Vacation: Baseball, Fireworks and Pizza. And Beer.

First, please accept my apologies for not posting this week.  I intended to drop another post or two while I was gone, but I just… didn't.  Felt too much like work, for my surroundings.  But now, I’m home safe and sound, so let’s recap.

I want to start though, but adding a couple of things about the Mudhens game I mentioned in the last post.  I mentioned that it was Kids Run the Bases Night AND Fireworks night.  Normally, we would have left right after the game, but we take a public bus that picks us up in the neighborhood and takes us to the game and back, for a dollar.  The drawback is that they don’t leave until everything is done, including the fireworks.  So we were in for the duration.

The kids running the bases.  There was a line for this that went through the concourse from first base all the way around to the left field wall. 

They had to do something, I guess, to kill the time from when the game ended, to when it was dark enough for fireworks.  Thus is the danger of throwing a Fireworks Night at the end of June.

It did give me the chance to try out the “Fireworks” setting on my camera though.  But not that it really helped any.  I probably took 20 shots.  I got maybe one that was useful.

This is the only one that looks like what I saw.

Otherwise, all I got were:

Abstract paintings,

poorly focused color explosions,

and Toledo being attacked by jellyfish.  Or aliens.

 One other funny note… Minor league sports are great with the in-game entertainment, and the Mudhens are no different.  One of the things they had going on between innings was a Mascot Tug of War.  They brought out a little boy and girl, who couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 years old, to play Tug of War against the two mascots, giant Mudhen characters named Muddy and Mudonna.

So when the emcee said “Go,” the kids yanked and of course the mascots came tumbling forward.  “Victory” for the tots!  But then the little girl went running over to Mudonna and dove on her, throwing her arms around her neck, like she was sorry for pulling her down.  The whole ballpark nearly died from the cute.

The rest of the week was pretty slow-paced, even for a vacation.  We’d usually have a particular activity planned for the evening, and I’d just putter around during the day while John (my host, and VP of Hell No) made phone calls and “worked from home.”  I probably should have done my posts then, instead of reading all of yours.  But this is how the rest of the week went.

Monday

Rik’s boy Jacob had a baseball game so this was my opportunity to go see him play.  The kid is a real monster… 13 years old and already taller than his dad.  I expect him to pass Uncle Bluz by next summer.  Rik calls him the “Vanilla Gorilla,” but don’t let that fool you.  He’s a ridiculously nice kid.

Jacob, with his Pop, the Chairman of Fuck-Off, or as I just figured out I should call him, the “CFO.” 

Jake had a good game, going 2 for 4, including getting a hit with 2 outs in the last inning, and eventually scoring the winning run from second on a close play at home.  There was much jubilation in the land, after beating a much “better” team.  We celebrated by going out to a bar in Haskins, where the CFO’s daughter works, and I had one of the best burgers I've had in ages.  (This, despite the fact that it was Taco Night.)

Tuesday

This was the day to which I look forward all year long: when I take everyone in Rik and John’s families (who are available) to Myles Pizza in Bowling Green.  Back when I was at school there, I think they got more of my money than the school did.  Here’s why:

This one was black olive and mushroom.  We also had a pepperoni and sausage.

Rik and his daughter Kyrie were just back from Cleveland State, where they had gone for her freshman orientation.  Krikey!  My little blondie is going to be a college student.  Seems it was only yesterday that she was a toddler, peeing on my lap.  I’ll have more thoughts on that situation (the college, not the peeing) later this week.

If you look closely, I think you can see the pizza leaking out.  Oh, and last year when I was out there, Kyrie was still taller than Jacob.

I didn't have much room for beer after Myles, so I was forced to switch to whiskey.  It wasn't exactly a big sacrifice.

I took the leftovers back to Baltimore with me.  They’re in the fridge right now, putting a curve in the top shelf. 

Wednesday

This was the light day, where our biggest event was going out to Shawn’s for dinner (and drinks… duh.)  This time I was able to meet up with my friend Sherry, who joined us for the occasion.  It was good to catch up, because she’s been pretty busy with her “52 / 52” Project.  That’s where she’s doing something she’s never done before every week for a year.  (You can read about it on Facebook!)

My highlight of the night was this exchange at the table:

The CFO: That blew my skirt over my head.

Bluz: Yeah, it almost “kilt” him!

I don’t remember what we were talking about, but they almost made me go sit somewhere else.

I don’t think I can fit all of Thursday and Friday’s activities into this post, so I’m going to stop here.  I’ll have the rest of my fascinating trip here for you Tuesday night.

Up next: Tigers baseball, and the Attack of the Grandchildren