Archive for June 2009

Steeling myself for another game…

29. June 2009 by Crys.

Dear readers, today I am facing another difficult challenge. I am forced to attend the Orioles game tonight. Of course, I would much prefer to spend time with my family and maybe listen to the game on the radio (which is an option here - just like the good old days), while my mother, God love her, talks incessantly over the announcers so that I can’t catch even a partial inning. As part of my mission to perform random acts of kindness however, I am obligated to spend the evening in Camden Yards so that there is one less seat occupied by the tuckus of a Red Sox fan. Usually I deny it, but in this case, I’ll admit that I am kind of a hero in my self-sacrificing nature.

Sigh.

But what is a gal going to do? I guess she can make sure she has the zoom lens and beer money.

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Sacrifices

28. June 2009 by Crys.

Dear readers, I have a story to tell you tonight because I am confident that you will sympathize with the terrible situation in which I found myself.

Here I am in Baltimore visiting family to celebrate my youngest niece’s high school graduation. Today was the big party and I attended dutifully as any good aunt would. But then something terrible happened. After the party was over, suddenly, I found myself inside Camden Yards! I can’t explain it. All I know is that by the second inning, I was seated in the upper deck among a whole slew of orange-clad Orioles fans. Then I had to endure one Orioles homer after another, and even, you’re not going to believe this, but a few rounds of “The Wave.” The Orioles cheers were near about so deafening, a person couldn’t hear herself admiring George Sherrill’s capless head through the zoom lens.

It was a very, very hard night for me, as I’m sure you can imagine.

And seeing this…this was the hardest of all…
TRIPLE HOT!!

I won’t bore you with the rest of the gruesome details tonight. I want you to know how much I appreciate your kindness in listening to this difficult tale. Your compassion won’t be forgotten. I am going to try to pull myself together now and get a good night’s sleep so that I can face tomorrow.

Wishing all of you a most wonderful weekend and less difficult travails than I have endured.

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Modern American Tragedies

26. June 2009 by Crys.

On April 6, 2007, when MASN magically appeared in my channel guide, I was ecstatic. After 17 long years without regular Orioles access, I vowed I would never take watching the Orioles for granted again. After I started this blog, my dear college friend Ray commented, “I don’t remember you being this crazy about the Os in college?” He was right. I’m embarrassed to say that in those days, the Orioles were right across the street from me. I could go to a game whenever I wanted. After all, when I was ready for them, they would always be there. I had the luxury of relying on the crowd’s cheering to know when to tune in the radio if I was too busy studying to listen to the entire game — and often I was too busy studying — or doing something else entirely. I never anticipated that I would move away and that watching an Orioles game would be a luxury.

Yet, I have not watched many games this season. It’s not that I have stopped appreciating my unlimited Orioles access. (I have seriously considered sending gift baskets to the staff at MASN, in addition to my semi-annual thank you notes.) The problem is that my husband is defective, owing entirely to his British nationality (bless his heart), and in order to preserve marital harmony, I am trying to be a better wife by not forcing him to watch every game this season. My husband hasn’t openly complained, it’s just that when on Opening Day he uttered a painful, “Already?” in reference to the start of the season, his disappointment was palpable. Even though the problem stems from his unfortunate genetic makeup, it’s still hard to not pity him, particularly since he truly did not know what he was getting into marrying me (otherwise, I’d likely still be single).

At any rate, hope is on the horizon for me. I have been promised a kitchen television whereby I can watch the Orioles whilst baking and my husband can watch Top Gear or soccer or 24 (an odious program I swore off of after the finale a few years ago left me too irate to withstand another season). It’s a win for everyone!

So that’s the update explaining the silence emanating from this url. Plus, the Orioles are so in need of “development” that even I have been unable to forecast any World Series predictions.

I did have the pleasure of watching tonight’s game. On second thought, “pleasure” probably isn’t the right word. While I was happy to watch the game, I have to say that I found myself wondering…and I don’t mean this to be disrespectful…that after today’s sad news about the passing of Michael Jackson, I wasn’t sure which was sadder - the passing of Jackson or the Orioles pitching. Both are pretty tragic as our 11-3 loss to the Marlins reveals. MASN’s coverage dropped just as we scored our meager three runs, cruelly depriving us of the reward of enjoying the one pleasant part of the game after nine innings of rather regrettable pitching. (Those runs occurred during my first batch of chocolate chip cookie sacrifices. Coincidence?? You decide.)

Again, I don’t mean this to be disrespectful, but as my friend Chuck commented on my Facebook page, today’s news warrants the retelling of this old joke:
Q: What do the Baltimore Orioles and Michael Jackson have in common?
A: The both wear one glove for no apparent reason.

Since it seems that our problems are primarily pitching and not fielding, I can think of a variation on that joke, but it’s rather too crude to repeat. If I were to share the variation, which I won’t, the answer would be something along the lines of both having a fondness for those things that create walks. Okay, I know, weak! My husband has informed me on more than one occasion that my jokes aren’t funny. He’s British, what does he know!

The exciting news is that my next post will hopefully be next Monday after attending the first of THREE consecutive Orioles games — for the first time in over twenty years. I am so excited that I think I’m looking forward to seeing the Os even more than seeing my family. That should help to make up for being completely cutoff from the Orioles during my upcoming trip to England during the month of July (do you see the sly, under-handed ways of my husband - what I have to put up with!! SHEESH!). I shall depend on all of you to provide detailed recaps of the games during that time to keep me informed.

Wish me luck that I’m not surrounded by obnoxious Red Sox fans next week and that our Os do well to not make me want to poke out my eyes with a sharp stick.

Have a wonderful weekend, my dear readers!

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