Raincharm’s Weblog

Warming up

And while it started well, the game ended as a loss. No one said it was going to be easy.

Still up 2 games to 1. Hope for a better result tomorrow.

I want my hands to hurt like they did in 1995.

I want to be hoarse like I was in 1995.

Tonight feels more like 1995 than any playoff game I’ve been to since 1995, albeit it’s only been a few games.

I had forgotten how tiring it is to care so much.

About a silly game

And you can’t win if you don’t hit. And sometimes you do.

For those who don’t know, this is about the Seattle Mariners. The only major league team to never get to the World Series.

But Humpy won the Salmon race. First win in 2 years.

And now, back to our other, regular life.

Until Sunday, because we WON.

At Game 5 of the ALCS. Mariners vs Tigers. It’s win or go home.

In line, near the front, and probably the 40th or so game I have been to this year. The number isn’t important, but more than a few.

We bring in the clear bags with our food. (Aside, the Tigers don’t allow fans to bring in their own food. Paying for ballpark fare would bankrupt us.)

Extra layers of clothes. It is October.

Sunscreen (a friend had her sunscreen lotion confiscated once, but it hasn’t happened to me).

Sunglasses (if I take my sturdy container, it sets off the metal detector, so I use the cloth version).

Bobbleheads (Carl is cleaning out a small part of our clutter, piece by piece). These are really appreciated by the recipients.

⚾️ ⚾️ Baseballs. Carl gets lots of these at Minor League games, but they’re usually Major League balls. These are given to other fans, and they are usually excited.

Just before the gates opened today, a security worker announced baseballs wouldn’t be allowed in. SAY WHAT?!?! What about the balls that are obtained within the confines of the ballpark. Caught during batting practice or the game. Tossed up. Or bought at the Team Store.

What I’m pointing out is that there will still be balls in fan’s hands.

And the purported reason for this sudden change in the rules? A woman apparently stepped on a ball, fell, and broke her leg. A knee-jerk reaction if I ever saw one.

Carl tripped on the stairs here earlier this year, but they’re still here. And what about the numerous empty beer containers.

Anyway. That’s my rant for the day. So far.

GO MARINERS ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️

Two games into the American League Division Series the Mariners are tied 1 game each with the Tigers. I rooted for the Tigers to beat the Guardians as they are the team from the background of my youth. But not right now.

A few pictures of my life over the past few weeks. Very baseball centric.

The Mariners lost yesterday’s game 3-2, but rebounded today to win 3-2.

Why is this special enough to report? The last home playoff game the Mariners won was October 15, 2001. Almost 24 years ago.

It’s been a while.

It actually reminds me a bit more of ’95 than 2001.

And it’s not like I don’t have a lot to write about. For today, 2 items.

1. Retirement is looming.
2. The Mariners are going to the PLAYOFFS

We have both soccer and baseball activities both days this weekend.

So we started by retrieving the car after they fixed whatever was wrong. No charge this time. I think it was related to an earlier fix of the electrical/computer system.  At 247,000 miles, some hiccups are to be expected. Because they ran through a long checklist to test and identify the problem, a lot of things were not at their normal settings. I spent each red light on the way home resetting things.

And then we were off. Two busses to our first destination, Rueben’s Brews, in Ballard.

The Champions League championship game was fun. Paris-Saint Germain beat Inter-Milan 5-0. But PSG was great fun to watch. Lively play, lots of passing, and goals. Plus, we got to enjoy lunch from the brewery’s food truck. The rueben I had was very satisfying.

From there, we set off in a light rain to the next bus. Followed by a short walk to the light rail and another short walk to the stadium.

The baseball game started at 4:15, which was good because it dragged on for 3 hours and 46 minutes, spanning 11 innings. The Ms did win in the end, so that was exciting. They called up a rookie, Cole Young, and he managed a walk, his first major league hit, and in the bottom of the 11th inning, hit a weak ball down the first base line, which allowed the runner at 3rd to score, barely under the tag at home plate. I’m not sure it counts as a hit, but it secured a walkoff win. What a way to experience your first major league game.

Tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be improved, and we will once again be heading to the ballpark. First for the Mariners game, and we’ll leave that at some point to walk across the street to the Sounders soccer match. They start about 2 hours apart, so unless the Ms play a really short game, we’re going to miss part of one of the games.

Today, I got something I last got when I was 16. Braces! Invisalign, actually. Very high tech stuff. Scans you do with a thing you attach to your phone. An accelerator that vibrates your mouth for 10 minutes each night.

This all has to do with a tooth that must be removed, in a few weeks.

I have had the Invisalign “trays” on since late morning, except for lunch and dinner. They don’t hurt, but my mouth is tired.

If you’ve ever been in a mascot suit maybe you have experienced a similar feeling.  You’re supposed to entertain, be peppy, and make others smile – without talking. You find yourself smiling  widely, to encourage others to do the same, even though nobody can see your face.

Everytime I have been a costumed mascot I end up with a tired mouth from smiling so much. This feels almost the same. I assume I will get used to it after a few days. I hope so because this will go on for more than a year.

In other news, this greeted me on my drive home

If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Since I was sick last week, our pantry didn’t get used as much or in the normal way. Therefore, there was food that needed to be prepared so it didn’t turn into compost.

Stuffed peppers to the rescue.

Another walk, watering the veggies, and I made an appointment for myself to meet a new doctor. In October! 4-1/2 months to get an appointment as a new patient is ridiculous.

We have 3 rhododendrons in our yard. One front, one back, and one side. They all bloom at about the same time, now.

Side yard, and the most interesting look.

Other than checking the flowers, gardening today was limited to watering the vegetables planted yesterday. This afternoon, we took a walk. The real excitement was in the morning when I confirmed our Medicare Part B, made a likely decision on Part D provider, and explored dental insurance options. What I didn’t tackle was trying to line up more new doctors. But I’m not as frantic as I was a few weeks ago. I understand it will not meet our expectations for timing, so am just moving forward as best we can.

Understanding all of the requirements for care as a senior without job-based health care is a form of elder-abuse. Luckily I can just keep working until it’s all figured out.