I woke up early in anticipation of walking to the office. Though the walk was once a daunting task, it now seems like a necessary form of exercise, since I haven’t done much in the way of physical activity lately. Falling off a surfboard and flying off a tube don’t really seem to figure into that equation.
I made it to the office using the directions in my memory, though that had me a little worried at first since last time I ventured home from the office I got lost. But I was there in record time, almost not as sweaty as usual. My plan was to head in and change my clothes and wash my face and all that good stuff before getting into the office, but the place was entirely locked up when I arrived on scene. It’s a holiday here I guess. I couldn’t even get in the front door, let alone into the Bandits office or the bathroom. So I sat outside and called Whitey. I was hoping he and Carl would make it on time, otherwise I would be sitting alone outside for while.
They made it to the office relatively soon though and much to my surprise, Carl was driving. I knew Carl and Whitey had switched residences, but I didn’t know it was a complete life swap. Since Whitey’s girlfriend is out of town and Carl’s girlfriend is in town, somehow they agreed that Whitey would go live in Carl’s bedroom with his roommates and Carl and his girlfriend are taking over Whitey’s apartment. The arrangement is just for a couple of weeks, while various girlfriends are gone/visiting. But I figured Whitey would have his car at Carl’s place, which is why I walked to work and didn’t ask him for a ride, because it was no longer on his way. Little did I know that Carl had the car, and I was most certainly on his way, though he obviously didn’t think of that. But like I said, I needed the exercise.
When we got in the office I really had no idea what we were there for. I wasn’t expecting the whole place to be empty, nor did I know what business I had there. Whitey mentioned that we needed to get the information for the program out, but Carl jumped on that and said it wouldn’t take long. We should have had it done previously but I think we were all a little preoccupied. Then Whitey reminded us that we needed to send out a weekend series preview to the media, and get one on the website as well. He and Carl were discussing it, so I figured Carl would do it.
As they talked about that, I continued working on my story about Ryan Searle that I had started earlier in the month. Searle had answered a long list of questions I sent him awhile ago, but unfortunately the story fell by the wayside when my writing did. With the two homestands in a row, plus Training with the Pros and then going away for a few days, I got distracted. No excuses now though, so I got to work on it.
Carl came over to me at one point to ask if I would write the series preview but I thought he was doing it. When I asked him about it he just to me to forget about it. I guess I’d said the wrong thing. I just wasn’t sure why we both needed to be working on it, and I had the Searle story to keep me preoccupied so I thought I could just continue working on that. In the end that’s exactly what I did, probably much to Carl’s chagrin. I finished the story, got Carl to proofread it, and even got it up on the website all by myself. I might be getting good at this whole website-management thing. Well, let’s not go too far.
It wasn’t long after that when we all headed home. I felt like my time at the office could have been better spent at home, without having all of the walking in between, but I got a story done, I got some exercise and I got out of the apartment. I also got the keys to the RNA from Whitey so I could let the guys in for practice in the afternoon. That way Whitey didn’t have to come all the way from Carl’s place to the ballpark, and it certainly isn’t out of my way to go to the field.
At home I didn’t do much more than eat and get some laundry done before heading to the ballpark. I tried to come up with more storylines, knowing that I would possibly have the opportunity to follow through on them at practice.
When I got to the Showgrounds I unlocked whatever I could, not really sure of what I was doing (I need to start being a better listener). I unlocked the gate that I had to use to come in, figuring that everyone could come in the same way. I unlocked another gate but I don’t think it was accessible from the outside so that didn’t really mean anything. I opened up the locker room and as I did that, I realized how disgusting it is.
So I got to cleaning. There were cans and sunflower seed shells attracting bugs all over the place, so I made it a priority to sweep those up and get rid of them first. Then I took out the garbages because not only were they also surrounded by hovering bugs, most of them were emitting smells that were almost at the putrid level. Being around this locker room makes my roommate at home look good (no offense Chris, that was kind of a compliment). And I mean, really good.
As I was doing that some of the players started to drift in so I went outside. I saw the tarps that make up the batter’s eye in the outfield flapping around, and didn’t recall them doing that before, so I thought I might be able to make myself useful and fix them. I got out some zip ties and went out to centre field. I tried from the inside first, and then from the outside, and found zero success. I probably looked like an idiot, too, for all the guys who had come outside and could see what I was doing. I got absolutely nothing accomplished on the fence.
When the team got to practicing I tried to catch up on some journal-writing, still far behind and barely making progress from the home series and going away. When it started pouring I took shelter in the stands, watching the guys on the field get soaked. I think they probably had thoughts of packing it in when the precipitation got a little lighter, so they continued. The practice didn’t look too strenuous but I’m sure it wasn’t awesome getting caught in the rain. It started again a little while later and that’s when the practice ended. In between, there was a nice rainbow but I’m sure no one cared but me. I took a picture of it on my phone, but I have yet to figure out how to transfer pictures from my phone to my computer without having Internet on my phone. Technology is not my strong suit.
After they were finished, I grabbed KJ to interview him about baseball road trips. I already had answers from a few of the guys on the team about their worst road trip experiences (the reader-friendly versions), and I figured I could wrap the story up with some input from KJ. He was happy enough to oblige, or at least he obliged, and I spoke to him for a good, solid 10 minutes. I’d told him it would only be two, so my estimate was a little off, but he didn’t seem to mind. Another person I had wanted to catch after practice was relief pitcher John Veitch, but most of the guys were gone by the time I was done talking with KJ, so that one will have to wait for another day.
Just as I was ready to leave the park I saw that the pitching hills in the bullpen were still out on the grass. They are supposed to be left on the track whenever they're not being used, or else the grass underneath them dies and the RNA people don’t like that. I went back to the locker room and asked the guys still left if they would help me. They did, but I’m sure moving relatively heavy objects in the rain was pretty close to the last thing they wanted to do.
I walked home after finally thinking there was nothing more for me to do at the RNA, and I started on my road trip story. In my mind I had made earlier plans to go for a run, but that didn’t happen when the time rolled around that I could do so. My excuse was that the little treadmill room in the apartment building closed at 9 o’clock and by the time I finished the story on baseball road trips, it was closed. Instead, I got the story ready to go up on the website for the morning. I didn’t post it, because I’d already posted the Searle story earlier in the day, but all I will have to do in the morning is click a few buttons and it should be good to go.
I feel like a got a little bit accomplished today.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Boxing Day (Day 48)
What better way to start Boxing Day than to lay by the pool?
My plans for the day didn’t consist of much, so I thought I would start off by trying to work on some tan lines. Getting them, I mean. Not getting rid of them. I did that for awhile, periodically jumping in the pool when it got too hot just to lie out in the sun. That’s right. I just grouped the phrases ‘Boxing Day’, ‘too hot’ and ‘lie out in the sun’ together. That’s when you know it’s a good holiday.
I had plans to make a phone call home before it got too late in the night in Eastern Standard Time, so I had to leave the poolside to get a phone card. I tried to take back my running shoes that are too big at the same time, figuring that all the stores would be open for Boxing Day, but the shoe store was closed. I made it to an open 7-Eleven where I got a new phone card and for some reason, a package of instant noodles. I guess I just wanted that Byron Bay feeling back.
My phone call home was to Maya, the woman for whom I am a guide runner most often. Before I left to come here she was training for her first marathon (the NYC Marathon) and I was running with her two or three times a week. Maya is fully blind and has been for almost 25 years now I think, and she does more than any sighted person I know. She’s a real inspiration, that’s for sure. We talked about her husband, who is pretty sick at the moment, and about her guide dog, who is perfectly healthy and also someone I miss very much. Holly is a black lab and she’ll be five years old this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Maya is hoping that we can do a half marathon in March and a full marathon in May, both in Toronto. I need to step up my training a little bit.
After our phone call, and eating my container full of Byron Bay reminders, I decided to write a story for the website. I had interviewed one of the Japanese players from the team before they all left the country and I figured I could group that with a bunch of statistical information and make a story out of it. We had five total players from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Brisbane this season, and they are now gone back to their native country, happy to be away from Australian Baseball League pitching probably. In Japan the pitchers throw a lot more breaking balls than pretty much anywhere else. It’s hard for the Japanese hitters to come here and adjust to the speed and volume of fastballs. Or at least I think it is. Obviously I’m not the one standing in the batter’s box. I’m also not Japanese, for anyone who might have been thinking otherwise.
When I was finished the story I tried to call Carl to see if he could fix a picture for me and get it online. When he didn’t answer, I decided to try the website again for myself. Eighteenth time’s a charm, right? I downloaded some makeshift program that actually served my purposes well. It resized the picture to the proportion that I needed and I actually figured out how to get it onto the website. All by myself. I feel like I’m all grown up now. And here’s the link to the story on the Japanese guys.
After my first successful solo attempt with posting something on the Bandits website I finished my laundry and put all my clothes away. Today was obviously a day for accomplishing things left and right. Erin came home sometime during my accomplishments and we talked about our holidays in various places and me forgetting my wallet. All the important details.
Erin mentioned that she was going to see TinTin and asked if I wanted to join. I said yes and we decided to walk to South Bank to catch the movie. After Christmas feasting, I suppose everyone could use a little walk. We negated the exercise a little later though, after finding out that TinTin was sold out for the day.
We could have just walked back home but instead we decided to go back to the 24-hour pancake place. That’s never a bad idea. It was delicious once again, though everything cost a little more because of Boxing Day. I guess if you have to pay your employees more because of the statutory holiday, you can charge your guests more. It’s actually a pretty good idea. Throughout the meal, Erin and I exchanged stories about things we’d done when we were drunk, probably sparked by my talking about Byron. When we were done, we headed back home. We got a little more exercise after eating chocolate pancakes. It’s all relative.
When we got back to the apartment building, I decided it would be a good time for me to sneak into the area where my sheets had gone over the railing. I only had to hop one fence, and then hope that the people living below us didn’t have their blinds open, because I could really scare someone, prowling around in the dark. It worked out though and I got my sheets back without any problems.
Once inside I got back to playing some catch-up on the journal-writing and I also somehow landed on the Australian Baseball Digest blog site. They’d posted my article about the Japanese guys leaving town, and also said something about how nice it was to have writing from me again since I hadn’t been heard from in three weeks. My bad. I didn’t realize I had a following. But it’s about time I step it up I guess. I need to get back to doing more writing for the website, and it’s what I enjoy doing most anyway. Their comments lit a tiny fire under me, allowing me to make plans in my mind to interview a couple of people at Bandits training tomorrow. Time to get back to what I love, that being writing of course, in case you missed that.
But first, time to sleep. Writers need their rest too.
My plans for the day didn’t consist of much, so I thought I would start off by trying to work on some tan lines. Getting them, I mean. Not getting rid of them. I did that for awhile, periodically jumping in the pool when it got too hot just to lie out in the sun. That’s right. I just grouped the phrases ‘Boxing Day’, ‘too hot’ and ‘lie out in the sun’ together. That’s when you know it’s a good holiday.
I had plans to make a phone call home before it got too late in the night in Eastern Standard Time, so I had to leave the poolside to get a phone card. I tried to take back my running shoes that are too big at the same time, figuring that all the stores would be open for Boxing Day, but the shoe store was closed. I made it to an open 7-Eleven where I got a new phone card and for some reason, a package of instant noodles. I guess I just wanted that Byron Bay feeling back.
My phone call home was to Maya, the woman for whom I am a guide runner most often. Before I left to come here she was training for her first marathon (the NYC Marathon) and I was running with her two or three times a week. Maya is fully blind and has been for almost 25 years now I think, and she does more than any sighted person I know. She’s a real inspiration, that’s for sure. We talked about her husband, who is pretty sick at the moment, and about her guide dog, who is perfectly healthy and also someone I miss very much. Holly is a black lab and she’ll be five years old this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Maya is hoping that we can do a half marathon in March and a full marathon in May, both in Toronto. I need to step up my training a little bit.
After our phone call, and eating my container full of Byron Bay reminders, I decided to write a story for the website. I had interviewed one of the Japanese players from the team before they all left the country and I figured I could group that with a bunch of statistical information and make a story out of it. We had five total players from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Brisbane this season, and they are now gone back to their native country, happy to be away from Australian Baseball League pitching probably. In Japan the pitchers throw a lot more breaking balls than pretty much anywhere else. It’s hard for the Japanese hitters to come here and adjust to the speed and volume of fastballs. Or at least I think it is. Obviously I’m not the one standing in the batter’s box. I’m also not Japanese, for anyone who might have been thinking otherwise.
When I was finished the story I tried to call Carl to see if he could fix a picture for me and get it online. When he didn’t answer, I decided to try the website again for myself. Eighteenth time’s a charm, right? I downloaded some makeshift program that actually served my purposes well. It resized the picture to the proportion that I needed and I actually figured out how to get it onto the website. All by myself. I feel like I’m all grown up now. And here’s the link to the story on the Japanese guys.
After my first successful solo attempt with posting something on the Bandits website I finished my laundry and put all my clothes away. Today was obviously a day for accomplishing things left and right. Erin came home sometime during my accomplishments and we talked about our holidays in various places and me forgetting my wallet. All the important details.
Erin mentioned that she was going to see TinTin and asked if I wanted to join. I said yes and we decided to walk to South Bank to catch the movie. After Christmas feasting, I suppose everyone could use a little walk. We negated the exercise a little later though, after finding out that TinTin was sold out for the day.
We could have just walked back home but instead we decided to go back to the 24-hour pancake place. That’s never a bad idea. It was delicious once again, though everything cost a little more because of Boxing Day. I guess if you have to pay your employees more because of the statutory holiday, you can charge your guests more. It’s actually a pretty good idea. Throughout the meal, Erin and I exchanged stories about things we’d done when we were drunk, probably sparked by my talking about Byron. When we were done, we headed back home. We got a little more exercise after eating chocolate pancakes. It’s all relative.
When we got back to the apartment building, I decided it would be a good time for me to sneak into the area where my sheets had gone over the railing. I only had to hop one fence, and then hope that the people living below us didn’t have their blinds open, because I could really scare someone, prowling around in the dark. It worked out though and I got my sheets back without any problems.
Once inside I got back to playing some catch-up on the journal-writing and I also somehow landed on the Australian Baseball Digest blog site. They’d posted my article about the Japanese guys leaving town, and also said something about how nice it was to have writing from me again since I hadn’t been heard from in three weeks. My bad. I didn’t realize I had a following. But it’s about time I step it up I guess. I need to get back to doing more writing for the website, and it’s what I enjoy doing most anyway. Their comments lit a tiny fire under me, allowing me to make plans in my mind to interview a couple of people at Bandits training tomorrow. Time to get back to what I love, that being writing of course, in case you missed that.
But first, time to sleep. Writers need their rest too.
Christmas (Day 47)
Up early on Christmas morning. It’s almost like being a little kid again. Only this time, there's no tree, no presents, no Santa, and no family. What a sad state of affairs.
When I was dressed and ready to go have Christmas with a family of strangers, with bus and train instructions in hand, I headed for the nearest train station, in the valley. I thought I might be able to manage on my own, but that thought didn’t linger long. I had to ask someone right away how to recharge my transit card and then I made sure with them that I was headed in the right direction. I was, so I continued on my way.
The entire time I was on the train I was worried about getting the bus. The train was easy but the bus instructions included the cross streets of the stop I needed and I wasn’t sure which direction I needed to head in or anything. I was at least sure that I was getting off the train at the right place though, so that was a start.
As I got off the train I saw a ramp in one direction and what appeared to be a dead end in the other. I started to go up the ramp and then decided to turn back around because it looked like it only went up to more trains. It didn’t seem like I would be able to get to street level from it. I turned back around once more before I heard my name. It was SJ. I had walked right by him while I was wandering around in circles. My tunnel vision must have been amusing because he was laughing at me pretty hard. I was just trying to focus.
He asked me about the riddle he’d sent me in the email with the directions, to which I replied, “What riddle?” SJ said he had told me that he was going to be on the train at the same time as me and the answer to his riddle indicated which car he'd be in. Too bad I didn’t even look at it. I probably wouldn’t have been able to solve it anyway, so that saved me some embarrassment I suppose.
SJ led the way to the bus stop, not knowing exactly where we needed to go, but not as lost as I was. I was pretty happy he was there to navigate. We went to the first bus stop we found, thinking it was the right one. We were wrong. Luckily there was a bus stopped across the street, so we just went over and asked the driver where we should be going and what bus we should be taking. His bus was the one we actually needed, so that was convenient. He also let us know when we had to get off, which was helpful. From there I was hoping SJ knew where we needed to walk and though I’m not sure he did, we found the place without having to turn back around at any point.
It was only a little awkward to walk into a house full of strangers on Christmas morning. The family was very welcoming and everyone gave out hugs with their greetings. There was an amazing spread of food waiting for us and right away they got us drinks and told us to have a seat at the table. They offered beer or champagne with orange juice, but I took my OJ straight up. It was too early for me, not to mention that I don’t think my liver is my biggest fan after Byron.
Before eating our brunch, we each had to put on our traditional respective paper holiday crowns. They were in little packages that looked like Chinese finger traps and when you pulled them apart they made a loud popping sound. Well, they were supposed to, if you did it right. Mine did not. So SJ and I, with our orange and pink paper crowns, respectively, sat down to our feast. There were eggs, tomatoes, toast, ham, shrimp (but they refer to them as prawns), chocolate rum balls and more. It was a lot of food. I tried my best to help them make a dent in it, but they could have fed far more Christmas orphans than just SJ and I.
We mostly talked with the head of the household, the father of the two boys SJ had given a pitching lesson to. We talked a lot of baseball, which is one of SJ’s least favourite topics, but I don’t think he minded because I wasn’t the one bringing it up. We also somehow got on the topic of how small the Bandits organization is, especially in comparison to the Blue Jays. Here, I work with Gonzo, Whitey and Carl. In Toronto, I only work with the game-day production crew and just in the control box we have 25 people or something like that. That number might include the camera guys, but still. There is a big difference.
The discussion moved at some point to talking about Canada and skiing and Whistler, because the family hosting us for Christmas is heading to Whistler in January. I had to let them know that I do not participate in winter sports, nor do I want to. I went to Whistler for the first time just a couple weeks before I came to Australia and I was happy to see that there was no snow yet, not that my friends and I had any plans to ski or snowboard, but it took the option off the table. We talked a little bit about California because the family had lived there for over a year, but the only places I’ve been in California are the five major league ball parks, as I believe I have mentioned in journals past.
After the meal, the kids started opening presents and much to my surprise, there were presents for me and SJ too. SJ got underwear and I actually got two gifts. I received a box of chocolates and some bath/shower stuff from Lush, or someplace like that. I felt bad that we didn’t bring anything for the family hosting us but they had apparently told SJ that we didn’t need to.
Various family members starting leaving with their children and spouses not long after that. We stayed for awhile to chat more about baseball and Australia, but we left while it was still morning. The father of the family gave both of us rides home, or at least I assume he did because I got out first. I don’t really know what SJ did. But I was back at the apartment before noon rolled around.
I changed out of my fancy Christmas clothes (I wore a dress!) and into a Blue Jays t-shirt. Real holiday attire. For the rest of the day I mostly just watched DVDs of House (I should probably get some new material) and tried to catch up on some writing. I took a break to head to the grocery store later in the afternoon, so I had some decent food to go with the box of chocolates that I almost devoured. Not a bad Christmas, I’d say.
When I thought it was late enough at night, I called my mom. Apparently my estimate was a little off though because I woke her up. She didn’t seem to mind, as we talked for a couple of hours, until my phone card ran out of minutes and hung up on her. We were probably running out of things to say at that point, so I’m sure it saved us an awkward moment. I did fill her in on the adventures at Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, so she got a sneak preview of my life’s events before I started to get caught up on the journal-writing. You’re welcome, mom.
Then, with no more phone-calling options, I decided it was time for bed. Early to rise and quick to sleep on Christmas Day.
When I was dressed and ready to go have Christmas with a family of strangers, with bus and train instructions in hand, I headed for the nearest train station, in the valley. I thought I might be able to manage on my own, but that thought didn’t linger long. I had to ask someone right away how to recharge my transit card and then I made sure with them that I was headed in the right direction. I was, so I continued on my way.
The entire time I was on the train I was worried about getting the bus. The train was easy but the bus instructions included the cross streets of the stop I needed and I wasn’t sure which direction I needed to head in or anything. I was at least sure that I was getting off the train at the right place though, so that was a start.
As I got off the train I saw a ramp in one direction and what appeared to be a dead end in the other. I started to go up the ramp and then decided to turn back around because it looked like it only went up to more trains. It didn’t seem like I would be able to get to street level from it. I turned back around once more before I heard my name. It was SJ. I had walked right by him while I was wandering around in circles. My tunnel vision must have been amusing because he was laughing at me pretty hard. I was just trying to focus.
He asked me about the riddle he’d sent me in the email with the directions, to which I replied, “What riddle?” SJ said he had told me that he was going to be on the train at the same time as me and the answer to his riddle indicated which car he'd be in. Too bad I didn’t even look at it. I probably wouldn’t have been able to solve it anyway, so that saved me some embarrassment I suppose.
SJ led the way to the bus stop, not knowing exactly where we needed to go, but not as lost as I was. I was pretty happy he was there to navigate. We went to the first bus stop we found, thinking it was the right one. We were wrong. Luckily there was a bus stopped across the street, so we just went over and asked the driver where we should be going and what bus we should be taking. His bus was the one we actually needed, so that was convenient. He also let us know when we had to get off, which was helpful. From there I was hoping SJ knew where we needed to walk and though I’m not sure he did, we found the place without having to turn back around at any point.
It was only a little awkward to walk into a house full of strangers on Christmas morning. The family was very welcoming and everyone gave out hugs with their greetings. There was an amazing spread of food waiting for us and right away they got us drinks and told us to have a seat at the table. They offered beer or champagne with orange juice, but I took my OJ straight up. It was too early for me, not to mention that I don’t think my liver is my biggest fan after Byron.
Before eating our brunch, we each had to put on our traditional respective paper holiday crowns. They were in little packages that looked like Chinese finger traps and when you pulled them apart they made a loud popping sound. Well, they were supposed to, if you did it right. Mine did not. So SJ and I, with our orange and pink paper crowns, respectively, sat down to our feast. There were eggs, tomatoes, toast, ham, shrimp (but they refer to them as prawns), chocolate rum balls and more. It was a lot of food. I tried my best to help them make a dent in it, but they could have fed far more Christmas orphans than just SJ and I.
We mostly talked with the head of the household, the father of the two boys SJ had given a pitching lesson to. We talked a lot of baseball, which is one of SJ’s least favourite topics, but I don’t think he minded because I wasn’t the one bringing it up. We also somehow got on the topic of how small the Bandits organization is, especially in comparison to the Blue Jays. Here, I work with Gonzo, Whitey and Carl. In Toronto, I only work with the game-day production crew and just in the control box we have 25 people or something like that. That number might include the camera guys, but still. There is a big difference.
The discussion moved at some point to talking about Canada and skiing and Whistler, because the family hosting us for Christmas is heading to Whistler in January. I had to let them know that I do not participate in winter sports, nor do I want to. I went to Whistler for the first time just a couple weeks before I came to Australia and I was happy to see that there was no snow yet, not that my friends and I had any plans to ski or snowboard, but it took the option off the table. We talked a little bit about California because the family had lived there for over a year, but the only places I’ve been in California are the five major league ball parks, as I believe I have mentioned in journals past.
After the meal, the kids started opening presents and much to my surprise, there were presents for me and SJ too. SJ got underwear and I actually got two gifts. I received a box of chocolates and some bath/shower stuff from Lush, or someplace like that. I felt bad that we didn’t bring anything for the family hosting us but they had apparently told SJ that we didn’t need to.
Various family members starting leaving with their children and spouses not long after that. We stayed for awhile to chat more about baseball and Australia, but we left while it was still morning. The father of the family gave both of us rides home, or at least I assume he did because I got out first. I don’t really know what SJ did. But I was back at the apartment before noon rolled around.
I changed out of my fancy Christmas clothes (I wore a dress!) and into a Blue Jays t-shirt. Real holiday attire. For the rest of the day I mostly just watched DVDs of House (I should probably get some new material) and tried to catch up on some writing. I took a break to head to the grocery store later in the afternoon, so I had some decent food to go with the box of chocolates that I almost devoured. Not a bad Christmas, I’d say.
When I thought it was late enough at night, I called my mom. Apparently my estimate was a little off though because I woke her up. She didn’t seem to mind, as we talked for a couple of hours, until my phone card ran out of minutes and hung up on her. We were probably running out of things to say at that point, so I’m sure it saved us an awkward moment. I did fill her in on the adventures at Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, so she got a sneak preview of my life’s events before I started to get caught up on the journal-writing. You’re welcome, mom.
Then, with no more phone-calling options, I decided it was time for bed. Early to rise and quick to sleep on Christmas Day.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas Eve (Day 46)
Everyone started to stir after Zane woke up. He had tried to start cleaning up the room, but quickly gave up.
Then Chambers told all of us that we had 20 minutes before we had to check out. To that, Whitey’s response was, “Really Steve? Checkout time is 9:40?” I thought that was kind of hilarious but the truth was, we didn’t have long to get up and get out. At least we had everyone we started with though. No missing persons. Bonus points for us.
We packed up our stuff and were quickly on the road. Czech and Zane were in Whitey’s car with him, and SJ, Maestri and I were with Chambers. Somehow the three guys who don’t know each other managed to group themselves together.
Our plan was to find a McDonald’s for breakfast and Chambers told Whitey he would lead the way to the closest one. That didn’t exactly happen.
When Chambers realized where the closest one was (not close at all), he changed his mind and decided to take us to the ‘nicest’ one. That’s right. I said the ‘nicest McDonald’s’. I was as confused as you are. The best part was that we all knew Whitey was starving and just wanted to get somewhere to eat and grab a drink. Because Chambers had a specific place in mind, we passed a whole bunch of other suitable restaurants along the way. Whitey was definitely wondering what we were doing, but he kept following us anyway. Chambers and the other guys in our car thought it was hilarious. I was pretty hungry myself.
When we finally made it, we saw why Chambers chose this specific location. It was right on the beach and had a great view. But we were just there to eat so it seemed like he had put far too much effort into it. It’s the thought that counts though. From there we headed back to the Gold Coast, to Chambers’ house. Our plan was to take the jet ski out and do some tubing. All the beaches were closed because of rough water or something so we couldn’t do it in the ocean but Chambers said we would be fine if we just stayed on the body of water that his house backs onto, which I believe would be considered a river.
Whitey and Maestri went out with Chambers first and I was happy to have the time to just lie down. I don’t do very well with hangovers. It’s probably part of the reason why I never drink at home. I have obviously become a different person here though. Before this week I don’t believe I had ever drank two nights in a row. Last night was definitely numéro trois (that’s French for number three...you’re welcome). What has become of me?
SJ and I were next on the docket. SJ was first on the tube and I could barely even stay on the jet ski when he was out there. I didn’t figure I had a chance on the tube. SJ went three times, stopping each time when he would fly off the tube. Each departure looked more awkward and more painful. In his final turn, he definitely did a full somersault in midair before landing on the water face-first. I was obviously eager for my turn.
I had trouble straight away. I couldn’t even pull myself up onto the tube. As I have mentioned several times, I am lacking in upper-body strength. Also, being short lends itself to short arms, which I would like to say were a factor in my lack of success. Eventually, Chambers had to start the jet ski and kind of pull me up while towing the tube along. I did get up there though. I stayed on for much longer than I thought I would and my first exit wasn’t nearly as painful as SJ’s looked. I would consider myself lucky.
In my third attempt though, after having to be essentially lifted onto the tube by SJ because I couldn’t do it myself, Chambers told me to sit in the tube as opposed to lying on top of it. I didn’t trust him at first but I did it anyway. It was fun for awhile, until we started going around in a giant circle. I was probably traveling at the speed of light, or at least that’s what it felt like. When I finally flew out of the tube, I smashed my head on the water, though the pain in my jaw took away from the pain of my legs hitting just as hard. Tubing is not good for a hangover. Before we went back, SJ tried to take a turn sitting in the tube but it lasted all of five seconds before he was out.
When we were back at the house we all sat around for awhile, contemplating more tubing and then talking about leaving and heading home. It took us awhile but eventually Whitey, Maestri, SJ and I left. I fell asleep on the drive, and I only know that because my bobbing head woke me up several times. It’s been a long few days.
SJ got dropped off first and we talked about Christmas. He asked if I still wanted to go with him to some brunch with a family of strangers and of course I said yes. I don’t want to be alone on Christmas. SJ met the family because he gave their kids pitching lessons. I guess that warranted a Christmas invite, and since we’d agreed to hang out on Christmas so that neither of us would be alone, I was a part of the plan. He tried to give me more details but I was in no condition to deal with them. We decided to talk about it again later.
Whitey made an attempt to take Maestri home, but first we stopped off at the office so he could get his package that Julie’s mother had sent. Wrapped nicely for Christmas was a baseball book. What else would it be? Whitey had received The Art of Fielding from Julie’s mom. It’s a fictional book (as far as I know) about a baseball player and some of his teammates (I think). I might have to borrow it when he’s done with it.
Instead of taking Maestri home, Whitey then dropped him off at the train station. It was easier and Maestri had offered so it made sense. And I was home soon thereafter. It was nice to be back. I showered and got dressed in anticipation of heading to the grocery store for some food. It was then that I realized that I was without my wallet. I called Whitey first because I was hoping I had left it in his car. No luck. I called Chambers and of course it would make sense that I would leave my wallet an hour away, in his car on the Gold Coast. Why wouldn’t I do that?
Chambers told me that he would come and bring me my wallet. I felt bad but he said he had to come near here anyway. I am fully aware that he was probably lying but it made me feel better, so if that was his goal, it worked. He said he would be around in awhile, so I would have a wallet sometime in the near future. I tried to tell him he didn’t need to come but I was happy that he was going to. I had nothing without my wallet. No cash, no cards, not a thing.
I also had no food since I came home to old bananas, mouldy bread and stale Corn Flakes. The more I thought about it, the hungrier I became.
Helping to distract me from myself was the Bandits website. I took to writing a story about what the Bandits are doing for their holidays and what they will get up to with their time off. I asked the players such questions in the email I sent to everyone, and a good six or seven guys responded. That’s enough though. I tried to get the story on the website on my own, and obviously I couldn’t do it. I’m still waiting for the day when I can do something on my own. I had to get Carl to help me with the photo and putting it on the website and that was a long process. The story didn’t go up until late but here it is.
When Chambers finally came with my wallet I was super hungry. I felt really bad that he had to come all the way here to drive it to me but I was extremely grateful. He told me he knew what it felt like to be in a foreign country with no money and he didn’t want me to have to go through that. How sweet is he? He asked if there was a cafe anywhere near my place because he needed some caffeine for the drive home and I felt bad that I couldn’t even point him in the right direction. I also felt bad that I didn’t have anything to offer him, but seeing as I don’t even have any food and I don’t drink coffee, there weren’t many options inside the apartment.
Almost as soon as he left, I was at the grocery store. I got a bunch of food and then ate most of it, since I am incapable of shopping for more than one day at a time. I really need to work on that.
SJ and I secured our plans for the morning. I had some trouble trying to figure out the transit I needed to get to where we were going but SJ was helpful. He sent me a map and directions and everything. I still wasn’t sure I was going to be able to follow them but it put me ahead of where I would have been on my own. We have to be at the stranger family’s house at 8:30ish in the morning so that doesn’t give me a lot of leeway in not getting lost. And because we have an early morning ahead of us, that means early bedtime for me.
Then Chambers told all of us that we had 20 minutes before we had to check out. To that, Whitey’s response was, “Really Steve? Checkout time is 9:40?” I thought that was kind of hilarious but the truth was, we didn’t have long to get up and get out. At least we had everyone we started with though. No missing persons. Bonus points for us.
We packed up our stuff and were quickly on the road. Czech and Zane were in Whitey’s car with him, and SJ, Maestri and I were with Chambers. Somehow the three guys who don’t know each other managed to group themselves together.
Our plan was to find a McDonald’s for breakfast and Chambers told Whitey he would lead the way to the closest one. That didn’t exactly happen.
When Chambers realized where the closest one was (not close at all), he changed his mind and decided to take us to the ‘nicest’ one. That’s right. I said the ‘nicest McDonald’s’. I was as confused as you are. The best part was that we all knew Whitey was starving and just wanted to get somewhere to eat and grab a drink. Because Chambers had a specific place in mind, we passed a whole bunch of other suitable restaurants along the way. Whitey was definitely wondering what we were doing, but he kept following us anyway. Chambers and the other guys in our car thought it was hilarious. I was pretty hungry myself.
When we finally made it, we saw why Chambers chose this specific location. It was right on the beach and had a great view. But we were just there to eat so it seemed like he had put far too much effort into it. It’s the thought that counts though. From there we headed back to the Gold Coast, to Chambers’ house. Our plan was to take the jet ski out and do some tubing. All the beaches were closed because of rough water or something so we couldn’t do it in the ocean but Chambers said we would be fine if we just stayed on the body of water that his house backs onto, which I believe would be considered a river.
Whitey and Maestri went out with Chambers first and I was happy to have the time to just lie down. I don’t do very well with hangovers. It’s probably part of the reason why I never drink at home. I have obviously become a different person here though. Before this week I don’t believe I had ever drank two nights in a row. Last night was definitely numéro trois (that’s French for number three...you’re welcome). What has become of me?
SJ and I were next on the docket. SJ was first on the tube and I could barely even stay on the jet ski when he was out there. I didn’t figure I had a chance on the tube. SJ went three times, stopping each time when he would fly off the tube. Each departure looked more awkward and more painful. In his final turn, he definitely did a full somersault in midair before landing on the water face-first. I was obviously eager for my turn.
I had trouble straight away. I couldn’t even pull myself up onto the tube. As I have mentioned several times, I am lacking in upper-body strength. Also, being short lends itself to short arms, which I would like to say were a factor in my lack of success. Eventually, Chambers had to start the jet ski and kind of pull me up while towing the tube along. I did get up there though. I stayed on for much longer than I thought I would and my first exit wasn’t nearly as painful as SJ’s looked. I would consider myself lucky.
In my third attempt though, after having to be essentially lifted onto the tube by SJ because I couldn’t do it myself, Chambers told me to sit in the tube as opposed to lying on top of it. I didn’t trust him at first but I did it anyway. It was fun for awhile, until we started going around in a giant circle. I was probably traveling at the speed of light, or at least that’s what it felt like. When I finally flew out of the tube, I smashed my head on the water, though the pain in my jaw took away from the pain of my legs hitting just as hard. Tubing is not good for a hangover. Before we went back, SJ tried to take a turn sitting in the tube but it lasted all of five seconds before he was out.
When we were back at the house we all sat around for awhile, contemplating more tubing and then talking about leaving and heading home. It took us awhile but eventually Whitey, Maestri, SJ and I left. I fell asleep on the drive, and I only know that because my bobbing head woke me up several times. It’s been a long few days.
SJ got dropped off first and we talked about Christmas. He asked if I still wanted to go with him to some brunch with a family of strangers and of course I said yes. I don’t want to be alone on Christmas. SJ met the family because he gave their kids pitching lessons. I guess that warranted a Christmas invite, and since we’d agreed to hang out on Christmas so that neither of us would be alone, I was a part of the plan. He tried to give me more details but I was in no condition to deal with them. We decided to talk about it again later.
Whitey made an attempt to take Maestri home, but first we stopped off at the office so he could get his package that Julie’s mother had sent. Wrapped nicely for Christmas was a baseball book. What else would it be? Whitey had received The Art of Fielding from Julie’s mom. It’s a fictional book (as far as I know) about a baseball player and some of his teammates (I think). I might have to borrow it when he’s done with it.
Instead of taking Maestri home, Whitey then dropped him off at the train station. It was easier and Maestri had offered so it made sense. And I was home soon thereafter. It was nice to be back. I showered and got dressed in anticipation of heading to the grocery store for some food. It was then that I realized that I was without my wallet. I called Whitey first because I was hoping I had left it in his car. No luck. I called Chambers and of course it would make sense that I would leave my wallet an hour away, in his car on the Gold Coast. Why wouldn’t I do that?
Chambers told me that he would come and bring me my wallet. I felt bad but he said he had to come near here anyway. I am fully aware that he was probably lying but it made me feel better, so if that was his goal, it worked. He said he would be around in awhile, so I would have a wallet sometime in the near future. I tried to tell him he didn’t need to come but I was happy that he was going to. I had nothing without my wallet. No cash, no cards, not a thing.
I also had no food since I came home to old bananas, mouldy bread and stale Corn Flakes. The more I thought about it, the hungrier I became.
Helping to distract me from myself was the Bandits website. I took to writing a story about what the Bandits are doing for their holidays and what they will get up to with their time off. I asked the players such questions in the email I sent to everyone, and a good six or seven guys responded. That’s enough though. I tried to get the story on the website on my own, and obviously I couldn’t do it. I’m still waiting for the day when I can do something on my own. I had to get Carl to help me with the photo and putting it on the website and that was a long process. The story didn’t go up until late but here it is.
When Chambers finally came with my wallet I was super hungry. I felt really bad that he had to come all the way here to drive it to me but I was extremely grateful. He told me he knew what it felt like to be in a foreign country with no money and he didn’t want me to have to go through that. How sweet is he? He asked if there was a cafe anywhere near my place because he needed some caffeine for the drive home and I felt bad that I couldn’t even point him in the right direction. I also felt bad that I didn’t have anything to offer him, but seeing as I don’t even have any food and I don’t drink coffee, there weren’t many options inside the apartment.
Almost as soon as he left, I was at the grocery store. I got a bunch of food and then ate most of it, since I am incapable of shopping for more than one day at a time. I really need to work on that.
SJ and I secured our plans for the morning. I had some trouble trying to figure out the transit I needed to get to where we were going but SJ was helpful. He sent me a map and directions and everything. I still wasn’t sure I was going to be able to follow them but it put me ahead of where I would have been on my own. We have to be at the stranger family’s house at 8:30ish in the morning so that doesn’t give me a lot of leeway in not getting lost. And because we have an early morning ahead of us, that means early bedtime for me.
A full day at Byron Bay (Day 45)
The first time I woke up it was to a knock on the door. I was pretty worried that it might have been the lady running the motel but there was no peephole so that left me with no other option except to actually open the door. I’m pretty sure I could have looked out the window, or avoided answering, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.
Good thing it was Czech (formerly known as Dan) and Maestri (soon to be known as Italy). SJ wasn’t far behind them. Apparently only Chambers and I had been able to get in the room when we got home from the bar and the other guys ventured out to sleep on the beach when the lady running the motel wouldn’t let them in. She even stayed around watching our room like a hawk to make sure they didn’t get in. Or at least I guess that happened. I only had concern for myself.
When they made it inside I gave up the part of the bed I was sleeping on. I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been sleeping but I knew I’d been in a better situation than the beach-sleepers so I took the floor to be nice. Sharing is caring, right?
The next time I woke up, I was freezing cold on the floor without a blanket. I tried to take part of the one Maestri had, because he was the closest person to me, but he was wrapped up in it like he was in a cocoon. It would have been impossible to get in there, especially since I couldn’t even snatch a corner of it to try and warm up with. Eventually I found my sweatshirt on the floor and tried to use it as a blanket. It didn’t really work but it was better than nothing.
I was also awoken by the motel lady. She called the room to speak with me again, after already haven spoken to her in the middle of the night. She told me we had until 11 a.m. to be out and we had to be gone forever. I was agreeable and I even tried to apologize but she wouldn’t accept it. Oh well. I had to deal with her further before we left, to get my reimbursement for the second night, and to sign for the extra charges she was tacking onto our bill for having more than two people in the room. I didn’t really see the point in arguing with her and I am positive it wouldn’t have done me any good, so I just nodded and did everything she told me to do. She was super mad but I couldn’t do anything to change that. We were doing everything she was asking of us; we were leaving, we were paying more money, I tried to apologize, and I was agreeable. It just wasn’t enough for her.
The guys were upset when I told them that we had to pay extra money. They had paid more to sleep on the beach. I can understand why they would not be happy about that.
When we left the motel, we were missing Whitey and Zane. Chambers had talked to Zane at some point throughout the morning but Whitey was nowhere to be seen. When I called him, his phone went straight to voicemail, so I figured it was dead. The guys went and looked for his car and they couldn’t find it. At first I thought his stuff was gone from the room, so we all wondered if he’d just got up and left Byron at some point. But when we got to the point of more thorough cleaning, I found that his bag and all of his belongings were still there. So we had lost Whitey.
It was kind of like The Hangover. We all woke up and one of our friends was missing. Except his mattress wasn’t gone and he wasn’t supposed to be getting married. Okay, it was nothing like The Hangover. We did spend a couple hours trying to figure out where Whitey might be though, contemplating calling local jails or hospitals to see if he’d turned up anywhere. Instead of actually doing that, the rest of us went for breakfast. Zane included. We were only down one man.
When my phone rang and the caller ID told me it was Whitey, we were all pretty ecstatic. I am sure I answered with far too much enthusiasm. It turns out he had just slept in his car, but before doing that, he proceeded to move his car down the street, which is why no one could find him. And somewhere during the night his phone had died, of course. There were seemingly simple explanations for everything.
During breakfast, Chambers convinced the rest of us that it would be a good time to try surfing. We headed to a place to rent surfboards (in Australia, they would say ‘hire’ surfboards) and then we were off to the beach. As I was setting up camp, that being my towel, the guys went down the beach to start the learning. When I went after them to try and join in, I couldn’t find them. I walked up and down the beach and then gave up. So I went back to where Whitey was and laid out in the sun. Well, there wasn’t really that much sun. It was a cloudy day. But I was hungover so it felt a lot brighter and hotter than it actually was. And we all ended up getting sunburned, so it must have been out there somewhere.
At some point I fell asleep and I think Whitey had been gone the entire time, to get food and to charge his phone somewhere. I woke up when he got back and not long after, the rest of the crew returned. And then it was my turn to head into the water and make an attempt at surfing.
I was horrible. I made a few pathetic attempts and it was awful. In the end I think I gave myself a four. But that would be on a scale of one to 37. I learned two things while trying to surf. One, it’s a lot harder than it looks. And two, my bathing suit was not built for it. I only had one wardrobe malfunction, but the best part about that was that Chambers had to notify me. I didn’t even realize it on my own. Good thing I don’t embarrass easily.
It wasn’t long after we returned from sucking at surfing that we decided to leave the beach. On our way back to the cars we saw another hotel and Whitey stopped in to see if they had a room available with two beds. They did, but he had no wallet. So I went back and booked us the room. The people working there probably thought it was weird that we wanted two beds so badly, since they had assumed that Whitey and I were a couple. To each their own I guess. I wasn’t about to correct them and tell them there were actually seven of us. I went to check it out before going back to the guys and the place was as close to perfect as we could have asked for. And by perfect, I mean it had brick walls. There was no way we were going to be disturbing anyone through those.
We all took post-beach showers (separately, for anyone thinking otherwise) and then headed to the lighthouse. It’s a big thing in Byron Bay, and the place did offer wonderful views of the surrounding area. SJ had my camera because his battery was dead, so I am sure there are some pictures on there of everything. I just need to get to posting them.
When we got back we all went to dinner at a bar around the corner. The food was good, there was live music, and everyone was happy. We started making some plans for the evening and I ended up telling the guys that I would be a great wingman for them, and that I would do so later on in the evening. I figured I could come up with some great story, like that I had been left in Byron or that I was stranded or something, and this fantastic group of guys came to my rescue and they’ve been perfect gentlemen, or something like that. Or I could just say that one of them was my brother and I had come along for the ride.
Flash forward: I did not do any of that.
Post-dinner we contemplated either beginning to drink again or having a team nap. I’m not sure if it was on purpose or not, but we all fell asleep. Team nap it was. Once again, I got part of a bed. I’m not sure if the guys were just too afraid to say anything to me or ask me to take up a spot on the floor, but I wasn’t about to bring it up myself. I was fine with having part of a bed to myself.
I think it was around 8 o’clock when we woke up and began drinking again. We wanted to head out to the bars a little earlier since we hadn’t made our way to Byron until midnight the night before. There were more shots of Czech moonshine before leaving of course. I think if I ever even smell that stuff again I might have nightmares. Although I must point out that I wasn’t opposed to it at the time.
We went out and started at the same bar we’d been at the previous night. We were obviously really interested in exploring different parts of Byron. When we got there, there weren’t many people in the bar, but there was a group of girls sitting around. Some of the guys went over to talk to them and when I went to the bar to get a drink, Zane asked if I was going to be their wingman and help them out. I looked at them, thought about it, and said, “Naw, they’re fine,” and walked in the other direction.
I suck at being a wingman. Sorry fellas.
After turning into a sheer disappointment for my buddies, I went outside and talked to Czech for awhile. He and Chambers played ball together in Europe and now he’s in Australia playing club baseball for Surfer’s Paradise. While we were talking, Italy came outside and we started talking to a couple of guys across the table from us, who happened to be from Norway. It was the beginning of our United Nations pub crawl.
All of us left together to head to another bar after only a little while. Our group now consisted of a Canadian (you’re welcome), two Americans, the Italian Stallion, Czech, only one Australian, two Norwegians and a New Zealander. We were pretty proud of ourselves.
At the second bar we lost SJ. After some drinking and some dancing we were on our way out of the place and we were once again down a man. I went back in to look for him and instead found Czech, who I didn’t realize we were missing (oops) and who was also looking for SJ. Neither of us found him. I went back one more time on my own before we gave up and decided to venture elsewhere. We tried to get in to some fancy place, and by fancy I mean that you couldn’t wear flip flops and shorts, and it cost $10 to get in. That didn’t happen. After stopping for some food at a variety store (classy, I know), we went back to the first bar.
It wasn't long until we discovered that SJ and Dan were both there. We were all together again. They had found each other somewhere along the way, gone to an entirely different place, and then ventured back to Cucamonga’s. I was far too excited to see them and probably mentioned to SJ that I had gone looking for him about a million times. I thought he should know. After some more drinking and dancing I found Whitey sitting at a table on his own. He was ready to leave and I decided I was too, since I had the only key to the room and I figured I could help him out. I went around trying to find everyone else to tell them we were leaving and then we walked back to the hotel. Whitey pulled up a spot on the floor, despite the other options available to him, and I had a spot on a bed once again.
I don’t know how long I was asleep but I woke up when the rest of the guys came back to the room. They also had the Norwegians with them, though I’m not sure they would be happy with me spreading the news that they picked up two guys on our trip to Byron. All of them came back with food, several packages of instant noodles to be precise. I had some of Chambers’ noodles and then more of SJ’s before I’d had enough. Apparently one of the guys from Norway doesn’t know how to add water to a package of noodles though because he definitely burned them in the microwave. The two brothers from Norway left shortly after that but our room smelled like burning for much longer. Someone opened all the windows in our room to try and help, but it didn’t really.
I guess it didn’t bother me much though because I am sure it wasn’t long until I was passed out once more. On a bed. I guess it pays to be a girl.
Good thing it was Czech (formerly known as Dan) and Maestri (soon to be known as Italy). SJ wasn’t far behind them. Apparently only Chambers and I had been able to get in the room when we got home from the bar and the other guys ventured out to sleep on the beach when the lady running the motel wouldn’t let them in. She even stayed around watching our room like a hawk to make sure they didn’t get in. Or at least I guess that happened. I only had concern for myself.
When they made it inside I gave up the part of the bed I was sleeping on. I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been sleeping but I knew I’d been in a better situation than the beach-sleepers so I took the floor to be nice. Sharing is caring, right?
The next time I woke up, I was freezing cold on the floor without a blanket. I tried to take part of the one Maestri had, because he was the closest person to me, but he was wrapped up in it like he was in a cocoon. It would have been impossible to get in there, especially since I couldn’t even snatch a corner of it to try and warm up with. Eventually I found my sweatshirt on the floor and tried to use it as a blanket. It didn’t really work but it was better than nothing.
I was also awoken by the motel lady. She called the room to speak with me again, after already haven spoken to her in the middle of the night. She told me we had until 11 a.m. to be out and we had to be gone forever. I was agreeable and I even tried to apologize but she wouldn’t accept it. Oh well. I had to deal with her further before we left, to get my reimbursement for the second night, and to sign for the extra charges she was tacking onto our bill for having more than two people in the room. I didn’t really see the point in arguing with her and I am positive it wouldn’t have done me any good, so I just nodded and did everything she told me to do. She was super mad but I couldn’t do anything to change that. We were doing everything she was asking of us; we were leaving, we were paying more money, I tried to apologize, and I was agreeable. It just wasn’t enough for her.
The guys were upset when I told them that we had to pay extra money. They had paid more to sleep on the beach. I can understand why they would not be happy about that.
When we left the motel, we were missing Whitey and Zane. Chambers had talked to Zane at some point throughout the morning but Whitey was nowhere to be seen. When I called him, his phone went straight to voicemail, so I figured it was dead. The guys went and looked for his car and they couldn’t find it. At first I thought his stuff was gone from the room, so we all wondered if he’d just got up and left Byron at some point. But when we got to the point of more thorough cleaning, I found that his bag and all of his belongings were still there. So we had lost Whitey.
It was kind of like The Hangover. We all woke up and one of our friends was missing. Except his mattress wasn’t gone and he wasn’t supposed to be getting married. Okay, it was nothing like The Hangover. We did spend a couple hours trying to figure out where Whitey might be though, contemplating calling local jails or hospitals to see if he’d turned up anywhere. Instead of actually doing that, the rest of us went for breakfast. Zane included. We were only down one man.
When my phone rang and the caller ID told me it was Whitey, we were all pretty ecstatic. I am sure I answered with far too much enthusiasm. It turns out he had just slept in his car, but before doing that, he proceeded to move his car down the street, which is why no one could find him. And somewhere during the night his phone had died, of course. There were seemingly simple explanations for everything.
During breakfast, Chambers convinced the rest of us that it would be a good time to try surfing. We headed to a place to rent surfboards (in Australia, they would say ‘hire’ surfboards) and then we were off to the beach. As I was setting up camp, that being my towel, the guys went down the beach to start the learning. When I went after them to try and join in, I couldn’t find them. I walked up and down the beach and then gave up. So I went back to where Whitey was and laid out in the sun. Well, there wasn’t really that much sun. It was a cloudy day. But I was hungover so it felt a lot brighter and hotter than it actually was. And we all ended up getting sunburned, so it must have been out there somewhere.
At some point I fell asleep and I think Whitey had been gone the entire time, to get food and to charge his phone somewhere. I woke up when he got back and not long after, the rest of the crew returned. And then it was my turn to head into the water and make an attempt at surfing.
I was horrible. I made a few pathetic attempts and it was awful. In the end I think I gave myself a four. But that would be on a scale of one to 37. I learned two things while trying to surf. One, it’s a lot harder than it looks. And two, my bathing suit was not built for it. I only had one wardrobe malfunction, but the best part about that was that Chambers had to notify me. I didn’t even realize it on my own. Good thing I don’t embarrass easily.
It wasn’t long after we returned from sucking at surfing that we decided to leave the beach. On our way back to the cars we saw another hotel and Whitey stopped in to see if they had a room available with two beds. They did, but he had no wallet. So I went back and booked us the room. The people working there probably thought it was weird that we wanted two beds so badly, since they had assumed that Whitey and I were a couple. To each their own I guess. I wasn’t about to correct them and tell them there were actually seven of us. I went to check it out before going back to the guys and the place was as close to perfect as we could have asked for. And by perfect, I mean it had brick walls. There was no way we were going to be disturbing anyone through those.
We all took post-beach showers (separately, for anyone thinking otherwise) and then headed to the lighthouse. It’s a big thing in Byron Bay, and the place did offer wonderful views of the surrounding area. SJ had my camera because his battery was dead, so I am sure there are some pictures on there of everything. I just need to get to posting them.
When we got back we all went to dinner at a bar around the corner. The food was good, there was live music, and everyone was happy. We started making some plans for the evening and I ended up telling the guys that I would be a great wingman for them, and that I would do so later on in the evening. I figured I could come up with some great story, like that I had been left in Byron or that I was stranded or something, and this fantastic group of guys came to my rescue and they’ve been perfect gentlemen, or something like that. Or I could just say that one of them was my brother and I had come along for the ride.
Flash forward: I did not do any of that.
Post-dinner we contemplated either beginning to drink again or having a team nap. I’m not sure if it was on purpose or not, but we all fell asleep. Team nap it was. Once again, I got part of a bed. I’m not sure if the guys were just too afraid to say anything to me or ask me to take up a spot on the floor, but I wasn’t about to bring it up myself. I was fine with having part of a bed to myself.
I think it was around 8 o’clock when we woke up and began drinking again. We wanted to head out to the bars a little earlier since we hadn’t made our way to Byron until midnight the night before. There were more shots of Czech moonshine before leaving of course. I think if I ever even smell that stuff again I might have nightmares. Although I must point out that I wasn’t opposed to it at the time.
We went out and started at the same bar we’d been at the previous night. We were obviously really interested in exploring different parts of Byron. When we got there, there weren’t many people in the bar, but there was a group of girls sitting around. Some of the guys went over to talk to them and when I went to the bar to get a drink, Zane asked if I was going to be their wingman and help them out. I looked at them, thought about it, and said, “Naw, they’re fine,” and walked in the other direction.
I suck at being a wingman. Sorry fellas.
After turning into a sheer disappointment for my buddies, I went outside and talked to Czech for awhile. He and Chambers played ball together in Europe and now he’s in Australia playing club baseball for Surfer’s Paradise. While we were talking, Italy came outside and we started talking to a couple of guys across the table from us, who happened to be from Norway. It was the beginning of our United Nations pub crawl.
All of us left together to head to another bar after only a little while. Our group now consisted of a Canadian (you’re welcome), two Americans, the Italian Stallion, Czech, only one Australian, two Norwegians and a New Zealander. We were pretty proud of ourselves.
At the second bar we lost SJ. After some drinking and some dancing we were on our way out of the place and we were once again down a man. I went back in to look for him and instead found Czech, who I didn’t realize we were missing (oops) and who was also looking for SJ. Neither of us found him. I went back one more time on my own before we gave up and decided to venture elsewhere. We tried to get in to some fancy place, and by fancy I mean that you couldn’t wear flip flops and shorts, and it cost $10 to get in. That didn’t happen. After stopping for some food at a variety store (classy, I know), we went back to the first bar.
It wasn't long until we discovered that SJ and Dan were both there. We were all together again. They had found each other somewhere along the way, gone to an entirely different place, and then ventured back to Cucamonga’s. I was far too excited to see them and probably mentioned to SJ that I had gone looking for him about a million times. I thought he should know. After some more drinking and dancing I found Whitey sitting at a table on his own. He was ready to leave and I decided I was too, since I had the only key to the room and I figured I could help him out. I went around trying to find everyone else to tell them we were leaving and then we walked back to the hotel. Whitey pulled up a spot on the floor, despite the other options available to him, and I had a spot on a bed once again.
I don’t know how long I was asleep but I woke up when the rest of the guys came back to the room. They also had the Norwegians with them, though I’m not sure they would be happy with me spreading the news that they picked up two guys on our trip to Byron. All of them came back with food, several packages of instant noodles to be precise. I had some of Chambers’ noodles and then more of SJ’s before I’d had enough. Apparently one of the guys from Norway doesn’t know how to add water to a package of noodles though because he definitely burned them in the microwave. The two brothers from Norway left shortly after that but our room smelled like burning for much longer. Someone opened all the windows in our room to try and help, but it didn’t really.
I guess it didn’t bother me much though because I am sure it wasn’t long until I was passed out once more. On a bed. I guess it pays to be a girl.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
How can you not be romantic about baseball? (Day 44)
I woke up on my mattress on the floor at Chambers’ house cuddling with a robe. Someone must have thrown the robe on me at some time or another during the night and my arms were wrapped around it like I never wanted to let it go.
This is what my life has become.
As we started gathering up the blankets and sheets to fold them and pile them (by we, I mean me), I noticed an easel and a painting in the corner. I had not been so observant the night before. I asked Chambers who was the painter in the family and he told me it was his mom. He showed me some of her other artwork around the house and it’s fantastic. I wish that a) I could afford to buy a painting and b) I could take one of them home with me. Neither option seems viable though.
After we had gathered up all the stuff upstairs we moved downstairs to continue our cleaning. There were beer bottles, cans and pizza boxes all over the place. We were a mess. We got everything picked up and Chambers offered us breakfast. I wasn’t about to turn down free food so I seized the day and had some toast.
Everyone was finally ready to leave shortly thereafter, though it sounds much simpler than it turned out to be. We were locked out of Whitey’s car, but we had the keys to it. The last person to drive it (SJ) had left a blinker on or something when he came inside and it killed the battery. Luckily one of the windows was open a crack but it didn’t really seem to help us. At first. We could unlock the door from the inside and even grab the handle and use it, but the door still wouldn’t budge. Stupid electronic car.
While all of the guys were trying to figure out a way in, extremely unsuccessfully for awhile, I pulled up some grass and laid my head down on my backpack. I didn’t feel as if I could help at all, so why bother just getting in the way? They deduced that we needed to somehow get the hood (bonnet) open, so we could charge the battery, but there was no easy explanation on how to do that. Someone suggested calling the Australian version of CAA and Whitey immediately nixed that idea, because it would be too expensive. The idea on its own seemed to send Whitey into overdrive on coming up with ways to get into the car though because all of a sudden there was a solution.
SJ took a big, metal crowbar that Chambers had gotten out of his garage and used it to somehow pop the trunk (boot). Whitey got the back seat down with a latch in the trunk and then climbed into the car that way. I was pretty astonished that he made it in. SJ put a picture of it on his blog, so if you're interested in seeing part of the debacle, or reading his take on Australia, the link is here. Whitey got the hood open and we were ready for a jump from Chambers. The only problem after that was that we were also out of gas.
Okay, we weren’t completely out. I believe we had two kilometres remaining until empty or something like that. Excuse my exaggeration. But we had legitimate worry that we might not make it from Chambers’ place to a gas (petrol) station before running out and once again having a car we couldn't use.
As soon as the car was running again we all hopped in and hoped to cruise to the nearest station. Every time we were forced to stop, Whitey threw the car into neutral in the hope that it would help us. And it must have because we made it to a gas station right on the pit of empty. We all got out to get food there as well. I had to stop myself from eating a brunch consisting of chocolate milk and Doritos, and instead stuck with the chocolate milk and chose a granola bar in place of the chips. I felt good about the choice, until Dave-O got in the car with an even bigger chocolate milk and the bag of Doritos that I had contemplated. I was overrun with jealousy.
It started to rain somewhere along the ride home and I realized that I had hung my sheets out over the balcony railing to dry before we left. I was well aware that they would likely not be dry when I got back to them. I’ll just have to leave them out there once again, getting them back smelling rainwater fresh.
When I got home and went outside to check on them though, I had another surprise waiting for me. The sheets were not wet at all, but one of them had fallen off the balcony onto the floor below me. I didn’t even think of that as an option. I wasn’t too worried about it, but I texted Erin to ask what I should do. She told me that I should just go knock on the door of the people below us and ask them. And then she mentioned that she should have told me before, but it’s against the apartment policy to hang things over the rail. Makes sense.
I had a quick shower and then headed back to the nail place once more because I had broken another nail somewhere along our adventures at the Gold Coast. During my walk there, I called Carl just to tell him about my laundry situation. I thought it was kind of funny, especially after having been so worried that my sheets might just be a little damp. Instead, they’ve been misplaced.
From the nail place I went to the hair place. The woman who happened to be doing my hair was American so we had lots to talk about. She came to Australia from Chicago for a boy, as she described it. She’d visited someone around here a year or so ago and met and fell in love with a local. I guess he swept her off her feet or whatever because she’s back here with him planning on staying for the long haul. I guess my story isn’t as heartwarming as hers, but like Brad Pitt says in Moneyball, “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”
She was kind of excited to learn that there is a baseball team in town, though it was disappointing to me that she didn’t already know about it, with the hair place being just a few blocks away from the RNA. She did promise that she and her boyfriend would come to a game or two during the upcoming series though, and that was pretty much the best I could do. She tried to start a conversation about hockey and I didn’t really mind at first, until she mentioned halftime. Really? So I tried to steer clear of any more hockey talk.
My hair was taking a really long time and at one point I thought I was going to be late to get home for when Whitey was picking me up. He had to pick me up, then we were supposed to go to the Showgrounds to get the bats and balls, then pick SJ up at Windsor or somewhere and then head to Pine Hills, where the practice was taking place. So I asked how much longer it would be and the Chicagoan gave me her best guesstimate. I texted Whitey to let him know I was running late but also that there wasn’t much I could do about it so I hoped I wasn’t putting him out too much. As it turned out, he was running late too, so that gave me some room to work with.
When my hair was finished and paid for I still figured I might leave Whitey waiting for me, so I ran home from the salon. I only had flip flops (thongs) on, so it was a little rough on the calves, but I made it in good time. I packed up my things for Byron, throwing mostly random articles of clothing in a bag, along with anything else I could find, and went outside to wait for Whitey. I was glad he hadn’t been waiting for me, though it made me feel like I’d rushed for nothing.
He came and got me and we were on our way to the RNA to pick up bats and balls. I also grabbed my two gloves that I had managed to leave in the locker room. I wouldn’t want to forget about those. And we were quickly on our way to Pine Hills. I think the reason the team couldn’t practice at the Showgrounds was because they were spraying pesticides or something. Pine Hills didn’t seem very convenient, especially when I wouldn’t have had to go to practice if we weren’t leaving for Byron right afterward. And it tacked on another half hour to our trip too I think.
Whitey and I dropped off the equipment and then stood around probably looking lost, not knowing what we were going to do the whole time. It wasn’t long before we left to find a variety store to get some drinks. When we were there I also found some Shapes, a delicious cracker snack that Whitey had previously introduced me to. I couldn’t get a box without him wanting a box too so we got two different flavours for the purposes of sharing. It worked out well.
We sat around eating them for about as long as that lasted. The box said there were six servings in it, but my stomach said it was just about one. Whitey and I talked about Julie’s family and what they are doing for Christmas (or just for the holidays, since they’re Jewish). I believe he said that every year they get a house in Costa Rica and head there, which sounds pretty amazing. And Julie is super pumped about getting to see her sisters. She’s very family-oriented and the longest she’s gone without seeing her family before coming to Australia was something like six weeks. I think she’s been here nine months. So it’s a big time for her.
I got up to walk around for awhile after our chat, because Pine Hills is home to several other sporting fields, and mostly because I had nothing better to do. On my way back from my short jaunt I started picking up the home run balls outside of the outfield. By the time I had come back around to give them to someone, another one was launched over the fence. And then by the time I got to that one, there were two more. So I just stayed out in the outfield a little longer, collecting home run balls. When I came back, Whitey was watching Youtube videos on his iPad, so I joined him in doing that for a little while.
When practice was finally over, we started our adventure to Byron. Maestri went with Chambers in his car and SJ and I went with Whitey. Chambers had to stop at home to pick up his roommate from Czech and also his buddy Zane, who was making the trek with us. Of course our car's first pitstop was at a McDonald’s. Why wouldn’t it be? And then we had to go to the liquor/beer store. I stayed in the car and ate while Whitey and SJ went in, figuring that whatever they got would be just fine. I was sure there would be Czech moonshine coming on this trip, so whatever they got had to be better than that.
They came back with two cases of beer and a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum. It wasn’t long before I was pouring rum in my McDonald’s cup. Once I was through that, we stopped at a variety store for pop (soda, for the Americans) and ice to keep it going. It made the ride to Byron go a little faster.
When we got to the motel I think it was probably almost midnight. Oh, and I forgot to mention that earlier in the day a woman from the motel called to ask when we might be checking in. I told her it was probably going to be in the middle of the night and she said she would leave the key outside the door under the mat for us. Really? But that was actually perfect. That way she wouldn’t happen to see seven of us walking into a room for two people.
And it certainly was a room for two. There was only one bed.
It wasn’t of concern to any of us at first though, since our first priority was to drink and go out. It was already late, so we had to do it fast. And SJ and I had gotten a head start, thanks to our travellers, so everyone else had some catching up to do. It wasn’t long before we were out and about in Byron Bay, at some bar called Cucamonga’s, I think. I had a great time at the bar, drinking and dancing up a storm. I’m sure I did too many shots, and chugged too many beers, though I did manage to beat SJ in a chugging contest and then cement my win by chugging another beer in a time trial. It took nine seconds. I think I can do better.
With the amount of drinking I did, I believe there might be some holes in my story of the evening, but I’m sure you get the picture. When we left the bar, three of us took a rickshaw back to the motel. It was playing music and I guess we were all super loud. So that’s probably why we then got kicked out. We must have awoken the woman running the place and she saw how many of us there were and she wouldn’t let us all in the room. I made it to the bed though, so it didn’t really occur to me to have concern for the others. My bad.
I do remember the woman calling to let me know that there was no way we were going to be allowed to stay another night at her motel. I wasn’t too worried about that either though. The alcohol in my system had apparently washed away all of my concerns. And then put me straight to sleep.
This is what my life has become.
As we started gathering up the blankets and sheets to fold them and pile them (by we, I mean me), I noticed an easel and a painting in the corner. I had not been so observant the night before. I asked Chambers who was the painter in the family and he told me it was his mom. He showed me some of her other artwork around the house and it’s fantastic. I wish that a) I could afford to buy a painting and b) I could take one of them home with me. Neither option seems viable though.
After we had gathered up all the stuff upstairs we moved downstairs to continue our cleaning. There were beer bottles, cans and pizza boxes all over the place. We were a mess. We got everything picked up and Chambers offered us breakfast. I wasn’t about to turn down free food so I seized the day and had some toast.
Everyone was finally ready to leave shortly thereafter, though it sounds much simpler than it turned out to be. We were locked out of Whitey’s car, but we had the keys to it. The last person to drive it (SJ) had left a blinker on or something when he came inside and it killed the battery. Luckily one of the windows was open a crack but it didn’t really seem to help us. At first. We could unlock the door from the inside and even grab the handle and use it, but the door still wouldn’t budge. Stupid electronic car.
While all of the guys were trying to figure out a way in, extremely unsuccessfully for awhile, I pulled up some grass and laid my head down on my backpack. I didn’t feel as if I could help at all, so why bother just getting in the way? They deduced that we needed to somehow get the hood (bonnet) open, so we could charge the battery, but there was no easy explanation on how to do that. Someone suggested calling the Australian version of CAA and Whitey immediately nixed that idea, because it would be too expensive. The idea on its own seemed to send Whitey into overdrive on coming up with ways to get into the car though because all of a sudden there was a solution.
SJ took a big, metal crowbar that Chambers had gotten out of his garage and used it to somehow pop the trunk (boot). Whitey got the back seat down with a latch in the trunk and then climbed into the car that way. I was pretty astonished that he made it in. SJ put a picture of it on his blog, so if you're interested in seeing part of the debacle, or reading his take on Australia, the link is here. Whitey got the hood open and we were ready for a jump from Chambers. The only problem after that was that we were also out of gas.
Okay, we weren’t completely out. I believe we had two kilometres remaining until empty or something like that. Excuse my exaggeration. But we had legitimate worry that we might not make it from Chambers’ place to a gas (petrol) station before running out and once again having a car we couldn't use.
As soon as the car was running again we all hopped in and hoped to cruise to the nearest station. Every time we were forced to stop, Whitey threw the car into neutral in the hope that it would help us. And it must have because we made it to a gas station right on the pit of empty. We all got out to get food there as well. I had to stop myself from eating a brunch consisting of chocolate milk and Doritos, and instead stuck with the chocolate milk and chose a granola bar in place of the chips. I felt good about the choice, until Dave-O got in the car with an even bigger chocolate milk and the bag of Doritos that I had contemplated. I was overrun with jealousy.
It started to rain somewhere along the ride home and I realized that I had hung my sheets out over the balcony railing to dry before we left. I was well aware that they would likely not be dry when I got back to them. I’ll just have to leave them out there once again, getting them back smelling rainwater fresh.
When I got home and went outside to check on them though, I had another surprise waiting for me. The sheets were not wet at all, but one of them had fallen off the balcony onto the floor below me. I didn’t even think of that as an option. I wasn’t too worried about it, but I texted Erin to ask what I should do. She told me that I should just go knock on the door of the people below us and ask them. And then she mentioned that she should have told me before, but it’s against the apartment policy to hang things over the rail. Makes sense.
I had a quick shower and then headed back to the nail place once more because I had broken another nail somewhere along our adventures at the Gold Coast. During my walk there, I called Carl just to tell him about my laundry situation. I thought it was kind of funny, especially after having been so worried that my sheets might just be a little damp. Instead, they’ve been misplaced.
From the nail place I went to the hair place. The woman who happened to be doing my hair was American so we had lots to talk about. She came to Australia from Chicago for a boy, as she described it. She’d visited someone around here a year or so ago and met and fell in love with a local. I guess he swept her off her feet or whatever because she’s back here with him planning on staying for the long haul. I guess my story isn’t as heartwarming as hers, but like Brad Pitt says in Moneyball, “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”
She was kind of excited to learn that there is a baseball team in town, though it was disappointing to me that she didn’t already know about it, with the hair place being just a few blocks away from the RNA. She did promise that she and her boyfriend would come to a game or two during the upcoming series though, and that was pretty much the best I could do. She tried to start a conversation about hockey and I didn’t really mind at first, until she mentioned halftime. Really? So I tried to steer clear of any more hockey talk.
My hair was taking a really long time and at one point I thought I was going to be late to get home for when Whitey was picking me up. He had to pick me up, then we were supposed to go to the Showgrounds to get the bats and balls, then pick SJ up at Windsor or somewhere and then head to Pine Hills, where the practice was taking place. So I asked how much longer it would be and the Chicagoan gave me her best guesstimate. I texted Whitey to let him know I was running late but also that there wasn’t much I could do about it so I hoped I wasn’t putting him out too much. As it turned out, he was running late too, so that gave me some room to work with.
When my hair was finished and paid for I still figured I might leave Whitey waiting for me, so I ran home from the salon. I only had flip flops (thongs) on, so it was a little rough on the calves, but I made it in good time. I packed up my things for Byron, throwing mostly random articles of clothing in a bag, along with anything else I could find, and went outside to wait for Whitey. I was glad he hadn’t been waiting for me, though it made me feel like I’d rushed for nothing.
He came and got me and we were on our way to the RNA to pick up bats and balls. I also grabbed my two gloves that I had managed to leave in the locker room. I wouldn’t want to forget about those. And we were quickly on our way to Pine Hills. I think the reason the team couldn’t practice at the Showgrounds was because they were spraying pesticides or something. Pine Hills didn’t seem very convenient, especially when I wouldn’t have had to go to practice if we weren’t leaving for Byron right afterward. And it tacked on another half hour to our trip too I think.
Whitey and I dropped off the equipment and then stood around probably looking lost, not knowing what we were going to do the whole time. It wasn’t long before we left to find a variety store to get some drinks. When we were there I also found some Shapes, a delicious cracker snack that Whitey had previously introduced me to. I couldn’t get a box without him wanting a box too so we got two different flavours for the purposes of sharing. It worked out well.
We sat around eating them for about as long as that lasted. The box said there were six servings in it, but my stomach said it was just about one. Whitey and I talked about Julie’s family and what they are doing for Christmas (or just for the holidays, since they’re Jewish). I believe he said that every year they get a house in Costa Rica and head there, which sounds pretty amazing. And Julie is super pumped about getting to see her sisters. She’s very family-oriented and the longest she’s gone without seeing her family before coming to Australia was something like six weeks. I think she’s been here nine months. So it’s a big time for her.
I got up to walk around for awhile after our chat, because Pine Hills is home to several other sporting fields, and mostly because I had nothing better to do. On my way back from my short jaunt I started picking up the home run balls outside of the outfield. By the time I had come back around to give them to someone, another one was launched over the fence. And then by the time I got to that one, there were two more. So I just stayed out in the outfield a little longer, collecting home run balls. When I came back, Whitey was watching Youtube videos on his iPad, so I joined him in doing that for a little while.
When practice was finally over, we started our adventure to Byron. Maestri went with Chambers in his car and SJ and I went with Whitey. Chambers had to stop at home to pick up his roommate from Czech and also his buddy Zane, who was making the trek with us. Of course our car's first pitstop was at a McDonald’s. Why wouldn’t it be? And then we had to go to the liquor/beer store. I stayed in the car and ate while Whitey and SJ went in, figuring that whatever they got would be just fine. I was sure there would be Czech moonshine coming on this trip, so whatever they got had to be better than that.
They came back with two cases of beer and a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum. It wasn’t long before I was pouring rum in my McDonald’s cup. Once I was through that, we stopped at a variety store for pop (soda, for the Americans) and ice to keep it going. It made the ride to Byron go a little faster.
When we got to the motel I think it was probably almost midnight. Oh, and I forgot to mention that earlier in the day a woman from the motel called to ask when we might be checking in. I told her it was probably going to be in the middle of the night and she said she would leave the key outside the door under the mat for us. Really? But that was actually perfect. That way she wouldn’t happen to see seven of us walking into a room for two people.
And it certainly was a room for two. There was only one bed.
It wasn’t of concern to any of us at first though, since our first priority was to drink and go out. It was already late, so we had to do it fast. And SJ and I had gotten a head start, thanks to our travellers, so everyone else had some catching up to do. It wasn’t long before we were out and about in Byron Bay, at some bar called Cucamonga’s, I think. I had a great time at the bar, drinking and dancing up a storm. I’m sure I did too many shots, and chugged too many beers, though I did manage to beat SJ in a chugging contest and then cement my win by chugging another beer in a time trial. It took nine seconds. I think I can do better.
With the amount of drinking I did, I believe there might be some holes in my story of the evening, but I’m sure you get the picture. When we left the bar, three of us took a rickshaw back to the motel. It was playing music and I guess we were all super loud. So that’s probably why we then got kicked out. We must have awoken the woman running the place and she saw how many of us there were and she wouldn’t let us all in the room. I made it to the bed though, so it didn’t really occur to me to have concern for the others. My bad.
I do remember the woman calling to let me know that there was no way we were going to be allowed to stay another night at her motel. I wasn’t too worried about that either though. The alcohol in my system had apparently washed away all of my concerns. And then put me straight to sleep.
Gold Coast (Day 43)
I feel like I only had a few short hours away from Carl's place.
After arriving home late last evening thanks to my cab ride with a giant, I got to sleep and woke up just in time to start heading back in to Carl's. Whitey had slept there and he decided that was going to be where we were leaving from for our trip to the Gold Coast. I hadn't brought anything with me last night though so I really had no choice but to head back home before hitching a ride with the guys for the beach. I am sure there would have been easier ways to get back to Carl's than by walking but what good would that do me?
Once again, despite my whingeing about my own poor lifestyle choices, I made a stop at McDonald's. I didn't really want anything but I needed to use the restroom during my walk. And while I was there, I thought it would only be polite of me to call the guys and see if they wanted me to get them anything. At first, neither Carl nor Whitey answered their phones so I started walking away, not having bought anything. It was a good start.
Whitey called me back when I wasn't more than 10 metres away though and I told him I was phoning to see if they wanted anything. Of course they did, so he started giving me the order and then changed his mind and decided they would just meet me there. And then I obviously couldn't just wait around doing nothing, so I went in and ordered a smoothie. Strike one.
When Whitey, Carl and Dave-O got there I decided that I was hungry and I made Carl order an extra hashbrown for me too. Strike two.
Then Whitey suggested that I call SJ to see if he wanted anything before we went to pick him up. I got him a breakfast meal and on the way to getting him, I might have taken a bite out of his food. Strike three. Too much McDonald's. I don't even eat it at home. I'm like a different person here. And not in a good way.
We went from there to pick up SJ and along the way Carl started putting together rules for what would become the drinking game for the night. We began compiling a list of phrases and baseball things, marking the number of drinks each person would have to take if they came up during the All-Star Game in Perth. There were several categories and denominations of drinks to go with each one.
The five of us made it to the Gold Coast with no major mishaps, which is kind of a miracle for this group of people. I tried to get ahold of Chambers on the way because I think the original plan was to head to his place, but he happened to be back in Brisbane throwing a bullpen session for a prospective employer for next season, so he was going to have to meet us a little later. What else was left for us to do but head to the beach?
Somewhere along the line, Carl realized that he'd forgotten the football that the guys were supposed to bring with them. So when we found a place to settle on the beach, Carl, Whitey and Dave-O set out to find a store with a football or something to preoccupy our time. SJ and I stayed at the beach and headed into the ocean. I must stress that at one time I was a competitive swimmer. I raced when I was little and then turned into synchronized swimmer. I did that competitively into university, competing for the University of Western Ontario. As embarrassing as you might think that is, I felt the need to point it out before describing my experience at the beach. I couldn't handle the waves and definitely got pulled under the water several times. I don't want anyone to get the impression that it was because I am a weak swimmer though, hence the aforementioned explanation. The waves were just that big and powerful. At least, I hope they were and it wasn't just me.
It didn't take long to get too much salt in my eyes and throat from the water and I thought the best course of action would be to head back to shore. SJ stayed in the water and I laid on the beach trying to soak up some rays. Eventually he came in, after being tossed around a little too much as well. It wasn't long after that when the other guys showed back up. They were empty-handed. Apparently they'd quickly given up on the idea of finding a football and instead went to a bar to drink. Seems like the obvious solution.
They didn't want to hang around the beach any longer than they'd already been standing there either. It was time for us to all head to another bar. When we got there they ordered drinks and only drinks right away, but I wasn't quite sure I was ready for that. I needed to get some food in me (despite my morning McDonald's run for a hash brown and a smoothie) and I decided I was going to order lunch. I tried to convince any of the other guys to get something too because I felt like I was going to be holding everyone up if I was the only one eating, but they all decided against it. There were going to wait until we heard from Chambers and then grab food on the way to his house. So I ate alone, though technically they were still with me. My meal stood alone and in retrospect it was a pretty great decision on my part. But I'll get to that later.
Chambers had called at some point during my meal and our time at the bar. He was home and we were welcome to make our way over. With a quick stop at the beer store we were soon headed into his amazing neighbourhood. All of the houses were beautiful and several were gated off for privacy. Chambers' place was one of those, so I figured it was going to be good. His house is awesome. It's open and beautiful and has everything a family could need I would think, including a pool table, a ping pong table and a pool, which is where we were headed. We spent some time lazing around the pool dipping into our beer supply before doing anything else.
The guys must have been pretty hungry the entire time though because they hadn't had anything since breakfast. Let me reiterate that I made the right choice in having lunch at the bar. They were going to stop for something on the way to Chambers' place and then figured we might make food there instead, but that didn't happen for several hours. A couple of the guys went to get meat for the barbeque and we were soon on our way to success. By then it was almost dinnertime so I was pretty much already hungry again.
Sometime during or after eating, Chambers' roommate from Czech Republic, Dan, got out some moonshine that he'd brought over here. We all passed it around at first just to smell it in all its glory, and that was bad enough. I didn't think I would ever feel the need to try it. But of course then someone had the genius idea to get a shot glass, put it on the Lazy Susan in the middle of the table, and spin it until it landed on some poor sucker who would then have to take a shot of the moonshine. Guess who it landed on first?
SJ got out his camera to take a video of me downing the first shot but I don't think it was as exciting as any of the guys had hoped. I took it like a champ. It was disgusting but I didn't want to look like a wimp. Success. We each ended up taking two or three shots of it before dinner was said and done and then headed inside to watch the ABL All-Star Game. The guys were still going to drink every time something was said that was on their list but I didn't think anyone would notice if I didn't participate. I needed my beers to go down a little slower than that.
The Bandits players (and Gonzo) lived up to the hype during the game. Gonzo was doing colour commentary, and did a great job, especially not really knowing most of the players and probably not having much preparation. Maestri had a good inning and was throwing gas the entire time. Yanagawa and Erasmus pitched well in the Brisbane uniform also. And Josh Roberts ended up making a great play from the outfield (though I'm not sure the guy was out) and he hit a home run (though it did happen when a catcher from our team was behind the plate, conveniently). And throughout the game we had more beer and more food. Chambers' parents had brought home several pizzas for us and somehow we were still hungry enough to eat them all.
After the game I made a sad attempt at playing Guitar Hero. I have never even seen someone play the game before, let alone participated, so it was pretty awful. Not to mention the fact that I was forced against my will to try it. I knew it would be embarrassing so I was trying to avoid it at all costs. Chambers tried to help me but even teaming up for Guitar Hero didn't make me look any better. Add another embarrassing moment to the list.
As soon as that was over and I could get away from it, I went outside to partake in some ping pong. We started playing normal ping pong and that eventually turned into beer pong and then into sting pong. For beer pong we teamed up. The first round was me and Chambers (Team World) against SJ and Carl (Team USA). We came close but we lost. I wasn't playing very well at the beginning. Team USA then took on Dave-O and Dan (another Team World) and beat them. Chambers and I had another chance and blew it in our second matchup, mostly that time because of Chambers. I had stepped up my game.
When we were done with the beer pong though, somehow a game of sting pong developed. It's just like ping pong except when you lose a point the other player gets to hit you as hard as they can with the ball on your bare back or stomach, or wherever the ball might land. Why did I eventually decide to take part in such a thing? I have no idea. I lasted about a half a round, losing miserably. Lucky for me though, SJ has the worst aim ever and he barely hit me. Losing points didn't seem to matter. And don't go thinking he was a nice guy or anything, missing on purpose. That wasn't the case. He just couldn't hit a target.
We all went to bed sometime after sting pong, with Dave-O, Dan and SJ in Dan's room and me, Whitey and Carl upstairs in a loft-like area with a couch and mattresses on the floor. And by going to bed, I mean Whitey and Carl were soundly asleep when SJ and Chambers came around trying to scare us from outside and causing a ruckus. I definitely had several objects thrown on me, and then my entire mattress was moved with me on it. Eventually they gave up, but I think it was mostly because they weren't getting a reaction out of anyone. Whitey and Carl weren't even moving and I was trying to ignore them. It worked and I had my chance to try and get some shuteye between all the snoring around me.
After arriving home late last evening thanks to my cab ride with a giant, I got to sleep and woke up just in time to start heading back in to Carl's. Whitey had slept there and he decided that was going to be where we were leaving from for our trip to the Gold Coast. I hadn't brought anything with me last night though so I really had no choice but to head back home before hitching a ride with the guys for the beach. I am sure there would have been easier ways to get back to Carl's than by walking but what good would that do me?
Once again, despite my whingeing about my own poor lifestyle choices, I made a stop at McDonald's. I didn't really want anything but I needed to use the restroom during my walk. And while I was there, I thought it would only be polite of me to call the guys and see if they wanted me to get them anything. At first, neither Carl nor Whitey answered their phones so I started walking away, not having bought anything. It was a good start.
Whitey called me back when I wasn't more than 10 metres away though and I told him I was phoning to see if they wanted anything. Of course they did, so he started giving me the order and then changed his mind and decided they would just meet me there. And then I obviously couldn't just wait around doing nothing, so I went in and ordered a smoothie. Strike one.
When Whitey, Carl and Dave-O got there I decided that I was hungry and I made Carl order an extra hashbrown for me too. Strike two.
Then Whitey suggested that I call SJ to see if he wanted anything before we went to pick him up. I got him a breakfast meal and on the way to getting him, I might have taken a bite out of his food. Strike three. Too much McDonald's. I don't even eat it at home. I'm like a different person here. And not in a good way.
We went from there to pick up SJ and along the way Carl started putting together rules for what would become the drinking game for the night. We began compiling a list of phrases and baseball things, marking the number of drinks each person would have to take if they came up during the All-Star Game in Perth. There were several categories and denominations of drinks to go with each one.
The five of us made it to the Gold Coast with no major mishaps, which is kind of a miracle for this group of people. I tried to get ahold of Chambers on the way because I think the original plan was to head to his place, but he happened to be back in Brisbane throwing a bullpen session for a prospective employer for next season, so he was going to have to meet us a little later. What else was left for us to do but head to the beach?
Somewhere along the line, Carl realized that he'd forgotten the football that the guys were supposed to bring with them. So when we found a place to settle on the beach, Carl, Whitey and Dave-O set out to find a store with a football or something to preoccupy our time. SJ and I stayed at the beach and headed into the ocean. I must stress that at one time I was a competitive swimmer. I raced when I was little and then turned into synchronized swimmer. I did that competitively into university, competing for the University of Western Ontario. As embarrassing as you might think that is, I felt the need to point it out before describing my experience at the beach. I couldn't handle the waves and definitely got pulled under the water several times. I don't want anyone to get the impression that it was because I am a weak swimmer though, hence the aforementioned explanation. The waves were just that big and powerful. At least, I hope they were and it wasn't just me.
It didn't take long to get too much salt in my eyes and throat from the water and I thought the best course of action would be to head back to shore. SJ stayed in the water and I laid on the beach trying to soak up some rays. Eventually he came in, after being tossed around a little too much as well. It wasn't long after that when the other guys showed back up. They were empty-handed. Apparently they'd quickly given up on the idea of finding a football and instead went to a bar to drink. Seems like the obvious solution.
They didn't want to hang around the beach any longer than they'd already been standing there either. It was time for us to all head to another bar. When we got there they ordered drinks and only drinks right away, but I wasn't quite sure I was ready for that. I needed to get some food in me (despite my morning McDonald's run for a hash brown and a smoothie) and I decided I was going to order lunch. I tried to convince any of the other guys to get something too because I felt like I was going to be holding everyone up if I was the only one eating, but they all decided against it. There were going to wait until we heard from Chambers and then grab food on the way to his house. So I ate alone, though technically they were still with me. My meal stood alone and in retrospect it was a pretty great decision on my part. But I'll get to that later.
Chambers had called at some point during my meal and our time at the bar. He was home and we were welcome to make our way over. With a quick stop at the beer store we were soon headed into his amazing neighbourhood. All of the houses were beautiful and several were gated off for privacy. Chambers' place was one of those, so I figured it was going to be good. His house is awesome. It's open and beautiful and has everything a family could need I would think, including a pool table, a ping pong table and a pool, which is where we were headed. We spent some time lazing around the pool dipping into our beer supply before doing anything else.
The guys must have been pretty hungry the entire time though because they hadn't had anything since breakfast. Let me reiterate that I made the right choice in having lunch at the bar. They were going to stop for something on the way to Chambers' place and then figured we might make food there instead, but that didn't happen for several hours. A couple of the guys went to get meat for the barbeque and we were soon on our way to success. By then it was almost dinnertime so I was pretty much already hungry again.
Sometime during or after eating, Chambers' roommate from Czech Republic, Dan, got out some moonshine that he'd brought over here. We all passed it around at first just to smell it in all its glory, and that was bad enough. I didn't think I would ever feel the need to try it. But of course then someone had the genius idea to get a shot glass, put it on the Lazy Susan in the middle of the table, and spin it until it landed on some poor sucker who would then have to take a shot of the moonshine. Guess who it landed on first?
SJ got out his camera to take a video of me downing the first shot but I don't think it was as exciting as any of the guys had hoped. I took it like a champ. It was disgusting but I didn't want to look like a wimp. Success. We each ended up taking two or three shots of it before dinner was said and done and then headed inside to watch the ABL All-Star Game. The guys were still going to drink every time something was said that was on their list but I didn't think anyone would notice if I didn't participate. I needed my beers to go down a little slower than that.
The Bandits players (and Gonzo) lived up to the hype during the game. Gonzo was doing colour commentary, and did a great job, especially not really knowing most of the players and probably not having much preparation. Maestri had a good inning and was throwing gas the entire time. Yanagawa and Erasmus pitched well in the Brisbane uniform also. And Josh Roberts ended up making a great play from the outfield (though I'm not sure the guy was out) and he hit a home run (though it did happen when a catcher from our team was behind the plate, conveniently). And throughout the game we had more beer and more food. Chambers' parents had brought home several pizzas for us and somehow we were still hungry enough to eat them all.
After the game I made a sad attempt at playing Guitar Hero. I have never even seen someone play the game before, let alone participated, so it was pretty awful. Not to mention the fact that I was forced against my will to try it. I knew it would be embarrassing so I was trying to avoid it at all costs. Chambers tried to help me but even teaming up for Guitar Hero didn't make me look any better. Add another embarrassing moment to the list.
As soon as that was over and I could get away from it, I went outside to partake in some ping pong. We started playing normal ping pong and that eventually turned into beer pong and then into sting pong. For beer pong we teamed up. The first round was me and Chambers (Team World) against SJ and Carl (Team USA). We came close but we lost. I wasn't playing very well at the beginning. Team USA then took on Dave-O and Dan (another Team World) and beat them. Chambers and I had another chance and blew it in our second matchup, mostly that time because of Chambers. I had stepped up my game.
When we were done with the beer pong though, somehow a game of sting pong developed. It's just like ping pong except when you lose a point the other player gets to hit you as hard as they can with the ball on your bare back or stomach, or wherever the ball might land. Why did I eventually decide to take part in such a thing? I have no idea. I lasted about a half a round, losing miserably. Lucky for me though, SJ has the worst aim ever and he barely hit me. Losing points didn't seem to matter. And don't go thinking he was a nice guy or anything, missing on purpose. That wasn't the case. He just couldn't hit a target.
We all went to bed sometime after sting pong, with Dave-O, Dan and SJ in Dan's room and me, Whitey and Carl upstairs in a loft-like area with a couch and mattresses on the floor. And by going to bed, I mean Whitey and Carl were soundly asleep when SJ and Chambers came around trying to scare us from outside and causing a ruckus. I definitely had several objects thrown on me, and then my entire mattress was moved with me on it. Eventually they gave up, but I think it was mostly because they weren't getting a reaction out of anyone. Whitey and Carl weren't even moving and I was trying to ignore them. It worked and I had my chance to try and get some shuteye between all the snoring around me.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Twenty20 (Day 42)
I woke up and decided it would be a good morning to lay out by the pool. There aren't too many bad mornings for that around here, but since I didn't have to be anywhere first thing in the morning, it seemed perfect.
So I got a decent amount of sun before heading back inside to call my friends at home. We had made arrangements for me to call when a couple of them would be together at one person’s house, to make it easier for me to talk to numerous people. Since I’d lost my phone card I had to head to a store to get another one before I could do anything else. But I thought I would move everything around in my room one more time in an attempt to find the one I lost. It worked out and I actually got it back. That was a pleasant surprise, since there were like 300 minutes left on it or something, and it also meant that I didn’t need to go anywhere to get another one. All kinds of good news for me already this morning.
I called my friend Jessica’s cell phone first and there was no answer. I tried again and still had no answer. I made an attempt at her house phone and still couldn’t get ahold of her. I wrote her a message on Facebook telling her that I’d made several attempts and should she get my message, she should let me know when to call. I was pretty disappointed at the idea that I might not actually get to talk to anyone, but she got back to me on Facebook within minutes. Facebook mobile saves the day once again.
We had a good talk, Jessica and our other friend Ashley and I. They caught me up on things that are going on around home and asked me a bunch of questions about Australia and what I’ve been doing here. I think they deduced that all I do is sit around in the sun surrounded by a bunch of guys every day. I tried to convince them that isn’t exactly the case, but I don’t think it worked. But I told them they are welcome to visit me anytime, so the more appealing they think my life is, the more likely that would be to happen. Right?
When I got off the phone with them I finished writing my story on the Australian Baseball League All-Star Game for Baseball America. It might have been more beneficial to the league if I had it finished slightly earlier, but I got it done nonetheless and sent it away. My story about the upcoming ASG can be found here (once again, you should find it impressive that I have learned how to add a link to a journal entry without just typing in the entire website address...I also figured out how to make it open in a brand new window so you still have this wonderful page open at the same time...you're welcome).
I decided to head out and try to find a place to get a haircut after the story was done and gone. I wanted to find a salon nearby but the closest one that I went to told me they wouldn’t have an opening until January 4 (that’s 4 January, for all the Australian readers). I was hoping the next place wouldn’t have a similar answer for me. They were much more accommodating though. They weren’t able to get me in today but asked if I wanted an appointment in the next couple of days. I took one on Thursday at 2:30, figuring it will give me plenty of time before practice and heading to Byron Bay to figure all of that stuff out, and give us plenty of time in the morning to get back from the Gold Coast if we end up staying there tomorrow night.
Since I had the extra time that I had budgeted for myself for a hair appointment, I decided to go back to the store full of running shoes that I had previously explored in the valley. I actually found a place with decently-priced shoes. And by that I mean that they are twice as much as where I get my running shoes in the States but less than any other normal place at home or elsewhere. And I need a good pair of running shoes for actual running because mine are starting to give me a hard time and I want to ramp up my distances to get ready for another marathon.
I spoke to the same guy I had talked to last time, presumably the owner of the shop. We’d previously discussed the kind of shoes that I wear now and what the closest available model would be and I was hoping he would remember what he told me. He did in fact, and I tried on a couple of pairs so I could get the size I needed, and to make sure that they felt alright. The sizes must be a little different here because I ended up getting a seven, and usually I am a five-and-a-half in kids’ shoe sizes. But I got them and headed back home.
At home it was time for me to get ready to go to my first Twenty20 cricket match. I had some food and got out the ironing board (impressed, mom?) to iron a shirt to wear. I wasn’t really sure what media/people in the press box/scorers wear around here but I figured it might be similar to the Blue Jays press box attire. I was hopeful that it would be.
I decided to wear my new running shoes for the walk to The Gabba, getting about a block away from home before I realized that they were too big. I didn’t test them out enough at the store I guess. My bad. I walked back home and changed my shoes before I set out again. I will have to return the new ones and exchange for a smaller size before I can head out on another distance run. That’s my newest excuse for when I don't run anyway.
As I usually do when I walk in the direction of The Gabba/Carl’s house, I stopped at McDonald’s. I really need to find another route to travel so that I stop spending money at that place and so that I stop eating there. Better life decisions are on my To Do list.
After my pitstop I realized that I didn’t know where I was supposed to go to pick up my ticket for cricket and meet Judy. I didn’t want to call her and let her know I’d forgotten though and I was early so I had some time to wander around and try to figure it out on my own. That turned into some adventure and a lot of walking though.
First I went to an office that I found near one of the entrance gates. I told the lovely people there that I was supposed to be picking up a ticket that someone had left for me, but I didn’t know where to do that. They couldn’t help me but directed me to the Gate 2 ticket office, where they thought someone else might be able to. The people at Gate 2 then sent me to Gate 1. From there I was sent back to the original office where I`d started. I tried to make it clear that I had already been there and they were adamant that they couldn`t help me, but it was of no use. So I went back to the office and they told me to try Gate 5. There, they sent me to Gate 4. From Gate 4 I was finally sent to Gate 6, where I figured I would just stay for the duration no matter what at that point.
Gate 6 seemed like the place that I needed to be because there were stacks of tickets left by staffers and other people, just waiting to be picked up. Unfortunately my name was not among them. But they asked who was leaving me tickets and when I told them it was Judy Harris of Cricket Queensland they said that I was in the right place. Still no ticket though. Finally I called Judy to see if she might be able to help me, despite my embarrassment for forgetting where I was supposed to go. She had apparently also forgotten where she’d told me so she said she would find out and get back to me. By that time, over a half hour had passed since I arrived and I was worried that I wasn`t going to be able to get in to take a tour with Judy. On the phone last week she mentioned that she arrives at the stadium at 5 o’clock and the best time to come visit is before 5:45 p.m. because after that, things get a little hectic. It was 5:30 p.m.
I waited until my 15-minute window was almost up before calling her back because I still hadn`t heard anything. In the interim, I also ran into Mike Young. He said if I had any problems I could call him too, but I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that. I got no response when I called Judy so I went back to the people working at the gate to ask if they thought there might be anywhere else a ticket would have been left for me. They asked if a ticket was all I was waiting for and I told them that I thought so. I mentioned that Judy was supposed to tour me around but I figured I had already missed that opportunity. I really screwed this one up. They must have felt sorry for me because they gave me a complimentary ticket. At least now I didn`t have to pay the $22 to get in. That was nice of them.
So I called Carl to see if the guys were still at his place before heading to the match. Carl, Whitey, SJ, SJ’s roommate, Carl’s roommates and some other people were all coming see the Brisbane Heat in action and I figured I could just head over with them, since I was no longer preoccupied with my own plans for the match. I told them I had messed things up and I wasn’t going to get my tour or special treatment, aside from the free ticket I’d gotten out of pity.
It wasn’t long before we left Carl’s place with our brigade of people to head back to The Gabba. Somewhere along the line I had missed a call from Judy and she left a message asking where I was and if everything was alright. I phoned her back during our short walk and she told me that my ticket had been left at Gate 6. I let her know that I had already received a ticket and everything was all good. And then she gave me directions to get up to where she was. I had just assumed that wasn’t going to happen because it was already 10 minutes to game time. As she gave me directions, I began walking a little faster and away from the guys I was with, to get back to Gate 6 and up to the press box on time for the game.
The guys had to pick up their tickets from Gate 6 so they saw me there when they got them. Carl asked what I was doing and I told him that I was going to head upstairs and I would come find them later. I stood around for awhile waiting for a security person to escort me to where I needed to go, because I guess I didn’t have the right credentials to get there on my own. The guy eventually took me to the media floor and wandered around just as lost as I was. I finally stopped and asked someone else and we made it into the box where Judy and the other official scorers were just after the match had started. We didn’t have much time to talk because Judy was busy, but I pulled up a chair next to her and tried to catch up as quickly as I could. My understanding of cricket was helpful, but also having gone through a scorer’s sheet with Judy last week at her office was a huge factor in my understanding what was going on around me. I don’t know if I would have figured anything out save for that.
In the same box with us was also the in-game producer, so I felt a little at home. It was almost like being at work for a Blue Jays game, except it was just the producer on a headset by himself, whereas in Toronto we have our producer and then 24 of us (or something) doing various other jobs around her. I still have my headset, but I’m in the same room as her, so that was kind of interesting to see the difference.
Because Twenty20 cricket happens to fast, especially in relation to a Test match, the scorers were essentially busy all the time. So I talked to Judy a little bit about defensive statistics when the match was over but I wasn’t sure what to say without giving her a long explanation of what I thought. I also didn’t know how to leave. It was awkward for a little while because I didn’t know if I should just say thank you and head out or if I should try to pass on my statistical opinion about anything or what was expected of me at all. So I basically stood around until Judy had packed her stuff up to leave and told her I would walk out with her.
I was pretty hungry when I left The Gabba, since I had kind of been planning on getting food there, so before heading back to Carl’s place I stopped at a variety store. The best things I could find to satisfy my appetite were Tim Tams and Corn Flakes. When I went to pay, the guy at the counter said he wished he were on my diet. That was a low point of the night, especially after already having stopped at McDonald's once in the day. I took my food to Carl’s and spread the Tim Tams around, while accumulating many more large bug bites sitting out on the porch.
Eventually I decided I was ready to walk home. I made it about 10, or maybe 15 minutes before I realized that I didn’t want to do that at all. Running home from his place isn’t so bad, because it doesn’t take as long and I feel like I am being slightly productive. But walking, not awesome. I caught a cab from really not that far away from where my journey started. And I soon realized that my cab driver was some sort of giant. He had the seat all the way back and reclined but his knees were still up to his chin and his head barely fit under the ceiling of the car. This guy shouldn’t be driving a taxi for a living; he should be playing basketball or something. He also had a weird habit every time we stopped of putting the car into park and then putting the emergency brake on. I mean, I get it if you’re trying to save gas or whatever and you put the car in neutral or park whenever you’re at a stoplight, but is the emergency brake really necessary in that equation? He wasn’t driving a standard and we weren’t going to roll down a hill or anything. He did get me home safely though, which was his only real job, not to answer all of the several questions I had for him brewing in my mind.
I had a shower because I need to get up early in the morning to head right back to Carl's place and then to the Gold Coast, though I feel like it cut into my sleep a little bit. Maybe showers are overrated. But then I got to bed.
So I got a decent amount of sun before heading back inside to call my friends at home. We had made arrangements for me to call when a couple of them would be together at one person’s house, to make it easier for me to talk to numerous people. Since I’d lost my phone card I had to head to a store to get another one before I could do anything else. But I thought I would move everything around in my room one more time in an attempt to find the one I lost. It worked out and I actually got it back. That was a pleasant surprise, since there were like 300 minutes left on it or something, and it also meant that I didn’t need to go anywhere to get another one. All kinds of good news for me already this morning.
I called my friend Jessica’s cell phone first and there was no answer. I tried again and still had no answer. I made an attempt at her house phone and still couldn’t get ahold of her. I wrote her a message on Facebook telling her that I’d made several attempts and should she get my message, she should let me know when to call. I was pretty disappointed at the idea that I might not actually get to talk to anyone, but she got back to me on Facebook within minutes. Facebook mobile saves the day once again.
We had a good talk, Jessica and our other friend Ashley and I. They caught me up on things that are going on around home and asked me a bunch of questions about Australia and what I’ve been doing here. I think they deduced that all I do is sit around in the sun surrounded by a bunch of guys every day. I tried to convince them that isn’t exactly the case, but I don’t think it worked. But I told them they are welcome to visit me anytime, so the more appealing they think my life is, the more likely that would be to happen. Right?
When I got off the phone with them I finished writing my story on the Australian Baseball League All-Star Game for Baseball America. It might have been more beneficial to the league if I had it finished slightly earlier, but I got it done nonetheless and sent it away. My story about the upcoming ASG can be found here (once again, you should find it impressive that I have learned how to add a link to a journal entry without just typing in the entire website address...I also figured out how to make it open in a brand new window so you still have this wonderful page open at the same time...you're welcome).
I decided to head out and try to find a place to get a haircut after the story was done and gone. I wanted to find a salon nearby but the closest one that I went to told me they wouldn’t have an opening until January 4 (that’s 4 January, for all the Australian readers). I was hoping the next place wouldn’t have a similar answer for me. They were much more accommodating though. They weren’t able to get me in today but asked if I wanted an appointment in the next couple of days. I took one on Thursday at 2:30, figuring it will give me plenty of time before practice and heading to Byron Bay to figure all of that stuff out, and give us plenty of time in the morning to get back from the Gold Coast if we end up staying there tomorrow night.
Since I had the extra time that I had budgeted for myself for a hair appointment, I decided to go back to the store full of running shoes that I had previously explored in the valley. I actually found a place with decently-priced shoes. And by that I mean that they are twice as much as where I get my running shoes in the States but less than any other normal place at home or elsewhere. And I need a good pair of running shoes for actual running because mine are starting to give me a hard time and I want to ramp up my distances to get ready for another marathon.
I spoke to the same guy I had talked to last time, presumably the owner of the shop. We’d previously discussed the kind of shoes that I wear now and what the closest available model would be and I was hoping he would remember what he told me. He did in fact, and I tried on a couple of pairs so I could get the size I needed, and to make sure that they felt alright. The sizes must be a little different here because I ended up getting a seven, and usually I am a five-and-a-half in kids’ shoe sizes. But I got them and headed back home.
At home it was time for me to get ready to go to my first Twenty20 cricket match. I had some food and got out the ironing board (impressed, mom?) to iron a shirt to wear. I wasn’t really sure what media/people in the press box/scorers wear around here but I figured it might be similar to the Blue Jays press box attire. I was hopeful that it would be.
I decided to wear my new running shoes for the walk to The Gabba, getting about a block away from home before I realized that they were too big. I didn’t test them out enough at the store I guess. My bad. I walked back home and changed my shoes before I set out again. I will have to return the new ones and exchange for a smaller size before I can head out on another distance run. That’s my newest excuse for when I don't run anyway.
As I usually do when I walk in the direction of The Gabba/Carl’s house, I stopped at McDonald’s. I really need to find another route to travel so that I stop spending money at that place and so that I stop eating there. Better life decisions are on my To Do list.
After my pitstop I realized that I didn’t know where I was supposed to go to pick up my ticket for cricket and meet Judy. I didn’t want to call her and let her know I’d forgotten though and I was early so I had some time to wander around and try to figure it out on my own. That turned into some adventure and a lot of walking though.
First I went to an office that I found near one of the entrance gates. I told the lovely people there that I was supposed to be picking up a ticket that someone had left for me, but I didn’t know where to do that. They couldn’t help me but directed me to the Gate 2 ticket office, where they thought someone else might be able to. The people at Gate 2 then sent me to Gate 1. From there I was sent back to the original office where I`d started. I tried to make it clear that I had already been there and they were adamant that they couldn`t help me, but it was of no use. So I went back to the office and they told me to try Gate 5. There, they sent me to Gate 4. From Gate 4 I was finally sent to Gate 6, where I figured I would just stay for the duration no matter what at that point.
Gate 6 seemed like the place that I needed to be because there were stacks of tickets left by staffers and other people, just waiting to be picked up. Unfortunately my name was not among them. But they asked who was leaving me tickets and when I told them it was Judy Harris of Cricket Queensland they said that I was in the right place. Still no ticket though. Finally I called Judy to see if she might be able to help me, despite my embarrassment for forgetting where I was supposed to go. She had apparently also forgotten where she’d told me so she said she would find out and get back to me. By that time, over a half hour had passed since I arrived and I was worried that I wasn`t going to be able to get in to take a tour with Judy. On the phone last week she mentioned that she arrives at the stadium at 5 o’clock and the best time to come visit is before 5:45 p.m. because after that, things get a little hectic. It was 5:30 p.m.
I waited until my 15-minute window was almost up before calling her back because I still hadn`t heard anything. In the interim, I also ran into Mike Young. He said if I had any problems I could call him too, but I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that. I got no response when I called Judy so I went back to the people working at the gate to ask if they thought there might be anywhere else a ticket would have been left for me. They asked if a ticket was all I was waiting for and I told them that I thought so. I mentioned that Judy was supposed to tour me around but I figured I had already missed that opportunity. I really screwed this one up. They must have felt sorry for me because they gave me a complimentary ticket. At least now I didn`t have to pay the $22 to get in. That was nice of them.
So I called Carl to see if the guys were still at his place before heading to the match. Carl, Whitey, SJ, SJ’s roommate, Carl’s roommates and some other people were all coming see the Brisbane Heat in action and I figured I could just head over with them, since I was no longer preoccupied with my own plans for the match. I told them I had messed things up and I wasn’t going to get my tour or special treatment, aside from the free ticket I’d gotten out of pity.
It wasn’t long before we left Carl’s place with our brigade of people to head back to The Gabba. Somewhere along the line I had missed a call from Judy and she left a message asking where I was and if everything was alright. I phoned her back during our short walk and she told me that my ticket had been left at Gate 6. I let her know that I had already received a ticket and everything was all good. And then she gave me directions to get up to where she was. I had just assumed that wasn’t going to happen because it was already 10 minutes to game time. As she gave me directions, I began walking a little faster and away from the guys I was with, to get back to Gate 6 and up to the press box on time for the game.
The guys had to pick up their tickets from Gate 6 so they saw me there when they got them. Carl asked what I was doing and I told him that I was going to head upstairs and I would come find them later. I stood around for awhile waiting for a security person to escort me to where I needed to go, because I guess I didn’t have the right credentials to get there on my own. The guy eventually took me to the media floor and wandered around just as lost as I was. I finally stopped and asked someone else and we made it into the box where Judy and the other official scorers were just after the match had started. We didn’t have much time to talk because Judy was busy, but I pulled up a chair next to her and tried to catch up as quickly as I could. My understanding of cricket was helpful, but also having gone through a scorer’s sheet with Judy last week at her office was a huge factor in my understanding what was going on around me. I don’t know if I would have figured anything out save for that.
In the same box with us was also the in-game producer, so I felt a little at home. It was almost like being at work for a Blue Jays game, except it was just the producer on a headset by himself, whereas in Toronto we have our producer and then 24 of us (or something) doing various other jobs around her. I still have my headset, but I’m in the same room as her, so that was kind of interesting to see the difference.
Because Twenty20 cricket happens to fast, especially in relation to a Test match, the scorers were essentially busy all the time. So I talked to Judy a little bit about defensive statistics when the match was over but I wasn’t sure what to say without giving her a long explanation of what I thought. I also didn’t know how to leave. It was awkward for a little while because I didn’t know if I should just say thank you and head out or if I should try to pass on my statistical opinion about anything or what was expected of me at all. So I basically stood around until Judy had packed her stuff up to leave and told her I would walk out with her.
I was pretty hungry when I left The Gabba, since I had kind of been planning on getting food there, so before heading back to Carl’s place I stopped at a variety store. The best things I could find to satisfy my appetite were Tim Tams and Corn Flakes. When I went to pay, the guy at the counter said he wished he were on my diet. That was a low point of the night, especially after already having stopped at McDonald's once in the day. I took my food to Carl’s and spread the Tim Tams around, while accumulating many more large bug bites sitting out on the porch.
Eventually I decided I was ready to walk home. I made it about 10, or maybe 15 minutes before I realized that I didn’t want to do that at all. Running home from his place isn’t so bad, because it doesn’t take as long and I feel like I am being slightly productive. But walking, not awesome. I caught a cab from really not that far away from where my journey started. And I soon realized that my cab driver was some sort of giant. He had the seat all the way back and reclined but his knees were still up to his chin and his head barely fit under the ceiling of the car. This guy shouldn’t be driving a taxi for a living; he should be playing basketball or something. He also had a weird habit every time we stopped of putting the car into park and then putting the emergency brake on. I mean, I get it if you’re trying to save gas or whatever and you put the car in neutral or park whenever you’re at a stoplight, but is the emergency brake really necessary in that equation? He wasn’t driving a standard and we weren’t going to roll down a hill or anything. He did get me home safely though, which was his only real job, not to answer all of the several questions I had for him brewing in my mind.
I had a shower because I need to get up early in the morning to head right back to Carl's place and then to the Gold Coast, though I feel like it cut into my sleep a little bit. Maybe showers are overrated. But then I got to bed.
803 MEN (Day 41)
I woke up to an early morning phone call from Gonzo. It probably wasn't that early, but I was sleeping before it happened. I guess I already implied that by saying I woke up to it.
He asked me something about one of our sponsors, to which I had no answer because I didn't know what he was talking about. I couldn't help him, so the phone call was short-lived.
Not long after that, my phone rang again. This time it was my mom. She thought I had called her, and though I hadn't, I was happy to hear from her. Her phone card didn't last very long but we got a chance to briefly discuss the Bandits games over the weekend and my upcoming plans to head to the beach and to Byron Bay, finally traveling somewhere other than the ballpark or the office. Not that I mind what I’ve been doing, and those are the things that I came here for, but it will be nice to get to a beach. Sock tan, see you later.
I tried to make a phone call home after that, to my friend Nicole, but I had no success. I had somehow misplaced my phone card and couldn't call her without it. Instead she got a compensatory email letting her know that I messed up our phone call date and wouldn't be able to make it. I'd have to head to a store first and get another phone card in order to make an international call. I looked around my room a little more before finally giving up on the idea of the call. Then I headed to the ballpark for the last day of garbage cleaning until the next home series.
Carl had already informed me that he was on his way and would be there soon so I figured I wouldn't have much waiting around to do. When I got to the ballpark, I was once again on my own, though this time it didn't seem so creepy because the gates were open. But there was no one on the field or around the concourse. I walked to the far side of the Showgrounds to the back part of the locker room, in the parking lot where the players park for the games. I figured Carl and/or Whitey would be coming from that way, so it made sense for me to wait there. Also, there were benches there for me to sit on, so I didn't have to have a seat on the ground or just stand during the entire waiting period.
As I was sitting there, a whole bunch of old people dressed in fancy clothes walked by. I felt pretty stupid in my cleaning clothes, complete with a Ninja Turtles t-shirt and Underarmour shorts. I was incredibly underdressed and out of place. To add to that, the only things I had with me were my keys, my phone, and a peanut butter sandwich I'd made for Carl in a plastic sandwich bag. I'm sure they were wondering what I was doing there almost as much as I was wondering what they were up to.
After a little while I tried calling Carl to see how far away he was. He didn't answer so I tried Whitey. I assumed they would be coming together and I needed them to let me in. Whitey answered by saying, "You need me to let you in somewhere, right?" and he was obviously correct. I responded by telling him that I needed to get into the locker room and he said he would be just a few minutes.
Carl showed up not long after I got off the phone with Whitey, but he was on his own. My assumption that they would be arriving together was incorrect, and so now Carl and I were both locked out together. I gave BFC his sandwich and as it turned out, he'd made me one too. With the sandwich meat and sliced cheese from yesterday's locker room leftovers he had put together a delicious sandwich for each of us. If nothing else, we both had lunch covered. Priorities.
Whitey eventually showed up and we got into the locker room to get our supplies. We cleaned up all the garbage and then I decided it would be pointless to scrub the seats down since we don't have another game for almost two weeks. It would make more sense for us to come back before the first game of the next series and do it then. So I tried to sweep under the seats in the members' stand instead, finding trouble because the end of the broom was bigger than the aisle. I was going to ask Carl to use the leaf blower on it when he was done doing that elsewhere but when I found him I learned that the leaf blower was out of gas. So much for that. At least we got the trash picked up.
Whitey had left almost right after he let us in and said he would come back for Carl because he had to go somewhere near his place and could drop him off back at home on the way. So while we waited, we played some ping pong. Having that table in the locker room is super handy. Whoever decided to do that is a genius.
When Whitey showed up, I walked home and ended up falling right to sleep when I got there. I'm sure I needed it. But I felt pretty useless. I woke up and decided to try and get some laundry done, making me feel slightly more accomplished. I had previously spoken to Carl about watching The Rookie, the show on Bris31, at his place later in the evening, so that was pretty much my plan for later.
Before I started my walk over to his place I decided to go to the nail shop because I had broken a nail and I wanted to get it fixed. I can be so delicate sometimes (ha). It didn't take long or cost much, because I only had one nail done, but I didn't have enough cash to cover it. I wanted to pay on my card, but the woman at the shop (who speaks about as much English as I speak Chinese) just kept telling me it was going to be five dollars. At some point I began assuming that five dollars is too small an amount to use a card, which is why I think she wouldn't let me do it. In the end, thanks to her kindness (either that or the language barrier), she told me not to worry about it and I said I would come back and pay her next time. She seemed okay with that, or at least she didn't run out of the shop chasing me when I left without paying, so it was a good day at the nail place for me. Free is always better.
From there I continued my walk to Carl's place, where I was pretty sure the guys had already been drinking all afternoon. It's holiday time I guess and Julie is out of town, so Whitey needed comfort. He found that comfort in Carl, his roommates, and likely several bottles of beer. Makes sense to me.
During my walk, I stopped at a variety store near Carl's place. Last week when I stopped by to watch the show, I brought a jug of chocolate milk with me. I thought I would continue my newfound tradition of gift-giving in exchange for hospitality and bring something new. Since the guys were drinking, it didn't make much sense to bring another jug of chocolate milk so I instead opted for a slightly inappropriate magazine. They just keep those things out in the open around here. The girls all had tops and bottoms on, however skimpy, so it wasn't that bad. Don't go judging me. The guy at the counter was definitely making judgments though. I had to ask him three times if I could have a bag before he realized what I was saying.
When I got to Carl's place the guys (Carl, SJ, Whitey, Dusty and Dave-O, the latter two being Carl's roommates) were busy trying to put together a box for the mascot head. Apparently the mascot needs to get to the All-Star Game in Perth with Gonzo, and it is going in a box. The guys stole some giant box-making materials (cardboard) from behind some store and were attempting to build it to fit the head perfectly. It seemed far more complicated than necessary but who am I to say? I just watched while they continued working, each of them with beer in hand.
At some point they finished working on it, or maybe they just stopped, and we all went to watch the Bandits TV show. We ordered about a billion pizzas before that and they arrived just in time. We downed them almost as quickly as they arrived. I really need to start thinking about what I eat before I eat it a little more. I'm sure a bunch of pizza isn't the best thing I've ever had, and I've done it a few times since I've been here. Oops.
The show was much better than last week, though everyone had their own criticisms for it. I was just happy that it played in order and there weren’t any segments missing.
After the show, Gonzo came over to get the mascot from Whitey, and also to pick up the box that is the mascot's new home. When we heard he was close, we all went out to the porch to greet him. All of a sudden we heard a loud pop and a hiss coming from the street, not usually a good sign. It was Gonzo, who had blown out a tire coming around the corner to Carl's place. Perfect. The guys moved the car into Carl's driveway and set to work on changing the tire. I was probably one of the few who have actually changed a tire before but Carl and Dave-O have more recent experience than I do, since Carl had done the same thing on the same corner to Whitey's car previously.
It took all seven of the guys around to change it, seemingly. But it got done and Gonzo was once again on his way. But changing a flat was probably the last thing anyone wanted to do after drinking through the afternoon into the evening. I was actually a little worried about the well-being of Gonz and his passenger but they were fine. The guys are just as capable of handiwork under the influence.
When we went back inside, someone put on what was probably the weirdest movie I have ever seen. It’s Australian and called The Castle (I think) and it gave us plenty to talk about. And to laugh about, because it was hilarious, mostly because it was so stupid. I haven’t quite decided if I would ever recommend it to anyone to watch, because it was so weird, but it is pretty funny, so maybe.
After the movie I decided to run home from Carl’s place. I started out walking but then decided that would take too long and I didn’t have too much stuff with me, so running was feasible. I ran the whole way, stopping once because I thought I saw money on the ground on the Story Bridge. As it turns out, it was a leaf. That was a disappointing moment.
I almost stopped again when I went by the gay bar on Wickham Street because I wanted to take a picture, but I didn’t. At first, I just saw a police car outside of The Wickham (the gay bar, for those of you who didn’t catch that) and figured that there might have been some people getting into a little bit of trouble on a Monday night. But then when I saw the license plate on the cop car, I literally stopped and laughed out loud for a few moments. The license on the police vehicle was 803 MEN. Right outside the gay bar. Coincidence? I think not.
I didn’t end up taking a picture though, and instead I just continued my run home. You’ll just have to believe me on that one. I made it back to the apartment and went straight to bed, still tired despite my afternoon nap.
He asked me something about one of our sponsors, to which I had no answer because I didn't know what he was talking about. I couldn't help him, so the phone call was short-lived.
Not long after that, my phone rang again. This time it was my mom. She thought I had called her, and though I hadn't, I was happy to hear from her. Her phone card didn't last very long but we got a chance to briefly discuss the Bandits games over the weekend and my upcoming plans to head to the beach and to Byron Bay, finally traveling somewhere other than the ballpark or the office. Not that I mind what I’ve been doing, and those are the things that I came here for, but it will be nice to get to a beach. Sock tan, see you later.
I tried to make a phone call home after that, to my friend Nicole, but I had no success. I had somehow misplaced my phone card and couldn't call her without it. Instead she got a compensatory email letting her know that I messed up our phone call date and wouldn't be able to make it. I'd have to head to a store first and get another phone card in order to make an international call. I looked around my room a little more before finally giving up on the idea of the call. Then I headed to the ballpark for the last day of garbage cleaning until the next home series.
Carl had already informed me that he was on his way and would be there soon so I figured I wouldn't have much waiting around to do. When I got to the ballpark, I was once again on my own, though this time it didn't seem so creepy because the gates were open. But there was no one on the field or around the concourse. I walked to the far side of the Showgrounds to the back part of the locker room, in the parking lot where the players park for the games. I figured Carl and/or Whitey would be coming from that way, so it made sense for me to wait there. Also, there were benches there for me to sit on, so I didn't have to have a seat on the ground or just stand during the entire waiting period.
As I was sitting there, a whole bunch of old people dressed in fancy clothes walked by. I felt pretty stupid in my cleaning clothes, complete with a Ninja Turtles t-shirt and Underarmour shorts. I was incredibly underdressed and out of place. To add to that, the only things I had with me were my keys, my phone, and a peanut butter sandwich I'd made for Carl in a plastic sandwich bag. I'm sure they were wondering what I was doing there almost as much as I was wondering what they were up to.
After a little while I tried calling Carl to see how far away he was. He didn't answer so I tried Whitey. I assumed they would be coming together and I needed them to let me in. Whitey answered by saying, "You need me to let you in somewhere, right?" and he was obviously correct. I responded by telling him that I needed to get into the locker room and he said he would be just a few minutes.
Carl showed up not long after I got off the phone with Whitey, but he was on his own. My assumption that they would be arriving together was incorrect, and so now Carl and I were both locked out together. I gave BFC his sandwich and as it turned out, he'd made me one too. With the sandwich meat and sliced cheese from yesterday's locker room leftovers he had put together a delicious sandwich for each of us. If nothing else, we both had lunch covered. Priorities.
Whitey eventually showed up and we got into the locker room to get our supplies. We cleaned up all the garbage and then I decided it would be pointless to scrub the seats down since we don't have another game for almost two weeks. It would make more sense for us to come back before the first game of the next series and do it then. So I tried to sweep under the seats in the members' stand instead, finding trouble because the end of the broom was bigger than the aisle. I was going to ask Carl to use the leaf blower on it when he was done doing that elsewhere but when I found him I learned that the leaf blower was out of gas. So much for that. At least we got the trash picked up.
Whitey had left almost right after he let us in and said he would come back for Carl because he had to go somewhere near his place and could drop him off back at home on the way. So while we waited, we played some ping pong. Having that table in the locker room is super handy. Whoever decided to do that is a genius.
When Whitey showed up, I walked home and ended up falling right to sleep when I got there. I'm sure I needed it. But I felt pretty useless. I woke up and decided to try and get some laundry done, making me feel slightly more accomplished. I had previously spoken to Carl about watching The Rookie, the show on Bris31, at his place later in the evening, so that was pretty much my plan for later.
Before I started my walk over to his place I decided to go to the nail shop because I had broken a nail and I wanted to get it fixed. I can be so delicate sometimes (ha). It didn't take long or cost much, because I only had one nail done, but I didn't have enough cash to cover it. I wanted to pay on my card, but the woman at the shop (who speaks about as much English as I speak Chinese) just kept telling me it was going to be five dollars. At some point I began assuming that five dollars is too small an amount to use a card, which is why I think she wouldn't let me do it. In the end, thanks to her kindness (either that or the language barrier), she told me not to worry about it and I said I would come back and pay her next time. She seemed okay with that, or at least she didn't run out of the shop chasing me when I left without paying, so it was a good day at the nail place for me. Free is always better.
From there I continued my walk to Carl's place, where I was pretty sure the guys had already been drinking all afternoon. It's holiday time I guess and Julie is out of town, so Whitey needed comfort. He found that comfort in Carl, his roommates, and likely several bottles of beer. Makes sense to me.
During my walk, I stopped at a variety store near Carl's place. Last week when I stopped by to watch the show, I brought a jug of chocolate milk with me. I thought I would continue my newfound tradition of gift-giving in exchange for hospitality and bring something new. Since the guys were drinking, it didn't make much sense to bring another jug of chocolate milk so I instead opted for a slightly inappropriate magazine. They just keep those things out in the open around here. The girls all had tops and bottoms on, however skimpy, so it wasn't that bad. Don't go judging me. The guy at the counter was definitely making judgments though. I had to ask him three times if I could have a bag before he realized what I was saying.
When I got to Carl's place the guys (Carl, SJ, Whitey, Dusty and Dave-O, the latter two being Carl's roommates) were busy trying to put together a box for the mascot head. Apparently the mascot needs to get to the All-Star Game in Perth with Gonzo, and it is going in a box. The guys stole some giant box-making materials (cardboard) from behind some store and were attempting to build it to fit the head perfectly. It seemed far more complicated than necessary but who am I to say? I just watched while they continued working, each of them with beer in hand.
At some point they finished working on it, or maybe they just stopped, and we all went to watch the Bandits TV show. We ordered about a billion pizzas before that and they arrived just in time. We downed them almost as quickly as they arrived. I really need to start thinking about what I eat before I eat it a little more. I'm sure a bunch of pizza isn't the best thing I've ever had, and I've done it a few times since I've been here. Oops.
The show was much better than last week, though everyone had their own criticisms for it. I was just happy that it played in order and there weren’t any segments missing.
After the show, Gonzo came over to get the mascot from Whitey, and also to pick up the box that is the mascot's new home. When we heard he was close, we all went out to the porch to greet him. All of a sudden we heard a loud pop and a hiss coming from the street, not usually a good sign. It was Gonzo, who had blown out a tire coming around the corner to Carl's place. Perfect. The guys moved the car into Carl's driveway and set to work on changing the tire. I was probably one of the few who have actually changed a tire before but Carl and Dave-O have more recent experience than I do, since Carl had done the same thing on the same corner to Whitey's car previously.
It took all seven of the guys around to change it, seemingly. But it got done and Gonzo was once again on his way. But changing a flat was probably the last thing anyone wanted to do after drinking through the afternoon into the evening. I was actually a little worried about the well-being of Gonz and his passenger but they were fine. The guys are just as capable of handiwork under the influence.
When we went back inside, someone put on what was probably the weirdest movie I have ever seen. It’s Australian and called The Castle (I think) and it gave us plenty to talk about. And to laugh about, because it was hilarious, mostly because it was so stupid. I haven’t quite decided if I would ever recommend it to anyone to watch, because it was so weird, but it is pretty funny, so maybe.
After the movie I decided to run home from Carl’s place. I started out walking but then decided that would take too long and I didn’t have too much stuff with me, so running was feasible. I ran the whole way, stopping once because I thought I saw money on the ground on the Story Bridge. As it turns out, it was a leaf. That was a disappointing moment.
I almost stopped again when I went by the gay bar on Wickham Street because I wanted to take a picture, but I didn’t. At first, I just saw a police car outside of The Wickham (the gay bar, for those of you who didn’t catch that) and figured that there might have been some people getting into a little bit of trouble on a Monday night. But then when I saw the license plate on the cop car, I literally stopped and laughed out loud for a few moments. The license on the police vehicle was 803 MEN. Right outside the gay bar. Coincidence? I think not.
I didn’t end up taking a picture though, and instead I just continued my run home. You’ll just have to believe me on that one. I made it back to the apartment and went straight to bed, still tired despite my afternoon nap.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)