Yet Another Playoff Ticket Payoff Attempt

I thought I should take one last stab at making it onto the Celtic's Dancers team. Originally I was trying to make the team so I could earn a few extra bucks to cover the cost of my playoff tickets. But now it's personal. I'm good enough, I just know it. Every team needs someone who's a little chubbier, a little more surprising than you'd expect(hellooo, Big Baby much? And I know I look great in all of these balcony shots but you'd be surprised that I sometimes use Photoshop. I'm just being honest. I don't want to deceive my fans.). So I donned my official Celtics-issued parachute and, during the last regular season game on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BALCONY GUY!!) I took the plunge.

Everything was going pretty smoothly as I careened in and prepared to get right into their act.

This picture only LOOKS like I was trying to land on Donnie Wahlberg. If I really wanted to meet Donnie, I would have marched the gazillion flight of stairs (seriously, do you know how long it takes to get down there and back? And how you really need to be in shape just to sneak down to the court from WAY UP HERE?) and had Neil Diamond The Man introduce me. It's not like I don't WANT to meet Donnie Wahlberg. It's just that I'm not all ga-ga over celebrities. Which is sad, if you think about it. I'd be the perfect seat mate on a plane or at a Celtics game for any number of celebrities. I wouldn't bother you for autographs. I wouldn't want to take my picture with you. I wouldn't even name drop like I do with The Man. Really, you might get a cute moniker just like The Man but that's as far as it goes. I'm just so casual about these things. I have yet to mention the names of the men that I sat with when I sat in The Man's seat even though they are very well known. And I've not at all mentioned The Man Next To The Man who maybe, someday, will have an entire post devoted to him when I can come up with something to say about the Irish season ticket holder who sits on the floor at the Celtics games.


And While I'm rambling on, I should just point out that Donnie Wahlberg should in no way be confused with Donnie Marshall.










Anyway, after what will be forever known in my mind as The Wahlburg Incident, I got back on tack and was in for a perfect landing.







I only covered a few of the girls with my parachute and I was only slightly off in the formation. All in all I think it was pretty great that I even got out there in front of that crowd.



Now, seeing as I don't and won't drop names, I'd like to continue this tale and mention that A PLAYER made me really feel welcome during this whole parachuting incident. A PLAYER is, as it turns out, a huge fan of little 'ole me. He immediately ran onto the court to give me a hug. If you click on the photo you'd be surprised to see that it looks like he's about to punch me but no, he was just coming in for a hug. I swear.

And while you're looking at the picture take a look at those kids who get to sit Right. Next. To. The. Cs. Bench. And the jealous man sitting behind them. How do you score those tickets? Anyone?



Again, I digress. A PLAYER asked for MY autograph. It was so sweet. Then he went to toss me the ball to sign and his arm came off with the ball. I was trying to hide my mortification so I ran to get it for him. He was so nice about it and seemed only a little embarrassed when I turned around to hand him his arm.






A PLAYER would have gotten my vote for 6th Man if Rajon Rondo hadn't scored big on that already. Congratulations to Rondo who now owns one of the greatest M&M'S® bowls in the world.

Just Spill Already

Rumor has it that Kevin Garnett's wife, Brandi, gave birth in the past day or two. Reports I've read this morning and the other gossip mongers I've chatted with don't seem to have any information. So come on, Kevin, spill it already. Boy? Girl? Size? How's Brandi doing? How's this baby? How's your head, what with the playoffs starting tomorrow and a new little life to be fawning over? The good people of Boston want to know.

So until we know if Brandi may or may not have given birth, I may or may not like to offer my congratulations.

GO CELTICS.

Am I Turning Into Donny Marshall?

NO, I am not becoming Mr. Marshall. Just like I am not Scot Pollard, I am not Donny Marshall (ladies, skip that bio and go here for some of the only internet pics I could find) but I could almost play him on TV. Or at least on the radio. I've taken to saying "again" in the midst of a conversation. Often. Like, A LOT.

To Balcony Princess: Again, you need to wash your hands after you potty.
To Balcony Baby: Again, you need to stop hitting your sister. Or at least stop laughing about it and pretend you're sorry.
To Balcony Memere: Again, thanks for Balcony Sitting the kids so Balcony Guy and I can trek in for another game. Again, there's mac and cheese for dinner.
To Balcony Guy: Again.

Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. I meant again, you can change a diaper or again, you can cook dinner. Really (Balcony Guy, refrain from commenting so these people who read this blog won't learn too much about us, k?).

In other Balcony News, I just completed our taxes tonight. I've been refraining from posting my Balcony antics until the taxes were completed. I don't know if I'm relieved or depressed that I owe the IRS more than the cost of my Balcony Seats for the 2008 NBA playoffs. This means that I may be done complaining about the cost of my seats for the playoffs since I'm now complaining about the large self employment tax I've been levied. Perhaps I can still convince the Celtics that they need some of these self employed services?

Dear Celtics Front Office,

I originally went to college for sports casting because I wanted to work around your organization. Well, things changed and I don't exactly do THAT. I do get paid to talk and, again, I apparently can talk like Donnie Marshall so maybe there's something there? You know, if he's sick, I can fill in.

OR, better yet, how about if I just become the yoga instructor for the Cs? I can probably get KG to add an eighth of an inch to his size. I can help Big baby lengthen those really nice muscles he has. I can help Tony Allen learn to trust himself and focus. Just that last one alone should get me in the door, no?

Call me. Again, my name is Balcony Gal.

A List

April 5, 2008

1) 12 Balcony Points to Prianna Lee for showing up a day before they were going to make her show up through induction. Way to show initiative, Ms. Pierce!
2) Congratulations to Prianna's parents, Paul Pierce and Julie Landrum. Julie, can I call you Julie? You automatically get 20 Balcony Points for giving birth right before the playoffs. I'm going to give you 2 points for every night you get through during the playoffs. And 10 points for every time you are super mom and let PP off the hook from diaper duty so he can concentrate on work. Of course, I'm not going to know of these times if you don't call me or email me to let me know. Or, better yet, start a blog. Something along the lines of "the Celtics Baby" or "Born into the Green" or "You Can't Dribble A Baby" or "The Truth is That There is a Lot of Poop."
3) With so many new babies in the Celtics family I'm not surprised to see a rise on merchandise like this and this. The latter I admit to having wanted last season.
4) My Balcony Baby, who is a month shy of turning two, used to accompany us to Celtics games when she was a wee thing. I'm not going to lie when I tell you I breast fed her (yes, I said breast in a Celtics blog) while at the game. And before I get lots of nasty mail on the subject let me just say zip it. There weren't many people around, the kid was hungry, and let's face it, a boob coming out at a sporting event is going to be met with cheers.
5) Our playoff tickets arrived yesterday. Pretty. Oh so pretty. We did put in for another string of tickets but didn't get them. I'm ok with that. It was a heck of a lot of money to have to shell out just to maintain our cool status. You do know we're cool, right?
6) I'm working on this post while the Cs are playing the Bobcats. Pierce, KG & Ray Allen all have the night off and I'm so happy to see the way everyone else is playing without the Big Three. The points, the boards, the high fives, the team work. It's nice. There are a few things I'd change but I'm not the coach and what's the point in discussing that on this blog. I'll go make comments on other people's blogs.
7) The lack of fans in the Bobcat's stadium is sad. Those empty floor seats. The empty seats behind the benches. I'd love to have them pan up so we can see if the Balcony is representing.
8) Remind me to run a contest I've been sitting on. I just need to talk to The Man first...Don't let the suspense kill you.
9) Anyone else ready for the playoffs already?
10) I love Mohawks. Big Baby, I love your Mohawk. I'm even willing to show my support for you and the team but sporting my own. I'd even dye it green. I'm ok with the Mohawk.

April First: Not Just For Fools

I know it's a big day for jokes but I will spare you any of my silliness. For now. And let's just note that that is a very hard thing for me to do!

Today is, in all seriousness, the wedding anniversary of Balcony Guy and I. Yes, we were married on April Fools Day. It's a long story. Meanwhile, while I sit here and reminisce about the fact that 8 years ago I wasn't thinking about the NBA playoffs as I stood on the beach in Key West and I still wasn't thinking about the NBA playoffs as I lounged in Jamaica as a newlywed, I'll give you something great to read about a friend of mine who's one of those guys who probably was thinking about the NBA playoffs 8 years ago and also cursing the fact that he had a lot more work to do since Balcony Guy and I were off being wed: Suldog: Same Old Same Old.

And once you've read that, let's get back to thinking about those playoffs.

Finding Celtics References In Strange Places

Warning: this is not a happy post. You may avert your eyes and come back later when I've got something more joyful or silly or more entertaining.

The Balcony Girls and I packed up Balcony Cat 2 today and brought her to the vet. She wasn't doing well after what seemed like an infection and I'm very sad to say she passed on this afternoon. I'm saddened to have lost the lovely ball of fur that I've had for ten years. The ball of fur that slept close, wasn't afraid of a bouncing basketball, and purred louder than is legal.

In a strange twist of fate we had to bring her to a different vet today. The reason is so odd and completely off topic that I'd have to go start a different blog elsewhere about the Balcony Family's daily life outside of the Celtics.

Since I'm not going to be doing that today, let me tell you the reason for this post. The girls and I are waiting for BC2 to be seen and we meet a nice young couple who had just adopted a HUGE cat. I mean biggun. I mean bigger than a Tonka truck. The receptionist asks for the name of their cat and get this. No really, this is why you're reading all of this sad stuff about my precious BC2. The cat's name is...

RONDO

And the vet tech who was standing there didn't miss a beat, "As in Rajon?" Yup.

Life is good when, in a time of sorrow, there are Celtics fans around you.

Here's to Sammy The Cat (her real name). Cheers.

Go Celtics.

Accidental Photo

Driving into the Celtics vs Suns game yesterday afternoon (Lovely win, Celtics. Lovely win.) I managed to snap this shot on the Mass Pike:


I had driven by this guy and his female passenger and was shocked at the plate. What kind of luck was that? So I slowed down in the far right lane and after waiting for about an hour for him to catch up (ok, not really an hour but seriously he was doing about 55. On the Mass Pike. Clearly he's not from these parts.) I got this shot and several others. Poor guy. I hope he didn't travel all the way from Pennsylvania just for that game.