View From the Parking Lot

I went to the Phillies - Mets game last night. Got to sing the National Anthem on the field with my singing group. This is the 7th time I have gotten to do that over about as many years. For the longest time we only got to go to Phillies - Expos games because our group was willing and able to sing the Canadian National Anthem as well as the US Anthem. Those were not my favorite games. Now that the Expos are now the Washington Nationals, we get other games to see. Last night it was the Phillies - Mets. I was soooooo happy. We have such a rivalry with the Mets and we get a lot of Mets fans that come to the game, so it makes for a good night. The night was beautiful. My grandson Nathan was being an angel and was loving the game. The game tied in the 8th inning and the 9th inning went scoreless for New York. EXTRA INNINGS!!! YEAH.

Now, I had brought my grandson to the game, but my son-in-law was going to take him home. He decided that he needed to leave at the beginning of the 10th inning, but didn't have a carseat and wanted to get the carseat from my car. First of all, I didn't know where my car was parked because I actually drove to the game with another person in their car, and Wayne had driven himself, Nathan, and his sister to the game. My dear husband said we should leave so we could accomodate the carseat request. But I don't WANT to leave!!! I want to see what happens. Granted, you don't know how long a baseball game will last in extra innings.........but I want to stay!! Trying to be an adult, I agreed to go. As we leave the stadium it is clear that my son-in-law and my husband are parked about 20,000 cars apart. Why can't we just take Nathan home ourselves, I ask. Good idea...............(Darn, should have thought of that inside)............now if Wayne can only remember where he parked the car we can see if we can get the game on the radio. I have been hearing behind us a continuous roar of the crowd..................something is going on.....but what!!

Me: "What letter was the parking lot?"

Him: "I don't know, we parked by the statue of the football player."

Me: "Where's the football player?"

Him: "I don't know, it's dark, I can't see."

Note to self......................It may be daylight when you park, but it is definitely dark when you come out, it's better to remember what the lot letter is.................

Me: "What was the orientation of the ball park when you got out of the car?"

Him: He looks around at the ballpark and then takes off in another direction. Nathan in arms.

Me: I follow with my sister-in-law.................amidst growing cheers from the stadium behind me.

All of a sudden, the ballpark erupts in what I know is something huge and game-ending. My sister-in-law calls my mother-in-law to see what happened because my mother-in-law always watches the games.

Sarah: "Mom, what just happened?"

Mom: "What do you mean what just happened? Aren't you there?" (I feel a stabbing pain in my chest)

Sarah: "Yeah, but we left before it was over"

Mom: "Ryan Howard hit a 2 run walk-off home run." (The stabbing pain just went to my head.)

Then we got stuck in night construction traffic on I-95.

I am better today. The most important thing was that the Phillies won and that guy wearing the Mets shirt in the section next to me went home with a stabbing pain in his head.