geek and proud - Strike Three Called, Red Sox Win! (or: I’m absolutely insane)

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Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Strike Three Called, Red Sox Win! (or: I’m absolutely insane)

I woke up at around 8:15 yesterday morning, and starting getting ready to go to work. At about 8:30, I got an IM from a friend up in Sunnyvale telling me someone had just cancelled on him and he had an extra ticket to Game 5 of the Red Sox/A’s Division Series. I responded wish “I wish I could go”, and then showered and went to work.

At work, I got on IRC and on PB, like I always do in the morning, and chatted with people for a few minutes. I jokingly mentioned that a friend of mine had an extra ticket and I should skip out on work and drive up for the game. Everyone, without fail, told me there was no way I could miss that game. After about an hour of debating it, I was convinced. I made sure he still had a ticket available, went back home to pick up a few things, and then started the drive to Sunnyvale.

The drive, unlike most drives I talk about here, was not uneventful. A little more than halfway there, someone changed lanes right into me, and sent me spinning out over the grass onto the other side of the highway. I was able to get back in control, and pull off onto the grass, but it all happened to fast I didn’t get a license plate or even know what color his ~~car~~truck or SUV was. He didn’t stop. So the moral of the story here is don’t skip out on work on a holy Jewish holiday to go to a playoff baseball game. No wait, that’s not it. Oh yeah: Always wear your seatbelt. Luckily, I was fine. My car has some damage, but it’s still drivable, and I’m alive and uninjured.

The rest of the drive was uneventful. 🙂

I pulled into the NetApp parking lot around 2:30 and by 3:00 we were heading out to the stadium. The game was incredible. Barry Zito vs. Pedro Martinez. The final game of the Division Series. A called third strike with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of ninth inning to end the game. I couldn’t have asked for any more. For the first time in a very long time, I actually kept score at a game. I even made it through the whole game, getting every pitch (I checked with espn.com when I got home, all my Pitches-Strikes numbers were right). Click on the image at the left for a readable version of it.

After the game, I drove back to Santa Barbara. I got in around 3:30, but didn’t get to sleep until 5. Then I was up again this morning at 8am to vote in the crazy recall election, get an estimate on the car damage, and then get to work. But it was worth all eight and a half hours of driving, another two hours as a passenger in a car, and getting into an accident, to go to the game. I’m really glad I went. I’m still sort of in shock that I actually went. I’m completely nuts.