From the Bird’s Nest: Welcome to my 13 days from hell

OK, let me start by saying this:

I love my job.

I feel very fortunate to have an occupation where my work is my passion.  As I enter my 40th year of broadcasting I have to say I'm blessed.

And, this is my 19th consecutive season broadcasting Ragin' Cajun sports.  Add the years when I did some television play-by-play and you're talking 27 years of being associated with the Vermilion and White.

I love college basketball.  It wasn't a real passion until I got to start sitting at courtside.  From there you can really feel the energy of the game.  And the Cajuns have certainly had success over those years.

And, I've never been ashamed to say that basebal is my favorite sport.  Even though I don't get a day off from now until the end of  May, I  love being at the ball park...any ball park.  This year, I'll get to broadcast from my fourth major league park when the Cajuns play in a tournament at AT&T Park.

But that overlap between basketball and baseball season?  I don't love that quite as much.

Many of you think I show up for work each day just before "Bird's Eye View" comes on the air at 3pm.  Not so.  I'm usually in the office by 9am.  I spend a lot of the day surfing the net for stories and doing work on our website, including writing these blogs.  A normal day is 9-6, with time off for lunch.  I'm fortunate that I do not have to punch a time clock or have a boss that looks at his watch when I walk in the door to see what time I get to work.  As long as the job gets done, there are no questions.

And now we get to the overlap.  Starting tonight.

In addition to my office duties, the next two weeks will have:

Basketball tonight at the 'Dome vs. Arkansas State.  Get to the arena at 5, home around 9:30

Friday 2/18  Baseball opens vs. SEMO.  To the ballpark at 4, home by 9:30.

Saturday 2/19:  Time for a double dip.  At the ballpark at noon for baseball, then over to the 'Dome for basketball against WKU.  Home around 9:30

Sunday 2/20:  At the ballpark at 11 for baseball at 1.  Home around 4 or 430.

Monday 2/21:  The Bob Marlin Coach's show premieres at Walk-Ons.  Home around 8:30

Tuesday 2/22:  Baseball vs. Nicholls.  At the ballpark at 4.  Home by 9:30.

Wed. 2/23:  Baseball at Nicholls.  Leave for Thibodeaux at 2.  Home around 11:30

Thur 2/24:  Basketball for Senior Night vs. Denver.  At the Dome at 5, home by 9:30

Fri: 2/25  Baseball vs. Siena.  At the park at 4, home by 9:30

Sat: 2/26  Steve handles baseball.  I'm off to Monroe for hoops.  Leave Lafayette around 2.  Home by 1am

Sun: 2/27 Early game against Siena:  At the park by 9, home by 3.

Mon 2/28:  Bob Marlin Show.  Home by 8:30

Tue: 3/1:  Baseball at the Tigue.  At the park by 4, home by 9:30.

Then, gasp, two normal days before leaving for Hot Springs for the SBC Basketball Tournament.  When I'm not working, I'll be sleeping.

Gratefully, this only happens once a year. 

Like I said, I love my job.

Now if we could only do something about this overlap.........