Start Blog, Get Stuff (AKA How I became the world's biggest Trenton Thunder fan)

Most of the time, there aren't a whole lot of tangible rewards for writing a baseball blog--you do it because you love the team, because you love writing--and those reasons are usually enough reward in themselves.

Sometimes, however, you do a good deed, and it's returned in kind.

Last year, after supporting Tom Kackley's Domestic Violence Project auction of memorabilia, the Trenton Thunder clubhouse manager told me he had a couple extra bobbleheads from giveaways and asked if I'd be interested.

Since I'm the crazy-old-lady-in-the-attic-with-knick-knacks type of person, I said, sure, send 'em my way.

Last night, a prompt two days after my birthday, the doorbell rang. It was the UPS man, with a huge-ass box.

My first reaction was that it was probably the birthday order I placed with Amazon (before the AmazonFail debacle), but then I realized I hadn't ordered that much. Anyway, DVDs don't need a huge box. So I looked at the return address and saw: Trenton Thunder.

And I promptly jumped for joy.

I rushed to open the box, and this is what I found inside:


A T-shirt that I will wear should I get the opportunity to make it down to Trenton.


Magnetic schedule, and now my fridge has some decoration.


Thunder hat. Don't mind the mess in the background. I clean for visitors.


Statue of Lou Gehrig.


Thunder mascot bobblehead.


Ian Kennedy bobblehead. The caliber of players whose bobbleheads I unwrapped improved if the unwrapping went on. I was pleasantly impressed. Yes, that's a Sox shot glass in the background. My friend got it as a gag gift. Don't worry-my two Yankees' shot glasses firmly outnumber the one Red Sox one...


Old school lunch tin. I'm not sure what I'll put into it, but I'll think of something.


Melky Cabrera bobblehead.


A bobblehead dog! Maybe I'll name it Bo!


Phil Hughes bobblehead. I put him next to his friend Ian Kennedy.


A second Melky bobblehead that I actually unwrapped before the Hughes one.


My entire baseball display. The baseball there is signed by Jose Molina-who hit the last home run at the old Yankee Stadium. There's also an All Star game hat, two programs (one from the Final Game and the other from the Cubs exhibition series) and two shot glasses. I have a Yankees' pennant hanging over my TV.


Yankees wristbands. If I worked out, ever, I could use them. right now they're just pretty to look at.