Take me out to the ballpark…

By: Liz

As a Michigan transplant, I was more than happy to attend a game the Mariners played against the Detroit Tigers.  Over the last 4 seasons I have tried with all my might to make it to a game when my family favorite Tigers come to town.  Luckily, for me, this year’s game landed on a public service appreciation day and I got to see them with a friend at a discounted price.  I still had reservations about going to a weeknight game, some of which was alleviated with my new found Orca card and bus riding easement.  

After the 5 o’clock whistle blew and my work shift ended, I headed the opposite direction of home and through the downtown corridor towards SODO (South of Downtown).  A pronounced baseball nerd by my friend Justin and joiner for the night festivities, I am a get to the ballpark and hour before first pitch kind of gal.  Another reason that leaving from work was a good idea.  It is an important part of the nostalgia to watch warm up activities, ceremonial first pitches, national anthem singing, and first beer in the hand wielding.  

Justin obliged and made it to the park about 25 min after I did.  Luckily, I met Diane, a Customer Service employee of the stadium that chatted with me as I waited.  It was a lovely happenstance conversation filled with baseball talk, work, and travel.  As a retired airline worker, Diane told me all about her and her husband’s travel to many far reaches of the earth.  As a person that is caught with the traveling bug, I was more than excited to talk with Diane and albeit a little jealous too!

A lovely game (Tigers lost!  Boo!) In addition, wonderful conversation with my dear friend I was pleased that there were no extra innings and the game lasted just over two hours.   Hope of being home and in bed by 11pm flooded me as we walked out of the station and down to bus row.  I am not sure if they really call it bus row, but all the riders knew where to go and bus after bus that went by was packed full of fans on their way home.  Five minutes after arriving at the bus stop, the 28 appeared ready to take me home.  

The twenty-five minute ride from SODO to Ballard was an intriguing one.  My usual tactic to plug in my ear buds and listen to music was thwarted with an encompassing drive to soak in the lively bunch riding along with me.  Connectivity anyone?  Under my feet massive amounts of God knows what made the soles of my shoes stay stickily in place.  I feel like my shoes stuck for days after this ride. 

As I am trying not to obviously, look around at my cohorts and a woman’s phone ordeal is sticking out like a sore thumb.  Seriously, this woman left a voicemail detailing her cell phone number and home phone number loud enough for anyone that wanted to could write it down.  Maybe she feels she does not have to worry about people wanting to call her once they’ve had to ride a bus with her and her (I presume) husband.  It took such a short time to realize that this obnoxious couple would have an opinion on everything and the moon.  Did you know that putting Stevia in your coffee makes you gassy?  Well now I do!  Did you know that television is the downfall of our nation?  Well now I do! Fun right?

That is the amazing fun adventure that you get on a bus; characters right off the downfall of our nation television programing.  A relaxing way to get home after a couple of beers at a ballpark, safe and sound.  I am defiantly not ready to give up my car, but the transit system of Seattle is gaining more and more appreciation from this Rider.