Rain Delays, Foul Balls, & Uber Struggles: A Night At The Ball Park

Transcript

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Welcome back to Ask Velvet Podcast. Today's story comes straight from a night at the baseball game. An experience I didn't even originally plan for, but one that ended up turning into something I'll remember for a long time. So I left work, hopped on the train, and headed to the stadium. When I got there, the game was under a rain delay. Because of the weather, it was pouring down, and everyone was standing around waiting to see what would happen. The field was covered and nobody really knew how long it was going to last. But eventually the rain slowed down, the crew uncovered the field, and the game finally got started. Now I'll be honest, I don't really know much about baseball. I couldn't explain all the rules and I'm still learning how everything works. But I was there and I was taking it all in. The atmosphere, the crowd, the energy, all of it. I grabbed some nachos and cheese, had a soda, and it even came in a souvenir cup, which I'll be taking home with me. The food was actually really good. They also had funnel cake there. Although I don't eat funnel cake, but it was interesting seeing all the stadium food options people enjoy. As I sat there, I realized I was literally sitting right under the scoreboard. There were a couple other scoreboards visible too, but I still couldn't figure out what the score was. I was trying to read it, trying to understand it, but it just wasn't clicking for me. That scoreboard was a little different from what I'm used to. So even though I was sitting right under it, I was still a little lost. One thing I did notice was that the stadium wasn't completely full. There were definitely fans there, including Mariners fans, but there were also a lot of empty seats. I believe the weather had a lot to do with that. The rain earlier in the evening probably kept some people from coming, and others may have left early thinking the game wouldn't continue. But the fans who stayed were there to enjoy it, and you could still feel the energy in the stadium. At one point, a fireball was hit into the stands because of the stadium lights you couldn't really tell where it was going at first. You just saw it going up in the air, but not exactly where it would land. Everyone was looking up, following it, and sure enough, it came down into my section. A fan actually caught it. That was one of those moments where you realize how fast things happen in a live game and how exciting it is when you're actually there in person. Even though I don't fully understand baseball yet, I can appreciate moments like that. As the night went on, I eventually left the game early. It was still in the sixth inning, and I'm pretty sure the game didn't end until very late. Probably around midnight or even later. But I had to go because it was already getting so late. And then came the real challenge. Uber Trying to get an Uber after the game was not easy at all. I stood outside for about forty five minutes trying to get a ride home. The app would show a driver coming, the countdown would start, and then right when it got close, boom, it would cancel and I'd have to wait for another one. It kept happening over and over again. And honestly, it's frustrating, especially when you just want to get home. And when you're a single woman traveling alone at night, it makes the situation feel even more stressful. I just wish Uber was more reliable in those moments because it feels like drivers are constantly changing at the last minute. It reminds me of how taxis used to pick and choose who they would pick up. And it feels like a modern version of that sometimes. But even with that frustration, I still had a good night overall. I had good food, I saw a live baseball game, I experienced a rain delay. I watched a foul ball get caught right in my section, and I got to just sit back and take it, take in something different from my everyday routine. So despite the confusion, the weather, the scoreboard, I couldn't read, and the long wait for an Uber, I can honestly say I had a great time. These are the kinds of experiences that turn into long lasting memories. Even when everything doesn't go perfectly.