So it begins...

Today is opening day for the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Class A Minor League baseball team). This means it is also the official start of parking lot season for me!

This will be my second year serving as the volunteer coordinator for our church parking lot during Tincaps games and other events at Parkview Field. I'm sure I have shared before how our church parking lot is actually owned by a couple of other business, and since it is near Parkview Field, they allow us to work the lot and they then donate all the proceeds back to the church. During day games we have to keep people from parking there (because it's a company lot for employees only), and during night and weekend games we have to charge money or else it would be completely full of spectator cars. Last year we made around $12,000 for the church youth group.

I have already got the volunteer schedule made out, the tickets separated (whoever works the lot gets 4 free tickets to the game), and this week I've been working on the signs and barricades we use. I had to remake one sign because it wasn't in very good shape, and I had to replace a few screws in the barricades we use to block off the second entrance.

I actually had somebody sign up to work the lot for tonight's opening game, so all I have to do is get everything set up. I will probably arrive about an hour early also, just to keep Tincaps employees from parking in our lot. For some reason they think they can do that, even though they have their own designated place to park in a further-away lot.

So, after tonight there will only be 69 more games to go... Yipee (not)! I suppose it's not that bad. I'm just kind of dreading it this year. Last year it was new, and I pretty much just swapped my Uber driving time for the parking lot time. I'm still only getting around 33 hours a week at work, but with the lot, the little bit of "coaching" I still do, and I always think I'm going to start helping at the church... I guess it's as busy as I want to be. The worst part is probably dealing with the money and record-keeping. It also wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to leave for work at 4:30 am every day. Meh, can't have everything, I guess.

Anyway, like it or not, the time has come. Baseball/Parking Lot season is upon us. At least I have something to do.