SC Sit Down; No. 2!!!

Yep, we're planning another SC Sit Down Smoke!

We're shooting for May 14th. We'll meet around noon at the Wild Hare Sports Bar, which is near Irmo, SC.

The Wild Hare is just off I-26 at the Piney Grove exit near Columbia. That's at exit 104. If you're coming east on I-26, from the Greenville/Spartanburg area, take exit 104 and take a right at the end of the ramp. (If you're coming west on I-26, just take the same exit and take a left at the end of the ramp. Technically, there is a stop light you come to immediately after taking the left onto Pine Grove Road at the end of the bridge. I'm not counting this one; start with the next one at the Bauer Parkway stop light, about a quarter mile down.) Go to the second stop light (St. Andrews Rd.) and take a right. Take your first left (Old Bush River Rd.), which is only about a quarter mile down, and the Wild Hare will be on your right about 100 yards or so down the road.

We'll meet around noon and plan to stay until you get sick and tired of us, or until you run out of drink money! Here's the Wild Hare website: http://www.thewildharesportscafe.com/

My email address is ticotych@hotmail.com if you need it.

Bring all your buds, and your wives/girlfriends/buddies wifes or girlfriends! We'll have a great time!

BTW, we're not far from Harbison Blvd., so if you need to shop for smokes, you can pop over to the Tobacco Merchant. It's a nice cigar shop near Columbiana Center Mall.

Last year we had a fellow Brother of the Leaf drive down from Raleigh, NC to be with us. That's over a 4 hour drive!!!! Let's make this one even bigger and better with a bar full of cigar smokers!!! This is a great way to make new friends or meet old ones.

We're also thinking of doing this again in October; sort of a spring/fall bi-annual event!

Contact me if you need more info. Mark you calendars NOW!!!!!

Birthday boy/Baseball Hero! 

Proud Papa with son! 

A Birthday-Baseball-Cigar Story!

As I told you yesterday, it was Ty's 21'st birthday. A milestone in everyone's life that became even more memorable for him by day's end. Here's the story.

At the end of Sunday's baseball game, the coach came to Ty and told him that he was the starting pitcher for Monday's game against West Virginia State, the 20th ranked Division II team in the country!!! From past experience, I can tell you that Ty pitches much better when he has a day's notice to prepare himself mentally, especially when he's starting the game.

Well, gameday, which happens to be his birthday, finally arrives. Gametime is 3pm, so the usual routine still exists consisting of getting out of bed (a huge accomplishment for college students) and getting to class. I leave work early to make the game and when I arrive at 2:45, Ty is nowhere in sight. I expected him to be in the bull pen warming up. As it turns out, he had already been in the pen getting warmed up. Probably nerves working on him a little, so he began the pre-game warm-up a little early. A few minutes later, he appears from the dugout with a fellow teammate and calls me over to the fence. His buddy tells me that his brother just got back from a military tour and he brought back some cigars. Knowing that I love cigars, the young man handed me a Romeo y Julieta #1!!! I was thrilled!! Almost immediately I thought to myself, "could this be a victory cigar?" If everything goes as planned it very well could be.

At 3pm sharp, the starting lineups are announced and the players take their places on the field for the National Anthem. There's Ty, standing with the other infielders, all in a line as the National Anthem is played. After that...GAMETIME!

The West Virginia State team brought with them their play-by-play radio announcer, which we could overhear calling the game from the pressbox. It seems this team has some powerful sluggers on it. I'm glad I didn't know that before the game started. You see, dad's tend to play the game with their son, pitch by pitch, in aggonizing anticipation of a good outcome.

I'll skip ahead here; Ty pitches 6 fantastic innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits to pick up the win!He left the game after his 6 innings with the score 5-1; good guys! Two other pitchers were used to close out the game; final score Newberry College 7, West Virginia State 5. (yes, it got a little scarey at the end, but the team did their job!)

Wow! He gets to be the starting pitcher on his birthday, pitches great, and get's the win! Remember that cigar? NOW it's a victory cigar!!! After a trip to a local sports bar for wings; one of Ty's favorite foods, I take my hero back to his dorm and I head home. The RyJ makes it's appearance from it's shiny aluminum tube and the cap is cut. The foot is toasted and this fine cigar's aroma makes it's debut. Ahhh!!! This gift was truely a surprise, but it made a great victory cigar!!! Maybe it was fate!

As I reflect on the day and the game, I am very thankful for the outcome. Ty is a great young man who deserves good things to happen to him. I am very proud to call him my son.

Congratulations Ty; job well done!

And...Happy Birthday, again!!!

I'm starting to feel old; Part deux!!!

Ok, only about 4 weeks ago I had Chelsea turn 18 on me, and now...Ty turns 21 today!!! Man, my kids have grown up! Time surely flies!!!

Connie and I are very lucky; both of our kids are fantastic people. They are better than either of us could have hoped for! I am very proud to call them "my kids"!

Ty is currently a junior at Newberry College in Newberry, SC. It is a small private Lutheran College where he is studying business. He plans to get his Master's Degree from the University of South Carolina immediately after graduating from Newberry College.

Ty is a relieve/closer on the Newberry College Baseball team. He currently holds the record for the most career wins at his former High School, Dutch Fork High School, with 19!!!

Happy Birthday, Ty!!!!!

Ty Rollins in his current Newberry Uniform. 

Ty always got along with his little sister, Chelsea! 

This is a comfortable way to sleep??? 

A very young Ty beside the pool. 

Congrats Ty; First College Baseball Win!!!

Time for a celebratory cigar!!!!

My son, Timothy, Jr. (Ty), won his first college baseball game last night!!! Ty is a junior at Newberry College in Newberry, SC and is typically a reliever/closer. Well, last night he entered the game in the 5th inning and pitched into the 8th to pick up the win.

Congratulations Ty!!!!

Ty and his cousin, Courtney, who is also a student at Newberry College. Courtney is a star of the Newberry Softball team!!! 

Ty in his Newberry College uniform!