Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Claude was in Louisville Wednesday through Friday of this week for the Governor's Legislative Information Conference. I believe that is the right name. I know the first two words are correct. 

Claude sent me a text message asking if I would like to go to the ballgame Friday evening. My reply, "Of course!"  He ordered the tickets and after he got home and I got home from taking care of Papa, we headed to Florence to enjoy an evening in the fresh air.

Earlier this summer we went to a game only to learn upon arrival at the ball park that it was "Bark in the Park" night. I asked Claude if he checked to be sure it was not "Bark in the Park Night".  It turns out it was "Princess Night". 

Yep, real life fake princesses to have your picture taken with and to get their autograph!! Lines of little girls waiting for this important moment in their little lives.  Lots of little girls in princess dresses of various colors and fabrics and styles. Mothers wearing tiaras.  One with a head band that looked like a court jester.  The score board had Mickey Mouse in one corner and a Disney character in the other corner. When a player came up to bat, his number and name were put on this score board with a middle name for them of the Disney character.  Claude commented at one point as the face painting started and all those little girls wanted their face painted, "Sure a lot of dad's missing the game right now."  Yep, they were but it was great fun.

I loved the couple sitting across the aisle from us with their first baby, a little girl. She was maybe 7-8 months old. Dressed in a beaded pink princess dress, jeweled necklace and tiara. Her dad was happily bouncing this little pink bundle on his knee. When he realized I was watching and smiling and totally enjoying it, he grinned from ear-to-ear. Such a proud Dad.

We were sitting behind the 3rd base dugout. A dad on the first row put his little princess daughter, who may have been 3-4 years old, on top of the dugout. She danced along with the music and kept on dancing to the music in her little noggin when the real music stopped. Grinning from ear-to-ear.  The announcer repeated saying, "No one is allowed on top of the dugout for safety reasons." And...she danced on. 

Claude and I immediately ordered our food upon arrival at the park. We had not had dinner and waited all afternoon for dinner at the ball park. I enjoyed a pulled pork BBQ sandwich and Claude had a burger.  Yummy.

At the 4th inning, I told Claude I was ready for something sweet. We've cut a lot of sweet out of our diet but tonight was not going to count. Not sure what to get, I told Claude he could pick out something sweet he thought I might like and chocolate would be fine. Off he went and came back with a big pretzel for him and 'fried Oreo's' for me. My first ever fried Oreo's. They were very good. I did not realize that the Oreo would be soft and melted almost on the inside. Very sugary and I was grateful they limited their portion size to two cookies. I would definitely eat them again.

One of the people that is on staff at the ball park walked around the stands asking people when they first heard that it was "Princess Night" at the ball park. We watched him ask people across the aisle and down from us. Then he started at the bottom of our section. I cautioned Claude that he would be the one asked that question. Claude said he was ready. Oh dear!!  Sure enjoy the nice man in the Florence Freedom shirt came to Claude and me. He asked, "When did he (Claude) first hear about "Princess Night"?  Claude looked up at him and said, "It's Princess Night?"  The man burst out laughing.  Clearly had no box to check for that response on his checklist.  Marked us as not having know when we bought out tickets and left us chuckling to ask the next group of people. 

At one point we realized we were talking and really didn't know what was happening on the field. I just told Claude, "Really, we bought tickets for a night out. The game is not that important." 

The moon was gorgeous.  I was watching it while Claude was getting our dessert and thinking of my friend Laura who keeps me aware of the moon.  I got a text on my cell phone. It was Laura telling me to go out on our deck and look up.  I sent her a text and told her I was just doing that at the ball park and thinking of her. Claude came back and we chatted and realized that moon was moving pretty fast. It was now behind the stadium lights.  We talked a bit more and realized it was now going up in the sky. I just never realized it moved so fast across the sky. Claude said something about the moon rotating around the earth. Then we questioned ourselves about having that right. Claude said, "Jake will know." So I sent a text to Jake asking him if the moon does indeed revolve around the earth. Jake texted back asking if it was a trick question?  I told him we were at the ball park watching the moon and it seemed to be moving very fast across the sky. Jake's response was vintage Jake, "Tell him (Claude) the Moon falls in a straight line over the curved spacetime landscape created by earth. ...but don't tell him I just plagiarized Einstein." He does have strong genes from his father.

We got to the 7th inning stretch and sang the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ball Game' song. After, I told Claude that you can't buy peanuts or Cracker Jack's at the ball park. We both felt a bit sad about that. With the climate in today's society, someone will find that offensive and rewrite that classic ball park song. 

The score board was also fun to watch. They were having pixel problems. It started with one tiny square in the upper right section. By later in the game that was a big square in the lower left section. This became humorous as the displayed pictures of the next batter coming to the batting box. This box would cover him like something was up there that was not to be seen.  Such silliness.

The cutest comment of the night goes to the family sitting down a few rows from us. A mother, father and three boys. The youngest two boys must have been twins and they were just cute as could be. They had a great relationship with their mom and she would tease and tussle with them. Then they would laugh and grin and it reminded me of Hayden. When he gets to laughing and really grinning it consumes his whole face. It is just infectious. These boys did that with their mom. They were totally happy all evening. 

At one point in the game there was a really good play by the Florence Freedom team. The people in the stands started to cheer and make lots of noise. The little twins perked up and one of them yelled to his dad, "A hole in one!!"  Thought I would die laughing. These little guys were about 4 years old. Clearly their dad is a golfer.

It was a wonderful evening. Fresh air. Good food. Time to relax and chat. The Freedom won. I mean, all that and princesses. What more could one ask for on a Friday night date?