Pictures from each day can be found here, Spring Training ’07.
It started off with a 5:15am wakeup call, leaving the house by 6am, arriving at the airport by 6:45am, and departing Dallas Love Field at 7:45am. The only notable thing before the flight: My Dad and I were in the “B” boarding group and after the “A” group had gone, the man in the front of the “B” group just started walking up to the Southwest ticket taker before being called and got snapped at it, it was pretty funny. The guy endured a bit of jeering from the rest of those waiting to get on the plane.
The flights were pretty uneventful, my Dad and I were successful in warding off anyone trying to sit next to us on both our flights, from Dallas to ABQ, NM, and from ABQ, NM, to PHX, AZ. On the second flight one group of ladies remarked that we were too young to be sitting in the Emergency Exit rows to perform the task… just so they could stretch their legs like we were already doing… cheaters.
Once arriving in Phoenix, my Dad and I were hungry so we decided to get something from Einstein Bros. Bagels in the airport before my uncle Peter picked us up. We both ordered “Powerbagel(s) with Peanut Butter” and then proceeded to wait about 30 minutes to get them. Then when they called our number, 259, my Dad walks up to collect and the lady says, “Sorry, we don’t have any Powerbagels.” How the hell are you going to sell us something, take our money, and then make us wait for 30 minutes before telling us you don’t have it?!?! And while waiting for our bagels my uncle had called us several times to tell us he was there to pick us up to which my Dad replied “problems with baggage, long story, we’ll be out as soon as we can.” Haha. Regardless, my Dad got his money back, we walked down to the curb and Peter picked us up in his brand new 300 C, very sweet car.
That’s when we got to meet Jacob. He’s 12, and a friend of my uncle’s family since my aunt and him go to church with Jacob’s parents and have known them for quite a while. The reason Jacob joined us is that my other uncle, Pat, was not able to join us because of just getting a new job, so Jacob graciously took his place, huge baseball fan.
From the airport it was off to Surprise Stadium, home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, in Surprise, Arizona. We got there in time for the first pitch, got some brats, drinks, and settled in for a game between the KC Royals and the AZ Diamondbacks. The Royals were up 3-0 before the D’backs came back with 4 and 2 runs in successive innings to end up winning 6-3. There was fun had and plenty of good natured trash talk between several different team supporters in the stands around us.
Today happened to be the hottest day in March on record, 102, at least.
After the game was over we headed back to the hotel for dinner. We chowed on some Corned Beef and Cabbage in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. All the other elder statesmen there, my Dad, uncle’s Peter and Nick, and Grandpa Jack, had a beer as well. After we had downed the main course we decided on some dessert after seeing another table get some. We ordered huge chunks of chocolate cake and ice cream, it was great.
After that we watched some Mission: Impossible 2 and hit the sack after being exhausted from the sun and heat, so that ends Spring Training Day 1.