What started as suspected food poisoning turned out to be a nasty case of the flu. Aaron was up hurling until after 3am. The next morning, he was able to choke down a few pieces of toast and a glass of water for breakfast. As soon as he got to the clubhouse, the Montezuma's Revenge returned and proved to be Aaron's toughest opponent of the week.
The final Kangaroo Court of the week was Friday morning, filled with much laughter as always, but ending on a sad note when it was announced that one of the campers' fathers had passed away.
The Red team's fifth round robin game was against Kevin Seitzer, Willie Wilson, and Jon Worden's team. Aaron started at shortstop and batted third, and during the third inning Greg Pryor sent Aaron back to the clubhouse since he was in the bathroom between every inning. They decided he should take the rest of the morning off and prepare for the championship game that afternoon. The Red team ended up winning 10-3.
While in the clubhouse, Aaron had the chance to speak with Royal pitcher Brandon Duckworth. He found comfort by laying on the floor in front of his locker with his feet up and a towel over his face. Shortly thereafter, Frank White entered the clubhouse and proved to be sicker than Aaron. He missed the rest of camp, including the autograph session Friday afternoon and the banquet Friday night (more on those later). A local sandwich shop brought in boxed lunches, and Aaron held down 1/2 a sandwich and a cookie (great progress!).
Friday afternoon, the Red team played the Gold team (coached by Dennis Leonard, an absent Frank White, and John Mayberry) for the championship game, and Aaron again started at shortstop and batted third. This time, he made it through six innings defensively but hit through the whole game. When his team was on defense, Aaron laid down in the dugout; when they were on offense, he stayed down until it was his turn to bat - then would immediately lay down again when he returned to the dugout. (Editor's comment: In over five years, I have never seen Aaron get the flu. Don't you think he chose the wrong time for this!? LOL)
Aaron ended up 2 for 4, and the Red team was ahead 5-2 when he left the game defensively. Unfortunately, his replacement at shortstop tanked three consecutive plays and they ended up losing the championship 6-5.
Friday afternoon was something the campers all looked forward to - the Alumni Autograph Session. Each camper could bring three items to have autographed. Aaron took three baseballs and had each Alumni sign them. (He gave one baseball to M&D Pennington, one to M&D Ludwig, and one to his brother.) Along the way, he thanked each of the players for taking the time to spend with him and help make his dreams come true. Most replied that they had more fun than the campers did, and wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world.
At the end of the session, Aaron snuck back through the line and asked Joe Randa to sign his locker nameplate for me. After much thought and deliberation, Joe wrote, "To Amy, The best Royals fan in Kansas. Go KU! -Joe Randa, #16" What a nice guy!
Camp ended with the Awards Banquet, at another local hotel. Each player was recognized individually. Greg Pryor spoke of Aaron's rockstar ballplaying ability and noted that the team MVP trophy was his before he came down sick. Les Norman also told the campers about this being Aaron's birthday present and that he has a baby on the way in June. He then told everyone about how excited I was to talk to Joe Randa on the phone, and joked that if Joe Randa is my favorite baseball player, I need to get out more:)
Each Alumni player autographed his jersey and they were given away in drawings throughout the night. They also auctioned off an autographed batting helmet, with the proceeds going to a scholarship in the name of the camper's dad who passed away. George Brett won the helmet, donating $600, then gave the helmet to the camper. Nice guy!
After all of the awards, recognitions, thank-yous, and more, most campers went out for cocktails but all Aaron drank was a bottle of Pepto and went to bed, ready to come home to the AP's waiting for him.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Our Emily
We are so proud of our niece, Emily, who donated her hair today to Locks of Love. She made a very grown-up decision to help other children in need, and is already excited to grow her hair out again to donate even more hair. It is such a blessing knowing we have such an unselfish, thoughtful niece!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
A note from Aggie
Dear Mother,
What have you done with Father? He hasn't been here to pamper me all week.
Unacceptable.
Sincerely,
Agatha Helen
PS - on the plus side, there hasn't been any DRUMMING this week...
What have you done with Father? He hasn't been here to pamper me all week.
Unacceptable.
Sincerely,
Agatha Helen
PS - on the plus side, there hasn't been any DRUMMING this week...
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Fantasy Camp - Day Four
Thursday was a fun day, because all of the campers got to play against the Alumni.
Each camper team played a three-inning scrimmage against the Alumni. Aaron's red team played the second scrimmage of the morning, losing to the Alumni 1-0.
Aaron batted third against Royals Hall of Famer, Dennis Leonard. In a 3-1 fastball on the corner, he flew out to right. He played shortstop for all three innings but unfortunately didn't have a ball hit to him. After the game, the red team had their pictures taken with the Alumni.
In unfortunate news, Marty Pattin was up to bat this afternoon and tore his hamstring at the plate. Ouch!
I think I've mentioned there will be a DVD of this whole shebang coming out in a few weeks. We upgraded to the personalized version, which includes an interview with John Worden. They did the interview today, and I can't wait to see it. He's keeping tight-lipped about what they talked about!
Lunch today was catered by a huge chuckwagon. They barbecued briskets, chicken wings, etc and Aaron said it was great. After lunch, Aaron had a few extra minutes so he gave me a call. We spoke shortly, then he put me on hold. A moment later, an unfamiliar voice said "Hey Amy, what's going on?" It was none other than my favorite Royal, JOE RANDA! I was totally shocked and probably sounded like a silly girl on the phone with him. LOL! I told him I missed him playing at 3rd base, to which he replied "I miss it too, but I don't think I can beat Alex Gordon out of a job." I let him know that I would vote for him any day over that silly Alex Gordon! What a fun surprise...definitely the highlight of my week.
Today's present is super cool...an authentic MLB baseball autographed by all of the Alumni. How cool is THAT! There is an autograph session tomorrow, but it's really neat to have all of their signatures in one place.
The afternoon started with another trip to the training room and another cold bath. Aaron dried off, grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and a bag of sunflower seeds (ALSO UNLIMITED in the clubhouse, along with bubblegum, pumpkin seeds, etc) and watched the second set of Alumni scrimmages of the day.
Dinner tonight was with the red team and its coaches at a local Italian joint. Everyone got a chance to talk about their experiences of the week and what it has meant to them. Aaron ate sausage lasagna, which wasn't his best choice of the week since he upchucked it about four times before leaving the parking lot. Oooops! Luckily his great teammates waited for him and made sure he got back to the hotel safely. It's going to be an early night for AP...
On tap for tomorrow: one more round robin game, then the Championship Game! Red team has already qualified, as they are the only remaining undefeated team in the round robin. Also, tomorrow will include the autograph session and awards banquet to end the week.
Each camper team played a three-inning scrimmage against the Alumni. Aaron's red team played the second scrimmage of the morning, losing to the Alumni 1-0.
Aaron batted third against Royals Hall of Famer, Dennis Leonard. In a 3-1 fastball on the corner, he flew out to right. He played shortstop for all three innings but unfortunately didn't have a ball hit to him. After the game, the red team had their pictures taken with the Alumni.
In unfortunate news, Marty Pattin was up to bat this afternoon and tore his hamstring at the plate. Ouch!
I think I've mentioned there will be a DVD of this whole shebang coming out in a few weeks. We upgraded to the personalized version, which includes an interview with John Worden. They did the interview today, and I can't wait to see it. He's keeping tight-lipped about what they talked about!
Lunch today was catered by a huge chuckwagon. They barbecued briskets, chicken wings, etc and Aaron said it was great. After lunch, Aaron had a few extra minutes so he gave me a call. We spoke shortly, then he put me on hold. A moment later, an unfamiliar voice said "Hey Amy, what's going on?" It was none other than my favorite Royal, JOE RANDA! I was totally shocked and probably sounded like a silly girl on the phone with him. LOL! I told him I missed him playing at 3rd base, to which he replied "I miss it too, but I don't think I can beat Alex Gordon out of a job." I let him know that I would vote for him any day over that silly Alex Gordon! What a fun surprise...definitely the highlight of my week.
Today's present is super cool...an authentic MLB baseball autographed by all of the Alumni. How cool is THAT! There is an autograph session tomorrow, but it's really neat to have all of their signatures in one place.
The afternoon started with another trip to the training room and another cold bath. Aaron dried off, grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and a bag of sunflower seeds (ALSO UNLIMITED in the clubhouse, along with bubblegum, pumpkin seeds, etc) and watched the second set of Alumni scrimmages of the day.
Dinner tonight was with the red team and its coaches at a local Italian joint. Everyone got a chance to talk about their experiences of the week and what it has meant to them. Aaron ate sausage lasagna, which wasn't his best choice of the week since he upchucked it about four times before leaving the parking lot. Oooops! Luckily his great teammates waited for him and made sure he got back to the hotel safely. It's going to be an early night for AP...
On tap for tomorrow: one more round robin game, then the Championship Game! Red team has already qualified, as they are the only remaining undefeated team in the round robin. Also, tomorrow will include the autograph session and awards banquet to end the week.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Fantasy Camp - Day Three
After waking up at 5am (the excitement still hasn’t worn off!), Aaron had breakfast at the hotel and was in the first van to the stadium. He roamed the clubhouse and hung out with several players, including John Mayberry and Brian McRae. He took pictures with them and other Alumni – I can’t wait to see these!
As Aaron was walking through the clubhouse, he accidentally bumped into someone beside him. As he apologized, he noticed it was none other than the new Royals Manager, Trey Hillman. They shook hands and spoke for a while. Aaron welcomed him to KC and the Royals and they had their picture taken together. Then the doors opened, and new Royals recruit Yabuta walked through. They spoke for a few minutes, then had Kangaroo Court. Trey Hillman was a special guest speaker, and spoke about how excited he is about coming to the Royals.
The first game of the day was the battle of the unbeatens – Aaron’s red team vs. Frank White, John Mayberry, and Dennis Leonard’s team. On their way to the game, they saw Billy Butler taking ground balls on Royals Practice Field #1. aaron noted that he is a “large boy.” Billy just turned 21 last summer and will be in his second year with the Royals. Back to the game…They won 5-1. Aaron was 4 for 5 and Frank White said it was the best game he’d ever seen in the history of the five fantasy camps. Quotes from John Mayberry today included “Penny can field”, “Penny, unbelievable play at shortstop!”, “Man, Penny, you’re killing us!” and my favorite, “Penny should be playing AA ball!”
Lunch was catered by Mr. Goodcents – lasagna, chicken alfredo, salad, and cookies. John Wathan noted that his players needed to eat more. :)
He visited the trainer’s room to get a rubdown with Flexall 454 by trainer Paul McGannon.
The gift of the day was an UnderArmour Fantasy Camp polo!
The afternoon game was kicked off by a pep talk by Greg Pryor, who told the team that if they won their game, they would qualify for the championship game at the end of the week. Pressure’s on…but they’re pros this week, remember? They won 15-11! This was not Aaron’s best game, but in the end it’s the score that matters. He was 1 for 4 and hit three infield popups and a grounder to short. Coach Pryor told Aaron he set the Fantasy Camp record for highest popup…and broke his own record twice :)
After the game, Aaron and Coach Pryor had a great talk including Dick Howser, and a game at the K when it was 125 degrees on the field. Pryor hit a home run in the 16th inning to win the game and a dozen golf balls – he’ll tell you the rest of the story…
After a shower, Aaron went straight back to the trainer with shin splints. He had another cold tub bath and ibuprofen, and was good-to-go. After a stop at the beer fridge, the clubbies and Dina Wathan came in with 40 pizzas from Streets of New York Pizza. George Brett, Steve Farr, and Frank White told Royals stories over dinner and beer.
Tonight, Aaron will have a well-deserved hour-long massage. On tap for tomorrow: the campers play against the Alumni in the main stadium!! Stay tuned for details…
As Aaron was walking through the clubhouse, he accidentally bumped into someone beside him. As he apologized, he noticed it was none other than the new Royals Manager, Trey Hillman. They shook hands and spoke for a while. Aaron welcomed him to KC and the Royals and they had their picture taken together. Then the doors opened, and new Royals recruit Yabuta walked through. They spoke for a few minutes, then had Kangaroo Court. Trey Hillman was a special guest speaker, and spoke about how excited he is about coming to the Royals.
The first game of the day was the battle of the unbeatens – Aaron’s red team vs. Frank White, John Mayberry, and Dennis Leonard’s team. On their way to the game, they saw Billy Butler taking ground balls on Royals Practice Field #1. aaron noted that he is a “large boy.” Billy just turned 21 last summer and will be in his second year with the Royals. Back to the game…They won 5-1. Aaron was 4 for 5 and Frank White said it was the best game he’d ever seen in the history of the five fantasy camps. Quotes from John Mayberry today included “Penny can field”, “Penny, unbelievable play at shortstop!”, “Man, Penny, you’re killing us!” and my favorite, “Penny should be playing AA ball!”
Lunch was catered by Mr. Goodcents – lasagna, chicken alfredo, salad, and cookies. John Wathan noted that his players needed to eat more. :)
He visited the trainer’s room to get a rubdown with Flexall 454 by trainer Paul McGannon.
The gift of the day was an UnderArmour Fantasy Camp polo!
The afternoon game was kicked off by a pep talk by Greg Pryor, who told the team that if they won their game, they would qualify for the championship game at the end of the week. Pressure’s on…but they’re pros this week, remember? They won 15-11! This was not Aaron’s best game, but in the end it’s the score that matters. He was 1 for 4 and hit three infield popups and a grounder to short. Coach Pryor told Aaron he set the Fantasy Camp record for highest popup…and broke his own record twice :)
After the game, Aaron and Coach Pryor had a great talk including Dick Howser, and a game at the K when it was 125 degrees on the field. Pryor hit a home run in the 16th inning to win the game and a dozen golf balls – he’ll tell you the rest of the story…
After a shower, Aaron went straight back to the trainer with shin splints. He had another cold tub bath and ibuprofen, and was good-to-go. After a stop at the beer fridge, the clubbies and Dina Wathan came in with 40 pizzas from Streets of New York Pizza. George Brett, Steve Farr, and Frank White told Royals stories over dinner and beer.
Tonight, Aaron will have a well-deserved hour-long massage. On tap for tomorrow: the campers play against the Alumni in the main stadium!! Stay tuned for details…
Fantasy Camp - Day Two
First thing in the morning, Aaron saw Alex Gordon taking batting practice, and Jimmy Gobble playing catch – the players officially report next week, but some are there early.
Each morning starts with Kangaroo Court – John Warden wears a judge’s robe and a George Washington wig. They bring up funny things from the day before and campers are fined for any “infractions.” For example, Aaron was fined $2 for missing a belt loop and $2 for wearing his hat backwards in the clubhouse. It is evidently hilarious...it will all be on the DVD we get in a few weeks.
First game of the day was vs. George Brett, Joe Randa, and John Wathan’s team. They won 10-9…Aaron hit a double off the fence with the bases loaded and two outs in the 6th inning to make the score 10-6! Other highlights included catching for George Brett for three innings (the coaches pitch to their own teams), and hanging out with Joe Randa at 3rd base (Aaron told Joe he didn’t have the arm to play 3rd…Joe disagreed when Aaron threw a rocket to first base and threw the batter out by about 30 feet!).
Lunch was catered by Quiznos – sandwiches, chips, cookies, and fruit. The gift of the day was a toiletry bag and a duffle bag with the Fantasy Camp logo.
Second game of the day was vs. Jerry Terrell, Marty Pattin, and Al Fitzmorris’ team. They won 12-5…Aaron didn’t hit very well but had an awesome diving catch at 3rd base. Al Fitzmorris gave him a hard time, saying “It’s not that serious, Pennington!” However, Aaron’s teammates were giving high fives all around. Aaron’s favorite part was having his cousins JR and Stacy visit from Scottsdale for the second game and dinner. At one point in the game, Aaron hit a foul ball into the stands and Stacy caught it and had Aaron autograph it. He really is a pro this week! :)
The Major League Clubhouse Training room is the “player’s best friend – the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” They have rows of gallon jugs of icy hot with pumps on top, and trainers will give them rubdowns whenever they need them. Aaron also got in the cold tub – 34 degree water! It really helped his aching feet and shin splints at the end of the day.
After the games, JR, Stacy, and Aaron had dinner at the Elephant Bar and saw the sights of Arizona such as Camelback Mountain, Paradise Valley, Stacy & JR’s house, and saw summer homes of professional athletes and famous people. They also drove by the hotel where the Patriots stayed for the Super Bowl.
On the agenda for tomorrow: two more scrimmages and much more fun…
Each morning starts with Kangaroo Court – John Warden wears a judge’s robe and a George Washington wig. They bring up funny things from the day before and campers are fined for any “infractions.” For example, Aaron was fined $2 for missing a belt loop and $2 for wearing his hat backwards in the clubhouse. It is evidently hilarious...it will all be on the DVD we get in a few weeks.
First game of the day was vs. George Brett, Joe Randa, and John Wathan’s team. They won 10-9…Aaron hit a double off the fence with the bases loaded and two outs in the 6th inning to make the score 10-6! Other highlights included catching for George Brett for three innings (the coaches pitch to their own teams), and hanging out with Joe Randa at 3rd base (Aaron told Joe he didn’t have the arm to play 3rd…Joe disagreed when Aaron threw a rocket to first base and threw the batter out by about 30 feet!).
Lunch was catered by Quiznos – sandwiches, chips, cookies, and fruit. The gift of the day was a toiletry bag and a duffle bag with the Fantasy Camp logo.
Second game of the day was vs. Jerry Terrell, Marty Pattin, and Al Fitzmorris’ team. They won 12-5…Aaron didn’t hit very well but had an awesome diving catch at 3rd base. Al Fitzmorris gave him a hard time, saying “It’s not that serious, Pennington!” However, Aaron’s teammates were giving high fives all around. Aaron’s favorite part was having his cousins JR and Stacy visit from Scottsdale for the second game and dinner. At one point in the game, Aaron hit a foul ball into the stands and Stacy caught it and had Aaron autograph it. He really is a pro this week! :)
The Major League Clubhouse Training room is the “player’s best friend – the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” They have rows of gallon jugs of icy hot with pumps on top, and trainers will give them rubdowns whenever they need them. Aaron also got in the cold tub – 34 degree water! It really helped his aching feet and shin splints at the end of the day.
After the games, JR, Stacy, and Aaron had dinner at the Elephant Bar and saw the sights of Arizona such as Camelback Mountain, Paradise Valley, Stacy & JR’s house, and saw summer homes of professional athletes and famous people. They also drove by the hotel where the Patriots stayed for the Super Bowl.
On the agenda for tomorrow: two more scrimmages and much more fun…
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Fantasy Camp - Day One
A recap of Monday's events in Surprise, AZ...
After a bumpy flight, the campers went straight to their hotel – and had lunch catered by Chick-fil-A in the "American League Room." Jerry Terrell and Marty Pattin sat at Aaron's table and were hilarious. Jerry is 63 years old; Marty is older. They had a great time telling road stories, talking about crazy teammates, etc.
After lunch, they drove to stadium, entered the major league clubhouse and found their lockers. Each locker was full of gear – fantasy camp t-shirt and shorts, white and blue personalized jerseys, white baseball pants, blue belt and socks, and a blue hat. There is a major league baseball chair sitting in front of each locker. Every amenity you can imagine is in the locker room - all toiletries are provided, and there is a big refrigerator stocked with water, Gatorade, and beer.
Everyone was introduced to the Alumni and hit the field – the Royals side of the complex has 7 fields plus batting cages and utility building. The Texas Rangers side is identical; in the middle of the two is a big stadium. They went through stretching, warming up, etc…then were divided among the three fields by last name. The Alumni were pitching batting practice, scouting, and helping the campers. Aaron received hitting tips from George Brett and Kevin Seitzer. They had full infield batting practice and a scrimmage until the rain(!) came. When does it rain in the desert?
John Mayberry’s new nickname for Aaron is Penny. “Penny got a good swing.” “Man, Penny hit the ball far.” “Penny must have played college ball.” “Penny got skills.” LOL
After practice, Aaron was happy to return to the clubhouse because the HEATER was on there. The locker room has clubbies that pick up after them and do their laundry daily. They changed, showered, delved into the beer fridge, and watched the fantasy camp video from last year. Meanwhile, the alumni were in the conference room drafting teams. Aaron is on the RED team, coached by Jaime Bluma, Les Norman, and Greg Pryor. Scrimmages start tomorrow, along with team pictures.
Dillon’s BBQ was catered for dinner, and it was decided that KC definitely has better barbecue.
Aaron was in bed by 9:00 Monday, ready for another fun day at the ballpark:)
After a bumpy flight, the campers went straight to their hotel – and had lunch catered by Chick-fil-A in the "American League Room." Jerry Terrell and Marty Pattin sat at Aaron's table and were hilarious. Jerry is 63 years old; Marty is older. They had a great time telling road stories, talking about crazy teammates, etc.
After lunch, they drove to stadium, entered the major league clubhouse and found their lockers. Each locker was full of gear – fantasy camp t-shirt and shorts, white and blue personalized jerseys, white baseball pants, blue belt and socks, and a blue hat. There is a major league baseball chair sitting in front of each locker. Every amenity you can imagine is in the locker room - all toiletries are provided, and there is a big refrigerator stocked with water, Gatorade, and beer.
Everyone was introduced to the Alumni and hit the field – the Royals side of the complex has 7 fields plus batting cages and utility building. The Texas Rangers side is identical; in the middle of the two is a big stadium. They went through stretching, warming up, etc…then were divided among the three fields by last name. The Alumni were pitching batting practice, scouting, and helping the campers. Aaron received hitting tips from George Brett and Kevin Seitzer. They had full infield batting practice and a scrimmage until the rain(!) came. When does it rain in the desert?
John Mayberry’s new nickname for Aaron is Penny. “Penny got a good swing.” “Man, Penny hit the ball far.” “Penny must have played college ball.” “Penny got skills.” LOL
After practice, Aaron was happy to return to the clubhouse because the HEATER was on there. The locker room has clubbies that pick up after them and do their laundry daily. They changed, showered, delved into the beer fridge, and watched the fantasy camp video from last year. Meanwhile, the alumni were in the conference room drafting teams. Aaron is on the RED team, coached by Jaime Bluma, Les Norman, and Greg Pryor. Scrimmages start tomorrow, along with team pictures.
Dillon’s BBQ was catered for dinner, and it was decided that KC definitely has better barbecue.
Aaron was in bed by 9:00 Monday, ready for another fun day at the ballpark:)
Monday, February 4, 2008
...and he's off!
This morning at 5am, Aaron started his journey to Royals Fantasy Camp in Surprise, Arizona. For those of you who don't know about it, this is Aaron's 30th birthday present from me.
Two summers ago, he asked "Honey, if we ever win the lottery, can I go to Fantasy Camp?" so I started saving...it took me a year...but in my mind, this is such a small price to pay to make his dreams come true!
He will be at the Royals' training facility until Saturday and will be treated just like a Royal all week, including his own authentic uniforms, baseball cards, locker, etc. Additionally, he will be playing alongside and be coached by former Royals players!
Fast forward to this morning: Aaron couldn't sleep last night but got out of bed with a shot at 4:30am. After a stop at QuikTrip for donuts and Gatorade (breakfast of champions), we sped through the fog like there was no tomorrow. Aaron was so excited to get into the terminal building that he forgot whether we should go up or down on the elevator...so we went both ways!
At the airport we saw George Brett, Fred White, Joe Randa, Al Fitzmorris, and more. I asked Aaron if he was starstruck and he said "Yep, a little bit!"
His flight left at 6:30 and he landed around 9am Arizona time. At the baggage carousel, he ran into former Royal John Mayberry, whom he had met at his orientation. Immediately, John said "Hey, big hitter!" Aaron said "You haven't seen me play yet..." and John Mayberry replied, "No, but I have heard about YOU!"
This is going to be an awesome week! Aaron is going to call me with recaps every night and I'll be sure to post to the blog about everything. When he gets back Saturday night, we'll post the pictures he took!
Happy Monday:)
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