Baseball and "Family"

Greetings from New Jersey!

Once again I am on the road traveling because that's all it seems I ever do. JH and I had planned a trip a few months ago to Shea stadium in NYC since that stadium is going the way of the dodo after this season. Since it's close enough and cheaper, we have opted to drive up there. It also happens that one of JH's cousins is having their 50th birthday this weekend so JH's parents are along for the ride. We dropped them off at NJ before heading up to NYC. Traffic into NYC was not bad at all, but it also helped that we stayed on main highways and didn't have to drive through the city streets to get there.

We had a good view from our seats, unfortunately those were some of the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in at a stadium. Those seats were clearly not designed to accommodate tall people because the space in front of me was the size of my shoe, and to put it into perspective, I wear a size 12. We were in the front row of that section so there was a small wall in front of us, and I would have to put my feet up over the edge if I wanted to stretch my legs out. I dealt with as much as I could stand but there were definitely a few times you could hear my knees pop when I would try to move them.

After visiting Yankee Stadium and Shea stadium, I have come to the conclusion that Mets fans are more obnoxious during the game than the Yankee fans. During the Yankees vs Orioles game, the O's basically spanked the yanks but the fans were at least respectful about it, and the fans were decent to JH and I, even if we were in O's gear. As for yesterday, it was Braves vs. Mets, and every time a Braves player came up to bat or when they made a play, they got booed by the fans. Now I've done my fair share of booing at sporting events but there's a fine line to when booing becomes obnoxious, and the Mets fans clearly do not know where that line is.

So after 5 1/2 innings of uncomfortable seats and obnoxious fans, JH and I had enough and we bolted out of there. Since we bolted early it meant that we were able to get back to NJ in time for the beginning of the surprise party and surprise the intended recipient.

The party was fun, and as usual it was meeting a whole bunch more of JH's extended family. I swear though there has to be Italian in that family because much like my own family, there are lots and lots of cousins. It really becomes a game of figuring out who knows who and in what way. The food was good and so was the drinks. Allow me to reiterate my love for margaritas.

Woke up this morning after a decent sleep, had breakfast with the folks, and now we're back on the road heading towards Baltimore. Luckily there have been no traffic issues. As it was just reported to me, it's 94F outside, so that means I am likely returning to a hot apartment. Joy...