Padres vs. Dodgers

While on our week-long trip to San Diego this summer we decided to take in a Padres game. Jeremy loves to take advantage of every opportunity to take the kids to watch professional sports. I like going to the game too, but not for any sports inclined reason. I like the smells, the sights, and especially the crowd watching. The Padres were playing the Dodgers on the night we went to the game.

Logan played baseball for with our local club baseball program and, coincidentally, the name of his team was the Dodgers! Ha! Logan had a major ethical struggle when trying to decide who to root for on this night. "Daddy loves the Padres. So I like the Padres too. We are in San Diego after all. But I was a Dodger. They are my team." He went round and round with himself all night trying to decide back and forth which team would be his. Finally, towards the end of the game, he made his choice. He chose the Dodgers. Good boy. You stick with your guns Logie Man!

My favorite part of the game is the beginning. Yep, the Star Spangled Banner. It makes me cry every time, with the stadium reeking of patriotism and waving flags. But most of the time we're too late to hear it. So when we finally get our booties in our seats before the first pitch, or tip-off, or kick-off, that is a rare moment. Tonight was one of those few and far between times when we actually got to hear the National Anthem! Here it is in all it's glory for you to enjoy. Check out that marine's awesome baritone voice:

You can see just as the video cuts out the huge helicopters that did a fly over at the end of the song. They came out of nowhere! IT. WAS. AWESOME! There were 3 of them. And inside every one were several service men in their orange jumpsuits waving at the crowd! They were THAT close! Bummer I quit recording at just the wrong moment. :(

Here was our view at the start of the game. Beautiful sunset. It was so perfect that it looked fake. Does it not look like a sound stage for a movie set? Maybe Mary Poppins just before "Step-in Time" with all those rooftops?? Here's a close-up for you to really appreciate that saturated pink skyline. I pay attention to the important details here. What? What game? Oh, yeah.

A close up of Logan's Dodgers

The highlight of Jeremy's night was right here. On the scoreboard. No, it had nothing to do with the score (can't remember who won, actually...). It was his FACE on the crowd cam!! He and Logan had 5 seconds of fame as the camera filmed their faces and streamed them up on the screen. What?! That was a once in a lifetime opportunity!! Wow. It was a most bizarre feeling to see a loved one's face so big and larger than life up on that scoreboard screen. Jeremy reveled in his new fame. He rubbed it in real good to the rest of us that "were not good enough" to catch the attention of the camera. Thanks sweetie. Thanks for stealing our dream of baseball billboard fame.

Towards the end of the night we realized that our time enjoying the game was finished. Here was our first clue that the kids were done with the game - ipods. The ipod glaze took over and we knew then that it was time to call it a night.

We had fun while our energy lasted. Late nights and little kids are never a good mix. Padres and Dodgers you played hard and you entertained us for most of the evening. We'll be back to see you again someday.