It’s a Wednesday and I am already finished working for the week.
American Thanksgiving is upon us and it means I do not have to go to the office for the rest of this week. It doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be working though. I would like to get a significant amount of Baseball America work done, though I am also kind of hoping that I might have such an exciting weekend full of plans that I won’t have time for it. What are the chances?
When I got to the office I started in on answering my emails. They took a long time to get through today and it’s probably because I am so efficient at answering people and giving them a lot to talk about. I’ve been sending a lot of emails in my spare time in order to communicate with people at home, and now I end up replying to everyone’s responses from work. I should cut down on that.
The only two Hall of Famers I got through were Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle, and Koufax was a continuation of my work from yesterday. Needless to say, I was not super productive at the office today. But I think it’s the day-before-Thanksgiving fever. I caught it, meaning that I didn’t get a whole work day’s worth of stuff done, and I left the office early.
I actually left at the time I was designated for leaving at the beginning of discussions with Editor 1 from Canada. But I have never left that early before, so it was out of the ordinary, and seemed super early. It was strange to leave the office in the daylight.
I learned a lot about Mickey Mantle, though a lot of the information I knew already. It’s crazy to go through and try to fit all of his accomplishments into a 500-word biography. Some of the guys I’ve been through already were a lot easier, so it is a testament to his greatness.
What continues to surprise me every time I read it is that The Mick had osteomyelitis. I knew this, but it gives me a strange sense of connection to the great outfielder, because I had the same disease when I was six years old. I didn’t know what it was, and all I really remember is that one morning after sitting on the carpet to listen to our teacher read to our class, I tried to stand up when she was finished and I couldn’t.
My mom came to the school to get me and thought I was faking it. She told me to get up and when she realized I really couldn’t, she took me to the hospital. I think I only spent two weeks in the hospital, but for a six-year-old kid (well, I was almost six at the time), it seemed like an eternity. I don’t think the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me, and that might have been the reason for my extended stay.
I finally got to leave the hospital on my sixth birthday, after far too many popsicles and IVs. I am finding myself wondering how much that would have cost in hospital bills had I been an American. I guess Canada is good for some things.
It’s not really relevant to anything, but before finding out that Mantle had the disease, I had never heard of it. I thought I was the only person to ever have it, though I fully know that isn’t possible. So I guess Mickey Mantle makes me feel like a normal person. As normal as he was though. And a guy who hit 18 home runs in the World Series is no ordinary ball player.
Maybe I get a little sidetracked when I am doing the Hall of Fame biographies, but it makes it more fun for me. Outside of being distracted by the wonders of the Internet and my emails, I also took time away from Mantle for lunch. I went by myself again, and this time I went to Williams, a sandwich place that I have been to twice with Editor 1 and Editor 2. It was as good as usual, and I was back at the office inside a half hour.
Editor 1 and Editor 2 left shortly after I returned from lunch, and more people started packing up not long after that. I left about an hour after the first wave of people, but it was still much earlier than the length of time that I usually spend at the office.
I headed straight to UPS to send away another round of Christmas cards, and then to the grocery store to get the cereal I forgot yesterday.
I contemplated getting something for Thing 2 and her family for having me over for Thanksgiving, but because I didn’t know what to bring, and I don’t know them at all, I decided against it in the end. I think that I will try to get to know them a little bit tomorrow when I spend the day with them, and then I can get them something they might actually like or enjoy, and leave it as a Christmas present when I head back to Canada.
Unless things go horribly.
Everyone at Baseball America is waiting to hear all about it, because it could potentially be a disaster, but I hope not. And the guys from work mentioned that they might go out on Saturday night and they would let me know if they do so I can come, and I can fill them in on my festivities then.
I decided to make some popcorn when I got to the apartment, and I actually had a run-in with Thing 1. I think we exchanged about 50 words, which is at least double the amount between us over the last three-and-a-half weeks that we have lived together. I couldn’t really understand what she was saying either, so the words were seemingly pointless. I believe she asked me if I am a grad student here and then told me she was going to see Harry Potter, though I can’t be sure.
That was exciting though.
And then I settled in for a very late night of painting Christmas presents, writing more emails, letters and Christmas cards, and TV marathons in preparation for the holiday.
I’m not sure if visions of sugarplums should be dancing in my head or what happens on this occasion, since I have never celebrated it before, but I am excited for what is sure to be a lot of human interaction tomorrow!
A room full of strangers await me. I think.
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