With a spring in our step
This is the view of our backyard this morning. New projected date when I can first wear short sleeves: July of NEVER.
Baseball!
Jason meets me at work and we head toward the light rail and the Twins Season Opener, the wet snow wrapping about my neck desperately, like a jilted lover. One block later, I catch my reflection in a restaurant window; my head is completely white. “This is nuts,” Jason says, as I brush furiously at my hair. I turn to agree with him and am blinded by a fat, wet gob of snow that lands directly in my eye.
The plaza at the Dome is full of vendors pushing snow off their countertops, and is bare of fans. The mini-donuts call to me, but I don’t want to remove my gloves to dig for money. Our tickets are sodden from fat stamps of snowflakes. We make it inside and to our seats. My hair is plastered to my head as though I’ve just stepped out of the shower. I pull on the free baseball cap we received at the gate; it’s too big, even after Jason adjusts it. I like it.
We are in what Jason calls a “high-maintenance row.” We have to stand up no less than eight times in the first 20 minutes of the game for people coming late or getting food. Two men trudge up to our row, exclaiming, “Oh, our seats are on the other side.” And then instead of just walking around to the other side, they come through our side anyway. I’m getting irritated. Jason’s drink gets knocked over. We tell ourselves tomorrow night we’ll be in our new seats – our season ticket seats – where we won’t have to deal with this. It makes it a little better, especially when Jason’s view is temporarily obscured by a bald guy with an unnaturally hairy neck who decides to stand for half an inning while stuffing giant hunks of hot dog into his mouth.
We watch at least 8 people trip walking up the stairs, performing acrobatic feats to keep their beers from spilling. One of the local news channels did a story once on how the Metrodome steps are uneven. It must be true; we watch one guy in a sparkling white jersey fall. In his futile attempt to keep his beverage upright, he forgets about his nachos, and the cheese lands fully on his jersey. I see him later, wearing a bright orange stain, and feel sorry for him.
The Twins lineup is 70% new. We are supposed to finish dead last in the division. But we are playing outstanding, fundamental baseball. I am in love with the new center fielder, Carlos Gomez. He plays like he’s on fire, stealing bases, beating bunt throws by sliding into first, and generally driving the opposing pitcher mad. The man seated next to me periodically asks for updates from my scorecard, and asks about the new guys. “Who’d Lamb play for last season?” he inquires. “The Astros,” I answer, carefully penciling in another run. I keep my scorecard pristine; no doodling allowed.
The game is fantastic, and we win by one run. We escape outside and it is still snowing. Jason and I hold hands and slide down the icy exit ramp of the stadium. I marvel at how we have managed to walk into the blowing snow both on the way there AND back. We wait for the light rail train, and it finally shows up, all electronic bells and whistles and modulated female voice recordings. It arrives, slows, then takes off without opening its doors. The display screen reads, “Out of Service.”
I resign myself to the wind and button up my coat and pull on my gloves. I can see my breath again. I remove my cap because the wind almost steals it. People across the tracks start a snowball fight, lobbing missiles until another train comes 10 windy minutes later. At our destination, Jason and I trudge through slushy ice to find our cars buried under crunchy, ice scraper-resistant snow.
We get home and immediately pull out our tickets for tomorrow’s game. Abby has dragged a few of her toys from the basket: we find her rabbit’s foot on the bed, and the big stuffed baseball in the living room. We crawl into bed, where we watch baseball highlights on the news and ESPN, and sigh contentedly.
It’s spring, but we don’t care what the weather is like. Baseball is finally here.
I watched part of that game on TV last night! The snow was incredible. The new field for the Twins is not going to have a roof, is that right? Because that’s insane.
Comment by Jess — April 1, 2008 @ 11:32 am
Oh my lord! I am so not a baseball fan, but glad you got those season tickets.
THE SNOW! OH MY LORD! I am all whiny because it’s drizzling here but SNOW! AHH!
Comment by Stephanie — April 1, 2008 @ 11:33 am
Jess,
Yep, no roof on the stadium, because someone WAS NOT THINKING. At all.
I guess they’re going to try to have the first few weeks of games be away games in the future. Still. NOT THINKING.
Comment by Shauna — April 1, 2008 @ 11:35 am
Really and truly, when is spring coming? when? It snowed in Seattle this weekend. The same Seattle that almost never sees any snow. Come out sun, come out!
Comment by banana — April 1, 2008 @ 11:35 am
I’ve HEARD that about the steps at the Dome!
What IS the deal with the new stadium? Did they really decide no retractable roof?
Comment by Tessie — April 1, 2008 @ 11:35 am
Okay, we simul-posted that. Apologies.
Also: BULLSHIT.
Comment by Tessie — April 1, 2008 @ 11:36 am
It is sixty degrees here in Buffalo today. It is windy and raining, but 60 nonetheless. I actually prefer the snow over the mudpit that is my back yard.
Comment by Saly — April 1, 2008 @ 11:57 am
UGH to the snow. Yeah to the baseball!!!
Comment by Christina — April 1, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
OMG the header is killing me… ah thanks for the laugh!
Comment by Christina — April 1, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
boy. that is some dedication, right there. i guess i would do that for my ny giants, but.. uh.. there are WAY fewer games to sit through.
Comment by Alice — April 1, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
Mother monkey, look at that snow. We had snow, in the Pacific Northwest, last week. It was wild.
I’m not an avid baseball fan (unless there is money on the table, gambling makes me a fan of anything) but going to a game always makes me want churros.
Comment by Shannon — April 1, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
Oh, Shauna!
I love, LOVE, LOVE! this post. It is really beautiful, so well written, and of course, it is about a topic I adore.
A. and I were watching the Houston/San Diego game and the scores for the Twins/Angels game came on. I so hoped you guys were there.
I just bet you will be able to figure this out: A.’s cousin is one of the new players for Houston. He used to play for the Angels (for 9 seasons) and his grandfather threw the opening pitch at one of the Twins’ games. Let me know if you figure it out!
Yay! BASEBALL!!!
Comment by Artemisia — April 1, 2008 @ 10:34 pm
Once, at a Grateful Dead concert, I was the only one who was 21 and could buy beer. (Ok, I was the only one with a fake ID…) You could only buy 2 beers at a time and they were $6 a piece, and you had to go up a narrow metal staircase to get to the concession stand. I go up, buy the 2 beers, pay the $12 and on the way down the stairs, fall on my ass and proceed to pretty much bounce down the rest, beer FLYING everywhere. Some deadhead standing on the stairs laughs, and – hey – I do too b/c it was hilarious.
What was not hilarious? I did it TWO MORE TIMES after that as well, thus spending $48 for 2 beers ($36 all over the stairs and finally the $12 for the 2 that made it). Each time the same deadhead was standing there, practically mocking me, “You gonna make it this time? Huh huh huh huh huh.”
You should’ve seen my ass/thighs the next day – whooooa boy.
Comment by cheri — April 2, 2008 @ 12:52 am
Artemisia,
I think I know! I’m emailing you my guess!
Comment by Shauna — April 2, 2008 @ 7:51 am
I can’t imagine a baseball game in the snow! It was the talk of the town last night because it actually rained on a Dodger game in LA! They had to stop for over an hour, which never ever happens here! I’m glad you’re a true fan that endures the weather for your team!
Comment by stacie — April 3, 2008 @ 2:41 pm