The Two Week Update...

Hello, friends and family. I hope you guys have liked what I've done with the blog so far. I plan on doing a video blog after I do this written thing, but for right now, I have a lot on my mind that I felt would be better typed. I was informed by my mom that this could become a book someday when I look back on it, and I'm pretty sure it would be a great idea to do one. I think I'll look into it.

Well, the first two weeks are in the books, and I have to say that the job will prove challenging in the long run, but on top of that, I'm going to love it. Those of you who remember my feelings when I first arrived here of both sadness and anxiety will be happy to hear that those are now completely washed away, and although there is some apprehension in the mornings (I'm still not used to going there as opposed to KSVY just yet) it's getting to be good once I actually get to work.

It has its slow days, but when things get going...oh, boy, do they ever get going. The first week was basically me getting used to my surroundings, doing some busy work here and there, but in that first week, I basically got a grasp as to how things work around the office. In the office during the week, there are 13 people who are actually in the offices, along with the sports turf managers, concessions people, and cleaning crew. There are nine actual employees on the team and four interns. Three interns will be there the entire year, including me, and the one who won't, Jeff, is looking to get into baseball operations, which can lead you down the road of becoming a general manager. I've always been interested in baseball ops, as I am a huge stathead and love what goes into trades, but I also know that I can do that from a media standpoint, which is what I've been keeping my eye on.

It was the second week, however, that proved to be most interesting. After I wrote a couple of press releases noting the online ticket sales beginning on Jan. 12, I arrived that morning to see 40 or so people standing outside our box office. Immediately, I went to the office and found out that a newspaper release messed up and said that the box office opens on the 12th, and not the 20th, which is when we had it originally. So imagine our surprise when our day of cleaning in our "crap clothes" ends up being a day where we have to basically go through over 1,000 orders. So while we ended up staying until 6 p.m., I'd like to point out that my buddy Mike, the ticket manager, had a day that he won't soon repeat. I knew he would be home late, but after I fell asleep around midnight, I was surprised to hear someone coming in the door...at 5:30 a.m. Yep, Mike had been there for almost 24 hours. At that point, all I could do was fall back asleep shocked as all could be. Needless to say, Mike didn't get much sleep that night.

The next day, we helped out with more orders as we got our system logins and such, and then Wednesday saw us all clean up a couple of old offices, one being the legendary GM of the Dunedin Blue Jays for nearly 30 years, Ken Carson. He now works as a consultant for the team, but his old office was filled with a lot of fantastic memorabilia. We got the word that he wanted everything thrown out, but there was some stuff we couldn't bring to throw out. So we'll come back after the long weekend and see what he wants to do with it all. After filling up both dumpsters the best we could, we headed back upstairs, grabbed some lunch, and then I helped move some stuff upstairs. A couple of chairs, an ottoman and a couch, to be exact. They will be returned once Florida State League play starts, but at this point, the couch being in our break room can make for some interesting times. Any late nights? Get on the couch!

But it was the last two days that really put things in perspective. We took a late entrance on Thursday so that we could work on ticketing all those orders that we had up to that point. 1,700+ in all, and we had to print all the tickets out (About 20,000 or so), split them up individually, put them in envelopes and stamp them all to be ready to mailed all across the continent. Remember, we're talking about Canadians coming down for the Spring Training schedule. There were two things that absolutely destroyed this process, however:

1) About 1,000 orders in, I was looking at one of the printers to make sure they were all coming out okay, and when I took a look at the addresses on the tickets, I noticed that the street address was missing, which is a major problem when you're trying to mail the tickets!!! I let Mike know about it, but it never got resolved in time. This led to us having 1,700 orders that we couldn't mail. So, Mitch, our awesome IT guy from Toronto got together with our administrative assistant, Cile, and her brilliant idea of making labels for all the orders saved us the time it would have taken to write the street addresses on the tickets from Mitch's excel printout. It was still a hassle, but with 12 guys working on this, we got it going in a way where we were still outputting the orders in a timely manner.

2) We included letters to the fans saying that if they had season ticket orders that they would be arriving separately, because (and you'd know this if you're a season ticket holder) they are printed on separate ticket stock that is special and all that. There was one problem on the letters, though. Mike got dyslexic in his hectic time putting it together and switched two numbers in the office telephone number. That led to us realizing that we needed to get that fixed, but we also realized that the bottom of the letterhead had the right number on it. Thankfully, it was merely a hiccup as opposed to a complete overhaul. We couldn't take another one.

We were out of there by 11, but all upper-management stayed past then to finish up what they could before the morning. Crazily enough, I was ready to stay and help, but they sent us home. So, we got home to get some rest, for today, we were heading to Lakeland (a half hour east of Tampa, so an hour from here) so that we could participate in "Florida State League Intern Boot Camp." They fed us breakfast and lunch and held a seminar where people who are or once were associated with the FSL came in and talked about the various aspects of what we should be looking for in the nine months we were a part of this giant experience. I got some good ideas from the seminar, and I look to use them as I form my niche in the organization. Suffice to say, after talking to the Daytona Cubs play-by-play team, I think I have an idea or two of what to do. I'll just say this: All the people in Sonoma who know what KSVY had to go through in order to make those broadcasts great will enjoy my idea. I have to finalize it and make sure all is well, but once I present it, I'm sure management will like it.

So, that's the two week point for now. It's been an interesting experience, but a very good one, without a doubt. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens once the people from Toronto come down for Spring Training and I work with them. I'm going to relish the two months they will be here. Until then, it's all about working hard and getting myself prepared for the day's work. It's been a good experience so far. The tough part is over as far as getting situated. Now, I'm ready to work.

Outside of work, things are tough, but it's a hell of an experience. I realized yesterday that even if you feel like you're getting over your homesick feelings that they can come at any time. It'll be a month or two before I'm truly settled here outside of work, but that will all come with time. I'm certain of that. My friends and family have been so supportive of what I'm doing that I can't thank them all enough. They save me in my times of weakness and strengthen me for the times ahead. Trust me. When this becomes the experience of a lifetime, my times will be shared with all, and everyone will be able to see just what I've been able to do and how it has made me a changed man, and how it's changed me for the better.

I want to throw one final thing out there before I close this off and prepare the newest version of Cribs, and I find it fitting that we talk about this considering this morning's events in Oakland, CA.

For those of us who were rocked by the sudden and absolutely tragic passing of John Saleda, I know that his memorial was today. He has been on my mind all week long since I found out about his death last weekend. I remember my times with John as somewhat brief, as he was in my brother's grade and I only got a chance to see him around school during break time and lunch, but boy, when I did, it was never a dull moment. He had this way with people where he'd immediately make you feel a little bit uncomfortable, but it was always done in such a humorous manner that I couldn't help but laugh my ass off. Grab-assing, homoerotic undertones, cracking jokes left and right...John was just simply a joy to be around. I know that it hit Pete hard, as they were such good friends growing up (This picture that was on our fridge at home for a while with him and John hugging made me laugh every time I saw it) and from the outpour of condolences that I have personally seen on the Internet from 3,000 miles away, John has touched so many lives that I believe that God has a huge task in store for him when he reaches Heaven. It will now be John's duty to make everyone laugh in Heaven. Well, either that, or tell them to stop being a pussy and get happy because they're in Heaven, for crying out loud! Trust me: When I reach the pearly gates and St. Peter is standing there, I hope John is standing there when I walk in, ready with a joke and that smile of his.

My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, especially his siblings. I played football with his brother James and he and I always got along well, and when I heard about John's death, James was the first person I thought about. As someone who has three younger siblings, I couldn't imagine what would happen if I was to find out that one of them had died. There will never be a time harder in your life than dealing with the death of a loved one, and it's even harder when his death was so unsuspecting. Nobody should die at John's age, but if we learn anything in his death, it's that God has something special planned for all of us, and when we are summoned, that we make sure that the people we leave behind in our wake are blessed and are ready themselves when they are summoned. John Saleda, you will be missed, but you will never be forgotten. In fact, I'm sure that's how God planned it as I look back, because if there's one thing that anyone could say about you, is that they never forgot the good times they had with you.

Rest in peace, my good man. We miss you down here.

Thanks for reading, you guys. I will be up with a new video in a bit here, and then I prepare for the job fair tomorrow.