what I did on my summer vacation …

So, yeah. Been kinda busy, trying to finish up this darn paper/research project for grad class. (Which I finally did last night. Whew!) But, in the process of spending yet another night doing nothing but staring at the computer screen, I managed to get into a chat with my editor for my freelance job, who also just happens to be among my best friends. (Convenient, huh?)

The “Boys of Summer” series started last week … you know, the one I went to PNC Park twice to do all those interviews back in May … and somehow I missed it. So, here’s my first. It was posted Thursday.

According to said editor, the rest of my interviews are running as so:

• July 10 - Doug Mientkiewicz
• July 12 - Jason Kendall
• July 17 - Jon Leiber
• July 19 - Nate McLouth

You can find them here on the days they’re posted. I don’t know when the Bill Hall interview is running. We didn’t get that far into the schedule.

Anyhow, the reason I post this now is because I, myself, will be on vacation while some of these are running. My previously mentioned editor is getting married this weekend, so a road trip to Tennessee is required. There’s nothing quite like piling four friends into an SUV and driving for 10 hours … spending three days celebrating with friends … then piling five friends back into the SUV to drive the 10 hours back on very little sleep. (Yep. We’re picking up a hitchhiker on the way home.) Nice. Should make for fantastic stories once I return. Of course, that’s assuming I decide to come back …

The ultimate irony? After enduring all the rain and chilly temperatures, the three days I’m gone are naturally going to be gorgeous here. Typical. Although I can’t complain too much. Our weekend of fun begins with a pool party in 95-degree heat on Thursday morning.

So, since I’ve been forced to do homework all summer, time for all of you to join me. What’s your best summer road trip story? Post it here. Will make for good late-night reading in the hotel room …

Yes, Mom and Dad, I packed the sunscreen. And our fearless leader has the map with detailed directions. 

I’ll send you all a postcard … promise.

transactions.

For a while this weekend, I could have sworn my apartment building was Grand Central Station. Or at least the last stop before it.

My good friends upstairs finally closed on their new house. Fortunately, they’re not moving far away. Just across the bridge. But that meant a lot of pieces of large furniture being carried down the extremely narrow stairwell for the better part of three hours on Saturday. Doing my best to pitch in, I offered to kitten-sit. (Pictures to be posted later.)

Their apartment was vacant for all of … oh, about three hours. The old occupants were in Sunday morning, finishing up the cleaning. They left somewhere shortly after lunch. Around dinnertime, my new neighbors started carrying large pieces of furniture back up the extremely narrow stairwell.

I feel lucky though. I lost one set of good friends upstairs in the move, but at the same time, the new neighbors are also good friends. It’s almost a break-even trade for me.

Oh. And my hope of posting in consecutive days obviously didn’t happen. Like I said, it was busy this weekend. So, to catch things up, here’s a few other news and notes from around the league:

* I walked down the street last week to my office and passed a bus stop, where a man, complete with a mullet and still reeking of the previous night’s beer and cigarettes, stood waiting for his ride. Classic Pittsburgh right there. I smiled and continued on my way.

* Spent my Friday night … out for a walk, which included, naturally, a stop for ice cream. Then a visit to the little community festival. There’s nothing quite like the smell of funnel cakes and the sound of a little jazz band on a muggy June evening. Good times … and good company as well.

* Hung out with a couple of “the boys” again on Saturday night. Just three of us reminiscing, dreaming, and sharing a pint or two. Felt good to catch up, yet, as I said before, it still kind of feels like I never left. I can’t say enough about how priceless it is to have friends like them.

* I’m really tired of doing homework. More so, I’m really tired of reading to accomplish said homework. One more week to go until the big research project is due. It’s officially crunch time.

* Yes, I’m among the list of those who enjoy a good summer thunderstorm now and then. But, sheesh. Enough is enough already. Make it stop.

So, anyhow, the moving upstairs is allegedly going to continue all week. Which is OK in my book. I like knowing that I’ve got good friends just a flight of stairs … or across the bridge, or down the street, or up the road … away.

teammates.

Apparently blogging is more like baseball than I realized.

I’ve been slumping. Not much to write about, not much going on. Now, today, I have way too much for one post. So I’ll offer you this much … and save the rest for later. (Posts in consecutive days? A definite maybe at this point. Who knew?)

I promised to post this a while back, and for some reason it slipped my mind … until I watched the Pirates’ bats come to life last night against the Bronx Bombers.

It appears the love for utilityman Doug Mientkiewicz is growing. PittGirl had a post about him a while back, which drew a large number of comments about his fantastic demeanor and leadership on the diamond. I added that he’s a nice guy as well, being as I had the chance to interview him during my most recent stint as a freelance sports writer a few weeks ago.

My job was to talk to players about their high school days. And Mientkiewicz had a heck of a high school career. He played with Alex Rodriguez (yes, THAT A-Rod). While the new Bucco was quite humble in his responses, denying the fact that he had any talent and expressing his surprise when he made it in the big leagues, he did boast about his good friend … and was eager to talk about their time together as teammates once again last season, both as members of the Yankees.

I sent the transcribed interview … he ended up being my best one … to my editor. Except for this one little question, which had too much of a time element to be included. So I’ve transcribed it for you here. I started talking to him about playing with Rodriguez, and I asked him if he was excited about having his friend come to town during the Yankees series, which began yesterday. Here’s the banter:

 

Q: Are you looking forward to the Yankees coming into town and getting to see (Alex Rodriguez) again?

A: Yeah, you know I won’t be able to see him much because obviously his life is a little more hectic than mine is, but … getting the chance to play with him last year was definitely an honor. To see him hit his 500th home run in the same uniform, the only regret I have is him not winning his first ring with both of us together. I think that would have been a pretty cool ending. But we celebrated making the playoffs together and it brought back a lot of fond memories.

 

He’s an all-around good guy. Hard not to root for. And the definition of not just a good teammate, but a good friend.

Some people are lucky to have teammates … and friends … like Mientkiewicz. I’m lucky enough to include myself on that list.

(And … I would be remiss if I didn’t at least take this opportunity to publicly wish my sister a happy birthday! Hope it’s a good one!)

* Photo courtesy AP: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Doug Mientkiewicz, left, is hugged by former teammate New York Yankees’ Joba Chamberlain before Tuesday’s game in Pittsburgh. 

my boys.

I spent last night at the old local watering hole, talking shop with the boys. Well past midnight.

Just like old times.

At the newspaper where I used to work (and their still current employer), hanging out every night after work wasn’t just an option. It was nearly a required activity.

We’d hit deadline. Do press check. Then head down the hill. Every night.

There were three, sometimes four and, on the rare occasion, five guys. Then I came along. The little female sports writer.

At first, some of them were hesitant to have a female join in the frivolity. It didn’t take too long, however, until I was just one of the guys.

They became my best friends, my harmless flirting buddies, and my overly-protective big brothers, all at the same time.

Which is probably why I’m now totally hooked, albeit a year late, on that TBS comedy “My Boys.”

PJ, the lead character, is a female sportswriter in Chicago. Her favorite activity? Going to the bar and playing poker with the boys.

Now, true, I don’t play poker. But her fictional profile on the TBS website rings vaguely familiar:

* I live for: “Sports and my guy friends - the order changes depending on what kind of mood the guys are in or if my teams are winning or not.”

* Philosophy on life: “Almost everything in dating and relationships is a parallel to sports, especially baseball.”

* I would never get serious with a guy who: “Wasn’t into my friends.”

Hits a bit close to home.

That last answer is the one that always got me into trouble. Anyone I even considered dating had to meet the boys’ approval. If they didn’t like him, he didn’t stand a chance.

In fact, I don’t even work with the boys anymore, and that’s still true.

But that’s me. I’ve always had more guy friends than girl friends. I’d rather be at the baseball game or at home watching football than out sipping cocktails. At least most of the time. The crew that I spent the Stanley Cup run with? Mostly guys. My anchors on the TV show I produced in college? Yep, all boys too.

I often joke that I was the son my Dad never had.

Which is probably why I’m still single. But I digress.

Anyhow, the TV show version of “My Boys” seems to air at random, like most things on TBS. As they’d say, check your local listings.

As for my real-life my boys? Topics last night ranged from Stanley Cup travels, to checking out pictures of EH’s infant son who is simply way too adorable to be real, to dreaming big about where we all want to be in five years, to them harassing me for getting out of the business and getting a dreaded “real job.”

And it felt good to be home.

Now, if you don’t mind, I have a Bucs game to get to.

Just another night with the boys.

* Photo courtesy TBS.com.

ramblings.

So, the only reasons I’m writing this right now are: (A) my brain is fried after working on this really complicated but extremely important proposal at work and I needed a quick creative outlet, and (B) I suddenly realized I hadn’t posted in a week. A week!

I wanted to go to the Arts Fest tonight. But it’s cold and rainy. I’m slowly but surely talking myself out of it.

I am, however, excited about making an 8 mile drive to check out the neighborhood where I may have found the apartment of my dreams. Yeah, I’m still thinking about moving. I don’t know how serious I really am though.

I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to play Sunday at Church #2. I guess at least part of my night should be spent on the piano bench.

Dinner? Do I have anything to eat for dinner? Need to get to the grocery store soon.

My grad class research project may be a bit more complicated than I originally bargained for. Either that, or I was really just that confused after leaving class last night. I have so much reading to do.

This past weekend was great. Went to the symphony on Friday night … for the first time. Travesty, I know. But it was fabulous. Then went home to see Mom and Dad. Dad’s doing so well. It was great to spend time with them again so soon after my past visit. They’re even thinking about coming down to a baseball game later this summer.

Dresses. I have to go dress shopping this weekend. My friend’s wedding is quickly approaching. And as of right now, I have nothing to wear. I do have a hotel room though. At least that’s done.

I’m not really sure why things have to be so confusing. Last week, my work life was crazy, but my personal life was fantastic. This week, it’s the opposite. Things are exciting at work, but I feel like my personal life is on the verge of collapsing. Again. Someday, the two will align, and I’ll finally be happy.

Until then, I must get back to this proposal …