Mudhens and Pizza: Vacation Week Continues

As I mentioned in the Wednesday's post, we went out to see the World Famous Toledo Mudhens on Monday night.

I say "World Famous" because that's how the team promotes itself.  The only reason they're "World Famous" is because Jamie Farr's character "Klinger" talked about them all the time on M*A*S*H.

We had nice seats, 5 rows behind the Hens' dugout on the 3rd base side.

I got some decent action pictures but not of anyone terribly noteworthy, other than Brandon Inge, who had recently been banished to AAA baseball for having the gall to bat under .200.  But I did get a good shot of the Hens' mascot, Muddy.

They also have a female version, called Mudonna.  Welcome to 1986.

The best part of the night was that I got to meet long-time blog friend Sherry.  We all met in Waterville to hop on the shuttlebus that takes you from out in the sticks, straight to the ballpark (for $1)!

You can tell she's totally jealous of my World Famous Toledo Mudhens ballcap.

Sherry was just as fun and smart and cool as I thought she'd be.  You really should check out her blog, even though she has her mother writing it right now, which is an idea that I'm totally stealing.  (Only I'm using MY mother and not hers.  If she agrees to it.)

As someone that lives for swag, I took advantage of going to the Mudhens Swamp Shop to pick up some goodies to sport around Baltimore:

Toledo Mudhens t-shirt.  Logo is sewn on and the whole thing is soft and comfy.

Dig that cool-ass logo!

I don't know why the Hens' shop sells stuff for the local ECHL hockey team, the Toledo Walleye, but I'm glad they do.  This will pass for 'exotic' back home.

On a note completely unrelated to the Mudhens or Walleye, but entirely related to swag, they also have a gift shop around here that sells stuff for the local high school from which I graduated.

You can't pick up Anthony Wayne Generals swag just anywhere...

Anyway, we had a ball at the ballgame and it was completely worth the $9 ticket.  I love small town life!

On Tuesday, the big event was to go to my old college haunt, Myles Pizza in Bowling Green.  As you may remember from my last trip, this pizza is as thick as an apple pie... and not because of the crust!  It's just loaded with toppings and cheesy goodness.

John sat out this excursion, so I went with Rik and all of his girls.  (His son Jake had soccer practice.)  I'll tell you that I'm apprehensive about taking a baby out to a restaurant, but Rik's little granddaughter Ailey was solid gold.

"Where's the pizza, Pappy?"

She pretty much just sat and cooed and played the entire time we were there.

"I may need some help with this."

We stuffed ourselves silly with pizza and I still had plenty to take home.  Although since we went fairly early in my week here, some of it may not make the trip.

After lunch/dinner, we took a cruise by my first apartment.  This was the place where I lived with my girlfriend and another female mutual friend, during the Summer of Bow-Chicka-Wow-Wow.

I must say: it looked much better in 1984.

As you can see, it used to be the garage to the large white unit on the right.

Clearly, it's seen better days.  It's a pity.  It was such a cool little place at the time.  Now it looks like the backdrop to an episode of "Cops."

After we got back to Rik's place, Kyrie realized that I hadn't yet taken a picture of her with her niece, so we took care of that oversight on my part.

The big event on Wednesday was our first grilling of my trip.  Usually that's the first order of business, but this week, we never really had the chance.  We had all kinds of leftovers from the big 50th Bash, then the trip to Myles (after which you don't think you'll ever be hungry again) so finally it was midweek.  John busted out the steaks!

Before.

After.

My perfect dinner is served.

We spent the rest of the night working on our remaining mountain of leftover beer, out in the Dad Cave.

This is the Dad Cave.

John has the perfect collection of sports stuff and tools.  There's the fridge for beer and freeze-pops, a giant work bench, a couple of massive table-saws (under the blankets) Steelers paraphernalia, and beer lights.

This was the first beer light we ever acquired for out in our Barn.  It has found a nice new home in the Dad Cave.

This is the altar work bench.  Yeah, John pretty much has everything... or at least that's what I think.  But you can't go by me because every one of MY tools fits in a little tool bag.

When we were straightening up for the party on Saturday, I felt the need to straighten out one of the beer lights which was hanging crookedly and just out of reach, so I grabbed that long metal wrench-thing at the upper left corner.  John sees what I'm using if for and goes, "Yeah, I have a tool for that."

As for the bumper sticker on the top, suffice to say that we agree not to talk politics.  It's just easier that way.  In fact, I refuse to acknowledge anything that happens in the political world, while I'm on vacation.  I'm getting away from it ALL!

Coming up next (reruns aside): Fishing!