“It’s a dog eat dog world and I’m wearing milk bone underwear.”
– Norm Peterson, Cheers
I love our dog. She’s just the best. If you have a pet, I’m sure you feel the same.
Our little doggie is Stella Mae. We have many nicknames for her and my favorite is Belle. I call her Belle all the time. Partly because it rhymes with Stella and also because she is a princess. At dinner time, I play Be Our Guest while I prepare her meal. She’s the Beauty and I’m the Beast. (Julie will confirm - especially after a loss.)
We adopted her from P.A.W.S. when she was about one, and last month our family just celebrated her 12th Gotcha Day.
Dogs have a far superior sense of smell than we do. It’s a key part of how they navigate the world. With Belle’s advancing age, the last couple years I have been making a big effort to bring her to different locations for new smells. It’s a calorie-free treat for her…and me!
The bonus is that it means lots of new sights for me. Our favorites are walking in the woods and breezing by the beach.
Oh, we take selfies on our excursions, too.
We go out in all seasons.
Sometimes she takes a silly selfie.
And sometimes I take a silly selfie.
Many of our walks are at our hallowed Howard Park. Sure, Howard Park is filled with spirited activity in the evenings and weekends. It’s also a sanctuary. Howard Park is a magnificent meadow where you can savor serenity.
Except when the sights and smells are dog poop.
Dog poop? At Howard Park? In the grass where people play? Yep. I know. I can’t believe it either. Unsafe, unsanitary, and unneighborly.
Love dogs…not dog poop. I don’t even like the poop emoji.
However, this emoji describes how I feel after I step in the poop.
People who do not clean up after their dog have a dereliction of doodie.
The Cougars really stepped in it at Howard Park on Tuesday night.
We were dogged by the defending-champion Tappers, 12-4. We left the field with our tail between our legs.
The Cougars had a dereliction of duty.
Even though we played dead and the loss was ruff, there are always highlights.
Scoring Highlights
Ev and Andy let the dogs out and both barked the ball to right field to rack a run.
Fort crushed the ball into left field, Martini walked, Big Ball Jimmy put one into right field to load the bases. Eddy, running with the big dogs, smashed the ball to the right side for a tally.
Ev roped a right side single and Andy dogpounded a homer over the entire outfield to put two on the board.
Defensive Highlights
An opposing baserunner ended up in the doghouse after Martini and Andy combined for a sweet pickoff at first base.
With guard dog defense, Charley grasped a rocket, tagged a runner headed to third, and fired to Andy for a double play.
With dogged determination, Big Ball Jimmy made an incredible play at short center by hustling to the right side to catch a hot grounder. He secured it and then deftly backhanded it to Ev for the force at second base.
Jimmy continued his Big Ball play in right field by fetching a formidable fly ball in the whipping wind.
Goose caught a long line drive to center and fired it to Charley at third base to get the runner and show who was top dog.
Fantastic Fans
Cougar Nation was a dogpack last night. They barked and howled all night to keep our spirits up!
Our devoted fans as well as Papi and Belle rooting for the Cougars!
Postgame Party
JD treated us to a picnic in the park. It was a beauty of a night as the wind calmed and the temperature cooled. Some needed a little hair of the dog the next morning. We watched the late games and the evening sky.
Howard Park gives you all the tools you need to be successful: all you need to do is execute.
We need to flush this game quickly.
Next week, we unleash!
Howard Park will never be a dog park because the Cougars know it’s always going to be a cat park.
Growing up, my mom and dad instilled in me a strong work ethic and a high standard of customer service.
My parents always worked tirelessly for many long hours. As a mechanic, my dad, Scott Sr., turned a wrench for a while before moving through managerial jobs at gas stations and garages. When I was about 5 years old, he bought his first Standard Oil full service gas station. He named it Scott’s Standard. (I'm pretty sure that's when my alliteration affection arose.)
At that business, my dad worked 7 days a week, starting at 5:30am every morning and returning home by 6:00pm on weekdays and mid-afternoon on weekends. He even worked every Christmas, making sure he was home by 9:00am so we could open gifts.
In 1977, my work career began at just 8 years old. I had a load of energy, and caused an overload of trouble. At that time, my mom cared for my 4 year-old sister and a 2-year old Li’l Rads. Because I was such a rambunctious kid, I went to work with my dad on most weekends. It gave my mom a break, and it was a good opportunity for me to spend time with him.
My oil career started early...
...in fact, it's even listed on the hospital receipt from when I was born!
During the summer of 1977, I watched and learned how to fill a gas tank, wash a windshield, and check oil and tire pressure. I loved wearing the coin changer on my belt and carrying an oil rag in my back pocket. I loved all the gas station sights, smells, sounds, and tastes.
Tastes? Well, I also learned how to fill a pop vending machine. I consumed countless bottles and cans of flavored Fanta and Nehi. (Shhh, when the pop machine was open, I may have also pocketed a few quarters for the video arcade.)
As we entered the 1980’s, Li’l Rads entered elementary school, my dad bought more gas stations, and my mom was now side-by-side with my dad full-time running the business.
I was a pre-teen and worked longer hours and more days, especially in the summer months. Most summer days, I went to work with my dad in the early morning, and in the late afternoon, he would drop me at baseball practice in his very cool tow truck.
Over the years, my parents won multiple awards for service and cleanliness. Here are just a few.
Li'l Rads and family have a Standard Oil showcase.
I took special pride in the service I provided and treated it like a fast and friendly pit stop. I hustled to greet customers by asking, “Fill ‘er up?” before pumping their gas, washing their windows, and sending them on their way.
I also took great pride in my cleanliness – it was my duty to clean the bathrooms from top to bottom. Now, you all know how disgusting some gas station bathrooms can be. Not at our gas stations. I cleaned the bathrooms first thing in the morning, and I would clean again many times throughout the day so that my work was not polluted.
I took great satisfaction and found deep fulfillment in my work, and I achieved the high standards set by my parents.
Over the last 17 years, I have tried to bring that same thoughtfulness and thoroughness to the Cougars.
While it's been a while since we last clinched a championship, the Cougars consistently lead the league in hustle and teamwork, as we proved in our battle on Tuesday.
1st Inning
The Cougars were in the driver's seat with the first at-bats. However, The Muffies were short a player, so we showed them our great service. Pastor Ted, renowned for his church services and mechanic services, stationed himself at catcher to fix their problem. Our first batter, Kev, put us into first gear by leading off with a walk. Charley was a spark plug and hit a hard single to the right side. Andy was jacked up and jump started us with a three-run homer to left center. Goose broke the speed limit with a racer down the third base line, and Martini had a smooth ride to first with a walk. We ran out of gas and stranded them on base.
The Muffies pulled up to the pump for their at bats. Kev secured the first out with his patented catch, sliding on his back to get under the ball. He looks just like a mechanic using a creeper to get under a car.
Martini struck out the next batter looking. Our foe followed up with back-to-back singles, which actually worked out for us. Why?
Well, you are supposed to rotate your car wheels every so often, and the Cougars have a history of running the Wheel Play every so often. We never tire of it. Typically, the wheel is set in motion by the pitcher, but Joker proposed to run Wheel Play from the catcher spot. After Martini pitched the Clincher, Joker fired it and overthrew first base. Both runners took off, and we tagged the bag for a third out. Afterwards, Brad the umpire gave the opponent a driving lesson on the basepaths so they would avoid future fender benders. (Read the fine print at the end of the blog to learn about the Wheel Play.)
Cougars 3 The Muffies 0
2nd Inning
Boom and Crawdaddy each watched four balls and were in cruise control on the bases. Like a good car thief, Boom stole third base right in front of their eyes. However, we had some engine trouble and left the runners idling on base.
Our defense was in overdrive. Charley handled a line shot and fired to JD at first, Kev caught out number two, and Andy handled out number three. The Muffies hit a speedbump.
Cougars 3 The Muffies 0
3rd Inning
Joker, Kev, and Charley were all in alignment with consecutive infield singles to load the bases. High-octane Andy came up and hit the ball to the police station in right center. He put the pedal to the metal, hit the left hand turn signal, and motored around the bases like Burt Reynolds outrunning the cops in a Trans Am for a Grand Slam. Cougars score 4, and Andy had a clutch performance with all 7 ribbies so far.
On defense, we learned that Captain Cougar is not the only one who loves pop. It was a 1-2-3 inning with three pop outs caught by Goose, Boom, and Crawdaddy.
Cougars 7 The Muffies 0
4th Inning
Martini was in the fast lane with an infield hit. JD had a full throttle shot to left. Big Ball Jimmy burned rubber with a single to the right side for a score. Eddy shifted gears quickly and had an infield hit for a RBI. Boom, with piston power, punched the pitch with perfect placement to tally another. Crawdaddy walked and took a Sunday Tuesday drive to load them up. Joker fueled up and hit a sacrifice fly to notch another. Four runs.
Captain Cougar’s body is still being overhauled but was backed out of the garage and onto the mound for his season debut. The first out was a fielder’s choice from Charley to Fort, followed by a fly out to Kev for two. Fort grabbed a grounder and touched two for three outs. Our defense was on autopilot, muffling The Muffies through 4.
Cougars 11 The Muffies 0
5th Inning
Kev was greased lightning with an infield single. After Andy’s two homers, the outfielders moved far back. This strategy backfired, as Andy hit a ball with a little less air pressure for a single to center. Fort turbocharged a double down third base line for a run, and Martini hit a fuel-injected ball to score two more. Cougars grab three from the vending machine.
The first two outs were to Kev, who had ball bearing defense. Captain Cougar caught the last out, and you can hear an excited Li’l Rads yell “Way to go Scott!” to end the game.
It’s not hard to get the Cougars engine revved up: you just need a Rad Key.
Our opponent ran out of gas. Because the differential was more than 10, Umpire Brad called a well-tuned suspension so that we could ride out in comfort.
Cougars 14 The Muffies 1
Just like at the gas station, we had Diamond service on the scorebook and all the Philthy language made our work more fun.
With all the cheering noise in the stands, you can tell our fans have no muffler.
Cougar Nation has more than a high standard because we have Scott’s Standard.
Li'l Rads, Mom Rads, Rads, Dad Rads
Keep scrolling ... the top-notch service continues ...
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HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
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TEAM PICTURE
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We had many active and social Cougars at the game so we took our annual team picture. Can you figure out who was cropped in?
Here is the link for 17 years of team photos and our first team photo in 2008.
After the game, the Cougars made a road trip. Like good garage laborers, we ended our shift and went to Happy Hour. Marc and Mary filled our tanks and gave us a full-service postgame.
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HIGHLIGHT VIDEO II
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Captain Cougar isn't the only one with Cougar Content. Pastor Ted, who retired from the dirt before the season, resurrected his career Tuesday night. A few days prior, he had a wonderful sermon about Chaos and Order.
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WHEEL PLAY
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Our league has an interesting baserunning rule that new teams either do not know or understand. The Cougars take advantage of the rule to get out of a jam.
Basically, with runners on first and second, if we make a pick-off play on the runner at first base, he can't advance because the base he is advancing to is occupied. The runner on second base can't advance because a play was not made on him.
So the Cougars throw to pick-off the runner at first base and the ball intentionally gets away. The opposing team runners then sprint around the bases and each advance past the next base. Because they have advanced to the next base, they are automatically out. We tag each base out of an abundance of caution and have execute the oldest trick in the history of Howard Park.
In just one calendar year, there are over 400 different observances recognized in the United States. There are various reasons such as cultural events, health awareness, and celebrated holidays.
We all know that Flag Day is observed in June to honor the American flag and show respect for its role as a symbol of national unity and freedom. Flag Day was first celebrated in 1885 in Waubeka, Wisconsin.
Church, Community, and Country
Flag Day - Two for Tuesday
Lesser-known but also celebrated in June is Great Outdoors Month, which promotes outdoor activities and the appreciation of nature.
Nature walk from Howard Park to Cougar Castle.
June is also Dairy Month. (Wisconsin probably started this one, too!) But did you know it is also Dairy Alternative Month? That’s perfect because both traditional and alternative choices can be included and everyone can be celebrated.
Little publicized is that June is also Men’s Mental Health Month. It’s an important period dedicated to increasing visibility to help break down the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. The cause encourages men to seek help and support when they are struggling.
When faced with a mental crisis, exercise, sports, or reading are all good options in addition to therapy.
In fact, throwing or hitting heavy objects is super therapeutic. It provides a sense of accomplishment, stress relief, a confidence boost, and a release of ever important endorphins.
The Cougars and 16-Inch softball are a perfect outlet for a male support group.
There is not an official Women's Mental Health Month, which is unfortunate. Everyone should have their own month to be represented.
Well, Miranda is not going to wait around for a designated month to improve her strong mental health. She’s a trailblazer and has been hitting and throwing heavy objects for quite some time.
Here she is in junior high shoving the shotput. Look at that form!
She also crushes the Clincher in 16-Inch softball.
When life gets rocky, Miranda puts on the gloves.
Oh, look! Here’s Miranda throwing an ax. Look at her backswing to remove rage.
Let’s look at the rest of that picture - Wow! Julie must be in full rage removal mode. Look at that windup!
Hold on, Miranda is still throwing things. Here she is in a skillet throwing contest at Frontier Days in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
Wait! There seems to be something in the genes. Look at Miranda’s Grammy slinging that skillet.
Cheryl was crowned the Skillet Toss Champion! With all that strength, no wonder she is always so happy and well-adjusted.
The Cougars are also trying to also be champions by throwing and swinging hard and heavy items.
We did our best to be strong and throw our weight around on Tuesday.
1st Inning
We started our focused fielding with a double play from Ev to JD to Li’l Rads. Eddy caught a ball in left field that was dropping quickly. In fact, matching his Roman numeral, Edward A. Mahoney V, caught it five times for the third out. Nice work, Five! UBAA down 1-2-3.
Boom worked a walk to start us off. Sam hit a therapeutic thump down the third base line, but we did not plate a run.
Cougars 0 UBAA 0
2nd Inning
Charley easily handled a ground ball and had a terrific throw to Li’l Rads at first base, which was a scene on repeat all night. Ev leaped for a liner for two outs. Charley grasped another grounder and threw it to his Uncle Marc at first base, bookending the inning with outs. It was 1-2-3 once again.
In our swings, JD had a mindful mash to left center. Five smashed the ball and ran hard for a single. No tallies.
Cougars 0 UBAA 0
3rd Inning
The Charley to Marc show continued with another 5-3 out. Big Ball Jimmy used his high school volleyball skills by setting the hot shot up in the air and reeling it in on the rebound. Martini mindfully handled a grounder for the third out. Opponent went down uno, dos, tres.
In our at-bats, Joker led off with an emotional drive to center. Young Ev saw wisdom in Old Joker and did the same. Charley had a focused fling to right center for our first run. Sam hit a deep sac fly to left for tally number two. On a hit and run, Charley took off and Martini perfectly placed the ball over the first baseman's head on the right field line to plate another. JD demolished the ball down the left field line and Jimmy was in the zen zone with a big ball to right for a ribbie. Cougars score four.
Cougars 4 UBAA 0
4th Inning
Nephew and Uncle once again to notch our first out. JD caught a popup for out number two. Ev alleviated our anxiety with a sweet play at SS for out number three. ABC 123 - down in order.
Li’l Rads had a resilient rip between SS and 3B. He was left stranded and had a short walk to his position on defense.
Cougars 4 UBAA 0
5th Inning
In the top of the inning, Mother Nature showed her strength and threw her weight around with a downpour. She made us wait around but her reign was short. The Cougars love our fans and they all braved the weather and provided an emotional shield all night. Our zen defense of third to first had another encore for the first out. JD smothered a hard to handle liner so Ev could grab the out. Martini with a no-brainer grounder to Li’l Rads.
Charley popped positivity between shortstop and shortcenter but no other baserunners.
Cougars 4 UBAA 0
6th Inning
Ev with a popup catch. CRads and Li’l Rads at third and first again for the second out. Ev with a confident catch for the third out. UBAA found strength and had two hits and a run.
We rested and emptied our minds to prepare for the final three outs.
Cougars 4 UBAA 1
7th Inning
Martini with a routine grounder. Five caught a deep ball in left field. Martini ended the stress-free game by catching a fly ball.
Diamond Dave calmly colored the scorebook all game and then declared the Cougars victorious.
Cougars 4 UBAA 1
In every inning of life, positive mental health is a victory for us all.
Pastor Ted preaches, “Love Thy Neighbor,” so we concluded the contest with a handshake line, offering our adversary support and encouragement in their defeat.
It’s important to care for those who struggle, especially our rivals. That’s because the conquering Cougars will continue to throw up rainbows from the dirt, show defensive mettle in the field and wield metal health at the plate, just like in the highlight video.
The Cougars make our opponents crazy.
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HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
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POSTGAME THERAPY
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After the game, Goose, Kathy, and Brad hosted a spectacular Quiet Riot to celebrate our mental health.
