Knoxville Vacation Part II

After getting rid of Alixa’s parents last Sunday, we had a short turnaround of a few days before we received our next guest on Wednesday this week. The Winns decided to fill the void with some sporting events. Monday evening was Alixa’s softball games. Her church team was in the midst of a double elimination tournament and had previously lost one game. They won the first game they played by a healthy margin (10ish) but the second game was much closer. It came all the way down to the bottom of the final inning. The score was tied and the opposing team had managed to load the bases. This was primarily thanks to the pitcher, who had walked two batters (both females). This was particularly upsetting to Alixa, who some of you may know as a t-shirt winning pitcher of Division I BYU intramurals. A grounder to the third baseman allowed for a tag out on the girl coming home, which caused quite an uproar. The tag was a bit high and the fielders glove did brush her face, but not in a malicious or even particularly rough manner. But in stereotypical girl fashion, she held her face and yipped as if she had just taken a bullet. This caused the opposing team to go off the deep end, yelling and screaming at anyone who would listen, and some who would not. This included the runner on second base hollering at Alixa, who was playing center field, to “SHUT UP”. All of the hysteria soon quieted down after the pitcher surrendered a game-ending, bases-loaded walk…to a girl.

On the upside, the loss meant that there was no softball game Tuesday night, which allowed Lix and Jarom to go play nine holes of golf and use her new clubs. Alixa didn’t play her best, but we think that she is just getting used to the clubs and that things will continue to improve. At any rate, they both enjoyed it.

Wednesday brought the arrival of Ansally Day, one of our best friends from Utah (She is not from Utah, but that is where we became friends.) She is a bit sporadic and crazy, and decided that she would love to come to Tennessee and visit us. We could not have been happier to have her. Few plans were made for the weekend, although the possibility of going to Dollywood was thrown about. Fortunately for Jarom, it rained very hard on Friday and he was spared the indignity of wandering around an amusement park listening to country music and looking at images of what seems to be a wax museum doll with DDDD bazoombas.

Seriously, how long ago did she die?

Wednesday also brought the start of the World Series, which the Phillies are in for the first time since 1993. Jarom can vividly remember that series, when he would get off the bus from school and hurry up to his parents bedroom to watch the games on their freakishly small TV. Things are looking good for the Phils, who lead 2-1 and are currently leading 5-1 in game four as I type this entry. As bad as regular season baseball is to watch, playoff baseball is quite entertaining to me. Lix claims to be a Rays fan, so it has been fun giving her a hard time about things, although I fear that this series will go to seven games regardless of the winner.




In other sports news, Ansally and the Winns went to watch the Knoxville Ice Bears play on Friday night. This is a minor league hockey team with whom Jarom is doing a school project. It was Alixa’s first hockey game in several years, and only the third or fourth for Jarom. However, thanks to ESPN’s Sportscenter, he was able to teach her things like icing, power plays, off-sides, the business model of regional minor leagues, and the technical features of a zamboni that enable it to smooth the ice (it’s an all-encompassing show.) The best part of the evening, as any hockey fan knows, was the fight. It broke out right in front of us during the second period, and lasted for about 30-45 seconds before one of the players went to the ground and it was stopped. If you ever get a chance to see a hockey fight, divert your eyes from the action for just a moment and take a look at the other players. You will see them casually leaning on their sticks watching the action, as disinterested as can be, until the fight ends and they congratulate their buddy. What a contrast from other sports, where entire teams charge off the benches at the first verbal insult or mild chest bump. Hockey players are crazy!

This video is a great example of a hockey fight.  Watch closely at :40 to see all the other players standing around watching the action.