July 30, 2009

Adam Attack!!!

So today was quite a day!

I figured it would be an easy day. There are no baseball games today. Amanda and Alex are going to camp today. Of course, I will post their camp adventures too. Anyway, Amanda and Alex head out to camp, Austin goes to baseball practice, Adam goes to Ohkyu’s because he is resting his leg, and I can concentrate on digging up work...

...I thought wrong!

Austin calls me in a panic and tells me there is a game today at 5:30pm! He needs his jersey...now! Alex tells me she is not feeling well. I give her a pep talk and comfort her and catch the train to bring Austin his jersey.

When I get to the practice field, the coach, through translation, asks about Adam. Adam has been out of base ball for a week due to an infected mosquito bite. Adam...don’t scratch! Today, Adam is fine, but I am still keeping him out of baseball. However, the coach tells me he will put Adam in the game today because the opposing team is weak. Seems reasonable...his leg is better now. This is Adam’s big chance to get in the game! Not much stress on the leg... Awesome! Grrrr... Now I have to run back and locate Adam. I was not anticipating this scenario.

Argh! :-x

Fine...just go back home and get Adam. Hmmm...easier said than done. I have about 2 hours to find him before the game. I check Ohkyu’s and his mother says they are at the soccer field. I run the half mile there...no Adam. I repeat this at least 4 times. Why? I think I lost my mind somewhere along the way. Now, I have Ohkyu’s mother, 2 sisters and father on their cell phones looking for Adam, who, is with Ohkyu somewhere. Safe, yes, but not here, where I need him.

So, I then spend the next 3 hours (I only had 2!) running back in forth to all the usual places. Literally, I swear I covered over 8 miles. At one point they found him, but through missed communication he left on his own and no one new where he was.

Finally, I threw my hands in the air and headed for the game. At some point, Adam will get hungry and come home to eat.

Well, unbeknown to me, it turned out he had gone all the way to the practice field. Impressive, but futile since the team had left for the stadium and Adam did not have his uniform.

So, I headed off to the stadium with Adam’s jersey and cleats just in case he showed up. And just as I rounded the corner into the subway station...who do I see...there was Adam...the chances of that are incalculable. Argh!!!! “Where were you!” You can fill in the rest of the recording...

I quickly dressed him on the train with a hundred curious Koreans watching. I did not care, I was on a mission! Get Adam in the game! Even if it is just one inning.

So, we get to the stadium. Late. It is the second inning. Just in time to see Austin at bat...

Austin get’s up to bat. Swing! ...foul ball...Swing! ...another foul...Then Krrack!!!


Austin slams the ball high and far just out of reach of the right fielder. By the time the ball hits the ground, Austin is rounding second.


The coach waives him on to third, then on and on until he crosses home plate! An in the park home run!!! The crowd went wild!

Dongbu went on to torture their opponent 9 to 0 and “mercied” them at the end of 4 1/2 innings

...but here is the kicker!

Just when the coach starts putting in the little kids, he says to Adam, “Adam! Defense?”

And what does Adam say? “Ahh...no...” And Adam doesn’t go into the game basically cause he did not feel like it...or something... I did not know this at the time or I would have kicked him in the pants to get out there. Either did Austin.

You can imagine my first reaction when I found out. And second, and third. OMG! After chasing him all over Seoul just to get him into the game...the big tournament game! Oh, I forgot to mention, they will be on Korean ESPN Monday if they win the next game. This is no small deal. No small deal to to everyone...but Adam is from another planet.

Well...maybe like me... ;-)

I finally got a grip. Hours later, that is.

Then I started thinking, it is great that Adam, 10 years old, has the ability, know how and freedom to romp around Seoul without a care. To be part of a great baseball team, to interact with kids like Ohkyu and his friends, to eat live octopus, etc. etc.

And...it’s awesome that he got to see his big brother slam an in the park home run during the big Asiana tournament. I am lucky to have an Adam to test me. Someone to really make me see what is important. Even when I can not see it at the time...



Hope you enjoyed the drama...there will be more. Trust me...

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