Ron and I have become experts in the art of being home bodies. We just like hanging out at our house, Ron puttering in the yard, me - well, you don't need to know what I do (because it's SO boring). So, when we have three days in a row with planned events, it's kind of a phenomenon.
Friday night we went out to the "K" to see the Royal play the Cardinals. It was an outing sponsored by Ron's office and he says the only reason he wanted to go was to see the Cardinals (die hard fan, don't you know). So we went. We had to park in Egypt, and could have seen the Promised Land if we'd had binoculars. It was quite the trek. We passed loads of tailgaters - I have to admit that I didn't realize that tailgating was as big a deal with baseball. See? I don't get out much.
Ron had told me that I couldn't take my water in and I briefly considered citing a medical condition to make them bend the rules. But I just figured that I'd buy some inside. What I didn't figure on was the stupid price of FOUR DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS for a 20 ounce bottle of water. I was livid. But I caved and bought it anyway.
They did a very cool pre-game thing . . . a dozen or so new army recruits were given the oath of allegiance right there on the field, in front of thousands of people. It was quite moving. Regardless of how people feel about the war, it was apparent that there was unwavering support for the people who are in - or about to be in - the trenches.
The stadium is very nice, but highly distracting, what with all the people, fountains, pyrotechnics and media bombardment. I had to keep reminding myself that there was an actual game going on. Between every pitch there was a burst of musicality, to which the seasoned game goers would respond. I felt awkward not knowing which chant to chant.
We only stayed for a few innings. The Cardinals were whomping the Royals' behinds and Ron and I have found that since we've shed some pounds our butts don't take to hard surfaces too well. On the way out we got a pretzel . . . holy smokes. Ten bucks for a bottle of water and a pretzel. Being a sports fan could lead to bankruptcy.
As we started our long journey back to Egypt, Ron reminded me that we were in Section C11. We snaked our way back through the maze of cars - there are STILL too many SUV's on the road, folks - and ended up wandering around for - seriously - thirty minutes before we found our car. We lost each other a couple of times, which was kind of scary, actually. Ron was walking around with his hand in the air, pushing the panic button. I was trying to remember which cars we'd passed on the way in, which ended up being an effort in futility. Finally, finally we found our car, which was not unlike finding a lost child. I even kind of hugged the little thing.
On our way home we popped by Union Station and got out to watch the fountain. I could have stayed for hours. The sounds, the smells, the rhythm and variation - all spellbinding. It was a good end to the evening.
So, that's Day One of our Weekend of Fun. Stay tuned for Day Two . . .
Monday, July 6, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Family Photo Shoot
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