Last week I volunteered to line the Ada Gym pitch for the Labor Day weekend games against Guam. I choose this particular task for two reasons: I thought nobody else would volunteer to do it (Lindsay did but our schedules did not allow for us to tackle this task together) and I thought it would be fairly easy. I've seen Vince Stravino line the CPA Field and it looked like something that could be accomplished in about 30 minutes. So, I picked up the field lining "machine" and two packs of lime from Brenda and went on my merry way.
Reality check.
Lining the field with a manual "machine" may seem easy, but it is NOT. Well, at least not with this machine. My car was in the shop last Friday so I asked my ex (as in father of the three camera-breaking suspects), Rex , to help me out. Rex proved to be a God-send in this particular endeavor (and it is rare that I refer to Rex in this context). But thanks anyways, Rex. :-)
Please excuse how I go back and forth between tenses. I am writing this in a hurry.
In case you didn't know, the lime used to line the fields burns human skin. This meant that I had to wear bush cutting-esque attire in the sweltering noon time heat. So, we arrive at the pitch and proceed to line the field. And as things should have it, the lime that was already in the machine is hardened and will not flow out of the slot like the smooth, powdery substance it is suppose to be. Using a pen and a piece of wood to loosen the lime up is not helping much. It is hot, the lime is all over me, and we are just 10 minutes into lining the field. And did I mention that the field is wet! Baaahumbug! I begin to complain about how unfair life is and how up until this point I could overcome every challenge that life has presented. Rex gives me the, "wars-hunger-poverty-disease-in-the-world-and-your-complaining-because-of-your-'nice problem'- with-the-field-lining" look and I shut up. He has already assessed my histrionics and dares not speak because he thinks that I am dealing with Physio-Mental Syndrome (have to use code because I'm still researching how to explain this to the kids when they come of age)--that, and I am holding a 4x4 piece of wood in my right hand. So the machine finally decides to show mercy by putting out lime in
uneven, dotted-chunks; which I said was fine because it had a pointillism effect on the lining (that's right, I can rationalize it anyway I want to, friends). We do one goal line, goal box, and PK box (with alot of pen and 4x4-wood-churning-the-lime pauses), when I declare--woe is me! I can not proceed any longer. This is just not moving along fast enough.
It is austerity Friday, but hopefully someone from Sports and Rec is in the Ada Gym Office. I enter the Gym and guess what all of you CNMI Gov haters?--There are employees there! They are wondering why I have white chalk all over me and I say it is because I have just finished auditioning for Kabuki theater. I ask if I can please borrow their field lining machine and some fresh, hasn't-been-in-the-container-for-19-tenacky-years lime. They happily agree to help me and even go a step further by saying they can help with the manual labor.
Do I hear "What a Wonderful World" playing in the background?!
Well, I politely said that I had brought someone to assist with the manual labor, but si yu'us maase ni ayudamu (thanks for the help).
Well, the side/touch lines were kind of straight. :-) The rest of the field lining was pretty good for first time liners.
When we finished, Rex seemed very, very relieved. When I asked about it he said, "You know, it's times like these that make me thankful that I no longer have to deal with you 24-7." We both laugh. Mission accomplished after two hours of toil; Rex handling the machine and me supervising the effort.
Props to Shazam, Vince, and Sue (and anyone else who lines our CNMI fields) for having and continuing to line our pitches. Glad that the Women's League teams will now share this responsibility.
