Hello, all.
Fresh off my first fantasy football draft of the season and a weekend full of movies, movies and more movies, I'm sitting here on a Sunday night listening to Tony Bruno and Gary Radnich episodes over the last week or two and enjoying a full stomach thanks to Ben & Jerry's "Everything but the...", which is my second favorite ice cream from them (Chubby Hubby is #1, and I couldn't find it at all tonight...grrrr). The last week or so has been a whirlwind, but with that whirlwind subsiding, it was led to, well, the title of this e-mail, coincidentally.
Yes, I will be returning to Sonoma some time near the end of September. I talked to my GM on Friday about my future in Dunedin, and he painted me a great picture of things to come. Even though my term ends next month, he told me that there is a job waiting for me starting in January, where I would basically do what I did this season, but with a better title (Communications Coordinator, no intern for me) and a pay raise, which is always nice. He told me that he knew my aspirations to broadcast were #1 for me, and he'd love to accommodate my dream to be a full-time broadcaster, but it's just not in the cards with the Blue Jays because of where we are. Tampa Bay is the Rays market, without a doubt, and while broadcasting is always nice, it's not a money generator right now. But, he told me that since he knows I want to follow my dreams, he and the Blue Jays are going to help me out. So while I'm here, I'm going to talk to some people with the TORONTO Blue Jays about what my next step could be and see what to do from there. There's even talk about me doing an inning with Toronto when they come down to play the Rays in a couple of weeks, which would be incredible.
So the next few months is pretty simple: To get my resume and a tape together so that I can attack the job market that will open up at the end of the baseball season. I'm going to go after every broadcasting job I can find with the guidance of the people in Toronto. When I get out to California after my latest cross-country trip, I'll be looking to see what is out on the West Coast for me, and go from there. If nothing comes up before the Winter Meetings in December, I'll head there and try my luck. If nothing comes out of those, I'll head back to Dunedin for another season. To have my "worst case scenario" being coming back to a place I'm familiar with and a place that is close to my family down in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, that's pretty good, right there.
But now, to reflect on the season I've had...wow, what an experience. I was homeless for nine weeks. I stayed in almost a dozen places in the eight months I've been out here. I've laughed, I've cried. I've seen almost every part of Florida. I've broadcasted. I've met professional players. I've seen Alex Rodriguez hit a home run. I saw Roy Halladay shut down teams like it was the middle of the season and not Spring Training. I've seen players rise and fall. I've done All-Star games. I've done TV spots! I've done statistical analysis and research for our coaches. I've been on boats, been to concerts, seen tons of movies...and I've realized a lot of things about myself that a move like this wouldn't have allowed me to realize. For that alone, I am more than grateful for the experience, and to come home a better man than when I left is the best gift I could have given myself.
So now, I take these last few weeks here in Dunedin, make the best of them, and then take my time coming home. I hope to be making a couple of stops along the way to see some people I might not be able to see otherwise, and then stay with my brother in LA before heading on home. When I get back, I'll still be on the job hunt, and I'll be looking for a little something in the Sonoma area to hold me over in the mean time, so if any of you have a lead for me to get a job over Oct-Dec, let me know! I'm open to anything at this point. I'll be happy to come home for a little bit before I head back to wherever my next job is, and for me, just to know I'll be doing something in baseball next year is a fantastic blessing.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Mother Nature does not like me broadcasting
(Written at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, 8/14)
I love to broadcast. It's my lifeblood, my energy. Outside of my family and friends, my time behind a microphone is the best time I have in my life. (Insert “If only I had a girlfriend”-type reference here.) It's just...it makes me feel good. It's not even an ego pumper. It's like it's a validation of time and effort; that for me to be able to say anything behind a mike makes me realize that all the hard work I've put in to making this happen was worthwhile.
Many times this year, Mother Nature has been a bitch to my broadcasting aspirations. I say that with love and kindness, for Mother Nature has also given me plenty a sunny day so that I may enjoy my normal day-to-day job that I do with the Blue Jays. But, on the days where I've been allowed to broadcast, it has decided to rain on my parade more often than not. Now...I'm one for the realization that Florida is in a drought and the rain is necessary, but good lord, for three hours, could you turn off the waterworks just ONCE?
Well, apparently, Mother Nature decided that it didn't just want to destroy my thoughts of broadcasting a Friday night game. Oh, no. It decided to try and make a run at my TV spot, as well.
It's funny to think that on Thursday afternoon, life decided to throw me a curveball or two. C'mon. I write about baseball for a living. As if that cliché wasn't going to come up during any of my writings. No, I'm talking about how a drive across the state of Florida almost made me turn around and head back to Clearwater.
Am I a pansy? Eh, at this point, for me to complain about something as mundane as the weather in Florida in August seems pedantic (Thank you, Peter Griffin) at best, but good lord...I had never experienced anything like that in my life.
Around 1 p.m. or so that day, a good storm came through the Tampa Bay area and hit Dunedin pretty hard. Hagler/Hearns hard, so to speak. It was one of those that was quick, but you felt its power. So, around 2 p.m., after the Blue Jays staff enjoyed birthday sundaes for Kathi, who turned 25 (Welcome to the club. Enjoy feeling old for a while before realizing you're not even 30 yet.) I ventured east to Viera, which is just north of Melbourne on the east coast of Florida. I had been asked by Bright House Sports Network to come on for an inning during their Game of the Week for the FSL that involved Dunedin and Brevard County.
Now...weather patterns as they are, with me being inside, I really didn't get to feel how strong the storm was. Usually, the cells that are strongest are heard on the aluminum roofs of our office buildings. So, after going through a shower as I headed for I-4, I thought I had seen the worst of it and it would be clear skies to Viera.
Yeah, about that...for those of you who have not experienced weather in Florida during the month of August, this is the time of year when hurricanes begin to occur. Now, I'm not saying I went through a hurricane, but the weather is such that cells are usually strong around this time due to increased amounts of humidity, causing more clouds to take in water, and, because of the hot temperatures (Haven't seen the heat index under 100 in about four weeks) it makes the hot air able to mix with the cool air of the clouds to not only create the hard rain, but allows for electric currents to roam freely, causing the variety of thunderstorms that are seen in the Tampa Bay area every summer. Now, most of it is the heat lightning generated by the clouds, but every now and then, a cloud gets rid of a bolt via a lightning strike. No big deal, right? Unless you're afraid of lightning, which I'm not.
So as I exited the Tampa area heading east on I-4, I looked ahead to see nothing but dark skies and thunderbolts crashing down upon central Florida. It wasn't exactly doomsday, but for me, it wasn't something I looked to enjoy in the least. In fact, I got my first true taste of tropic thunder when I saw a lightning bolt crash on the shoulder of the west side of the freeway. About 50 feet away from me. And I saw it crash.
Gulp.Did I say I wasn't afraid of lightning?
So imagine my unsurprise at what followed: copious amounts of rainfall that pounded the freeway and would not stop as I got to Plant City, 20 miles east of Conjunction Junction. It started out like a hard storm would normally start, but then it got stronger. The rain fell at a faster rate. The highest possible setting on my windshield wipers wouldn't go fast enough. I was clinched at 10 and 2 on the wheel, peering out over it to look as closely and as attentively as I could to the traffic ahead of me, slowing down due to the cars that had been stymied by Mother Nature's best rendition of the last time she saw the end of “Terms of Endearment.” We all cried. C'mon, now.
And Mother Nature was bawling. I mean the type of bawling that only happens to 13 year old girls that find out that the Jonas Brothers broke up and that the new “Twilight” movie was never to be released. Like the type of crying Rams fans did when Adam Vinatieri made the Field Goald Heard 'Round the World in Super Bowl XXXVI.
It rained hard, I guess, is what I am trying to say.
I looked down to my speedometer to see that it was only at 35 MPH, half the speed limit for the freeway at that time. My HAZARD lights were on. Not brights, not high beams...HAZARD lights. It was about five minutes in that I seriously considered turning around and heading back to Tampa to hang out with the guys at work for Kathi's birthday. But then I realized that since I was moving faster than the storm that I should just suck it up and it will all be over soon.
So for 15 miles this kept going. All through Lakeland, I didn't see anything. Not even the Hooters that's right there on the freeway. I saw none of it. I instead saw barely 25 feet in front of me, with only flashing lights and my own damn instincts to guide me through this test of nature's strength. I remember texting with a couple of people when things were fine on the drive, but this was not that time. This was me thinking about how the hell people in Florida drive through this every August. I sure as hell wouldn't. This wasn't even a hurricane! I had driven through some strong storms down here, but this was something else. Clouds about 50 feet off the freeway pouring down endless streams of precipitation and throwing in lightning for good measure because they figure the tall aluminum structures in the Lakeland area didn't get enough juice for a Thursday night.
When I finally came out of the damn thing after about 20 minutes of me wondering if me traveling 155 miles to do one inning of TV was truly worth it if I had to go through this to get there, I breathed a sigh of relief...and then immediately called Garrett back at the stadium to see if this cell was going to head for Viera (A storm that would have ended the thoughts of the game being played that night. No questions asked.) and he informed me that it was instead heading northeast towards Orlando and then Daytona. Thank you, Mother Nature.
Oh, but then Mother Nature got crafty. Once I arrived at the park at 6 p.m., I was greeted at Space Coast Stadium (I originally typed Space Ghost, which is hilarious) by the Manatees staff and the Bright House Sports people, including former AL Cy Young Winner Frank Viola, who's as nice as they come and truly enjoys what he's doing. I caught the crew up on the team and then took in the view from the press box...where we could all see a storm pouring rain out in the distance.
Mother Nature, you're a cruel bitch.
We were hoping it was just crossing to the west, heading across Melbourne and over towards St. Cloud/Kissimmee, but it wasn't. It was heading for the stadium. The tarp was on the field. The TV time was in jeopardy once more.
The storm hit the field and it hit it pretty hard, but two things saved me: First was that it was a short storm, but wasn't nearly as strong as the one I went through to get here. Second, the tarp was on the field in plenty of time and the field had not taken water in a few days, meaning that it was ready to soak some stuff up. The drains in left field were ready for the water and the field took it well. When the tarp was taken off the field and the excess water was squeegeed off, I waited for Manatees GM Kyle Smith's announcement on the game. Thankfully, it was still on. It was to start at 8:15. My TV time was intact and I was happy.
I thanked whoever has power over Mother Nature for allowing me the chance to do the game and I pressed on for my inning, a phenomenal piece of sports talk in the middle of two quick half innings. Much too quick for me, of course, where I wish I could have stayed the rest of the game.
The game itself was something else. 1-1 until the Jays got two home runs, one from Kevin Ahrens and another from Jesus Gonzalez. We had a 4-1 lead in the 9th with Tim Collins, the best reliever on the team, on to close the game out, but a bleeder fell, a line drive wasn't caught, and the Manatees took advantage of a bases-loaded walk and a couple other hits fell, tying the game at 4-4. When Trystan Magnuson somehow got a line drive double play out of the situation and then got a fly out to end the inning, we were looking at extras. It was 11:30. The day wasn't over yet.
But, the Manatees won on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th to win the game and the series, sending Dunedin to Daytona with a gut-punch of a loss. As bad as I felt, for me to go through so much rain for one inning of TV time was worth it. Made me feel good to be behind a microphone and tell a story for a while. I guess what you realize is that if you feel like it's something that's worthwhile in your life, you gotta go after it, regardless of who it is, what it is, where it is...or why it's even there in the first place.
And now, here I lay in Delray Beach, 24 hours later, and looking back on a Thursday that was much more than I expected. Couldn't have asked for anything else out of a day like that. I'm now in Delray Beach, fresh off muchos fried potatoes, talks of desperate women in need of loving (Thanks to my uncle and aunt, no less) and a viewing of “500 Days of Summer”, which was a good romantic comedy that will hit close to home for those looking to figure out their views on love. (Ahem...) In eight hours, I will surf Deerfield Beach and continue my march towards my uncertain future, wondering what will happen next and being ready to handle it when it happens.
(Editor's Note: Bad weather forced the free surf lesson to be canceled. Sad face.)
I love to broadcast. It's my lifeblood, my energy. Outside of my family and friends, my time behind a microphone is the best time I have in my life. (Insert “If only I had a girlfriend”-type reference here.) It's just...it makes me feel good. It's not even an ego pumper. It's like it's a validation of time and effort; that for me to be able to say anything behind a mike makes me realize that all the hard work I've put in to making this happen was worthwhile.
Many times this year, Mother Nature has been a bitch to my broadcasting aspirations. I say that with love and kindness, for Mother Nature has also given me plenty a sunny day so that I may enjoy my normal day-to-day job that I do with the Blue Jays. But, on the days where I've been allowed to broadcast, it has decided to rain on my parade more often than not. Now...I'm one for the realization that Florida is in a drought and the rain is necessary, but good lord, for three hours, could you turn off the waterworks just ONCE?
Well, apparently, Mother Nature decided that it didn't just want to destroy my thoughts of broadcasting a Friday night game. Oh, no. It decided to try and make a run at my TV spot, as well.
It's funny to think that on Thursday afternoon, life decided to throw me a curveball or two. C'mon. I write about baseball for a living. As if that cliché wasn't going to come up during any of my writings. No, I'm talking about how a drive across the state of Florida almost made me turn around and head back to Clearwater.
Am I a pansy? Eh, at this point, for me to complain about something as mundane as the weather in Florida in August seems pedantic (Thank you, Peter Griffin) at best, but good lord...I had never experienced anything like that in my life.
Around 1 p.m. or so that day, a good storm came through the Tampa Bay area and hit Dunedin pretty hard. Hagler/Hearns hard, so to speak. It was one of those that was quick, but you felt its power. So, around 2 p.m., after the Blue Jays staff enjoyed birthday sundaes for Kathi, who turned 25 (Welcome to the club. Enjoy feeling old for a while before realizing you're not even 30 yet.) I ventured east to Viera, which is just north of Melbourne on the east coast of Florida. I had been asked by Bright House Sports Network to come on for an inning during their Game of the Week for the FSL that involved Dunedin and Brevard County.
Now...weather patterns as they are, with me being inside, I really didn't get to feel how strong the storm was. Usually, the cells that are strongest are heard on the aluminum roofs of our office buildings. So, after going through a shower as I headed for I-4, I thought I had seen the worst of it and it would be clear skies to Viera.
Yeah, about that...for those of you who have not experienced weather in Florida during the month of August, this is the time of year when hurricanes begin to occur. Now, I'm not saying I went through a hurricane, but the weather is such that cells are usually strong around this time due to increased amounts of humidity, causing more clouds to take in water, and, because of the hot temperatures (Haven't seen the heat index under 100 in about four weeks) it makes the hot air able to mix with the cool air of the clouds to not only create the hard rain, but allows for electric currents to roam freely, causing the variety of thunderstorms that are seen in the Tampa Bay area every summer. Now, most of it is the heat lightning generated by the clouds, but every now and then, a cloud gets rid of a bolt via a lightning strike. No big deal, right? Unless you're afraid of lightning, which I'm not.
So as I exited the Tampa area heading east on I-4, I looked ahead to see nothing but dark skies and thunderbolts crashing down upon central Florida. It wasn't exactly doomsday, but for me, it wasn't something I looked to enjoy in the least. In fact, I got my first true taste of tropic thunder when I saw a lightning bolt crash on the shoulder of the west side of the freeway. About 50 feet away from me. And I saw it crash.
Gulp.Did I say I wasn't afraid of lightning?
So imagine my unsurprise at what followed: copious amounts of rainfall that pounded the freeway and would not stop as I got to Plant City, 20 miles east of Conjunction Junction. It started out like a hard storm would normally start, but then it got stronger. The rain fell at a faster rate. The highest possible setting on my windshield wipers wouldn't go fast enough. I was clinched at 10 and 2 on the wheel, peering out over it to look as closely and as attentively as I could to the traffic ahead of me, slowing down due to the cars that had been stymied by Mother Nature's best rendition of the last time she saw the end of “Terms of Endearment.” We all cried. C'mon, now.
And Mother Nature was bawling. I mean the type of bawling that only happens to 13 year old girls that find out that the Jonas Brothers broke up and that the new “Twilight” movie was never to be released. Like the type of crying Rams fans did when Adam Vinatieri made the Field Goald Heard 'Round the World in Super Bowl XXXVI.
It rained hard, I guess, is what I am trying to say.
I looked down to my speedometer to see that it was only at 35 MPH, half the speed limit for the freeway at that time. My HAZARD lights were on. Not brights, not high beams...HAZARD lights. It was about five minutes in that I seriously considered turning around and heading back to Tampa to hang out with the guys at work for Kathi's birthday. But then I realized that since I was moving faster than the storm that I should just suck it up and it will all be over soon.
So for 15 miles this kept going. All through Lakeland, I didn't see anything. Not even the Hooters that's right there on the freeway. I saw none of it. I instead saw barely 25 feet in front of me, with only flashing lights and my own damn instincts to guide me through this test of nature's strength. I remember texting with a couple of people when things were fine on the drive, but this was not that time. This was me thinking about how the hell people in Florida drive through this every August. I sure as hell wouldn't. This wasn't even a hurricane! I had driven through some strong storms down here, but this was something else. Clouds about 50 feet off the freeway pouring down endless streams of precipitation and throwing in lightning for good measure because they figure the tall aluminum structures in the Lakeland area didn't get enough juice for a Thursday night.
When I finally came out of the damn thing after about 20 minutes of me wondering if me traveling 155 miles to do one inning of TV was truly worth it if I had to go through this to get there, I breathed a sigh of relief...and then immediately called Garrett back at the stadium to see if this cell was going to head for Viera (A storm that would have ended the thoughts of the game being played that night. No questions asked.) and he informed me that it was instead heading northeast towards Orlando and then Daytona. Thank you, Mother Nature.
Oh, but then Mother Nature got crafty. Once I arrived at the park at 6 p.m., I was greeted at Space Coast Stadium (I originally typed Space Ghost, which is hilarious) by the Manatees staff and the Bright House Sports people, including former AL Cy Young Winner Frank Viola, who's as nice as they come and truly enjoys what he's doing. I caught the crew up on the team and then took in the view from the press box...where we could all see a storm pouring rain out in the distance.
Mother Nature, you're a cruel bitch.
We were hoping it was just crossing to the west, heading across Melbourne and over towards St. Cloud/Kissimmee, but it wasn't. It was heading for the stadium. The tarp was on the field. The TV time was in jeopardy once more.
The storm hit the field and it hit it pretty hard, but two things saved me: First was that it was a short storm, but wasn't nearly as strong as the one I went through to get here. Second, the tarp was on the field in plenty of time and the field had not taken water in a few days, meaning that it was ready to soak some stuff up. The drains in left field were ready for the water and the field took it well. When the tarp was taken off the field and the excess water was squeegeed off, I waited for Manatees GM Kyle Smith's announcement on the game. Thankfully, it was still on. It was to start at 8:15. My TV time was intact and I was happy.
I thanked whoever has power over Mother Nature for allowing me the chance to do the game and I pressed on for my inning, a phenomenal piece of sports talk in the middle of two quick half innings. Much too quick for me, of course, where I wish I could have stayed the rest of the game.
The game itself was something else. 1-1 until the Jays got two home runs, one from Kevin Ahrens and another from Jesus Gonzalez. We had a 4-1 lead in the 9th with Tim Collins, the best reliever on the team, on to close the game out, but a bleeder fell, a line drive wasn't caught, and the Manatees took advantage of a bases-loaded walk and a couple other hits fell, tying the game at 4-4. When Trystan Magnuson somehow got a line drive double play out of the situation and then got a fly out to end the inning, we were looking at extras. It was 11:30. The day wasn't over yet.
But, the Manatees won on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th to win the game and the series, sending Dunedin to Daytona with a gut-punch of a loss. As bad as I felt, for me to go through so much rain for one inning of TV time was worth it. Made me feel good to be behind a microphone and tell a story for a while. I guess what you realize is that if you feel like it's something that's worthwhile in your life, you gotta go after it, regardless of who it is, what it is, where it is...or why it's even there in the first place.
And now, here I lay in Delray Beach, 24 hours later, and looking back on a Thursday that was much more than I expected. Couldn't have asked for anything else out of a day like that. I'm now in Delray Beach, fresh off muchos fried potatoes, talks of desperate women in need of loving (Thanks to my uncle and aunt, no less) and a viewing of “500 Days of Summer”, which was a good romantic comedy that will hit close to home for those looking to figure out their views on love. (Ahem...) In eight hours, I will surf Deerfield Beach and continue my march towards my uncertain future, wondering what will happen next and being ready to handle it when it happens.
(Editor's Note: Bad weather forced the free surf lesson to be canceled. Sad face.)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It's been a long time/I shouldn't have left you...
Well, it's August. To think I was here seven months ago and was writing about my troubles adjusting to this place seems like it was a long time ago. And honestly, it has been. I know that everybody I was close to has been doing their thing since I left back in California, just like I've been doing here since I arrived, but honestly, it still feels weird; as if I'm about to find out after my senior year of college whether I'm heading home or staying put to follow my dreams.
The last time that happened, I ended up heading home as I tried to break in with KTVU and keep my broadcasting aspirations afloat. I did a good job with that, taking a job at Friedman's for a little while before finding my spot with ThreeHouse when it was at its peak, which in turn, allowed me to get my current spot here with the Blue Jays. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I got here, but my seven months in Dunedin, as far as my career is concerned, have been some of the most fulfilling time of my life because it allowed me to become aware of what I needed to do in order to be successful. Not just in my career, which I always had my nose to the grindstone with, but just with my life in general.
The gym is no longer some place I go when I feel like it: It's another hour and a half added to my work day. It's some place I go because I've realized I don't like being this big dude anymore. I want to be able to slim down and feel good about it. I haven't felt this way about anything in my life since my senior year in high school, really, and I'm about to become as small as I was back then if things keep going well at the gym. I still have a long way to go to get where I want to with my physical self, but it seems as if my emotional side is turning a bit; where confidence and determination has replaced self-loathing and doubt. Although, as the people who I have complained to over the last few months know, it hasn't been an easy process!
To be honest, I don't know what the future holds with me here in Dunedin. I know that the Blue Jays would love to keep me around, but they also know that I want to broadcast, which has been my dream and my passion for five years now, and is something I hope becomes the fixture in my career much sooner than later. For the longest time, broadcasting has been an aside; almost a perk to my full-time employment with whoever I worked for. I've been chasing a dream, and to an extent, that dream has come true: I'm broadcasting professional baseball. Even on a small level, that's something I can be proud of (and something that goes on the resume).
Hell, I even realized a small dream last Thursday when Bright House Sports Network (what would be the equivalent of Comcast Sportsnet back in the Bay Area) had me on for a couple of innings during Dunedin's TV debut for the season when they took on Clearwater. They loved having me be a part of the broadcast and I helped out with them being prepared well for it, and I really came off looking like an asset to the program. That's all I could hope for. Now, the Blue Jays are on again this Thursday and it looks like I might get another shot to help out on the TV side of things. Perhaps this leads to something.
If there's anything anyone ever learns in life, it's that if you get any opportunity that might lead to something that you want to do, seize it. That's what I did when I went to the Baseball Winter Meetings in Vegas last December, and thankfully, it led me to this spot in my life where I am in professional sports: I'm good at what I do, and the sky is the limit. For seven years, I've worked my ass off to get to this point and I'm not about to let something get in my way. Within the next few days, I should find out what my future is with the team, and whatever is presented to me, if it's an opportunity to do something that might lead to the next big step in my life, I'll do what I've tried to do since I was an intern under Steven Serafini in sports at the I-T: I'll seize the opportunity, and I'll do everything I can to not only do the job, but add something to it so that it's my own.
Never before in my life has the phrase "Carpe Diem" meant more than right now. I intend to do that from now on. In my work, in my life, with myself. It's time to stop living with what isn't in front of me and start living with everything that is. And if anybody is doubting their abilities with anything in their lives, remember that whatever change you hope will happen begins with you. Always has, always will. For me, I just hope that the changes I've been making pay off in the long run.
The last time that happened, I ended up heading home as I tried to break in with KTVU and keep my broadcasting aspirations afloat. I did a good job with that, taking a job at Friedman's for a little while before finding my spot with ThreeHouse when it was at its peak, which in turn, allowed me to get my current spot here with the Blue Jays. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I got here, but my seven months in Dunedin, as far as my career is concerned, have been some of the most fulfilling time of my life because it allowed me to become aware of what I needed to do in order to be successful. Not just in my career, which I always had my nose to the grindstone with, but just with my life in general.
The gym is no longer some place I go when I feel like it: It's another hour and a half added to my work day. It's some place I go because I've realized I don't like being this big dude anymore. I want to be able to slim down and feel good about it. I haven't felt this way about anything in my life since my senior year in high school, really, and I'm about to become as small as I was back then if things keep going well at the gym. I still have a long way to go to get where I want to with my physical self, but it seems as if my emotional side is turning a bit; where confidence and determination has replaced self-loathing and doubt. Although, as the people who I have complained to over the last few months know, it hasn't been an easy process!
To be honest, I don't know what the future holds with me here in Dunedin. I know that the Blue Jays would love to keep me around, but they also know that I want to broadcast, which has been my dream and my passion for five years now, and is something I hope becomes the fixture in my career much sooner than later. For the longest time, broadcasting has been an aside; almost a perk to my full-time employment with whoever I worked for. I've been chasing a dream, and to an extent, that dream has come true: I'm broadcasting professional baseball. Even on a small level, that's something I can be proud of (and something that goes on the resume).
Hell, I even realized a small dream last Thursday when Bright House Sports Network (what would be the equivalent of Comcast Sportsnet back in the Bay Area) had me on for a couple of innings during Dunedin's TV debut for the season when they took on Clearwater. They loved having me be a part of the broadcast and I helped out with them being prepared well for it, and I really came off looking like an asset to the program. That's all I could hope for. Now, the Blue Jays are on again this Thursday and it looks like I might get another shot to help out on the TV side of things. Perhaps this leads to something.
If there's anything anyone ever learns in life, it's that if you get any opportunity that might lead to something that you want to do, seize it. That's what I did when I went to the Baseball Winter Meetings in Vegas last December, and thankfully, it led me to this spot in my life where I am in professional sports: I'm good at what I do, and the sky is the limit. For seven years, I've worked my ass off to get to this point and I'm not about to let something get in my way. Within the next few days, I should find out what my future is with the team, and whatever is presented to me, if it's an opportunity to do something that might lead to the next big step in my life, I'll do what I've tried to do since I was an intern under Steven Serafini in sports at the I-T: I'll seize the opportunity, and I'll do everything I can to not only do the job, but add something to it so that it's my own.
Never before in my life has the phrase "Carpe Diem" meant more than right now. I intend to do that from now on. In my work, in my life, with myself. It's time to stop living with what isn't in front of me and start living with everything that is. And if anybody is doubting their abilities with anything in their lives, remember that whatever change you hope will happen begins with you. Always has, always will. For me, I just hope that the changes I've been making pay off in the long run.
Monday, June 22, 2009
My last 10 Recently Played Songs on my iPod: 6/22/09
This is something I'll try and do from time to time as kind of an updater on what I've been up to lately and gauge my musical tastes recently, as they seem to be in a constant state of flux depending on when and where I'm listening to them. So here is how this works: On my iPod, as there is on all iPods, one of the default playlists is the "Recently Played" playlist, and it's one I actually go back to a lot, because I like to listen to it and remember where I was the last time I played. So, I figured, why not write about it? I'm going to keep it to 10, and I'll do the lists at random times. I'll also include a small background about each song to keep them in context. So without further ado:
1. "Black or White" - Michael Jackson, Number Ones
LAST LISTENED TO: On my way home from work, last...I'm gonna say Thursday. Yep, Thursday. I believe I craved Taco Bell.
Ah, Michael. What a career you've led. Daddy Joe was a jerk while you were the center of attention with the 5, and then after going solo, you became a megastar thanks in large part to the incredible work of producer Quincy Jones, whose trio of albums turned you into the "King of Pop." Now, we can only look at you as, and I'm quoting Katt Williams here, the King of "Smelling Like Little Boys' Booty Holes." This was one of his last hits, with the video for this showing him, if I remember right, standing in a water tower of some sort. I don't know. I just remember that hearing Michael sing about the subject was pretty hilarious, mainly because his pigmentation surgery turned him whiter than Powder. Not like talcum powder, but Powder from the movie, "Powder" powder. The song itself is fine, but pales (heh) in comparison to his previous works.
2. "Thugs Get Lonely Too" - 2Pac (feat. Nate Dogg), Loyal to the Game
LAST LISTENED TO: I think on the same trip. Maybe a shorter trip to get gas. Nope, same trip.
I recently watched some old "Chappelle's Show" reruns and it brought me to the hilarious skit where he was dancing in the club and heard the new 2Pac and the lyrics made it sound like 2Pac recorded the song 10 days ago instead of 10 years ago. They stop at lyrics like, "George W....Smith/He used to be the mayor, of Oakland, a long time ago!" And then they keep hollering at Chappelle for hitting on a woman when he's married. Dave, come back to us. Please. The song itself I actually picked up when it was Logan Schafer's walk-up music in Brevard County and I loved the intro. Now, the intro to the song itself is a little longer than what Schafer used (he picked it up from the first drum beat) but the song is the usual post-death 2Pac fare: A beat he probably never would have used, but at the same time, worked for what they were going for. Plus, it had Nate Dogg on the hook, and that's always good, no matter what. I could write the worst rap ever (and I probably have, ask Lenny Della Cella) and have Nate Dogg on the hook and my shit would be hot. Then I'd truly change my name to Posstrofee and start my true calling as heir to the white rapper throne. But I think I'll just follow sports, instead.
3. "Fish and Whistle" - John Prine, Souveneirs
LAST LISTENED TO: Aforementioned trip.
My dad records music, and in talking to my Uncle Jay about him and his musical stylings, I told him that when I first listened to John Prine sing, I realized exactly who my dad sounded like. Now, of course, Prine was somebody who turned out to be one of the greatest acoustic guitar players ever, and my dad is someone who plays because he loves it and doesn't intend on getting famous (although if he did, it's not like he'd turn down the fame) but the way Prine sings his songs, the tonality, the strumming of the guitar, the slight raspiness, it's all in my dad's songs, too. It's nice to know that when I hear a John Prine song, it's a reminder of what my dad looks to for influence and inspiration.
4. "Behind Those Eyes" - 3 Doors Down, Seventeen Days
LAST LISTENTED TO: Aforementioned trip, but I remember exactly when I heard it: Just as I was going through the drive thru at Taco Bell. Weird.
I have a few songs that I absolutely played down to the bone in my iPod history, and the problem is that when I had to reset it or move songs to a different computer, I lose my play history, so this song, at one point, was played at the very top of the list along with another 3 Doors Down song, "Landing in London." Now, that song had Bob Seger in it, and he's pretty awesome, but I remember seeing a video that recapped a WrestleMania a few years back (I think it was 21, when Batista won the big gold belt from Triple H) and this was the song it was set to. For someone who was learning the producing ropes, that was a pretty sweet video package to watch. So it got into heavy rotation, made my Top 100 list, and I played it out until I got sick of it. I think it was about 40 times. It was #1 for like, 2 months. If Billboard consisted of only me, 3 Doors Down would be the most popular band in the United States. And not because of "Superman." That would be fine by me. The song itself is fine, but it's not as much anymore because now all those 3 Doors Down songs blend together for me. I liked them a lot at one point, but not so much anymore. Thought it was worth a listen for nostalgia's sake, though.
5. "Theme from 'Shaft'" - Isaac Hayes, Shaft
LAST LISTENED TO: Coming home from work, but before deciding Taco Bell was the place to be.
So I mentioned Quincy Jones earlier, and as if you needed any other reason to love the man, we throw this one down and you guys all bow down at the greatness of him. Now, he has two incredible themes to his credit: This one, and the theme from "Austin Powers." Yes, he wrote the theme to Austin Powers. The best of the three movie themes was the one from "The Spy Who Shagged Me" where he extended it out a bit and flared it out in the end. I almost thought they would go full James Bond and have different people do opening themes for the movies. But, alas, they instead got Britney Spears' head to explode. I guess that's a win-win? Although I'm digging "If You Seek Amy" a lot more than the other pop songs out there (I'm looking at you, Black Eyed Peas). The best part of this song isn't the lyrics. It's the layering of the instruments. Quincy figured out a way to slowly incorporate the instruments so that it was like they were all coming to a party one after the other, and then right before Isaac starts to sing, it's like Shaft had arrived to the party and they were all applauding his arrival. Of course, Isaac lays it down thick and it's an iconic piece of pop culture. Pretty incredible when you think about it.
(Sidenote: Quincy Jones has to be a Top 5, maybe Top 3 producer ever, doesn't he? I know people have their faves, like Phil Spector or Sir George Martin, who were the main producers for The Beatles. I like more recent guys like Dr. Dre, Mannie Fresh, Timbaland for hip hop and Roy Thomas Baker mostly for "Bohemian Rhapsody" but also for his work on the final album from The Darkness called "One Way Ticket...To Hell and Back". I just realized I'm writing a side note as if I'm The Sports Guy. Forget anymore sidenotes.)
6. "I'm A Flirt (Remix)" - R. Kelly (feat. T.I and T-Pain), Double Up
LAST LISTENED TO: First song that hit after I left work that Thursday.
Oh, Robert. I'm gonna lay it on the line: On pure musical talent, I don't think there's anyone in hip-hop today that has more than him. Kanye, Lil' Wayne, Eminem...you name it. P. Diddy might have invented the remix, but R. Kelly mastered the damn thing. Everyone loved the remix to "Ignition." He's written songs called "Feelin' On Yo Booty" and "Sex Planet." And the first line of this song, after the dude went to court for charges of lewd sexual misconduct with a minor are "I swear to tell the truth and the whole truth." This guy made of Teflon or something? Also, add in his part in a phenomenal episode of "The Boondocks" and his part in the "Make It Rain" remix. Oh, and then he did "I Believe I Can Fly," a song that when performed in full chorus at the MTV Video Music Awards back in 1997 was one of the best award show performances ever. Throw in new hipster icon (????) T-Pain and a guy who just came off his best album in T.I. and you got yourself a hip-hop #1 hit. Done deal.
7. "What I Got (Reprise)" - Sublime, Sublime
LAST LISTENED TO: On my way into work that Thursday.
I have bought this album three times. I first bought it, then lost it when my CDs got stolen. I got it as a gift for my birthday, then it got busted. The third time I got it, it got stolen again, but by that time, I had it saved on my computer and could burn it. I think if you were a kid in Sonoma when this came out and you weren't listening to it, people wondered what the hell was wrong with you. It's weird to listen to it now, with the only true memory I'm getting from it bringing me back to the same time: My sophomore year at Sonoma Valley High School. It's another group who I have kind of soured on, but, just like the Chili Peppers, when the summer time rolls around, this group comes to mind immediately, and usually, it brings the good times. This was one of them.
8. "Runnin' Away" - Sly & The Family Stone, There's A Riot Going On
LAST LISTENED TO: Driving home from the Wednesday day game.
So in our times where we drove to San Francisco on what seemed like a weekly basis, Blake and I would pop one of his CDs in, and we'd get in a rotation where this would be near the top of the list. Why? Because one time, when this song came on, we saw about a half dozen beautiful women driving by us on the 101. So, like most one-hit wonders, you keep playing and hope that the second and third time around bring the same results. Not so much the second time around. That being said, Sly is ridiculously cool. Will's mom knew him in high school. Literally. Played at school rallies and all that. Guess he knew way back then. So Vallejo's four greatest exports are Sly, Jeff Gordon, C.C. Sabbathia and E-40. Not bad.
9. "Mainstreet" - Bob Seger, Greatest Hits
LAST LISTENED TO: That same Wednesday, just before getting home.
Bob Seger was one of the first artists I remember listening to, along with Willie Nelson, Queen, Jimmy Buffett, The Eagles and The Beatles. I always loved his music, just because the way he sang made it sound like he was eeking out pain. Like he was looking for a way to describe heartbreak. THIS song is awesome because it talks about that heartbreak, about a guy wanting to find love in the heart of a dancer late one night downtown, probably in Detroit, but it, of course, becoming a trial and tribulation to do so. For some reason, people will talk up Springsteen for all he's worth, but Bob Seger gets left behind because he didn't write a bunch of poppy singles about the American Dream. Instead, people remember him for things like being the song in those Guitar Hero commercials where they copy "Risky Business" and being the song in the Chevrolet "Like A Rock" commercials. So two songs became commercial jingles. Awesome. I don't remember Bob Seger for those songs. I remember him for songs like this, "Night Moves," "Turn The Page," and "Hollywood Nights."
10. "Oh!" - Eric Hutchinson, Sounds Like This
LAST LISTENED TO: On the way to the ballpark early that Wednesday morning.
Alex Anthopolous, assistant GM of the Toronto Blue Jays, gave me an overview of what he'd like from me to do during Spring Training before the first game of the year against the Yankees back in February. I remember sitting down, getting the things together, and then all of a sudden, Alex calling me over and dropping a cardboard box full of CDs in my arms and saying, "Here, you can have these if you want. Welcome to Spring Training." This was on the first day I met him. Suffice to say, it's one thing to be nice, but a completely different thing to be generous. Luckily, he was both. One of his good friends was attending one of the games that weekend and dropped those off as a way of saying thanks, but Alex didn't want them and sent them my way. So I put EVERY ONE of them on my computer, and Eric Hutchinson, who I had never heard of, was one of them. He's another one of those fringe indie pop guys that sound like the music you'd hear on a teen drama like The OC or something. I guess Gossip Girls is the way to go now. Anyways, this is a song that I listened to for the first time a while back and I really enjoyed it. Good piano work (I contest to this day that the piano is the most important instrument in pop music) and I liked the lyrics well enough. He's like a poor man's Ben Folds.
1. "Black or White" - Michael Jackson, Number Ones
LAST LISTENED TO: On my way home from work, last...I'm gonna say Thursday. Yep, Thursday. I believe I craved Taco Bell.
Ah, Michael. What a career you've led. Daddy Joe was a jerk while you were the center of attention with the 5, and then after going solo, you became a megastar thanks in large part to the incredible work of producer Quincy Jones, whose trio of albums turned you into the "King of Pop." Now, we can only look at you as, and I'm quoting Katt Williams here, the King of "Smelling Like Little Boys' Booty Holes." This was one of his last hits, with the video for this showing him, if I remember right, standing in a water tower of some sort. I don't know. I just remember that hearing Michael sing about the subject was pretty hilarious, mainly because his pigmentation surgery turned him whiter than Powder. Not like talcum powder, but Powder from the movie, "Powder" powder. The song itself is fine, but pales (heh) in comparison to his previous works.
2. "Thugs Get Lonely Too" - 2Pac (feat. Nate Dogg), Loyal to the Game
LAST LISTENED TO: I think on the same trip. Maybe a shorter trip to get gas. Nope, same trip.
I recently watched some old "Chappelle's Show" reruns and it brought me to the hilarious skit where he was dancing in the club and heard the new 2Pac and the lyrics made it sound like 2Pac recorded the song 10 days ago instead of 10 years ago. They stop at lyrics like, "George W....Smith/He used to be the mayor, of Oakland, a long time ago!" And then they keep hollering at Chappelle for hitting on a woman when he's married. Dave, come back to us. Please. The song itself I actually picked up when it was Logan Schafer's walk-up music in Brevard County and I loved the intro. Now, the intro to the song itself is a little longer than what Schafer used (he picked it up from the first drum beat) but the song is the usual post-death 2Pac fare: A beat he probably never would have used, but at the same time, worked for what they were going for. Plus, it had Nate Dogg on the hook, and that's always good, no matter what. I could write the worst rap ever (and I probably have, ask Lenny Della Cella) and have Nate Dogg on the hook and my shit would be hot. Then I'd truly change my name to Posstrofee and start my true calling as heir to the white rapper throne. But I think I'll just follow sports, instead.
3. "Fish and Whistle" - John Prine, Souveneirs
LAST LISTENED TO: Aforementioned trip.
My dad records music, and in talking to my Uncle Jay about him and his musical stylings, I told him that when I first listened to John Prine sing, I realized exactly who my dad sounded like. Now, of course, Prine was somebody who turned out to be one of the greatest acoustic guitar players ever, and my dad is someone who plays because he loves it and doesn't intend on getting famous (although if he did, it's not like he'd turn down the fame) but the way Prine sings his songs, the tonality, the strumming of the guitar, the slight raspiness, it's all in my dad's songs, too. It's nice to know that when I hear a John Prine song, it's a reminder of what my dad looks to for influence and inspiration.
4. "Behind Those Eyes" - 3 Doors Down, Seventeen Days
LAST LISTENTED TO: Aforementioned trip, but I remember exactly when I heard it: Just as I was going through the drive thru at Taco Bell. Weird.
I have a few songs that I absolutely played down to the bone in my iPod history, and the problem is that when I had to reset it or move songs to a different computer, I lose my play history, so this song, at one point, was played at the very top of the list along with another 3 Doors Down song, "Landing in London." Now, that song had Bob Seger in it, and he's pretty awesome, but I remember seeing a video that recapped a WrestleMania a few years back (I think it was 21, when Batista won the big gold belt from Triple H) and this was the song it was set to. For someone who was learning the producing ropes, that was a pretty sweet video package to watch. So it got into heavy rotation, made my Top 100 list, and I played it out until I got sick of it. I think it was about 40 times. It was #1 for like, 2 months. If Billboard consisted of only me, 3 Doors Down would be the most popular band in the United States. And not because of "Superman." That would be fine by me. The song itself is fine, but it's not as much anymore because now all those 3 Doors Down songs blend together for me. I liked them a lot at one point, but not so much anymore. Thought it was worth a listen for nostalgia's sake, though.
5. "Theme from 'Shaft'" - Isaac Hayes, Shaft
LAST LISTENED TO: Coming home from work, but before deciding Taco Bell was the place to be.
So I mentioned Quincy Jones earlier, and as if you needed any other reason to love the man, we throw this one down and you guys all bow down at the greatness of him. Now, he has two incredible themes to his credit: This one, and the theme from "Austin Powers." Yes, he wrote the theme to Austin Powers. The best of the three movie themes was the one from "The Spy Who Shagged Me" where he extended it out a bit and flared it out in the end. I almost thought they would go full James Bond and have different people do opening themes for the movies. But, alas, they instead got Britney Spears' head to explode. I guess that's a win-win? Although I'm digging "If You Seek Amy" a lot more than the other pop songs out there (I'm looking at you, Black Eyed Peas). The best part of this song isn't the lyrics. It's the layering of the instruments. Quincy figured out a way to slowly incorporate the instruments so that it was like they were all coming to a party one after the other, and then right before Isaac starts to sing, it's like Shaft had arrived to the party and they were all applauding his arrival. Of course, Isaac lays it down thick and it's an iconic piece of pop culture. Pretty incredible when you think about it.
(Sidenote: Quincy Jones has to be a Top 5, maybe Top 3 producer ever, doesn't he? I know people have their faves, like Phil Spector or Sir George Martin, who were the main producers for The Beatles. I like more recent guys like Dr. Dre, Mannie Fresh, Timbaland for hip hop and Roy Thomas Baker mostly for "Bohemian Rhapsody" but also for his work on the final album from The Darkness called "One Way Ticket...To Hell and Back". I just realized I'm writing a side note as if I'm The Sports Guy. Forget anymore sidenotes.)
6. "I'm A Flirt (Remix)" - R. Kelly (feat. T.I and T-Pain), Double Up
LAST LISTENED TO: First song that hit after I left work that Thursday.
Oh, Robert. I'm gonna lay it on the line: On pure musical talent, I don't think there's anyone in hip-hop today that has more than him. Kanye, Lil' Wayne, Eminem...you name it. P. Diddy might have invented the remix, but R. Kelly mastered the damn thing. Everyone loved the remix to "Ignition." He's written songs called "Feelin' On Yo Booty" and "Sex Planet." And the first line of this song, after the dude went to court for charges of lewd sexual misconduct with a minor are "I swear to tell the truth and the whole truth." This guy made of Teflon or something? Also, add in his part in a phenomenal episode of "The Boondocks" and his part in the "Make It Rain" remix. Oh, and then he did "I Believe I Can Fly," a song that when performed in full chorus at the MTV Video Music Awards back in 1997 was one of the best award show performances ever. Throw in new hipster icon (????) T-Pain and a guy who just came off his best album in T.I. and you got yourself a hip-hop #1 hit. Done deal.
7. "What I Got (Reprise)" - Sublime, Sublime
LAST LISTENED TO: On my way into work that Thursday.
I have bought this album three times. I first bought it, then lost it when my CDs got stolen. I got it as a gift for my birthday, then it got busted. The third time I got it, it got stolen again, but by that time, I had it saved on my computer and could burn it. I think if you were a kid in Sonoma when this came out and you weren't listening to it, people wondered what the hell was wrong with you. It's weird to listen to it now, with the only true memory I'm getting from it bringing me back to the same time: My sophomore year at Sonoma Valley High School. It's another group who I have kind of soured on, but, just like the Chili Peppers, when the summer time rolls around, this group comes to mind immediately, and usually, it brings the good times. This was one of them.
8. "Runnin' Away" - Sly & The Family Stone, There's A Riot Going On
LAST LISTENED TO: Driving home from the Wednesday day game.
So in our times where we drove to San Francisco on what seemed like a weekly basis, Blake and I would pop one of his CDs in, and we'd get in a rotation where this would be near the top of the list. Why? Because one time, when this song came on, we saw about a half dozen beautiful women driving by us on the 101. So, like most one-hit wonders, you keep playing and hope that the second and third time around bring the same results. Not so much the second time around. That being said, Sly is ridiculously cool. Will's mom knew him in high school. Literally. Played at school rallies and all that. Guess he knew way back then. So Vallejo's four greatest exports are Sly, Jeff Gordon, C.C. Sabbathia and E-40. Not bad.
9. "Mainstreet" - Bob Seger, Greatest Hits
LAST LISTENED TO: That same Wednesday, just before getting home.
Bob Seger was one of the first artists I remember listening to, along with Willie Nelson, Queen, Jimmy Buffett, The Eagles and The Beatles. I always loved his music, just because the way he sang made it sound like he was eeking out pain. Like he was looking for a way to describe heartbreak. THIS song is awesome because it talks about that heartbreak, about a guy wanting to find love in the heart of a dancer late one night downtown, probably in Detroit, but it, of course, becoming a trial and tribulation to do so. For some reason, people will talk up Springsteen for all he's worth, but Bob Seger gets left behind because he didn't write a bunch of poppy singles about the American Dream. Instead, people remember him for things like being the song in those Guitar Hero commercials where they copy "Risky Business" and being the song in the Chevrolet "Like A Rock" commercials. So two songs became commercial jingles. Awesome. I don't remember Bob Seger for those songs. I remember him for songs like this, "Night Moves," "Turn The Page," and "Hollywood Nights."
10. "Oh!" - Eric Hutchinson, Sounds Like This
LAST LISTENED TO: On the way to the ballpark early that Wednesday morning.
Alex Anthopolous, assistant GM of the Toronto Blue Jays, gave me an overview of what he'd like from me to do during Spring Training before the first game of the year against the Yankees back in February. I remember sitting down, getting the things together, and then all of a sudden, Alex calling me over and dropping a cardboard box full of CDs in my arms and saying, "Here, you can have these if you want. Welcome to Spring Training." This was on the first day I met him. Suffice to say, it's one thing to be nice, but a completely different thing to be generous. Luckily, he was both. One of his good friends was attending one of the games that weekend and dropped those off as a way of saying thanks, but Alex didn't want them and sent them my way. So I put EVERY ONE of them on my computer, and Eric Hutchinson, who I had never heard of, was one of them. He's another one of those fringe indie pop guys that sound like the music you'd hear on a teen drama like The OC or something. I guess Gossip Girls is the way to go now. Anyways, this is a song that I listened to for the first time a while back and I really enjoyed it. Good piano work (I contest to this day that the piano is the most important instrument in pop music) and I liked the lyrics well enough. He's like a poor man's Ben Folds.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wow...it's been three months...
Go figure. Things get crazy, I forget to keep track. I guess here's the Cliff's Notes version of what has happened in the last three-plus months since I last wrote a blog entry:
-Mike got let go from the Blue Jays and moved back west to Arizona.
-I moved into a new place in Clearwater, having been looking and finally finding a place on the outskirts of town, near U.S. 19, as I'm living with a 50-year-old woman. At least I have my own room.
-Two days after I moved in, my car totally broke down on me. A couple days later, I was back on the road, but not before I thought my car was truly done for.
-I MCed the final seven games of the Spring Training season, showing off that I can do more than just write, which was a great shot in the arm.
-On the final day of spring training, I drank and ate so much afterwards that I threw up on the porch at Eddie's in Dunedin. True story. I would not drink for a long time afterwards.
-Two days later, the idea of broadcasting became relevant to the staff, and they put me in place to do a few broadcasts here and there.
-I went south for Easter with the family, enjoying a hell of a good time in the process.
-I went east toward Melbourne/Cocoa Beach to go see Brevard County sweep Dunedin, and meet some good people over there in the process as I took a player across to join the team.
-Went south and spent time on the beach with my Uncle Jay, which is always a good time.
-Did my first professional broadcast, a loss to the Tampa Yankees. I have done two more since.
-I played a lot of poker and almost won a tournament.
-I got out and saw a little bit of the area around Dunedin, and found a couple neat spots.
-Saw an amazing WrestleMania at Winghouse.
-Most recently, I celebrated my 25th birthday down in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, and it was a weekend I sorely needed.
-I came back with a bump on my head without knowing what it is, as it hurts anytime pressure is put on my head.
And now, here I am. June 18, 12:25 EST, and I'm finishing up this blog post with one more home game to go before this weekend's All-Star festivities. I won't have another weekend until July 16th, when I head back west to see family and friends for a couple of days, but if there's anything I've learned, it's to give yourself checkpoints if you feel yourself down. I have one month until I head west. With that as the goal, it's up to me to work my butt off and work towards that weekend as an ending point. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, with plenty of ups and downs, but life is all about finding balance. I still haven't found it, but it's something that's always a work in progress...and something I hope to find much sooner than later.
-Mike got let go from the Blue Jays and moved back west to Arizona.
-I moved into a new place in Clearwater, having been looking and finally finding a place on the outskirts of town, near U.S. 19, as I'm living with a 50-year-old woman. At least I have my own room.
-Two days after I moved in, my car totally broke down on me. A couple days later, I was back on the road, but not before I thought my car was truly done for.
-I MCed the final seven games of the Spring Training season, showing off that I can do more than just write, which was a great shot in the arm.
-On the final day of spring training, I drank and ate so much afterwards that I threw up on the porch at Eddie's in Dunedin. True story. I would not drink for a long time afterwards.
-Two days later, the idea of broadcasting became relevant to the staff, and they put me in place to do a few broadcasts here and there.
-I went south for Easter with the family, enjoying a hell of a good time in the process.
-I went east toward Melbourne/Cocoa Beach to go see Brevard County sweep Dunedin, and meet some good people over there in the process as I took a player across to join the team.
-Went south and spent time on the beach with my Uncle Jay, which is always a good time.
-Did my first professional broadcast, a loss to the Tampa Yankees. I have done two more since.
-I played a lot of poker and almost won a tournament.
-I got out and saw a little bit of the area around Dunedin, and found a couple neat spots.
-Saw an amazing WrestleMania at Winghouse.
-Most recently, I celebrated my 25th birthday down in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, and it was a weekend I sorely needed.
-I came back with a bump on my head without knowing what it is, as it hurts anytime pressure is put on my head.
And now, here I am. June 18, 12:25 EST, and I'm finishing up this blog post with one more home game to go before this weekend's All-Star festivities. I won't have another weekend until July 16th, when I head back west to see family and friends for a couple of days, but if there's anything I've learned, it's to give yourself checkpoints if you feel yourself down. I have one month until I head west. With that as the goal, it's up to me to work my butt off and work towards that weekend as an ending point. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, with plenty of ups and downs, but life is all about finding balance. I still haven't found it, but it's something that's always a work in progress...and something I hope to find much sooner than later.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Suitcases, you have done your job...
Well, it finally happened.
After 10 weeks and eight different places that I have stayed at (which included four couches, a Motel 6, my little cousin's bed and two efficiencies) I have finally settled into my place that will be mine until I decide to leave.
The relief is enormous.
I really sat down and thought about this today at work and it's really incredible to me. For 10 weeks, I basically did what I could to get by without truly finding a place to call "home." I've stayed at other people's houses, family, friends, co-workers...I even spent a night in the clubhouse at the field! That being said, my 10 weeks have taught me so much about life. Here's what I've learned:
-Make sure that you realize that if you really think hard, you can make the best out of any situation.
Going across the country at first, I found it difficult to truly grasp the situation I was in. I enjoyed the drive and seeing so much that I had never seen before, but it was something else to experience so much hardship, like my incident with my car going up the curb in Texas and my travels in New Orleans that led to me needing a new car battery. However, what I realized was that I just had to keep going to get to my goal, which was to get to Florida to start my new job.
-You can only control what you can.
Everything in life falls into one of two categories: You can control them through your own actions or you can't control them. For me, one of the things I had a tough time dealing with was the fact that for me, this was less than ideal as far as my situation went. My whole first week was spent trying to figure out whether or not I made the right decision in coming out here. I didn't know anyone except Mike, and all I did was come home from work and sit in my bed all night long unless there was a football game on. I did what I could to find happiness, and I tried hard, but living in that motel for a week just didn't make me feel good at all.
It was only after I had made it down to Delray Beach to visit my Uncle Jay a month ago where we talked about how life has to be taken in a certain way. You have to look for good things in your life, and that there are things you can control, but the ones you can't, you have to accept. It's also imperative that you don't live in the past. If you made a mistake, you can learn from it and move on, but you can't dwell on it or it will eat you up. I did that a lot, thinking about so many things that have happened in my life that were bad, but in the end, what good does it do? Why do we do so much damage to our psyches by living in the past?
It's a question I've pondered for a while, and I'm looking for answers just like you all are, but I also realize that for me to feel truly happy, it is to accept what is around me.
Like what happened today.
I moved in to my new room. I unpacked all my stuff that wasn't in storage. It's looking pretty good, but the big thing was that I had all these clothes that needed to go up on hangers. So I decided I would go to Target and get some. I also decided to stop by Radio Shack to see if I could pick up a cheap RCA cable for my PS3. Since I couldn't find one, I just decided to head for Target. Only I felt my car starting to slow down on me. I saw the oil light come on, and thought that maybe I need an oil change. So I headed for the Jiffy Lube down the street, but when I got there, it was closed. Sadly, they wouldnt let me in, but the manager looked and saw that my oil was fine, but I had no coolant. Well, that would explain the heat coming from the radiator.
So I headed to Wal-Mart (Yes, Wal-Mart) to try and get some coolant when all of a sudden, the car just died on me. There it went. So, I put the emergency lights on and away I went, running to Wal-Mart as I talked to my dad, telling him what happened as I looked for a solution. When I got the Prestone, I started pouring it in to the car, and it actually worked out alright. The car sounded good in idle, and I thought that I had it all sorted out. Well, when I tried to get the car going again, I still felt it a little slow on the acceleration, and on top of that, I noticed it was still doing some of the stuff it did before. So instead of going to Target, I decided to just go back to the house, let the car cool down as I unpacked, and then head for Target to get some hangers.
Plan didn't work out as well as I thought.
As I went to turn the car on, it wouldn't start, and it's not like it was trying, either. I turned it, but it almost sounded like the car was grinding a bit. That wasn't good, so I just gave up and called my dad again, who told me to call AAA. So I did, and after figuring out the place to drop it off, I figured out somewhere close, and called the tow truck guy, who eventually came to pick my car up after an hour or so. When he got there, he thought it sounded like the timing belt might be done, which would make sense because my dad thought that might have been the issue from how I explained it to him. So he towed it away, and I had to get Mike to take me to work tomorrow. (Thank you, Mike. I'll pay you back somehow.)
So tonight, the crossroads of my recent life have finally come into play: For 10 weeks, I haven't been able to be settled, but I've learned to accept it. Tonight, I have to accept what I can't control, but I should also revel in the fact that I have a place that I can call my own and that it's MINE. I want to thank so many people for helping me get to this point, especially my friends and family who have helped me from afar, my Uncle Jay for his guidance, I want to thank everybody who gave me a couch or a bed to sleep on, no questions asked, and finally, I want to thank Mike. He and I have been through hell and high water the last 10 weeks, looking for a place to stay and dealing with many of life's hardships along the way. I feel that while neither of us weren't exactly weak, we became stronger through experiencing this stuff together. He's a great guy and someone I'm happy to call a good friend.
So, I'll settle into bed tonight and be ready to get up early tomorrow so that I can get to tomorrow's game against the Pirates. Fergie Jenkins, the Hall of Fame pitcher who became the first Canadian to be inducted into Hall of Fame, will throw out the first pitch, so that will be a lot of fun. I might even be the MC. But, if there's anything I know from all of this, it's that life's battle is to figure out the balance between control and acceptance. Good and bad, bad and good, let life come to me as is and I will fight for my happiness if need be.
It's a battle that I refuse to lose.
After 10 weeks and eight different places that I have stayed at (which included four couches, a Motel 6, my little cousin's bed and two efficiencies) I have finally settled into my place that will be mine until I decide to leave.
The relief is enormous.
I really sat down and thought about this today at work and it's really incredible to me. For 10 weeks, I basically did what I could to get by without truly finding a place to call "home." I've stayed at other people's houses, family, friends, co-workers...I even spent a night in the clubhouse at the field! That being said, my 10 weeks have taught me so much about life. Here's what I've learned:
-Make sure that you realize that if you really think hard, you can make the best out of any situation.
Going across the country at first, I found it difficult to truly grasp the situation I was in. I enjoyed the drive and seeing so much that I had never seen before, but it was something else to experience so much hardship, like my incident with my car going up the curb in Texas and my travels in New Orleans that led to me needing a new car battery. However, what I realized was that I just had to keep going to get to my goal, which was to get to Florida to start my new job.
-You can only control what you can.
Everything in life falls into one of two categories: You can control them through your own actions or you can't control them. For me, one of the things I had a tough time dealing with was the fact that for me, this was less than ideal as far as my situation went. My whole first week was spent trying to figure out whether or not I made the right decision in coming out here. I didn't know anyone except Mike, and all I did was come home from work and sit in my bed all night long unless there was a football game on. I did what I could to find happiness, and I tried hard, but living in that motel for a week just didn't make me feel good at all.
It was only after I had made it down to Delray Beach to visit my Uncle Jay a month ago where we talked about how life has to be taken in a certain way. You have to look for good things in your life, and that there are things you can control, but the ones you can't, you have to accept. It's also imperative that you don't live in the past. If you made a mistake, you can learn from it and move on, but you can't dwell on it or it will eat you up. I did that a lot, thinking about so many things that have happened in my life that were bad, but in the end, what good does it do? Why do we do so much damage to our psyches by living in the past?
It's a question I've pondered for a while, and I'm looking for answers just like you all are, but I also realize that for me to feel truly happy, it is to accept what is around me.
Like what happened today.
I moved in to my new room. I unpacked all my stuff that wasn't in storage. It's looking pretty good, but the big thing was that I had all these clothes that needed to go up on hangers. So I decided I would go to Target and get some. I also decided to stop by Radio Shack to see if I could pick up a cheap RCA cable for my PS3. Since I couldn't find one, I just decided to head for Target. Only I felt my car starting to slow down on me. I saw the oil light come on, and thought that maybe I need an oil change. So I headed for the Jiffy Lube down the street, but when I got there, it was closed. Sadly, they wouldnt let me in, but the manager looked and saw that my oil was fine, but I had no coolant. Well, that would explain the heat coming from the radiator.
So I headed to Wal-Mart (Yes, Wal-Mart) to try and get some coolant when all of a sudden, the car just died on me. There it went. So, I put the emergency lights on and away I went, running to Wal-Mart as I talked to my dad, telling him what happened as I looked for a solution. When I got the Prestone, I started pouring it in to the car, and it actually worked out alright. The car sounded good in idle, and I thought that I had it all sorted out. Well, when I tried to get the car going again, I still felt it a little slow on the acceleration, and on top of that, I noticed it was still doing some of the stuff it did before. So instead of going to Target, I decided to just go back to the house, let the car cool down as I unpacked, and then head for Target to get some hangers.
Plan didn't work out as well as I thought.
As I went to turn the car on, it wouldn't start, and it's not like it was trying, either. I turned it, but it almost sounded like the car was grinding a bit. That wasn't good, so I just gave up and called my dad again, who told me to call AAA. So I did, and after figuring out the place to drop it off, I figured out somewhere close, and called the tow truck guy, who eventually came to pick my car up after an hour or so. When he got there, he thought it sounded like the timing belt might be done, which would make sense because my dad thought that might have been the issue from how I explained it to him. So he towed it away, and I had to get Mike to take me to work tomorrow. (Thank you, Mike. I'll pay you back somehow.)
So tonight, the crossroads of my recent life have finally come into play: For 10 weeks, I haven't been able to be settled, but I've learned to accept it. Tonight, I have to accept what I can't control, but I should also revel in the fact that I have a place that I can call my own and that it's MINE. I want to thank so many people for helping me get to this point, especially my friends and family who have helped me from afar, my Uncle Jay for his guidance, I want to thank everybody who gave me a couch or a bed to sleep on, no questions asked, and finally, I want to thank Mike. He and I have been through hell and high water the last 10 weeks, looking for a place to stay and dealing with many of life's hardships along the way. I feel that while neither of us weren't exactly weak, we became stronger through experiencing this stuff together. He's a great guy and someone I'm happy to call a good friend.
So, I'll settle into bed tonight and be ready to get up early tomorrow so that I can get to tomorrow's game against the Pirates. Fergie Jenkins, the Hall of Fame pitcher who became the first Canadian to be inducted into Hall of Fame, will throw out the first pitch, so that will be a lot of fun. I might even be the MC. But, if there's anything I know from all of this, it's that life's battle is to figure out the balance between control and acceptance. Good and bad, bad and good, let life come to me as is and I will fight for my happiness if need be.
It's a battle that I refuse to lose.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
From the "I Did Not See This Coming" department...
I could tell you the last 96 hours have been unbelievable (in many different ways) but I guess it might be better for me to just list them:
-Wednesday was Spring Training Opening Day and it went off VERY well. I heard from everyone with the team that it was one of the better Opening Days ever for the team. That's good for me, because it means I did my job well. Now, there were other things about it that were great, but the one thing that will stand out for me was Alex Rodriguez.
With the Yankees being the Opening Day opponent, we all thought that A-Rod wouldn't be coming for the game, what with all the steroid controversy and him preparing for the World Baseball Classic, but the day before, ESPN had a report up about how he's preparing for his first Spring Training experience. It definitely brought people to the park, as we were just over 5,000 sold for a 5,509 capacity. Of course, we all know what happened in the game itself. A-Rod would walk in his first at-bat (after coming out to huge boos from the non-Yankees fans in attendance; Tampa is the Spring Training home for the Yankees, so they draw well in the area) and then in his second at-bat, he gets a hold of a 3-1 pitch and parks it over the left field wall. For those who say A-Rod couldn't hit under pressure, there you go right there. It was surreal. Everyone on the Blue Jays side just couldn't believe what they saw and booed him to death while the Yankees fans stood and applauded him.
To me, it made the entire Spring Training experience worthwhile. I can't think of another moment that was that impactful for me as a sports fan, and to be there and witness it live...there isn't a better feeling in the world.
-My day itself is actually most busy early in the morning. I got an 8 a.m. arrival time on game day so that I can help get paperwork to the Toronto front office staff, including general manager J.P. Riccardi. Suffice to say, I'm rubbing elbows with powerful people in the Toronto front office staff, and if you add that to getting to know some of the players, it's been a great experience. I basically just get different things together for them: pitching rotations, lineups, stats, scouting reports, rosters, etc. My main deal is to get a visiting roster as quickly as I can so that I can be prepared for the hundreds of copies I need to make for our programs.
That's the other part of my day. Before the game, I take the papers around to the ballpark so that the media and our fans can have the information as well. So I take giant stacks to our Game Day Operations to put in programs and to the media rooms so that they can have them. I then deliver the script to our PA announcer and our MC. After this is all done, I basically hang out until the game starts. When the game starts, I hang with our MC and make sure it all goes according to the script. I help out with the prizes, picking contestants...if something needs to be done, I make sure I do it. The great part is that I get to watch the game while I do all this! It's too good.
-My non-game days are all about making sure things get done for the next game. I basically go over script, get rosters and schedules, etc. I also make sure the Toronto front office people get their information and that our GM gets his ticket information from all the other Spring Training games. Then, I can look at other stuff that I might be able to add to the game. Thankfully, it's been a smooth transition into Spring Training, and now, I'm in a good routine for my day-to-day activities, whether I have a game or not.
-We also held our season ticket holder barbecue after the game on Friday, and it was a lot of work, but still fun. Got a chance to man the autograph table and hang around the players a bit more. Michael Barrett is a great guy, as are Vernon Wells and Travis Snider. They all stayed basically the entire time signing autographs and were really gracious about it. I also got to make the closing announcement over the PA system, where everybody got to hear how good I can sound with a mike in my hand. I say that because everybody said I sounded good, not because I'm narcissistic. Although I have to admit it's pretty sweet that I got a chance to be on the mike for once. I miss it!
-Saturday, I got to see Roy Halladay pitch, and that was an absolute blast. He's just a machine out there. Doesn't waste time, very economical with his pitches, knows exactly what he wants and where to put his pitches...he's an absolute pro. I hope I get to see him again before the Spring Trainign season ends. He's a treat to watch and I really hope he can anchor the rotation again this year. In fact, I hope he gets himself another Cy Young award, as last year, the only thing stopping him was Cliff Lee's ridiculous year. The day once again went very smoothly, and I have this stuff down pat.
Outside of work, it's been interesting. There has been some stuff with Mike at work that I'm going to keep private, but it has led to a couple of things happening. First, I'm writing this from his friend's house, where we are staying this week after our six-week stay at the Amberlee Motel had to end due to the rates going up. Secondly, the thing that happened with Mike at work has caused him to stop in his quest to purchase a house, so now, I have to look for something on my own. It's all a very weird situation for the both of us, but we're both moving forward and both perservering through rough times. I'll be taking this week to find a place where I can move in, and from there, it'll be my FINAL move. Thankfully. I've lived out of a suitcase for two months, and at the least, I would have liked to had a place to call home, but we'll see what happens in the next couple of days as I ease into yet another transition.
At the very least, I have a place to call home for the week, for free, and from there, I can carve my own path. This week, we host five games: The Phillies tomorrow, Team Canada on Tuesday, Team USA on Wednesday, the Phillies again on Friday night, and then another game on Saturday against I believe the Reds. After that, things calm down a bit, but this is a hell of a rush as I get used to Spring Training. I'm hoping everything continues to go smoothly, and I'll keep a good eye on things and keep you all updated.
Spring Training truly is something incredible, and I hope that all baseball fans can experience it at some point, because you will truly not have an experience like it at all in your baseball fandom. It's something that will stay with you forever.
-Wednesday was Spring Training Opening Day and it went off VERY well. I heard from everyone with the team that it was one of the better Opening Days ever for the team. That's good for me, because it means I did my job well. Now, there were other things about it that were great, but the one thing that will stand out for me was Alex Rodriguez.
With the Yankees being the Opening Day opponent, we all thought that A-Rod wouldn't be coming for the game, what with all the steroid controversy and him preparing for the World Baseball Classic, but the day before, ESPN had a report up about how he's preparing for his first Spring Training experience. It definitely brought people to the park, as we were just over 5,000 sold for a 5,509 capacity. Of course, we all know what happened in the game itself. A-Rod would walk in his first at-bat (after coming out to huge boos from the non-Yankees fans in attendance; Tampa is the Spring Training home for the Yankees, so they draw well in the area) and then in his second at-bat, he gets a hold of a 3-1 pitch and parks it over the left field wall. For those who say A-Rod couldn't hit under pressure, there you go right there. It was surreal. Everyone on the Blue Jays side just couldn't believe what they saw and booed him to death while the Yankees fans stood and applauded him.
To me, it made the entire Spring Training experience worthwhile. I can't think of another moment that was that impactful for me as a sports fan, and to be there and witness it live...there isn't a better feeling in the world.
-My day itself is actually most busy early in the morning. I got an 8 a.m. arrival time on game day so that I can help get paperwork to the Toronto front office staff, including general manager J.P. Riccardi. Suffice to say, I'm rubbing elbows with powerful people in the Toronto front office staff, and if you add that to getting to know some of the players, it's been a great experience. I basically just get different things together for them: pitching rotations, lineups, stats, scouting reports, rosters, etc. My main deal is to get a visiting roster as quickly as I can so that I can be prepared for the hundreds of copies I need to make for our programs.
That's the other part of my day. Before the game, I take the papers around to the ballpark so that the media and our fans can have the information as well. So I take giant stacks to our Game Day Operations to put in programs and to the media rooms so that they can have them. I then deliver the script to our PA announcer and our MC. After this is all done, I basically hang out until the game starts. When the game starts, I hang with our MC and make sure it all goes according to the script. I help out with the prizes, picking contestants...if something needs to be done, I make sure I do it. The great part is that I get to watch the game while I do all this! It's too good.
-My non-game days are all about making sure things get done for the next game. I basically go over script, get rosters and schedules, etc. I also make sure the Toronto front office people get their information and that our GM gets his ticket information from all the other Spring Training games. Then, I can look at other stuff that I might be able to add to the game. Thankfully, it's been a smooth transition into Spring Training, and now, I'm in a good routine for my day-to-day activities, whether I have a game or not.
-We also held our season ticket holder barbecue after the game on Friday, and it was a lot of work, but still fun. Got a chance to man the autograph table and hang around the players a bit more. Michael Barrett is a great guy, as are Vernon Wells and Travis Snider. They all stayed basically the entire time signing autographs and were really gracious about it. I also got to make the closing announcement over the PA system, where everybody got to hear how good I can sound with a mike in my hand. I say that because everybody said I sounded good, not because I'm narcissistic. Although I have to admit it's pretty sweet that I got a chance to be on the mike for once. I miss it!
-Saturday, I got to see Roy Halladay pitch, and that was an absolute blast. He's just a machine out there. Doesn't waste time, very economical with his pitches, knows exactly what he wants and where to put his pitches...he's an absolute pro. I hope I get to see him again before the Spring Trainign season ends. He's a treat to watch and I really hope he can anchor the rotation again this year. In fact, I hope he gets himself another Cy Young award, as last year, the only thing stopping him was Cliff Lee's ridiculous year. The day once again went very smoothly, and I have this stuff down pat.
Outside of work, it's been interesting. There has been some stuff with Mike at work that I'm going to keep private, but it has led to a couple of things happening. First, I'm writing this from his friend's house, where we are staying this week after our six-week stay at the Amberlee Motel had to end due to the rates going up. Secondly, the thing that happened with Mike at work has caused him to stop in his quest to purchase a house, so now, I have to look for something on my own. It's all a very weird situation for the both of us, but we're both moving forward and both perservering through rough times. I'll be taking this week to find a place where I can move in, and from there, it'll be my FINAL move. Thankfully. I've lived out of a suitcase for two months, and at the least, I would have liked to had a place to call home, but we'll see what happens in the next couple of days as I ease into yet another transition.
At the very least, I have a place to call home for the week, for free, and from there, I can carve my own path. This week, we host five games: The Phillies tomorrow, Team Canada on Tuesday, Team USA on Wednesday, the Phillies again on Friday night, and then another game on Saturday against I believe the Reds. After that, things calm down a bit, but this is a hell of a rush as I get used to Spring Training. I'm hoping everything continues to go smoothly, and I'll keep a good eye on things and keep you all updated.
Spring Training truly is something incredible, and I hope that all baseball fans can experience it at some point, because you will truly not have an experience like it at all in your baseball fandom. It's something that will stay with you forever.
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