I have become one of them (Day 8)

The first half of my first weekend is over.

A Friday night has passed, and a full Saturday. I’m not sure that I utilized them to the fullest.

Last night I finished writing the article on the Corpus Christi Hooks with the two interviews that I had. And I was emailing my mom when I discovered that Gmail has online chatting. Editor 1 sent me a message, and asked what I was doing up so late.

I told him the truth, that I was working on an article for Baseball America. He said I was working too much, but that I had made a very good impression in my first week. That made me feel pretty good. Our conversation was short, and when it concluded I sent the article to Editor 3.

I tried to sleep in this morning but it didn’t really work out. I woke up early, and then went back to bed, and woke up again not long later. But I quickly discovered that there were episodes of House that I hadn’t seen and they were soon running continuously on my television.

In the midst of one of the earlier episodes of the day, I received an email from Editor 3 letting me know that he would take a look at my article on the Hooks, and that I could have two more stories if I wanted them. He also mentioned that I shouldn’t feel as if I had to work on them over the weekend, but I asked for work, so I was happy to get it.

The first article would be on the Mets and the hiring of their new general manager Sandy Alderson. His first move was hiring J.P. Ricciardi as his special assistant, making it an interesting article for me since I am not a fan of Ricciardi’s. He was the general manager of the Blue Jays for eight seasons and didn’t do anything that I would consider productive for the club.

Instead he left Toronto without ever finishing the season higher than second place, and with the team still paying off mistake contracts that J.P. had gotten them into.

The other story that was mine for the taking was one that had been discussed at our mid-week meeting. It’s on the Tigers and the fact that they seemingly rush their prospects up the farm system ladder too fast, particularly their pitchers. I think it’s an awesome article, but it will be impossible to do unless I can talk to someone about it.

Editor 3 also offered to pay me for the latter story, but I wrote back saying that I didn’t think I would be able to take it. In retrospect, I think I should have asked my program director or at least one other person for their opinion before I said no. Too little too late.

So my first move was to email the pitching coach of the Detroit team, because Editor 3 had conveniently included the address in his email. After I finished that, I put together all the information I could find on the subject, and added it to what Editor 3 had given me.

That quickly came to a dead end, so I moved on to the Mets article. I knew it would be much easier because I could write it using information compiled from the Internet, and quotes from anywhere, as long as I have the proper credit.

I started putting together everything I could find and then going over conflicting reports on the subject of who else the Mets might be hiring. I allowed the team’s website information to trump all others, and went with anything that was most recent.

When I figured I had enough information, because this article only required 450 words, I started to put it together. I wrote a few versions, but wasn’t happy. So when House ended, and I was frustrated with what I had done with Alderson, I decided to change my surroundings.

I went to the gym. I didn’t stay long though because the only thing on the TVs there was college football, and the games weren’t distracting enough for me to forget that I was working out.

From there I tried to find a pharmacy. Though the GPS did direct me to one the first time around, it wasn’t the closest. I know this because I saw two others along the way, but I didn’t stop because I was in the wrong lane, being directed to the pharmacy of the GPS’s choosing.

I found what I was looking for, mostly consisting of food, and a binder to hold all of the paperwork I was spouting out from the new printer, and I was on my way back home. My underwhelming day out had ended already.

When I got to the apartment, Thing 2 was there eating at the kitchen table. I was surprised to see anyone in the common area of the place. I asked about her weekend, but my attempt at small talk was almost as pitiful as her attempt at answering. Obviously, conversation is not something that the two of us excel at together.

She seemed to be cooking an elaborate meal, but I don’t know that for sure. It’s only an assumption I am making based on all of the pots and pans and different kinds of food items out and around while I made my microwave pizza.

By the time I made my way from my room to the kitchen though, she had gone back to her room, so I couldn’t ask, and I just guessed she was taking a break from all the cookery.

I took the pizza back to my own room and shut myself in. I have become one of them.

But I had a Mets article to work on and TV movies to watch. A night of excitement for sure.

I finished the Mets article on the sixth draft, and was happy enough with it to send it away to Editor 3. I tried to do more with the Tigers story, but couldn’t. I really need someone to get quotes from, and somewhere to start.

Until then, I have plenty of movies to view, and more American programming to get used to.

My hope is that the pitching coach will want to talk to me, and everything will work out beautifully. And maybe I can take the money for the article. Perhaps it will be so awesome that I will have no choice but to be paid for such a masterpiece.

I can dream.