Thursday, June 18, 2009

First days of work as a cameraman

It started on Friday with an exhibition game, but I only practiced my camera skills for a couple of innings. From watching baseball for a long time, I could figure out what I needed to do. For the first home game of the regular season on Tuesday, the Force faced off against Jennie Finch and the Chicago Bandits. Luckily, it was an easy start, camera-wise, with clouds in the sky and Finch throwing a perfect game, so there wasn't much to do when the home team was batting. We were told that we did a good job under the pressure of the league's (National Pro Fastpitch) and MLB.com's (our online streaming partner) watchful eyes.

Game two was a bit more difficult and even colder than the first night, as the temperature dropped below 60°. Rain was in the forecast, but the game just started with some clouds in the sky, enough to block out the sun again. As the raindrops started to fall, I had a little trouble with the rain sleeve for my camera, but I had it attached well after an inning or two. Luckily, I had come prepared with a jacket as heavy rain started to fall in the sixth inning and my head got soaked. With one out in the top of the seventh, which would be the last half-inning because the Force were winning, it looked like there would be a rain delay as the first-base umpire consulted with the one behind home plate. However, this was only a short break as the "grounds crew" poured dry dirt between first and second. The game would be over a few minutes later as Kat Osterman induced the final two outs in her complete game for the Force.

There was supposed to be another game tonight, but the heavy rain had left puddles on the field that forced postponement and a doubleheader scheduled for Friday. The local television station was set to broadcast these two games and use their video feeds for the stream, so I don't know if I will be doing anything for the six hours that I have to be at the stadium, except for taking down the outfield fence at the end of the nightcap. Saturday's game is being played in York, Pennsylvania, so my group of interns does not have to work that night.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Summer class

The professor was not kidding when he said that 15 weeks were compressed into five during the summer, in this case for Applied Microeconomics. The first of two tests in on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. after only two weeks of the course. Unfortunately for me, my Wednesday afternoon is already booked with doing set-up in Allentown for the Force, so I wil have to get all studying finished by Tuesday night. This should be fun!

I'm looking forward to being able to watch game five of the Stanley Cup Final after missing games one, three, and four; I watched some of four the next day on NHL Network. This has been a good series to cap off a good playoffs overall, which I have missed by being in Portugal, doing work, and spending time with good friends. Good thing that two of those things were time well-spent with others rather than watching television by myself or with my dad.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Journey from Patterson to Edgewater Park

Late Saturday afternoon, I had to journey from Patterson, NY to Edgewater Park in the Bronx for Lauren's 22nd birthday party. My parents needed me in Patterson even for such a short time just to help out moving stuff around the property. I was driven from Patterson to the Southeast train station on Metro-North where I caught the 4:13 train. I had to switch to a local train at North White Plains, leaving at 5:11. The conductor announced that only one door would be opening at my destination station, Williamsbridge, where I arrived at 5:37. It was like disembarking from a ship as this long and narrow platform extended from the one station platform to the front door of the train and passengers walked single-file to exit onto the platform. I then walked along Gun Hill Road where there were many hostile drivers who would honk at practically nothing and I was the only white person around, aside from one Mustang driver. When I reached Bronxwood Avenue, I sat at the Bx8 bus station on my 12-pack of beer and waited for the 6:08 bus which would take me to Edgewater Park, where I arrived around 7:00. It was funny how the demographics on the bus changed as the bus traveled southeast in the Bronx.