The National

I I know this is ridiculously late...

To the reason for this trip to Chicago, the National.  We got

Cal Ripken, Jr

there and parking was free on this day, so that was good and unexpected.  Walked over and hid from the people trying to funnel everyone into a line in order to beat people in, but that didn’t work out so we were in the back of the huge line going in.  But with a convention center this big, you couldn’t tell

Reggie Jackson, just walking around talking to people

that there were other people in there with us.  Miles of booths with every conceivable sports collector need available.  There were booths that specialize in Olympics, vintage cards, comic books, new cards, memorabilia, supplies, art, woodworking

Chipper Jones looking tired from the very beginning

display cases, auctions with things ranging from a nickel to $200,000+.  Can you believe that Sam Snead’s Masters trophy was there and on auction?  I love to just walk around and peruse everything, play the stupid woman who can’t figure out a 1952 from a 1999 card and have vendors take pity on me to get John some of his list.  I was able to get some and couldn’t find him except to look for the OBC hats and blue shirts and ask all of his trading partners if they had seen him.  When will the man get a cell phone or a beeper or some neon lights attached to his head?

ESPN filming of their appraisal of your memorabilia show

Roy Jones, Jr

I can’t emphasize the vastness of the space and the manic nature of all the people in there for their cards.  I would find John periodically on the floor going through boxes of cards and he only hit 11 of the hundreds of booths at the National.  I’m finding it hard to explain the intensity that overtakes John except to say that the only time I got him to take a break and eat something between 8:30am and 6pm was a smoothie for 5 minutes at lunch and then bringing him a hot dog at 3:45pm.  He was in the zone that probably only comes over him at the National and when he is on a serious roll in the classroom…It is gratifying to see him get like a Chihuahua with too much energy and not enough outlet for it all, since it’s usually me that’s in that mode. 

Pedro Martinez

Sugar Shane Mosley

The "Hitman" Thomas Hearns

Larry Holmes

Roberto Duran

Randy Johnson

For those of you who don’t know, the pictures are of some of the signers that were at the National to autograph for people and I got some good ones in between people walking in front of me and being 50 feet away from them.  Sugar Shane Mosley looks like he’s smiling just for me, but he probably had no clue that I was there and taking a picture of him, he’s just happy all the time…I’ve put captions on the pictures to explain who you’re looking at.  Love to everyone.