Sometimes A Fantasy Is All You Need.....

June 5th, 2010

I think Billy Joel said it right. Today was going to be a day where the fantasy comes true.

It's 9:45AM and we are just entering PNC Park to see our friend, John Szymanski play in his Fantasy Camp Reunion game. There they were, all decked out in their official Pirate uniforms, ready to play ball.

Of course I had camera in hand, and since this was a very limited guest list, our choice of seating was GREAT. Right behind the dugout, right on the 1st base line. It was pretty much take your pick! John had his own cheering section (all of section 9) and I left the kids to sit with his daughter Jackie as I snuck over to the seats right near the end of the dugout. I wanted to take some good shots as his team came up to bat!

Well, before I knew it, I look across and what do I see, but my kids in the dugout! How exciting for them to be sitting where the big leaguers sit! The umpire was nice enough to give each kid an official baseball as well.

Well not to be outdone by my kids, I was oh so close to one of my fantasies. The photographers pit. (yes, wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth). So I figured if the kids could be in the dugout, why not and off to the usher I went. He just smiled and said, if you can get there, go for it. Well over the fence I went and I think I had a personal moment as I stood where all the local sport photographers do at every MLB game. Talk about a WOW moment! What even made it more interesting is that I was right at ground level. Definitely made for a different POV with the camera.

So for 60 wonderful minutes I got to live out my fantasy as John lived out his. This was his second time as a Fantasy Camper but I am sure the excitement gets better each time you go! I have definitely added Fantasy Camp to my Bucket List (will talk about this on a later post).

And to think, this was just the beginning of Banner Baseball Weekend! Let's Go Bucs!

Memorial Day Fun and All You Can Eat!

This was the game my kids were looking so forward to. Memorial Day. Cubs vs. Pirates and we had "All You Can Eat" seats. It was not the greatest of weather days and we watched the first few innings under the safety of a roof. By the 3rd inning the rain had subsided and we were back in our seats enjoying all the "free" goodies that PNC Park had to offer.

Interesting for us to be sitting in the far right field corner of the park. Probably not the best seats for a photo junkie like me but it was fun to be in potential HR territory. Garrett Jones thrilled us with one in the 6th inning but it was well out of our range.

We were also treated to Red, White and Blue hats, as a Pirate giveaway and the game was tied till the 8th inning when Crosby (the other one...Bobby) hit a single to score Garrett Jones and we took the lead and went on to win!

It was also great to see a decent crowd at the park for the game! Let's Go Bucs!

My 15 Minutes of Fame.....

It was Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." If Andy is correct, I still have about 14 minutes and 30 seconds left of mine.

June 3rd, 2010 and I get a call from one of the women at my gym while I am at work. Apparently, I came in second in the Biggest Loser contest that was held at my gym (and 7 other Curves locations in the Pittsburgh area). I had no clue. I knew I had won for my gym, but that was as far as it went. So I was told to pick up the information when I came in for my workout that night.

So now the dilemma. On the field, at PNC Park, really? Normally a standard game at PNC does not draw a big crowd. But that night, June 5, 2010, was a Skyblast night including a concert with Collective Soul. Skyblasts are almost always a sellout!

I fought the thought of not bothering to show up. I mean if TV puts on 10lbs, that damn Jumbotron Screen will probably put on 100lbs and gee, then I won't look like I lost anything...LOL. However, here comes the call from the owner of my Curves, offering me 2 free tickets to the game. Well, what was going to be a "girls night out" is now a family night. I was able to take my daughter on the field as my guest and my son was going to attend with his father. I had to talk him into it but you know, it's not every day that the kids get to see their Mom recognized on the big screen at a Major League ballpark.

So earlier that day we went PNC to see our friend John enjoy his moment in the sun and later that night it would be mine! Mother Nature however wanted to make things interesting, and a few hours before game time, just an hour before the Curves Tailgate Party was supposed to start, the skies opened up and it looked like my moment in the sun was going to be a rain out!

But we waited it out and when the rain slowed, off we went. We enjoyed a brief visit to the tailgate party and then Shannon and I went off to our trip onto the field. Daniel and his father went in to find their seats early.

There were supposed to be eight winners on the field, but due to the weather, only 3 of us showed up. Great, so now I could not hide in the crowd...LOL It was very cool to see the underbelly of the stadium. Where all the hidden secrets are. So it's 35 minutes to game time and off we go. About 6:30pm and it's our time on the field. Thankfully the stands are not that full and I say a small "thank you" prayer to Mother Nature.

So there we are, the camera man is ready and Joe Klimchak, the Pirate's host, began his speech.

If you want to see and hear it all in it's entirety, here ya go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIkbJXYL4bA

I survived my time on the field, the weather held and the Pirates went on to beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3. We only experienced a few raindrops just as the game started and just a few more as the Skyblast began.

Collective Soul and Zambelli Fireworks were an outstanding display, as expected. This was my second Skyblast night and I have to tell you, it's get better every time we go!

So another item is added to my baseball bucket list. Life is good! See you tomorrow. Let's Go Bucs!!

The Suite Seats

May 18, 2010.

Luxury Suite seats that is. Now, how can you say NO to an offer like this. Walked into the office that Wednesday morning. It was cold and gray, which was not at all odd for Pittsburgh this time of year.

Shortly after arriving, our CFO came to me, wanting to know if I wanted 2 tickets to a luxury suite at the Pirate Game that night. Now who can say no to this...LOL Hell yeah....and I thanked him and then set off trying to figure out who to take with me. I could not take one kid over the other, that just wouldn't be fair. However, other than my friend Jackie, there are not a lot of baseball fans in the office. Even less that were free that night. I was getting a little frustrated as I went about my search for a suite mate.

Thank goodness I am not a quiet person. Apparently our CFO overhead my frustration and said that there would be a third ticket and he put me in touch with vendor who had the tickets. Yes, now the kids and I would be off to a great game. And I was not going to tell them where we were going. This was a rare opportunity and I wanted them to be surprised and enjoy it for all it was worth.

As I drove home, I get a call from the vendor. We had exchanged cell numbers just in case, since I was to meet him in front of the stadium. Well he called to say he not only had the 3rd ticket, but a fourth and a parking pass and could I use them. Damn straight I could. So I offered the extra ticket to their father and off we all went.

The drive to the Park on a bad day takes no more than about 20 mins and soon we were picking up the tickets, parking the car and heading to the Suite Seats. This is truly how the other half watches a baseball game!

It was the Brewers vs. Pirates that night. This was a must win situation after the last time the Brew Crew came to town. The kids were wearing their OBrien Pirate Shirts (yes, they can't be traded) and I was wearing my good luck "Chicks Dig The Long Ball" shirt. There was a suite full of great food, snacks and drinks and awesome seats. And of course, only my daughter would comment on the size of the restroom and it's stainless steel sink with brass fixtures...LOL It always amazes me what kids take notice of!

So we sat outside on the "bouncy" swivel seats and enjoyed a great game of Pirate Baseball. There were no "long balls" that night for the Buccos, but they played a hell of a game of "small ball", manufacturing runs when they needed too and beat the Brewers 6-4.

We were the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave and as we thanked our host John, I knew this would be a special night the kids would remember. I so love surprises! Let's Go Bucs!

Only in New York

The date is May 16, 2010. I was back in NJ visiting family and to attend a family reunion of sorts. Earlier in the year, a good online friend (whom I have never met) offered me his Yankee tickets for today.

Well, this started me on my mission this summer, to see as many Major League ball parks as I can. If all goes well, I will be visiting 8 different ball parks this season. On my "tour" are PNC Park, Yankee Stadium, Progressive Field, Wrigley Field, Citizens Bank Park and Camden Yards. Then there are potential games at Fenway and Comerica Park in Detroit.

But back to the trip to Yankee Stadium. It started with the best weather anyone could ask for. I took my friend Steve with me. Always nice to enjoy a good game with great friend and we took the Yankee Clipper Ferry out of Weehawken, NJ. This is the absolute best way to get to a Yankee game, unless you live in NYC. The ride is approximately 90 mins and arrives about 30 mins before game time.

The weather made the ferry ride an absolute photographer's dream and I don't think Steve and I said more than two words the whole trip there. Camera's in our face as we toured past Hoboken, Jersey City, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and finally to the Stadium. I think I took 130 pictures before we even got to the game.

Now I will say this, Yankee Stadium is beautiful. It is very NYC, it is very Yankee and it looks like the Coliseum in Rome. It really is a "must" see for all Baseball Fans, no matter what you think of the Yankees.

I was blown away at the beauty of the stadium and when we entered inside....all I could say was WOW...It was amazing.

Now, one of the things I am doing at each park I visit, is going up to the highest point in the stadium, behind home plate. This way I can get a great panoramic shot of the entire ball field. I think I plan on framing all these for each year, till I see all 30 ball parks. Should prove to be fun as I get around the US and Toronto.

I have to say, it was very weird to be at a game where I really did not care who won or lost...LOL I am by no means a Yankee fan, but there is something inside me that just says "no" you can't root against the home team. So I tried to keep myself neutral, but not cheering too much when the Twins did something good. I was knee deep in Yankee territory and I wanted to leave all in one piece...LOL

So we sat, nicely shielded from the sun (we were in the 400 level...lol) taking pictures and enjoying the game (along with the colorful commentary from the fans around us). The Yankees were ahead all the way to the 8th inning, where all hell broke loose.

Joba Chamberlain was brought in and the scoreboard announced that he had not allowed a hit in some stupid amount of innings. So what happens, he loads the bases. Joba is then replaced by Mariano Rivera, by far the best closer in baseball. The scoreboard announces that Rivera has not allowed a run in some silly amount of innings and what happens, he walks Jim Thome which brings in a run and then on 1-0 pitch, Jason Kubel hits a GRAND SLAM! Yes my fellow readers, if you want to know how to silence a Yankee crowd of 46,000+, just hit a grand slam off their star closer!

Needless to say, that pretty much ended the game. We did not want to miss our ferry, so we left in the middle of the eighth. It was actually humorous, we were not the only ones who did not want to be late for the ferry, which takes off 30 mins after the last out. So there we all stood, cell phones in hand, keeping track of the game. Androids, Blackberrys, etc....what would we have done 10 years ago...LOL

Shortly thereafter we are setting off for the trip back and I had the greatest pleasure of meeting a sport journalist and his daughter. I never got his name but he kept me entertained and I am sure I will find out who he was at some point. We talked the entire 90 minutes. It was a good thing Steve was still taking pictures or I might have felt a little guilty.

Upon our return, it was back in the car and back to Trenton....a quick slice at Vito's pizza and the day was done. WOW....it was fantastic and something I will always remember. But one thing does puzzle me....and I think I will blog about it more in detail another time, but, when did Motely Crue's "Shout At The Devil" become appropriate music at a baseball game. Now, I do love the song but really....at a baseball game?

Just my $.02, your mileage will, of course, vary....

Happy Mother's Day

I am not like most Mom's. I love heavy metal, I have a body piercing, several tattoos and I wanted to enjoy a baseball game on Mother's Day with my kids. It was May 9th, 2010 and Albert Pujols and the Cardinals were in town. Being that is was Mother's Day, I thought I would wear my new T-shirt that read.....Throw Out Breast Cancer-Save Second Base.

The kids were loving the pink bats, pink sweat bands and the special cancer ribbon they all wore on their uniforms that day. But that was about as good as it got. The Cards, who had won the opener on Friday 4-3, lost the next day 2-0, came back with a vengeance on Mother's Day.

As usual, I made the kids wait till the 4th inning to get our snacks. Nothing beats food at the baseball game, especially peanuts. Not sure what it is but we can't get enough of them!

So back from the hellish lines of the snack bar, we sit down and my daughter looks to me as says...."Mom, Albert is up again"....that one line just said it all. Our Buccos, tried with all their might but could only come up with 4 runs to the Cardinals 11. Now, I could have blamed it on me. The last few games I wore my Pirate "Chicks Dig The Long Ball" t-shirt and they had won....but I might have been more than just that today...LOL

The weather today, was still chilly but we had some sun. It's tradition at PNC that Sunday is Kids Day. Federal Street and the Roberto Clemente bridge are closed to traffic and the entire area is set up for kid fun! Even after the game, the kids get to run the bases. So as we are waiting in line to get on the field, in honor of Mother's Day, Mom's get to join their kids. Well, how cool is this!!!

We finally get onto the field, hit home plate and the kids take off running. What seems like all of them at one time, including mine. I decide to jog around the bases, making sure to "touch them all" and not to run over any unsuspecting little kid.

I come to home plate, land on it and there stands my son, who says, "Mom, you jogged. This was "run the bases", not "jog the bases". Yes, thank you Daniel, I needed that FYI.

Life is good and even better with baseball!

Reds vs. Pirates

April 18, 2010. Today was our first game together, the kids and I and it felt more like November than mid April. The Pirates were looking for their first sweep of the season and we would be there to see it. My kids kept asking what the brooms were for. I love that they pay attention to the details!

Bundled up in jackets and blankets we headed off. I love the fact that my kids are growing to love baseball. And as much as I would love to see the Pirates become a great team again, I will admit, I love the fact that going to a game here is relatively inexpensive. Not to mention, that PNC Park is very family oriented.

Now as typical for us, I make the kids wait till the top of the 4th inning to eat. I do this for a few reasons. 1. They pay attention to the game and 2. By the time we are back with food and they eat, the game is well into the 7th inning stretch and before we know it, time to go home.

Now this game, despite the chill in the air, was great. I love to watch the heart of this team. A team that can't even think of a payroll like that of the Phillies, Dodgers or Yankees. A team that barely fills the seats and yet plays their heart out. Today would be a good day. Today would be a 5-3 win over the Reds and the 1st sweep of the season. I feel good about this year for the Pirates (until they play my Phillies that is..lol)....I think it's time for the city of Pittsburgh to wake up and remember that the Pirates have won 5 World Series Championships....it's time to remember that this city has a team, a team with guts and heart! Let's Go Bucs!

It's a quiet Saturday night and I find myself rather melancholy. I would like to talk about the three words I love and hate the most....I Love You.

As a child, I wanted nothing more than to hear those words from my parents. I wanted to say them just as much, but it was not something we did. I can't ever remember hearing them say that to me as a child. I knew I was loved, but there was something about hearing it. That need for validation. When I got older and was married and had children of my own, that's really the first time I can remember sharing those words with my mother and father.

As a mother, I make sure to tell my children that they are loved. I show them that they are loved just as much, I don't want to ruin the value of those three words. I never want to to feel as though there was anything lacking in our relationship. I want it balanced. Well, I strive for balance, not sure how well I do at it. It truly is an "act", well in my life it is.

Now as a woman, I have grown to hate these words. As much as I try to convince myself I want to hear them, they cut through me like I knife. I love pizza, I love ice cream, I love Chinese food but what I want to feel is that you (whomever that might be) are in love with me. I want to know you care, that I have meaning in your life, that I belong. Show me, don't tell me. Make me feel that I am a priority, not an option. Show me I am more than pizza, or ice cream or Chinese food. Yes I know the last one is a wee bit difficult, but you know what, I think I am worth it...LOL

And yes I know what some of you are thinking....is there a difference, really a difference in "love" and "being in love"? I think so. I think saying "I Love You" is so much easier than showing it. I feel like most people think that those three words (that are said way to much) heal all wounds and they don't, they just make them fester longer. I think saying it is the lazy man's way. OK, that statement was a bit sexist. I think it's the lazy way, for both men and women.

Well that's just my $.02, your mileage may vary...

I hate the way you talk to me
And the way you cut your hair
I hate the way you drive my car
I hate it when you stare

I hate your big dumb combat boots
And the way you read my mind
I hate you so much that it makes me sick
It even makes me ryhme

I hate the way you're always right
I hate it when you lie
I hate it when you make me laugh
Even worse when you make me cry

I hate the way you're not around
And the fact that you didn't call
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

Opening Day 2010-PNC Park

This was my first Opening Day and I have to say it was all I thought it would be. It started out with my friends Jackie, Joe and John in my car heading down to the park. What should have been a 1o min excursion was a total mess due to the pre-sale of the normal parking areas.

Now mind you, on a normal game day, you are lucking to see 4000-5000 people in the park, tops! So parking is not normally an issue, but today, I got my 3-4 miles of walking in! Despite the general mess of the sports areas on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the weather was great and we were ready for a great game. Yes it was Opening Day, and today, even for just a few brief moments, we were undefeated.....Life is Good!

And damn it did nothing but get better. Now the last game of the 2009 season I saw was the LA Dodgers vs. Pirates, September 27, 2009 and that was a gem! To watch all the LA fans leave in after the bottom of the 8th with their team "ahead", to then watch the Bucs come back and win the game 6-5, was a great moment!

As we left the stadium, my son said to me, "Mom, you were the loudest person in there and you are not a Pirates fan". I chuckled and thought that me explaining to him about my love for the Underdog would go right over his head! It was a great game and here we were again...facing the Dodgers.

My seat was no more than 10 rows from the field and I was in it by 12:30pm and just soaked in the atmosphere. Now I will say, I am not used to the stadium being this packed. It was over capacity, 39, 024 and what a sight to see!

Pittsburgh, for all it's love of it's Sports Teams, tends to steer most of their love to Football and Hockey....By the time the Stanley Cup is over, they are chomping at the bit for Pre-Season football to start. I would so love to see them have an over .500 season this year just to set this town a spin...LOL Especially after all the crap their "beloved" Big Ben has been involved in.

Anyway, I digress. Back to Opening Day 2010. In my seat by 12:30 and just chomping at the bit for all the fun of the new season to begin. I was hoping to sneak up to the field during batting practice to get some autographs, but security was rather tight, so it was not happening.

So I soaked up the sun, chatted with some fun fans sitting around me and began my 2010 picture taking spree. I will share some as time goes on because there are more than just a few. I wish I could have taken the pic of Garrett Jone's 1st or two HR's that ended up in the Allegheny River. Fished out by a local kyacker.

So sunburned and happy we all left PNC Park that day smiling. It was a fantastic way to start the season!

Baseball 2010

Here I am, sitting in my favorite chair, watching my Phils taking on the Metz in the rubber match of this series. Now let me start by saying that I am, by no means, a baseball guru. I don't memorize stats, I am usually the last to know when someone gets traded and I don't do anything that has to do with Fantasy Baseball.

I do, however, love baseball and I love my Phillies. I grew up watching Greg Luzinski, Mike Schmidt, Bob Boone and Steve Carlton. My dad is a Phillies fan and that is how it all started. I still remember him yelling at the TV when they did something wrong. Life was so much simpler then.

I remember many a game in box seats at the Vet. My sister dancing with the Phanatic on top of the Phillies dug out and practically throwing herself at Pete Rose. I remember being ecstatic in 1980 when they won the World Series, and how crushed we were when they lost in 1983 and in 1993.

And then there was 2008, where I was the loudest and happiest person in Pittsburgh, PA when we took home the trophy! Not so much in 2009...LOL

So here we are in 2010. I live in Pittsburgh these days, so watching my Phils play on TV is almost as difficult as watching them live. And in this town, if you aren't a Steeler or Penguin, you don't exist, which I have to say, is very sad. The Pirates have actually won more World Series than my beloved Phils and this town treats them like the plague. There is an upside to this, if you can call it an upside....LOL Tickets for the Pirates are dirt cheap and that has allowed me to introduce my kids to MLB.

The kids and I did 6 games last year, all Pirates and one Single A Minor League game watching the Asheville Tourists with me and my mom. This year we are slated for 7 games together here at PNC and one game at Citizen's Bank Park. It should be a great summer. I will be heading to Yankee Stadium in 2 weeks, Cleveland in June, Wrigley in July, possible Dodger Stadium in August and Camden Yards in September. I just love my Boys of Summer, Summer!

Stay tuned....I will be updating the last 2 games I have attended, including Opening Day here at PNC. My first Opening Day ever.....

Stayed tuned...and remember, this is just my $.02, your mileage may vary!