We Are Giants Fans!

There is a whole debate about using the term "Gamer Babes" to identify women (especially young women like my daughters) who are San Francisco Giants fans. Some find it "cute," some find it sexist. We find it mildly sickening, but whenever I don my orange and black scarf and baseball cap, they don their Pence and Lincecum jerseys, and we grab our rally towels and head for AT&T Park, one thing we do know -- we are Giants fans!

So that is how we spent Mother's Day this year -- at a Giants game. 

AT&T Park becons us!

 

 Walking over the bridge to the park... 

Love the huge mural and once you see that scoreboard, you are in game mode!

 It was a full house for Mother's Day!

 Often we are sitting in the second or even third tier, but this time we had great seats in the bottom section, overlooking the diamond where we could catch all the action easily.

Lou Seal, the Giants mascot, drove around with his "mom," tossing out goodies.

You can't beat Lou Seal as a mascot! He never speaks a word, but he has the moves! Here's a little clip of him getting his dance on with Keenan Cahill and Giants players Brian Wilson and Cody Ross: Dynamite! In case you are not familiar, Keenan Cahill has a unique story of his own. He was diagnosed with Maroteaux–Lamy syndrome and some of his lip sync videos are to promote fundraisers for his condition.

Lou Seal has been inside that 25 lb. head for many years now! Want to know more about this devoted man? Read this entertaining interview: Inside the 25 pound face!  Hey, who can't love a guy who's flirty with women of all ages!

It was fantastic, as always! Behind the Marlins many innings, and then in the last inning the Giants came through and won the game!  Whoo-hoo! Baseball season is in full swing and we're lovin' it!

Spring Slide Into Summer

Lest you think I dropped off the face of the earth, here in brief are some of the things that have been filling my days as spring slipped into summer.

My daughters' place in San Francisco is my home away from home and I've spent three weekends and various just-for-the-day visits there so far this year.  One weekend we walked out the front door and down a few blocks to a farmer's market to pick up delicious fruits and veggies.

We breakfasted at a cute little crepe cafe with such fabulous food there was a line to get in.  Decisions, decisions....

Another time we went to a One Republic Concert at Shoreline Amphitheater.  It was the perfect night!  Daylight surrounded us when we arrived, but turned to twilight and soon we were "Counting Stars" (One Republic fans will understand that one!).  Loved how the tent over the stage blended with the sky as dusk fell.

 

One Republic was great -- very talented musicians, and we noticed they seem to appeal to many age groups.

Then there was the Giants game at AT&T Park a couple of weeks ago!  

 We walked through the Willie Mays Gate

 

 and found our seats, up high but with a beautiful view of the bay...

 and the famous coke and glove made for a "giant."

We are enthusiastic Giants fans and were tickled to see 

legendary Stan Lee throw the first ball (below).  

We happened to be seated in a section across from a traveling group of 400 Mets fans who were soooo loud and quite honestly rather obnoxious throughout the game.  Could hardly hear ourselves think for the ruckus they raised.  The Giants trailed behind throughout the game and they were not going to let us forget it.  However, in the 9th inning, our boys passed up the Mets and won the game.  I confess, the victory was even sweeter given what we had to put up with throughout the game.

Besides the usual reading ,writing and speech "therapying," other things that have filled my time as spring slipped into summer included...

~Going hat shopping in Carmel with a friend at the Carmel Hat Shop (just click on the link and take a virtual visit), then wearing them to dine al fresco at Forge in the Forest 

~Speaking at a June Tea event and wearing my new hat!

~Spending time with friends and family

~Attending the photography club and becoming enthused about becoming a more skilled photographer!

~Enjoying fresh flowers that I've had the pleasure of receiving from various friends and occasions

~Savoring fresh fruits and salads, appreciating exercise routines, and lining up those tiresome but necessary dentist and doctor checkups

~Enjoying my doggies and my kitties.  Although unrelated, since Scarlet was a baby kitten when I brought her home she thought Violet was her mama. Violet rose to the occasion and has been very maternal toward her, snuggling and grooming her. You have to admit, they're adorable.

 

 Such are the days of our lives!

Grief Comes in Waves

I'm a SF Giants fan.  My daughters live in San Francisco and you can't help but catch the fever even as far down as the Monterey area where I live.  My brother, on the other hand, was a big Detroit Tigers fan.  We spent the first years of our childhoods in Ohio, then moved to California like so many other dreamers in the '60's.  My oldest sister had graduated from high school so didn't last long here -- she returned to the Buckeye State as soon as she could and lives there still.  So I do feel a little bit like a traitor for not sticking with the Tigers as my fav team (I'm sure I probably made some "cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye" promise to my brother to to never forsake them when we were kids).  There was that time that I got so mad at him over something that I tore up his Rocky Calaveto baseball card--Rocky and Al Kaline were his favorite players, of course.

Anyway, I've had the flu this weekend so haven't been up to much beyond sleeping, playing on the computer, and watching the World Series.  Suddenly it all hit.  I missed my brother.  I missed my dad.  I missed my husband.  I missed my mom.  And my mind ran the course of things I'd read:  "Okay, you can grieve and feel sad, but you can't allow yourself to 'stay' there," or "Okay, now remember all the good things and happiness they brought you -- think about that, not sad thoughts."  But I also remember that "Grief comes in waves," and sometimes it comes when you least expect it.

And sometimes, for whatever weird reason, I welcome it -- it makes me feel alive, it's proof that they were here and our love was real, it honors them to know they are not forgotten.

CELEBRATING THE GIANTS VICTORY!

Just a note tonight to say that most everyone in our area has been going crazy celebrating the SF Giants win of the World Series! While I didn't go up to the City for the parade today, I was there in spirit!

SF Giants Parade

Was this city proud of its team or what?!

For the Love of Baseball

For as long as I can remember someone in my family has been a baseball fan. When I was young, growing up in Ohio, my older brother was devoted to the Detroit Tigers. He collected baseball cards throughout his life and I remember his favorite player was Rocky Colavito. Later in life Jack opened his own sportscard and memorabilia shop. He and my dad continued their love of sports and even I have an assortment of old baseball cards.

Baseball is one of those all American games -- something we've all played in school, easy to understand, enough action that it doesn't drag (though that can be a matter of opinion, according to some of my family members), but enough lulls that you can go get a snack and not feel you missed the major game changes.

World Series fever has captured me this year. Perhaps it's because the SF Giants are so close to home, my daughters now live in San Francisco so it seems like "our team", Americans need something uplifting to watch. Regardless of who wins, both the Rangers and the Giants are coming from behind -- typical American story. So here's to mom's homemade pie and baseball!

PLAY BALL!

(Note: The photo above was taken in San Francisco last weekend. We went to the mall and the line you see looping around was just to get into the SF Giants Dugout store to buy souvenir hats, jackets, and memorabilia.)

Beach Blanket Babylon

Sunday I drove up to the City (San Francisco) and spent the day with my daughters. We went to lunch and then to the rambunctious musical "Beach Blanket Babylon". This campy show has some excellent vocalists performing parodies of popular songs through the last half century and ridiculous impersonations of celebrities and politicians. It's all topped off (forgive the pun) with outrageously HUGE hats and hair! Here is a taste:

Beach Blanket Babylon commercial

We went to the mall for Starbucks after the production and the SF Giants regalia was out in full force on the streets and in the stores in anticipation of the World Series starting tomorrow night! Go Giants!!!!