we'll start with Friday before I even left....I received an email back about an inquiry I had made on ATL's craigslist about some tickets for Monday night's game between the Giants and the Braves....someone had beaten me to the punch, however, this woman had not heard back from the other interested party....we discussed it and I said I could use paypal right that second and she could overnight them and we'd be good to go! She gave him a little more time, didn't hear from him, and let me know they were mine! WOOHOO! So I send her the money and she sent them immediately via USPS....oh, did I mention the tickets were HERE in NC???? yes, that's right....I found tickets on ATL's craigslist for an at home Braves game vs my Giants....from a woman in NC....where I am....
Only me ladies and gentlemen....
so Monday morning I get up and head to ATL....directions were funny....I-40w to I-85s....take I-85s to GA....how freakin' easy is that! I only had one merge to I-285 and then just one turn off for my friends' complex where I got to stay (more on that later)....so for this poor child in dire need of a gps you could not have asked for better directions!
George was ready to roll!
So I hit the road....no real adventure there...which was a good thing b/c that meant no traffic, no running out of gas, flat tires, or any other car issues....and unlike six years ago when I last drove down to ATL I didn't sneeze the entire trip! so fastforward to getting there....I made pretty decent time....got there, met my "roommates" (see pic below), and finally got to meet Shereen and Corey....I have e-known them for a little while so to actually make it down to GA and meet them was pretty freakin awesome....they were SO VERY KIND as to open their home up to me and allow me to crash with them....
I got there and immediately the dynamics of being married began to unfold before me....hahahahaha....they started to go back and forth about whether the MARTA would be better to take in or chancing traffic was best....so within 15min of me being there we decided to head to the ballpark....sweet! I'm down for leaving early :)
my roomies!
we get into the truck and start to head towards the stadium....we decided to chance the traffic and drive all the way in....guess what? good call! giving that it was a Monday and that we hit the road just before the 5 o'clock mess started we were able to get to parking before most and we even got great parking advice....let me pass it along to you: park near the entrance you came into and walk a little further-that way you're right there at the exit as opposed to being in the back when everyone starts to file out....brilliant! why I've never thought about that for all the events I've attended I do not know but trust me when I say it WILL be implemented the next time I go to see something!
we arrived!
now, I know Shereen and Corey probably thought I had lost my damn mind but at this point I was starting to feel like a 5yr old on Christmas morning....and it would get worse....we're walking towards the stadium, we cross the street, we walk into the gates (not the pearly ones), and this lil cutie greets us saying welcome, have a great time, etc....then I hear as I pass by, go blue devils.....um, I'm sorry WHAT?!? see, I was wearing my I <3 UNC shirt so he got a little shot in on me....I turned around and just pointed my finger at him and said, oooooo no no no no....he just laughed and poor Shereen, she had no idea what just happened....hahahaha....Corey and I were explaining the rivalry to her....he was also talking about her needing to attend a UGA/GT football game, what tailgating was, etc....at this point I won't lie, I wasn't listening to either of them anymore....I was too focused on getting to the field!
we get through the little checkpoint and I see that yes, we were indeed early enough to see batting practice....and it was SF Giants batting practice!!!! fucking sweeeeeeeeeeeet! IMMEDIATE scan of the field like I was a freakin terminator or something looking for the Beard....where is that beard....I mean come on, you could see that thing from space for freaks sake! where is it?????? oh hey look, there's Sergio Romo, Brandon Belt, Tim Lincecum, wow! but I'm not seeing the beard....ok, fear not....he could be in the training room or whatever....in the meantime, OMG I'm in a major league baseball park!!!!!!!!!!!!
SF GIANTS batting practice
I start to see some of the hits coming all the way back and I panic a little bit....seeeee, I don't have the best depth perception (which was why I stopped playing outfield and started pitching-oddly enough that was a better spot for me) so I would see the ball coming towards the outfield and I'd go, oh god oh god, is it going to make it? is it right for me? oh........it didn't even make it to the wall....opps
I take the time to walk around....get better looks at the Giants from all sides of the field....and to see if I spot anyone else....I mean no one in particular....ok yeah, even in font I can't lie....we all know who I was there to see....ok, he's not out here right now....let's tour the stadium....I walk around, enjoy looking at all the people, surprised at just how many Giants fans I saw walking around, have a woohoo to someone who said Go Heels, buy some Chic-Fila waffle fries, and go find my actual seats....it's still early so it's just me sitting by myself (friends went to go grab dinner before the game)....so I'm sitting there going, wow! if he comes out for a save he'll be RIGHT FREAKIN THERE! I mean, check out the below pic! I was pretty much giddy!
oh and did I mention I downed a sugar free red bull before entering the ballpark? yeah that probably wasn't helping the giddy thing :)
yep, my seats-freakin' sweeeeeet
now, all in all I was actually surprised at the size of the stadium....it felt small to me! I was not expecting that...now part of that could have been b/c it was maybe only 1/3 full....no lie....I know it was Monday but this was a big series for them, Giants are reigning World Series champs, it's a rematch from the playoffs last year, etc....but hey, it worked out since it meant less traffic and people to fight through while walking around....
so we're getting close, my friends join me, and the dugout starts to fill up....we're sitting on the side of the Braves so I can't see in it but I am opposite the away dugout....we know that that means :D now, I did not have binoculars...I had meant to buy some before leaving NC and I totally forgot....but remember what I said: that beard can be seen from outer space...so not only did I see that beard, but I recognized him by booty....oh you read me! I know that cute butt of his anywhere! it's a long tradition passed on to me from my mom ;) so in the pic below I give you my first beard sighting:
you don't even want to know my thoughts....
now, I won't lie, I did that whole speaking as I inhaled thing while saying, ooooohhhhhmmyyyygooodddd....FINALLY! I thought, if I drove down here and he's not with the team I'll be pissed off! but there he was in all his hairy glory....ew, wait, that sounded terrible....anyways, let's just get to the game....they do the national anthem (where I got a shot of him w/o the hat on-yeah I was really paying attention) and then the pitchers head to the bullpen....that's when I discovered my camera had a super zoom feature on it and I got the following shot....and who needed binoculars! I now could just zoom in with the camera like a good little stalker :)
super zoom found!
so for the game itself: well, weather was great! I really could not have asked for much better to be honest....it wasn't too hot and once the sun set it really felt awesome....slight breeze....next to no humidity....which for anyone in the South that is a rare moment at this time of year....the offense/defense goes back and forth....and I'm definitely the only one in my section cheering when the Giants score....hehehehe....sorry! I didn't come to see your precious Braves....matter of fact, fuck yo Braves! ok actually, I take that back....I typically reserve that foulness for the yankees ;)
I did get one shot that I really liked of Bumgarner in mid-pitch....I like him....he's from Hickory, NC....yea mountain boy!
nice action shot
so now, after a solo shot from Cody Ross (I think...he hit one the next night so I may be mixing it up), Giants are up 4-2....and it's the bottom of the 9th...being the good stalker, er fan, that I am I had already been monitoring the bullpen...I had seen Affeldt warming up previously but Lopez came in in the 8th....I wasn't sure who may come in for the 9th b/c I thought it was slightly odd that Wilson had not been used for the previous game but I zoomed in and what do I see? him getting up and taking off his sweatshirt....oh shit! he's warming up! and yes, I documented that....I got him warming up, coming out, and of course, him pitching....
total heaven for me
now....I'm not sure if I can properly type out exactly what happened in the game....I may have to come back and edit it in but I watch as he loads the bases, gets two outs, and then get to that dreaded 3-2-2 count....when he got to that I don't know....I just knew....something didn't seem right with his pitching, even with his tortuous style....and sure enough, I heard the crack of that bat and I didn't even look up....I knew....I look down, curse under my breath, and look up at the scoreboard and see 4-3 (since one run had already scored) turn into 4-4 and then 4-5....game over....
now this is the part where I proceed to lose it....like absolutely, lose my shit....I literally looked up at my friends and yell, we're out of here! and I just storm off up the steps....I came so close to kicking trash cans as I left....VERY close to throwing my phone b/c it just happened to be the object I was holding....I was HOT! I had seen him do this only twice before this season and my reaction was very similar....but this was different....I saw it in person.....fuck me running what was turning into a perfect night was just totally destroyed in one simple swing of a bat....my friends? totally laughing at me-as they should have been! I, um, tend to get wrapped up in my teams....ask anyone who has ever seen me witness a meltdown by the Tar Heels, the Panthers, or in one uncharacteristic game, my App St Mountaineers.....
so after I calmed down and the adrenaline left, I realized my blood sugar was totally gone-opps :D so I get some greek yogurt, eat it, and go to bed....I had to do nothing but laugh at myself for my reaction but what really made me "calm down" was a text from my mom...she said that all during the game they were questioning whether he would even be brought in, whether he'd be taken out once he started struggling, etc....she didn't tell me b/c she didn't want me to be upset about probably not seeing him....awwwwww! my mom is so sweet :) but reading about the back issues and then the elbow inflammation I thought, that actually explains what I saw...his pitching was not what he's normally throwing....he was not the saves leader going into that game on accident....the boy has skill! and guess what? he wasn't there the rest of the series due to being looked at by the doctor in FL....so while the ending was not perfect, it did unfold just right for me to see him in person...which was exactly what I wanted....
oh but there was one perfect ending.......so to speak:
the money shot!
