Tagged: Orlando
No “Moneyball” Info to Report But….
…I really, really liked “The Social Network.” I know the film has been in theaters for over a month, but I waited to see it today because I knew writer Aaron Sorkin and the cast of the movie would be at our screening for a Q&A afterwards. I admit I was skeptical about it; how do you tell a visually entertaining story about a social networking site and the anti-social kid who invented it? But leave it to the creator of “The West Wing” and “A Few Good Men” to come up with words that grab you and don’t let go. For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet, GO. Here’s the trailer, which doesn’t begin to do the movie justice.
The acting is incredible from top to bottom (even Justin Timberlake is good!), and the pace of the film is so fast you can’t blink or you’ll miss something. Anyhow, I highly recommend it.
I was invited to the post-screening reception for Sorkin and the actors. That’s where I planned to ask him about “Moneyball.” Bad news. I arrived just as he was leaving – like five minutes into the party. “He had to be back in LA,” I was told when I asked why he had disappeared. Maybe he did have to drive back; traffic can be brutal on the 101 freeway on a sunny Sunday afternoon. But maybe the problem was Sorkin himself. He admitted during the Q&A that he was as socially awkward as the movie’s geeky protagonist and always felt as if he walked around with a sign on his forehead that said, “I don’t belong.” Whether that was just posturing or he really is uncomfortable around people in social settings I couldn’t tell you. I was just disappointed I didn’t get to talk to him. I did spend a few minutes with Andrew Garfield, the actor who plays the co-founder of Facebook.
Me: “Andrew, I just have to tell you how much I enjoyed your performance.”
Andrew: “Oh, that’s really nice of you. Thanks.”
Me: “You’re British and yet you played the part of the Harvard grad with a flawless American accent.”
Andrew: “Well, my father is American so I grew up familiar with those familiar sounds. But thank you. I appreciate it.”
Me: “I really think you’re going to have a big career ahead of you. Do you have any new movie projects lined up?”
Andrew: “Um, yeah.”
Me: “Good. Good. Anything I’ll be hearing about?”
Andrew: (laughs shyly): “Um, I’m the new Spiderman.”
Me: “Oh, right!”
I walked away feeling like a total dork. I had just asked the hottest actor in Hollywood if he had any future jobs. Next time I’ll do my homework.
Back to baseball, the GM meetings get underway tomorrow. I know we’ve been told not to expect any major signings or deals while they’re going on, but Cashman always surprises us. (Raise your hand if you thought Curtis Granderson for Austin Jackson would come out of last year’s meeting.) I might have to send “Suzyn Waldman” down to Orlando to file a video for us. Stay tuned.
The Travel Day From Hell!
Yes, I arrived safely in Florida. That’s the good news. The bad news is…Well, let me count the ways.
1) Traffic on the dreaded 405 freeway made us late getting to LAX this morning.
2) Every parking lot we tried to enter at the airport was FULL, forcing us to drive around and around until we got into a Southwest lot. (We were flying Delta.)
3) We dumped the car and shlepped our bags to an elevator – only to find the elevator was out of service.
4) We carried bags down three flights of stairs, then 1,000 miles to the Delta terminal – only to find the checkin line was out the door. The clock was ticking.
5) We made it to the security line – only to have them pull me and my purse aside for having a “sharp object” in it. I explained that I didn’t carry knives or even scissors on planes, but a thorough search of me and my purse had to be done – only to find that the culprit was a Marriott ball point pen.
6) We hightailed it to the gate and saw the doors were about to close on the plane. We begged and pleaded and they let us board.
7) Michael’s seatbelt was broken. The flight was full so he was stuck with it.
8) The woman next to me coughed the whole six hours.
9) The “food” available for the cross country flight was pretzels.
10) The stormy weather caused lots and lots of turbulence on the flight – my favorite thing.
11) The brand of wine on the plane was “Black Cat” – not a good omen.
12) We arrived at Orlando, waited at baggage and discovered my suitcase was soaking wet – as were my clothes inside the bag.
13) We took the Hertz shuttle and found our car – it was a Toyota. (They assured us it was safe to drive.)
14) We drove 3 hours in thunder and lightning to Stuart, where I’m speaking at the library tomorrow.
15) We checked in to the hotel where the library booked us – only to be put in a room where someone had slept in one of the beds!!!! I mean, euwww. They apologized and moved us to another room….only the lamp didn’t work.
16) I thought I’d write a blog before passing out – only to find the hotel’s internet service wouldn’t connect me…for, like, an hour.
Tomorrow has to be a better day. It just has to.