You can thank me later for getting that song stuck in your head.
Welcome to my first Flashback Friday post here on my new blog! If you’re new to these parts, I started hosting Flashback Fridays on my old blog some time ago. It was just a fun way to look back on my past in all of its big-haired glory. Sometimes I’d pull up a memory from my early childhood. Occasionally I’d focus on when one of my own children were smaller. Just whatever form of nostalgia was tugging on my heart strings that week.
I’m not going to be hosting Flashback Fridays on The Pirate Mom Dot Com. Hosting involved getting a link box thingamagiggy from Mr. Linky so others could post their links, and frankly, I just don’t feel like fooling with it. Plus, I don’t think I’m going to be doing it every Friday. However, if you ever want to post your own, by all means, do it! You can always post your link in my comment section because, boy howdy, would I love to read your post!
Okay, so now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on to this week’s Flashback….
All-Stars!!!
If you followed my old blog, you know that I played a lot of softball in my youth. I loved it! Before I discovered softball, I basically considered myself a non-athlete. And ever since I stopped playing, I basically have considered myself a non-athlete.
So, as a basic non-athlete, I have no qualms about being completely prideful in telling you that I made the All-Star team every year I played. For you non-softball/baseball types, All-Stars is a collection of the best players from each of the teams in a league. The team will then practice together and go on to play in one or several tournaments throughout the rest of the summer, after the regular season is over.
Here is a shot of me and my dad back in the day…
I believe this was from 1986, and I also believe that I had the corner of the market in AquaNet hairspray. See that little piece from my perfectly coiffed mullet that blew up from the back? Well, the only way to achieve that was with a very hot curling iron and a lot of sprayage.
My dad usually coached my teams, and All-Stars was no exception. Yeah, we all called him “Mr.” No, just kidding…it stood for MenRiv, which was the Navy housing development where I lived in Charleston, SC.
Playing softball in July in Charleston was hot. H-O-T…HOT! Let me just say that there was a lot AquaNet running into our eyes. Besides the heat, my one vivid memory of playing All-Stars was going to a state tournament somewhere upstate. We had to stay over night in a hotel, but earlier that evening we all ate dinner at a pizza parlor that was located in the back parking lot of the hotel. We were all about 13 or 14 years-old, but that didn’t stop us from flirting shamelessly with our waiter. Apparently, one of the girls (who WAS NOT me, Dad….I swear on my can of AquaNet!!!)from our team gave him the phone number to her room. Well, after his shift, he and a few friends tried to find her room, and what ensued was a lot of screaming, giggling girls and two dads/coaches with softball bats. I will never forget the sight of my dad rounding the corner of the hotel balcony with my hot pink bat in his hands, yelling at the, now fleeing, group of boys to get away from our windows. I will also never forget the tongue-lashing he gave me in front of my teammates….even though I WAS NOT the one who encouraged that waiter. (My dad has always thought it was me and one of my friends….but it wasn’t. It was someone else, and in the slight chance that you’re reading this blog, you know who you are.)
The reason I bring up All-Stars this week is because we found out this past Monday night that Dirty Harry made his Little League All-Star team!
He was nominated last year but was not, ultimately, selected for the team, so we were all super-excited for him! So far he’s having a great time even though the practices have been extremely hot this week. But something tells me we don’t have to worry about AquaNet getting in any of their eyes…
I know that techinically this is a Flashback, but please excuse me as I flash forward and project an All-Star of 2017….
(And I mean the one with the pacifier, as I am back to my non-athleticism these days.)
Fun post Kellie. I always enjoy reading your nostalgia. But…
Did you say the words “boy howdie”?
I remember playing t-ball for Men-Riv. Also, playing stick ball by the concession stands while you played softball. Also, Astro Pops, Big League gum, Bubble tape and candy cigarettes that we would buy from the concession stands. Fun memories!
I’m very proud of Harrison too!
So he gets his softball abilities from his mom! Mwahahaha! I would so harass my husband about that if it were me! Glad he’s doing it sans the Aqua Net. I’m just sayin’….
I’ve missed your Flashbacks. I don’t have enough for a whole post. I only played softball one summer and hated it because
1. it was WAY too hot
2. the only game my team won is the one where the other team didn’t have enough players show up and they had to forfeit
However, I do like to watch softball/baseball/tee-ball, just not in the hot hot sun; and this may change if my little one ever wants to play the game
Yea! I love Flashback Fridays!! Another fun post Kellie
Corey
“Captain Jack.” It never occured to me that you stolea nickname. I thought it was perfect. 1986? I got off the submarine and went to Antarctica in 1986. Just thinkin…
I remember playing T-ball in Men-Riv with Debbie! And then the All Star team too…had that same shirt as your softball one..I still have it too? Ya think it will still fit? Hmmmm now THAT would be an interesting post….how we look in our clothes from youth….25 years and 125 lbs later!
Congratulations to Dirty Harry! Your baby is adorable and how fun to see a picture of you and your dad.