A cold night for Baseball

A cold night for baseball, almost football weather, so we bundled up in winter jackets, and huddled under a fleece blanket for the second of three games against the Washington Nationals. This was the first of the series of 6 pairs of tickets that I bought on another cold day in December. The seats were literally 'out in left field', a new vantage point for me. To see the big screen, we had to turn out heads behind us, which though at first annoying, I realized meant that for most of the game, I was watching the game instead of the screen.

For the first 5 innings, the game was slow, with few hits on either side..

A new season of baseball

Overheard at the game by the men behind me
A: Ike Davis, he's a 1/2 Jew. His mother's Jewish
B: Then he's a full Jew
A: No! Really?
B; That's the rule. Look it up
 ----------------------
A: What's the name of your team
B:  The Muts
:

Sitting in the 309 section of the ball park for the first time this season, I've arrived early enough to take it all in once again: the checkerboard patterns of the field, the stands slowly filling up with 45,000 fans, the cool spring air on a cloudy, but dry night. And I am thrilled.

Tonight I am by myself because my friends are in the 306 section. I consider going there, but frankly would rather be alone in a better seat than move over 3 sections. So, I take stock of who my neighbor fans are for the evening.
To the right is a nice couple who introduce themselves as members of Hosts for Hospitals, the organization that coordinated the tickets for the evening. Behind me a group of men in their 50/60s, one of whom is a diehard baseball and Mets fan, the team the Phillies are playing tonight. He is  a New Yawker, loud opinionated, knowledgable about baseball, which comes in handy later in the game,..
In front are soon to be a group of 20 somethings, there less to see the game than to drink and flirt fawn over each other as they drape themselves across each others laps for pictures.. THere is one woman in particular who could seem to care less about the game.

This is a night of hits and home runs, where the Phillies lead 7-0 after the 4th inning. I decide to walk around a bit, do some shopping, go to the bathroom and I hear groan after groan after groan. When I return to my seat the score is 7-5! And then in the 5th inning, the Mets get 2 more runs.

Blanton has fallen apart and is taken out of the game, which in the 6th inning has become a real game again.. But while he played he hit a single down the 3rd base line for 2 RBIs.

Meanwhile, the young woman in front of me who could care less about what is happening on the field has gotten out of control. She drapes herself all over her friends, stands up and blocks the view. We all watch with amazement, including the family with the 3 year old directly in back of her. The staff person calls her out, and I suppose gives her a good talkin' to, which doesn't help much as she returns to her seat and proceeds to drink more beer. Her woman friend is visibly embarrassed, but the men are eating it up.

But I digress! The 6th inning.and we we sit once more on the edge of our seats, counting every strike and ball, waiting for the runs to come in.
The Phillies don't disappoint, with 3 more runs including a home run.

The final score is 10-7, a satisfying night.. Not only did I get to stand up and scream, but when I clapped with all my might, it didn't hurt my hand.

A wonderful way to celebrate a year after my accident on March 21.

Return of winter January 5

After the knee high snow blew into town in December,  another 2 inches  arrives in time to meet our new students  wrapped in snow coats, hats and scarves and an excitement about beginning their English language studies at the Drexel English Language Center. Hiking up the Drexel University campus hill from the orientation, one student has stopped by the fence that surrounds the community garden next to the ELC building.. The plantings are now dormant, with remnants of wood frames and tall grasses peeking through the white. I am caught by the expression on the student's face, and stop to admire this small scene with him. His face and body are relaxed and totally still as if his eyes and skin are the lens of a camera taking as clear a photo as possible to show his family.

I learn that this is his first time seeing snow. His first time!

That expression:. The essence  of wonder and awe.

Buying Phillies tickets In the dark of December

Who knew that around the darkest day of the year, that Phillies fever would be a source of greatest heat. Philadelphia is all the buzz since Cliff Lee decided to forgo a Yankees contract and relocate to the town that loves its team. Much has been written about why he decided to sign here, and much has been debated and discussed. the result, though is that one day this week, I found myself sitting with my friend discussing the various options for buying tickets. the 6 pack choices were already slim-we eventually ended up buying some 400 level seats. but wait, there is a way to get into a lottery to buy opening day tickets or Red Sox tickets. A lottery? Last year, I went online in February and bought a ticket in the 100 3rd baseline section for a mere 45$ (I was splurging ). Go to Stub Hub this year, and the 400 level seats are that much. So the lottery it is.
We found out that there will be individual tickets available on Feb 17-we cackled about meeting up at midnight to discuss which games to go to. We did decide that connecting by phone would be good enough, but it did make us giddy thinking about it.

Now, I am the proud owner of two 6 pack tickets for April-Sept. My mother is laughing out loud right now.What has happened to her daughter to transform her into a fan. Having a winning team helps! A beautiful ball park helps. Having other friends as excited as I am-and new ones too. That helps.

Another historic game-preparing for the Eagles and Redskins part 1

Sometime back in September, my mother called to tell me that my cousin, an avid lifelong Washington Redskins football fan, had an extra ticket to the Redskins-Eagles game.. In honor of my new found fandom excitement, she thought I might like to go, even though I had never ever expressed any interest in football. In fact, my attitude about football was that it was too difficult to follow. No matter how many times people explained to me what a 'down' was, or who did what, I couldn't grasp it, and would soon lose interest.

But, in the spirit of "I'll try anything once" and "It's always fun when you go with someone who is an enthusiast" I said 'sure!"

Game day:
My cousin Barbara is the consummate hostess, and knows how to prepare for any party. She has done tailgating parties so much that all the paraphernalia is ready to go: chairs, tables, serving utensils, silverware, Redskins napkins, the works. And for this party, she prepared a banquet of chicken, salads,humous, croissants, cupcakes, drinks, chips, strawberries. All for 3 people. We packed up the car at 3:00 for the 8:30 p.m. game. Driving down I 270 which is north west of Washington, we immediately hit bumper to bumper traffic.All 90,000 fans plus rush hour traffic seemed to be on the road. There was some anxiety that we wouldn't get a good parking spot, but Barbara had a pass directly into the best parking 40 feet from the entrance to the stadium

And what a stadium-when you approach, it looks like the spaceship in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The top is ringed with restaurants lights and the sign FEDEX is brightly light in orange and green. Circling the stadium are the parking lots filled up with taligaters so it looks from afar like a tribal gathering (and indeed it is). Walking around the parking lot I spied beanbag toss games, Redskins tents, and of course, lots of beer. I was surprised how many green and white shirts I saw-intermingled with the red and gold.
 Once we had set up our table, we were joined by  several avid Eagles fans, clients of Barbara's brother.    There was some haggling  back and forth, but for the most part, everyone seemed to be trading jibes in a friendly sort of way. Much talk about the just announced 78 million dollar contract for Donovan McNabb. Much hand wringing about whether Michael Vick should  be forgiven for his dog fighting (for which he did time in jail). In the end, after friendly handshakes, and we were off to the game.

There are three levels in the stadium. Our seats were on the 40 yard line in the first level. Barbara sat to my right and her friend, Gail to my left. Behind me was a very vocal Eagles fan, there with his Redskins wife. In front was a cute couple with matching black sweatshirts-hers said "Team Adam", his said "Team (what ever her name was).
To our right in front, another Eagles fan. On the field, the Redskins marching band. AS soon as they started playing the fight song, I chimed in. Hail to the Redskins...Remember, I grew up with that song, during the glory days.