So, a lot happened yesterday...starting with breakfast of course!  Yesterday was a doubleheader and everyone was looking forward to the second game playing under the lights.  First game was solid.  Everyone made solid plays and the defense really came together nicely.  My team wound up getting George Brett his first win in fantasy baseball ever.  We won by 8.  I get all the coaches to autograph the baseballs that I brought for me yesterday.  We went back to the hotel for lunch.  There was this potato and leek soup that was delicious...and ice cream!  That was along with the sandwiches, wraps and fruit, of course.

After lunch we had a 4 or 5 hour break until dinner.  A lot of people went to take naps or get emails done before taking a nap.  Me?  I went to the pool and just chilled!  I met a really nice kid who used to run track and wants to move out to DC after he graduates college to pursue international affairs.  I figure my Phi Beta Kappa connections can help him out.

After the pool, we have a nice dinner--flank steak, salad with all the toppings, fruit tarts and panini sandwiches.  I decide that I'm going to get one of the balls signed by all the players to give to Natalie as a thank you for running the week.  I only have a couple more guys to go!  I get most of my autographs at the stadium...but I make sure to enjoy every moment under the lights.  Forgot to mention that one of the board members arrived for dinner last night.  Janie is an aneurysm survivor, she knew who I was and we talked in depth about how I can help the survivors and get involved.  Career here I come...hopefully.  Fingers crossed!

Again, both teams have solid defense and we are hitting the ball too.  I make some great plays at second base: catching a throw from the centerfielder for a tag out and then another relay throw from the outfield to geta force out at the bag.  We had a one or two run lead going into the latter half of the game, but the other team, "The Wizards" scored a few late and were up three.  My team rallies for George Brett in the last inning after I bust down the line to avoid making the last out on a dribbler back to the mound.  We tie the game and go into extra innings.

Ozzie's team doesn't score in the top of the 8th.  We get a couple on with two outs after this booming fly ball that rocketed down the left field line by Gus Plaus.  I'm on deck as Danny Beers in front of me smacks one into right.  Kevin Keating who was on second gets waved in by George Brett who yells at him to slide at the plate.  Kevin does everything all out.  He has, what I call, sugar-high determination.  He does everything all out and having George Brett yell at him just makes him run that much more wildly and out of control.  With his arms flapping side-to-side, he looks like Curly running without the woo-woo-whoop.  He dives head first about 18 inches too soon and he crawled across home plate.  I was the first one to greet him.

George had to leave early this morning, but we got him a winning record while he was here.  We have one guy who got traded after the first game who can go undefeated for the whole series tomorrow.  I geta few signatures, we get back on the bus, get a few more, beer run, hotel, relax and bed.  Fun day, but I'm looking forward to resting today and...possibly having a date.  More to come on all that...later.  For now, breakfast and time to get myself pretty.

I ate breakfast with Ozzie Smith yesterday before going to the ball field.  We get to the field and the clubhouse is fully decked out for us—names over the lockers, two uniforms…and a suitcase with a ton of goodies from HP…including a tablet.

We get dressed and head outside for warm up drills and tryouts.  My group starts in the infield, where I put my glove flip on full display in front of Ozzie Smith and Bert Campaneris.  Ozzie commented on how quick and smooth I am fielding the ball, flipping the ball out of my glove, dropping the glove and then catching the ball with my bare left hand to throw the runner out.  In the outfield with George Brett and Vince Coleman we learned I can’t read a fly ball…but I did catch a couple.

Teams were selected and there was apparently a battle for me, but George got me on his team just as he promised over dinner.  I had 5 assists in the game and got to show everyone attending the fantasy camp my glove flip.  Pitching was a bit of an adjustment since I haven’t pitched for 4 years and am throwing slow in my first outing.  I use my arm whip and wrist snap to bring the ball down, but that puts a ton of velocity on the baseball.  The ball kept sailing high, but I’ll make the adjustment by today.

After showering and getting back to the hotel we had about a half hour before dinner at the Green Valley Resort.  Buffet style food, amazing quality with lamb, beef tenderloin, sushi, risotto and corn.  We sat around and watched the MNF game and socialized.  I met some great people from the camp yesterday at dinner and cannot believe what this is looking like it will do for launching and prospering my career.  Only day two…we’ll see what today brings!

Within 20 minutes of landing at Vegas' airport, Dave Bergman (former MLB player ! who is helping with the camp) is telling me how excited he is that I am here and that he has heard all about me.  We take a shuttle to the resort--Hawaiian paradise type place with two pools, outdoor lounge chairs and a couple beds, waterfalls, bonfires and completely open to the outside once you enter the main door.  I got in around 1:30 or so and started exploring the place with a couple who rode over with Dave and I.

So I wander around until the opening reception.  There are a few guys hanging out at the top of the stairs above our open space outdoors, including Bert Campaneris and Vince Coleman.  Natalie Niekro, Joe's daughter who runs the foundation in honor of her father, greets us all and invites us for drinks.

As people start standing around the bar getting their first rounds, in walks George Brett and Ozzie Smith, our "Team Managers" for camp, each are members of Major League Baseball's Hall Of Fame (mindblowing!).  I say hi to both of them, but can't think of anything beyond baseball to say to them yet so I go back to mingling.

When we all sat down for Natalie's presentation, she introduced me to the room and briefly described my story.  She presented a video and then it was back to more drinks and appetizers.  George Brett started talking to me and was blown away with my story-- because his son had a blood clot removed from his brain as a 7 month old baby.  As everyone is talking and sharing stories, it's getting towards 9, which is midnight my time.  It's 11 for George in Kansas City and no one really had dinner.  He says that he is hungry, a couple other guys chime in that are here for the fantasy camp and George Brett invites me along as well.

We sit at the hotel restaurant for a couple hours, everyone sharing stories.  George talking about playing golf with Sean Connery, Sandy Koufax and Whitey Herzog,   along with a recollection about a girl who came up to him at a boxing match, asked him if he was George Brett and the moment he turned his head he missed the KO.

Sitting there, having a 2-hour dinner with George Brett and these two guys who have known him for years, George says that we are all part of the team now.  A lot of these stories are only told amongst baseball players.  We kept shooting off stories with each other and, at the end of the dinner, George takes the check.  George Brett invites me to dinner and pays for my dinner.  So cool.  And this is only the first night.

If all of that only happened within a 5 hour window on the first night, I can't even imagine what the rest of the week will bring.  I'll keep everyone posted though, but for now I got to get to breakfast.  Can't be late...even if George says that he won't roll in until 7:30 for the 7 AM breakfast.

So, I have literally been spending the last month at the gym in the morning, at work across the day and then at home writing, writing away.  Fifteen chapters are in the book, literally, and there are 11 more to go.  That’s not the news though.

I use my Twitter account because I need to spread what’s happening with Determination, but honestly I struggle with logging moment by moment accounts of my days on there.  I log in about once a week and post a comment.

Late last week, I log in and the Joe Niekro Foundation, who is following me and I reciprocated, posted about someone dying of a brain aneurysm.  Obviously I reply to the tweet and send loce and support from me and my survivor network.  They re-post the tweet and within a day, the VP of the organization has networked with me on LinkedIn.  I sent a message thanking her for the invite to connect and conversation sprung.  We became Facebook friends the next day.

Keri added Natalie Niekro to the conversation, who is the President of the organization.  The next reply I get, they want to speak to me about ways they can partner with me and start including me into the organization.  Natalie was off in Houston for an event, I believe with the Astros.  When she got back home, she and Keri apparently talked about some things.  Instead of doing all the discussions about how we can partner and figuring it out over the phone, they want to fly me out and talk about it in person…to Vegas...this Sunday for a week long Hall of Fame baseball camp.

They literally email this invitation to me, a $5000 completely paid package, Wednesday night at 10 PM.  I have a flight booked for a week in Vegas by yesterday morning.  To top off the whole whirlwind experience of playing baseball for a week when I haven’t played for 4 years, my manager will either be George Brett or Ozzie Smith.

I fly out Sunday, returning Friday.  There will be 3 days of baseball, one day of golf where I will lounge at the pool or, if I’m lucky, maybe I can caddy for George Brett.  I had to give extremely short notice at work, but having this entire package handed to me for free is an opportunity that I cannot pass up whatsoever.  This is once ina lifetime, and with how extreme the love/hate relationship had been with me and baseball, this might be the most amazing opportunity to spur a love for the sport again.

The fact that this opportunity is bringing back into my life while elevating and promoting brain aneurysm research and rehabilitation is incredible.  It is exactly what I planned to do with my baseball career.  It’s happening…and I get to play baseball!

September is Chiari Awareness month. 1 of an estimated 300,000 Americans suffer with Chiari malformation. This disease is still unbelievably crippling and a cure has yet to be found. Please help support all my friends who live with this incurable disease as they fight each and every day. It's not about a normal life, just a life without pain. These are already the strongest people I know. Without pain, life wouldn't just be normal, it would be extraordinary.