Ball games and girls

To complete the trilogy (though I won’t limit it to three) of stories featuring the same three people, I present the following, which occurred Saturday, July 22, 2006. I thought the night was amusing, so perhaps you’ll agree.

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(Amendment to the last sentence of July 8th: It wasn’t as hard as I thought.)

Earlier in the week Ruth had said that she’d be free and in town for the weekend. She hadn’t called by 1:30 or so, so I got online. She was on (said he’d just been thinking of me), and asked if I wanted to go to a baseball game for which Jackie had three tickets. It was between the Rochester Red Wings and the Louisville Bats. We agreed to meet at her house at 5. That we did, after I discovered I needed gas and did that first, thus messing up the directions I had to her house. They suggested we ride in my car because I’d fit better.

We arrived at Frontier Field and parked across the street. We got the tickets, which were free because of something Jackie had, and then went off to find food. Jackie was familiar with the area, so she directed us to a place to eat that was at the end of the bridge from which you can watch the laser shows at the falls. We ate at a table outside on the second floor porch, with a view of the bridge and falls. Jackie and I had chicken sandwiches of different sorts, and Ruth had a hamburger. We finished around 6:30 and headed back (the game had already started at 6:05).

As we walked from dinner to the stadium, Ruth, holding the tickets, asked who wanted which seat. She then shuffled them and we picked them. She got number 10, Jackie got 11, and I got 12.

Tim: (facetiously) Well, I didn’t want to sit next to you anyway.
Ruth: (sniffs) Aww, that’s mean!
(shortly thereafter)
Tim: (fakely dramatic) Actually, I’d love to sit next to you!
Ruth: You know, that reminds me. My aunt and uncle didn’t know I was coming back to their house this weekend until I called them when I was already on my way. My uncle said, “Shoot, I thought we’d gotten rid of you!” But of course he couldn’t just say, “Welcome home!” because that wouldn’t be like him.

We got to our seats around the end of the first inning. Our seats were somewhere above first base. I’ve never been to a baseball game before, so I tried to figure out what was going on somewhat. Ruth and I sometimes talked about random things, though Jackie didn’t have as much to say. Early in the game a ball flew nearby and hit a young girl on the bounce, and later a bat snapped and flew into an empty part of the stands. I noticed that a chunk on the top of the full-color video screen was broken (about a tenth of the area), showing black with some random colored dots in it. That’s the kind of thing where I wish I could fix it, since it obviously needs it.

About half way through the game someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw the two young sisters from church grinning shyly. I queried, “Where did you come from?” Ruth asked who they were, and I told her they were people from church. “Where’s everyone else?” I asked. She pointed three rows back, where their mother, brother, and another father and son from church sat.

Ruth: Now they’ll probably tease you for hanging out with girls.
Tim: Oh?
Ruth: They tend to do that to guys who don’t normally hang out with girls but then suddenly do.
Tim: Yes, I suppose that is the case [for me].

(It didn’t come to pass, since I never even talked to them on Sunday.) Soon after that, Jackie had her arm on the back of my chair so as to talk to people she knew in the row behind us. I wasn’t leaning back, so she wasn’t touching me, but it was there nonetheless. After a few minutes Ruth noticed and motioned for her to put it down.

Ruth: Jackie, you’re going to get him in even more trouble with the people at his church!
Tim: Maybe you two should switch seats after all…
Ruth: But I might put my arm behind you, too…
Tim: Even so, you noticed and she didn’t, so that says something.

(On the rare occasions when such teasing comes up (mostly online) I don’t really discourage it, since it’s usually amusing, not to mention completely false. So, it wouldn’t really bother me anyway.)

A few minutes later Jackie wanted to switch seats (perhaps so she could put her arm where she wanted), and Ruth eventually agreed. Ruth then proceeded to put her arm behind me on my seat. I looked at her reprovingly, and she removed it. Then I did the same to her for just a moment.

Ruth: Hey, I’m taken!
Tim: Well, so am I.

She turned away, but then a few seconds later, realizing what I had said:

Ruth: (shocked) What?? … Tell me about her!
Tim: Just kidding. … Maybe I should pretend to be taken, to keep the girls away.
Ruth: (contemplative) I’m not sure who would go for you…

Our team lost 6-4. Afterward, around 9:30, there was a Latino concert, which Jackie wanted to stay for (being of that sort herself, I believe). There was some sort of famous singer there. So, we walked to the other side of the field. It was rather loud, not to mention mostly in Spanish, so I didn’t particularly want to stay.

I can’t say that I’ve ever been around people who were drinking before, but there were some near where we were standing. Ruth pointed out that drunk people tend to do silly things and be more inclined to dance, and I noticed that many of those who were dancing were indeed holding cups.

We decided to leave around 10:45, though Jackie wanted to stay longer. I dropped them off at Ruth’s house without incident, and then headed home. I turned on the radio, and as I tried to sing along I noticed that my voice was a bit hoarse from having to yell all evening to be heard above the noise.

I mentioned this to Jessica online later:

<Jessica> What’re you up to?
<Tim> Writing about tonight.
<Jessica> Oh?
<Tim> There were some amusing conversations.
<Tim> In related news, I’m a bit hoarse right now.
<Jessica> Why?
<Tim> From yelling at two girls all evening.
<Jessica> LOL!
<Jessica> You’re quite the ladies man, Tim.
<Tim> And what does that mean?
<Jessica> It’s cute how you’re always with girls!
<Tim> Besides, I couldn’t help yelling, seeing as we were at a baseball game.
<Tim> I am not!
<Tim> I can’t help it if the only people who are kind enough to do things with horrible old me are girls.

Alas, she always seems to overreact (in a teasing sort of way) when I’m around girls.

Despite the fact that the game and concert were boring at times, the amusing conversations made up for it, so it was enjoyable overall.