I am looking forward to this weekend. Not just because it’s the weekend, but because I am going to take a much needed, “mini” vacation to Central Florida to see Matt, Slamwire’s muscle in the programming department, get married. This gives Alaina and I a chance to revisit all of the places we used to frequent when we first began dating. A nice “pre-honeymoon” as I have called it.
As I planned this trip over 8 months ago, I realized I would be running through Tampa and thought “holy cow! I can go see a Rays game!” Many of you may know, I have sat through many a game at Tropicana Field (when living in the Tampa area) and watched them get their brains beat out. I had a deep passion for my loveable-loser Devil Rays. Since I have left, the team was sold, the stadium improved, the team changed thier name to the “Rays” (no Devil), and changed their colors. And oh yeah, they started WINNING! After sitting through countless beatdowns in the cheap seats, I moved to Birmingham and never had a chance to share in all of the great things that are going on with that franchise.
Which brings me to my planning stage. I looked at the baseball schedule and realized that the regular season would end the week before, and thought, “dang! I won’t get to see a game. Unless they make the playoffs (snort snort).” And I watched this season unfold, with them leading the AL East the whole way. What an unbeliveable turnaround. Worst record in baseball in 2007. First place in MLB’s toughest division in 2008.
So Friday night, I will be at the Rays-Whitesox playoff game at Tropicana Field. This weekend will be sureal.
Sureal because Alaina and I will return to places we last visited as a struggling (financially), post college couple. And we will return only a few months before we become husband and wife.
Sureal because I will see Matt Jaeh, a guy I have known since elementary school, get married.
Sureal because I will get to sit in the Trop, where so many baseball games were lost and not cared about, and watch a team now know for winning, where fans suddenly care ALOT.
And sureal, mostly, because…. well, I never get a day off anymore.