Emails, Ellipticals and ESPN Baseball Today

So...today I was at the gym, running, listening to today's edition of ESPN Baseball Today. Nothing out of the normal, since this is pretty much the definition of my standard Monday night. I have been listening to this podcast almost everyday of the baseball season since I moved to Colombia. There really isn't a better way to keep up on baseball news from around Major League Baseball short of reading every article on ESPN.com.

Therefore, I listen to this podcast, hosted by ESPN New York's Seth Everett and Senior Writer Eric Karabell. I pretty much listen to them banter back and forth about umpire accountability and the league leaders, and - up until recently - waiting with baited breath for any small mention of the underdogs from Minnesota. Sometimes they get in heated debates and every now and then I write into the show with comments, thoughts or questions.

Then this week on Twitter, the stats guy who guest stars on Wednesdays on the show, Mark Simon noticed I was a follower of the show and commented how I am probably the only one in Colombia. He told me to send in my email and he would get it on the show. So...I figured maybe if I was lucky they might read a snip-it of my email on Wednesday.

This is the part where I am at the gym tonight running and I get to minute 22 of today's show

and they say "Next up from Kristin in Cali, Colombia" and I almost fall off the elliptical in my jump for joy. YESSSSSSSS. It was all I could do to contain myself from running over to Kelsi as she was mid-spin class and explaining how awesome this was. (I did however make her listen to it within 30 seconds of walking in the door)

My email was about the Twins postseason - should we be resting players now or aiming for the best record in baseball (i.e. home field advantage). They read the whole thing and made comments! Eric even said I made good points. And Seth commented on how I am friends with him on Twitter. :) My email definitely included some BS-ing....cause you have to be nice if you want your stuff to get read aloud....but overall I am pretty excited about the whole situation!!

If this whole teaching gig doesn't work out in the long run maybe I have a future in sports blogging. (I did win the NFL pool at work last week too!) Who knows?

Until then...I will just be loving the Twins' chances in the postseason and hoping Joe Mauer listens to ESPN and decides he must meet this well-informed fan from Minnesota.

What a fabulous Monday!!

Life. Love. Baseball. Music. Twitter.

be a best friend

tell the truth

over use i love you

go to work

do your best

dont out smart your common sense

never let your prayin knees get lazy

and love like crazy

[lee brice, "love like crazy"]

I cannot get this Lee Brice song out of my head this week! Not so much because I am loving anyone person lately (not so much in land of Colombia - zero dateable men), but so many things are just making this week ROCK! In no particular order...

• Had a little phone chat en espanol with a man from Direct TV. He ordered me the MLB Extra Innings package in less than 5 minutes on the phone (a miracle in Colombia). Within an hour we had three glorious channels of all MLB Baseball, all the time. Oh, and it cost $59.000 or $30 USD. FOR. THE SEASON. Colombian cost of living = awesome. The same thing in the States is over $100.
• This means I have watched TWO Twins games this week! During those game Joe, JJ and Justin all hit homers. LOVE seeing JJ Hardy in that MN jersey!

• BUT if I can't watch the Twins? Don't worry, I will still know the result thanks to some genius person who had the insight to set up this helpful and appropriately named website.

http://didthetwinswin.com/

• After a somewhat hesitant start in joining Twitter a few months ago, of course I am now loooooving it. The information in small tidbits is perfect to quickly scroll through, and I can always click on a link if I want more information. Also, even though I am not currently looking for a job, the networking opportunities are awesome! Great people I am enjoying following???

@TeacherJobsMPLS - Staying up to date on the teacher scene in the Twin Cities.

@lonelyplanet - Great travel tips, advice and articles!

@nytimes - Gotta see all the breaking headlines from a reliable source.

@TwinsNow - Self-explanatory :)

... and so many more!

• Going apartment hunting with Kelsi this weekend! I am super excited to live with her next year. Mainly cause right now I feel like half of all commuting time is spent going to see her or do something with her, so living together will really just provide us more time to maximize our awesome-ness together.
• After about 7,000 years of raining my mom FINALLY finished Eclipse! More Twilight fans! Hooray. I seriously need more because my friends in Colombia are starting to mock my love for Twilight and Taylor Lautner. So now my mother is on my side. Hooray! I cannot wait for this movie to come out on the eve of my friend Liz's birthday, a mere 7 days after my return to the US of A!

Jacob Black is my hero. :)

• I used to make fun of my friends Anna and Andy for meeting at Target, then dating, and still returning to the Target food court (properly called, Food Ave, according to Andy) for dates. However, after seeing the sweet pics Anna took on their Target employees only tour of Target Field last week I should probably get over it. Thank God my father has all priorities in line and has secured tickets for at least two Twins games while I am home this summer. I definitely need more since Joe almost never plays day games and I am really psyched to check out the Twins' new home under the lights, but two is a good start.

View from the first level! REAL GRASS! No more of that weird turf business.

LOVE > the scoreboard, the sky, the skyline, the Minnesota icon with a little cartoon "Minnie and Paul" (For the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis)

• Let's just talk about how amazing James Morrison is. No, not Jim Morrison and the Doors, although they rock too. No, James Morrison. Do yourself a favor and listen to the song "Broken Strings" and then listen on repeat for about the next week.

• Talked to all three of my brothers yesterday at different times! They are growing into such amazing guys who I am incredibly proud of - I cannot wait to go home and see them as much as possible this summer. I miss them. all. the. time.
• Taught my students about arc length and area of sectors this week - pretty intense stuff for 8th graders and they rocked it! I thought they were going to freak out about simplifying fractions and using pi but they totally handled it, I am so proud of them!
• Speaking of students - one of my students told me I looked nice today and I said thanks...then he was like yeah, with your curly hair like that you look like a model. Hello self-esteem boost. I love my students sometimes. Mostly after I just had a week long break from them. See me in about 10 days for an update ;)
• MORE info I got from Twitter - Aidan is going to be in the second Sex & the City movie! Yes! Even if I do love Carrie & Big I loved Aidan the whole time he was on the show and he is definitely a welcome presence in the movie!!

I am sure there is more, but for now suffice to say this is a great week in Colombia! Happy Thursday night aka almost Friday aka almost the weekend! Cheers!

So I Joined Twitter

Hmm...after considering this for the past few months I have succumbed to yet another form of social media and joined the world of Twitter. What finally prompted this necessity in my life? I received a pre-season email from the Minnesota Twins, found out they have a team Twitter account and decided I needed more Twins news in my life. Preferably just down into short 140 character increments I can easily scan between teaching sections of 8th grade algebra. Perfect.

Don't worry, I am also following the Pioneer Press and Cities 97 to obtain a full variety of Twin Cities news in addition to my Twins fix. :) Beyond reading what other organizations and people put out there in the world of Twitter I don't quite know what else to do with it. I recognize it's this great tool and resource for many people, especially those who can update or check updates from their cell phones. However, Colombia doesn't support that quite yet so in the meantime my Twitter use will be limited to any time I actually sit down in front of my computer. Anyone out there using Twitter have thoughts, comments or suggestions? Let me know!

In other news, the two girls that Allison and I met on our Ciudad Perdida trip, Monica and Emma, are coming to Cali this weekend! They are both from England originally and are just taking some time off to travel right now. They are fun, hilarious and great ladies, so I cannot wait to see them again! They are staying at my apartment for the weekend while I show them around Cali a bit. Tomorrow we have plans for some salsa dancing - can't wait! Happy almost Friday everyone!