Stories About a Boy

(Above pictures: the upstairs rooftop at work; Mike being a gamer kid)

I’ve been working a lot lately. Geez, who really wanted a job anyway? I like it, but I’m really not one for late nights or seriously long double-days. It is awesome walking out with cash, though and that keeps me trudging along on my bony feet. And with sister #1’s bachelorette party in St. Augustine this weekend, I sure could use a lil’ cash flow for gas money to get down there and other party supplies and adult hydration.

On my way to speaking of… I had two nights hosting a girlfriend. She’s been here for a full week- a teacher from NJ on her spring break. The first night was okay, we made small talk and whatever. Second night was dollar beer night so we drank PBR together, and it was more of a lively atmosphere, so yeah, we had some fun. We found ourselves sitting next to one of the players’ dad (and step-dad… weird?) and they bought us a “real beer”- Bud Lite in a bottle, versus our beers in cans. If you bought PBR in college, you were doing okay for yourself!

Mike was also nice enough to get tickets for some of my co-workers. One of the girls moved to sit with her brother and was texting me all night, asking me if so-and-so was single, or if I could hook her up with this guy, or that guy. “Ha, ha, yeah we’ll see.” That means I’ll throw it out there, but I am probably not going to try that hard. All of a sudden I have new friends. My potential friend texted me tonight, asking if I’d take her to the airport. I don’t even know where that is, but I’m desperate for friends, so I said yes.

The other morning Mike woke up early for an event at the field. I heard him rustling around, but I just thought he was making some breakfast… I can see the front door of our apartment through the bedroom window, and when I heard him leave, I saw him carrying his Easter basket. “This will make a great contribution to the bullpen bag!” They eat candy in the bullpen, play Catch Phrase and work on crossword puzzles… really intense, focused guys.

But that’s a big part of what makes him so good. He has been doing so well. He goes in, does his biz-nazz, is a stud and he shrugs it off. “It’s just baseball.” Yah he thinks it’s “easy” to throw strikes, and he’s throwing harder than he ever has thrown- which is awesome- but he is so laid-back and casual about the reality that it’s just a game, that he doesn’t get too worked up and over-think what he has to do. He does his best and likes to compete, but sometimes hitters get hits too.

This morning, we both had a day off (yay!) so we slept in. I heard him gather up the overflowing trash bag, walk outside and ask our neighbor, “Hey buddy, where is the trash in this place?” I know it is on the other side of the complex, so I was wondering if he was actually going to walk it over there… five seconds later, he re-opened our door with the bag of trash outside our apartment. Later when we left together, we threw it in the back of the trunk to drive it over.

Where did we go? A video game store with a “retro” section where Mike geeked out again. Then lunch, an attempt to go to the zoo (the animals were on their way to bed already!), and a movie. Now we’re home, and just finished the season finale of The Following and Mike is cooking… aka making Pizza Rolls in the oven. Nice to hang with my boy all day!!

#groupie #home #work #baseball