Fatigue sets in (Day 17)

I finally had a good night's sleep.

Or at least, the best sleep I've gotten since I've been here. It was almost eight hours. I don't know if it's jet lag or what, but whatever I was going through, you don't want to. If I had only been vacationing here for two weeks I would never have known a night's slumber. Fortunately, I am here for a good while longer.

So that was definitely the first highlight of the day though. I was super excited just at the idea that I had slept. Couldn't wait to share the news.

But since I was still up before 7 a.m. I had some time to kill. Whitey had said to be ready for 9:15 a.m. so I had a lot of time to kill actually. After showering and all that good stuff I decided to try and pack myself a lunch. I thought since I'd gotten some groceries last night I could try to be more efficient. I made a sandwich and then just grabbed a couple bananas and a protein bar. Though I had purchased groceries, they weren't really lunch-making friendly. But I thought that what I had put together would suffice.

With even more time on my hands I thought I would continue transcribing Watto's interview. That didn't last long before I got bored though. And soon enough it was time for me to head outside. Or was it?

It wasn't long before I got a text from Carl saying that he was going to Whitey's to pick him up and did I want him to get me too? My response was a simple 'yes, please', but I was really wondering why he had Whitey's car and if Whitey had forgotten about saying he would come get me altogether. I'm sure they would have figured it out eventually. When they did manage to get me just before 10 o'clock I am pretty positive they were both American Thanksgiving hungover so that explained a lot. I'm sure good times were had by all.

As soon as we got to the office I had phone interviews to do so I went outside because I feel too pressured to perform when everyone can hear me. I am sure they just ignore me but it makes me more nervous when there are numerous people that can listen to my interviewing skills. It's just easier to go outside.

The first phone call I made was to Andrew Marck. His interview was the one that I messed up at the ballpark on Tuesday. I figured out how to properly work my recorder this time though and had an even better interview than the one I think we'd had before. So that was a success. I still feel bad for making him do it twice and taking up more of his time, but he probably thinks I am an idiot anyway so we're all good. You would think I would be past the rookie stages of learning to use a recorder by now.

Then I called David Balfour, the GM of the Sydney Blue Sox and father of Grant Balfour, relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. I was making an attempt to get started on writing my story about the league. Balfour was around last time the league was active and it was suggested to me that he might be a good resource for my article. When someone answered on the other end of the phone I couldn't understand what they were saying, so I just said, "Hi, I'm calling for David Balfour." They could have said, "Hello, this is David Balfour speaking," and I still would have asked the same question. Good thing they didn't though. It wasn't him. And the voice I couldn't understand told me he'd have to call me back, so I left my number and went back into the office.

I contemplated staying outside until I received a call back, for the same reasons that I went out there in the first place. But I didn't know how long it would be and I had nothing else I could get done out there. In the end, it was a wise choice because I didn't hear back for awhile. Actually it took so long that I started to wonder if I had even given my phone number correctly. It's not something that I have down pat as of yet.

In the interim I got to work on finishing the transcription of Shayne's interview. I finally got it done and was ready to try and start writing when Balfour called. I guess I'd gotten my phone number right. We talked about the league but it was kind of a tough conversation because I was hoping it would go in one direction and it really didn't. I just want to write a story about the league before and the successes it had way back when and then what's happening now to make it better and why it will work now. He wanted to talk more about why Sydney was successful then and now and what Sydney has done and that there isn't enough brand awareness out there about the league. I think we probably exchanged the words 'brand awareness' 50 times. If not more.

So my 20-minute interview essentially gave me one answer. Brand awareness, for those of you not paying attention. That's the answer. You're welcome.

I tried to go back to writing the story about Watto but I was having temporary writer's block so I decided to break for lunch. When I came back from down the hall where my lunch was in the fridge I think Whitey might have actually been offended because he thought I went to get lunch without him. I assured him I did not and I was actually quite proud when I pointed out that I had brought my lunch from home.

Unfortunately, the lunch was not anything to take pride in. I had somehow managed to bruise both bananas I brought with me and the mixed nuts bag I got was unsalted and that made it highly disappointing. So I pretty much had my turkey sandwich and a protein bar and then when Whitey and Carl went to Subway I made them get me a smoothie. I just can't seem to give up on Subway smoothies. Do we have these at home?

Between lunch and the rescheduled appointment that Whitey and I had with the bar owner I befriended when I was drunk last Friday night, I managed to finish my story on Shayne. I tried to make it about the community involvement between the Bandits and Baseball Queensland and getting kids into baseball around here. Hopefully I got that message across. Whenever it finally makes it online somewhere, I'll post the link and will welcome feedback on that.

Just after Whitey had mentioned that we were leaving in five minutes to head to our meeting, KJ called me. I quickly tried to grab my recorder (making sure of course that I used it properly) so we could get the interview done. KJ was taking time out for me during his busy week of travel and trying to close his house, and I wasn't going to get him to call me back again later. Plus with the time difference it is difficult to manage at any time to have a phone conversation.

As I was trying to pack up my things at the office and talk to KJ while working my recorder, I realized that mutli-tasking is not my forte. I am sure I sounded like an idiot asking questions while running around, plus I dropped the recorder a few times. So I hope that it wasn't at those times when he told me something uber important. I think we had a solid conversation, though I was kind of distracted throughout. I guess I'll find out when I transcribe. I also think I may have cut KJ off a couple times because I couldn't hear him really well, so not only am I sure that I sounded distracted and all over the place, but I was also rude for interrupting. Damn it. No more multi-tasking for me.

When I did get off the phone with KJ we were almost at Chalk, the bar where our meeting was taking place Whitey and I headed in and first spoke to a bartender downstairs, trying to figure out where to meet this guy. She directed us upstairs, where we had to ask another bartender. As it turns out, the upstairs bartender was the girl from Markham with whom I had chatted last time I was there. At first I wasn't sure though, and if you're wondering why, allow me to refer back to the night I met her. My memory wasn't performing at its finest in its drunken state. But she remembered me so my suspicion was confirmed. All I could think about was how Carl said I was an idiot when I'd talked to her before. My bad.

The meeting seemed to go well and though there were four of us, Whitey and Steve did most of the talking. I think we will be able to work out a deal where Bandits players and staff get a discount on drinks and food at the bar and then every time we spend money there the team will also get money back. It seems like a good deal. And it would definitely make me go there more often than the one time I was there.

I also kind of slipped in that I am looking for a job and the guy that Steve had brought to the meeting with him, Sean something, told me to contact him directly about that. Of course I already did and I hope that turns into some sort of part-time opportunity. That could work out well for me. But right now I am running on wishful thinking.

On our way back to the car, Whitey and I of course had to stop at the second-hand store so that he could purchase his very own Hawaiian shirt. The one he'd been wearing had apparently been on loan so obviously he needed one just for himself. I almost bought one too but I couldn't quite bring myself to do it. I wouldn't want my tuxedo t-shirt to feel like it has to compete for my attention or anything. But Whitey made a solid purchase, obtaining a purple and blue number I believe. A lovely choice. And he mentioned that just walking back to the car with it in his hand made him feel a little more relaxed.

Whitey dropped me off at home and I definitely fell asleep for another nap. The lack of sleep I've experienced so far during my trip is certainly catching up with me. It's nice to be able to get some shuteye though. I don't know how long I slept but I woke up to a text from Carl saying that he and his roommate Dave-O were watching ESPN 30 for 30s and if I wanted to join I should.

I decided to make an attempt at walking over to their house. Google maps said it would only take just over an hour and it was a little more than five kilometres.  The walk wasn't bad and it took me over the Story Bridge, which had an amazing view. I wish I'd had my camera though it isn't the best at night. I will definitely take it back sometime though. I had a view of the downtown (CBD) on one side and it looked great with everything lit up at night and all the lights reflecting into the river. B-E-A-utiful.

Google did not deceive me on my trip as I still think it did on that walk to work There were no giant hills to deal with this time and so it was pretty accurate. I did make a pitstop at McDonald's to get a cold beverage though so that added onto my time a little bit. And did you know they have banana bread at the McD's here? Maybe they do at home too but it's been so long since I've been to one I found this to be a pretty awesome discovery. Obviously I needed some banana bread to go with my refreshing drink. Solid choice I think.

I made it to Carl and Dave-O's place in time to watch the 30 for 30 on the University of Miami. It was really awesome. I would recommend you watch it mom. There is a short cameo appearance of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who I know is your favourite. He played at the U, and he's in the show for like a half a second. But it should make it worth your while. After that one we watched the 30 for 30 on Auburn/Alabama. That one was awesome but mostly because it featured a crazy dude who poisoned some trees. Who does that? It's a must-see though.

Then we put on some East Bound & Down, but I definitely fell asleep and since I am into sleeping now, I stayed asleep for the night. Way to impose. My bad. Maybe it was the walk that did me in.

I guess I'm just an imposer now. Not an imposter. Imposer. New word.