Baseball is still boring (sorry, Cheddah)

I was musing on my weekend this morning, and thought, "Yeah, that was a boring game yesterday." But then again, I didn't really go for the baseball. In fact, I only bought tickets for the Stitch & Pitch game when I heard there were going to be goodie bags instead of hats. I realized that no, I went to the event to be with knitters en masse and to sit, knit, and chat. And I did!

I got to sit next to the owner of a local yarn store in Lafayette whose company I really like. It was so fun to look around and see all the different knitting going on. I even evangelized--I'd picked up a "learn to knit" kit, unopened, at Salvation Army for a song (maybe $1) and brought it just in case. A gal in the row behind us wasn't knitting and I asked if she wanted to learn. Upon hearing her 'yes,' I passed the kit back, and by the end of the game, she'd knit about 3 rows!

It was also fun to manage to take the bus and BART to/from the game. I knew I'd wanted to because I was looking forward to the giant beers I remembered from days of old at sports games in general--beers so big that they're totally warm by the time you get to the bottom. (How this is a fond memory, I do not know.) As we started walking around the Coliseum, there were signs for Bud Light everywhere. So why, then, was it so darn hard to find a Bud Light on draft? I asked at several places, and finally gave up at the last place, and had her pour me a Miller Lite (I know, what's the difference? Quite subtle). THEN, after it's poured, the guy behind her says, "Hey, I found a place, just down that way, they have it on draft." I groan. The woman who pours it says, "Hey, no problem, I'm not going to charge you for this." So I got my $7.75 Bud Light! And I was a happy camper. It wasn't huge, but it was big and cold and tasty.

Since I'm not a fan of baseball, there was a lot I didn't know. Did you know that if the home team is ahead, they don't play the bottom top last part of the ninth inning? I did not. And did you know that there are signs saying that balls and bats may leave the field; please be careful? Bats? Now that would hurt. Several balls did leave the field and were expertly caught by very happy fans.

I made another fan very happy: as we entered the Coliseum, we were both handed plastic bags containing black A's jerseys with "Ellis" across the back. He was being honored that day for winning the Alberto Clemens (?) award. G put his on later because he was cold, but I just mashed mine into my backpack and wondered what the heck I'd ever do with a black polyester baseball jersey. Later, I ran into a knitting/spinning friend from Alameda who was sitting with a woman wearing a signed A's cap, an A's jersey, and and a green-and-yellow beaded necklace. She asked despondently whether we'd gotten there very early to get the jerseys (G was still wearing his). I said no, that we'd gotten there just a bit before the game started. "Oh, you must not have come in from the BART side." Nope, we had. Finally, I woke up and offered her the jersey. I now have a new friend. She was so excited to get one, and I was so happy to give away something I was sure I'd never wear.

It was fun, and I'd go again. I could take or leave the baseball, but joining a huge group of knitters (and crocheters)? Priceless.