Ache Me Out to the Ball Game

The reason I don't keep a bucket list is that I don't want to have to do anything before I die.  Instead, I have always been a day dreamer with a rich fantasy life full of unlikely achievements.  Things like what I'd do when I won the lottery, even though I never play the lottery. See, I don't want to have a list full of things I have to do, just one of things I'd love to do but probably won't.

Therefore, I was especially excited when I learned that the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale would be singing the National Anthem at the Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Chicago Cubs on September 14th.  Singing the National Anthem at a major sporting event  was always one of those fantasies of mine, even though I never go to baseball games.  

I would imagine being on the field singing the Anthem to an appreciative ballpark crowd that erupted into thunderous applause afterward.   That's pretty much exactly what happened - just exactly how I imagined it, together with 60 or 70 of my favorite people.  Yes, all in all, a very nice fulfilled fantasy.

Then we stayed for the game.  That was never a part of the fantasy.   Nonetheless, it proved to be a very enjoyable evening, as my son J.J., a huge baseball fan, was with us, and his lovely girlfriend made a surprise appearance halfway through the game.  It was a perfect evening to enjoy the game in the exquisite PNC Park overlooking the beautiful Pittsburgh cityscape. The Pirates are in the midst of a rare winning season, and they won that night before a sell-out crowd. 

That said, it had been a number of years since either Mr. Rip or I had been to a Pirates game, and some things have changed since then.  Perhaps it is we who have changed, as we are older and more arthritic now.  While we did a few things right, like wearing sensible shoes, we also learned a few things that might have made our trip to the ballpark even better.  We call these tips "The Arthritic's Guide to the Ball Game."

Mr. Rip astutely observed that, unlike when you go to the theater or to the symphony, when the ball game begins the audience does not fall silent.  Actually there is a cacophony of sights and sounds throughout the game, especially when something exciting happens on the field.  If you are someone who finds this assault on the senses even the least bit overwhelming, you should remember your soft earplugs when you come to the Park.

Another new development at the ballpark is the availability of a number of healthy food options, and you may be tempted to have one of them if you have been making any kind of attempt at "eating right" no matter what your age or overall physical health. Now I have a theory that you should never get a gyro at the pizza joint, and never order a pizza at the Greek place  - that is, it is always safer to stick with the restaurant speciality.  This holds true at the ballpark.  I virtuously chose the "hibachi shrimp" (which was just shrimp fried rice with shrimp with a consistency unlike any shrimp I'd ever eaten), and Mr. Rip had a chicken dish from the same place.  Unsatisfied, we ended up getting big, juicy, tasty hot dogs which is what you're supposed to eat at a baseball game. 

Perhaps, most importantly, you will do a lot of walking at the Park, and tax yourself physically in other ways as well.  If you have arthritis it is safe to assume that it may act up, and you should bring a stash of the painkiller of your choice to use when it does or when the effect of the dose you took before you left the house wears off.

Of course, if I really need to see a game I can always watch it on the television from the comfort of my house.  Fresh air is overrated anyway.