I am sitting in a Starbucks in Springfield, Missouri! I went to a Kansas City Royals game last night, they beat the Oakland A’s, 3-2 (their 8th win in a row which put them in first place). And, I got to see my buddy, Chris Coats. I profiled him back in May, (“Day 99” if you want to check out his full story), the first time I attended Kauffman Stadium for a game. The architects who designed Kauffman Stadium, built in 1973, were way before their time. I absolutely love this stadium and is actually one of the oldest still in use today. There have been additions made to the outfield in the last few years and now is truly an excellent family entertainment venue.
I have been transcribing my interview with Donnie Hissa this morning. I am an hour into it and I still probably have two hours left! Along with that piece, I have to transcribe my interview with Mike Hobbs, of the Colorado Sky Sox. Getting sick didn’t help me at all! I, also, need to talk about the great time I had in Denver with Kevin Polich, a friend from high school.
Kevin is one of those guys that brings a certain energy into every situation with his presence making wherever you are even better. He is very charismatic, has a quick wit and is one of those guys that embraces life making the most of each situation. You could be getting arrested and if you were with “Litch”, you would be fist bumping and laughing all the way to the clink!
He lives in Breckenridge, Colorado, and is part of the group who owns the Breckenridge Distillery. One of his friends from college told me that he is, also, the ‘unofficial’ mayor. I had a friend from work go to Breckenridge a year ago. I let Kevin know that she and a friend were going to be out there and if he would, let them know the ‘ins and outs’ of the area. When she came back, she told me that “Litch” was a rock star. Everyone knows him; and, besides that, he showed them a good time and the town. This is the kind of guy he is. He connects people. I love it when he is in Ashland when I am. The energy and charisma he has comes out and it really seems that the town is happier. I am grateful that I have been able to reconnect with him.
Another thing he did was surprise me with a night at a very nice hotel in downtown Denver. He purchased the tickets for the baseball game and didn’t let me pay for anything. While there, we went to the Denver Burger Battle that was being held and Kevin had VIP passes for the event. So, we got in an hour earlier than everyone else, I ate an equivalent to 3.5 burgers, which I hadn’t ate that much in a very long time. Everywhere we went “Litch” knew people. They all smiled when they saw him. We connected over high school memories and caught up on the gossip of all things Ashland. We are Oredockers! Both of us have this affinity for the town we became of age in and speaking from the heart comes easy when talking with him. I had this same experience with Jason, my friend in Minneapolis, after the All Star game. These experiences have been the bonus of this trip and I am truly humbled and grateful.
I have a minor league AA game tonight, Springfield vs Frisco; and, I need to get my interviews transcribed. I love what I am doing, it is easy to get up in the morning after sleeping in a car and realize how lucky I am to do this with the happiness of each new day. I might have to referee a fight between my ex-wife and daughter today, but it is worth it. They are on vacation in the Badlands. They are both very strong willed and independent women. One day they will sit back and laugh at their pettiness. Their pictures will tell a different story of the one they may remember. I am happy they are together, even though they are arguing. I feel this just may be a mother and daughter thing. Thanks for reading!
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hey, all things baseball and friends. look at all the friends you have now than add all the friends you have made during this trip while enjoying the great game of baseball .my friend that’s living take care eau claire
Well thanks Mom!