LA in SF
Once a year for as long as I could remember my dad would take me to a Los Angeles Dodgers game.
My mom would sometimes go, but usually it was just my dad and his girls. It felt so far and like such an exciting occasion. Although I would never admit that, instead I acted like it was such a burden to go to the game. As far as I could tell I didn't even like baseball.
So, we would head out, always to a night game, after my dad got off of work usually. Sweaters in hand, my dad with his portable radio, to not miss a minute of the pre or post game show...I would always bring along the latest book I was reading or magazine I subscribed to.
I told my dad, you have nine innings. If the game goes into over time, I am reading- and true to the word, with a smile of satisfaction when the game went into overtime I started to read. This was a compromise because I used to try and just read through the game.
It was a tradition at least once a year, the baseball game with my dad, who always managed to acquire the best seats for us. I realized he used the power of his intention to arrive and get us good seats. Then we got to order from the vendors as they walked up and down the aisles. The rule was, we could order what we wanted when out, but no junk food in the home.
I liked to eat the its it oatmeal ice cream sandwiches, maybe at one time the Dodger Dogs, a cold coka-cola, and I might be making this part up but I have always been a fan of fresh hot pretzels with salt.
Since I moved to San Francisco we have not gone to a game. I told him a couple of years ago, for all the complaining I did, I really did miss going with him to the baseball game. I told him we should go to a Giants game together and he agreed.
We haven't gone yet, but after I got home yesterday from my first Giants game I told him all about it. I sent him pictures and texts from the game:For as long as I could remember, baseball games and my father went hand in hand.
My friend, on the occasion of her law firms company picnic invited me to the game. She said I had been talking about going to one since I arrived to the city. I took the train to her stadium front condo, the firm had paid for our tickets, in the gate we received free commemorative summer of love t-shirts. The catered picnic was all the free and yummy food and drink we could ask for. We headed to our seats and from there we could see clear out into the bay. The Target brand on the Sailboats circling beyond the stadium- a little bit ridiculous.
It was the Dodgers vs. Giants, and she asked me who I would cheer for. I said, I am just going to cheer the whole game, whenever something good happens for either team.
We spent most of the game catching up on her first three months of pregnancy, and my research, my dating, her experience at burning man and my impending one. It was her three year wedding anniversary and her husband had just returned from a business trip, they were celebrating with dinner and a movie. I told her I had seen both Nancy Drew and Transformers that week, she laughed because he wanted to see transformers. I told her it was great, a love story actually.
Eventually the game was 6 to 2 Dodgers!
We continued to talk about our families and the urban baby challenges, talked about her parents coming to visit from Peru and mine from LA. Decided to head out in the 7th inning to avoid the rush. We had last seen each other for her birthday dinner in February, but she said what I felt- the best of friends just pick up where they left off.
I couldn't wait to call my dad and tell him all about the stadium, how nice everyone was, what a little village it was inside how you never had to stay seated if you didn't want to. He said, he was following the game on the radio, couldn't believe I had stayed through the 12 overtime innings- "Papi, we left in the 7th the Dodger's were already up 6 to 2!"
He laughed, "aye Barbie, when we go we are staying for the whole game." He knew me well,"Okay dad there is a game the Sunday you are in town, but we should definitely go for a good lunch first, they just sell too much junk inside." He said, "nope we are eating lunch at the ball park, that is part of the experience." I couldn't argue with that...figured they must have some healthy organic outpost somewhere in the stadium- after all it was San Francisco.
My dad made me laugh with his last comment, he has such confidence in me, "See if you can hook up some love at the game." I told him, I didn't know anything or anyone affiliated with the Giants, but the box seats or field club might be nice to watch the game from, I would check Craigslist. It was nice I thought, this time I was going to take my dad on an outing to a baseball game, and I knew we would pick up right where we left off...
My mom would sometimes go, but usually it was just my dad and his girls. It felt so far and like such an exciting occasion. Although I would never admit that, instead I acted like it was such a burden to go to the game. As far as I could tell I didn't even like baseball.
So, we would head out, always to a night game, after my dad got off of work usually. Sweaters in hand, my dad with his portable radio, to not miss a minute of the pre or post game show...I would always bring along the latest book I was reading or magazine I subscribed to.
I told my dad, you have nine innings. If the game goes into over time, I am reading- and true to the word, with a smile of satisfaction when the game went into overtime I started to read. This was a compromise because I used to try and just read through the game.
It was a tradition at least once a year, the baseball game with my dad, who always managed to acquire the best seats for us. I realized he used the power of his intention to arrive and get us good seats. Then we got to order from the vendors as they walked up and down the aisles. The rule was, we could order what we wanted when out, but no junk food in the home.
I liked to eat the its it oatmeal ice cream sandwiches, maybe at one time the Dodger Dogs, a cold coka-cola, and I might be making this part up but I have always been a fan of fresh hot pretzels with salt.
Since I moved to San Francisco we have not gone to a game. I told him a couple of years ago, for all the complaining I did, I really did miss going with him to the baseball game. I told him we should go to a Giants game together and he agreed.
We haven't gone yet, but after I got home yesterday from my first Giants game I told him all about it. I sent him pictures and texts from the game:For as long as I could remember, baseball games and my father went hand in hand.
My friend, on the occasion of her law firms company picnic invited me to the game. She said I had been talking about going to one since I arrived to the city. I took the train to her stadium front condo, the firm had paid for our tickets, in the gate we received free commemorative summer of love t-shirts. The catered picnic was all the free and yummy food and drink we could ask for. We headed to our seats and from there we could see clear out into the bay. The Target brand on the Sailboats circling beyond the stadium- a little bit ridiculous.
It was the Dodgers vs. Giants, and she asked me who I would cheer for. I said, I am just going to cheer the whole game, whenever something good happens for either team.
We spent most of the game catching up on her first three months of pregnancy, and my research, my dating, her experience at burning man and my impending one. It was her three year wedding anniversary and her husband had just returned from a business trip, they were celebrating with dinner and a movie. I told her I had seen both Nancy Drew and Transformers that week, she laughed because he wanted to see transformers. I told her it was great, a love story actually.
Eventually the game was 6 to 2 Dodgers!
We continued to talk about our families and the urban baby challenges, talked about her parents coming to visit from Peru and mine from LA. Decided to head out in the 7th inning to avoid the rush. We had last seen each other for her birthday dinner in February, but she said what I felt- the best of friends just pick up where they left off.
I couldn't wait to call my dad and tell him all about the stadium, how nice everyone was, what a little village it was inside how you never had to stay seated if you didn't want to. He said, he was following the game on the radio, couldn't believe I had stayed through the 12 overtime innings- "Papi, we left in the 7th the Dodger's were already up 6 to 2!"
He laughed, "aye Barbie, when we go we are staying for the whole game." He knew me well,"Okay dad there is a game the Sunday you are in town, but we should definitely go for a good lunch first, they just sell too much junk inside." He said, "nope we are eating lunch at the ball park, that is part of the experience." I couldn't argue with that...figured they must have some healthy organic outpost somewhere in the stadium- after all it was San Francisco.
My dad made me laugh with his last comment, he has such confidence in me, "See if you can hook up some love at the game." I told him, I didn't know anything or anyone affiliated with the Giants, but the box seats or field club might be nice to watch the game from, I would check Craigslist. It was nice I thought, this time I was going to take my dad on an outing to a baseball game, and I knew we would pick up right where we left off...
posted by Lorena | 10:28 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home