Tag Archives: Camden Yards

Morning Thursday Rundown

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It is with enthusiasm that I wish you a happy Friday Eve! Hopefully your August is off to a fantastic start and you have fun weekend plans on the horizon. Let’s get started with the latest rundown…

Froyo Combo – I always enjoy sharing the froyo combinations of my children because, well, kids have different tastes than adults. Sloan and I walked to Didier’s, a classic north Spokane frozen yogurt shop that came way before self-serve “froyo,” from my parents’ house over the weekend. I think Sloan picked solid flavors (island coconut and vanilla) but her choice of Sour Patch watermelon pieces and Nerds was a little questionable. Oh well, she liked it.

Cotton Candy Soda – How dare I poke a little fun at Sloan for eating like a kid when I am over here drinking like a kid. I found this cotton candy soda four-pack at the Dollar Tree and couldn’t help myself. I brought it home and gave it a try. For someone like myself who is pretty easy to please, this cotton candy stuff might be some of the worst soda I have ever tried. It maybe tasted like cotton candy for one second before it got bitter and then ended with an aftertaste that seemed very similar to what smoke bombs might taste like. It does pour as a vibrant blue liquid so it has that going for it but the taste itself is pretty bad.

This was the cotton candy soda that I bought. Just not very good.

Mariner Drought About to End – On this date nine years ago, Sidney and I were in Baltimore to watch the Mariners play the Orioles. Little did I know that it would be more than 3,285 days before I saw the M’s play again as that streak will end next week…but more on that down the road. Camden Yards was a sweet ballpark with my favorite feature being the mini monuments in the outfield seating area that mark where noteworthy home run balls landed.

Sidney and I in Baltimore at Camden Yards in 2014. It was the last time I saw the Mariners play in-person.

Happy Birthday, Mom! – My mom celebrated her 66th birthday yesterday. I don’t know what our family of four would do without her. She embraces her mom, mother-in-law, and grandma roles with such selflessness, dedication, and enthusiasm. But her role as a party animal might be diminishing a bit. Yesterday, my dad took her to a bar and the bartender told my mom that she was entitled to a free birthday shot. My mom turned him down and ordered an iced tea instead. Cheers, mom!

Happy Birthday, mom.

National Watermelon Day – Today is National Watermelon Day and I celebrate it with some sadness because I haven’t ate any excellent watermelon this summer. Despite trying a decent amount, I haven’t found a melon that is crisp, juicy and flavorful…yet. Hopefully something will come around this month. Speaking of watermelons, I will never forget when my sister made a watermelon cake for my nephew’s birthday and paired it with chocolate chunk watermelon ice cream 😂

A look at the watermelon cake my sister made along with how it looked when paired with the ice cream.

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Thanks for your time today. I am always humbled by those who don’t mind my ramblings. Let’s pray for those souls who have recently left this earthly world and for their grieving families still here. Don’t Blink.

North to Baltimore We Go

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After over three months in the South it is time to go north…for a couple days at least.

In less than two hours, Sidney and I will be on our way to Baltimore, Maryland, for a weekend of fun and baseball. Weather permitting, we will watch the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners square off against each other in Camden Yards on Saturday night and then again on Sunday afternoon. As a lifelong Mariners fan this is a real treat for me. Believe it or not, I have never seen the team play in person besides at Safeco Field or the Kingdome. To see them on the road will be fun. Sidney and I will both be sporting Mariners gear so hopefully we get treated decently by the locals.

Our tickets for tomorrow's Baltimore Orioles vs. Seattle Mariners game.

Our tickets for tomorrow’s Baltimore Orioles vs. Seattle Mariners game.

As you noticed I did say “weather permitting” above. Forecasts that started early in the week and ran through even as late as yesterday had Saturday night and Sunday tagged for lots of rain. Traveling almost 500 miles only to see the games get rained out would be less than ideal. Thankfully as of today the forecast has cleared a little bit and by first pitch tomorrow there should be no rain. Please cross your fingers.

Besides the baseball we hope to experience the city as much as possible. I have never visited Baltimore before and can’t wait to check out another new city. From what others have told me I know two things: 1. I need to walk around the Inner Harbor because it is really cool. 2. I need to watch over Sidney and myself because it is a dangerous and sketchy town.

Here is the travel plan: We will set out at 5 p.m. today. We will drive until we get to Fredricksburg, Virginia, where we will spend the night. Early tomorrow morning we will travel the remaining two hours or so to Baltimore and check into our downtown hotel. Early Sunday evening after the second baseball game concludes we will travel the full eight hours from Baltimore back to Myrtle Beach.

If you care to do so, follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@brentreser for both services) for updates on our trip. There will be no blog post on Sunday but I will provide a recap on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone and GO MARINERS! Don’t Blink.

Alphabetical Order

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As per Thursday tradition on Don’t Blink it is time for the five topic scramble. But let’s bring some order to today’s edition and go in alphabetical order. Sound good?

Baltimore – I have my next (planned) trip locked up. Over the first weekend of August Sidney and I will be traveling north to Baltimore, Maryland. What will we be doing there? Baseball of course! We have purchased tickets to watch the Baltimore Orioles play a couple games. Ever since I became a baseball fan I have desperately wanted to see a game inside Camden Yards and in a couple weeks that wish will become a reality. I can’t wait to catch some action inside the ballpark that inspired the building of all the other modern day ballparks. Making the trip that much sweeter is who I get to see the Orioles play. For the first time ever I will have the opportunity to watch the Seattle Mariners in person in a ballpark other than the Kingdome or Safeco Field. Yes, I do plan on wearing Mariners gear to at least the first game.

Bowling – You know what I just realized? Since arriving in South Carolina I have not yet bowled. I guess all the miniature golfing has kind of filled the void. But really, I need to hit an alley soon and show off my famous 50 MPH straight line throw that has steadily gotten me low scores and weird looks for the past 15 years. I can put up with the embarrassment though just because I am curious to see what a Myrtle Beach bowling alley looks like. I am thinking that behind the pins there might be an ocean backdrop, the player tables might be beach chairs in real sand, and the music played is stuck on a Beach Boys loop.

CCUSA – We are now 13 states in on our CCUSA campaign where each day we feature a Coastal Carolina supporter waving a Chanticleer flag in a different state. So far so good! The photos we received have gone above and beyond. Today we featured Illinois and the rep had taken a picture with an Abraham Lincoln statue and a Stephen Douglas statue that commemorated their famous debates. A couple days ago it was Hawaii’s turn and that state’s rep took a photo with the flag UNDERWATER! Heck, my parents even got in on the act. They served as the reps for Idaho, nicely driving the half hour or so from their home in Washington state to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. To view the CCUSA website, click here.

The CCUSA campaign is off to a great start. States pictured in this montage include (clockwise) Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, and Florida.

The CCUSA campaign is off to a great start. States pictured in this montage include (clockwise) Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, and Florida.

Derek Jeter – Pretty much everyone knows that I am a New York Yankees fan. Because I am a Yanks supporter I am obviously a big proponent of Derek Jeter. With that said, the All-Star game on Wednesday went way over the top in making the game 100% about him. I know he has done a lot for the game and has earned a spot in Cooperstown but I thought this year’s Mid-Summer Classic did a disservice by doing every little possible thing to praise him. The interviews, the commercials, the ovations, the introductions, the easy pitching, the 3,587 shots of his family in the stands, etc. seemed overkill to me. But what can I say? All of the Jeter fanfare resulted in big ratings for Fox, the best for the All-Star game in years. It still rubbed me the wrong way.

Planet of the Apes – I admit it, I had my doubts about the new “Planet of the Apes” franchise. I assumed that these recent movies would have human looking apes doing geeky things in a hokey fantasy storyline that only diehard science-fiction fans and weirdos would like. Not so. After watching the first movie last Thursday night to prepare me for the sequel when I went with my co-workers on Friday evening I totally changed my tune. These movies are fabulously done with engaging storylines, top notch acting, and awesome effects. This is not your 1970’s Planet of the Apes! Give it a try and rent “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” I guarantee you will then want to hit the movie theater and watch “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

My ticket for "Dawn of the Planet Apes" from last Friday.

My ticket for “Dawn of the Planet Apes” from last Friday.

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Friday is just around the corner and I am excited. No big plans  for the weekend but you know how it is….I will most likely have a story or two to tell by the time Sunday night rolls around. Have a great weekend my loyal readers! Don’t Blink.