Fall is over

When I graduated college I wondered how I would measure time without anymore semesters. Someone told me months. Another said days or years.
They were wrong.
My life is now measured in seasons. Sports seasons that is.
Fall sports have come to a close, finally. Swimming ended a month ago and cross country finished the season last weekend.
October also signified the end of the baseball season, so sad for me and those of Red Sox nation to watch our rivals take the World Series. There's always next season.

My life right now is in transition just like the leaves on the tree. From fall with bright orange and yellow and red leaves and a thousand sporting events to cover and keep me busy. Now it's winter with only pine needles remaining on the trees and only basketball to occupy my time until the busy spring.

MLB round two

Tim Hudson is rehabbing with the Pelicans this Sunday.

...Commence miniature panic attack...

I'm glad I have one major league player interview under my belt already, but I'm getting nervous. The last interview with Brian McCann was during batting practice, so it was just him and I, it was private. This time, they've requested all media interviews be conducted following his start in the clubhouse, which means the three major TV stations plus the Sun News will all be there trying to get the interview at the same time.
I'll have to be more aggressive than I am accustomed to, and I want a more in-depth profile than a
2 minute spot on how he is feeling and how glad he is to be back from the Tommy John surgery he had about a year ago.

EEP.

you're in the Big Leagues now little girl...

I had my first major league interview last week when Brian McCann came to Myrtle Beach for a rehabilitation assignment.

It was amazing.

He was everything you want a celebrity to be: polite, humble and open.

The first thing I said was, "I'm terribly nervous...because you're my first major league interview."

He chuckled and thought I was ridiculous.

I talked to him for about 5 minutes during BP and watched him hit too. The cracking sound his bat made when he connected with the ball was the most amazing sound I've ever heard. Such power, it was beautiful.

Afterwards I was slightly aloof and very euphoric, and still looking back on the moment makes me smile. I'm on my way...

The world is ending, but who cares?

As many should know from watching the news, Myrtle Beach recently caught fire. No, I don't mean the popularity of the area sky-rocketed. I mean the popular destination for family vacations literally caught fire when a wild fire raged through 250,000 acres.

This photo was taken at the beach on day two of the fire. What looks like clouds is really the smoke billowing over the ocean, as far as the horizon.

It is not as powerful as the photos taken by my colleagues, but what strikes me the most about this photo are the people: the two lovers sharing a kiss, the group walking and those enjoying the still frigid waters. None of them seem even a little concerned that the city surrounding them is charred and still reducing to nothing more than ash by the glowing red flames.

Perhaps it is because they are tourists on vacation, carefree and relaxed.

Perhaps, the world is in such an awful place that nobody even cares a city is burning, a new flu is a threatening epidemic and the economy is in shambles, because life goes on and tomorrow is a new day.

Unless this is just the beginning of the end.

sweet victory

This is my life. Every once in a while, I get to witness the sweetness of victory. Like in this game, where the team went from first to last in a flash, literally. They were tied for first place in the region, then lost three region games in a row, to fall so far behind they were simply fighting for playoff contention.

They came from behind, four runs down and won in walk-off fashion in the final frame.