second mesa

We just got home from the Library. There was a ceremony for the announcement of the winners of the Ann Arbor District Library’s first every short story contest for grades 3-5. There were 99 entries from 21 different schools around the area.

And to our surprise, Ashlee took first place! We couldn’t believe it when they got down to the very last name and they called hers! She was surprised as well, as we had to tell her to go up to the front and accept her award. Becky and I were really nervous as it got down to that last name, Ashlee was nervous on the way over. Of course, we’re really excited for her and proud that her hard work paid off.

Here’s some pictures (the first is of Ashlee getting the certificate for her entry, every student that entered and attended was recognized tonight):

It was a really entertaining program for the students who attended. Author Shutta Crum was the guest speaker, and she did a very good kid oriented presentation on where she gets some of the ideas for her books. You can visit her website here:

http://www.shutta.com

OK, here’s another totally different family/baseball history note that some of you young’uns might not know. The Diamondbacks have only been around since 1998, so there is a “generation” of older kids in our family that actually DIDN’T grow up rooting for them. With Dad being raised in LA, we grew up as Dodgers fans. I don’t know if Jere and Melissa feel the same way, but one of the coolest things I remember from my school days is when our CVHS band marched on to the field at Dodger Stadium.   And while, according to our pedigree, all of us kids are half Phoenix and half LA, when the Dodgers play the D-Backs I’m always pulling for the boys in blue.

25 years ago (1988) the Dodgers won their last World Series.  The iconic moment from that series was when Kirk Gibson (yes, the current D-Backs manager) hobbled up to the plate on two bad legs with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and hit a walk-off two run homer off A’s Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley (who by the way was baptized LDS, but was only active a few years in his youth) to win Game 1.  I called that home run, by the way.  We had just gotten back to the Smith’s house from a Scout hike at the Grand Canyon and with my 13 year old fan faith I just KNEW Gibson would come up and save the day.  I didn’t know he hadn’t played the whole game because of his injuries and that at-bat would be his only appearance in the Series.

With that being such a dramatic moment, people tend to use it to symbolize the ’88 championship season.  HOWEVER, the Dodgers had to get through the NY Mets in the National League Championship Series to even get to the World Series.  That NLCS series was one for the ages.  (Games 3, 4, and 5 were played at Shea Stadium in Queens, NY.  The field is now part of the Citi Field parking lot.)

Game 4 of that NLCS turned out to be pivotal in the history of both franchises.  The Mets (who were heavily favored, having won 10 of the 11 regular season meetings, most of them by decent margins) were up two games to one with their ace Dwight Gooden taking a commanding 4-2 lead into the 9th inning.  Then, from this spot 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Scoscia hits a two run homer to tie the game.  But the heroics weren’t over yet.  In the top of the 12th inning, from this same spot, Kirk Gibson hit a two out solo shot to go up one.

But the heroics STILL weren’t over.  In the bottom of the 12th, with two outs and the bases loaded, Orel Hershiser (having started the day before on three days rest from his Game 1 start) came to this spot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to get Kevin McReynolds to fly out, earning the save, and tying the series at two games each.  Hershiser would later pitch a complete game shutout in Game 7 and earn NLCS MVP honors.

After that Game 4, the Dodgers would win game five, heading home with a lead in the series, eventually winning both this NLCS and the World Series.  The Mets, on the other hand, would see the end of an era.

Of course, the Mets and the Diamondbacks have both been to the Word Series since the last time the Dodgers were there.  I guess that’s why as Dodgers fans events/memories from Dodger lore are all we have to hold on to.  That, and the annual hope of not blowing yet another NL West lead heading into the All-Star break, just to be fighting for a wild card spot in the fall.

So this last Saturday, the Native section was asked to perform at the banquet that American Indian Services was having, and we were like “sure, anything for the people who give us scholarship money”, plus we were excited because we had heard some rumors as to some big wigs who would be there.  Anyways, there we were, chilling in our dressing room (which was just a random meeting room in the hotel), when who should poke his head in but President Uchtdorf!  He had seen us getting all our props ready and he just wanted to say hello and tell us how excited he was to see us perform that night.  So, he talked to us all, told us we were cute, and then he left.  While we were all slightly still in shock at having just been called cute and shaken hands with President Uchtdorf, he came back with his wife to introduce her to us.  So yeah, that was cool.

Then, while we were mingling among the people as they were eating dinner (which was kinda awkward), someone decided it was picture taking time.  They rounded up President Uchtdorf, Elder Ballard, and the governor and took a few pictures (at first we thought they were going to bring Elder Andersen over, but then it was the governor instead).  Then they found Dale Tingey (you know, dad’s mission president, the mind behind Lamanite Generation, and the head of American Indian Services for forever), and he joined our picture as well.

The best part was that after about five minutes of all the people taking pictures of us, President Uchtdorf was just like “okaaaay” which I interpreted as “enough with the pictures already”.  Of course, President Uchtdorf would never say that, but I was picking up what he was putting down, and it was exactly how I felt.