It looks like I really will be following through with my plan of seeing two Major League Baseball games in two different cities on the same day. I was up at the crack of nine today for the Mets' internet ticket sale, and although I didn't get through in time to get $9 seats for April 17th's 7:10 PM game, I was able to get some higher-priced ones. Oh well, better seats for me. Right behind the plate, mezzanine.

Earlier, I'd lucked into Fenway seats for the 11:05 AM game on the same day. So, on that day, I will attempt something that probably hasn't been done too many times in human history. I still have to figure out the transportation issue, though.

It was easy for me to get up early on a Sunday because I wasn't sleeping very well last night. You see, I have a Jere cold. A Jere cold is when you literally have to blow your nose at a constant rate for a few days. Last night, Chan and I went to see Nellie McKay again, and I was just dying, waiting for each song to end so I could blow my nose while everyone clapped. Then, of course, I always turn into Peter Brady and think "fever, sore throat, weakness in bones...I must have...bubonic plague!" But, alas, it's just a Jere cold. More annoying than anything else.

Nellie was good as usual. This time we saw her at the Allen Room, which is part of the Time Warner Center. It's a really sweet room, because behind the performer is a huge picture window that overlooks Travis Bickle hot-spot Columbus Circle and Central Park.

I like performers who joke around between songs and can mess up a song and say "Oh, crap, I messed that up," and laugh about it, turning a potentially uncomfortable moment into what seems like part of the show. She also has a little trivia quiz portion of the show (I know, a human after my own trivial heart, right?) and runs out to the winner to give them their prize, which is usually a paperback book or something. She's also a feminist and a vegan and an animal-rights-type person, with a sense of humor, which is necessary (although it shouldn't be) to get messages like those across. It was kind of weird hearing her talk about the mistreatment of carriage horses while seeing them behind her out the window down on Central Park South. And then walking past dozens of them on your way home, you do realize what a horrible life it must be for those animals.

Oh, and the songs are good, too. It was just her and a piano this time. No band. I think I like her better solo.

On our way to the show, I got my David Ortiz Dominicana T-shirt, and the woman behind the counter told me that "a lot of people have been buying this."

I will wear it tonight to the Nets game. I got free tickets from a nice client at work. I grew up rooting for the Nets, and I can assure you, I was the only one. I knew them from the days of Orlando Woolridge, Sugar Ray Richardson, and Otis Birdsong, right through my personal favorite Chris Morris and Reggie Theus and Purvis Short with his rainbow jumpers, to Joe Barry Carroll (Joe Barely Cares), to Sam "picked ahead of Jordan" Bowie and Tate George, to Drazen Petrovic, who was tragically killed in a car accident, to Derrick "DC" or "crybaby" Coleman, to Sam Cassell, to Yinka Dare, Ed O'Bannon, and Kenny Anderson, and right up to Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn and Kerry Kittles. From the classic red, white and blue jerseys to the tie-dyed to the gray weird-sleeved ones. From the "Nets are Jammin'" to "Jump on the Power Train" during the Willis Reed-coached era. But, a few years ago, they joined forces with the yanks, joined the Yes Network, and, well, they became harder to root for at that point. Was a perfect excuse for me to stop following the NBA. (Although watching games in person is fun for me.)

Ironically, Chan is a fan of the current Nets, as he's been looking for a team to follow since Jordan retired. So, when these tickets were offered, I took them, for Chan, since he's gotten me so many free tickets from his more corporate, season ticket-y job.

I will bring plenty of Kleenex.