This ‘n’ That

My dear friend Patty has reminded me that lately there has been quite a few From The Booth “reruns” appearing. Trust me, I am fully aware of this. However, there are several good reasons. One is that I have been dealing with that creeping crud that has been going around. I guess that’s not such a good reason, but it is a valid excuse. It’s been hard to breath, let alone think and write while your head feels like it is packed solid with phlegm and other nasty secretions. That’s why I have been “saving” the little energy I could muster for the other reasons I have been negligent. And they are good reasons.

The first reason is that I have been working on my upcoming book, “More Kenosha Softball”. Seriously working on it. I have gathered about 90% of the information and have written nine of the 32 chapters. All I need is a few more photographs and to keep writing on a regular basis. Oh ya, if anyone knows of any teams that would like to have their roster included in my book, have them get ahold of me.

The other reason is divided into two parts. Unless you have been living under a rock, you are probably quite aware that I am raising money for childhood cancer research by having my melon-like head shaved. This is being done through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The shaving takes place on March 14, only 50 short days from now. I have been concentrating on getting people to sponsor me for this worthy cause.

So far twenty-five kind people have sponsored me by generously making a contribution on my participant page. In order to attract more donors, I am now offering a childhood cancer bracelet to anyone who contributes. They are gold in color and read, “No One FIGHTS Alone”. If you want to help out, just click on this sentence and you will be directed to my St. Baldrick’s page. It’s easy and relatively painless.

The other part of this reason is that my next “My Turn” column was due on January 25. It will appear in the Kenosha News on February 4. So, in conjunction with my fundraising efforts, I wrote about a little boy named Charlie who passed away at age nine after battling cancer.

In the column I also mentioned that my good friend Jamie’s brother John Burhani is battling a rare form of cancer, NK T cell Lymphoma. I explained that because the cost to fight cancer is so very expensive, there is a fundraiser for him on Sunday, February 10th from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the UAW 72 Hall on Washington Road.

I have to tell you, that column was very tough to write. The combination of a severely stuffed-up head and sobbing uncontrollably made it very hard to breath. Or to see. Because of the story, I wanted to make sure the editor at the paper would be okay with it, so I submitted it a week early, just in case. His response was, “Thanks, Paul. Good luck with your fundraiser.” I was both delighted and relieved.

There you have it. Those are the reasons for the recent glut of reruns From The Booth. I’m not sure if things are going to change much in the near future. I have a lot of work to do on my book and I need to continue my fundraising efforts.

Hey, I just had a brainstorm! A major epiphany! Each of you can get someone to submit the roster of an area softball team for my book. Also, those of you who haven’t already done so can sponsor me in my head-shaving event. That will greatly increase the likelihood of less reruns! Plus, my head is less plugged.

Seriously though, please give if you can. Until next time…from the booth.