The Ohio Story

Well here I am, midway through my second week in Ohio. I've skipped the Decatur, Illinois tournament and it looks like I'll be skipping the Milwaukee, Wisconsin tournament as well. This is so that I can build my contacts back up in Ohio (2nd base - 1st base is Charlotte, NC and 3rd base is Prescott, AZ.) The trick to keeping this tour going has been to have good contacts everywhere I go and to build relationships, and this is one thing I love to do.

It was my Mom's blankth Birthday last Friday, so I put together a little surprise party for her... and it was a success... we got her good! It was a small party, with only the essential friends, as it was all planned a day beforehand... the way I seem to like to do things. I played Happy Birthday on the pipes, of course, and everybody sang loudly right along. We all hung out all evening and chatted on the back patio with Dustin's famous grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and all sorts of sides that everybody brought over, not to mention a big cake with coffee and ice cream at the end. It was a really good time (see pic - right after the surprise occurred, a couple of friends missing, my Mom knelt down in the middle.)

So now I'm doing some temp work here in Ohio, playing in a little local tournament, training, and hanging out with the old Ohio friends again... and making some new ones too. I've gotten back in gear with my neighbor and pal ever since I was little, David Snow (see pic - David took this of himself after I accidentally left my camera in his car.) We do his Airforce Ravens training program together. Along with that, I've gotten to get the old hitting/training partner, Chris Landouer, to do the old routine again. So it's cool to get to catch up with old friends... just like the good old days.

I was asked to play my bagpipes for last Sunday's church service at my Mom's church, so I was more than happy to do that. It went well (see pics.)



I will be helping my brother Dustin and his wife Crystal move down to Lynchburg, Virginia (where Dustin will be attending law school and Crystal will be finishing her undergrad at Liberty College.) This will be on the 8th. From there I will be heading to Charleston, SC (actually Sullivans Island) where I will be moving to for the few weeks before I leave to California... one coast to the other...

I tell you, everywhere I go, many things remain the same, but also many things are different. Ohio is neither here nor there. It is not as welcoming as the south, but more welcoming than the north. It is friendly, but people seem to have their walls. It is not a boring place, but it is not an exciting place either. It is not an ugly place, but then again, it is not a relatively beautiful place either. It is not a real rainy place, but it is not a sunny place either. Ohio, ever since I can remember, has been exactly what I have made of it. It is neither here nor there. It is my roots.

Well, I've gotta get up at 7 tomorrow so I better hit the sack.


Goodnight from Ohio... where it is neither here... nor there.


Signing off...

~ Nate