Ballgame

Went to a ballgame yesterday, a celebration of a dearest of friend of mine’s big 4-0, the Jeremiah Jonhsens’ (JJ) big day with his beloved Mets and his Mom and Dad and a few friends, including his newbie, he and Britney’s newbie, Grant (my first in person meet of the great pride and new hope)

with Britney eventually donning Grant strapped to her chest like readying for some extreme mountain climb just with a cutely breathing winter cap’s “you got me Moms, right?” poking out bump on what would end up being a day bringing a hardy, for a baseball day, cold, a hardy freakin’ cold, as cold as hell, as hell ain’t cold but if it could be, old friend Melissa and I huddlin’ together, shoulder to shoulder, in seats just short of God (the best of seats by the way, hangin’ with the baseball rabble way north – my fondest of baseball memories at Three Rivers with my Pirates way back, back, back were all in the tall “God” seats which I would joyously take to by myself even if my ticket was closer, with a couple of dogs and a couple of beers, no reason to make that 2nd trip that I knew was gonna happen anyway, just stock up now, save the unnecessary extra steps, after my free entrance on some weekends courtesy of my early 90’s radio Press Pass, back when my ankles didn’t crack so much or my knees didn’t remind they were knees) and with a misplaced April icy wind that implored the little one, Grant, for excuse to get us up and out in the 7th if possible.

“Think of the child!” Mel and I remarked with a laugh, being old both of us where you now really feel the cold, though an almost generation apart in our old, wind rushing in from the heavens in the 7th, but he was all nanooked up, a smaller version of a “Christmas Story” turtle, no, we waited until David Roberston’s impressively efficient 9th for a victory for JJ on his day.

Can’t go wrong with a win to cap off a big Year-0 day huh?

There were dogs and brats and sauerkraut heated in a cat’s water bowl (again, like last season and just cause I think it’s funny) and even a choice of cheeses and crackers, in an almost fancy way that Joe searched his phone for cheese descriptors of with names I couldn’t pronounce, well, as fancy as fold out white plastic tables would allow in a tailgate parking lot, under New York City traffic, next to a Marina next to a ballpark.

It was a good day/night, a really good one as we hung and dogged and brat’d and burgered and fancied with special cheeses and even too many potato chip choices almost forgetting why we were there, for a ballgame.

Jeremiah asked me at the end how I enjoyed the game and to be truthful I told him a bit of a white lie, saying I enjoyed it very much when in reality I didn’t really pay that much attention as I’m not a Mets fan or a Marlins fan, today’s opponent, I have nothing vested in either. But I do have something vested in Jeremiah, an 18 year friendship with lots of games and other events over the years, innocuous “checking in” phone calls where nothing but everything comes up in 30 minute clips and even talking each other off ledges at times. He always being my first call if the shouts of “jump” from down below get a little too loud. Though I wasn’t completely fibbing when I said I did enjoy the game, just not the one between the lines, but definitely the one outside of them with Moms & Dads and new Moms & Dads and friends in tow.

Now, I have celebrated a few Year-0’s “big days” over my time but none to rival a day at the ballpark, and even with my issues of a game now changed, #’s to be asterisked, new eras to be marked, delineated from past ones, I was envious in the best of ways.

I could do a day like this in my next big Year-0 which ain’t that far away now Steve, old man.

I texted Jeremiah when I got home just to repeat to myself of what a joy of a day it was “Cheers to a good day again my friend and happy birthday you somewhat old dude … you still have some Year-0’s to go by the way. Take your time if and whenever you can.”