Queens

I went to Queens on Saturday. That marks the second time in my life that I have been in New York City. The first time was something like 16 years ago, and I distinctly remember not particularly caring for the city. This time my visit included a bus ride to Shea Stadium, a Mets game, and a bus ride back to Binghamton. I went with a group from work, and the company paid for all of it, so it was free for me (except food). People were complaining about how expensive food was at the baseball game, and I was actually pleasantly surprised by the prices. Food was cheaper than what you pay at a baseball game in California, although still overpriced.

The game was nice. There was action, but it did not drag on forever. I was a bit amused to see the fans on their feet cheering with two strikes on a Diamondback batter with two out...in the top of the first inning. That was just funny to me. Guys! There are 8 more innings to go, relax! Fortunately for me, I wanted the Mets to win because Arizona is battling with the Dodgers for first place in the NL West, so I fit in with the crowd, and was also quite pleased with the outcome. We were sitting in the sun the whole time, so it made me grateful for sunblock once again. It was a warm day, but not oppressively so, at least in my Southern Californian opinion. The stadium is very close to the coast, which probably kept the temperature down quite a bit and also might be one reason for the fairly steady breeze that made the day more enjoyable.

On the way home we drove past Yankee Stadium, so I can at least say that I have seen it with my own eyes. They are building new stadiums for both the Mets and the Yankees, so being in one and seeing the other really did mean something to me. I suppose there is a little bit (okay, a lot) of my father in me, and I like being able to tally states, countries, and baseball stadiums that I have been to.

The bus we were on had air conditioning that worked a little bit too well, but the engine and/or transmission was a little bit less than impressive. There was a bit of an incline on one stretch of the highway, and the bus literally did not go any faster than 30 mph on that incline. I was not the only one aboard someone concerned about whether or not we were actually going to make it home, but we did. When all was said and done, I left my apartment at 7:30 am and arrived at 9:00 pm. It was a long day, but I am glad I went, even though technically I went by myself since I never did find anyone to take with me (fear not, one of my friends from work was there and had the seats right next to mine). Baseball games are always a good choice ;).