I love my Squids so, so much.

Sometimes they drive me bananas, but it is a true blessing to know every one of you nuts.

Monday was not a good day for me and I removed myself from the second game for an inability to focus on it to any acceptable degree.  I’d just returned from an exhausting weekend of travel so forgive any shortness of temper or instability of character I may have exercised.  Thank you for showing such awesome Squid spirit when I couldn’t be counted on to manufacture any of my own.  We had some nasty injuries that day (four or five, by my count) and y’all really kept it together strong-style.  Battlefield commendations are in order for COOLHAND Ann, OBLIVIA Olivia, KRUKKER Bill, and especially [blank] Karen, who took a ball to the face off of DONRUSS‘s foot, and whose black eye puts CHUNSLIN/OMG WTF/HUGOS Mike’s shiner of last season to SHAME:

In case you were concerned, Karen is doing okay (you can see she’s smiling in spite of it all) but has suffered a bruised retina.  A healthy dose of toughin’ it out appears to be the doctor’s orders.  Obviously that’s NO BIGGIE for a Squid, especially one like Karen.

As for game play on Monday there was some solid work being done all around the horn and beyond.  F.I.L. Phil did some phenomenal base-running, DONRUSS Donruss’d it up as usual, and some hot outfield relays courtesy of CASSIDY, MANNY FRESH Angie, and everyone were in abundance.  Game balls went to LOUISE Nick for some amazing foul dive-catches behind the plate, and to KRUKKER for some all-around outstanding hustle, determination, play-making, and general exhibition of the true Squid spirit.  It should go without saying that we slaughtered the [whatever-that-team-was-called]s.

TEQUILA TUESDAY was a rousing success as well, in spite of the falling-through/failure-to-fully-materialize of the intended post-game barbecue.  I made a mix CD that started out with “Tequila” by the Champs and continued into some other Latin-flavored tunes, but it was decided that playing “Tequila” on repeat was the order of the day.  Frankly, I was not even close to tired of it by the end of the game.  That saxophone solo kills.  Mega-kudos to SUB A DUB Jessica and KEES Keith for facilitating margarita time (and, uhh, Beggin’ Strips time?) in a major way.  Squids dominated bigtime against SOUTHSIDESARA (the Benedict Arnold of the Squids!  Wocka wocka) and her Way Out Club team, ending the game just shy of a 9000-point lead–final score was 9009 to 12.   COOLHAND tossed some super fireball-iceball pitches, KEES had some wicked huss, plus at least one total rocket into home from left field (dare I say, ANNIECUPCAKE-style?), and SUB A DUB made sure things got kept real real at 3rd base, but BEASTOR-X, like KRUKKER the day before, was frequently a one-Squid team and wailed hard at shortstop time after time (and of course busted out the Squid dance AND the Pee-Wee “Tequila” dance, at various points), to take home the game ball.  Sadly the usual ceremony was not associated with the awarding of this ball, but you can leave your props to BEASTOR-X in the comments to this entry.  Additional ups to this fella Mike what played catcher fer us yesterday, for fillin’ out the team where necessary.  STRYKER Lottie, KRUKKER, and SWITCHBLADE, as well as an entourage of other Squidfans, showed up to support, too.  Some of us went back to KRUKKER‘s for some barbecue after all, but hopefully we can arrange a real, solid, well-planned monster multi-team Squid-B-Q after some 6PM Tuesday night game, whether at Tower Grove or KRUKKER‘s or PPHQ or wherever?

Lastly, I want to present this picture, taken in late June of 2007 after a Black Thorn Tuesday night league game, to you guys, in case you have never seen it before.  It is one of my favorite Squid pictures of all time.  Note the many layers of Squids in this picture and the varying levels of obliviousness to the picture being taken:

Practice at the usual time and place, uhh, as always.  Pepper!  Get there.

¡TEQUILA!
PANCAKE MASTER, #88