take me out the to the {ballgame}

For the sake of simplicity, I took a little Blogger break this last week,
but I'm back and I have things to share.
like...

Last Tuesday night.

It was on my calendar for the last few months.

The Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Night hosted by the San Francisco Giants.

It's tough to be a public servant these days.  

Financial shambles make people do crazy things, 

and well, we're even more damned if we do and especially more damned if we don't.  

Crime, it's not down despite what the media would have you believe. 

Staffing is lower than it's ever been. 

The inherent dangers are increasing along with the line of duty deaths.

{every game starts with a motorcade that lines the entire outfield, the National Anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance}

So when there's a public event that recognizes the sacrifice made every day by the people I called colleagues, locally and nationally, it's one to be honored.  

Yes, indeed, this is a good time every year and that's exactly why I go.

For a good ol' American good time.
It's BBQ, beer, tailgating, garlic fries, peanuts, ice cream sundaes, friends, family, 

and the greater Bay Area Law Enforcement Community.  

Other than that, I think there's scoring involved?

Some kind of competition?
Balls?  Bats?  I know that they run around the field and stuff.

{see look, there's some kind of running around going on out there behind my $10 beer!!}

Seriously, I don't honestly even follow baseball.

I'm not a fan, but I'm not not a fan.
Baseball is America's past time and I'm very much an all-around American kind of girl.

{it couldn't have been a better day for a game, the weather was perfect!}

The National Anthem always gives me the chills.  Always.

 I'm not a big ol' flag waviin patriot, but that song, well yes, I do bleed Red, White, & Blue.

I appreciate all the men and women who have lived and died for that flag, for this country, for those colors.  Our flag, my American flag, long may it wave.

The rest of the album I created over the course of a few hours was a little self indulgent,

 but I was: 

1) drinking

2) with a bunch of my friends and co-workers

3) a girl armed with a camera phone

and last but not least

4) having a damn good time!

The Giants won.  I know that much.  The score?  I'd have to look it up.
But the memories, yes, there are a few, not withstanding the dead battery in my car when we got out of the game, but even that was no big deal.
The lot was full, we weren't going anywhere fast as it was. 

{This stadium, in this City by the Bay, it's a thing of beauty I tell ya.
A bona fide, American iconic thing of beauty.}

There are just some things, some days, events that you simply make time for.  
This is one of them.  One of the days when I just go and have fun.

No to-do list.  No pressure.  No agenda.

and those kinds of days make for one happy girl.

~ Lauren