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| Time to revive the Xanga. I still like it. It was the first blog I started back in 2003 or 2004. That seems like an eternity ago. Well it refuses to die.
Today was April 15, 2010. (I'm actually typing this on April 16, 2010, but I still consider it "yesterday.")
I woke up rather late because I didn't get in until 3 am last night.
After taking a shower, I walked over to Duane Reade to buy a Monster energy drink to help wake me up. I met up with a friend to head up to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees-Angels game. When we got there I showed the ticket window my military ID. The man out the counter offered better seats for just $5 (or free tickets with my ID). I elected for the upgrade.
The gates opened up at 5 pm and I headed first to Monument Park. At Monument Park they had plaques of retired Yankee legends. It was a relatively small area and packed with people.
When we finally got to our seats, the overcast sky drizzled a few drops on us, but remained only a threat for the rest of the night. The game began with a scoreless first inning. In the second inning, former Yankees favorite Hideki Matsui came up to bat. The entire crowd roared in cheer. It was the first time I had ever seen a crowd cheer so wildly for an opposing player. Matsui proceeded to silence the crowd with a homerun. As he rounded the bases you can hear the fans trying to disguise their joy and disappointment for the homerun. As one fan near me said, "Come on Hideki, did you really have to hit a homerun?"
As the game progressed, the Yankees took control. Derek Jeter hit a homerun and Robinson Cano hit two of his own. Curtis Granderson hit two triples - and to be honest, I think that's the first time I have ever seen someone hit two triples in one game.
The starter Philip Hughes pitched decently. I figured he would get hit pretty hard due to his poor history of being a starting pitcher. He managed to give up just two runs and three hits in five innings, but did walk five batters.
After Hughes departed, a series of relief pitchers came in. In the top of the 9th, Joba Chamberlain was unable to get the final out and Yankees manager Joe Girardi called on legendary closer Mariano Rivera to finish the job.
Watching Mariano Rivera enter the field is an experience in itself. As Girardi signals to the bullpen for Rivera to come on, the PA system starts playing "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. The crowd instantly breaks into cheer, because they know the ball game is all but over.
As expected, Rivera forced his one and only batter to hit into a ground ball out. Everyone was happy and the Sinatra classic "New York, New York" sounded on the PA.
Afterwards, I took the D train to head home. I got off at the 53rd & 7th station because I hadn't eaten since earlier in the day. I hadn't eaten any food at Yankee Stadium because the food was just too expensive. More on that later. I had my eyes set on some chicken and rice. I went to my preferred street vendor at 53rd & 6th (SW corner), but as expected, he had a line of about 30 people. I went to my back up vendor at 55th and ordered from him. That more or less concluded my night.
Back to the issue about vendor prices at Yankee Stadium. I hadn't been to a Yankees game in a few years. I always remember that vendor prices were high, but what they were charging was just absolutely ridiculous. Here is a sampling from what I can recall: $5 for a bottle of water, $5.75 for cracker jacks, $5 for peanuts, $9 for beer, $6.50 for ice cream. Absolutely amazing. I couldn't bring myself to pay those type of prices even if I was hungry or thirsty (and to be honest I was both).
Anyways, let's see how long I can keep up this Xanga blogging again because it is ignored again for a long period of time. | | |
| The following Yankees games are free with military ID.
I'll sure to be taking advantage of this one.
April 14, 2010 Los Angeles (AL) Wed 1:05 PM
April 15, 2010 Los Angeles (AL) Thu 7:05 PM
May 3, 2010 Baltimore Mon 7:05 PM
May 4, 2010 Baltimore Tue 7:05 PM
May 5, 2010 Baltimore Wed 1:05 PM
May 19, 2010 Tampa Bay Wed 7:05 PM
May 20, 2010 Tampa Bay Thu 7:05 PM
May 31, 2010 Cleveland Mon 1:05 PM
June 1, 2010 Baltimore Tue 7:05 PM
June 2, 2010 Baltimore Wed 7:05 PM
June 3, 2010 Baltimore Thu 1:05 PM
June 29, 2010 Seattle Tue 7:05 PM
June 30, 2010 Seattle Wed 7:05 PM
July 1, 2010 Seattle Thu 1:05 PM
July 20, 2010 Los Angeles (AL) Tue 7:05 PM
July 21, 2010 Los Angeles (AL) Wed 1:05 PM
July 22, 2010 Kansas City Thu 7:05 PM
August 2, 2010 Toronto Mon 7:05 PM
August 3, 2010 Toronto Tue 7:05 PM
August 4, 2010 Toronto Wed 1:05 PM
August 16, 2010 Detroit Mon 7:05 PM
August 17, 2010 Detroit Tue 7:05 PM
August 18, 2010 Detroit Wed 7:05 PM
August 30, 2010 Oakland Mon 7:05 PM
August 31, 2010 Oakland Tue 7:05 PM
September 1, 2010 Oakland Wed 7:05 PM
September 2, 2010 Oakland Thu 1:05 PM
September 6, 2010 Baltimore Mon 1:05 PM
September 7, 2010 Baltimore Tue 7:05 PM
September 8, 2010 Baltimore Wed 1:05 PM
September 20, 2010 Tampa Bay Mon 7:05 PM
September 21, 2010 Tampa Bay Tue 7:05 PM
September 22, 2010 Tampa Bay Wed 7:05 PM
September 23, 2010 Tampa Bay Thu 7:05 PM | | |
| Hey look, it's been over four months since I posted on my Xanga. I've been busy (not really), so that's my excuse. Blogging has been a rather large task for me, even though it doesn't require a whole lot of effort. I'll try better.
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| Holy cow. (Phil Rizzuto voice). Has it really been since July 25th since I've posted on my Xanga? Wow. I know I have been updating my photo blog a lot and my rants blog, but wow. Ok, well let's update this one.
Today I was in Fort Greene, maybe even on the border of Bed Stuy and I was walking around with my Leica taking pictures. I see this guy trying to sell pies to cars stopped at a red light. I found this quite interesting. He was wearing a business suit, but holding maybe four or five pies in one hand. So I lift up my camera and start to focus and he goes "NO PICTURES." I obviously ignore him, because I can't possible pass up on such a bizarre image.
As he stops to talk to a guy with his window rolled down, I wait for him to turn around and hear the guy say to the drive, "I'm about to beat this dude up." Just as I'm about to take the picture, a police patrol car drives nearby and he walks away.
This blog post is my mental image of the event. Oh well. Didn't get the shot I wanted.
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| Tonight I was on the subway and some black youth and some old white lady almost got in a tussle because the old white lady bumped into the youth knocking his chips out of his hand and spilling onto the floor. The Youth yells back at her and says, "what you're not even going to say you're sorry?" The woman replies, "I didn't do anything." Then the youth gets in her face before his friend pushes him into the next car. Disaster averted. Phew.
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