Here's To Adventures...

This has been a great day! If it wasn't for the fact that my beloved Florida Marlins lost to the Atlanta Braves, it would've been near perfect!

For starters, today is my father's 76th birthday. "Happy Birthday, Dad!"

I still have all my pets at home. My oldest son is home AND employed. My mother-in-law is back home and hosting a sleepover for our two youngest kids. Matthew's test results came back blessedly normal and Shannon text-messaged me that the baby's crib is up and sporting pink sheets! Life is good! And all of that is in addition to our "Atlanta adventure."

In the course of the day we

• Enjoyed this adventure with our daughter Elisa and her husband, Rob. It was Rob who got the baseball tickets and invited us to join them (great seats too!)



• Traveled to Atlanta as passengers in our daughter and son-in-law's new Murano. That was a switch for us. I told Elisa we'd be glad to sit in the back as long as she didn't reach back and pinch me if I started acting up!



• Stopped on the way to stock up on travel essentials; soda, chips, chocolate, candy, and beef jerky.



• Arrived at our destination safe and sound, received warm chocolate-chip cookies, and spent some chill-time with Rob and Elisa before...



• Traveled to Turner Field via a taxi with a cracked windshield and with the windows down on a 90+ degree afternoon on the freeway. Our quoted $20 trip turned out to be $30. It's a shame we didn't get the travel advice from the hotel shuttle-bus driver before we called the taxi!



• Enjoyed stadium hot dogs, soda, cotton candy, peanuts, and beer from a plastic bottle (that was a first for me).



• Watched the first pitch of the game result in a home run for our Marlins



• Watched as Chipper Jones hit his 400th career home run (only the 3rd switch-hitter to do so).



• Enjoyed the 7th inning stretch and singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"



• Stayed in our seats until it was time for "the fat lady to sing" and the final out was made.



• Made a stop at the souvenir booth for Elisa and Rob to choose an item for the baby's nursery (Atlanta Braves pennant).



• Opted for further "adventure" by taking the advice of the hotel's airport shuttle-bus driver by using public transportation to get back to the hotel. This consisted of riding a city bus to "5-points" where we then picked up the subway train to the airport. Once at the airport we took the hotel shuttle bus back to the hotel. On the subway, a drunk, white, baseball fan started something with a very gay, young, black man. Next thing we knew there was a razor brought out and some raised voices. Fortunately the drunk man got off at one of those "just-in-time" moments like you might see on television. Everything settled down after that and we continued on our way. So, for a mere $1.75 per person (as opposed to $7.50 for the taxi) we got transportation, drama, subway experience, and adventure!

Wow! We're back in our room now, showered, and cooled off from the air-conditioner. No wonder I'm tired. I think I better call it a night. After all, we still have to make it back home tomorrow!