Lifted Up

Okay, in the who-in the h*** cares department, I got my first taste of umpiring in some softball games, and of all times and places, it took place during my interim corps year as a Philly WOW in the early summer of 1979. There were some pickup games near our apartment, and it was outwardly an attempt (failed of course) at wintessing, just as going to Phillies games was . the group decided it soul be nice to have an ump, and I volunteered.

But I've always had the temperament. In my late teens, in a fastpitch church league (even though our team wasn't really a church), I flabbergasted an umpire once by telling him he called a good game...I was on the losing team.

I constantly hear talk about various stadiums being outdated or for whatever reason the team need something new and improved....I suppose the Sox will move out of Fenway when hell freezes over?

...edited to give Fenway its proper respect...I forgot to capitalize it!!!

It's interesting that there are twi innies who are checking out this book...

...and I don't think you will see favorable reviews from any of them. The ones who are stirred by Kristen's testimony and don't reject it have a lot of thinking and reflection to do...but even though we don't hear from them right away, maybe it is possible that some are being moved. Just a hopeful thought.

I remember one Senators game I went to in the summer of 1968. There was a large group sitting in the lower deck stands beyond the first base line getting a free look at the game. They were easy to see because the crowd was typical for Senators' games. It was the national guard.

Hey Friends... you're wonderful! And Lifted, HB to your son too! :)

Thanks, Rocky. Now, can anyone spare a thousand bucks to make up for the last child tax credit we just lost? :(

This is from still another work...

The Canadian's last words produced a sudden revolution in my brain. I wriggled myself quickly to the top of the being, or object, half out of the water, which served us for a refuge. I kicked it. It was evidently a hard impenetrable body, and not the soft substance that forms the bodies of the great marine mammalia. But this hard body might be a bony carapace, like that of the antediluvian animals; and I should be free to class this monster among amphibious reptiles, such as tortoises or alligators.

Well, no! the blackish back that supported me was smooth, polished, without scales. The blow produced a metallic sound; and incredible though it may be, it seemed, I might say, as if it was made of riveted plates.

and

"My worthy Ned," I answered, "to the poet, a pearl is a tear of the sea; to the Orientals, it is a drop of dew solidified; to the ladies, it is a jewel of an oblong shape, of a brilliancy of mother-of-pearl substance, which they wear on their fingers, their necks, or their ears; for the chemist, it is a mixture of phosphate and carbonate of lime, with a little gelatine; and lastly, for naturalists, it is simply a morbid secretion of the organ that produces the mother-of-pearl among certain bivalves."

back to the first...

I have, in consequence, kept no account of what followed for many hours. I have a vague and confused remembrance of continual detonations, of the shaking of the huge granitic mass, and of the raft going round like a spinning top. It floated on the stream of hot lava, amidst a falling cloud of cinders. The huge flames roaring, wrapped us around.

A storm of wind which appeared to be cast forth from an immense ventilator roused up the interior fires of the earth. It was a hot, incandescent blast!

At last I saw the figure of Hans as if enveloped in the huge halo of burning blaze, and no other sense remained to me but that sinister dread which the condemned victim may be supposed to feel when led to the mouth of a cannon, at the supreme moment when the shot is fired and his limbs are dispersed into empty space.

The ancestry of the star of the movie based on this work is reportedly, he is the great great great great grandson of... Daniel Boone.

There was another film adaptation of this novel which was released this year.

What happened after that? As to the terrific roar of the explosion, I do not think I heard it. But the form of the rocks completely changed in my eyes—they seemed to be drawn aside like a curtain. I saw a fathomless, a bottomless abyss, which yawned beneath the turgid waves. The sea, which seemed suddenly to have gone mad, then became one great mountainous mass, upon the top of which the raft rose perpendicularly.

We were all thrown down. In less than a second the light gave place to the most profound obscurity. Then I felt all solid support give way not to my feet, but to the raft itself. I thought it was going bodily down a tremendous well. I tried to speak, to question my uncle. Nothing could be heard but the roaring of the mighty waves. We clung together in utter silence.

Despite the awful darkness, despite the noise, the surprise, the emotion, I thoroughly understood what had happened.

Beyond the rock which had been blown up, there existed a mighty abyss. The explosion had caused a kind of earthquake in this soil, broken by fissures and rents. The gulf, thus suddenly thrown open, was about to swallow the inland seal which, transformed into a mighty torrent, was dragging us with it.

Only one idea filled my mind. We were utterly and completely lost!

James Michener?

George

Nope. Will come up with more shortly.

I still occassionally wake up and think about a throw I saw Reggie Smith make . He threw out Dave McNally of the Orioles at home on a sac fly from the 379 mark in 1968. Guys rarely even reach the infield from there anymore-its always relayed in--- Reggie threw a perfect one hopper to the plate on a line like it had been shot out of a bazooka and had him by a step :)

I am guessing McNally was not going full steam because (1) he probably figured he had an easy trot home and (2) assuming he did, it wouldn't make sense to run himself ragged since he had to go back to the mound shortly.

The Indians' best arm I ever saw was Jose Cardenal. he was only with them for two years, but sure put in some strong throws from the OF.

When I ran into George Scott, the Sox firstbaseman of that era afew years ago in Mississipi, he told me that the hardest hit he ever saw was when Frank hit a line drive just over the shortstops head in agame in Washington. The shortstop leapt and it ticked off his glove slowing it down and the ball still landed deep in the upper deck. The Boomer said it still wakes him up at night sometimes.

I hadn't hear that one but I believe it, having seen quite a number of his shots go into the seats that never got very high above the field.

Some that did go into the upper deck still going up made me wonder how far they would have traveled if RFK Stadium had not been closed in, say if it had been like the "Big A" before that was closed up.

I have toyed with the idea of starting a dream thread, asking if people ever dream about their TWI life. The reason I mention this here is that I had a wierd one a night or two ago that I remembered upon waking, and it involved the 9th corps, I swear. I suppose I've been spending too much time here lately. But if I told you the details, you'd agree it was wierd.

I was just browsing amazon and saw that a couple of twi innies left scathing reviews of the book and questioned Kristin's ability to remember events that happened so long ago.

...

I can't wait to read her book. I just bought it for myself as a winter solstice present.

When I first read her book, I knew that if ever needed I could testify to some of the details she mentions from that 8th corps residence year at Emporia, even a couple of things she mentions about her apprentice year in Indiana (I was at Indy working on my work days off at limb HQ.)

Perhaps that will never be needed. But more importantly, in my own mind some of these details helped immensely in making her experience, as she wrote about it, more real to me. Just as important was the tone in which she wrote; i.e. non-bitter because she wrote about it kind of as she were living it.

Also, I would ask those who posted as such that, if they were horribly abused...let's even make it outside of TWI if they like...would they forget THAT?

Glad to see you finally got the book. I know what happened to her may seem like nothing new to some people on GS who were abused or know someone who was abused. And I had not been denying that such abuse might have happened, but it can be a big step from might have to knowing it did happen.

Winter solstice present, though??? <_<

What? No big Frank Howard fans, or Eddie Brinkman or Del Unser?

I loved watching those old Senators--mostly because when they came into Fenway there was always a doubleheader scheduled!

You werent all that far from the Orioles either-I would have loved to have an up close look of those Boog/Brooks/Frank Robby teams...

Oh, now let's put this in perspective. I loved the Senators too; it's just that we never got to talking about how hi they'd finish.Frank Howard was always the favorite, of course, for his mammoth home runs especially. For a while I lived in the same apartment complex he did (River Towers in Alexandria) but never saw him there.

Of course, many teams would put the old shift on him, and he usually didn't get fancy; he'd just hit the tar out of the ball when he didn't K. The infields would play him far back; which made sense; only once did i see him beat this with a bunt. into no man's land where he had so much time to get to first that my grandmother could have made it.

Yes, Eddie to and his sharp fielding at SS, same for Del, usually in the OF. And don't forget Darold Knowles who went, I think, 2-14 as a reliever with an ERA not far over 2. In later years when they got Ron Hansen for a while, he pulled off his unassisted TP. Tom Cheney and his 21 Ks in 16 innings; etc. etc. etc.

For a couple years after Bob Short yanked them out to TX, I did go up to see the Birds several times at old Memorial Stadium. I was always impressed with how quickly I could drive up north though town to the stadium; the traffic light synchronization on those one ways was incredible. The only bad experience was when I drove up once for a scheduled doubleheader; just after 5 innings of the first game, the rains came, and when the grounds crew rolled out the tarp, it didn't reach the third base line for some reason, so that stood there getting soaked, and of course the game was called.

November 29th.

Hope it is the greatest! I wasn't about to forget this one after I noticed it's the same day as my younger son's. We'll give you a couple more years than him...

Happy Birthday and glad to see you doing well! You'll outlast that black bear by many years, even if you don't take care of that yourself!

When I at last began to resign myself to the fact that no further aid was to be expected from man, and knowing that I was utterly powerless to do anything for my own salvation, I kneeled with earnest fervor and asked assistance from Heaven. The remembrance of my innocent childhood, the memory of my mother, known only in my infancy, came welling forth from my heart. I had recourse to prayer. And little as I had a right to be remembered by Him whom I had forgotten in the hour of prosperity, and whom I so tardily invoked, I prayed earnestly and sincerely.

As soon as the meal was over, the children disappeared, whilst the grown people sat around the fireplace, on which was placed turf, heather, cow dung and dried fish-bones. As soon as everybody was sufficiently warm, a general dispersion took place, all retiring to their respective couches. Our hostess offered to pull off our stockings and trousers, according to the custom of the country, but as we graciously declined to be so honored, she left us to our bed of dry fodder.

The weather, if, under the circumstances, we may use such an expression, is about to change very suddenly. The atmosphere is being gradually loaded with vapors, which carry with them the electricity formed by the constant evaporation of the saline waters; the clouds are slowly but sensibly falling towards the sea, and are assuming a dark-olive texture...

Slowly, and shivering all the while with cold, I opened my eyes. What then did I see? My first glance was upwards at the cold fleecy clouds, which as by some optical delusion appeared to stand still, while the steeple, the weathercock, and our two selves were carried swiftly along. Far away on one side could be seen the grassy plain, while on the other lay the sea bathed in translucent light. The Sund, or Sound as we call it, could be discovered beyond the point of Elsinore, crowded with white sails, which, at that distance looked like the wings of seagulls; while to the east could be made out the far-off coast of Sweden. The whole appeared a magic panorama.

From another work.....

Texas produced its array of twenty-six counties; Florida replied that twelve counties were better than twenty-six in a country only one-sixth part of the size.

Texas plumed itself upon its 330,000 natives; Florida, with a far smaller territory, boasted of being much more densely populated with 56,000.

The Texans, through the columns of the Herald claimed that some regard should be had to a State which grew the best cotton in all America, produced the best green oak for the service of the navy, and contained the finest oil, besides iron mines, in which the yield was fifty per cent. of pure metal.

To this the American Review replied that the soil of Florida, although not equally rich, afforded the best conditions for the moulding and casting of the Columbiad, consisting as it did of sand and argillaceous earth.

“That may be all very well,” replied the Texans; “but you must first get to this country. Now the communications with Florida are difficult, while the coast of Texas offers the bay of Galveston, which possesses a circumference of fourteen leagues, and is capable of containing the navies of the entire world!”

“A pretty notion truly,” replied the papers in the interest of Florida, “that of Galveston bay below the 29th parallel! Have we not got the bay of Espiritu Santo, opening precisely upon the 28th degree, and by which ships can reach Tampa Town by direct route?”

“A fine bay; half choked with sand!”

“Choked yourselves!” returned the others.

Thus the war went on for several days, when Florida endeavored to draw her adversary away on to fresh ground; and one morning the Times hinted that, the enterprise being essentially American, it ought not to be attempted upon other than purely American territory.

To these words Texas retorted, “American! are we not as much so as you? Were not Texas and Florida both incorporated into the Union in 1845?”

“Undoubtedly,” replied the Times; “but we have belonged to the Americans ever since 1820.”

“Yes!” returned the Tribune; “after having been Spaniards or English for two hundred years, you were sold to the United States for five million dollars!”

“Well! and why need we blush for that? Was not Louisiana bought from Napoleon in 1803 at the price of sixteen million dollars?”

“Scandalous!” roared the Texas deputies. “A wretched little strip of country like Florida to dare to compare itself to Texas, who, in place of selling herself, asserted her own independence, drove out the Mexicans in March 2, 1846, and declared herself a federal republic after the victory gained by Samuel Houston, on the banks of the San Jacinto, over the troops of Santa Anna!—a country, in fine, which voluntarily annexed itself to the United States of America!”

“Yes; because it was afraid of the Mexicans!” replied Florida.

and

An appalling unearthly report followed instantly, such as can be compared to nothing whatever known, not even to the roar of thunder, or the blast of volcanic explosions! No words can convey the slightest idea of the terrific sound! An immense spout of fire shot up from the bowels of the earth as from a crater. The earth heaved up, and with great difficulty some few spectators obtained a momentary glimpse of the projectile victoriously cleaving the air in the midst of the fiery vapors!

Hint: several of this author's books were adapted for the screen, though some with considerable changes in details (which is normal I guess).

The original film of my first example has as its first billed star a person more known for his singing voice, which is on display a few times in the film. And, surprise, to me, just now, checking up on him, I learned something about his ancestry I didn't know before, but which one might guess given that there is something significant to guess.

Another hint: this author, according to the information I have, is the second most translated author of all time, behind only Agatha Christie.

Back to the first work, maybe giveaway time?

About eight o’clock in the evening, my uncle gave the signal for halting. Hans seated himself on the ground. The lamps were hung to fissures in the lava rock. We were now in a large cavern where air was not wanting. On the contrary, it abounded. What could be the cause of this—to what atmospheric agitation could be ascribed this draught? But this was a question which I did not care to discuss just then. Fatigue and hunger made me incapable of reasoning. An unceasing march of seven hours had not been kept up without great exhaustion. I was really and truly worn out; and delighted enough I was to hear the word Halt.

Yea, I can understand. BTW, we were in Alexandria, VA which is in the DC area, but neither of us was ready to brag too much about the Senators.

A little change, but not off topic...back in my HS days, in the '60s, one of my classmates signed my yearbook as such....."To the trashcan shooting partner with the bounce shoot...the Tribe is going to finish behind the red Sox this year."

We had a number of friendly debates about the quality of our favorite teams.

In fact (the yearbook is buried somewhere in the basement)...this might have been at the end of my Junior year...spring 1967. Hmmm.....

:) Lifted

I'll take all the smiles you wanna give me...

(but dont load up here, this thread is for Paw!)

Shell, you are hereby designated the official starter of Paw's birthday thread for next year; I'll keep my hands off to avoid confusion!!!

When I at last began to resign myself to the fact that no further aid was to be expected from man, and knowing that I was utterly powerless to do anything for my own salvation, I kneeled with earnest fervor and asked assistance from Heaven. The remembrance of my innocent childhood, the memory of my mother, known only in my infancy, came welling forth from my heart. I had recourse to prayer. And little as I had a right to be remembered by Him whom I had forgotten in the hour of prosperity, and whom I so tardily invoked, I prayed earnestly and sincerely.

As soon as the meal was over, the children disappeared, whilst the grown people sat around the fireplace, on which was placed turf, heather, cow dung and dried fish-bones. As soon as everybody was sufficiently warm, a general dispersion took place, all retiring to their respective couches. Our hostess offered to pull off our stockings and trousers, according to the custom of the country, but as we graciously declined to be so honored, she left us to our bed of dry fodder.

The weather, if, under the circumstances, we may use such an expression, is about to change very suddenly. The atmosphere is being gradually loaded with vapors, which carry with them the electricity formed by the constant evaporation of the saline waters; the clouds are slowly but sensibly falling towards the sea, and are assuming a dark-olive texture...

Slowly, and shivering all the while with cold, I opened my eyes. What then did I see? My first glance was upwards at the cold fleecy clouds, which as by some optical delusion appeared to stand still, while the steeple, the weathercock, and our two selves were carried swiftly along. Far away on one side could be seen the grassy plain, while on the other lay the sea bathed in translucent light. The Sund, or Sound as we call it, could be discovered beyond the point of Elsinore, crowded with white sails, which, at that distance looked like the wings of seagulls; while to the east could be made out the far-off coast of Sweden. The whole appeared a magic panorama.

From another work.....

Texas produced its array of twenty-six counties; Florida replied that twelve counties were better than twenty-six in a country only one-sixth part of the size.

Texas plumed itself upon its 330,000 natives; Florida, with a far smaller territory, boasted of being much more densely populated with 56,000.

The Texans, through the columns of the Herald claimed that some regard should be had to a State which grew the best cotton in all America, produced the best green oak for the service of the navy, and contained the finest oil, besides iron mines, in which the yield was fifty per cent. of pure metal.

To this the American Review replied that the soil of Florida, although not equally rich, afforded the best conditions for the moulding and casting of the Columbiad, consisting as it did of sand and argillaceous earth.

“That may be all very well,” replied the Texans; “but you must first get to this country. Now the communications with Florida are difficult, while the coast of Texas offers the bay of Galveston, which possesses a circumference of fourteen leagues, and is capable of containing the navies of the entire world!”

“A pretty notion truly,” replied the papers in the interest of Florida, “that of Galveston bay below the 29th parallel! Have we not got the bay of Espiritu Santo, opening precisely upon the 28th degree, and by which ships can reach Tampa Town by direct route?”

“A fine bay; half choked with sand!”

“Choked yourselves!” returned the others.

Thus the war went on for several days, when Florida endeavored to draw her adversary away on to fresh ground; and one morning the Times hinted that, the enterprise being essentially American, it ought not to be attempted upon other than purely American territory.

To these words Texas retorted, “American! are we not as much so as you? Were not Texas and Florida both incorporated into the Union in 1845?”

“Undoubtedly,” replied the Times; “but we have belonged to the Americans ever since 1820.”

“Yes!” returned the Tribune; “after having been Spaniards or English for two hundred years, you were sold to the United States for five million dollars!”

“Well! and why need we blush for that? Was not Louisiana bought from Napoleon in 1803 at the price of sixteen million dollars?”

“Scandalous!” roared the Texas deputies. “A wretched little strip of country like Florida to dare to compare itself to Texas, who, in place of selling herself, asserted her own independence, drove out the Mexicans in March 2, 1846, and declared herself a federal republic after the victory gained by Samuel Houston, on the banks of the San Jacinto, over the troops of Santa Anna!—a country, in fine, which voluntarily annexed itself to the United States of America!”

“Yes; because it was afraid of the Mexicans!” replied Florida.

and

An appalling unearthly report followed instantly, such as can be compared to nothing whatever known, not even to the roar of thunder, or the blast of volcanic explosions! No words can convey the slightest idea of the terrific sound! An immense spout of fire shot up from the bowels of the earth as from a crater. The earth heaved up, and with great difficulty some few spectators obtained a momentary glimpse of the projectile victoriously cleaving the air in the midst of the fiery vapors!

Hint: several of this author's books were adapted for the screen, though some with considerable changes in details (which is normal I guess).

The original film of my first example has as its first billed star a person more known for his singing voice, which is on display a few times in the film. And, surprise, to me, just now, checking up on him, I learned something about his ancestry I didn't know before, but which one might guess given that there is something significant to guess.

We didn't really have any interaction ( such as Ellen Crean and i did), but I sure remember the love in her posts. I remember how she recalled with fondness someone I mentioned on one thread, someone who rang a bell in her from earlier years.

When I at last began to resign myself to the fact that no further aid was to be expected from man, and knowing that I was utterly powerless to do anything for my own salvation, I kneeled with earnest fervor and asked assistance from Heaven. The remembrance of my innocent childhood, the memory of my mother, known only in my infancy, came welling forth from my heart. I had recourse to prayer. And little as I had a right to be remembered by Him whom I had forgotten in the hour of prosperity, and whom I so tardily invoked, I prayed earnestly and sincerely.

As soon as the meal was over, the children disappeared, whilst the grown people sat around the fireplace, on which was placed turf, heather, cow dung and dried fish-bones. As soon as everybody was sufficiently warm, a general dispersion took place, all retiring to their respective couches. Our hostess offered to pull off our stockings and trousers, according to the custom of the country, but as we graciously declined to be so honored, she left us to our bed of dry fodder.

The weather, if, under the circumstances, we may use such an expression, is about to change very suddenly. The atmosphere is being gradually loaded with vapors, which carry with them the electricity formed by the constant evaporation of the saline waters; the clouds are slowly but sensibly falling towards the sea, and are assuming a dark-olive texture...

Slowly, and shivering all the while with cold, I opened my eyes. What then did I see? My first glance was upwards at the cold fleecy clouds, which as by some optical delusion appeared to stand still, while the steeple, the weathercock, and our two selves were carried swiftly along. Far away on one side could be seen the grassy plain, while on the other lay the sea bathed in translucent light. The Sund, or Sound as we call it, could be discovered beyond the point of Elsinore, crowded with white sails, which, at that distance looked like the wings of seagulls; while to the east could be made out the far-off coast of Sweden. The whole appeared a magic panorama.

Question......these quotes are from one work. Are we allowed, encouraged, or otherwise suggested to list quotes from different works by the same author, or should we stick to one?

When I at last began to resign myself to the fact that no further aid was to be expected from man, and knowing that I was utterly powerless to do anything for my own salvation, I kneeled with earnest fervor and asked assistance from Heaven. The remembrance of my innocent childhood, the memory of my mother, known only in my infancy, came welling forth from my heart. I had recourse to prayer. And little as I had a right to be remembered by Him whom I had forgotten in the hour of prosperity, and whom I so tardily invoked, I prayed earnestly and sincerely.

Another short excerpt...

As soon as the meal was over, the children disappeared, whilst the grown people sat around the fireplace, on which was placed turf, heather, cow dung and dried fish-bones. As soon as everybody was sufficiently warm, a general dispersion took place, all retiring to their respective couches. Our hostess offered to pull off our stockings and trousers, according to the custom of the country, but as we graciously declined to be so honored, she left us to our bed of dry fodder.

I don't know Lifted's quote.

I think this is a good start, it sure is a hard one if one hasn't read the book or just skimmed through it. It is well after the time of the one I just guessed, but closer to that time than to the present.

Yea, happy birthday!!! When I went back and dug out that thread form last year, I was thrown by the fact that Shell started it on the 24th last year!

But if anyone deserves two birthday threads at the same time, you do! :)