The Game

  I have told stories about my father’s frugalness. I am very frugal myself. We as I grew up we would call each other when we would find deals at the market.
  The phone would ring.
  "Hello."
  "I found hamburger for 99 cents a pound. How many pounds you want?"
  You will notice that I didn't tell you who called who and that is because it worked both ways. He would call me with deals and I would call him.
  So the day I called him and asked, "Dad you want to go to a baseball game, the school is taking a bunch of us to a Seattle Mariners vs. the Yankees. It would cost 20 bucks and lunch. He had never been to Safeco field and jumped at the change.
  When we heard bus we thought nice big bus, air conditioned and those seats the leaned back. So when dad got up a six in the morning and drove the 72 miles to Ellensburg, you might say he was more than surprised that it was a 70s style church bus, no a/c with hard as hell seats. The smell of diesel and antifreeze was prevalent in the air. Not to mention how loud the rest of the group was, singing songs and the random laughter was a little over whelming for my father the oldest one on the bus.

  At the game, we in the noise-bleed section of the stadium but luckily a stadium worker saw my dad walking up the ramp using his cane and directed us to the handicapped elevator. A short time later, we were in the top deck over looking the baseball diamond. The day was sunny and clear. It turned out to be a nice game at the park with my father. I can’t even remember who won that day. I guess that doesn’t matter as much as the time itself.
 Dad told me much later that it was nice to go, even though the bus was old, and the food was a little cold, it was the company that day that made it special.
  Every boy wants to spend the day at the ballpark with their father. I have taken Darrel to two Mariner home games, and more than a few college football games. We plan to go back every year, so he can have the memories as I have of my father.