Anyone who knows me knows I don’t really care that much about baseball, but I do enjoy going to a game every once in awhile. I don’t normally go this early in the season because it’s usually too cold for my taste. Though this isn’t the first O’s/Red Sox game I’ve been to in April before. It was about a decade ago, so I don’t know if this record still holds, but that game set the record for the coldest starting temperature of any Orioles game ever. So that was delightful. I’m happy it was much warmer last night. I didn’t even put my jacket on until halfway through the game and then it kept me plenty warm.

My friend Alison is from the Boston area and a Red Sox fan, so her boyfriend decided to give her an early birthday surprise with tickets to the game and invited Paul and I along to add to the surprise. We met them at the park and she was really surprised when the people climbing over her to get to their seats were us. Surprise! Thanks to Dave’s work we got fancy club level seats that I am never willing to pay for on my own. You get a waitress for your section who will bring you food or drink off a specific menu. However it was limited and we couldn’t find her for the first few innings when presumably lots of people were ordering stuff so we just went out on our own anyway. I was happier with the food I got that wasn’t on the menu anyway. The Boog’s pit beef on the club level is a great deal. It had the sandwich and then I could get baked beans, chips, cole slaw, and salad all included in the price. Plus the line was short. If you go to the one on the Eutaw Street concourse where the unwashed masses can all go the line is always super long and every thing that you get in addition to the sandwich is an additional charge. I was quite pleased with my dinner.

I have split loyalties between the Red Sox and the Orioles. When I go to games it’s typically between those two teams. I adopted the Red Sox as a team when we lived outside of Boston in my adolescence, but now that I’ve lived in Baltimore for 14 years it’s hard not to root for the Orioles as well. (Though time and an actual degree from University of Maryland have not resulted in me sharing my loyalties between them and Wake Forest. Go Deacs!). Basically last night I was just cheering for any good plays as opposed to for a specific team. The Red Sox won last night, so at least the birthday girl’s team won. Though I think she may too have split loyalties at this point.

It was a fun night out, and I think the first O’s game I’ve ever been to on a weeknight. I’m sure I’ll make it to one or two more games before the season is over. Go O’s!