Sorry for not spell checking or proof reading. My comp is dying and I want to post this before it does.
651 back from the windy city
My dad and I stayed at the Standard club, a leasure hotel that you have to be a member of to stay. We have distance family out there and they felt bad that they weren’t going to be around, they would book-pay for our hotel. Little did we know how leasurious this hotel would be.
My dad was very impressed, I didn’t see the big deal. It had a gym, a pool, dining and a bar and in the rooms was your typical bed, tv, little refrigerator. I don’t appreciate the finer things in life. Oh well.
We couldn’t eat at the hotel, we didn’t have black tie attire.
This hotel has been running since 1869. Of course the first thing that went through my head wass “that was the first year of National League Baseball”
The L. What they call a train. We took the Red line a couple of times and if we knew the layout, we would have taken it a few more times. My dad was so confused everytime we took it though and got lost each time even with specific directions
When we got off the plane, a tall lady came over to us and asked if we were Alpo’s family. (Alpo’s my sis’s nickname) we said yes, she said that she’s a former teammate of Alpo’s but had to give up football do to a teer in her knee. (MCL) but she was here to cheer on the team. During the conversation we learned she was going to the cubs –Rockies games. Dad and I didn’t know they were playing home. It was a day game so dad and I decided we would go too since there is nothing else to do.
Cubs Rockies 3-2
I had a hotdog and pretsle.
My sis’s friend met up with us at the stadium and since it wasn’t packed, she sat next to me. I think the more and more she realized I couldn’t see, the more she described and she was pretty good at it.
Dad and I took a napped after the game.When I got up, I walked around the room and called out for my dad and he was not around. Thinking he was down at the bar, so I called him. I heard his phone ring and him answering it. He was in the bedroom but he was outcold. I told him it was like 8PM we slept through dinner. I didn’t want him to sleep the night away and wake up only not to be able to fall asleep.
We took a cab to a pizza place which someone suggested.
dinner at pizza place lue Malnati’s.
It’s a regular itallian restaurant but the cool thing, when you walk in, if there is a wait, if you are planning on ordering pizza, you can order it then so when you sit down, the pizza will soon be ready so you are not waiting. So my dad and I did just that.
I ordered a personal with onion and jalapenos. Within 10 mins of sitting down, the pizza came out. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. When I think of a personal pan, I think of like a 12-intcher. This was about 6 inches. It was tiny. It’s deep dish so no surprised it was heavy on the cheese but very little sauce and even more unnotisable was the toppings. I was still hungry so I got a salad after. The waitress was surprised. The salad was a nice size salad.
I asked my Dad how much the pizza was, he said “9 dollars,not bad” I was shocked by that response. I could get a large pizza for $12.
After dinner we went to a roof top bar across from our hotel for last call
The first floor was a restaurant. Second floor was a law office. Third floor was the rest rooms and the top floor, the roof, was a bar where you can get pickies too.
My dad wanted to go for a few drinks but when we sat down the waitress said it was last call. He got some drink and I got a vodka and sprite. It’s my go-to.
It was a nice bar. It’s like a big tent over the roof of the building and the made it into a bar.
Friday
We went to a coffee shop for breakfast. Although my dad and I wanted a real breakfast but there just was none around. I had a bagle and tea. My dad had a bagle and a coffee. I went back to the hotel room and my dad took a walk around the block.
My cousin, who is good friends with the president of the Cubs (or something) set us up with a personalize tour of Wrigley Field. She felt bad the Cubs were out of town or she would have got us tickets to a game in the club seats.
Our personal tour started at 1:30. We took the Red L to the stadium but we were an hour early..
We went for lunch at the Sports corner. I had a burger and fries. My dad had a turkey rap.
The tour of WrigleyField was amazing.
We headed to the ticket office and there was a few workers sitting, chatting. When we were about 10 feet away, I heard “hey you must be Jonathan. Welcome to Wrigley field!”
It was this man who was prob in his late 60’s or early 70’s. He was chipper the entire time. You could tell he loved his job. He handed me a bag of Cub goodies, including two shirts, a DVD and a cowboy hat. It was a promo. We went in to the stadiu. We walked down to behind home plate. He explained that there was a charity softball going on. We sat there for about 30 minutes. He told me the entire history of the Chicago Cubs. There was a lot of intervative ideas that would prove to be historical.
If you are a female and have ever been to a sporting event, you can thank the Cubs. What started as a lady’s night, ended up being every games. It was a money thing.
Everyone knows mr. Wrigley from his gum but his first product that made him money was soap. In order to get more people to buy soap, he slapped a stick of gum on it. People loved the game and asked where they could get more. He didn’t sell it indevisually, you had to buy more soap. So…people bought more soap. He also had the home dugout on the left side of the field because that was the side of the trally. So the Cub players could just sneak out and jump on the trally.
He was surprised I knew not only that Wrigley Field was the last stadium to install lights-play night games, but I also knew the year. So after talking for a good while, we walked around and pointed out more historical things. We came up to the pleachers and the famous ivy wall. Which, he gave me the story of that too. Pretty much, the owner wanted to make his field look pretty, to make it look green for a group of businessmen he was hosting.
It started to rain, so he thought it would be a good time to go into the clubhouse.
There was a set of big heavy doors which not even he had a key for. He had to call for security to come and open the door. Once in, we went down few flights of stairs and took a turn and I was in the Chicago Cub’s clubhouse. I wish I asked for a 360 description because I actually don’t know what was in the room. However, something he did tell me about that was “neet” (everything to his ws neet) if a player wanted to take batting bractice, there was no separate room (there was but it was far away from the clubhouse) so you would press a button on the wall and a very large netting would come down and tat would serve as the back stop and the they would set up a T and they would hit off the T against a wall.
I took pictures in the clubhouse and from there we walked through the tunle to the dugout. Although a surprising item was pointed out … actually I think it was my dad that saw it. About 10 feet from the end of the hall, on the left side was a chunk of wall that was carved out, it was about 5 ft wide and about 3 ft deep and in this indentation, there was a urinal and a sink.(sorry ladies lol)
Unfortunately, it was raining at this point but we sat on the bench which was padded. Harry pointed out that the ceeling of the bench wasn’t so tall and I put my hand up and he was right. my first thought was “How did Randy Johnson who’s 6-10 sit in there?)
In front of the dougout, before you step onto the grass-field, there is a 3 feet stretch that goes around I think the entire field, that is made of bits of brick. It is to help the draining system from the rain. Despite it raining, I did get on the field and take a quick picture with the entire field in the background. While I was doing this, Harry said that he would be right back. I was sitting on the bench when he came back. He took the back of my right hand in his and put a baseball in my hand. He said it was a Wriggley Field 100th anniversary baseball. I was extremely happy. This is something that is very cool.
Harry also told me that it was neet that I had came this year because over the next 5 years they will be making some improvement and the way it is now, is for the most part, the way it was 100 years ago.
That was the end of the tour. He asked me if I had any questions and I did not. I was vry thankful and thanked him for his very nice tour.
My dad and I went across the street to the Cub’s shop so I could get a shot glass to add to my collection. When I went to Wrigley the first time in 2007, I didn’t dad had a bagel and coffee.
get one for my collection.
We went back to the hotel and I did more resting and my dad walked around a bit.
We went to US CELLULAR FIELD…my 23rd stadium of my life. I made sure to get a shot glass.
White sox vs twins 10 8
It was a new-ish stadium. Since my dad only been to the two oldest stadiums in baseball, to see the nice, non-concreet structure, was eye-pleasing to him.
We got a cab back to the hotel but since we were hungry, we went to the restaurant across the streetfrom the hotel again. The music was loud and pounding. I’m surprised my dad stayed. We got an order of buffalo wings. My dad got a beer and I got an ice tea. There wasn’t much conversations since it was very loud.
Saturday
Dad and I went to Dunksfor breakfast. Since it was very busy, we took our order to go. I had a muffen and juice and my dad had a bagel and coffee.
Once again, I stayed in the room and my dad looked around the hotel. He was impressed with everything that I would be like ok? About.
I suggested we have a big lunch because we didn’t know when we would eat again.
We went back to the restaurant across the street, it was much quieter without the base blasting and there was only a few other tables of people there. I had a salad, steak, fries and broccoli. My dad got some Mexican dish that came with salsa and chips. He said it was too spicy for him so I finished the salsa and chips. It was so good.
The reason I was in Chicago. Saturday night was the woman’s superbowl which matched up two undefeated teams. The SD Surge and the Boston Militia. This should be a battle. It should be the toughest challenge for both teams as they blew out everyone else.
I sat next to my dad and we sat with a bunch of Chelsea people. We sat in the 10th row because that’s where the other Chelsea people were sitting. My sis in law was sitting on the other side of the 50 yard line. I’m sorry I don’t remember the quarter by quarter score but by half time, it was a blowout for Boston. It was a bit confusing for me as the fans were mixed in so I couldn’t distinguish by the croud who scored-made a good play and with 9 rows of ppl in front of me and the PA system was also in front of me, it made it hard to know what was going on at all time.
.It also didn’t help that my dad was indecisive at times on what happened and sometimes, was wrong all together.
Superbowl game
Boston militia 69
San Diego Serge 34.
After the game, we waited around for a bit. We went on the field, there was only about 15 fans left at this point. I hugged my sister and congratulated her. I asked my dad to take a pic of us. It was a very beautiful and proud moment for this older brother.
There is a guy who attends every home and away game and tweets out the play by play… most of the time. Someone nicknamed him “back seat coach” He was going back to the team’s hotel and Amanda asked if we could ride with him from the stadium to the hotel. He seems like a nice guy.
So it was my dad and I, along with Mark (that’s backseatcoach’shis name) and Leo.
We went into the Holiday inn and sat around till the team bus pulled up. The few of us friends and family, cheered as they came in. One woman, who I think is the QB, who I never formally met before. Came over to me and gave e a hug and thanked me for coming. I was a bit shocked this beautiful stranger was giving me a hug, but I congratulated her. She was the only one. She gave my dad a hug too and the reason I think it was the QB because she said “your daughter protects me” and my sister is the Center.
Eventually all the players came in and whether it was spontainious or not, I don’t know, but we were in the pool room (water pool, not to be confused with a pool table) and all the players through their equipment bags down and wearing clothes and all…jumped into the pool.
I said to my dad “I wonder how much water was displaced” he laughed.
The next thing I knew… my sister was hugging me. I’m not sure of the worlds to use to explain that moment for me. I felt loved by my sister. I’m not sure I ever quite felt that from her towards me before. She could have hugged a teammate, my dad or her own wife but instead, she hugged me. She knew that I wouldn’t mind. She said that she had to go up and change but she would be right back down. My dad and I, along with Leo went to the bar. I ordered my sprite and vodka. Leo asked me “you think you can handle that?” I grinned and said “I could handle ten of them.” He laughed. Unfortunately, once again, I was the 3rd wheel as my dad and Leo were talking about things that either I had no idea about or didn’t care about. So I found myself just sipping on my drink. When I was done, Leo asked if I wanted another. He said he would pay for the second round. I told him sure, thanks. So while I was sipping on my 2nd drink, I hear Amanda say “are you drinking Jonathan?” I said “yup, on my second one.” We then moved to the little dining area. Someone had brought Puppeyes chicken and later pizza. The pizza ironicly enough, was from Lue Malnati’s.It was a little better than the small personal one. While I was eating a pizza, another of Amanda’s teammates came over to me. Her name is Bri. She’s one of, or maybe use to be, one of my sister’s closer friends on the team. Bri has a cute voice (to my ears) and has that perky ersonality. Both things I like that most people find annoying. She is also hot. …anyways, she came over, put her hand on my arm and then said “hi Jonathan. It’s Bri” “thank you for coming all the way to Chicago for the game” There was a little more small talk but don’t remember. Then she said she would see me later.
We were being kicked out of that room because you are not suppose to have alcohol in the room. (no one said anything about that before hand) and my dad and Leo were drinking beers. So we went out in the lounge and pretty much just sat there till my dad said he was ready to go. So we said bye to the Chelsea people and we said bye to my sister and we were off to catch a cab back to the hotel.
*sometime later, my dad was telling me that my sister kept pointingout my dad and I to everyone…as if she was proud that we came out to Chicago to cheer her and the team on.
Sunday
Took a cab to the airport and on to Boston and home with stadium #23 and a very proud brother
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