Play Ball!

We joined 45,823 fellow MLB fans as we watched the hometown favorite Texas Rangers take on the Minnesota Twins. Although we waited until pretty much the last minute to purchase our tickets, we were pleased with our tippy-top row seats. We had a perfect view of the scoreboard, there was a nice, cool breeze, but most important of all, we were on the shady side of the stadium.

This was our view from the upper deck nosebleed section. This shot was taken well before the ballpark filled up with fans. We would definitely pick these seats again, since the tickets cost a mere $10 each. 

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the RANGERS,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

We didn't buy peanuts and cracker jack, as the song suggests, but we did get some fantastic ballpark treats.

We ended up spending more money on food than we spent on admission to the ballpark, as we ordered:

• 1 "Boomstick" -- a two-foot long, one-pound hot dog and bun loaded with chili, melted cheese, grilled onions, and jalapeño peppers - $26  
• 1 normal sized hotdog - $4.50
• 2 Nolan Ryan beef burgers - $14
• 1 pop corn - $4.75
• 1 cotton candy - $4
• 1 bottled water - $3.50
• 1 16-oz. draft beer - $5
• 2 32-oz. sodas in a souvenir cup - $11 (Refills of ice and water are FREE!)

Grand total for ballpark fare: $72.75
(An extra helping of indigestion was included at no additional cost.)

The peanuts and cracker jack route would have been a more economical option at a total cost of $9.00. I'm certain the caloric totals would be significantly smaller, as well.:-P

                      

Who knew that it was so much fun to play with one's food -- or at least the food container?

STRIKE! 

I was pleased with how close I could get to the players by using my 75-300 mm lens. This view made it a lot more enjoyable to sit high atop the playing field. If you look closely, you can even see Josh Hamilton's tattoos. :-)

Beltre and his "boomstick"

Adrian Beltre completed his second career cycle when he hit a seventh-inning single. Beltre hit a triple in the 1st inning, a double in the 2nd inning, and a homerun in the 5th inning to make for a very exciting evening at Ranger Ballpark! 

 Rangers won the contest: 8-0. Woohoo!

"Rangers Captain" (the official mascot of the Texas Rangers) inspected the bats and helped set the stage for an after-the-game exhibition. The Long Haul Bombers showed their skills at hitting softballs 400-500 ft. in a homerun derby. 

A sing-along fireworks display capped off the evening with oohs and ahhhs!

The remains of a "boomstick" of another kind...

Singin' and Dancin' in the Rain

It's true. Everything IS bigger in Texas. 

Despite what this may look like, this isn't a heavy rainfall. By Lone Star standards, this is merely a light sprinkle. :-)

I cannot tell a lie. We experienced a gully-washer and a toad-strangler all rolled up into one incredibly wet package. We ended up with just over 5 inches in the rain gauge after just a few hours. The rainfall offered welcome relief after a long, hot, and dry summer, and it provided an opportunity for fun.

 Our little neighbor girlies were singing, dancing, splashing, and laughing in the rain.

Even this really big kid didn't have enough sense to come in from the rain. Although I didn't witness it with my own eyes, I'm pretty sure he was out there bustin' a move in the moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops. Or maybe that was singing I heard... Or maybe both. One thing's for sure, he's all wet!

Mushy Message

The voice message from my beloved went something like this, 

"Hey, it's me... I'm still at the office, but I will be heading home soon. I should be there in about thirty minutes. Let me know if you need me to pick anything up on the way home. I love you, (insert my nickname here)!"

Short, sweet, and to the point, huh?

There's one little problem -- I never did get it.

My mister hit the wrong contact on his cell phone, so he left that message on a coworker's voicemail. (Obviously, Smitty does not listen to the outgoing messages on VM. Or else he thinks my voice is becoming deeper; manly, even.) YIKES!!!!! 

Mr. Smith called me immediately after realizing his error. As he was explaining the somewhat embarrassing blunder, he received another call, so he put me on hold. The incoming call was from his coworker, Tim, who was just calling back to tell my husband that "he loved him, too." HA! Thankfully, the recipient knows Mr. S. well... or he thought he did! 

I am not deliberately trying to embarrass Smitty by sharing this anecdote. I actually have permission to laugh at Mr. S's expense. 

Although I have never left a voice message for the wrong person, I have sent  embarrassing text messages to another person with the same first name as Mr. Smith. The two of 'em show up one right after the another on my contact list, since I have my address book arranged alphabetically by first name. More than once, I have made my recipient selection too hastily. These blunders have made for a flurry of subsequent texts of apology. While embarrassing, it is pretty funny. And I can certainly laugh at myself -- and at (or with?) my husband. :-P

Technology (especially in the hands of awkward people) is great, isn't it? 

No Dial Tone

"Someone invented the telephone 

And interrupted a nation's slumber

Ringing wrong but similar numbers" 

-Ogden Nash

We recently pulled the plug on the landline, and we're not missing a thing about being awakened in the middle of the night by a "wrong number" caller. Oh! If there are any telemarketers reading this entry, don't call us, we'll call you. :-P


We have ten slightly used cordless phones up for grabs. Any takers?

Westward Whirlwind

It took a bit of planning to coordinate all of the Smith Family 2012 vacation travel plans, but we did it. Here's a rough outline of our itinerary:

1. June 28 -- #1 daughter flies from DFW to Indianapolis to meet up with Grandpa
2. June 29 -- The remaining Smith Family members fly from Love Field to Portland, Oregon 
3. June 30 -- Grandpa and his granddaughter fly from Indy to Portland
4. July 1 --50th B-day celebration 
5. July 2 -- TillaMOOk, OR -- ice cream, cheese, and the beach/Other family members roll into the Pacific Northwest
6. July 3 -- Mani/Pedi outing
7. July 4 -- Barbecue and fireworks with friends and family 
8. July 5 -- 5 Smiths get rental car and drive down Oregon and Northern CA coast
9. July 6 -- Highly-anticipated breakfast at Arrigoni's Cafe in Santa Rosa, CA; drive through Sonoma and Napa Valley (being certain to stop at V. Sattui for shopping); arrive in Roseville
10. July 7 -- Lunch with Roseville friends/ Evening gathering with Raleigh Court Family
11. July 8 -- Put #1 and #2 Smithlings on flight from Sacramento to DFW, as both have work commitments to fulfill; "kidnap" Syd from Roseville; drive to SLC with two thirteen-year-old girlies and "One Direction"
12. July 9 -- Make a wrong turn as we travel from UT to CO
13. July 9-12 -- Mountaintop retreat in Colorado with the Starkeys
14. July 13 -- Drive HOME to Keller/Return rental car
15. July 14 -- Sort mail and dirty laundry... go shopping for foodstuff
16. July 18 -- Deliver Sydney to Love Field for her return trek to CA (Vacation is now officially over.) Sort through vacation pics. Write blog entry. Do even more dirty laundry.

Yep, things went pretty much according to plan -- including the wrong turn. HA! It's a good thing we planned for it. :-) I even managed to have a two-day bout with food poisoning, which was NOT on the schedule. Ugh! Although there are no photos of me being ill, there are plenty of other pictures to share. Ready?

June 30

 July 1st -- Vancouver, WA

 Belated b-day fun

My seester and the Smithlings teamed up to inflate 100+ balloons to surprise me. There were blue and white balloons just about everywhere -- inside and oustide.

I was treated to some very nice gifts, to boot -- gift cards, beautiful baubles from my papa, and a "pair" o' boots! 

It's a perfect fit!

July 2 -- Silliness

 Who's behind those Foster Grants?

Grandpa and grandson? These two are oh, so patriotic.

July 2 -- Tillamook, OR

  Say, "Cheese!" or "Ice cream!" or "Moo!"

 Oceanside, OR

July 3

All six "girls" enjoyed a little pampering.

Independence Day Celebration

It's not because of the taste... It's tradition, that's why. ;-)

 Liesey and Glitter

Despite thousands of miles of distance between them, these two have been friends for many years -- they're the same age and share the same name. ;-)

The Smithlings posed with their "Portlandia" friend, Robby. 

 Let FREEDOM ring! 

July 5th -- Road trippin' to California

We so very much enjoyed the drive down the coast from Oregon into Northern CA. It was well worth taking the extra time to tool along the Smith River Scenic Byway to see the old-growth forests. 

July 6 -- Trek from Santa Rosa to Roseville with a "refreshment" stop in the Napa Valley

Two of the five Smiths sampled the fruit of the vine while at V. Sattui. We stocked up on a few old favorites while in St. Helena. Yum! 

Roseville, CA

 Oh, how we've missed you, Jericho! And Mitchell.

 Lunch at Cool River with cool friends

It was a much-too-quick visit in Roseville, but at least we got to see some familiar faces. And we collected lots of hugs!

I must've been too busy visiting with our old neighbors during the Raleigh Ct. gathering, because I didn't take a single picture of our dear friends from the court. :-( It was WONDERFUL to see everyone after 2-1/2 years. We picked up right where we left off, but it was really hard to say good-bye again.

July 8 -- On the road again! Destination: Salt Lake City

What was on the lunch menu in Nevada? I Double-Double dare you to try to guess.

 11:30 PM and all is well in SLC.

July 9 -- UT to CO

 These girlies only move in One Direction, or so it seems.

I had never, ever, EVER in my 50 years of life purchased one of these types of magazines -- until now. The girls were shocked (but VERY happy) that I agreed to spend money on this glossy form of "entertainment," so I thought it called for a photo. (The posters included inside the mags will NOT be going up on any bedroom walls once we get home. I'm going to stand firm on that one.)

It was a L-O-N-G car ride.  Really long.  Boredom set in, and in an attempt to keep entertained, the girls doodled the likenesses of the Fab Five on each other's tootsies. Creative, huh? Don't ask me who's who -- Harry, Louis, Liam, and the other two. I've only heard their names 100 times, but I still can't remember who's who. This little piggy went to market...

 Nothing can divide this friendship.

Cuchara, CO

Ice cream at Charlie's Market in La Veta, CO, surely tastes yummy! Thanks, Starkeys!

 Spanish Peaks Ranch

July 14 -- Home again, home again, jiggety jig

We're back in TX. Can you tell?