i almost forgot

Yesterday's post was pretty much a rant, touched off by something that happened not long after I got to work. It pretty much framed my day, so much so that I neglected to write about what a great sports weekend it was for the Stapleton household.

It started off with a big win Saturday morning for our softball team. We won the first game, lost the second, but the first game was a classic. We won, 9-8 with a play at the plate. It was 9-7, 2 down in the last inning, runner on first. We're home team, and out in the field. I'm thinking that the worst that could happen would be that they tie us and we go in to bat, I've got the heart of my order up in the bottom-half of the inning, and we'll get a run and win it. So the batter hits a BOMB to right field. Where's my weakest player on the team? You guessed it! But something happened that I can't explain. She got the ball and fired it to the cut-off! Perfect! My first-baseman, the cut-off, then thows a one-hopper to the catcher. The catcher catches it, blocks the plate, and tags the runner. Game over! We later found out that this team we played had not only not lost any games this season, but they had also never been behind all season. I was very proud of my girls! Sara made 2 HUGE plays at shortstop that saved at least 3 runs. Big win!

Then that afternoon the Big Orange showed up in unbelievable fashion and shut down the Bulldogs of Georgia. Eric Ainge, freshman QB, is coming of age quick, and doing a great job of it; he's the real deal. Gerald Riggs had a tremendous game at tailback. And the defense was great! We owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Big win! Susie was very appreciative of my behavior during the game. I only got animated during the Georgia's final drive, and that was mainly due to officiating.

Then, to top it off, LSU came back and beat Florida later that night! Big win! UT's now in control, and if everything falls into place, we might just meet Auburn in the SEC Championship game. However, they've got to take care of things every week between now and then. Still alot of football to be played yet.

Then the Titans won big at Lambeau Field last night. My only regret is that Bret Farve didn't have a better game. He needed to have a big game for my fantasy team to remain undefeated. Didn't happen, but I'm still 4-1.

Here's a suggestion. Next time you see someone with a sour look on their face, say something nice to them. Doesn't have to be anything big, just nice. Not only will it freak them out, but it will also do more for them than you know. That sour look could just be the tip of the iceberg, and your kind word could possibly melt some of it away. You never know how badly some people need encouragement until you ask. Emotional pain is often difficult to detect.....