Bees Baseball - July 26, 2012

We took Lincoln to his first baseball game today.  He played with the tickets.

Posed for a picture with Bumble.

Watched the action from Daddy's shoulders.

Tried on Daddy's hat.

Flirted with the little girl a few rows behind us.

Watched Daddy juggle baseballs.

Sadly, the Bees lost to the Sacramento RiverCats tonight. We'll have to go and cheer for the Bees again another night.

VIDEOS of Lincoln standing by himself and walking in the grass

UT Jazz NBA Draft Party - June 24, 2010

Every year (at least the last 2 years), the Utah Jazz throw an NBA Draft Party at the Energy Solutions Arena.  They give out free hot dogs and soda, have opportunities for pictures with the Jazz Dancers, Play Draft BINGO and give out free tickets to a Bees baseball game.  Last year, James went by himself (I was working late-ish and didn't meet up with him).  This year, we turned it into date night.  FREE date night, with a bonus date - the future Bees game - thrown in.  AWESOME!

James at the arena - they blocked off most of the seats so that all the people were in the lower sections in front of their "stage."  The ESPN coverage of the draft was playing on the big screen overhead.  They had a season ticket holder announce the Jazz first-round draft pick to us in the arena, just before the pick was announced by the commissioner on ESPN.  "Gordon Hayward!"

My draft BINGO card.  As a player was drafted by any team, we crossed his name off the BINGO card.  There were only 4 prizes and by the time we left the only one left was for the outside edge (top row, bottom row and outside columns).  I had two names left and we gave our cards (and all the cards we'd scrounged from people who had already left) away to some guys who were determined to wait it out.  We left at the end of the first round.

The Stockton (right) and Malone (left) statues outside the arena.  I remember them playing for the Jazz, but I don't know if I ever got to see them play in person or if I just remember them from TV...

It was a fun, free date night.  James would have liked about 3 more hot dogs.  They were pretty small.  But hey, free is free.

7/6/10 postscript: The free Bees baseball tickets were for specific home games at the end of June and early, early July.  So we went to a Salt Lake Bees v. Tacoma Rainiers game on July 6th (Happy Birthday Mom!).  It was a beautiful evening, not too hot.  

We wondered what the mascot of the Rainiers might be - since their ball cap just has a mountain with a "T" coming out the top.  I googled them - the mascot is Rhubarb the Reindeer. Is that more or less embarrasing than Bumble the Bee?

I learned that when a batter hits a home run with no other runners on base, they still get 1 RBI - for hitting themselves home.  So their RBI stat will ALWAYS be equal to or greater than their Home Run stat. 

Sadly, the Bees lost.  Sad again, the game was free, but we spent some money on soda and a churro - actually that was yummy and not very sad - except that it cost money.  More sadness, I didn't take any pictures. 

Happily, it was another fun date night.  :) 

Salt Lake Bees - June 8, 2010

Hooray for Date Night!  James scored free Bees tickets at work for tonight, so we grabbed some quick dinner and headed for the ball park.

The Bee was in fine form - until one of the players on the Colorado City Sky Sox stole the keys to his 4-wheeler and the game was a bit delayed while the Bee got his keys back!

I love seeing the little train in out past the outfield - reminds me of the time I brought tiny McKayla to a Stingers game at Franklin Covey Field and we rode the train and she played in the bouncy inflatables and we ate ice cream. 

We left shortly after the 7th inning stretch so we wouldn't stay up too late - even Date Night has a curfew when James works at 6 am! 

(June 28, 2010 - post script - This is the advertising plane that flies around the Salt Lake Valley on home game days.  I took a picture of it as it circled the ball park on our date two weeks ago. We've often talked about what a great way to earn 'flight hours' this kind of job would be.  Just need your commercial rating and a rating for towing a banner.  

We saw on the news that on Saturday, June 26, 2010, one of the pilots who flies this plane was killed.  After hooking onto the banner, his airplane lost power.  He released the banner and still crashed.  The airplane burned before he could be rescued.  Cremation is not the best perk of flying.  They held a moment of silence just before the game on Saturday night.  Very sad.)