Post Game

I wasn't able to make it to the baseball game on Tuesday. I had a meeting which ran late and turned into a couple of drinks.

I did manage to go yesterday. It was a crazy day.

I was up at 7:00. I used the bathroom and heard the people upstairs stomping around. I heard the toilet seat go up. I heard it flush. I listened carefully and heard the water drain down from the shower. I waited until they were finished and then took a shower of my own.

I got dressed and headed out for a job interview. I took my last $2.75 and jumped on the streetcar and headed south to Queen. I waited for about 10 minutes for the westbound Queen streetcar and when it finally arrived, I waited to climb the back stairs. Five people, all of whom arrived at the bustop after me, climbed in and packed in around the top of the stairs. I stepped in, but with nowhere to go, I had to get back out. The back of the streetcar was empty, yet, I couldn't get on because there were too many people crowded around the door. We're living in a society here people! We have to work together to make it work properly!

I was livid and started to get worried about whether or not I would make my interview. The next car arrived in about 5 minutes and I was on my way again. After University, Bay, and Yonge, the streetcar emptied and I got a seat at the back. When we were stopped at Victoria, I saw a scavenger of human misery ticketing an illegally parked truck. The driver appeared and pled his case. As he was doing so the guy slipped the parking ticket under his wiper. I opened up the back window and said, "You're giving HIM a ticket? You're parked in front of a hydrant right over there!" The "officer's" car was in front of a hydrant, but the streetcar was moving again before I could see the results. A part of me wished that I could hang around, but wiser heads prevailed and I went to my interview.

I arrived at my interview at 9:15- 30 minutes early. I waited until 10:25 before I actually got in. I didn't really care since I didn't have anything better to do. As I sat there, I began to wonder how I was going to get home as the only money I had on me was used to take the streetcar. The interview went well and I got the job.

I started to walk West and was expecting a long trek. I eventually came across a Scotiabank and took out my last $10 at the teller. I managed to catch the streetcar and went back downtown. I had a nice lunch with a friend and decided that it was probably best to walk home. I headed up to the Bob Miller Book Room to pick up a book for my course. I went to the CIBC to deposit a cheque for my Dad. I headed home, printed directions to a friend's house and then drove out to Broadview.

A friend is moving out of town and I wanted to help him if I could. I have my Dad's pick-up truck and so I loaded the truck up with books, a ceiling fan, and an old computer which I took to the Buddhist temple on College. It didn't take very long.

I pulled into the driveway and, without even going into the house, I headed to the subway. I headed down to the Skydome (it will always be Skydome to me) to the Jays-Yankees game. Again, I was frustrated with two things on the subway ride: one, people waiting to get on cursing the fact that people exiting the car prevented them from pushing through the door; and two, the escalator that was going down leaving everyone to climb the stairs.

Anyway, I got to the dome and bought my ticket. I rished around to my gate only to discover that there was a queue. It was 5:00 and the doors weren't open. A bunch of people were talking so that was good eavesdropping fodder, and the vendors shouting was moderately annoying, but the gates ended up opening at 5:30.

I staked out a good spot in the right-centrefield seats and waited. A few balls were hit around me, but I didn't have much luck. Actually, one was totally catchable, but I didn't get to it in time and it hit off the railing and bounced back onto the field. Quite a few balls were hit below me behind the fence. An employee was picking a few of them up, but after a little while, one of the Yankees' relievers or bullpen catchers arrived and chucked the balls up into the crowd. Because I saw him and was paying attention, I asked for one and he threw it to me.

So I did get a major league ball. Sure, I didn't catch it during a game. Sure, I didn't catch it at all, but I do have one. It's marked up from the turf and has a scuff, likely from ricocheting off of concrete, but it's clean and white and smells amazing.

The game was all right. They opened the dome after BP and it was cold up on the fifth deck. The Jays got smoked again, but I had a few pops and lots of salt.

I'm still going to work on catching a ball. I might as well enjoy this time off since it won't be long until I'm one of the people who complains about their job and how they never have time to enjoy themselves.