescue mission, because they were sure she was lost in the dark somewhere.  When her friends rented a boat and went on all day booze cruise on the lake, she chose to risk her health and hang out in the lazy river with us.  We had a room with double beds, so I told Cuz she should sleep with Adolpha.  Yes, Adolpha sprawls across the bed, but Gomer is a cuddler and a bit handsy and Cuz wouldn't know what to do if she got felt up by my son.  By Sunday she was ready for some "alone time."  She couldn't find a decent cup of coffee and a weekend with my kids had convinced her that children were probably not in her future (sorry Uncle and Auntie).

On the ride home as Gomer asked us his 100th question about our favorite movie/book/tv show/game/friend/teacher/neighbor from our childhood, she told me that she finally understood why this clip from "Family Guy" is so funny:

"It's funny, because it's true!" she exclaimed.  "Oh my God!  They really are like that!  How can you stand it??"

I just smiled at her and said, "Eh, it's not so bad.  You get used to it."  Then I told Gomer, "Star Wars/Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret/Little House on the Prairie/Clue/Angie/Miss Jipp/didn't have one even then."

I got her home in plenty of time to decompress and relax and hopefully today she's not too exhausted by us.  Thanks for taking us, Cuz!  We had lots of fun!!

Kids Sports That Cost as Much as the Pros

My six year old is gearing up for his first round of organized sports.  Oh sure, we did the little Happy Feet soccer stuff a couple years ago, but now he's ready to play Coach-Pitch Baseball.  His practices (seriously, these kids have practices??) start in a couple of weeks and we haven't even begun to think about the stuff he will need.  After all, I paid close to $200 bucks, shouldn't that cover everything?  I found out that it does not.  We'll still be charged for a uniform at some point and we need "appropriate equipment" whatever the hell that is! 

Yesterday we were invited to watch a baseball team that my day job is sponsoring this year.  This is a group of 7-9 year olds who play competitive baseball.  This is not the rec center group that we'll be playing on - this is a serious group of young athletes.  We paid them $500 bucks to put our banner out at all 75 (!!) of their games these season.  The money is going towards their own pitching machine. 

We had a lot to do yesterday so we arrived late at the ball park.  By our calculations the game only had another 15 minutes and we thought we could catch the tail end.  When we arrived at the ball park we were told it costs $5 for each adult to enter the park.  Seriously?  To watch 8 year olds play baseball??  I think I can get seats at the Royals for $10 on some nights!

We were a little shocked.  We hung out for a minute debating if we wanted to cough up $10 for 15 minutes or come to a later game.  A parent recognized us at the gate and sweet talked the guard to let us in for free since there wasn't much time left on the game.  I asked her if she had some kind of pass to come and watch her child play (since after all, she's paying BIG bucks just to have her kid on this team).  She said, "No, we have to pay every time too."  Whaaat??  Yup, just this weekend alone her family has dropped close to $40 on gate fees just to watch their child play.  That just seems nuts to me.  These are kids!  These are families who are coming to watch their kid play.  You're still going to make plenty of money off of them when they buy your crappy $6 hot dogs!

I realized this ball park was making bank!  I couldn't see where the money was going - other than I didn't have to do my business in a Port-a-Potty and they had electronic scoreboards.  But the parks aren't the only ones cashing in.  What about the companies that sell the uniforms, the batting helmets, the bats, the gloves, the cleats, the batting gloves, the sunglasses that cut the glare and the fancy bag each player has to carry all his gear?  I started breaking out in a sweat thinking how much baseball was going to cost us!



The Hubs assured me we would not need to spend near as much since we were doing rec level and the Kid wouldn't need all the special gear.  I calmed down a bit.

On the way home, we stopped off at the sporting goods store to get the Kid a baseball glove (Hubs didn't think the $4 one I bought at T.J. Maxx was going to cut it).  Did you know a baseball glove costs $40??  Yeah, I didn't either - I shop for ball gloves at T.J. Maxx, duh.  Did you know you then pay to have it broken in?  Yeah, I didn't know that either.  WTF???

OK, so he needs a glove, but that will be it, right?

Nope.  We ran into a family we knew who was there stocking up their son for baseball season.  He played last year and they had words of wisdom for us. 

"He'll need a glove."  (Check.) 

"A lot of the kids have batting gloves and they do help his grip." (Okay.  Batting gloves.  How expensive can those be?  Quick price check:  $20.  Are you freaking kidding me??) 

"You'll want a bat too, it's just nice to have your own.  The rec ones are kind of beat up."  (Yaaah, we'll take our chances with the beat up bats.  I mean, c'mon, it's still Johnson County, how bad can they be?)

And then their kids says, "Oh!  A helmet.  You'll want your own helmet!"  (Really?  I doubt it.  Surely the rec provides those!  It's a safety thing!)  "Oh yeah, they have them," he says. "I got lice from them last season."  (Screw the price!  The Kid gets his own helmet!)

Have I mentioned we're not even sure the Kid even likes baseball or has any real knack for it??  We're just "exploring" sports at this point to see what sticks.  I'm going to drop 400 bucks before this exploration is over!  What if he decides he hates baseball and then we're on to soccer next year?  Maybe I should encourage him to do track.  How much can running shoes cost?  (Ha!)

At least the team we watched yesterday have boys who know they love baseball and are actually pretty good at it, so you don't mind shelling out so much money - it's an investment - with my kid, it's a gamble and we all know, the house always wins.

UPDATE:  The team we sponsored won the World Series of their division.  So I guess their parents' "investments" paid off.  Gomer played one season of baseball and spent most of the time sitting in the outfield picking flowers in his white $25 pants!  (I forgot to add OxyClean to my list of baseball must-haves.)  This year we tried soccer and besides Adolpha's broken arm we all enjoyed soccer.  I think soccer will be the sport for this family.