BANG ZOOM!

More later on the amazing first night of Baseball at the new Nationals' Park...clearly, BUlldog and I were in heaven- a frozen, uber cold heaven..but it's an unbelievable site...and ended in true storybook fashion- thank you Ryan Zimmerman...even the Braves fans couldn't blame us for losing our mind...

 

Plus, I got kissed by Screech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I thought many times how lucky I was to have bulldog to go early, explore the stadium, sneak in the stars and stripes club, encourage me to BOOO the president, etc...Baseball really is the greatest show on earth!  And it just gets better- the METS today at 4:10....at 51st State!

 

RIP Senator Metzenbaum...ahhhh **insert Memories....***

We have lost another great democratic character!  I had one of my first GREAT mo mos courtesy of Senator Metzenbaum...and I'm not sure it's recorded anywhere in my blog-o-mess...so here it is...

 

Picture this: October 2000...AL Gore is embattled in a race for the White House against some jerk from Texas...Ohio is in play...I was 4 months in to my first job in Washington, DC...at Winning C*nn*ctions....and was amazed by everything...an old Young Dem alum, Bill D. was running the Ohio Dem Party...and part of their strategy was to have the entire democratic delegation record automated calls for Al Gore for their districts...former Senator Metzenbaum would do one to be broadcast statewide because of his popularity.

 

All the members of the delegation record their calls...Chad (our fierce VP) notes this on our operations list....but there is one glaring call not recorded...and it's Senator Metzenbaum's call...So Bill D. calls and said "yeah, he can't do it...can't figure out the dial in system to record it"...

Of course, I'm heartbroken by this and tell Bill- well, I can record the call for him...if he will just read the script on the phone with me....

 

THE GAUNTLET WAS TOSSED....when Bill laughingly said "OH, you think you can get the Senator to do this...here...this is Kate, his assistant's number...give her a call and see if you can do it"....I said- OKAY- DONE.

 

(Okay, let's be real...I wasn't REALLY that confident..but hey, a little southern charm never killed anyone...)

 

"Senator Metzenbaum's office, this is kate"...

 

uhm, hi...My name is staci, and I'm working with the Ohio Democratic Party to try and get some recorded calls for Al Gore to help turn out the vote...I understand that the Senator is having difficulties with the recording line...which is totally understandable...I have trouble with it myself...but I would love to have him record it on the phone with me..He won't have to do anything...just let me call him"...   ************* waiting *********

 

"Hold on just one second...the Senator wants to talk to you"...

 

and then I got my earful (in a good way)...Sidenote first:  One of the things that used to frustrate me was when orgs or campaigns had great surrogates, but then tied their hands with what they could say...sure, sometimes, it was because of the legality of hard/soft money- but sometimes, it was just because people played it really safe....

 

Senator Metzenbaum:  "Hello there...look, I don't mind doing this, but this is an awful script- it doesn't say anything...if they are going to pay money for this, I ought to be able to say anything i want...we want folks to vote for Al Gore..."..

 

me:  FLAILING...totally loving this man...I can't believe I'm supposed to sweet talk this man...

 

Senator, I totally understand...but we really need your voice out there for Mr. Gore...I'm sure they would love for you to do the call- even if you have to change the script a little...how about this...let's record something later tonight- of your choosing, and we'll go with it from there...we want to win Ohio, right?...

 

Senator:  "Well, my wife and I are going to the show tonight...and will be back around 9:30...if you give me a call then, I'll do it...but I'm using my own script- let me give you my apartment phone number"..

 

Okay, Senator...I'll give you a call then.

 

SOOOOOOOO later that night...after I practiced how to record my phone conversations thru my computer a thousand times...and called the OH democratic party to say "DONE"...much to their surprise....I had to come thru... 

tick

tock

tick

tock

9:29 and 43 seconds...I'm sitting at my desk with Chad and Gary around the pod too....d..i..a...l...i...n...g

 

Hi Senator, this is staci...are you ready?

 

Senator: Oh yes, just one second, we went out for an ice cream afterwards...so let me just get settled...now are you sure this is okay...I want to help him as much as I can...you tell the OH Dems that this is the script they need to be using okay?

 

Okay, Senator...I know they appreciate this...now, all you have to do is read the script after I say GO...

then I pressed "RECORD"...and GO SENATOR....

Before I left there in 2004, I still had that soundbyte of me saying 'GO SENATOR' on my computer- I was the happiest girl in all of DC that evening...mostly because I got to call Bill D. and gloat a little...it was my own personal victory for Al Gore...and at least for that night, I rested easy! 

 

 

More proof that we should have a woman president!

It's scientifically impossible for her to have a Pecker fall out of her pants...(even with those god awful pantsuits)....Like most of the political scoop gawkers, and as someone who loves to proclaim "MY NEW FAVORITE REPUBLICAN Insert preacher, vitter, craig joke here" , I seriously, had all the air knocked out of me yesterday when my CNN breaking news alert arrived that New York Governor aka The Luv Guv (Bringing Passion back to Albany- well, I'll say!) was involved in a prostitution ring.  Not THAT Elliot...not my best friend's boss...not that one...Right?  Well, oddly enough, Bulldog was at a performance of the Capital Steps where he had just text'd me that they were doing a song based on the Larry Craig "knock three times" bathroom scandal...I must have sent him 4 or 5 frantic texts....to which he simply replied "I know"...Here's the thing...Spitzer's DC staff is amazing...they are funny, witty, brilliant, and easily, the nicest people in DC....I spend way too much time in their office waiting on bulldog during baseball season, and many other evenings after work...I just love Bulldog's boss, Derek...and their whole staff...so much so that I gave up my own office holiday party to go to their holiday party...My heart just went out to the DC office because they are so indepedent from him...they don't have him around all the time...I just hope that they are able to keep doing great things for NY with or without the Luv Guv.  I haven' t taken down my "SPITZER- Bring Some Passion Back to Albany" button off my bulletin board yet...I keep thinking of all the other elected officials who survived this stuff...

 

In the end, what this really means is that Mississippi- who yes, actually does have DEMOCRATS...isn't going to get even one day of coverage suitable for a state that has been thru so much...and especially a state, considered really low on the democratic party totem poll...Imagine this- I'm watching CNN on Sunday, and I become furious that CNN IS SHOCKED THAT THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST HAS NOT BEEN REBUILT....are they kidding me?  Oh, that's right...we'll never be New Orleans...what is the democratic primary didn't go thru Mississippi?  I guess people would just presume that everything is perfect in Mississippi...well, guess again..my friend Jason is on the frontlines of the fight for rebuilding lives in Mississippi-  his perspective shapes my perspective...it's too bad he can't talk to the whole world...

 

Odds and Ends...

 

1. MSU going to the big dance...GO STATE!  GO STATE!
2. I plan on wearing my Houston Astros vintage logo cap as much as possible- TAKE THAT HOOVER CRIPS!  Stop hijacking my teams logos- that's what THE YANKEES ARE FOR...
3.  This saturday- TOWN! Kristine W...let's all get our swirl on y'all!
4. Johan Santana - was fierce yesterday- that was the best news story in the Daily News this am...ahhhh just 20 days until the season starts...
5.  "There will be Blood" is an amazing movie...the Hitchcock-esque music, makes it suspenseful...and Daniel Day Lewis went from being the Last of the Mohicans HOTTIE to a Howard Hughesian pscyhotic...I just thought it was an amazing movie...there are some difficult scenes to watch, including when he puts his son on the train to what you think is no where- but is really a school...  and the guy from Little Miss Sunshine (the creepy son who doesn't speak)..scared the #)*&# out of me in TWBB...he totally gets the type cast of the year award. 
6. The trailor to SEX AND THE CITY (the movie) makes me cry.  Get ready Yiannis...you have to go with me
7. Congratulations to my Jennifer and the PSTer for finding gainful employment post- IS...if Only I can be next!

Bracketology- MSU now playing in DC!

Of course, we can still screw up in the SEC Tourney...

 

but as it is right now

Washington D.C.

(7) Mississippi St (20-8)

(10) West Virginia (19-9)

(2) XAVIER (25-4)

(15) UMBC (20-8) / Amer East

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Losing as an Astros/Mets fan is better than winning as a Yankees fan...or Braves fan...or Phillies fan, or Cardinals fan........

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Losing as an Astros/Mets fan is better than winning as a Yankees fan...or Braves fan...or Phillies fan, or Cardinals fan........

My secret job WISH

Really guys- if I could blog about baseball for the rest of my life like Matthew Cerrone (metsblog.com) I would...and of all the things I've read by him (including the excruciating hours waiting for Santana to sign with the METS)...this is by far the article that I like the best...I mean, WHAT A FREAKING COOL JOB-  he just gets to wander around the clubhouse and observe AND he's so appreciative of the experience (not unlike how I was lugging my suitcase in 90 degree weather across the roosevelt bridge to go to shea- it's the little things folks!)...and he observes the FUNNIEST THINGS or the most interesting things (note: David Wright- ahhhhh).  Of course, I'm not sure if girls are allowed in the locker rooms these days!??!  Though, i'm not sure how I could concentrate on my blog if David Wright were walking around in a towel!  One day my blog will be this interesting...until then, I'll just be complaining about HOW I SCREWED UP MY OPENING NIGHT TICKET ORDER FOR THE NATS (but Bulldog is forgiving...RIGHT?!?!!) 

Anyway, enjoy baseball fans! (and dad!)

~Staci

 

 

...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

…the locker room is a strange but easy-going place…it's an awkward collision of men getting dressed for work, and other men standing around, looking around, wandering around with note pads and voice recorders waiting for something to happen…

…i didn't ask, but i wonder if the players find it bizarre that there guys are just sort of hovering around…

…also, the locker room here is fairly small…it's essentially two long hallways divided by and surrounded by lockers, which contain a few jerseys, shirts, sneakers, random nik naks, etc…i am not sure, but i think one of the coaches had a pair of Nike Air Huarache…i loved those shoes back in the day…i didn't know they still made them…

…the veterans who are not traveling with the team will drift around in street clothes, just sort of chilling, getting ready for the bus ride, setting up their iPods, or portable video-game systems, while catching up with other players…it's very slow paced…nobody appears to be in a huge hurry…also the entire place smells of mineral ice, which actually made me a bit nostalgic, because i was addicted to that stuff when i pitched in high school…just dip your elbow in it, son, and you'll be fine…

…there is a separate room catered for the players to grab some breakfast…most all of them were eating french toast with sausage on a paper plate and coffee from a plain-old styrofoam cup…they'd grab their food, plunk down on the stool in front of their locker and eat, while balancing the paper plate on their lap, knees together, trying to keep the food from sliding off on to the floor…

…speaking of nutrition, i talked briefly with Jon Niese, who recently changed his entire diet to a more organic, raw approach…i eat the same way…he explained that a few years ago he roomed with another player who majored in nutrition, and so through this guy's encouragement jon got on a track and has since lost 30 or so pounds…

…i also walked up to David Wright, who is traveling with the team today, so he was standing in street clothes grabbing a few things for the bus ride…i said hello and introduced myself…he asked me how things were working out with SNY, noting that MetsBlog must be 'blowing up,' which was funny to hear…it was nice to finally meet in person…he was wearing a Giants Super Bowl Champions hat, of course…

…the guys are all very approachable, in fact…if a reporter has a question, he or she will just walk up and start talking…it's not very official at all, as writers are just wondering aimlessly around the room…in one case, a player began talking from his locker to one reporter…it was just the two of them…within seconds, though, five other reporters were in there with notepads and voice recorders…the player walked away, and the cluster broke apart as each writer returned immediately to the aimless drifting…

…the whole place is actually well organized…i was quite surprised…i guess i just expected a lot of hustle and bustle and chaos, which is not the case…there are shopping carts loaded with equipment, bats lined up along the wall and packed bags in the runway…things seem to run very efficiently…

…it's hard not to feel out of place…like Fernando Martinez, who just wondered around, occasionally sidling up to other players, listening, not talking, while wearing jeans, sneakers and an orange polo shirt…actually, judging by his body language, you would have thought he was a reporter…he bounced from locker to locker, room to room, smiling and making small talk…he's not a big kid, either…he's only an inch or two taller than i am, though he's very lean and strong…Darryl Strawberry walked by, patted him on the back, gave him a nod as if to say, Everything good?…fernando nodded back, and darryl kept walking…

…strawberry was stopped in his tracks by Pedro Martinez, who let out a big yell, screaming, "Hey, Hey, It's the Big D," which ended with pedro giving darryl a big hug…they exchanged pleasantries about one another's families, shook hands the entire time and then parted ways…

…it's business as usual for them…but, definitely not for me…

Posted in Matthew Cerrone on March 4th, 2008
30 Comments »

--
Losing as an Astros/Mets fan is better than winning as a Yankees fan...or Braves fan...or Phillies fan, or Cardinals fan........

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Losing as an Astros/Mets fan is better than winning as a Yankees fan...or Braves fan...or Phillies fan, or Cardinals fan........