Shark attack (Day 25)

I had my first encounter with a shark today!


And it was a live shark even! Well, until it died. I know what you're thinking, but no, I did not use my shark-wrastling skills to harm the little guy. I just took the opportunity to check him out and pet him before he took his last breath. But I'll get to that later.


My day once again started with a trip to the pool. What a life of luxury I lead. I got in some quality tanning time but at some point realized that I'd forgotten my key in the apartment and locked myself out. Good thing I had my phone and all those minutes on it now because I needed them. I texted Erin to tell her that I'm an idiot and before she went out for the day she came by the pool and dropped off my key. Oops.


After a couple hours of swimming, sleeping and reading in the sun I decided that at some point during the day I should stop being lazy. I figured I should continue the Whitey-Alexis Saturday morning run tradition (it has happened one time only) and put some more miles on the old running shoes.


Since Gonzo told me about a great place to run I thought I would head there. I crossed the Story Bridge and made my way to Kangaroo Point. The name is actually quite disappointing and misleading if you are thinking what I was. I ran into zero kangaroos, though I did almost crush a lizard and of course, experienced a shark attack.


I ran around the top of Kangaroo Point at first, not really sure where I was going. The view was beautiful and I will definitely have to take my camera back with me at some point. I should just start running with my camera. That would be awkward and annoying though so I should just come up with a better plan than that. Eventually I found a set of stairs that led me to The Cliffs Boardwalk. I was running alongside the river, but on the other side of me were mini cliffs that people were rockclimbing on and absurfing down (I don't really know what that means, but it was my understanding that people were doing it), so that's where the name of the boardwalk comes in.


After almost running over the lizard I happened to be jogging by a dock where a boy and his father were fishing, just as they landed something. It was obviously something pretty big because the boy couldn't handle the reel on his own. His father stepped in and I watched as he pulled what looked like a huge fish out of the river. Upon further inspection though, it was a baby shark! A shark! In the river!


!


So obviously I decided to head over and get a closer look for myself. I started asking a bunch of questions, as is my nature. I wanted to know how long they had been out there, how many times they fished that spot, if they'd ever caught anything before, what they were using for bait, what they were going to do with the thing, that kind of stuff. Though I don't think English was their first language, the father and son politely told me that this was their first catch of any kind. What a way to start. Then I asked if I could touch it, and there seemed to be no objections though they themselves weren't getting as close to it as I was. The poor little guy (probably about 25 pounds in all honesty) was still flopping around fighting for his life and I wanted to pet him. Does that make me awful? Come on, I wasn't the one who caught him. I just seized an opportunity.


I wish I'd had my camera for that. Yet another no-camera fail. But it certainly added excitement to my run. I saw a shark! I thought I would reiterate there just in case you forgot.


I kept running until I had been gone for almost an hour and then realized that at some point I should turn back around. I did want to make it home eventually. I stopped to try and get a bottle of water at a cafe before I turned back but they wouldn't take my credit card. They did however pour me some water into a cup so I could have a drink. I wonder how pathetic I looked.


Not long after turning around I found a place that would take my plastic. I got a water and some sort of Gatorade-wannabe electrolyte drink. Both were sufficient but I think I drank them too fast. My belly was too full of liquid to allow me to start running again right away. And when I did finally get going I think I must have been doing so more slowly and awkwardly than before I began running belly-first. Eventually I got back to running normally, but it took awhile.


I didn't have any more lizard or shark (!) encounters during the rest of my run and I managed to return home before two hours had passed. With all of my pauses at stoplights and sometimes to take in the sights, and a little bit of walking at some points, plus the shark attack, I think I probably ran about 10 miles. It's a start, but I still need to pick up the pace if I want to keep up with Whitey and the tradition (one-time thing).


When I got back home I had a text from Julie waiting for me. Whitey's girlfriend had invited me to her friend's party and told me to meet her at her place around 4 p.m. Since my tanning and running had taken me into the afternoon, I thought I should shower and get ready right away.


Before I left I wanted to finish the story on Justin Erasmus though, and by finish, I essentially mean start. My writer's block had evidently disappeared and I did indeed get the story done. I finished it with just enough time to get to Julie's place without being late. If you're interested in reading about the South-African born right-handed Red Sox prospect, you can find the story I wrote here (Melody obviously helped me get it up on the website):
http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111203&content_id=26085274&vkey=news_t4065&fext=.jsp&sid=t4065


I made it to Julie's place before we had to go to the party so we had a couple beers and chatted about all the girly things that I haven't had anyone to talk to about for three weeks. There wasn't much to that (or at least not anything that I want to admit) and we did spend a significant amount of time talking about baseball, but it was definitely different (good different) to spend some time with a female person. I haven't really done that since I've been here. Don't get me wrong, the guys are great. I just felt like I was missing a little something and Julie helped out with that.


The party started early and was more of a dinner function type of thing. We had some food, people had drinks and I tried my best to mingle with a bunch of strangers. Julie introduced me to everyone she knew and when we ran into the host she said, "You remember Alexis, you met after the ball game." Her response was, "Oh yeah...(pause)...Carl."


I have no idea what that meant but it was awkward. I didn't know what to do so I think we both just moved on in opposite directions. What a great start to the night. That moment did a good job of foreshadowing how the rest of my night would go.


I did have a good time and Julie was really awesome, and I met some other great people, but along the way there were more awkward situations. There was one person (who shall remain nameless, just in case) who seemingly did not like me at all because she kept backhandedly insulting me by complimenting everyone around me. That might sound ridiculous or you could wonder if I was overthinking the situation but I'll give you one example just so you can understand what I was working with. At one point she took a picture of me and some person that I didn't know but happened to be standing next to, and after the photo was taken she looked at it, turned to us and said to the other guy, "Wow you're really photogenic," and then just stared at me. I mean I'm not asking for compliments here but really? Chopped liver.


I don't really feel the need to go into detail about the rest of the party because it was mostly more of the same. Awkward moments, me trying to find Julie so I could attempt to avoid those moments, and having conversations about Australia because I couldn't really find anything else to talk about (there's a problem when I can't find something to say...I don't usually have that problem). After we all went out to a bar for one drink Julie was ready to head home and I had no objections to that.


Being out with non-Bandits people really made me miss the guys. I don't want to get sentimental or anything but I don't think I've ever had an awkward moment with them. Stupid road trip to Sydney. Don't tell them I missed them though because it might go to their heads.


I made it home with enough time to get the game stories into Melody so she could put them up with pictures before the end of the night. I didn't actually write them though because I was too tired for that. I took the Sydney Blue Sox versions of the recaps, changed a few words here and there, took some stuff out, changed the byline to 'Blue Sox Staff', and sent it away. The Bandits had lost both games of the doubleheader and hadn't even managed to score a run in the second matchup, so I figured Sydney's recaps would do. What a great set for the boys from the office to head up (down?) there to take in.


Before going out for the night I'd actually been feeling really guilty at the idea of leaving and not writing about the games. I thought I should try to find some way to still do them or maybe even avoid going out altogether but in the end I obviously didn't do that. Whitey was okay with me ignoring the Saturday doubleheader obviously, since he'd set me up with his girlfriend. And Carl thought it was alright if I just put up game recaps whenever I made it home. I still don't know how I feel about it, but it happened. It's over. I skipped a day of Bandits baseball.


Once I sent the stories away to Melody to work her magic I was exhausted enough to fall right asleep.