It's only been a month since my last entry. Since then, school has started, the Giants continue to be a roller coaster ride, a friend had a wedding reception, another friend gave birth to a son, another friend went to Austin, TX for the first time, and yesterday, my my fellow teachers and I met to form a co-ed softball team to play in next spring's South City league... hopefully South City is getting their staff together and we'll both challenge Alta Loma staff for their division title that they recently won.
Now this is a story about last Saturday:
Unfortunately, I did not attend my usual Friday night game at the ballpark due to the fact I had a rally and dance that night. Evidently, I missed some great 138 events--1. the dirty handed hot dog guy who puts the buns right on top of all the money and his sweat was yelled out by D--the vendor yelled back saying no one has ever complained before (the whole incident was caught on a digital camera video-which, come to think of it, I should put on YouTube); 2. the hot cocoa guy had his second bad night in 138 this year when he tripped going down the stairs, blew the top of his canister off which caused cocoa to spray all over the ground--the benefit to tumbling hard--everyone feels sorry for you and pay the $5 for what cocoa you do have left.
Mind you though, Saturday at the ballpark was not without incident. I wasn't planning on going to the game because I needed to grade my students' life soundtrack essays, but there was a special promotion going on--so I HAD TO GO. Why? The Giants actually created pins just for the season ticket holder bleacher fans. They actually made an OFFICIAL 138 cap pin.... my buddies and I started a trend and it only took 6 years for the Giants to realize they can profit from it. Here's what it looks like...
This is just about the coolest giveaway ever for us!
The Giants even made a 138 jersey that they gave out in a drawing of all the season ticket holders.
But trying to get my cap clip proved to be an adventure in itself. I start leaving my house for the game and I realize that my tickets are missing. All my tickets... were locked in my cabinet at school. I forgot them there because I brought them to school so that I could give Sam Paras my Sunday tickets. So it's 12:30, a half hour before game time, and I have to get to my classroom to get my tickets. The problem: my customer client representative who had my pin above was only going to be at the bleachers to hand them out until the end of the first inning.
So I jet to school not really thinking much about what's going on. The band happens to have their car wash fundraiser that day in the parking lot. So when I park in my spot it also happens to be in the middle of their fundraiser. I go inside to get my tickets and I see that the band had just started to wash my car. I can't just leave and not pay now. I know I didn't ask for the wash, but now I felt obliged and I had to wait the next 15 minutes for them to finish. I finally leave school at 12:50 for a game starting at 1:05. The first inning will likely end by 1:30. By the time I park on 4th street, the Padres make their final out in the top half of the first. I have three outs before I lose my chance at the pin, so I run for it. From 4th/Bryant to Seal Statue. Now most of you who know, know I can't run because it causes my legs to get filled with inflammation, but I do it anyways. By the time I reach Borders across the street I hear a roar from the park--Bonds just hit homerun 731. Damn it. I missed a Bonds homerun, but it does extend the inning. At this point I can no longer run from pain. Before I can reach the portwalk behind the stadium, the inning ends. I can only hope that my rep decided to hang out a bit longer. For some odd reason, Sandra is walking out of the park and leaving the game. She has to make a friend's 50th birthday party and came just to see Bonds homer.... what are the odds? I dash thru the turnstiles and my rep is still there... I get my cherished pin. Thank goodness....
But the day is just beginning my friends...
In the area of too much information, my doctor gave me new medication and it makes me piss a lot. I hate to ever leave my seats during a game, but I had to go to the bathroom in the 5th inning. As I leave my seat and walk beneath the bleachers, I see a couple sleeping on the picnic tables downstairs. The guy on the main table is tossing and turning. The woman on the bench side looked way too comfortable. Hmmm... that hasn't happened before. Then... in the bathroom... I take a few steps and just STOP! A man is standing between two urinals with his jeans down to his ankles. At a quick glance it looks like he's "enjoying" himself, but I soon realize the man is mentally challenged by his gestures and the conversation he is having with himself. Everyone who walks in just kind of pauses at the entrance, looks at everyone else, then continues about their business.
I get back to my seat to let Gina and Ray know what I saw downstairs and they look at me in disbelief. They laugh a little and then we focus back to the game. A few minutes later they are rolling with laughter. I don't know what the hell is going on. Gina finally whispers to me look at the kid sitting in front of them to their right... which is away from me. I stare...and the teenager is eating his peanuts whole... SHELL AND ALL and he's chomping on them like there's no tomorrow. Ray is making jokes about the roughage in his diet and how he is literally going to shit out a 2x4... thw whole section starts rolling with laughter and the kid is oblivious...
just another day of getting to know the people in my neighborhood...
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