I gotta get better about bloggin. These weeks go by so fast, and each weeknight I either stay at work late, have something to do, or I just sloth out on the couch all night. When that happens, my brain turns to standby.
Yesterday’s lunch was a great experience. It was the annual front office and players luncheon. All the staff gathered in our Field Club Lounge and grubbed off of a delicious buffet. We took our seats and there was a reserved seat at each table. All the players and coaches entered the Lounge and one sat at each table. I sat with Jeremy Affeldt, a relief pitcher with the Giants. He was hilarious and really fun to get to know. The team owner and president spoke, as well as some players. Very cool. After the lunch, I went and spoke to Matt Cain, one of the best pitchers in baseball, who happens to be from Memphis, Houston High School.
Anyways, the weekend came fast this week, but it’s not really a normal weekend because the Giants FanFest was today. It started off strange, I would say bad, but that’s a lame way to look at it. I have realized lately that not much really ever bothers me too much. I think that is good most of the time, maybe not sometimes. I had to be there at 8:00. Earlier than normal. It is a Saturday, busses don’t run as often. I missed the bus that I needed to catch, so set a record for my earliest taxi ride of my life at 7:30. Nothing like paying $10 to go to work on a Saturday. None of that sentence sounds good.
FanFest is the first day single-game tickets go on sale for the 2010 season. 20,000ish fans come down to the ballpark, line up blocks around the stadium, and wait to see players and buy merchandise and tickets. These fans are nuts. I have never seen such a passionate crowd in baseball before. I’m talking orange pants (beautiful), Giants shoes, and kids in full team apparel (they will outgrow that in 3 months, but who cares? let’s buy it). These fans will buy anything that has to do with the Giants. I joked to a co-worker that I wanted to see if I could sell the toilet paper out of the Giants clubhouse. Guarantee I could get someone to pay at least $10 for a roll. People want any and everything free.
It was a really neat experience, as it was the first time I felt the vibe and energy of working for a professional organization. So far, I have been in my office, in an empty stadium. It’s hard to realize there is a team that plays there, and that 40,000 fans come to every game. Today, I got to feel and sense that.
The sun came out during the middle of FanFest, and it was one of the most beautiful days I have seen since arriving here. I went home, found a queen bed on craiglist. He was charging for it, but I helped him move some stuff in his house, so he gave it to me for free, and loaded it in his truck and dropped it off with me.
I watched the end of the Vols game. Domination. V, B. Gabe met me at my place and we went for a bike ride. We went straight down the hill to the Wharf. Everywhere you turn, there is a beautiful view of something, its really not fair. Riding along the Marina Green is too pretty, and finally I made it all the way to the Golden Gate. He showed me some roads and trails that were incredible. Unashamed, I stopped a couple times to take a pictures. Yes I live in this ridiculous place, but I can still enjoy and share it, and for sure not take it for granted… thinking back to my post about being a local. We made it around to the west side of the city, and saw a minute of the sunset, pretty cool site. It was windy, excuse my squints. TraditionalState, sorry my hat is backwards.
“It was a really neat experience.” I’m glad your having such a “neat” time. I think I see a jumper in the background of that last pic. You smoked that green with Lincecum yet? Tell Dusty Baker and J.T. Snow to yats.
Alright, see ya later.