“FORTY-FEST” BLOG PART IV

Saturday morning we left the girls with Grandma and Pap Pap and drove to Baltimore. Laura’s Mom had reserved us a room at the Renaissance on the Inner Harbor, two tickets to the Orioles v Yankees Saturday and two tickets to the Sunday matinee of the Lion King at the Kennedy Center in D.C. We checked in and walked down to the Harbor to find some lunch. We decided to try out P.F. Chang’s because we had never been before. I tried my hand at chopsticks and we enjoyed some spicy chicken and steak with a side of shrimp and rice. I would highly recommend Chang’s for any date night.

We walked down to Camden Yards amidst a sea of Yankee fans. Almost an hour went by before we saw an Oriole hat, but the New Yorkers kept coming and coming. Even with their team in third place, nine games behind the mighty Tampa Rays, the Bronx Bomber fan base is loyal and fanatical. Our seats were great. Ten rows back, just off the plate in the right hand batters box. I explained to Laura that in Baltimore, there is a time-honored tradition during the singing of the National Anthem. When the singer belts out the  “Oh” in “Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet waive?” the entire home crowd shouts “O!!!” as loud as they can in tribute to their beloved “O’s” (the nickname of the Orioles). After hearing this sudden, abrupt and loud call, Laura thanked me for saving her from a coronary.

 

 

 

 

 

For the next three hours, Laura and I talked baseball, ate hotdogs and talked about our kids while the Yankees topped the O’s 5-3. The game was entertaining; The Orioles manager was ejected, there were a few controversial calls and we saw several Yankees, including Jason Giambi, belt homeruns. But the real show took place in the row behind us. An older Baptist minister and two of his old friends sat behind us and provided conversation that was a mix of the dinner table scenes in the “Nutty Professor” and the barber shop trio from “Coming to America.” The minister’s voice was an exact replica of Sherman Klumpp. During one meeting at the mound with the Orioles pitcher, catcher and coach, the minister said, “Oh Sweet Lord in heaven, they’re havin’ a prayer meetin.’ You Yankees better watch out now!” 

Here is the dialogue from another conversation they had;

Old man #1              “Hey man, I think I see Bill Russell over there.”

Old man #2             “Where do you see Bill Russell?”

Minister                   “Huh? You seein’ who?”

Old man #1            “Bill Russell. Right over there, black hat, white beard, Bill Russell.”

Minister                  “Aww man, what’s wrong wiff you? Bill Russell is a black man!”

Old man #1            “I know what color Bill Russell is!”

Old man #2            “Well that ain’t Bill Russell!”

Old man #1            “Yes it is!”

Old man #2            “No it ain’t!

Old man #1            “Yes, it is!”

Minister                  “Oh no, uh uh, that most definitely is not Bill Russell.”

Old man #1            (frustrated) “Hmm!”

Old man #2            “You didn’t see no Bill Russell.”

These conversations went on all night. It was awesome. The minister joked in good fun with quick wit and clean language all night. He even shared his faith with a guy from Brooklyn that sat across the isle from us. It was nice to sit in front of a Christian who was real, not embarrassing. The world needs more people like Pastor Singleton.

Sunday we drove to the Kennedy Center to see the final performance of “The Lion King.” It was amazing. The costumes, the way they created the animals and the performers were equally impressive. The thing I was most astonished by, however, was the flooring. I felt the same way about the flooring years ago when I went to see “Phantom of the Opera.” It was amazing. I was taken by how cliffs and grass and mountains seemed to grow out of the floor, but more impressively was the fact that these platforms could support the weight of so many dancers.

After the musical, Laura and I drove to one of my top ten dives in America. Geppetto’s is an Italian place in Bethesda, Maryland. I got a Sicilian pizza there back in 1998 while working for Bachrach menswear and I never forgot. Only one other place has ever caused me to light up in love over their pizza (Babe’s Pizza in Brandon, Florida).  Simply put, Geppetto’s offers up a pizza experience that is both indescribable and stimulating. Oh yes, it’s that good. More on the vacation finale later.