Citi not the city

Hubby Paul is on a 2 week vacation. We are not going on an "away" trip but doing day trips. One of the day trips was a Met game. Normally I would balk at going as I am a Yankee fan way back to childhood and The Mick." However there are reasons why I agreed with alacrity and here they are:

1-I worked at Shea Stadium
2-It was a day game
3-I would get marriage points
4-Dog Day at Shea
5-Keith Hernandez


Some background on the Reasons:

Reason One
Worked at Shea
I worked the Mets/Jets games at Shea in the late '60's and early '70's. I was interested in visiting its replacement-Citi Field The procedure for work at Shea was that we got $16 per game no matter the length of the game. If you had committed to work and it rained, you were paid half. Before the days of the "Weather Channel" this was a dicey commitment. I personally prayed for rain often. I worked in tandem with my best friend, Joanie. We were there for the Met game that went to mid morning of the next day, and worked 12-15 hours. Next week the game was cancelled due to rain and we got paid $8.00. In the winter, we watched Joe Namath and froze. In those days, girls, (that is what they called young women then) were not permitted to work in the stands. Of course, that is where the money was in tips.. Therefore, we had only the "boys" working the stands. If you had earned your stripes you were rewarded with the task of selling beer-a bonanza for tips. If you were new or were a mediocre seller you got ice cream, or Bazzini nuts. Being assigned ice cream for a winter Jet game was especially insulting. (no one would buy a thing from that unfortunate worker.) So inside were the girls and the "old Ladies." These old ladies were most probably younger than I am now in chronological age but their spirits were much older than I will ever be. The girls inside did get tips. They were called "subways" because they were small and were enough for the trip home on the subway, about $.20, yes, twenty cents-you read it correctly. The procedure was that we must announce "subway" and throw it in the communal Dixie cup. We soon discovered that these innocent old ladies made sandwiches at home, brought them in to sell, and pocketed the extra cash. To offset this injustice, Joanie and I stopped announcing our "subways" and pocketed them, sometimes accumulating huge sums like $1.50 each. When the witches realized they were not getting any "subways" they refused to work with us, which was just fine with Joanie and I.

The best Shea story I have is that of a Jet game. We worked at the top where the seats were the cheapest and the crowds were the wildest. By the second half it was like "Animal House" up top. Roaming drunken guys would routinely reach over the counter, grab some hot dogs and eat them without paying, like an unofficial hot dog eating contest
My best transaction was selling one hot dog three times. It was time for me to exact revenge for all the stolen dogs. I was ready. It was my "Three Dog Night."
A wild eyed cold drunk Jet fan reached over the counter, grabbed a dog, took a bite and put it back. I told him that would be $1- he paid me! Soon after, two more guys came by and asked for a hot dog, I told them I only had one and it was small (small, meaning one bite short of normal size.) They agreed to split it (thank goodness the first biter had bit cleanly) They each offered to pay one dollar for their half. That thrice bitten hot dog yielded $3.00, twice the going rate in 1969.
At least we got some money this time.

Reason Two
Day Game
A day game to me will always be real baseball. One is supposed to be hot, sweaty, sunburned, sticking to the seat, nauseated by wafting hot dog smells and stale beer. That is the tradition of an old fashioned baseball day game. People are less tired, and more relaxed.

Reason Three
Marriage Points
This is when you cheerfully do something for the spouse that they feel guilty for asking you to do- you must be totally enthusiastic and not ever mention "this is a favor" Points must be used quickly because spouse forgets. I retrieved mine that night as I had wanted to go out to dinner and we did. I should not have spent them so quickly. Maybe he would have done the food shopping this week; I am so bored with that chore-always good to have points as I never know when I will screw up the food shopping or need hubby's good will for my crazed schemes.

Reason Four
Dog Day at Shea pic from NSAL
I felt I should go in order to give Liam a first-hand report. They have had dog days at Shea. This is when dogs can come with their owners and sit out in the bleachers with the goal of dog adoptions. A North Shore Animal League truck is outside with adoptable dogs inside. Paul will not let us go as he knows I will adopt as many dogs as I can fit into the car. Liam is hoping to get to a game. He watches with Daddy Paul He is aware of doggie adoption day at Shea and has hope that this tradition will continue at Citi Field.

Reason Five
Keith Hernandez
I did desert the Yankees in the mid eighties when I fell hard for Keith Hernandez. Oh my goodness-looks, skills, intelligence. It felt odd as I had been to Yankee Stadium as a child and actually watched "The Mick" play. But Keith had the moves (on field and off), the looks and he was a "thinking player" I just loved that. I became a rabid Met fan. I was nuts for them, but really for Keith. Of course, I was crazed when they won the 1986 series
Keith picked number 17 to honor Mickey Mantle He needed a number with a 7 in it and 17 was available. So I still maintained my Yankee connection with Keith's tribute to the Mick in his choice of a number. Some Keith info:
"Keith won 11 consecutive Gold Gloves, a record for a first baseman. Hernandez had such a strong and accurate throwing arm that as a result, the Mets re-routed their relays through him. Due to his instincts, Hernandez was able to play farther off first base than other first basemen, allowing the other infielders to play farther to their right." (from wikipedia)

Fast-forward to August 5, 2009. I harbored a fantasy Keith would come out of the broadcasting booth and somehow bump into me. I am older, but so is he. Love the camaraderie with his teammate Ron Darling. He has honed his sense of humor as well as sense of fun. I could possibly run into him at Citi if I was in the right place at the right time

So what did happen?

We prepared; sun screen, water (have to hide it, not allowed in) reading material for me, hats, I would be one of the few without a cap. My head looks like a pea in a cap and makes the rest of my body appear huge, So I brought a huge hat hoping that would have the reverse effect, making my body appear small. We arrived, walked around the entire second level How open how bright, how unlike the cavernous dark, halls of Shea! And the food and drink offerings were light years advanced from Shea of the late 60's and 70's. There were rules also. Alcohol is not sold after certain point and hoards of drunks can no longer harass the workers at the food stands and grab hot dogs with their bare hands.

So much eating went on that folks must be spending hundreds of dollars. The day, Wednesday August 5, was a hot humid New York August day. What Liam calls the "hot dog days of summer"
there was a full house. I had the NY Times, 2 mags and a book. I figured if I discreetly read them no one would get upset, after all this was not the rivalry of the Yankees and Red Sox, but the Cardinals and Mets. Very early on David Wright fouled a ball within inches of my hand. Paul said had it hit, my wrist would have shattered. Since I left my catcher's glove at home I opted to duck instead, earning the scowls of two little boys in front of me wearing David's number.
As it got hotter, Paul made frequent trips to the shade while I stuck it out, The fourth time he left I started thinking about my situation, A Yankee fan, dripping with sweat, thirsty, and now with sweaty NY Times print all over me. A gust of wind caught the Dining section and sent it like a paper plane into the neck of a woman in the row in front of me. Whoops. I have to move. There is now knowledge I am reading a newspaper at the game. When Paul came back I told him I was going to explore. What a great venue Citi field is! I walked around a bit, then found this wonderful air conditioned den named The Promenade. There were folks eating, drinking- they had wide screen TVs hanging from the ceilings and better yet, they had a bar!! I got a gin and tonic and sat down to watch the rest of the game looking like an attendee of the Kentucky Derby not the NY Mets.
Heaven

Love Citi Field

The Mets won big.
Did not see Keith.
Finished the NY Times.
Had an awesome gin and tonic.
Had a fruit salad, No hot dogs.
The women finally have enough restrooms-Lets Go Mets


and Liam came back from his vacay at Best in Show yesterday, washed, brushed and with a blue ribbon -see it hanging- Liam hates bows! He spent some agonizing moments twisting himself into a pretzel trying to get comfortable in his first hour home in Aunt Joanie's peridot ( Leo birthstone) blanket before he found his spot. But he did
and said good night early

Woof woof