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

Short Day

Hey.

Ha. Went to work today and found out it was going to be a short day. We usually don't know our end times, but today we kind of did. All we did was unload some sod, cut a few pieces and then cleaned up the mess we made. I was out of the park at 11:00. After that I took a much needed nap and posed as a vegetable for the rest of the rainy day here in Boston. Tonight I went to a bar with a few guys from work and got a burger for 2.50. Pretty balln. It was good to hang out with those guys and converse somewhere besides work!

That was that. Hope you all had a great Tuesday. Its back in tomorrow at 7. Not sure whats in store for tomorrow, but its liable to be a great day at the ballpark! (what day isn't great?) :D

Awesome. Keep having great weeks and I'll talk to you later.

wishes he could be home for his lil bros bday,

Phil

Wicked.

Hey.

Went to work today at 6:30 again. Today we pulled cores in the infield and in foul territory. For those of you unaware of this process I'll explain for you. We have a piece of machinery that goes around and pokes holes in the turf at a pretty fast speed. Depending on the type of tines you use you will just poke holes or you will pull a core of soil/sand up as you go. This process loosens up the turf as it gets compacted with the amount of play that goes on. It also allows for better soaking up of water and nutrients needed. After the holes are poke we went around with blowers and blew all of the cores onto the warning track to get them off the turf. There were a few guys who raked those all together and picked them up and took them to the dump. After that we top-dressed with sand and then mowed and watered the areas of grass. The same was done in the outfield except cores were not pulled, therefore we didn't have to blow and pick them up!

There are spots, like the bullpens and around sprinkler heads and valves where the aerator can't go. When this happens we have to poke holes by hand. Not a hard job, just a slow and tedious job. When that was done we were dismissed and I went home. After a semi long day at the park, and a nice work out I took a nap. :D

It's "wicked" stuffy and humid in our room right now, but feels great outside. Frustrating because It takes me at least an hour to fall asleep when its like this. I guess I can't complain though, it could've been like this all year long. Im grateful. My sunburn has turned to a tan with lots of spots where its peeling. All that pain for nothing, I tell you what. :-/ "Wicked" is a term I've adopted from the New Englanders. Basically, its just another word for "really". Instead of "Hey its really hot in here!" it would be, "Hey its wicked hot in here!" Cool right? Shut up.

Ha. Awesome. Hope you guys had a sweet Monday. Mine was pretty good I suppose. Continue to have a good week!! I'll try, if you do.

peeling like Gold Member on Austin Powers,

Phil

Jimmmmmmy

Hey.

Went to work today at 6:30 am. Hoooraay! Ha, it was good though to get back to work. Felt like it had been months since I'd been there. I prepped the plate first hand and then shortly after we set up for a fundraiser that the Sox were hosting today. Jimmy Fund is an organization that raises money to support cancer research. Over the years, they have raised a whole lot of money. They've been doing an event at Fenway Park called "Fantasy Day". It consists of "teams" that sign up and pay/raise money to hit batting practice and shag balls at Fenway Park. Apparently it runs someone around $1300 to hit! Crazy because they started at 9:00 and didn't end till 5:00. People batted the WHOLE time too. Crazy, but awesome really! It was fun to see people cheer for some of the child cancer patients and how important they made them feel! Happy hearts all around. :)

I ended up working an 11 hour day which was sweet. Other than that, that was my day. Hope you're Sunday's were awesome. Get excited for a new week! Does anyone else find themselves wishing it was the weekend again just about every Sunday night? No? Yes? I do. :D

Great. Have a splendid week everyone. Stay cool. And classy too.

5 Days till I am 22,

Phil

It's Heating Up

Hey.

SO....I was supposed to work today. Got a call from my boss last night saying it was gonna rain last night and tomorrow morning and that they wouldn't need anyone for today. It ended up being sunny all day. Haha. SO I will go back to work tomorrow, bright and early at 6:30. Its been getting warmer and warmer here the past few days. I don't mind that. What I do mind is the lack of ac in my room. :/ Oh well. Last night I went to see Harry Potter 6. My roomate is gone for the weekend (he doesn't like hp anyways) so I went by myself. I didn't mind it at all, actually. Its always nice to do things alone. I think, anyways.

So today I woke up around 10 and laid around until lunch time. Watch a movie on TV and then ate a sandwich for lunch. I worked out and then took a shower. I did a load of laundry and then read the rest of the afternoon. My friend Laura brought me in a homemade birthday card (Apple themed). She is leaving for Aruba tomorrow so she wont be in town for my bday. Speaking of that...I turn 22 on FRIDAY. Getting old. Sheesh.

That was the extent of my day. Hope you all had a splendid Saturday. 3 more weeks and I'll be back. Sorry if I keep saying that. Im excited to see all of your faces again, thats all. Awesome.

thank you God for aloe vera,

Phil

Newww York.

Hey.

First. Sorry for not updating yesterday. We got back around 7 or 8 and after a shower and having the itchiest body on the face of this earth, I was in no mood to write. Itchy because of a sunburn--my own fault really. Ok--New York.

We left on a bus at 7:30 on Wednesday morning. I was pretty tired and fell asleep for awhile on the bus. Before I knew it (3 1/2 hours later) we were driving through the Bronx. Wasn't able to see a 2 billion dollar Yankee Stadium from the high way, but wanted to. There it was, New York City. A skyline you see in 1 out of every 4 movies, was right there in front of me. And then it happened. We were just dropped off right in the middle of the biggest city in the US not having a clue where the heck anything was or where to go. A bit of an uneasy feeling, I must say. We saw the Empire State Building as we drove in, so we decided to go there. We didn't go up, but did see where Buddy the Elf tries to get passed the guards with his present for his dad. Awesome. Weren't able to light up the elevator lights like a christmas tree though--darn. After that we walked around a bit, looking for time square. Ended up eating lunch with one of Wes' friends and she gave us the low down on where to go, and how to get there. While eating Lunch, a man came over to me with a copy of "The Onion" (a small newspaper). He just handed it to me, so I took it. Then he holds his hand out...apparently wanted some money. So I give the paper back to him, still holds his hand out. Then says, "if you didn't want it, then why did you take one?" Not in that good of English, but thats besides the point. We just walked away quickly after that. :-/

After lunch we checked out Time Square and took some pics. Went into the M&M and Hershey's Store. Pretty neat---I guess? After that we ran into the Rockefeller Center, NBC Studios, and Fox News. Again, pretty fun to see those places. I'm a huge Letterman fan, therefore I wanted to see the Studio. So we followed our precious iPhones around and found it. Funny that Sir Paul McCartney would be playing on the roof of the Studio and would appear on the show that night. Thousands of people gathered around waiting for him to play. We arrived as he was doing his sound checks, so we waited around for a couple of hours until he performed live for us. A Beetle? Paul McCartney was returning to the Ed Sullivan Theatre for just the 2nd time in his life, and I was there!?? Pretty neat. Oh and I got to see Dave too. He came out for a short 10 seconds or so. There was a little boy standing near us that was just enthralled with cars. He even had Car Crocs. Anyways, he yelled at the top of his lungs to just about every car, "GOOO CARR!" for nearly 2 hours straight. I took a video of it.

After the mini concert we headed back with Wes' friends and got pizza for dinner and then walked around a bit more that night. We got dessert at Yogurt Land, quite possibly the best establishment in New York. Its a self serve frozen yogurt place with an endless amount of toppings. The best part is--its cheep! They charge you per ounce! I got cookies n cream, strawberry with fresh strawberries and gummi bears. EXCELLENT! We stayed the night in Wes' friends appartment. They live with a few boys who just totally destroy the place. Nut House boys, this place made our house look pristine!! I slept on an air mattress and woke up sunk down in it laying on the floor haha. Oh well.

Yesterday we woke up and went to Ground Zero. It was pretty neat yet sad. No memorial or anything yet, just a big hole with lots of cranes and men working hard. After that we walked along the water and were able to see the Statue of Liberty from a far. Pretty big. The subway system in NYC is ridiculous. It is soooo big and confusing. It makes Bostons "T" seem like a walk in the park.

We ate lunch shortly after and then boarded our bus back home to Boston. I liked New York alright. Having only a day and a half we had to rush around everywhere and weren't able to really take it in too much. Its definitely a big city, and one I'd never want to live in. The people aren't real friendly and just stick to their business. But where would this country be without NYC? So I guess I'm grateful for it. I guess. :)

Tomorrow I head back to work. I know, on a Saturday?? It will be good to get back into a routine again as I finish my time here in Boston. I have 3 more weeks before I head back to good ole Missouri. I'm excited to see everyone again, but know that I will miss Boston. Perhaps I'll be back.

Going to relax today, as I have been this way and that almost every day I've been off. Hope you guys are doing great. Keep an eye on facebook as I will post new pics and videos from New York.

loved seeing the bus full of Macs, iPods, and iPhones yesterday,

Phil

Criiiiiispay.

Hey.

Sooo woke up this morning and got a text from a fellow coworker saying he was headed to the beach for the day. Summer time. Beaches. Heck yes. So I went. Not your normal beach though, you Florida, California beach goers. This one didn't have too many people and was full of beach debris. Oh, not to mention the water was ice cold. That didn't stop me from taking a plunge though. Only one though. I got a bit sunburnt but ohhhh well. Hopefully I evened out my farmers tan a bit.

Thats about all I did today. Tomorrow morning we're heading to NYC till Thursday. Should be a fun time. If I don't update tomorrow, I'll surely do it Thursday. Deal? Deal. Hope you all are enjoying the All Star game. Go NL. Go Albert. Go Cards.

loves the new "grounds crew" holiday inn commercial,

Phil

A Deserving Baseball City

Hey.

I woke up this morning and did a few things around the room. Wes went out with a few of his friends from LSU. I went and worked out, showered and then got some pizza from "The Upper Crust" a great establishment. After, I went to Barnes and Noble nearby to check to see if there were any new books out. Of course there were. There are always new books out. Choosing a book is a tough thing though. You know, you're always told, "don't judge a book by its cover". However, for me and my books, if it doesn't have a cool, attractive cover I won't give it the time of day. I didn't buy a book because I knew nothing about any of them. Bummer.

After that I came back and worked on my computer a bit. I had been having trouble with my email program on my computer since May. Today, I FINALLY got it working. I was ridiculously excited about it too. We watched the homerun derby tonight which was fun. Gosh, I love that stadium. Ya its fun to work at an old historic ball park, but for me and my heart---it doesn't get any better than Busch Stadium. Once a Cardinals Fan, always a Cardinals Fan! Too bad Pujols didn't do better. However, I'd rather him lose the Hr derby, and do amazing the rest of the year and win a world series for us. Agreed? I actually spotted my 2 bosses from Springfield on the field tonight in Saint Louis. It was a freak thing and I just noticed/recognized how one of them was walking (Derek). Then I look again, and there was my boss Brock walking in the infield at the end of the Derby. Crazy stuff.

Hopefully the majority of you saw the field! It looks, perfect. The arch and old court house building were done to perfection. What else would anyone expect? Hopefully one day I'll be able to experience an All Star game, maybe one even in Saint Louis. :)

jealous of matt, anthony, u. richard, u. harry, derek and brock,

Phil

IDK--The Newest Ice Cream Place In Town. ;)

Hey.

First. I apologize for not writing the past 2 days. With my family being in town I haven't had much time to get on my computer and update you guys. I figured their only here for 4 days so I should probably spend it with them. With that being said, I had an amazing time with them. I'll start where I left off on Friday.

Friday as soon as I finished writing you all I got dressed and went with my brother, Sam and his wife, Kara to Dunkin Donuts! We all got 2 donuts and a coffee. After that we walked a little ways before catching a cab to the Prudential Center where we met my Aunt Mary Kay and Jill in a store. After shopping there for awhile we parted ways and headed to a few other stores. We met up with the rest of the gang and headed to Quincy Market for lunch and more shopping. There were lots of performers outside as it was a GORGEOUS day in Boston, yet again! We walked a little further to what I think was the harbor. I don't want to say something and then be wrong. We took in the view as well as snapped some photos. After that we decided to go to the New England Aquarium and check out the many fish, turtles, and other sea life on hand. We were all getting tired after that so we went to a Mexican restaurant and had a snack and beer. We took the T back to where the hotel shuttle picks us up and waited for roughly 30 minutes. Meaning, they were 30 minutes late. While waiting a man on a motorized wheel cheer approached all of us (think he was a bit tipsy) and talked to us all in a mumbling voice that only he could understand. He did tell my mom to take her sunglasses off so he could see her eyes better. She passed. The shuttle finally arrived and we packed in the back like a bunch of sardines. But oh no, we didn't go straight home. We went ALL the way back to the North End and circled there before returning to the hotel. It was funny. Not fun. We ate at the restaurant connected to our hotel and then watched the end of the Sox game. That was Friday.

Yesterday (Saturday) we woke up early and caught the T to Cambridge. When we got there we decided to take a tour of Harvard. Or "Hahvahd" as some call it. It was really neat to see the school and where so many smart, famous people went/still go there. I was impressed. After the Harvard tour we headed on another T to the JFK Memorial Library and Museum. There we ate at the cafe inside and then took the tour of the Library. There were lots of neat things inside there. When we finished there we headed back to our Hotel and got changed for dinner. We went to eat at a place called Atlantic Fish. It was GRRRRREAT! Very nice place, and I think everyone enjoyed their meals. I got an early b-day cake as well as a sweet Pop Up book of Fenway Park. I like it. After that I realized I didn't have to go to work so I went to a bar with Sam, Kara, Peter and Danielle and watched a bit of the game. It was fun to catch up with them! After that we all went our separate ways and went to sleep for the night. That was Saturday.

We woke up wicked early this morning and I said bye to everyone. It was like round two of this whole "saying goodbye" thing. Not a fun thing, but a necessary thing. I took a cab home and went back to sleep. :) I didn't sleep too late because I wanted to get a few things done today. Went to the grocery store and bought some food for the week. Got ALL my laundry done (even my sheets, Mom). Posted all the pictures we took from this weekend on my computer and Facebook--check them out! Got my email to work on my phone, but still can't send emails--lame!! All-in-all, it was a great day! Wes is out with a lady friend tonight, so not sure what I will do. ;)

Get excited for the All Star game and Festivities that started today. Apparently they're getting lots of rain though :/ thats not good. The field looks good, I hear. Rumor has it that they rolled a big Arch and Old Court House building into the outfield. Siiiiiiiick!! I'm enthralled, can you tell?

Family--I miss you already. Can't wait to see you again in a month!!

idk,

Phil

Alllllright Little Quackers

Hey.

Sorry I haven't updated for the past day or so. My family has been in town and I have been with them at their hotel and haven't had much access to a computer. I'll start with Wednesday night. I went in for the game because they were expecting rain. After the game I called the family and took a cab to their hotel. My dad said he would pay for the cab and almost paid a complete stranger, as he thought it was me in there. When I finally pulled up he and my mom came running out and my dad paid. It was so great to see them after 2 months!! My little brother, aunt, uncle, and cousin also met me in the lobby of the hotel. Shortly after that we went to bed.

The next day we walked to my dorm room at Emmanuel and I showed them a bit around there. I picked up some clothes and then we headed towards my place of work, Fenway Park. It was so fun to see their reaction to the park, as it is with every single person who walks down Yawkey Way. We went to the team store, and the family seriously stalked up on Red Sox attire. Good thing I get 50% off, huh? Shortly after that we walked to the Prudential Center and got a bite to eat. When finished we headed to our "Boston Duck Tour". Something similar to "Ride the Ducks" at Branson and the Lake of the Ozarks. It was fun to get a tour of Boston and see new things! The driver/tourguide was really funny too.

Afterwards we all headed to one of my favorite places in the world, The Apple Store. There I was surprised by my parents giving me an iPhone 3Gs for my Birthday. What!!!!? Pretty excited about that. :) That took kind of a long time, so we all parted ways after that until the game. I went to work at 5:3o. I was actually a bit nervous this game. I can work in front of 40,000 fans any day, but working in front of 10 family members you really do get butterflies in your stomach. They got to see a great game though! Lots of runs, a few home runs and a Royals win. Either way it was a win win situation for them. They took a lot of pictures that I will probably add to facebook. It takes a long time to add them to this thing. I'll add a few though. :)

My parents just left to take my brother Will back to the airport. He has to fly back today in order to make it back for a soccer showcase in Stl all weekend. Good luck buddy! I'm not sure what else is on the agenda for the day. I have the full day off so it should be fun! I'm excited.

So, thats an update of the past few days. Hope you all are doing great. We're having great weather here right now. :)

hop up out of beeeeeeeed turn my swaaag on,

Phil

FAMILLLAAAY

Hey.

Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was tired from yet another 15 hour day. Getting used to it by now though :) It was rainy/cloudy all day. We put the tarp on bright and early when we got there and took it on and off 2-3 more times to try and get things finished for the game. Team USA came to Fenway yesterday to take a batting practice. They were supposed to do it at 9:30 and be out of there by 2. Due to the weather, they weren't able to get on the field until about 12:45 and only hit for about 25 minutes. After that, we put the tarp on and left it on until game time. It rained quite a bit, but then seized just before the game. Pretty crazy how it ALWAYS does this. The rain held off until the top of the 9th when Jonathon Papelbon came in to get the save for the sox. When the final out was recorded we all ran onto the field (all 30 of us) and rolled the tarp out, and put it on. That was the end of the day.

My family (Mom, Dad, Brothers, Sister in Law, Bros gf, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin) will arrive in Boston this evening. They will stay until Sunday. I'm really really excited to see them, as it has been 2 months since I left. I'm supposed to go in to work tonight to help out b/c there is chance for rain. Hopefully it won't though. After that I'm gonna head over to their hotel and meet up with them. They are going to the game tomorrow vs the Royals, and I'm really excited for them to see a game at Fenway. :)

Thats all for today. I'll keep you posted with Family happenings and pictures too.

just keeps raining just keeps raining,

Phil

Grrrrrrrrreat Weather

Hey.

I went to work today at 8:00. I worked on home plate and the mound and patched both of them. After that me and another guy worked on the bullpens. Pretty much did the same thing as what we did to the main mound. We cleaned them both up real nice. After that I broke for lunch. After lunch I just did small jobs the rest of the day. Our boss wanted me and another guy to do the mound AGAIN. John Smoltz was pitching for his first time ever at Fenway, so I guess he wanted it to be perfect. Oh, and it was. However, he's pitching pretty awful right now, not my fault--promise.

That was my day. Go in early again tomorrow before having the days off the next 4-5 days for time with my family! 2 days till they get here. Exciting!

Hope Monday was great.

jacoby ellllllllllsburrrry,

Phil

Marky Mark

Hey.

After a nice morning of sleeping in I went to work at 11. Game time was 1:35 and with batting practice already set up and the players hitting, there wasn't much to do. After the field was ready, I headed back to the crew room and cleaned it and washed the bases. Washing the bases is a new thing for me this summer. Last summer we just spray painted them after every game. I guess it makes sense to wash them here though. With a looser budget you can afford new bases every other game. We had one set of bases for BP and one set for the games last year. Mark Wahlberg threw out a TERRIBLE first pitch. The left handed actor through it wide left of Dustin Pedroia and quickly asked for a 2nd try. He did a bit better the 2nd time. The Sox won today with a big 7th inning comeback. It was a good game. Afterwards we set up for "Picnic in the Park". People pay an arm and a leg (close to 600 a ticket) to come on to the field and eat food, listen to music and play on the outfield grass of Fenway. Lots o Rich folk. After that our day was over and we headed back home.

We saw the fireworks last night along the Charles River. Pretty friggin awesome. Apparently my parents watched them on CBS? That was funny to me. It was a nice show though, and the crowd was crazzzzy. After that I came home b/c I was dead tired. That was the extent of my 4th.

3 days until I see my family. Pretty excited about that! Still not for sure what we will do. Its back to work at 8am the next two days for me. After that I'll have a little time off to spend with the family. Get excited.

double stuffed oreos are perrrrfect,

Phil

Ameeeerica

Hey.

Sorry to you all for not updating yesterday. I worked 15 hours and didn't have much time when I got home at 11:30 last night to write anything. So I'll start with Yesterday. We took the tarp off at 6:30 am and surprisingly it STAYED OFF until after the game Friday. The storms were supposed to hit us around 3-5 but they went just west of Boston, and were breaking up right as they approached us. During the Mariners batting practice the sun was shinning and yet it was still raining. If you were standing around home plate you got rained on. If you were out in right field, you were getting sprinkled on. Thats how close it was to us. It was fun to see Ken Griffey Jr back in a Mariners jersey and watch that sweeeet swing of his. He's gotten a lot bigger, and doesn't do a whole lot. The game went into extra innings with the Sox losing in the 11th. We had to put the tarp on the field because there was a chance of rain. It didn't rain. I was lucky enough to have a 10 oclock start time this morning, so I got to sleep in a little. We had a 1:05 start time today. I like day games because then you usually have the night off. And, I just think they're more...baseball-ish. It was a beautiful day here in Boston with highs in the low 80's. There were a few clouds in the sky, but NOOO rain! Can you sense my change in mood? Good. They dropped the massive flag over the green monster and had a fly over which was sweet. Not like a "geese fly over" which we so often joked about in Springfield. These were real planes. The Sox lost...again. Not a bad game, but the Mariners got the best of them. I got a bit sunburnt but I was just happy the sun was shinning!

Not sure what we will do tonight for the 4th. I think we may go to the river and watch the fireworks. It's back to work for me tomorrow at 11 as the Sox try and not get swept. Weather forecast for tomorrow--SUNNNNNNY.

Alrighty. Hope you all are celebrating and having a great time. I miss you, and it doesn't feel like the 4th without you guys.

rockin a sick farmers tan,

Phil

Sleepy Heaaaad

Hey.

First off. I want you all to know that I don't hate Boston, or my job. Like I said before, all of this rain is taking a tole on all of us, and just bums me out from time to time. It aint right that I can see my breath in July, huh? The status I put on my facebook was the "Fenway Prayer". It is written in pencil on one of the walls in our warehouse. It was written a long time ago, and well I thought it was appropriate to say it. :) Promise I'm great!

As for today. Went in at 7 am. Pulled the tarp off and did a little work before putting it back on and letting it rain for an hour or so. Ended up pulling it again, getting set up for batting practice and stood on the field and watched. There was a game today for the players that the Red Sox just drafted. Not going to lie--they weren't that impressive. They weren't able to finish their practice before the rain came again. We pulled the tarp BACK out and covered the field again. We let it rain again for about 30-45 mins before pulling it off and getting the field ready for them to play. It was a pretty lax game and an easy way to pick up some hours. They ended it in the 7th (Thank GOD) and we fixed the field and covered it back up with the tarp. Ended up leaving the park at about 6:45 and got a bite to eat and came home. Doing some laundry tonight before going to bed super early. We have to be in tomorrow at 6:30 to take the tarp off and get ready for a day filled with tarp pulling, turface throwing and Sox baseball. :)

Hope you all are having a great week. 1 More day till the long weekend? Maybe. If this is the last post you read before you take off for vacation for the 4th, have a super 4th of July!! Keep an eye on highlights, you may just see us!

Siiiiick of wet socks/feet,

Phil

Nice Way to Start July=Rain

Hey.

Sorry I didn't write a whole lot yesterday. I was a little frustrated and well the only thing I felt like writing about was God, and how wonderful he is. Even in the worst of times he can be so great. :) Those are just a couple of verses that make me smile and give me hope on days like yesterday. Today was better though.

July 1st. 23 days until I turn 22. Does that mean I'm getting old? Awesoooome. We put the tarp on last night b/c of the infield being so wet, and with rain predicted to come. Whats new--it didn't rain. We pulled the tarp off bright and early at 7am and did some work on the field. Me and 4 other guys, we picked up "pebbles". I will never look at a pebble the same way again. These are pebbles smaller than a pea that we have to pick up off the infield. We had bottles full of them when we quit picking them up. Its not too bad for the first 20 minutes or so, but after 4 hours of it---it gets a little ridiculous. We battled the rain all day, and then it finally rained and set in at about 1 or so. We waited around all day just in case the sun would pop back up b/c when it does, it gets wicked hot under the tarp--and that means scorched grass. The sun never came back but we stayed until 6 when the rain finally stopped. We pulled the tarp and dumped all the water off--soooo heavy. After that they rolled the infield and we worked for another 30 minutes on things our boss wanted to get done before tomorrow. Ended up putting the tarp back on and getting out of there for the day. I've already put in 31 hours for the week and am expected to be at the field at 7am the next 2 days. Good money, I guess.

Request! PRAY PRAY PRAY for some sunshine. Everyone (me included) is down in the dumps about all this rain, and we need some sun in our lives. Also because if it rains then I wont get to spend time with my awesome family when they come. And that would suck. So pray :)

Ok, going to relax before bedtime and then do it ALL over again. :)

Love and miss you all!

laughed a lot today,

Phil