Yesterday I wanted to jog early because I wanted to take in a Tincaps game (Fort Wayne minor league baseball team) at 11:05 am. First I decided to do one last furniture move in the basement (I rearranged the basement furniture the day before) and pulled a hamstring muscle in the process.
I was moving this footstool/storage box that Jane and I made to store blankets in. It has wheels on the bottom, but I thought it would be easier to just pick it up and carry it from the living room into the pool table room. That part worked fine, but when I went to set it down.... I knew to bend with my knees and not my back, but when I squatted down I felt/heard my hamstring start to pull. Ouch. It hurt kind of bad, but I still jogged anyway.
I pulled a hamstring in high school - in one of the last races of my track career. It was a 200 meter prelim race at the district meet (where we qualified for the state meet). I had a pretty big lead going down the straightaway and felt like a gazelle - oh, it was the best I'd ever felt I think - and then it was like someone shot me in the back of my thigh. I jumped in the air, stunned, and somehow hobbled across the finish line. I was so far ahead that I still managed to qualify for the finals. But it hurt so bad that I couldn't even get into the starting blocks. It almost immediately turned black and blue. That was probably the worst track injury I ever had. So..... this is nothing compared to that. I did a light 4-mile jog. It's still a little sore, but nothing too serious.
So then I went to the 11:05 Tincaps game. It was a gorgeous day... mid-seventies and sunny. I figured it to be a relaxing day with a very small crowd. Maybe have a couple beers and soak in some sun. I was totally surprised by the number of people there though. Holy cow. As I approached the stadium there were people all over the place, and then I saw the line of big yellow school buses. Ugh. I forgot about field trips.
The seats were all sold out so I bought a 'standing-room-only' ticket ($5). I have been there for a lot of sellouts, but this was the first time I can remember the seats actually being full. One of the concession workers told me they heard there were something like 3,500 elementary and middle school kids there that day. Ugh. I'd believe it. There were packs of kids all over the place. There were quite a few adults too though.
Anyway, I stood in the shade just beyond left field for awhile, then I got some popcorn for lunch and found a seat at a table in the sun in the left field home run area. There were a bunch of Amish people in the seats in front of me. I thought that was a bit strange. They were eating junk food like it was going out of style.
It was still a nice way to spend an afternoon. I left about 5 minutes to 1 because I parked at a parking meter. I couldn't find any free parking since it was during the day, so I chose the meter over a parking garage/lot. It was only $1, but there is a 2-hour limit. I got to my car near Taco Bell just as the meter expired.
All in all a pretty good day.
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