3/30

I posted a picture of myself on a previous entry about my visit to the ballpark in Jupiter, Fla. to see the Mets in a spring training “away” game.  A cousin of mine, who I have not seen in some years, wrote to say that I looked (and I quote) "unrecognizable"! 

She wasn't, of course, wrong.

Rather than being offended however, I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that if my hideous current appearance renders me "unrecognizable"; then it follows that back in the day, before the rot set in, I must have been exactly the opposite: quite the looker.  The logic is airtight.  So if you don't remember me that way, it is clearly your faulty memory. You might want to have it checked.

I wanted to see the Mets one more time before the spring training season ends and they head back up to the frozen tundra to play in New York.  And I really wanted to see them in their home park, which is in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  For 27 years, occasional spring games from here have been televised back home in Feb. and March, giving us Northerners a vicarious taste of how the other half lives while we were huddled inside shivering.  I remember years ago, watching the spectators in their T-shirts and shorts, sitting on the grass in the “berm” soaking up the sunshine and (more often than not) watching the Mets get pounded.  It looked so idyllic that I just ached to be there. 

So today, Lorraine and I took our beach chairs, hats, and sun-tan lotion, and headed up Route 95 for a glorious afternoon "on the berm”.  As we waited in line to purchase the tickets, a man came up to Lorraine and gave her a certificate entitling the bearer to two FREE tickets!!  He said he wasn’t able to use them (they were only good for today’s date); and that she was welcome to them if she wanted!  Naturally, he didn’t offer them to me, because, as we have previously established, my hideous appearance is off-putting to little children, strangers bearing gifts, and blood relatives.

Still, if I had a choice at my age of having an attractive wife, or an attractive self; I’d be a fool not to choose the wife.  She’s the one I have to look at all day.  This is her and Logan back in NJ before we left on our trip.  Come to think of it, they're BOTH more attractive than me!