some people wait a lifetime…"

This is a super-long entry so I decided to have this in a "and she blabs on…" form.

So…

My sister sang that line the other day while on the phone with her friend on the way home from Atlanta.

The day in Atlanta Saturday was cool. We left Savannah some time before 6 AM. We made the usual stop in Metter for some breakfest at the Golden Arches. Around 7:30, we stop at the rest area outside Dublin to sleep a bit more since we're not early birds. Woke up at 9 and was back on the road by 9:20. Got to Turner Field around 11 and was in the ballpark by 11:30.

Before the game, once again, fans were lined up all across the right side of the field hoping to meet a Brave or two. I think batting practice was canceled this day since the weather that morning was on the brink of raining or not. But around noon, some faithful fans would be rewarded. Tim Spooneybarger came out to greet the fans. Nicki climbed as fast as she could to get down to where he's at just so she could take photos of him. A security guard said that a group of certain people would get to meet him. Nicki was in that group of people that would luck out. She couldn't believe it.

So she meets Tim and got him to sign her hat and got a photo with him. She asked him the question about "Do you have eyes?" He wanted to know why everyone asked him that question. She said something like no one can ever see them. (By the way, all I could do is see what was happening from where I was. I couldn't hear a thing.) I think meeting Tim was the highlight of her day.

Finally, after waiting, it's time for the game. At first, the Braves were winning. Fucal had a first inning leadoff home run. Then Andruw does the same in the second inning. It all came apart in the 6^th inning. The recap of the game at AtlantaBraves.com doesn't say it but we lost the game all on a Chipper Jones error. Had he been able to grab the ball, I don't think 5 Marlins would have crossed the plate that inning. The Braves might had won the game.

So after watching the Braves lose in person yet again (this is the 4^th game I've seen in person that they have lost), we were ready to go eat and then travel home back to Savannah. On our way out, Nicki bought me a Marcus Giles pin to add to my pin collection.

I know a few of my friends are wondering. Yes, I saw both Mark DeRosa and Marcus Giles play. However, Marcus was pulled in the 6^th for Keith Lockhart when Millwood was pulled from the game.

On the way home, we stop and ate at the Olive Garden. I love the Pasta e Fagioli soup. Oh, I wish they canned that and sold it at the store. I had three bowls there. I ordered something different this time. I had the Stuffed Chicken Parmigiana. That was good. Plus the toasted ravioli from the appetizer. Oh, I get my money's worth at the restaurant.

We finally got home around 11. I went to bed around midnight and woke up yesterday at 12:30. I skipped the game since I was so tired from the day before. I did spend time burning items off the computer so I won't lose them when the new motherboard is installed.

The other day on the news, it was announced that it won't be made official until today but the Savannah Sand Gnats will no longer be a farm team for the Texas Rangers. It's now a farm team for the Montréal Expos. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. M

Posted by Shawn at September 23, 2002 9:03 AM in Baseball, General.