Another night at the ballpark, in fabulous seats, with free food and drink. I'm really getting used to this.
Years ago, my employer had field-level seats down in the press box, about three rows back from the dugout. I took my husband and our kindergartener to a game in those seats. She waved her pennant and ate nachos and had a great time, while Daddy raved, "Boy, wait till she grows up and goes to baseball games with boys. She'll be saying, 'I don't have to sit way up high when I go with my DADDY.'"
(As it turned out, by the time she was in high school, she was transported in a limo to see the Cardinals play, watched from a private box, met the players, and ran around the bases, all courtesy of Make a Wish Foundation - her friend Philip was being treated for cancer. Daddy's great seats were only the beginning ...)
Anyway, this time Biker Chick was given tickets by her employer, Bank of America - so we sat in the exclusive Bank of America section above third base, with the glassed-in club section where all the food and drinks were free. The rest room was not quite as exclusive as the one in the suite, but still a far cry from the public rest rooms. Heh.
Biker Chick, if you ever get around to reading this: I'm sorry, but I gotta nark you out.
As we walked over to the stadium, we remarked that there didn't seem to be a lot of traffic - things were pretty calm, for a Cardinals game. Biker Chick said, "Maybe it's because it's post-season."
How do you respond to that? I mean, it's NOT post-season, and if it were, there would be MORE traffic and crazed fans! I stuttered and disagreed and finally said, "NO! We're leading the division, but it's still regular season play!" She shrugged - she'd heard on the radio that post-season tickets were going on sale. Buh buh buh uh ummmmmm never mind.
When we sat down, she had said something like, "Well, I don't think we'll get hit by a fly ball HERE. They were telling me at work to look out for fly balls." Um. Eventually someone hit a foul back to our right, and Biker Chick sort of pulled out of her lethargy. "Wow, I guess they COULD hit a ball up here!" I studied her carefully for a few minutes before asking, "Um, how long has it been since you've been to a baseball game?"
"How long has it been since I've been to one SOBER, you mean," she corrected. Ah.
We got wrist bands and our very own Cardinals cups to mark us as the elite who could come and go in the Bank of America Club - and we got brats'n'beers. The weather was gorgeous, the seats were great, and I was having a nice touristy time looking around at a different view than the one from the suite. Poor me, I've never been anywhere in the new stadium EXCEPT the suite. Privilege is so limiting. <tragic sighs> I liked being outdoors, down with the fans - up until the fan behind me started poking her sandals through the slats in my seat and stabbing me in the back. HEY!
But the field itself was interesting. The grass had the wide alternating stripes of a very carefully tended lawn, except that it has the shape of the Arch cut (raked?) into it, framing the infield. How cool is that?! Turns out they did that for the All-Star Game, and now it's part of the field. There was also a silhouette of the Old Courthouse for the All-Star Game, but it's gone now. But we still have this wonderful parabola catenary that makes me happy.
And it was an exciting game, besides. In the bottom of the third inning, Biker Chick told me we didn't need to stay for the whole game. "It's the third inning!" I exclaimed. (You may think it was an obvious thing to say. She didn't.) The Brewers were ahead, but in the fourth we saw a Pujols home run, and the Cardinals tied it up. Conversationally, I mentioned to Biker Chick that Ron had come to a game that stayed tied into 14 innings, and he didn't get home until midnight. "Your ticket's good for the whole game," she assured me; "but I won't be here."
By the seventh inning stretch, she was REALLY making noises about leaving. "It's 9:15!" said your Narrator of the Obvious. "And we can't leave while the Brewers are winning!" Matt Holliday helped her out with a three-run homer, putting the Cards ahead, and I finally agreed that we could pack up.
I know I am unworthy, but man, am I enjoying this baseball season.
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