The Sandlot

Today was a good day.

Weekends in this particular region are enjoyed Friday and Saturday rather than the western Saturday and Sunday weekend. Because we are still in the training and MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) cycle of our rotation, we were afforded the day off. Undoubtedly after reading my previous posts, I'm sure one would ask when I've had a day when I wasn't off; let me clarify. Any day where I can wake up and lay in bed as long as I want is a real day off. Ironically, I was up and about at 0730 this morning. It seems like it's only the days where I'm required to rise with the sun that I really want to lay in bed all day.

Because Friday is their "holy day" each week, everything is closed, and instead of 3 meals, the dining facility only offers a brunch and dinner. Brunch at 1000 hours is an amazing thing, plenty of time to wake and build up an appetite.

After eating brunch, everyone seemed to find their own thing to do. We hanged out on the porch and talked, while some took naps, some read books, others hit the gym. A few hours later, we decided to corral some troopers and see if we could get a pick up softball game going. We got nearly 22 guys to play. We rented out equipment from the gym and made our way to the alleged baseball field that none of us had seen.

Walking over the crest of the hill on the far side of camp, we arrived at our new home stadium, which I now call the Sandlot. With the foul lines and batters boxes freshly painted, and the infield recently dragged (come to think of it, the outfield was too) it was begging to be used. We warmed up some, then divided ourselves into teams and got right into it. Yes, we were a few weeks early, but spring training officially started for the Bravo Troop softball team.

I elected myself lead-off batter and center fielder. Twenty minutes into playing I was sweating profusely. It may only be February, but 76 degrees is a major difference from the chill we had experienced while in Washington State. The sun beat down on us and felt great, until I started running around the bases and the beads of sweat started dripping from my brow.

As soon as I returned to my position in center field at the commencement of the third inning, like a cockroach in the light, I scattered to the darkness of the shadow of the guard tower that looms just beyond the center field fence. From the cool, sunless shade of the tower I watched as the opposition's inning lead-off tripled to deep right, as I littered the outfield with sunflower seed shells. He rounded the bases quickly, as his shadow imitated his movements, the sun-casted mimic dancing in the warm, coarse sand. The ball was relayed in, and game continued. The second batter grounded out to 2nd, holding the runner at 3rd. The next two batters pop-flyed to me. Catching a softball is not easy, I'd rather use a baseball. The inning ended and I made my way in to bat.

The waning sun still warmed the skin, and managed to become more of a nuisance as it descended towards the horizon, blinding the batter on every pitch. Even with the handicap from the sun, we batted around this inning, knowing it was our final chance before dusk to come back from the 17-13 deficit. We managed 14 runs before it got dark, making the final score 27-17. We weren't really keeping score, but it was fun to claim to be the winners. It was a very enjoyable afternoon, surely beat sitting in the barracks.

We headed straight for the dining facility, coated in a layer of sweat and dusty sand, and more importantly, victorious. It might have been a scrimmage, but we still have bragging rights. Today reminded me that memories you make and experiences that you take with you are way more valuable than any tangible item the world could possess. Getting away from the structure of the military and bringing back old memories was a great way to spend my day off. Add in a long hot shower and a movie before bed, and a phone call with my girlfriend... there's no denying that there's no better way of spending a day on the Sinai Peninsula.

The stories have already spread about our intense game of softball, and people are interested. Now that we have a lot of guys that want to play, we can build a team for competition against the other troops. There is an upcoming softball tournament sponsored by the gym that we're destined to win; just call us the Green Sox, Bravo Troop's bringing this one home to Philadelphia. Definitely a silly post, not as serious as the previous, but hey, it's my blog, right? Enjoy =]

Self-explanatory picture today, the true Sandlot, deserted after the huge victory, being overlooked from the ridge.