Baseball Time!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you "Baseball Day 1"
My church back home and I have been in contact and they organized a great package to send to me to help out with my work. An amazing back of bats, gloves, balls and Detroit Tiger caps; and a large donation of dental supplies. I am still trying to arrange some dentist visits to promote preventative dental health, in the meantime, I am playing some crazy baseball with the kids and trying to teach thoose little lifeskills that all US kids learn as we grow up playing organized sports.
I am prepairing a thank package for the group that did AMAZING WORK and will be visiting them in November. Until I send them the thank you, here is a mini-preview of the joy that their work brought here to El Salvador, on the side of a volcano!

I had to give Chris lead-off on the photos. Looking good with the guys!

En esta foto, saquen los pulgarcitos y sostenganlos en el aire! Thumbs up in this one boys! The best thing about these first two photos was organizing them. We had to open up the equipment, explain what it all was, lay down the rules of how of asking permision to play and, sportsmanship and listening to Jimbo and then we tried to do the photo. I gave the bases to three kids because I thought it would look good. All the other kids complained that they didn't have something to hold, so cute... I passed out everything we had, and when everything was happy we snapped a few shots!

Explaining how to put on a glove....

Oscarittoooooooooo... cutest kid ever, can hit a decent pop-up.

Trying to keep everyone happy while organizing the team photo.

On our way to the field, before the kids saw the equipment... Months ago I taught them thumbs-up and I am telling you... they love it.

Por la callejon hacia la cancha, sigan la bolsa anoranjada por favor... Through the ally towards the field, follow the orange bag!

Another shot of us just getting there!

Teaching kids how to bat... it is so cute with little kids, they always put their hands on the bat crossed so that they can't swing correctly. Note, it is hard to explain baseball in English... in Spanish... ahhhhh.

Rookie Card. Diego, 5 years old, shortstop.

Chris Vraniak, batting coach. Working with Raul, a quick player with real potencial.

Alexis, Samuel y Jeffery... The boys of summer.

This is the only girl that came out to play. Honestly, they best player we have.

What you can't see is that on top of the 20 some on kids playing, there was a bunch of family out watching the game which was great to see. That is until they starting yelling at me telling me to play better - and they were being serious, haha. I need to get Billy Leddy out here so that these kids can learn from a guy that knows what he is doing!

I think it is obvious how amazing these kids are, and how happy they are to be playing baseball with this amazing equipment...

Vraniak vino aqui para saludar a los cuates

Hey guys... I know that I have really sucked at the communication lately but my world has been slowed down by gravity and the lack of a laptop. However, I am here, I am writing and hopefully, you are reading!
Chris Vraniak decided to come into town for a few days, big mistake.
Chris rolled in like any other good patriot - 4th of July.
Quick Summary:
San Salvador dancing all night - Chris may not have the salsa moves that I have picked up but I say him picking it up quickly. Right, Chris?
Beach for two days. We hit up some surf lessons... Chris lasted longer than I did, but then again he walked out of the water concussed and I was only complaining of how hard surfing is.
My community! That is right, Chris rocked out in my community for a few days and realized how amazing my life here is in El Salv! We hung around the house, we to the camponario so that Chris could experience a bucket bath on a volcanoe and played some seriously baseball with my kids!

That is me on the right with the baby blues... Chris looking his best, no shirt, weird smile (smelled at the time of the photo).

Chris reading to some of my neighbors!

Chris and my neighbor who is in LOVE with him... (Look at the hang on leg... just look at it).

My main man from my community, Diego, and my main man from the states... life is good!

Chris and Nene.

It was great to have Chris here in county. Made me think about home... I will be there November 17th - December 2nd.

OH YEA!

A Tribute

I remember yanking on his chain, his 100 and something out-of-shape body clenched to the grass in our front yard.
'Jimbo, you love to run so much, it is your job to get Norman running'.
For a dog that would do anything to take a walk around our block I was both disappointed and relieved that on 2 day of 'Norman's new life' he started an exercise program that lasted for years: sprint out the door, dive-bomb onto our lawn and play dead until I gave up (and I gave up every time). I think Norman knew I was trying to change his habits, and I think that is why he rebelled against me. One afternoon, during one of his sit-in protests on the front lawn, me yanking Norman's chain pleading that he does one lap with me, mom pulls into the driveway. The 100 and something lug performs a 360 jump/back flip, dodges me and runs to the side of mom's car waiting for her... I think it was then that I realized that my lazy brother, Norman, wasn't lazy at all, just dedicated to one thing and one thing only.
Mom is out the door for work at 7am, Norman starts his day of pacing and waiting for 415 when she appears again. Only to then spend time with her until he relaxed and then would let himself fall asleep waking up every so often to make sure everyone was ok. He would have done anything for her... I actually remember a few times Norman watching my mom while talking trying to understand exactly what she was saying and becoming frustrated because he couldn't.
Norman saw my high school graduation, my college graduation and was a guest of honor at my Peace Corps going away party. I never thought it would be possible that I would come home from El Salvador and not see him at the door waiting to blow past me to greet my mom first and then come and give me a hug. I am glad he is not suffering anymore but getting the phone call that he had left us was too much.
I always use to complain that my nickname was Jimbo and Norman was the name of a tenured English professor at a community college... but that is OK, I think in many ways he was smarter than me. He always listened, even though he didn't always understand; he was always there, even though I didn't always acknowledge him; and he always forgave because I think he understood that that was all that ever really mattered. Pacing and waiting, falling asleep and waking up again just to make sure that everyone was ok.