Ramblin' with Roger

When she was a few months old, people lied to us that she’d sleep if we drove her around in the car. Even when she finally did sleep, it would never be more than an hour, then she’d wail. In defense, I’d sing “Old McDonald”, with a wild range of animals (bear, elephant, fox); stopping to catch my breath would mean more crying. That was her favorite, along with a variant on BINGO: “There was a family, had a girl, and Lydia was her name. Oh, L-Y-D-I-A…”

A lot of it was whatever came came to mind at the moment: Here Comes Lydia (Right Down Lydia Lane); Lydia, You Are My Favorite Daughter (think Herman’s Hermits), and many more.

But two seemed to last. Particularly when I was with Lydia, and Lydia wanted to nurse, thee was this version of Eli’s Coming (probably the Three Dog Night version of the Laura Nyro song):

Mommy’s coming, hold your horses (X2)
Girl, Mommy’s a-comin’, you better wait (X3)
Girl, Mommy’s coming. Hold your horses
Better, better wait your turn
Mommy’s coming, and she’ll feed you
And she’ll nmake you real strong
and she’ll give you good nutrition
She’ll give you just what you need
Every single da-ay

But my favorite
I love Lydia (X2),
’cause she is my daughter, oh yeah,
’cause she is my daughter.

But what was the TUNE? Actually, in the very beginning, I could not remember. Then I figured it out. It was a tune that got all the way up to #66 on the Billboard charts in 1983. I must have picked up from a compilation, because I certainly own no albums by Toto Coelo. (In fact, I had to look up the group name AGAIN.)

Those of you up on obscure ’80s bands have probably figured out the song:
I eat cannibals. Oy. Well, the tune STILL works.

So, please let me know:

1. When does school start and end in your school district? Do you think it’s too early, too late, or OK?

2. Do you think middle schoolers would be better served by the K-8 model? Why or why not?

The Williamsport, PA tournament started with eight U.S. teams and eight international teams. There have been nail biters (usually involving the team from Louisiana, it seems) and blowouts (15-0 four-inning game called because of the application of the 10-run lead rule). Tonight, powerful Hawai’i plays scrappy Louisiana. The winner will play California Saturday for the U.S. championship. Meanwhile, the winner of today’s Guam-Curacao game will play Japan Saturday, assuring that the international champion will be from an island nation. The LLWS finals are on Sunday, and it really will be an an international affair, unlike Major League Baseball, which has its wealth of players from other countries, but only one foreign team, and that one not that far from the U.S. border.

Let me tell you about my Little League experience. I went for a tryout. I was having trouble on the field. I struck out on a 3-2 pitch that I never saw. I never went back. So I am amazed that any 12-year old can hit a 75-MPH fastball.

Former Phillies manager Larry Bowa will be honored Sunday as one of those who played in both the LLWS and in the Major League and displayed character (he is a character).

Last night, Pete Rose was on that damn best sports talk show thing. He seemed very knowledgeable about a lot of sports issues, but perhaps disingenuously surprised that the clock has been ticking not only on his possible reinstatement to baseball, but also his eligibility to be voted into the Hall of Fame by the writers. (In time, IF reinstated, the Hall could allow Rose to be considered by the Veterans’ Committee.) My feeling in that he DID break the fuindamental rules of baseball, and that the late Bart Giamatti did issue a lifetime ban. Here’s my compromise: allow Pete Rose to be considered for the Hall as soon as he is dead. That way, he doesn’t personally profit from his misdeeds, but that baseball recognizes the 17-time All-Star with the most hits ever.

But then I started reading all of this Cindy Sheehan is a communist stuff (just type in Cindy Sheehan communist in Google to see what I mean.) The most audacious thing I read yesterday was the notion that Code Pink: Mothers for Peace is a pinko front – “Nothing more needs to be said.” – apparently, in part, because of its name. In my bad John McEnroe imitation, I said aloud, “You are not serious!”

And speaking of same, I saw on ABC News last night (and in Greg’s blog) that Pat Robertson wants the U.S. to put a hit on the duly elected President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, because he’s buddies with Fidel. That election was likely more legit than either of the ones involving W. As an American, I’m embarrassed, but as a Christian, I’m appalled.