Movie and a Ballgame

Vacation ’98, Day Six

Someday I’ll laugh at the fact that I paid $14.00 for two tickets to see The Avengers. I really will.

Mind you, I’m not a harsh film critic. Very rarely do I see a film I really dislike, and most of the turkeys, like Spice World, I just avoid from the get-go. But The Avengers is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a long time. Which is too bad, because I like the cast. I have to wonder how Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes could they have committed themselves to a script so bad. And Sean Connery, who will always be near and dear to my heart as the original James Bond, was absolutely ridiculous as the villanous Sir August. Who came up with the idea of having him prance around in a Scottish kilt? It was probably a decent film to begin with. Or maybe they signed on to the project based on the concept alone, and the execution was simply lacking. Either that, or the studio’s “testing” with sample audiences resulted in a bunch of changes.

Oh, who are we kidding. Even all that couldn’t have accounted for what I had to sit through tonight. Perhaps some things are better left as comic books.

The day wasn’t a total wash, however. I went to see an Angel game against the Royals. I was planning on buying tickets for the “good” seats near home plate, but as it turns out there was no need! No sooner did I walk up to the ticket booth than a gentleman who was passing by gave me a free ticket right behind home plate! I ended up sitting next to him during the game. Apparently he has four seats and this particular evening it was just he and his wife. It was a great game, perfect weather, and to top it all off the Angels won while Texas lost. So the Angels are now 2.5 games in front of Texas in their division! Will this be their year? Probably not, but it’s looking good so far.

This was my first time at the Big A (or, as it’s now officially named, Edison International Field). I love the renovation. They repainted the stadium in a dark green & light tan scheme which looks great. There’s a large water fountain and rock sculpture outside the center field fence, and they set off a huge water display whenever the home team hits a dinger. I also learned that they only light the famous 200 foot high “A” only when the Angels win. I thought that was a nice touch, because Angel Stadium is located at the junction of the 57, 22, and I-5 freeways, so you can see if the Angels won their last game as you drive through the area.

Today, there’s not much chance to sit on one’s front porch and chat with the neighbors. It’s just not something we do, sad as that is. That’s why, as much as I love basketball and football, to me baseball will always be the Great American Pastime. There’s no experience quite so relaxing as sitting in a major league stadium with a bunch of friends, eating peanuts, hotdogs, and enjoying the crack of the bat and the smell of freshly cut grass. That’s America, baby.

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