Fenway Park and Uno Pizza

I am attending the Association for Teacher Educators Summer Conference in Boston now.  As part of the registration package I was able to buy two tickets to last night's Red Sox game again the Minnesota Twins.

The day was hot yesterday and very humid.  We walked the half mile to the T stop at Central square.  That walk, as short as it was, induced heat and sweat.  Anyone that knows me knows that under most circumstances I don't tolerate sweat very well!

We got onto the T and made our way to the Park Station where we could get the D Red Line to Fenway.  Park is the intersection of the Green Line and the Red Line.  It is a massive station as the Red LIne has a number of options - B, C, D, E.  The D line is the train that stops at Fenway.

The subway stations in Boston are famous for not having air in the them - or at least not having much circulation.  At the best of time the air is heavy, warm and stagnant.  Thousands of Boston regalia bedecked people were in the Park Station waiting for the D train.

Stale, hot stagnant air and thousands of people crowded around the track made for heat, humidity, smells, sweat and massive discomfort.

But wait, it gets better!!!

Announcements were being made that are never intelligible to me.  But suddenly the mass of people started moving to a different track.  Turns out there was a power outage or disruption and the D trains were now out of service.  So we all moved over to another track where we could take any train but the E train and get off at Kenmore station and walk to Fenway.

Needless to say we were cheek by jowl waiting in the crowd. The trains were moving slowly on the tracks but had been backed up so there was one train after another.  By this time I was beyond "perspiring"  I was out and out sweating - and so was everyone else around me.

The train cars were being packed with humans intent on their bread and circus - sardines have luxurious space compared to these train cars.

None of the trains stopped in front of us so as each train came to a stop the crowd shifted towards the closes door.  It is easy to see how a small person could lose their footing and be trampled to death.

Finally we got on a train and stationed ourselves against two seats occupied by a young man and a young woman.  I feel sorry for them because they had all of this mass of humanity precariously hanging over them.

As the train stopped and started I realized I could move my feet - I was not planted well and when I ntried to get a more stable footing there was no place to go - my feet were trapped between everyone else's feet.  I had to hold on for dear life with my hands as the train stopped and started.

By this time I was no longer sweating - the fluids were just pouring out of my body.

We finally made it to the station and of course the exit from the train was on the left side and we were facing the right side door near the driver which meant we needed to move back through the car to get out.  Not every one as getting out so some assertive behaviour was called for.

Finally we were on the street and headed to Fenway.

Fenway is an old beautiful baseball park - open air and reeking with history.  Unfortunately air conditioning doesn't really work in an old stadium.  So as we walked around from grandstand 130 to grandstand 8, through the concession areas, etc. breathing and maintaining any kind of cool were difficult - sweating continued.

We found grandstand 8 and began climbing the steps up, up, up to where our seats were located.  We were under an overhang - good in case t started raining - not so good if you wanted to breath - the air did not circulate - at all - period - but the humidity did accumulate.  After a while I yearned for the cool of the packed train ride - it was impossible under that overhang!!!

We found ourselves sitting beside some a family.  The father was sitting next to me.  He was wearing shorts and had his wallet or something in the lower pocket in his shorts.  He was a bit bigger than me - the seats were a lot smaller than me - and his wallet or whatever it was extended a good 6 inches into my seat area - poking into my thigh - he was oblivious.  Whatever it was in there had sharp edges.

Then the game started and I looked up to see the field and saw......... a pole.  We were in the right field grandstand and I had a clear view of all of the fielders.  I could see the short stop, second and third baseman and the pitcher - and that was it.  There was no way I could see first base or home plate.

So a recap - I couldn't breath, I was drowning from the humidity which may not have been so bad because I was becoming dehydrated from all the sweating I was doing and I had a clear view of the outfield.

All of this for a mere $60 a seat for seats we found out were face valued at $30

We left after the fifth inning.  Which was unfortunate because we really came to sing Sweet Carolyn during the 7th inning stretch.

We made our way out of the Park and went to Uno Chicago Pizza.  In air conditioning and in front of a 50 inch High Def tv we ate our dinner and watched the end of the game.

Now I just need to understand why people go to these games and subject themselves to all of this?????