Miller the dog and Smash-ball

Photos of Aspen the City


Yesterday after I finished writing and cleaned up I decided to take Miller (claytons dog) out to the park at the bottom of Snowmass. After a short ride down the hill in one of the free buses we arrived at the park and headed to a lonely corner of the park to play with the ball. This all went very well while there were people throwing frees-bee, people kicking a ball around and then there was a group of mid-twenties kids playing a game called Polish Horse Shoes. 


I had been watching them while having a break in throwing the ball with Miller, then all of a sudden Miller runs after another dogs ball and continues to play with the dog. I get up and walk over and apologize, trying to get Miller to come back over with me, then one of the girls recognizes Miller and says to let her stay and play. mean while there are two guys picking teams for a game they are about to play called Smash-Ball or other wise known as Beer Kick Ball. The next thing I know one of the guys picked me for his second pick which I responded with a "Do What?" I was about to leave, not play a game where you have to hold a beer at all times and then finish said beer before reaching home plate if running bases as the out field just sits there and plays defense while sipping their beer. They also used a exercise ball instead of the traditional kickball which made things a bit more interesting and challenging.

Well, I hung in there, when the guy picked me second out of the blue I almost had to play, so I did. It was not pretty but it was a lot of fun in the end. We won the game like 25-7, our defense was top class and our batting scored run after run. I felt kind of queasy, but luckly I had a short ride up the hill on the next bus where I dropped off Miller and then caught another bus up to the ski village out door mall where I ate a big burger at Zaine's. I did how ever wake up this morning nursing bruised ribs from doing a air mail because of a spin round.

The spin round latest about to innings and made things fun as well as ugly. When you are up to bat, you take a  ski pole and spin around it 10 times, the ball is rolled to you and then you kick it. Well I spun my 10 and then kicked the ball fowl, meaning I had to spin 10 more times. On my second attempt (which I thought I had under control) I spun my 10, went for ball and my left foot slipped, the foot I had all my weight on. I sail into the air and landed on my back rib cage, OUCH!!! I shook it off and kept playing while all my 20-something mates had a laugh. It truly was funny and it proved to be a gut busting laughter from my new friends. Then there was the time when I ran to second base and the opposing team's second basewoman charged me and kicked me in the shins, I think it  hurt her worse than me. So this morning I woke up with bruised ribs, soar ankles, a stiff knee and a bruise or two on other places.

Miller has to go out so I will catch you later.