Home Sweet Home ;)

Hey.

This is it, my last blog of "Grass Tales". What a time its been to write for all of you and to know (for the most part) that you read it! :) I guess I'll start with my last day at the park.

Everything went as planned and was beautiful outside, up till game time. During pre-game clouds came out of no where and we were suddenly in the sites of 2 storms coming from the North and West. It was only a matter of time before it hit. The night before, a player from each team got hit by a pitch. Last night, the Sox pitcher hits a player with a pitch (Cabrera) and then the tigers retaliated, if you will, with a little chin music to Victor Martinez. The very next pitch hit Kevin Youkilis square in the back. Youkilis charged the mound before you could say Bobs your uncle, throwing his helmet and eventually being taken to the ground by the Tigers pitcher. Dugouts and bullpens cleared, creating a massive mob along the 1st base side. Youkilis would eventually get thrown out, followed by the pitcher, as well as Terry Francona. Mike Lowell would then replaced Youkilis, hitting 2 home runs, to help the Sox pull off a victory!! In the 7th inning the rain came pouring down, and we were called out to the field. One last time, I got to roll the tarp out!! We got it on and sat in the Red Sox dugout and waited for it to pass. About 45 minutes later, we were told to start pulling pins and to get lined up to pull it off. To give you an idea of the rush that went through me, think about this. Have you ever imagined running out of a tunnel at a basketball game, or a dugout, as a player and hearing the crowd erupt into cheers? Well, I got to have that feeling last night. As all 25-30 of us ran out of the dugout, all I could hear were cheers. As I ran to the end of the tarp to line up, "Good Vibrations" played loudly over the speakers. Its our tarp pulling song. It gets us pumped up. And its awesome. We got the Ok and ran our hearts out and got that tarp off. 10 minutes later, we were playing ball again. The game ended around 12, with Papelbon closing it out. Even Heidi (the beautiful NESN reporter) came down to the alley and sat next to me. What more could I ask for for my last night at Fenway! Classic.

Both of my plane rides went smooth and I met my dad at the airport around 2:30 or so. We went to WENDYS for a late lunch and then drove home to Jeff City. I had a nice "Welcome Home" sign made by my little brother, Will and his gf Celina. :D Ate some tacos for dinner and then went on a bike ride with my popps. Was so great to be back on my bike after 3 months of not being on it. All in all, it feels awesome to be home!

That being said I miss Fenway. I miss the crew, and the nights in the Alley. I miss Boston, and the friendships I made. However, I think it was time for me to get back to where I belong...for now. I feel like God gave me a great lesson this summer, and I hope I glorified him as best as I could! I tried at least!! I'll be back in Boston some day to visit all of the great people I became friends with. So don't you worry ;)

Stay classy Boston. Thanks for reading all summer. This is the end of Grass Tales. Perhaps I'll have more adventures ahead to share with all of you via a blog. I really hope you enjoyed it. I realize my writing is a bit...well I'll let you fill in the blank. I enjoyed writing for you and we'll talk again real soon. Goodnight. Adios. Auf Weidersehen.

watching who else buuuut....the Cardinals :) ,

Phil

Last Full Day In Boston

Hey.

SO, as the title suggests, it is indeed my last full day here. I honestly don't really know what to think about it. I'm excited to go home, but as the last 24 hours have gone by, I'm starting to realize that I'm going to miss it!

Yesterday was a pretty regular day. I finished up my packing, decided what I was going to take home, and what to leave. I didn't have much room in my suitcases coming out here to begin with, and with the purchases I made while here, it hasn't been easy packing it all up. Not to mention my sox uniform and jacket. It was pretty hot yesterday, around 90, so I didn't walk to too many places. I know its been 90 in Missouri since May!! Don't worry, I'm prepared to experience it again tomorrow. I went into work yesterday at 5. It was a nice night, and even better because It was supposed to rain. Buuut, it never did! During pregame my boss came up to me and said a few parting words which was nice to hear! He said he wanted me to come back for the playoffs and that he would LOVE to have me back next year! Thats good news right? As for right now, I couldn't give him an answer. I have no clue what my situation will be then, only time will tell :). During the game we always have visitors, mostly friends of the local guys that work with me. In the 6th inning I hear my name, and see people waving for me to come down to the end of the ally. There stood 3 faces that I didn't know!! Ahh, I was like "who are these people, I don't know them..." Come to find out it was a friend of my Aunt Liz's and her daughter and friend. They live in Massachusetts and came in for last nights game. I got a picture with them, chit chatted, and off they went. We did our usual post game duties, and then put the tarp on the field, just in case it rained. I don't think it did though.

This morning I woke up and walked to the Charles River, one of my favorite places here in Boston. Just sat, read my bible and thought about the summer as a whole. What I learned, how I grew up, and how I grew in my relationship with the Lord. I can say it was indeed a fun summer! One that I will never forget. I learned new things in my field, and gained a few references on my way. Got to work at "America's Most Beloved Ballpark" and prep the field for Major League Players. Worked in front of countless sold out crowds, wishing they were in my position, standing on the field at Fenway Park. Saw many firsts: Ben Affleck, Paul McCartney, Phish, Oakland A's, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays. All in all, great experience! I had fun this summer and am so grateful I got to live my dream just a little further. Who knows where the Lord will put me next, and the reasons for why he will put me there. I'm excited as ever to find out though.

While some of these won't make since to you readers (some may), they will make since to any Red Sox groundscrew member. I'm a huge fan of making lists of fun things that go on. Therefore here is a list of sayings, fun times, and inside jokes. Laugh it up Boston.

fist bumps, driscoll...edges, DRM, walking it out at game on, boodie dancing, Wes clean the track, stanchions, (insert name here) BAG OF TURFACE!!, cmon guys pull harder, shut up you...., the rich run, BK Lounge, smashing a burger/chicken sandwhich in 3 bites, pop tarts, huh?, dooooor!, get out the wayyyy, i'm all set, perrrrfect!, play ball! i just wanna play...., heres your lawn tip of the day, dermatologist, pebbles, 1,2,3,4 uno dos tres cuatro, butt smoker, pink, itchy sunburns, mice, the cask, BBG 2.50 burgers, why are we talking like thissss, we're right on the cusp, dip, cobbler flavored dip (no worries I never did it), DRM fist bumps, high fives from big papi in the runway, pulling a tarp over a flooded infied, good vibrations, schmee, subway cookies, home improvement, cash cab, trivial pursuit, heidi, tonights the night--we clean the track, dirty water, papps entrance, Wally, Gentleman.....couple things!, Jacoby Ellllllllsburrry, Grab a scrapper, see me after its folded, pauls pirañas, jesse you look like you just got hit by a train, uneven crew room, small lockers, cutting the grass...by hand, dead people on the field (their ashes), pirates, this is great, oki oki okijima, getting to the Yaz gate without your name being yelled, painting Fenway Green onto a pad, Yawkey Way, bluntman, Phil (File). --2 names given to me this summer. bluntman because they thought I was so quiet because I was high all the time, File--I have no idea why---it caught on more. Oh and Philly Mo Pena by Drew Rountree.

Hope you enjoyed the List and perhaps I'll explain later. Or maybe not. Thanks for reading all summer long. This may or may not be the last blog entry. Not too much to write about tomorrow, maybe about my last game. Ya I'll do that. So you have one more to look forward to!

See some of you, very very soon.

writing from the iMac i wrote on my first day I was here,

Phil

The Final Days

Hey.

Saturday was a pretty easy day. We went to work at 7am and pretty much got the field ready for batting practice and other things ready for the game. We had a bite to eat and then before we knew it we were setting up for one of the games at 12. The first game went by fairly fast, ended up being an average length game. After the completion of that one, we prepped the field, and patched holes for the 2nd game of the double header. We only had 45 minutes to do it, so we had to be pretty quick. All in all, a good long day!

I have today off and don't go into work Monday or Tuesday until 5. Tuesday will be my last day at work, and last game at Fenway Park. Bittersweet feelings I suppose. Definitely ready to be home with everyone again!

Thats all for today, hope your Sundays were so great! Miss you all, and can't wait to see you so very soon.

will be slip n sliding in 7 short days,

Phil

Yes Sir

Hey.

Listen. Last night I was fortunate enough to get to attend the Paul McCartney concert at Fenway Park. Not only did I attend, but I got paid to attend. Funny thing was, the people who had seats that were about 10 feet from me apparently paid around $200 for them. Suckers.

Now. Im not a huge McCartney fan, nor am I a huge Beatle fan. But, I listen to them and for sure appreciate their tunes. Im a fan, just not a super fan. If you recall, I saw Sir Paul perform live in New York a few weeks ago. He was good then, but better last night. The stage was huge, bigger than the one for DMB and Phish. It had 2 massive video screens that ran the height of the stage and another longer one located behind the band that ran the length of the stage. Around 7:50, here comes Sir Paul, dressed in blue dress pants, the same longsleeve pink shirt that he wore in New York, and a blue pea coat. Why in the heck was he wearing a pea coat? I don't have a clue. But he was, and he looked very....well, English, if you will. Thanks to the video screens I was able to see his facial expressions and see him play and sing much closer. While I listened to him play I couldn't help but think to myself, "wow, I'm really witnessing one of the Beatles play right in front of me." A member of one of the most popular bands in all of music, a man who has had girls yell at the top of their lungs because of the sweet sound of Hey Jude, or I Want to Hold Your Hand, was performing just 50 yards in front of me. What! It was amazing to see him say "lets give it up for my friend John" (John Lennon) and watching all of Fenway give him a standing ovation. Incredible.

Paul played his bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, yuka laylee, and piano. Most definitely a talented man. There were fireworks, pyrotechnics and lots of crazy lights. He played 2 encores, and then said goodbye to Boston in the midst of pounds of confetti being shot off the stage. Confetti=cool. Confetti and working on the grounds crew=not cool. It was a pain in the butt cleaning it all up today, as well as some last night.

Today we had to get the field back into baseball playing shape. Not an easy task. Started off by blowing the whole outfield 3 times with backpack blowers to stand the grass blades back up, as they were matted down by the Terra Plas flooring from the concert. After that I spent most of the day just cleaning up around the field and putting things back into order. It seemed like it was a 20 hour work day, but I was just there from 7-7:30.

Tomorrow we have the double header at the park for the "Futures at Fenway". Should be a long day again, but less strenuous. :) I'm off Sunday, and then back to work the games on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday will be my last game/day at work. Sad day.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

won't ever look at a piece of confetti the same,

Phil

Hey.

Yesterday, I had the day off. I worked out in the morning and then walked around a bit in the afternoon. I hung out with some friends last night and walked around Fenway. It was nice to hear Paul McCartney as background music as we walked around the city. Almost spoiled really... I worked on some assignments for my internship and actually got pretty far on part of it. Stayed up semi late talking with friends and just hanging out.

I work the 2nd concert tonight at 4:30. Hopefully I'll get a descent spot to stand where I'll be able to see the stage and watch Paul perform. I like the Beatles, therefore I like Paul. It will be fun to see him and definitely a unique experience. Tomorrow I'll work at 7am as we'll try to put Fenway Park back into a baseball field and not a amphitheater. Saturday will be my last day and then its get ready to go home. Lots of packing and figuring out to do with the stuff I won't bring back that I NEEDED to buy. Should be interesting.

Safe travels to all my project friends who come home today or soon! Hope your summers were great :) Can't wait to see all of you real real soon!

is so tired of living in a dorm room,

Phil

Hey.

So yesterday was a relatively easy day for me. Well, except for the fact that I had to dig a trench in the warning track. Most people think the warning track is soft and a not so bad landing spot when diving for a ball. False. In my opinion its the hardest surface on the field. So yea, I had to dig this trench for a big cable that ran to a soundboard for the concert. I had to do it in May as well, but it was raining then. After I finished that I started watering the outfield grass. Since there is a massive stage in center field, we can't really turn the irrigation system on. That means we have to do it all by hand. I did that for about 45 minutes. After that I did another small job and then was out of there for the day. I got home and still had energy so I went for a run. It was my first run here in Boston and in my Boston Marathon Shoes. I won't lie, I definitely could've ran 26 miles in them.

After that I had lunch and took it easy the rest of the day. Went to Boston Beer Garden for $2.50 burgers and a couple cold ones. We watched a few innings of the game, and then headed back for the night. I tried to get my flight changed to Monday as I won't be in work Monday or Tuesday before I leave. Buuuuut, its going to be way expensive. SO I'll be leaving her Wednesday. I have 3 days left of work, one of those being standing around and watching Paul McCartney perform at Fenway.

Happy Hump day! Happy 21st to Sarah Simon, Yesterday. :D

anxious to see how much money 74 hrs will make me,

Phil

Hey.

I had another day off today, which was greaaat! I woke up and worked out this morning. After that I took a shower after I cooled off a bit. Headed to my favorite place, the Apple store and got a protective film for my phone. They are just SO friendly there, I swear. It doesn't surprise me though--its Apple. :D After that I came home and read for most of the afternoon. I made a much needed, but small trip to the supermarket. I didn't want to buy too much, but enough to hold me over till next Wednesday. I think I should be good? We'll see. Our internet was out most of the day for some reason. Foolish. Ended up eating dinner here and then went out for ice cream with the giiirrls and Wes. Was a great night here in Boston! Windy, with a bit of a chill in the air. :)

Saw that silly turkey again today. It was making noises outside my window. I looked out there about 20 mins later and I saw a man carrying around a big net. I suppose he was looking to catch him a turkey. Bahaha. Its back to work tomorrow for a day, then I have Wednesday off. Not much going on at the park with the concerts going down. I get to work the McCartney concert on Thursday, so I'll get to experience him yet again. Woot woot. After that its a bit of field maintenance and a Futures game on Saturday. After that--I call it quits. Hard to believe its almost over. I'll share more of my thoughts and feelings later on. I have lots.

Hope your dreaded MONDAYS were just so great. Keep having fun, and smile!

shark week--nuff said,

Phil

Hey.

Yesterday was a pretty boring day at the park. I stood and watch men build Paul Mcartney's stage for 3 hours. After that I picked up cores in the outfield from where we aerated. Not a very eventful day!! I know. I didn't have to work on the runway though, so that was good!! I was so tired again last night and ended up being in bed by 11:30. I guess it takes a toll on you after you work 74 hours in one week, huh? Good money though.

I have the next two days off so that will be good. I have nothing planned, so I guess I'll just go with the flow. After that I only have 4 more days left at the park. Then I leave the next Wednesday. I'll have a couple days to get everything packed and do whatever else before I go home.

Hope your weekends are going well! Miss all of you guys a lot. It will be soon though, it will be soon :)

keeps having dreams about either going to a Cardinals game or working there,

Phil

Dirty Job

Hey.

Hows everyone? Great I hope.

Today work started at 7am for me. There was an event at Fenway today which consisted of older men dressed in Red Sox jerseys playing ball on the field. There were supposed to be 4 games, but we only got 2.5 in. It started pouring halfway through the 3rd game. As that event wrapped up, the stage people for the concert next week began coming in the park. This was no unfamiliar site for any of us groundscrew workers. They did they exact same as before and began setting up the huge stage in center field. While they did that 3 other guys and myself were assigned to clean the runway that runs from the visitors dugout to the visitors clubhouse. Here is where my title comes into play. Its just a normal concrete walkway but then there are wooden pallets with red carpet on top of them. We had to remove the carpet, pull up the wooden pallets and sweep and pick up all the trash, mud, water any person could ever want. Oh, talk about the nastiest smelling hallway on the face of this earth. Seriously. I think I vommed in my mouth a few times. Sick. We ended up unclogging the drains, and allowing all the water to be drained out of the runway. We flooded the 3 drains with good smelling liquids and then left the boards up for the night to let it air out a bit. If I had to guess, I would say I'll be putting everything back in order tomorrow. Hooray!

So yea, work tomorrow at 7:30. This will be my 14th straight day at Fenway. Going in no later then 9am each day. I can't wait till Sunday to sleep in. Woooohooooo!

Alright. I'll catch you guys later. Enjoy your weekend and tell whoever that I say hi. (Whatever that means)

first their sour--then their sweet,

Phil

Hey.

Sorry.

Wednesday. Went in at 8 and started out erasing the 14 that we put in the outfield. This is done by doing the complete opposite we did the day before. Since the blades of grass are folded over you have to push them back the other way so they stand more straight up. This is done with blowers, rakes, brooms, water...whatever. After that I worked on the mound and did other jobs the rest of the day. We were expecting rain, but luckily it missed us once again. The Sox lost their game last night. We tarped the field right after the game as rain was supposed to come in. It didn't rain.

Today. I spent the morning cleaning the warning track which was littered with peanuts, seeds and trash. Again--rain rain. We put the tarp on just in time around 11 and immediately it started to pour! Thankfully we were able to get the tarp down in time. We ate brunch while it rained and then waited around for it to stop after that. It stopped around 12. We pulled it off and prepped the field with about 45 mins until the first pitch. The sun was out the whole game and the Sox won in comeback fashion. This WILL NOT be my last game yet. I'll have 1 or 2 more games before I leave. I thought I was gonna be off for those days but come to find out, I'm not. The Sox are out of town for the next week. We'll have lots of events, concerts, and games going on while they are on the road, so we'll keep busy--as always. Pretty tired now and am going to head for bed. Been a long week.

Week and a half till I get back. Cant wait to see you all! :)

most def sat next to a lady with hairy arm pits today at the game,

Phil

14

Hey.

Sorry I didn't update yesterday. It was another long day at the park yesterday. I had to be in early to pull the tarp off. Thankfully there wasn't too much water on it, but it was still wicked hard to pull off for some reason. The rest of they day was spent doing normal things at the park. I patched and prepped the mound for Josh Beckett. He pitched phenomenal by the way. ;) Ended up working through the game and worked 16.5 hours. Soo I went straight to bed last night after my shower. Had to be in to work today at 9. Jim Rice a former Red Sox left fielder was scheduled to have his number retired tonight at Fenway. Whenever this happens, of course, the grounds crew has to do something special! It's what we do right? Right. Since he was #14 we put the #14 in left field (where he played). I told you about the process before so I'll spare you that. But we got it all measure out and then I went to town rolling the numbers into left field. It ended up looking great! I hope Mr. Rice liked it. The picture below I took this afternoon. Beautiful right?

Got off at 3:30 today as it was pretty nice out. Rested up this afternoon and then ate dinner and went to the grocery. 2 more games and this home stand is over. Pretty bittersweet for me, as it will be my last 2 games at Fenway. I'll continue working until the 8th, but they won't be in town until the 9th or 10th.

Hope Tuesday was just as good as Monday for you all!

Aunt Joanne and Uncle Paul- Thanks for the bday card and cash!!

Bernskoetters- thank you all for the card and cash. Great to hear from you!!

2 weeks until my return to MO. Excited.

sweating just laying here as I write to all of you devoted readers,

Phil

*there it is. in left field. you can barely see it. i'll try to get a better pic.

Hey.

I had the day off yesterday which was nice. I didn't do all that much. Went shopping here and there and grabbed some lunch. Last night I ended up going out to celebrate my birthday. Went to Game On, which is located right outside Fenway. Met a few guys from work there and had a GREAT time with them all. Gosh, they are all hilarious. We had a good time dancing and making it fun for complete strangers. Good times.

Today I got called into work at 10 am and worked through the game this afternoon. I guess they were expecting rain, but it never rained a drop while I was there. :/ It was good though, to get a few hours in to start the work week. Tomorrow its back at it at 6:30 am. It will probably be a long day, and a long 4 days--as it is supposed to rain every day but Tuesday. Oh well, I have lived through many rainy days while here so I think I can handle it! Not gonna lie, I'm ready for some dry Missouri weather.

Hope everyones Sunday's were great. Thanks again to all of you for making my 22 birthday such a memorial one! Miss you all!

if you like pena coladas and hate gettin stuck in this lane,

Phil

A Fenway Birthday

Hey.

SO, as expected I spent 13 out of 24 hours at Fenway Park Yesterday for my birthday. Good news is, I have today off so I suppose I'll treat it as my birthday and run around doing whatever. It was rainy all day yesterday and we ended up getting 3 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. There was a small pound in the Sox Bullpen. No worries, when you're the best groundscrew in all of baseball, nothing is too hard for you. After 3 tarp pulls we had the field looking just fine for the game. The Sox WON! They broke their 5 game losing streak, just for me. ;) But seriously.

I left in the 5 inning and came home and got cleaned up. I was planning to go out with some of the guys from work, but they didn't go out till like 11:45 and I was pretty much asleep on my bed by then after a long 55 hour work week. It all catches up to you after awhile.

Thanks to everyone who said happy birthday to me yesterday via text, phone, and best of all facebook. It seriously feels like a present to me every time someone says happy birthday on facebook. Its like one huge gift in it of itself!!

Hope you all have a great day and I'll talk to you soon.

Holliday is already lighting it up,

Phil

Rainy--But Good.

Hey.

Went to the park today at 7:30. Me and another guy headed to the bullpens and prepped them and cleaned the bathrooms in them. You can spend a lot of time out there and really make them look good, and thats what we did. By the time we were done with that we did a little work on the infield and then cleaned up out back until lunch time. After lunch we sort of piddled some more before setting up for batting practice. Tonight we had the Cape Cod League All Star Game at Fenway Park. The league is considered to be the top college summer league in the nation and recruits some of the best ballplayers. Lucky for me, there WAS 1 Missouri State player there tonight. Aaron Meade, a pitcher, made the All Star team. They had a Hr Derby before the game which was kind of fun and then played. It rained all through the home run derby and up until the bottom of the 5th, when we were instructed to pull the tarp out. The delay only lasted about 10 minutes before they called it off completely. We'll go in tomorrow and get the field in tip top shape before the Sox play tomorrow night. As for now, the weather looks clear (cloudy) after 10am and hopefully will stay that way through the weekend. I get to spend my birthday at Fenway Park! How awesome, right? Yea, I'll be working, but will still be counting my blessings tomorrow, as not too many 22 year olds get to spend their 22nd birthday working for a professional ball team. :)

With that being said, and I've said before, I couldn't do it with out Christ. He's lead me here and I've trusted him all summer that he's had me here for a reason! Its been great thus far! And to you, my family and friends, without your encouragement on a daily bases I would NEVER be where I am today. To think you care so much about my life and career path gives me chills. So awesome! So thanks :D

As I write you this blog, I am enjoying some homemade sugar cookies with red icing from my mother, and chocolate chip too. I'll share them with the crew members tomorrow, I'm sure they'll love it.

Just a few shout outs, as a few of you were early--so you get a shout out. :)

Mom and Dad-thanks for the awesome card, and cookies

Will-your card was epic, and made me tear up. Love you brother.

Paula and Tom- best Godparents a kid could ask for. Thanks, and great job on the timing! ;)

Jill- love iTunes cards, as well as Juno. One of my favorite quotes from the movie actually :)

A Mary Kay and U Harry- loved the snoopy card! Thanks again for the Apple Cards and DD Card!

Clevers- It doesnt matter if I get the same snoopy cards. What matters is, that they're still making them. Thanks!!

Summers- Thanks so much for thinking about me on my Bday! Love you guys a lot!!

Fadels-thanks again for the moneys and card! :D

I think thats all. Sorry if I missed you. :/ I will eat a few more cookies, and then head to bed. Wish I could spend my bday with all of you tomorrow. I'll be thinking about you though! Thanks again for always putting a smile on my face :)

supposed to get 2.5 inches of rain tonight...yikes,

Phil

And Here We Go Again

Hey.

Went in this morning again. We laid Sod in left field, and behind and in front of the pitchers mound. It will most likely stick out like a sore thumb, but at least there is grass and not soil. We also were setting up for softball games as well as trying to get the infield skin dry. Tomorrow we have the Cape Cod all star game at the park. It starts at 7. I wish it would start in the afternoon, as we are supposed to have rain tomorrow night. Bummer! They tell me that it will most likely be a long day at the park.

This next home stand will be my last one for the season, before returning back to Missouri. Its a bittersweet feeling really. I'm gonna miss major league baseball, but I feel like (so far) i've given it all I've got and have no regrets. On the other hand, I'm excited as ever to return to Missouri and to see family and friends that I haven't seen in 3 months!

Thats all I've got for today. Sorry if these have been boring lately. Just not a whole lot going on!

-Happy Birthday to my little brother, Will. He turns 17 today. Gosh, hard to believe he's that old already. Seems like just yesterday he was drooling all over his shirt. ;)

Chris Duncan is now a part of the Red Sox farm system...wow,

Phil