My 40th Year on Earth: So what did I actually do?

Welcome to the last Island post of 2019 and the first post written from my new home! As I write this, Keely is sitting behind the curtain of the sliding glass door (his favorite spot), looking out into the dark morning. He may never come out of his hiding place. Maybe Keely understood 2019 better than all of us.

I always go into a new year trying my best to be optimistic and hopeful. Last year, around this time, I decided that I was going to spend 2019 doing things that I've always wanted to do but hadn't gotten around to doing. I wanted to live my 40th year on Earth (I turned 40 in June) in a way that included fun, challenge, and whimsy. I devised an impressive list of what I would try to accomplish:

• January: Participate in a Polar Bear Plunge to benefit Special Olympics VA. (ON)
• February: Ride in my first Mardi Gras parade. Hail Nyx! (FF)
• March: Actually sing at a karaoke night.  (T)
• April: Mastering the Art of French Cooking - I'll make a four course meal from this iconic cookbook. (ON)
• May:  Take a welding/jewelry class. (ON)
• June: Experience my 40th Birthday Extravaganza. I don't know what this means yet, but I'll figure it out. (FF)
• July: Launch my podcast, Don't Be a Jerk at Work. (T)
• August: Enter the Arlington County Fair baking contest, probably in the holiday cookie category.
• September: Take drum lessons. (FF)
• October: Go to Hershey Spa because why wouldn't I want to go to a chocolate spa? (PS - I don't like strangers touching me, so this is both a fun goal and a little uncomfortable for me.) (FF)
• November: Put The Craftery plan on paper. (T)
• December: Send Transient Suburbia proposal to at least two publishers. (T)

I classified these activities into three categories: For Fun (FF), Terrifying (T), and Outside the Norm but Still Different (ON). 

So what did I end up doing in 2019? Of the twelve activities, I completed six (links to the posts about each one are in the above list). I jumped into cold water for charity, I rode in a freaking parade, and I sang in public. I didn't make a four course meal from MTAOFC, but I did make the Queen of Sheba cake, one of Julia Child's most famous cake recipes. We threw a huge party at a winery to celebrate my birthday, my dad's birthday, and his retirement. I also embraced my inner old person during the month of June by getting irrationally mad because someone parked in my parking spot. 

I also listened to all four solo KISS albums so you never have to. I'm giving in that way. 

There were things I didn't do, and most of the things I didn't do were big things. These are projects I really care about, but am still not 100% in the right mindset to work on them. That's been something I've really focused on in 2019: mindset. No, this is not a post about Carol Dweck. I tend to focus on the things that could go wrong very quickly or what won't work, and I've made a concerted effort in 2019 to do the opposite. So I didn't send my novel to a publisher or start a podcast or figure out how to one day open my craft store. That's okay. Those things aren't supposed to happen right now. They'll happen when they're supposed to happen. Maybe this sounds like a cop out, but I don't think it is. I want to be able to focus on these projects to make the most of them. I wouldn't have been able to give them the attention they deserve this year. For me, that would be worse than failing. 

Instead of those things, I bought a house, admitted to being a perfectionist and how I need to let that go, presented at my first professional conference, celebrated one year with Keely, and went to Game 4 of the NLCS to see the Nationals advance to the World Series (I also went to the World Series parade because the Nats won). I got a button maker for my birthday and I went axe throwing. 

2019 was a year of introspection for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about what would make me happy, not my parents or my friends, but me. I bought a house (condo, but you know what I mean), something I really never saw myself doing. I got promoted, and have been focusing on being a better manager, which means failing spectacularly but doing it anyway. I asked for help, probably more than I have before. I also had a freaking blast this year, even when things were stressful. I got to spend time with people I love dearly. I rode in a freaking parade (I know I said this already)! I made glitter purses, probably the most frivolous thing I can do. Fun, challenge, whimsy - that's what I did in 2019.

Happy New Year from the Island! 

See you in 2020 for more glitter, Keely, and whatever else I decide to share.

Attack of the Baby Shark

Something crazy has happened in the Nation's Capital. No, the 45 has resigned and no, the GOP hasn't found a spine (if it ever had one). What I'm talking about is even more improbable than either of those things.

The Washington Nationals are in the World Series.

I know. It's wild. The only baseball game I ever walked out of was a Washington Nationals game. It was back in 2006 or 2007 when the Nats were still playing at RFK. I was at a game with my dad and brother and the Nats were awful. They were getting stomped on, and it was painful to watch. Not only we they being stomped on, the game was boring, so we left. As my dad said at the time, it was too hot for boring baseball. But we persisted with our love of the Nationals. They're not our "home" team. That would be the Detroit Tigers, but the Nats are our second home team. Over the years, the Nationals have gone from terrible to decent to pretty good to terrible again to the freaking World Series. Like any fan of a sports team that can't seem to get its shit together, Washington fans have been waiting a very long time for this.

I love baseball. I've written about the game several times here on the Island. It's the only sport I really enjoy watching. I used to feel that way about Saints football, but I'm done with the NFL. Not even my beloved Saints can save that horrible organization. I may not be able to spout stats or tell you every fact ever, but I'm loyal and love a good game. I like people watching at games, and Nationals fans are some of the best fan to watch. If I need a stat or to know the intricacies of a rule, I ask my brother. I love baseball, but he looooves baseball. Going to games with him this season, including Game 4 of the NLCS were some of my favorite things I did this year.

There is something so incredibly pure about the Nationals in the World Series. I've watched many a World Series, but I can't say that I've ever been as invested in one like I am this year's series. The Nationals are the perfect team to have in the World Series at this moment. It's not that the game is any different or the Astros aren't deserving, it's that the Nationals make us all, or at least those of us who love baseball, remember why we do. It's so freaking fun to watch.

Here are some of my favorite things about this season of Nationals baseball:

• We are all Baby Sharks. I don't have kids so I didn't know about "Baby Shark" until one of my friends shared it with me last fall. Her daughter was very into the song, and they went as the Family Shark for Halloween. I admit to singing a version of this song to my cat. Never did I ever expect it to be the song of the Washington Nationals. Geraldo Parra changed his walk up song over the summer to "Baby Shark" partially because his daughter loves the song. Since then, he's been on a hitting streak, the team has been on a winning streak, and adults are willing sing this song in public. Watch a version by the organist at the National Cathedral or maybe this version by members of the NSO. Embrace your inner Baby Shark!
• Nationals Fans I know every team thinks their fans are the best fans, but seriously, have you met Captain Obvious? Or how about BeardedNatitude? Or any of the hundreds of delightful humans lighting up my Twitter feed with wholesome pictures of their rally cats, Nats pups, and their adorable children? I can't take the cuteness. Washington City Paper ran a great article this week about the Nats fan community and it made me so happy to see the sheer joy baseball brings to this area. The DC area is a tough place to live; it's intense in a way people who don't live here don't understand. It can be hard to make friends or feel a sense of community. Going to Nats Park is a community. 
• Dugout Dance Parties.  I don't know about you, but seeing professional baseball players dance in the dugout brings a whole new level of fun to the game. The Nationals have been dancing in the dugout since the summer, and it's so pure. Celebrating success and one another is what makes a team a team. I could (and maybe have) watch dugout dance party videos all day. I even own the shirt.
• Juan Soto is 21 Years Old. Juan Soto seems like a really wonderful human being. He's had and amazing season and has been a huge part of the postseason success of the team. NPR did a great story about him and the impact of Latino players on baseball. Did I mention that he turned 21 yesterday on day three of World Series? Fans signed a giant card for him and sang "Happy Birthday." They may not have won last night, but a great way to spend your 21st birthday: doing what you love, with a team and fan base that love you. 
• The team's affection for one another. This was evident long before the postseason began, but in the playoffs and the World Series, it's become even more evident. This team cares about one another and it shows on the field and off. One of my favorite photos from Game Two was the one of Stephen Strasburg being hugged by Geraldo Parra and Anibal Sanchez. Toxic masculinity is rampant in professional sports, but there's something about this team that cuts right through that. They are living their best baseball lives and it shows in every interaction and in every game. 
• Enjoy your job and other's will notice. I work in learning and development, so I've lost count of the number of times I've told people, both at work and in my personal life, to find the thing they love doing and do that always. I think about this whenever I go to a sporting event, a concert, a play - these are people doing the thing and loving every minute of it. I will never know how it feels to play in the World Series, but I do know exactly how it feels to do something I love and enjoy every minute of it. When I watch the Nats, particularly in the postseason, that's what I see. A team doing the thing and loving the job they have. I'm sure the Astros feel the same way, but I don't see it when I watch them play. Maybe my fandom is getting in the way, but I don't care. These guys are the best.
• Washington sports teams rallying for one another...minus one. The bromance between the Washington Nationals and the Capitals (our hockey team for those who don't follow sports or care) is amazing. That's the only word I can use to describe it. The Nats showed up to support the Caps two years ago when they eventually won the Stanley Cup, and the Caps have been here for the Nats. I love seeing hometown teams support one another; it goes back to the idea of community I talked about earlier. Not only are the Caps and Nats fans of one another, but they've also celebrated the WNBA champion team, the Washington Mystics, and the Wizards have been supportive of the Nats postseason. DC United made it to the playoffs this year, and had a great season. All we're missing is the NFL team, but you know, they're not really interested in being supportive of other teams. Oh well, we don't need them or their hateful owner. Support DC sports - I might even a soccer game next season. Who am I?

I don't know if the Nationals are going to win the World Series. I'll be sad if they lose, and I'll be beyond excited if they win. Enjoy the run. Enjoy the series. And then come back out next season. 

DC Days/The Detroit Project: Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I'm probably one of the few people who thinks about musicals when I'm at a baseball game. I blame the Baltimore Orioles; ever since someone used "Corner of the Sky" from the musical Pippin as walk up music, I can't help myself. I love walk up music, but I seriously question most players' choices. Whoever used "Corner of the Sky" was my kind of baseball guy.

Anyway, the song that most comes to mind these days when I go to a baseball game is "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" from Gypsy. I don't think I've been to a baseball in the last decade that didn't have some sort of give away or gimmick as part of the day. Most of the give aways are things like bobble heads, Star Wars themed items (every team seems to have a Star Wars day), and team branded Hawaiian shirts. You know, stuff you definitely need around your house. I have an assortment of Washington Nationals items including a team Russian nesting doll, a gnome (but not the Jayson Werth one), and an unfortunate poster of the team as the Rat Pack which I promptly threw away. I get the give aways; baseball tickets are expensive and attendance at games has been stagnant for years. Give aways and gimmicks are ways to get people in the gate. I get it.

I've attended quite a number of theme nights and give away nights and most of the time, they're pretty fun. I went to my first ever Caturday earlier this summer and I went to Yoga at the Outfield a few years ago. Star Wars Day is always a blast; the cosplay is always a treat. Some of the themed days seem pretty targeted at one particular demographic: women who may like baseball, but really like stuff women like, such as yoga, cats, and knitting. It's similar to the days when most of the team gear for women was pink and sparkly because ladies like pink and sparkly things. Women are a demographic and a bunch of white dudes sit in a room and decide what to sell to us. They go for the easiest thing: pink stuff. Theme nights sometimes feel a little like pink jerseys: a little silly, kind of unnecessarily, but usually fun in the end.

The latest theme game I attended was this past Sunday's Stitch N Pitch day. It's the perfect event for me: I can watch my favorite sport, embroider for a few hours, and hang out with other stitchers. I didn't know about Stitch N Pitch until this season; I don't know if the Nats have done one before, but the Seattle Mariners have had a similar event for fourteen years. I love this blogger's take on the Mariners' event. I feel bad that she experienced some negative comments, but overall it sounds like a great day of baseball and knitting. And the start: every baseball, does in fact, start with a ball of yarn.

I love sewing in public. It's one of those things that seems both innocent and subversive at the same time. Knitting, crochet, quilting, embroidery, needlework have always been in the realm of the female and the home. A lot of women artists use textiles in both traditional and unconventional ways in their art, and these types of art forms find popularity all the time. I've been embroidering steadily for over 10 years, and I love the fact that so many people are into sewing and other fabric arts. The times I've embroidered in public have mostly been non-events; sometimes people ask me questions about what I'm doing, but for the most part, no one really notices. I've only had one negative experience and it wasn't even that bad. The guy was being a jerk, I told him so, he moved on.

So I was looking forward to Stitch N Pitch because it brings together two things I really enjoy: baseball and embroidery. I even decided on a baseball themed project, the first part of my Detroit Project, Tiger Stadium. The idea of doing something like embroidery at a baseball game appeals to my feminist heart. Giving makers a very public place to create, even better! Best day ever!

I'm sure that the weather was part of the problem; it rained all day (playable rain, but still rain), so attendance was low. When I got to my seat there was a group of crocheters in the section next to mine. They invited me to join them and be part of their colorful yarn tribe. Anita and her mom where joining me, so I declined. They were really the only other group I saw, so it was a little disappointing. I wanted it to feel like a fun community of makers and it was a bit of a letdown. I still had fun with Anita and her mom because they're the best, and I got a good start on my Tiger Stadium project, but Stitch N Pitch was a bit of a bust.

Maybe next year, Nationals...in more ways than one. 

Baseball cats

Back in August 2017, a kitten ran onto the field at Busch Stadium during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals. The cat ran onto the field right before Yadier Molina hit a grand slam, and a poor member of the grounds crew ran out to get the cat. You can watch him get clawed here. The Cardinals nicknamed the cat Rally Cat, and were interested in adopting him/her as a clubhouse pet. They lost the custody war with a local humane society, Feral Cat Outreach, who felt the team was more interested in publicity than the welfare of the animal. I don't know if the Cardinals had the cat's best interest at heart, but I do know were I a resident of the greater St. Louis area, I would go to a heck of a lot more baseball games if I knew the team has a clubhouse cat. It's the sort of thing cat people like. I mean, Rally Cat did his own bobblehead, so it can't be all that bad.

In addition to running his way into the hearts of baseball fans, Rally Cat's appearance at the game led to the creation of Rally Cat Appreciation Day and many other baseball stadiums have followed suit, holding their own themed nights for cat lovers. I attended my first "Caturday" event at Nationals Park yesterday. While I have some feedback for the event planners, overall, I enjoyed my first Caturday. As a cat mom, I often feel left out of public celebrations for my pet, so I appreciate an opportunity to come to a game, hang out with some cat/baseball fans, and enjoy cats puns alongside of a baseball game. It makes me feel validated as a pet owner. It has also led me to discover a community of cat lovers I had no idea existed.

This is the look I got when I arrived home last night. Full of #catitude.

When I first started working at my new job last summer, I spotted a coffee mug in one of the kitchens.

I didn't meet the owner of the mug for another few weeks.We met one morning in the kitchen as we both prepared our morning coffees. She's a lovely human and the proud cat mom of three cats. She told me about them and gave me a baseball card of one of her cats...because her cats are rally cats. She has the most delightful Twitter account featuring her rally cats. It's through this account that I discovered an entire world of rally cat Twitter accounts. I had no idea this was a thing, but it seems like every MLB team has at least one fan who has devoted an account to his/her cat and favorite team. I truly believe this is why Twitter was invented.

I love many things about the rally cat community (and it is a community). They take care of one another and seem genuinely supportive of one another. One of the cats is sick and the parent is trying to raise money for care, so all of the rally cat accounts rallied to spread the message. The accounts are funny and creative, from cat-astic puns to fun promos for teams. Some of the cats will even let their owners put them in team clothing, something that Keely is never going to be into. The cats provide excellent color commentary on games. Honestly, I'd rather listen to a cat "tell" me what's happening than some of the broadcasters who call baseball games professionally. Of course, I follow my co-worker's account on Twitter and whenever she interacts with other rally cat accounts (I don't know that they actually describe themselves as such, but it's easier for my purposes here), it makes my heart happy. It's delightful.

Now some of the accounts are political too. Not overtly so, but the cats lean way more to the left than not and have taken some pretty firm stands on topics like gun control, immigration, and women's healthcare. Not all of these accounts are run by women, but they're all pretty unified in their dislike of the 45 and their desire for us to not be a dumpster fire country. I came for the cats and I stayed for the politics.

I didn't get to see my co-worker at Caturday, although I know she was there (she posted in the Facebook group and on Twitter). This might be one of the fails of Caturday: it didn't really feel like an event as much as a marketing moment. Yes, we got a Catitude t-shirt and were treated to some delightful cat puns throughout the evening, but other than that, it felt flat. Our seats were in the section under the scoreboard, so any fun thing that was posted, we didn't get to see, including the cat photos that were running before the game. I submitted a photo of Keely, but I have no idea if it was used. The Presidents Race featured a cat (Teddy had a lot of pets) and that was sort of fun. I wanted more. This is an organization that allowed Bryce Harper to come up with Rat Pack Night as a theme (which was terrible; I was at the first one) and does a great Star Wars Day, so I expected more.

Money from each of the special tickets benefits the Humane Rescue Alliance, a local rescue group supported by the Nationals. They were on hand yesterday for the event; we didn't go into their mobile adoption van. It looked busy, so I hope some lucky cats and kittens got adopted yesterday too. The Nats won the game 18-4; Mark Reynolds had 10 RBI in the game (tying Anthony Rendon's record from last season) and Trea Turner had eight. It was a good night for baseball.

Here's the photo of Keely I submitted. He's doing his best Derek Zoolander. I don't know if he can turn left.

Isn't he handsome? You know he was on the scoreboard because of his handsomeness. Hopefully, the Nats have another Caturday and I'll submit another photo of him and actually get to see it on the scoreboard. Until then, I'll be over here enjoying the rally cat community and trying to get Keely to turn left.