Philly Phanatics

It took a while to actually get to the game. I called Jodie this morning when I finally got up and about...and my stepsister Jessa called ME at the same time. She originally suggested going to Citizen's Bank Park by train, but that would have taken over an hour! Train is what she knows best. We finally worked out a quicker route via Google Maps...at the same time she called and said she asked our Uncle Ken, who is a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan and has been to many games, the fastest route to the Sports Complex Area.

We did finally make it to the game around 12:30. It was a gorgeous day for a ball game, nicer than the last time we went. While it was still sunny and hot in the stands, it wasn't nearly as warm or humid. There was a cool breeze blowing through South Philadelphia that felt really nice, too. Lauren had the perfect seats - 141, second row, seats 1 & 2, the section in front of the main concourse floor of Harry the K's Bar & Grille. ("Harry the K" being beloved Phillies sportscaster Harry Kalas, who died in 2009.) We had a great view of the whole game (ignoring the drunken idiots behind us who kept making fun of the men and one woman selling beer, bottled water, popcorn, and peanuts in the stands).

Lauren and I had promised we wouldn't spend nearly as much money this time around as we did last year. Lauren bought a slice of pizza and a bottle of soda and got water for both of us in the stands. I bought a gigantic soft pretzel and a program. Otherwise, we wanted to save our money for our trip into downtown Philadelphia next week.

I wish the game was as much fun as the crowd at the stadium. Even I could tell that the Phillies played badly. One of the Red Sox shot a home run into the stands (not near us, alas) two minutes into the first inning! It didn't get much better from there. The Red Sox got another homer later in the third inning that brought home three players. The Phillies improved a little in the second half, but it was too little, too late. The Sox won 5-1.

Citizen's Bank Park was really fun today. For one thing, there were tons of really little kids around. Apparently, they were giving out free Hot Wheels-sized toy trucks to kids under 14. (I loved the adorable little female fan in the Phillies sailor-style dress and her daddy, who sat in the seats across the aisle from us.) Lots of groups were having outings, too. I got bored with the game and feeling hot and walked around during the bottom of the 7th, enjoying the sights around Harry the K's and checking out the Memory Lane Phillies history wall, which I didn't get to do last year.

I briefly rejoined Lauren in the stands, but we finally decided we'd had enough of sitting down. Lauren needed to use the bathroom, and I wanted to call Jessa and tell her the game was almost over. After Lauren finished, we watched the last inning together with the standing crowd. Heavy clouds had moved in around 2:30, and a wilder, cooler wind came with them. It felt really nice up there, as the wind whistled down the concourse and over our backs.

The game ended around 4:30. Jessa picked us up about 15 minutes later. Her boyfriend Bobby joined us this time around. As with last year, the worst traffic was around the stadium area. (Good thing the Sixers play tomorrow night and in Boston. I can only imagine what the traffic's like when more than one team is playing.) Otherwise, it was smooth sailing both ways.

Lauren and I decided we weren't up to anything resembling cooking, or even tossing leftovers together. Jessa dropped us off at the Oaklyn Manor Bar, a few blocks from my apartment. Lauren had a Pizza Cheese Steak. I had Cheese Steak Sliders. (Three deep-fried mini cheesesteaks.) We shared a plate of fries and watched sports games on the TVs around the bar's outdoor patio. (The Miami Heat was losing when we were there, but they ultimately went on to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Semi-Finals. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Kings couldn't get anything going against southwestern rivals the Phoenix Coyotes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.)

The sun had been in and out since we got back to Oaklyn, but the clouds seemed to be taking over as we finished dinner. That was fine by us. It made for a rather pleasant walk to WaWa for our favorite fountain sodas with flavored syrups. I recreated Dr. Pepper's Berries n' Cream Soda from a few years ago using Diet Dr. Pepper and cherry, raspberry, and vanilla syrups. Lauren had her favorite cherry and raspberry syrup in Mello Yello. The wind had picked up, and it felt absolutely marvelous as we strolled along together.

When we got in, we watched some cartoons and went online. The weather isn't supposed to be great tomorrow, so we don't really have any major plans besides a trip to the laundromat.

Oh, and we both had enough sense to put on suntan lotion before we left and wear baseball caps to shade our faces. My chest and neck got red, but some of that might be leftover from yesterday, and it's nowhere near as bad as last year. Lauren said she bathed in sunblock; she's fine.