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.