Meeting S-Pods

I haven't written much about how Scott Podsednik's been doing since he's returned to the Sox. I, like everyone, have been shocked. I mean, I am his biggest fan, but I had no idea he still had this in him. He can certainly ignite an offense.

I've gotten to see him in a few games this season at The Cell (and wanted to share these two pics I really like.) But what I've been really stoked about was seeing him in person. About 2 months ago, I heard a vague mention of Scotty Pods being at a car dealership off of 57. I've been counting down the days.

That day was Saturday.

I was surprised about two weeks or less ago to see on the car dealership's web site that the autograph signing was not just Scott, but Bobby Jenks, too. Unfortunately, Bobby's kidney stones kept him away. So it was just Podsednik.

Oh, and there was another rep of the White Sox there, too.


I stood in line about 2.5 hours, I think. The signing started at 10 and I got there about 8:45. I got a good position in line but I was actually surprised how many people were already there. Probably a good 150-200. When I left at about 11:15, I was shocked by how long the line was. Lots of people went home empty-handed.

Above, Scotty signs something for a young couple in line with me. They and their 5-month-old were at the Perfect Game so we had much to discuss. I hadn't noticed what they got signed until I looked at this picture on my computer: a little pink Sox bib. Awesome.

I was bummed because when the signing started, everyone could get 2 items signed. But then, 20 people in front of me or less, they changed it to one item. Bummer. I put away my World Series Sports Illustrated with Pods on the cover and just got a special World Series ball signed.

Success!

Actually, I am notoriously bad about talking to celebrities when I meet them. After all, I told a former president that I made his menu. But I did OK this time. I just said, "Congrats on how this season is going for you and on becoming a dad." He said, "Thanks, man. It's been fun."

I was going to bring up the whole messy issue of me jinxing him for about three years...but I thought that was best left unsaid.

Red Fez Monkey: The Truth

As I mentioned recently, I've officially moved out of my office. I have a little cubicle now for when I go in once a week. The only thing that really marks that it's mine is an Eagle lamp. It's a long way from what used to mark my digs.

Now that I've packed everything up, it seems apropos to tell the shocking truth behind Red Fez Monkey's long disappearance. One day, I realized that one of my 5 or 6 little pencil toppers was gone. The story is PTOIT history from there. I created this whole elaborate blog stunt about him being missing, Purple Fez Monkey going on an adventure to find him and their triumphant return home.

What I haven't told anyone is that the Red Fez Monkey who came back wasn't the real one. No, he was part of a new set of pencil topper monkeys that Marc got me. Having a new Red Fez allowed me to pretend like the story was over and that he was back.

In reality, I still had no idea what happened to that stupid little pencil topper. I really had decided it fell into the garbage. Until one morning when I came in to work to chat with Designer Doug. And on his desk was Red Fez Monkey.

I had given him to Doug. And forgot.

Now, the fez monkeys have been distributed through the office. A couple are still with me. The rest are having their own adventures with new owners.

Geeky Joy

Watching this week's All-Star Game's Celebrity & Legends Softball Game was cool because I could say I'd met someone in it: Brian Littrell, the Backstreet Boy.

And now, it is so funny to casually read through the Emmy nominee list today and stumble onto the name of a relative:

Outstanding Stunt Coordination:

Outsnding Stunt Coordination

24 • 5:00PM - 6:00PM • FOX • Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television in association with Teakwood Lane Productions Jeff Cadiente, Stunt Coordinator

Burn Notice • Lesser Evil • USA • Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment Artie Malesci, Stunt Coordinator

Chuck • Chuck Versus The First Date • NBC • College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television Merritt Yohnka, Stunt Coordinator

Criminal Minds • Normal • CBS • ABC Studios in Association with CBS Paramount Television Network Tom Elliott, Stunt Coordinator

My Name Is Earl • Bullies • NBC • 20th Century Fox TV Al Jones, Stunt Coordinator

Merritt Yohnka is my mom's cousin. Merritt won an Emmy for Chuck last year as well.

Did You See This On Your Way Home?

I can only imagine the joy that was brought to people as I drove home on Thursday with a giant Koala head sticking out the back of the truck.

As most of the PTOIT readership knows, I was laid off recently with an ending date of August 31. On Thursday, I cleaned out my office and will be primarily working from home until my end date. It's the end of an era. R2-D2 is now my laundry hamper. The toys are in boxes in the garage. And the Fez Monkeys have chosen various new owners to live with at CTI. (New shocking insights to Red Fez's infamous absence will be revealed soon.)

I'm not sure what comes next for me or the Koala suit...

The Name Tag

Have you ever walked out of a conference or something and realized in the middle of the grocery store that you still have your name tag on?

I think I topped that. Last night, I was going through shirts in my closet to find some to give away and I found a hoodie with a name tag on it. I have no idea what the name tag was for. It's read and says, "Todd" in my handwriting.

What amused me was that I not only left wherever I was with this on...but I got home, took off the shirt and hung it back up--all with the nametag still on it!

The Washington Natinals

Last night, The Wife and I went to the Sox game and I saw a pitcher take a no-hitter into at least the 7th inning for the third time in two years. (Last year, I saw Danks go into the 7th and the 8th. Last night, Buehrle was 8 outs away.) What are the odds? One of these days, I will actually see a completed no-no live in the park. It's on my Bucket List. (Also: Because of a rain delay on Wednesday, it was Scotty Pods' homecoming game. That was a cool coincidence.)

At the game, we were telling friends about our misspelled jersey incident and I was reminded of a news story I meant to post and did not: Earlier this season, two Washington Nationals players played in a game (until about the 4th inning, I believe) with jerseys that read: Natinals.

The jersey company responsible, Majestic Athletic, is the same company that made my wife's "Pieriynski" jersey. Just this week, one of those misspelled Natinals jerseys sold on auction for $8,000.

The Book I Wrote with Robert Frost

Last week, I received an academic writing textbook called Readings for Writers: 13th Edition in the mail at work. I had no idea why. I thought that possibly my wife, an English teacher, had ordered it and had it shipped to this address for some reason (although she has never done that before.

Or I thought that since I work with a publication called the Christian College Guide, this college text was mistakenly sent to us for review.

Still, the publisher name, Wadsworth, rang a bell. I seemed to remember getting an e-mail regarding purchasing reprint rights to an article I'd written--but I couldn't recall any details about that. So, I started flipping through the table of contents to see if my name was there. Instead, I saw an impressive list of writers in this anthology: Robert Frost, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Flannery O'Connor, Maya Angelou, George Orwell, Khaled Hosseini, Henry David Thoureau, and some guy named Shakespeare. At this point, I felt arrogant and silly for looking for my own byline among these names.

But just as I decided to give up, I saw my name. In a chapter on Comparison/Contrast, I discovered an Ignite Your Faith article I wrote comparing the afterlife as seen on TV with that of the biblical view.

Here is some information from the book's back cover:

"For over thirty years, Readings for Writers has been the preeminent rhetorical reader for the freshman composition course. This best-seller continues its tradition of providing the most comprehensive coverage of writing, while also offering the greatest reading selections of any rhetorical reader on the market. With more than 100 selections from a broad range of topics and genres, this text offers something to spark excitement in any writer. ... This edition features 16 new readings from a diverse mix of veteran writers and fresh new voices. [The new material includes] two new Issues for Critical Thinking and Debate that should jumpstart a vigorous debate that stimulates writing."

It is one of these new "Issues for Critical Thinking and Debate" sections that includes my article. The issue explored is "The Existence of Heaven" and my article is used as one of two essays for discussion. The two pieces are set up as opposite sides of the debate. The intro reads, "The two writers who try to deal with the subject here both touch on the humorous in their approach. ... Smith declares that heaven will in all likelihood be a boring place where people sit around with nothing to do. ... However, the companion article by Hertz, while reviewing [the portrayal of heaven and hell on The Simpsons], ends with a focus on heaven as a real place of everlasting fulfillment, where God is the permanent host."

I finally can say that I co-authored a book with George Orwell and William Shakespeare!

Well, sort of.

The Second Era Begins

My dad called me at work again today. When I saw it was him, I knew what it must be: Scott Podsednik is returning to the pale hose. Dad heard a report on the radio that Pods, my 2005 favorite, will be a Chicago White Sock for tomorrow's game in Texas. I wondered if that was coming with yesterday's injury to Brian Anderson. (He'd been signed to a minor league contract since Dwanye Wise got hurt shortly after the season started.)

I'm not sure how this is gonna go. He's excited. And I am guardedly so. I'm going to a game next Thursday, so I hope he's still in the big leagues by then!