Yankees Football

Today was a great New York summer day. Sunny but not too hot with relatively low humidity. And the subway just two blocks from where I live was actually running this Sunday. This was good, because in about half an hour it can whisk me to Yankee Stadium. My good friend Allen gave me tickets to meet him and a bunch of his buddies so up to the Bronx I went.

I always allow myself plenty of time to have a relatively decently priced beer before the game and, in my opinion, this is the place to get it.

Yankee Tavern


Of course they can't serve alcohol before noon, this being a Sunday. Who would think that in a city like New York they still have such archaic blue laws. Not too long ago they changed the law so you can at least buy beer in stores before noon on Sundays. Note, in New York you buy beer in grocery stores, not in liquor stores. I guess after about a dozen years someone figured out that everyone going to a Giants or Jets game on Sunday drove over to New Jersey to pick up their tailgating supplies. This, obviously, hit New York's pockets.

But, shortly after a meatball hero, noon arrived and I had a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

Bar Man, Noon, and Summer


Only time for one quick beer because the game started at 1:05 PM and getting to our seats wasn't any walk in the ball park.

For starters, we were in section 33. One might think that would be between sections 34 and 32. You would have thought wrong. Sections run from 34 to 2, even numbers and then from 1 to 35 odd numbers. I went into the section 34 - 32 entrance and then got to walk all the way around the tier level to section 33. But, on the way, I got a postcard perfect picture of the construction in progress of the new retro-stadium being built across the street.

Postcard Perfect


Now, finding our section was problematic, but finding our seats was downright bizarre. You would think if your ticket said Row E you would go to Row E and then find your seat. Well, following the entirely logical numbering scheme of the sections, you find that there are two Row Es. So, seeing the first row with Seat 1 on the aisle, we moved on down to find our Seats, 24 and 25. Hah, you get to Seat 12 or something and run into a railing. The seat directly above Seat 12 is Seat 13 on the second Row E. Our seats were back on the aisle one row back from the first Row E. I guess this provides work for ushers because there was mass confusion up through the third inning by which time everyone finally found their seats. New Yorkers pride themselves on their sophistication, but I bet people in Kansas City don't take this long to park their butts in a seat at a ballpark.

But, I digress. Our seats were really good.

Good Seats


And here I am enjoying a freaking $10 Heineken. I switched to the more modestly priced $8 Bud-Lites after this one though, but I still tipped the guy $2 for each beer.

$10 Beer, Outrageous


Well, if you are going to go to but one Yankees game a year, which is about my limit, this was as good a one as any. I am originally from Minnesota so, although I have switched my allegiance from the Vikings to the Jets, if you grow up hating the Yankees, you will always hate the Yankees.

Ah, I digressed again. This was one hell of a game. The fourth inning lasted longer than many games I have gone to.

21 to 4


But, everyone was a good sport about it.

No Butt Touching Though


There wasn't much of a crowd by the time the game ended (a comeback by Tampa Bay to push it into extra innings would have been exciting). Still, I used the old excuse of letting it thin out a bit before catching the subway home to pop in for one for the road.

I was going to head in here, but it was just too crowded and too loud.

Stan's, But Not For Bar Man


Instead I went to my favorite combination bar, bowling alley, and souvenir shop in the world.

Simply The Best


Oh, I forgot the part about the Cocktail Lounge. A stretch if ever I saw one.

Cocktails and Gowns (not).


Only the highest caliber Cocktail Lounge can ignore the protocols and serve their Tanqueray and Tonic in a plastic glass.

The Plastic Adds A Certain, Essence.


While I was having my drink, a guy asked me if I knew of any decent bars in the area. Hah, little did he know who he was talking to. I told him a bit of what I knew and gave him my card.

My Card



And little did I know, he had been on my website that very morning and knew who I was after he saw my card. He and his buddy and wife were here for a beach volleyball tournament out on Long Beach on Long Island. I have a friend who lives out there and we chatted a bit about bars in that area. They live in Venice Beach, California. Dennis Hopper lives there and I am a big fan of his (almost as good an actor as Steve Buscemi, and both of whom could play me in the movie of my life). Anyway, we exchanged embraces and vowed to keep in touch.

Christine, Sergio, and Denny


After finishing my drink I toddled off to the Subway for what I hoped would be a quick nap before my brother-in-law Jim showed up. No such luck. For once in his life he was early. However, you will have to wait for my next post to see what mischief we got into.

But, just to give you a teaser, here is how the normally placid Mysterious Chinese Woman reacted, ashamed and abashed. I, of course, took the moral high ground and blamed everything on her brother.

Ashamed


Abashed