30 years

I hope you enjoyed your Easter holiday last week. I enjoyed spending time with Elaine. It was the first time in forty plus years we didn't share Easter with at least one kid. One kid needed to study , one kid had to work, one kid decided to spend Easter with their love interest. We were alone.

That said, I don’t have a cute chocolate bunny and colored egg story to tell. But I do have a story; how many of us remember where they were April, 26, 1995? I do. April 26, 1995 was the day Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies, opened for business. I have written before, I like baseball. If there is a person that enjoys baseball (at least the Rockies) it is my daughter, Ivy.

A couple of months ago, Ivy asked me to go to a game with her.

Ivy: Hey Pops, Coors field will celebrate thirty years of use. They are giving away T-shirts and Dante Bichette will be there. I’ll buy you a ticket.

Me: I’m always up for going to a game. I remember Dante Bichette hit the first home run at Coors Field.

Ivy bought tickets forApril 26, 2025. I can’t say it was a disaster, but it was close. Ivy and I “debated” a departure time for arrival at the stadium. I wish we would have known about the car wrecks that were scheduled for that morning. Traveling for forty five of the sixty miles at speeds of five MPH on on a road designed for seventy-five MPH will bring on some anxiety when you need to get a free T-shirt at the stadium. We arrived too late for the shirts.

Dante Bichette was not the player I remembered. (Ivy didn’t care). Time had turned Dante from the long-haired athlete into a roly-poly, shaved headed, extra-large shirt wearing man of today. Dante was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch. He proved he could still throw a baseball. He took the ball and fired it to the ceremonial catcher with an arm that was once one of the strongest in Major League Baseball. Sadly, the pitch was nowhere near where anyone could catch it but it was thrown hard.

Midway through the game, I was tapped on the shoulder by a man sitting in the row above me. He handed me MY debit card. I”m not sure how he got it, but it was nice he gave it back.

The Rockies are not very good and lost the game 6-3.

Traffic was much better coming home. So much better that Ivy asked if I wanted to see the “new” GIANT convenience store that was built next to the highway. I had never seen it and Ivy wanted to show it to me.

This “store” is amazing. It was like an entire mountain tourist town under one roof. Thousands of potential customers were in the store buying teddy bears and other useless crap, including sandwiches and jerkey.

I was most impressed by the men’s restroom. Extemely clean, I’m guessing more than fifty urinals. I only used one so having fifty seemed a litlle excessive.

Ivy had a pulled pork sandwich, (so did I). I would suggest you eat there at your own risk, but I didn’t tell Ivy.

All in all, it was a great “Dante Bichette Day”. Thanks Ivy!

God Bless, Love ya, support your team

Our crazy lives!

Monner