Take Me Out to the Baaaaaallllll Game.....

Over the past few years I have enjoyed taking my 

darling grandchildren to a Diamondbacks game.

I take them one at a time.

About four years ago, I took Soph who had a 

hot dog, lemonade, a whole box of red vines and cotton candy.

About 2/3 of the way through the cotton candy

she didn't feel so well and then started jumping all over the place - literally.

A couple of year later,  I took Lil.  We went to the kid's play section and she wanted to 

walk all the way around the stadium on the very top row of seats.

So we did.

We saw all kinds of things going on up there 

mostly teenagers making out 

Lil didn't notice.

One day this spring,

Dahl asked me when was I going to take her to a game.

So I did.  

She is 7 

and I must add,

adorable.

The first thing we did was park and this cute young guy wanted to 

give us a ride over to the ball park which was about a block and a half away

on one of those bike-pulled carts.

So we did.

The above photo is him riding the bike

We were on the back bench.  She liked it.

Then he started riding really fast 

and swerving back and forth,

and she didn't like it so much.

He said he had never been to a ball game.

Seems like he should go to a ball game.

Our seats were on the third tier so up we went.

This was the biggest escalator she had ever seen.

 She asked me why was there bird poop all over the escalator.

I hadn't noticed the bird poop but told her birds do get in there but

maybe those dark droppings were chewing gum.

This was our view.

Just as we found our seats 

Justin Upton hit a two - run - in - the - ballpark - home run.

The place went wild 

screaming, cheering, lights flashing, booms going off.

I was cheering too.

She looked up at me in amazement - she had never seen Noni act like that before!!

When it was time to eat I asked what she wanted.

"Whatever is the cheapest"  she said.

I told her she could get whatever she wanted.

She ordered a corn dog and lemonade.

After a while, she said she was still hungry and so was I.

So we went all the way down to the first floor,

but first stopping at the kid's playground where all kinds of exciting things were going on.

The guy who plays the organ gave her a signed photo of himself.

Then Baxter, the Dbacks mascot, was signing photos and kids were lined up about 30 kids deep.

She wasn't interested but looked on from afar.

Then, all of a sudden, there were TV cameras, and broadcasters,

and the Lubre Liche guys who wore masks and capes all standing at a table

just next to us.

The inning ended and boom there we all were on the big screen 

(we were onlookers)

and the main Lubre Liche guy had to eat a six inch Subway sandwich

in 30 seconds - and if he did then all

27,619 attendees would receive a coupon for a 

F R E E

cookie at Subway.

Somehow the guy stuffed the sandwich down in 30 seconds -

it was just wrong looking - but he did it.

Then gulped a glass of water.

The place went wild

(and we received our coupons for free cookies on our way out of the stadium).

We finally made it down to the first floor and

bought a six dollar (one size one price)

bowl of Cold stone ice cream.

It was chocolate chip cookie dough in a waffle cup.

Delicious.

Soon we found a seat in the top row of the infield seating and sat down.

We could see the game a lot better.

Dahl looked at me and said she didn't want the game to end

because she was having so much fun.

Priceless.

All of a sudden the 'Kisscam' came on -

where they show couples on the big screen with a heart around them and they 

are supposed to kiss.  Old folks, young folks, 

all kindsa folks.  They always look shocked, then point at the screen, then kiss.

All of a sudden the camera stayed on this one couple.

He jumped out of his seat, got down on his knee, produced a ring box

and you know the rest.

She nodded her head up and down and cried and the place

went wild.

All of a sudden we realized this was all taking place less than 15 feet from where

we were sitting.  For the rest of the game

Dahl kept a close eye on the couple.

'Noni, she's still crying'.

"Noni, she's looking at her ring."

"Noni, she's talking to her neighbors"

"She's still talking to her neighbors"

"Noni, she's crying again".

"She's still talking to everyone around her"

"Looking at her ring....."

I told her that the couple would always remember that moment 

and how the guy asked her to marry him.



D said, "Noni, I don't want this game to end. I want it to last forever."


 A little while later,

 she noticed some people about 8 rows ahead of us.

They noticed us too.

Dahl said they looked like her godparents.  Sure enough they were.

They were there with their two kids - so we talked for a while.

Suddenly,

Dahl looked at me said,

"I'm tired Noni"

I told her I was too.

"Let's go home"

I said.

Can you believe those eyes?






The Dbacks lost to the Padres 6 to 2.