Getting into the Swing of Things

Today the Rays are in Fort Myers facing the Red Sox, and it's the first really warm day we've had in a long time (game time temp = 78 degrees). It's the first time we've had the windows in the pressbox open and it makes a lot of difference. ... When they're closed, it's almost like watching the game on TV; everything is muffled. When they're open the breeze wafts in, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the crowd, and the smells of the park, and everything in general is just extra baseball-y and good today.

My roommates are officially gone which means the house is empty. They're the first long-term roommates I've ever had post-college if you don't count Luck-e, and they were awesome. I miss them bunches, but at the same time, there's something freeing about living alone again. It's nice to be able to run around the house half-clothed and sprawl out on the couch and watch crappy movies nobody likes but me and not have to worry about hogging the living room. I can also decorate how I want (more on that in a minute), which is extra fun.

This will all wear off by next Sunday and I'll go back to being lonely again, I know. The bright side of this is that my new roomie moves in that day, so let the fun begin all over again!:)

I started decorating the living room and will post pictures once I'm finished. I don't think I have any from the old style, but it's going to be a lot different...especially until I get a coffee table. The living room is HUGE and even though I have a sectional and two giant chairs the empty floor space in the middle is easily large enough to put a pool table in. I have no idea how to fix this, but I'm sure something will come.

UPDATE: It's 4 p.m. now, and we're only just now beginning the eighth inning here at City of Palms Park. Including today, just one game of eight so far was less than three hours and several have stretched into 3:30-plus range, including two extra-inning affairs. Sometimes it's nice to have extra time to work on stories and such but on days like today when I'm already swamped with preps stuff and need to get back into town asap to work on things, 4-hour games do me no favors.

Entertaining me during this loooooooooong game: David Price (Rays starter) got hit with a broken bat in the second inning and left the game. When we finally went down to talk to him, the exchange went something like this:

Reporter: Has this ever happened before?

Price: Yeah, once. Hit me right there (points to right hip, dangerously close to...yeah). During the SEC tournament. James Darnell. South Carolina guy. Fastball.

Me: That's not some stuff you forget, eh?

Price (who's black): I turned white, they said. (we all crack up) "I mean PALE. Not white. Pale. Gray. There we go. Gray. I mean...whatever.

And also, I love to read Deadspin, and if you were cool, you'd love it too. Yesterday, they called the Rays "Like Switzerland, with nuclear weapons." Who comes up with this stuff, honestly?

Alright, kids. Time to get a-movin'. More tomorrow. :)

-Sportsgal