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What a fun way to start the weekend!  I left work and headed home to get Cami as she was going to the Twins vs Royals game with me tonight.  She was really looking forward to it as was I.  We got to the ballpark and she had it all lined up what we were going to do on the Plaza before the game.  First, she wanted to jump on the TC inflatable bouncy thing.  Then it was off to get an ice cream cone painted on her cheek (her ‘tat’-short for tattoo- as she called it) and then she wanted to spin the wheel to see if she could win a ‘poster for daddy and his collection’.  She ended up spinning and winning a voucher for free Twins tickets.  She wanted a book instead and the lady was kind enough to let her choose a book instead of the tickets as we have season tickets already.  Then it was off to go inside and watch batting practice.
During my lunchtime at work I picked up a couple of the latest issues of Sports Illustrated with Zach Grienke on the cover ‘just in case’.  Cami and I walked in and looked around for Grienke.  We found him throwing between starts in the visitor’s bullpen.  We sat there and when he was done, he looked at me and I asked him if he would sign.  He did not say a word or anything and proceeded to change from his cleats to his running shoes and started doing sprints along the warning track.  He stayed out shagging fly balls until the Royals were done with batting practice.  As he was running in, I yelled and asked him if he could take a moment to sign my magazine.  He turned from his path of running to the dugout and came right to me.  He did not say a word or make eye contact but he signed my magazine.  I was so excited.  Cami was really excited too and asked me if I would ask him to sign her book (the one she got from spinning the wheel on the Plaza).  I told her to ask him and she went up to him and he signed it for her and she said thank you.  She came back jumping up and down with excitement.  During the entire game, she wanted me to take the book out so she could look at it, then put it away and then get it out and over and over.  Zach will never know how excited he made Cami and I but it was a gesture that neither of us will forget.  In fact, Cami was so excited that shortly after getting the autographs the guy with the wheelbarrow full of dirt came out of the bullpen area and Cami yelled “Hi dirt guy!” to which he, and everyone around us, smiled.  This game was the first one for Joe Mauer after his rehab stint after spring training.  As a result, Cami and I gave him a standing ovation before his first at bat.  It turned out that we were on tv as I got a couple calls from friends and family who saw us! What could be better?  Well, Joe deposited a pitch in that first at bat into the lower left field seats and the Twins won the game!

I read where Kent Hrbek and Jack Morris were going to make appearances at the Mall of America on behalf of the MN State Lottery today.  So, Cami and I got up and ran some errands and headed to the Mall.  We got there and waited in the Rotunda area while there were a lot of lottery games being played.  Cami wanted to go on a ride so we did that.  Once we were done with that, we headed back to the Rotunda.  We waited a little more and when Kent was done doing his thing, he sat at a table and we lined up for autographs.  I was finally able to get a 1991 Studio card signed for Nick.  I had a couple team leader cards that were already signed by Bobby Castillo and the other by Ken Schrom.  When Kent signed them, he said “You already got my buddy Schromy on it!  I have not signed too many of those already signed by Ken.  That is a nice card!”  I was really excited about that.  I told him I was trying to get all the cards signed by the players from the years I watched them.  He said there are a lot of things going on at the Dome this summer and there should be a lot of opportunities.
After we were done with Kent, we had over an hour before Jack was there so Cami wanted some Dippin’ Dots and to go on another ride.  So we went on the Balloon Ride this time.  Even I got in the act on that one.  It was about my speed too!
We then went back to the Rotunda to see if I could get my Sports Illustrated magazine signed.  He ended up signing for about four people and had security take him away.  I missed out on him but I got Kent and he was the main one I wanted today.
Cami fell asleep on the way home.  I guess she had a big day too!

Today was a fun day at the ballpark with my daughter.  She wanted to go and see TC and play on the bouncy/jumpy/inflatable things.  We took our time getting to the ballpark and headed to the fun stuff.  We then got hotdogs and pop and then Cami wanted to get an ice cream cone painted on her cheek.  After that it was a balloon flower from one of the ballon guys (those guys who make different things with balloons).  We then headed over to see our ticket guy but he was not there.  We decided to head towards the door when Cami spotted shells at the Ft Myers/Sanibel Island table.  The guy there let her pick one.  Of course she picked a white one (if you recall from when we picked shells in March, 2008 on Sanibel Island).  We then spotted TC and we each gave him a high five.
I did get one autograph…  I bought an upgrade to my existing Eddie Mathews ball!
Nothing beats a fun day at the ballpark with your child!

After the failure of Twinsfest 2009 – Day 1, Shane and I decided to get down to the Dome right when the gates opened because we did not want to freeze again.  I got there at 9:10 am… 10 minutes after the gates opened.  I went right to the Morneau line in hopes of finally finishing my M & M photo.  Morneau was to start at 11am.  When I got there, I was right at the last spot in the line “zig zag”.  Typically, with one person signing and signing for 1.5 hours, I thought we were going to be successful.  At least there was nobody in the first lanes that appeared to be vendor family members so the people who froze waiting were in a better position.  Shane showed up and decided to go down the the free guys for us.  He wanted a ball signed by Anthony Slama and with Anthony was Brian Duensing.  He got a ball from Anthony and three cards for me from Duensing.  While there, he asked Slama to write “Twins 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year”.  He did not so I told him to try again and if he did not do it, I would take the ball.  Shane went back through the line and this time got two cards signed by Duensing and Slama signed a side panel.  I plan on giving the ball to one of the kids to start to get it autographed.
At 11am, Justin Morneau started signing and the line barely moved.  Long story short, 12:30 rolled around and Shane and I were about 30th in line when Morneau stopped signing.  Two days of trying and about 9.5 hours of waiting, Shane and I were 0 for 2 with Morneau.  We started thinking that Twinsfest 2009 – Day 2 was going to be as disasterous as Twinsfest 2009 – Day 1.
Shane and I then hit the floor.  With help from Shane, I was able to get the following:
1 John Castino card
1 Philip Humber OMLB
2 Roy Smalley cards
4 Dave Goltz cards
2 Matt Macri cards
1 Matt Macri debut ticket with “ML Debut”
1 Jason Pridie card
3 Tom Johnson cards
1 Scott Leius card
1 Jose Morales card (bubbled)
In between getting the above items, Shane and I went through Tony Oliva’s line three times.  I ended up spending $90 just on Tony O and got two cards (one for Vince Heiker), two wire photos, a mini bat and a real nice autograph on a real nice bat that Robert Taylor sent me to get signed for him.  Vince and Robert have taken good care of me in the past and this is my small way of saying thanks.
I did purchase a real nice Don Drysdale blue ink, sweet spot, ONL ball for my collection and picked up some Twins skeds.
Today went better than yesterday but it still is disappointing to spend a lot of time for Justin Morneau to get shut out twice.
A special shout out to Shane for all the help he gave me with getting all the items signed.