They Say Its My Birthday...

Yup, that's right, 29 years today. Wow. I won't get started on my thoughts concerning my age! But I will say that I don't know what I ever did on my birthday without modern technology ... phone calls, text messages, tons of Facebook wall posts, emails, family website comments ... all combined together with the good old fashioned real birthday cards and (the best) in-person birthday wishes and celebrations for a fabulous day of feeling loved from the moment I woke up this morning to the minute I'm going to bed. Thanks to everyone who contributed to make today a great birthday!Weird - my hair seems to be getting darker as I get older (and coincidentally falls in line with the season change...)?! ;) Go figure! (and stay tuned for some exciting posts soon to come - just as soon as I download all of my pictures from the last few days!)

The Final Nats Game of the Season

At the beginning of the season, I bought a bunch of "coupons" for Nationals games. Some were for free tickets, some were "2-for-1's" - and of course I forgot to use them throughout the season. So, I invited a ton of friends to join me at the Nationals last home game of the season last Thursday. And as luck would have it, Thursday was a horribly rainy day, and mostly everyone backed out. But, there were a few of us who decided to brave the storm and stick it out. To them, a giant THANK YOU for sticking it out!! We were really good pretend die-hard fans ;)

First things first, we decided to metro down to the game. Rain and rush hour in DC equals major traffic (you'd think it never rains here by the way people forget how to drive). So, Katie and Ben and I headed downtown via metro. We purchased, or should I say, cashed in coupons for tickets, and headed into the ballpark. Of course it was raining, but not very badly. When we walked in, this is what we saw ... The infield was covered with a tarp, and everyone that was there was somewhere underneath the covered portions of the consession stands. Ben bought some of the awesome chili cheese fries from Ben's Chili Bowl, which we were happy to help him eat as we stood in the cold and wind and rain. Then Dave & Mei Li came and me us upstairs. We talked and waited and waited and talked. And Dave tried to scale the wall, Superman Style.
When the rain was letting up and we saw some "really official looking people" on the warning track, we decided to go down to the main level, to stake out our seats. At this point, if they tried to kick us out and make us sit in our normal seats, we were going to have some words to say. So we wound up just off to the right side of the Nationals dugout, where we camped ourselves for the next while. And waited. And waited. Not really sure why we did wait, because its not like any of us are actually Nationals fans (do those exist?!), or because we really wanted to be there in the cold-ish rain. But regardless, we stayed. And then, to our surprise, the grounds crew started rolling the tarp up!Only to roll it out again ... apparently they were just trying to get the water off of it. We kept trying to tell what the grounds crew was saying to one another, and trying to figure out who was "in charge" to see if they had any inside scoop on whether the game would be played or not. At one point, someone told us (on the field) that they had to call New York, because that's where the storm was coming from - to see how bad it was. Interesting, because on the giant HD-TV screen the entire time we'd been waiting, we'd been watching the Mets-Cubs game ... in New York. Obviously they were playing. No one told us what was really going on, and then, just about the time we saw the guy we pegged as the one with all the authority, I saw this sign flash up on the screen ... Game over. Or, game thwarted before it began. Oh well, that about wraps up the Nats season ... 500 fans there, on "Fan Appreciation Night" nonetheless, to cheer them on. That's about all the support they've had all season (ok not really, but its pretty pathetic - I think the only game they sold out was Opening Day).

The Nationals players were in the dugout by this time - and we wondered why. The Marlins never even showed their faces.Then we figured it out. To show us their true "fan appreciation," the players came out onto the field and tossed t-shirts into the "crowd" of fans. Thanks to Dave, I took one home. They showed a "highlights" reel of plays up on the big screen, and the fans cheered. I must say, I sort of felt like like I shouldn't be there, since I don't actually have any sort of loyalty to the Nats other than that they are the home town team. What can I say, when they're in the same division as the Braves?! Regardless of any of that though, its so great to have a team so close by that you know you can always get tickets to! And, even if they didn't play that night, it was fun to share it with some friends who weren't afraid to get a little wet! And, now all we have to do is turn in our tickets for a free game next year too - see, the night wasn't a waste at all!

New Jeans and European Hemming

Two pieces of exciting news today that I just can't manage to keep to myself ... thanks to Heidi's tips on Paula's blog (and to Lachelle for directing me there), I took a little trip to Kohl's after work and found myself a pair of Seven jeans on sale for $39.99. Now, that's a great deal for a pair of jeans.

What's the problem with every pair of jeans though? (and every other pair of pants for that matter) For me anyway, it is that they are always, always, always too LONG. Unless you get the "ankle length" ones, which are perfect - until you wash them one time. Honestly - one time? I don't think so. Last year when I was home for Christmas, my mom told me about the "European" way of hemming jeans that my brother Matt told her about (to complement his obsession with designer jeans that he buys on eBay). Basically, the original hem stays in place, and you shorten them without cutting, and without creating that less-than-appealing "homemade" hem line at the bottom of your jeans. No matter how hard you try, you can just NEVER hem up a pair of jeans to make them look even remotely close to the originals. I've even had them professionally done and been disappointed. The thread is never thick enough, the bottoms are never worn enough, and it just looks downright silly. But, that's the price you pay for being short, right? Wrong! At least not now.

I'd seen the website, I'd looked at the pictures, I'd read about it, and it was confusing to a non-seamstress such as myself. But tonight, I was determined. Determined to make my new jeans the right length, without sacrificing the existing hem line. And guess what? I did it! With the help of my zipper presser foot, and an extra needle (I broke one going over the side seams, which are really thick), I now have a brand new pair of jeans that actually are the right length, and don't have a cheesy hem line. And keep in mind, I am not a fantastic seamstress by any means. Want to try (you should)?! Check out this website for the simple version ... or this one for the more detailed explanation. Both have pictures, which really help to figure it out. Enjoy!

Magazines for Miles?!

If you're anything like me, you have tons of frequent flier miles - unfortunately, they are basically rendered useless since they are from varying airlines across the board. I can't fly without a frequent flier # though, since you just never know. Case in point: I have a United MileagePlus account that I only have about 9,725 miles in. Not nearly the 25,000 mark to get a "free" flight (although I'll be honest, I've considered doing the credit card for a year so I could get that free flight with the bonus mileage they dump into your account when you sign up), but given my past history with United, I'm not thrilled about that idea.

When I went through my mail today, there was something from the "United Airlines Rewards Processing Center," which I almost instinctively threw right in the garbage can. Feeling extra generous (or bored, take your pick), I opened it. And what did I see, after the "URGENT NOTICE" that my miles were expiring (side note - since when do miles "expire?" Not sure how I feel about that one!!), well the letter went on to tell me that I could redeem some of my miles for magazine subscriptions. I know, I know, another magazine. More junk to collect and subsequently throw away or recycle, depending on what day of the week it is and how ambitious I'm feeling. Just what I need. BUT ...

I looked at the list of magazines, and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine. Two of my favorites, but two that I have never really felt the overwhelming desire to pay the exorbitant amount of money than an annual subscription would set me back. And really, let's be honest, even when I did get SI, how often did I actually read it? Do I think anything is going to change now? Not really, I'm not that delusional. However, if my miles are going to just disappear into thin air anyway, I might as well cash in 1,400 miles for a year's subscription (56 issues) of Sports Illustrated, along with another 500 miles to indulge myself into ESPN the Magazine to boot! I'm sure its not actually that good of a deal, and I may very well have a really cool looking dust-collecting pile soon enough, but hey, I have nothing to lose - except those darn miles!

And Its Finished!

I debated what to do about the rest of my baseballs, and my impatience got the best of me. I decided I didn't care if they all matched, since that seems to be out of the question now, and I ordered the rest of the baseballs (an early birthday present from you-know-who-you-are) ... and the final one came today. The baseballs I didn't really know if I would like are the ones with the logos on the white baseball; the vintage style balls have the logo embroidered onto the color. Now that they're all together, I kind of like the different colors of the vintage baseballs with the "regular" ones. Or maybe I'm just telling myself that ;) Either way, here is the final product, in all of its glory.So there it is, my baseball stadium tour, from start to finish. Beginning with the Atlanta Braves in Fulton County stadium right after we moved to GA in 1987, moving chronologically through the stadiums along the way, and ending with the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in 2008. 36 stadiums (including the 6 that I went to that don't exist anymore - they had to have a place in my display case too!) and countless incredible memories. To top it all off, the baseball at the bottom of the case is the one that I got in Texas at the game. My very last game and I finally got a ball. Its a perfect ending! And I have to admit ... I absolutely, positively, completely love it.

#30: Texas Rangers Ballpark at Arlington [My Final Stop]!

This is it. The post that I've been waiting for ... my final baseball stadium. I have to say, its still a little surreal to me. Maybe because the big fanfare didn't accompany it, maybe because no one really knew what a monumental day this was for me, maybe because I've been going to games for so long with this goal in mind that its hard to believe it is actually over and I've really accomplished the goal that I set out to. Whatever the reasons though, I did it and I couldn't be happier! All right, enough reminiscing (I'm sure there will be plenty of that in the future), and on to the good stuff!
We got to the ballpark a bit early, to make sure we had plenty of picture-taking time (and also because my dad wanted to see the new Cowboy's stadium which is being built right next to the ballpark). I must say, I'm so glad that my last ballpark wasn't a crappy stadium!! The Rangers Ballpark at Arlington is beautiful, the outside especially. I love the red brick exterior - everything about it is classy.Its kind of hard to see, but I really liked the sign on the outside that welcomes you to the ballpark. Off we went, through the season ticket holder line (gotta love those craigslist steals!), and into the ballpark. Again, I went to the Team Store, in hopes of finding a baseball to add to my collection, but again, I was disappointed by the fact that they didn't have the one I was looking for. Oh well, I'll order it online and not have to worry about packing it in my suitcase! The store was out in Centerfield, so here's a shot of the view on the way back ... isn't it beautiful?! Then we made our way to our seats ... all the way down front. I was giddy with excitement as I walked down and showed the usher our tickets, knowing that this time, I could actually sit there legally, and not have to worry about someone asking me to move! It was awesome. Simply awesome. This was definitely the right way to finish my tour - right down front, close to everything. I'm secretly glad that the Rangers aren't very good so I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg to make it happen! The tickets said "Row 5" but you can see that the camera/media pit was right in front of us, so we were really on Row 2, with no one in front of us (I actually sat on that front for at the end of the game). The dugout was just to our left, and the on-deck circle was just to our right. Literally right in the action. Every time a left-handed batter got up to bat, we thought maybe he'd hit a foul ball directly at us. It never happened, but that's probably a good thing because knowing my luck, I would have been pelted in the face with it like on "Fever Pitch." Dad talked to one of the ground's crew guys before the game and asked if he could get a ball for me (I think he explained to him this was my last stadium or something) and he told us that we'd have to get it from one of the players or something. Just before the game started, one of the Mariners' came trotting into the dugout and my dad looked at him and motioned to him, and next thing we knew, the guy threw him a ball! Nice! Of all the games I've been to in my ENTIRE life, I've never actually come away with a ball. Go figure. Some people go to one game and get a ball, but me? Nope. Not until my last game, that is. Well, my last stadium to check off my list - I am certainly not done going to games!!
The game was great - until the Mariner's came back and won ... but we still had fun, especially once it cooled off. It was so dang hot in Texas! But it turned out to be quite a nice evening, and though the home team didn't win, it was still an exciting game. Especially with sitting that close to all of the action! This is my mom's favorite - Ichiro's stance ... cracks me up. But hey, it works for him, so I'm not making fun! Near the end of the game, someone hit a foul ball and it landed in the media pit in front of us. One of the grounds crew got the ball and casually looked back at me and tossed it back. To me! My very own real ball. I know, I already had one from my dad earlier, but this one was mine. All mine. He threw it right to me, and now it has a spot in my baseball case. An official MLB ball. Hooray! Too bad it wasn't the super cute grounds crew guy that I was pretending not to watch during the whole game, but hey, I'm not really complaining! ;)Everyone around us must have thought we'd never been to a baseball game in our lives by the way we were taking pictures ... but it wasn't nearly as many as all the Japanese taking pictures of Ichiro! Little did they know that I'd actually been to a LOT of games, and this just so happened to be a very important day in the history of my baseball-going days. I'm so glad that mom & dad were there to share it with me. I never thought the day would come that I could actually say that I have now officially been to a game in every single MLB ballpark! Wow. I feel like the luckiest girl alive!

Dallas With Mom & Dad

On Sunday morning I flew from Houston to Dallas, and met my parents at the airport. We went to church in a little town near there. After Sacrament Meeting, this lady came up to me and gave me the Relief Society newsletter and asked what my name was, and then asked if we were new. Nope, just visiting. She took that (even after we told her I live in Virginia and mom and dad live in Utah) to mean that we were looking to move into their ward, so she told us the two cities that it covers. Then she looked right at me and said "Now what year are you in school? Our ward covers two high schools." Seriously? She really thought I was in high school? She couldn't believe it when I told her I'd actually graduated - from college - six years ago! ha ha it was pretty funny. Maybe the heat in TX got to her and impaired her vision ;)

After church, we drove to the Dallas temple. Of course since it was Sunday, the grounds were closed, but we walked around a little anyway. This was the first temple that I went to in my life ... before it was even built ...
And then a few years later with my brothers ... gotta love the one-piece outfit ;) So now, 25 years later ... temple's still there, and we look a little more fashionable (at least I think so).
We spent the rest of Sunday relaxing. We went to pick up our tickets from the guy I bought them from on craigslist for the game the next night. While we were there, we stumbled on a neighborhood that had some model homes. I probably shouldn't have even looked because what I saw made me sick about how expensive homes are in Virginia! Oh well, it is wayyyy too hot and humid in Dallas for me!

We went to lunch at a really good little Mexican restaurant. Our waiter, Jose, made our day. He wasn't hesitant at all to inform us from the beginning that this was his first day and he was really nervous. He spoke with a cute little accent, and every time he came to our table he asked "is everything good? Is everything ok?" He made a few small mistakes and kept apologizing - not a big deal. My dad told him he was great and he said that we made him feel really good about himself that day. We just shook our heads and laughed as we left because he was cracking us up!

On Monday we slept in, after finishing "Get Smart" in the hotel room. Then we headed out to the outlets to do a little shopping (not a lot, just a little). Then we went downtown Dallas to Pioneer Plaza see the bronze cattle crossing the stream that my mom wanted to see. It was actually pretty cool, er, except for the bronze cattle, which burned my leg when I tried climbing on it ...
Of course, what good are cattle if there aren't any cowboys to round them up? Speaking of cattle ... our next stop was the Stock Yards in Fort Worth. My dad wanted to go there, and it was really fun! Kind of had an old western feel to it, and we even saw the "running of the cattle" that afternoon - more like a walk down the street, but hey, that's certainly not something you see in DC every day!
We walked around, went into Billy Bob's, ate Blue Bunny ice cream (soo good!), and had lunch at a really good BBQ place (where I think I singlehandedly drank all the water they had since it was so hot outside), and then called it a day - at least for that part of the trip. Next up, the baseball game!!

#29: Houston Astros' Minute Maid Ballpark

Saturday night: Houston Astros, here I come! I was actually staying at a hotel near the airport that night (since I had an early flight and didn't want to get up any earlier than I absolutely had to), which as I found out, wasn't all that far from the ballpark. So, I drove to the hotel for a minute to check in, freshen up, and then made my way to the stadium. This is how excited I was as I made the turn and saw the ballpark for the first time ...
As I was walking toward the stadium, I ended up buying a ticket from some ticket brokers on the side of the road for $10 and decided that I could pretty much sit wherever I wanted. I went into the Team Store to try to find a baseball that I liked for my case, but much to my dismay, I found that they didn't have any that were up to par in my mind. But, the a/c did feel good! I walked around the stadium, admired the view, and then made my way to my seat. I spent the game seat-hopping. I sat for 3 innings in the seat I was assigned to, and then moved closer in. Same thing 3 innings (and an ice cream sundae) later. In a way, it was nice to be by myself and have the luxury of moving around without making a scene. Ushers are a lot less likely to notice if its only one person!

The game was actually very exciting ... at the end of the first inning, the score was 6-3 Astros, there had been 9 hits, including 3 home runs. The rest of the game wasn't quite that crazy, but it was definitely not boring, that's for sure. Minute Maid ballpark was great! I loved it. The cool train in the outfield moves when runs are scored (which was a lot during this game). I'm still not sure why they have a little hill in centerfield, but it didn't seem to detract from the game, so I guess if nothing else, it is certainly something unique. Probably one of the best things about it: air conditioning. Yup, that's right, its an indoor ballpark, but not a lame indoor one like Tampa or Minneapolis. The entire outfield is surrounded by glass, so it doesn't feel enclosed. Let me tell you, it was nice to not have to sit in the heat and humidity of Houston at the end of August for a baseball game! After "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the 7th Inning Stretch, they did a rendition of "Deep In the Heart of Texas" ... while the Texas flag wove on the screen. The Astros certainly know how to please a crowd. And I hate having all these pictures just by myself! Oh well, I wasn't going to not go to the game just because I went by myself. Not the first time, and probably not the last ... it was totally worth every minute. One down, one to go!

Houston, TX

Labor Day Weekend 2007: Road Trip from Minneapolis to Milwaukee to Chicago to St. Louis. 4 Ballgames, 4 days, 3 girls, and a minivan. Food including cheese, pizza, and sno-cones.

Labor Day Weekend 2008: Two cities in one state (Texas), including food along the lines of Vietnamese, Mexican, and BBQ. Translation: I'm going to Texas to finish my baseball stadium tour!!!

Friday afternoon, I flew to Houston ... the beginning of the end of my tour. I spent Friday night with Jenny's family (thanks again!!) - it was so fun to see some familiar faces. How could you not enjoy a trip with darling kids like these?? :) They were so much fun - and I'm so grateful they let me crash their party!!

Saturday morning I went to the Houston temple. It is absolutely beautiful! Like most temples are, it was in a very nice part of town with some enormous homes surrounding it. I always love going to temples when I travel. What I don't love? Asking random strangers to take my picture while they are waiting for their wedding party to finish taking pictures ...

After a fantastic Mexican lunch with the Olsen's and some family friends, we had a little shopping trip. Then, I headed out to check another stadium off my list. And, the rest is history (as well as another post)...