Upside Down

Ouch

Got in the batting cage at Upton Hill Regional Park in Falls Church tonight after getting my swim on. The pool was crowded like nobody's business, which I guess is good for the open water part of my triathlon training. I can still drill my underwaters (swimming from one end of the pool to the other on one breath) like nobody's business.

After my swim, I headed over to the batting cages. The one I chose had a token in the return slot, so I used it. Like 60 swings later, the machine was still pitching off of that same token.

At first, I felt like Mike Piazza or Joe Mauer with my dedication in the cage, but then my hands started bleeding through my batting gloves and I decided that this wasn't fun anymore.


Dedication or Stupidity?

Hey, there is one school of thought (endorsed by at least one Yankee) that might help heal my hands:

In a recent interview with ESPN's Gary Miller, Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou revealed that during baseball season he urinates on his hands to toughen them up. Alou, one of the few major leaguers who doesn't wear gloves while batting, is backed up by Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who says, "You don't want to shake my hand during spring training." (ht: slate)

If you see me, be sure to play it safe and give me a fist bump.

A Toast for My Brother

Officer O'Brien tied the knot in lovely South Bend, IN this weekend, and I had the opportunity to toast the bride and groom.

For Homer and Barney!

Hell Yeah!

President Obama just announced the first award of the Medal of Honor under his tenure as commander in chief:

Janet Monti was home nursing a cold when the call came in.

At first, she thought it was a joke.

A person who claimed to be a White House aide asked if she would be around for the next half hour.

Ten minutes later, she was on the phone with the President.

“He said, ‘I hear you’re a little under the weather,’” she recalled of President Barack Obama’s first words to her.

His next words made her swell with a mother’s pride.

The president told her he had just signed a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor for her son and would be presenting it to the family in the fall. (more)

Jared Monti, hero

I love hearing stories of heroism from the front lines, and seeing this gallantry recognized at our nation's top echelons geeks me up. My only request is that it would be a HUGE boost for morale if there were a living recipient of our nation's highest honor. We haven't had one since Vietnam, and I'm certain there is no shortage of American heroes that have come back from the front lines after acting with the bravery every bit deserving of the award.