At an animal welfare conference in San Diego, desperately hoping I'll get some time to enjoy the city before I leave.

Gave my first ever presentation and it went okay! I was co-presenting with our president so, you know, no pressure. She thought I did very well. And a former TV presenter told me: I should slow down and cut out the "um"s but I had good presence and it was clear I knew my stuff. The fact that I came across as knowing my shit is more than enough for me; I'm stoked he sought me out to give me feedback.

But kind of hoping work never asks me to do it again. (It's not really part of my job, but we're a nonprofit so everyone does everything - especially if you're programs)

Also, I have never had so much alcohol as I've had at this conference. Everyone is drinking at dinner. We had dinner with the CEO of Humane Society International, which was kind of awesome.

...Haven't posted on LJ and forever and am not really sure if there's anyone still here. But this is the kind of thing you just don't post on Tumblr.

Ugh, why does LJ make it so much harder than Tumblr to upload and post photos? THIS IS WHY NOBODY COMES OVER TO PLAY ANYMORE :(

I'm going through our Greece + Turkey vacation photos, in an effort to remind myself not to spend any money so I can go on more awesome travels. I kind of already spent hundreds of dollars this month on 1) Supernatural Blu-Rays and 2) Supernatural convention tickets. These things are awesome and I don't regret it, but I need to curb the spending before it becomes a habit.

So, yeah. Going to a Supernatural convention next month. I hear Creation Entertainment runs a ridiculous endeavour whereby everything is about the actors and costs a shit ton of money and there's no fan get togethers or viewing appreciation or whatever. The most distressing example is that NONE OF THE CREATIVE TEAM ARE GUESTS. So, I can't ask all those burning questions about the storylines.

But I decided if I didn't make an attempt, I'm just going to sit here and be envious of all the people who get to touch Jensen Ackles attend, so I might as well go to the one within driving distance.

//

PSA: Rich Harden is expected to throw to hitters today for the first time this year!

I cared about baseball for two days and then we stopped getting Rich Harden photos. I mean, I care about the presence of baseball. I care about its arrival meaning the dreadful offseason known as winter is over. I care about white uniforms against a background of green grass and the sound of the ball hitting the glove. I took off for Opening Day even though I don't have tickets (yet?). It's just that, without Rich Harden, I just don't much care about who plays or who wins on a daily basis.

So, I thought I was too old (meaning: career and running a household take up too much time) to be in a fandom anymore, but I was wrong. Supernatural, man.

And thank god I was wrong, because sometimes it's hard to shed the stress of a workday without it. I bet my generation would have a lot more alcoholics if not for the Internet But I do love my promotion, and the more time I get to spend actually managing (as opposed to filling in because we're shorthanded), the more I enjoy it.

Random tumblr image of Zito from someone I follow got me pissed off at Barry Zito all over again. So mad that I couldn't find any results when I search for "Barry Zito is a douche" and was determined to rectify that on an ongoing basis. But Myr convinced me he wasn't worth it, and I should stay in a positive place.

However, all that searching for people posting about Barry Zito content from people who are not fans led me to having a dream about him. Which I do not want to do again, so I'm letting it go.

You're welcome, Barry William.

//

I also had a dream that Castiel was mine & Myr's personal guardian angel.

Our neighbor was a demon who was keeping us from having a baby. I went over to try and reason with her, and she wanted to make a deal - but I remembered I didn't even want to have kids, so what did it matter.

At this point, Cas came over - he was furious with this demon. And he really wanted us to have a kid. For some reason he couldn't just smite her, but I made him promise not to make any deals with her.

Then Myr and I realized we would have to sit him down and let him know that we didn't want any children, and weren't going to have any. But we were not looking forward to it, because he was so invested in our family and really wanted a baby.

Then I woke up. But I realized Myr would probably have a baby if it would keep Cas from being sad.

Real Rich Harden news, people! He tells us a bit about what went on his head - how pitching wasn't fun because he hurt every day, when he decided to keep pitching anyway anyway ("I'm going to keep pitching until I can't get it to the plate anymore"), the Twins' interest two years ago, his excitement at meeting a doctor who told him surgery could work, and his year without baseball.

Also? Going to be a Daddy in July!

( so much news I can't even dealCollapse )

Aw, pookie

Driving away from Hammond Stadium, Myr said (and I quote) "I don't feel good. I think it's because I don't want to leave Rich Harden."

YUS! CONVERTED AND SHE'S NOT EVEN DENYING IT ANYMORE.

Today, Rich (and the other pitchers) started warmups at the big practice field next to Hammond Stadium. This was incredibly awkward for me because all the infielders (read: Mauer and Morneau) were elsewhere, which meant so were the fans. So it was just me standing next to this field taking photos and half the time the players were facing my direction.



After stretches, we moved over to another field, the one furthest from Hammond Stadium. Once again, I was in danger of sticking out like a sore thumb - but then the M&M boys came over to assist with PFP so I was able to blend in. A little.



I was kind of waiting for Harden and Morneau to have a "remember that time you threw a ball from the outfield and busted my upper lip" discussion/moment (I tried writing slash about it once) but instead all I saw was Richie slapping Mauer on the back as he passed him during a drill. Of course, it's early days and the players are still pretty segregated by position.

Btw, for PFP - Rich soft tosses to the plate (which Pelfrey, also recovering from surgery, does too) and mimics throwing the ball to second (Pelfrey actually does make the throw). After that's done, M&M take batting practice and I wander into the outfield to snap pics of Pelfrey & Richie shagging balls. Well, Rich retrieves the balls while Pelfrey keeps talking.



After awhile, this catcher (I think he's a bullpen catcher because I swear I saw him driving a golf cart around later) came along the warning track and whistled to get Richie's attention. I was pretty offended, but Rich came over to join him and then they made the walk across the complex to Hammond Stadium's bullpen. And when I say "they", of course I mean "we". Try to look inconspicuous as you're speed walking the length of two fields alongside Rich Harden, I dare you.

Rich did some long toss, then a short session on the mound. It was an easy warmup and everyone seemed satisfied. No sudden interruptions, no random windmilling of his arms in between pitches. Afterwards he chatted with the coach.



Then peeled off his hat and warmup shirt and he took off to do some laps in the outfield with a running partner whose name I know not.




After all that, he headed for the dugout but stopped to sign when someone asked. There was a very small group of people in the stands (because there were a very small number of players at this field) so there were only about 5 people to sign for. Myr and I were a few rows up (where we could get an overhead view of the bullpen) so we headed down to see him. (Myr was totally slow about it -- probably because I told her I wanted a photo of her and Rich -- and he was already at the end of the line)

We get down there with the camera and I say "Rich, can I get a photo of you with my girlfriend?" I'm pretty sure at the start of the sentence, he thinks I'm going to ask for another photo myself, by the way he starts to shift over. Ever obliging, he says "Sure" and I FINALLY get a photo of my two favourite people together, then thank him and wish him luck before he heads for the clubhouse.

Myr insists she never cared about getting a photo, and also insists that Rich-Harden-Brain doesn't happen to her after meeting him, but whatever. I notice she didn't manage a word in his presence this time, after being all up in his personal space.

So, that was our first spring training! For anyone like me who's never been before - the nearest I can explain it is like an amusement park for baseball fans. There's drills and warmups going on at several different fields and you can wander around and between them and pick the one you like. Everyone always talks about the accessibility of the players - which I used to think mean you were closer to them but I think now just means they sign more (probably both because their paths to the fields are through the fans, and because it's a loose environment). I didn't feel like we were a lot closer to their warmups (there was less foul ground, sure, but there was also a chain link fence in between us). On the other hand, there's no way I could've gotten to talk to Richie two days in a row during the regular season.

Lots more photos (and some short videos of Rich throwing) added to my Photobucket folder: Florida 2013. There's even some there of Mauer and Morneau, if that's your thing.

I take back most of the things I said about Florida for the past 15 years - it's actually quite lovely. Of course, that could have something to do with spring training. And, you know, Rich Harden:




But let's back up: Yesterday our flight got into Fort Lauderdale, where we picked up our rental car, and made the two-hour drive to Fort Myers. Headed straight for the Twins' spring headquarters, Hammond Stadium, although practice was already wrapped up. Walked around so we could get our bearings for the rest of the trip.

Today (Monday) we got to the stadium about 9am. There were a few groups of players out and about, but the pitchers didn't come out until later. I basically followed Rich around as he went through PFP and shagged balls. Noticed in PFP that he was the only one they were giving a high target too (not high in the strike zone but catcher-standing-up high). Obviously, he's got a ways to go before he's back to full pitching strength. There are a few articles out now about how slow they're taking it, and how just because he's not throwing on the same days as the other pitchers doesn't mean there's a setback. It's all planned.

Watching Rich waiting his turn feels alot like sending your kid for the first day of school. Who's going to be his friend? He talked to (or was talked to by) Mike Pelfrey and Cole De Vries and some kid wearing #95 who wasn't on the player list (who I later heard telling someone he was Canadian so, yes).

About 11am I parked myself a spot on the fan rails outside the main practice field and started plotting how I could get the crowd to disperse so Rich wouldn't be too shy to stop. I considered starting a rumor that Joe Mauer was signing elsewhere. But I didn't, and luckily Rich was one of the first ones out.

I hollered his name twice (actually, I said "Harden" because I figured there's probably more than one Rich and, as a non-roster invitee, he's not going to be assuming people are looking for him) so he slowed his roll and came over. I asked for a photo and then got a stranger to take our pic (Myr was on the opposite side of the rails, since she'd wandered off in the hour I was standing around holding my position).

I said "Thank you so much" and "Good luck this year, we can't wait to see you pitch again" (I'm still not sure I got out a "thank you" the very first time we met, so this is a big deal for me) and then did those things I always do after an encounter with Rich - basically 1) lose my mind and can't tell up from down and 2) try to flee the scene immediately. So I actually made motions to leave even though, now that Rich had stopped, he went ahead and started signing for everyone and was still basically in my general vicinity. Luckily, I couldn't leave even if I wanted to because the way out was partitioned off for the moment, to allow the players a path to their locker room. So instead I just started pacing back and forth.

Now's the time for me to mention that, earlier today, one of the MLB.com writers sent us (we now believe unnecessarily) into a panic. Myr ran into the writer at the stadium (we've been following his Twitter because he's been so good about answering our Richie questions) and had a conversation where he indicated that the sportswriters all thought Rich was going to throw today and he didn't know why that happened, but he'd ask Rich about it. Naturally, Myr and I thought OMGSETBACK and I started having flashbacks.

Annyhoo, while I was pacing back and forth in a 6-foot line, I decided I should at least ask Rich about it in an innocuous way. So I stepped back over to the rail (he hadn't gotten very far in the signing) and said "Rich, are you going to throw tomorrow?" and instead of signing and talking, he stopped what he was doing to find who was asking. So he looked at me and said "That's the plan, yeah" and his voice is so quiet!

That's all I've got for now, except a few choice photos from the day for anyone who's as starved for new Richie content as I have been for the past year and a half.

Also, shoutout to the last time I met Rich, in Detroit

DUDE, WE'RE GOING TO SPRING TRAINING!

Aaaaand there it is. It finally hit me.

And that's the most appropriate post to be having right now.

(God, I'm such an adult. Where have all my exclamation points gone? Apparently, the workweek doesn't wash off until midnight on Friday.)

//

Also, I made fun of the slickdeals forums for harping on the importance of a backlit keyboard, but seriously? It's pretty awesome.

Can't remember if I mentioned it, but I got promoted to manager of my department late last year. I'm beginning to realize that most of the time I'm too much of a workaholic to have a conversation about anything other than the job, and now that I'm responsible for team morale I probably need to work on that.

So today, I ended our team meeting with "There's something I've got to get off my chest" and launched into a diatribe about Taylor Swift. It seemed to go well.

//

Sunday morning, bright and early, Myr and I are flying to Florida for spring training. I don't even know how this happened.

I mean, yes, I do. Rich Harden said "Still here" and we jumped.

But I've been so busy with work and Supernatural that I haven't even prepared for the trip. I'm putting in 6 hours of volunteer work at a spay/neuter clinic tomorrow, so I don't have much time to figure out what the hell we actually do once we get to Florida.

Is that a thing with getting older? I feel like it's so tiresome getting ready for vacations. (Granted, it's worth every penny once you're actually ON vacation)

It's possible Myr and I discovered independently that we can't get to sleep unless we've watched at least one episode of Supernatural. This is becoming a problem.

Also, I joined Tumblr and I don't even know how it works and I'm not really sure what its purpose is. But I am pretty sure that the Supernatural fandom owns it, because goddamn.

//

We will be in Florida for spring training in 1 1/2 weeks! WTF.

It hasn't even sunk in. I am not even sure what I'm supposed to do when I get there.

I damn well better see me some Rich Harden. I'm not watching the Twins roster stretch their muscles for my health.

//

My foster kitten is meeting another potential adopter on Friday. Her application looks fantastic, so I hope it goes through.

But, it'll be hard to see him to go a new home, when that does happen. He came from a feral cat colony as a kitten, so it's taken a long time for him to warm up. But he is now, finally, getting snuggly. We'll miss him ... he's been part of our household for 6 months!