My adventures with Kristen and Sports

Well the last two blogs have had a bit to be desired, but I have actually been busy since athletics have started back up here at work, and everything is starting in about a week. So with everything starting up and Sloan about to start 1st grade, we actually had our last week of free time last week. Sloan went to Abilene to spend a few days with Kristen’s parents and Kristen and I got to spend a few days hanging out as well. One thing I really love doing is going to sporting events (seeing this is my profession) and not to mention my other favorite baseball team is right up the road from us (that being the Texas Rangers, my poor Mets are suffering this season). So with enough talking to Kristen we went on a date to the Rangers game last week to see them play the Twins.

I have to say all wives complain of their husbands watching some type of sport all the time. No one has anything on Kristen; she has to put up with sports year around. Although for her case, I have never been a huge NFL fan or NBA fan (until Oklahoma City got a team) so she does not have to put up with me watching those sports all the time. I am a huge college football and basketball fan so I guess that is a trade off for the NFL and NBA. She takes it in stride and just accepts it with sports, but one season she has to put up with is baseball season. That is one sport that I do watch a lot of, and I get to hear about it as well. (I do know deep down she loves baseball, if it wasn’t for baseball we wouldn’t have met.)

(Back to the story) So I got the tickets and we left early in the afternoon last week and drove up to Arlington for the game. It was a lot of fun and very hot. Of course upon arriving I had to get a customary beer and Kristen went straight for the Chicago Dogs at the ball park (if you have never had a Chicago Dog, you are missing out on the best hot dog invented.). We found our seats (five rows from the field in Center field, not too shabby) and took in the sights and sounds of the game. It is always an adventure when I go to a game with Kristen, because when she watches sports with me, I get the “interesting” questions through out the course of a game. Not to mention during the course of a game I have to remind her that she just cheered for something bad. Also I know I automatically loose her attention once the cotton candy vendor walks past us (which come to find out we can only eat the cotton candy with the cone in it).

So during the game, I always get a good laugh from her from time to time. Seeing where our seats were, I had no idea that her goal was to catch a homerun (bare handed I might add) during the game. I then had to break the news to her that we would also have to catch a doctor to fix her broken hand afterwards. Needless to say, a homerun was hit by us, but she didn’t run out to catch it. So in between eating a Chicago Dog, warm peanuts, drinking some of my beer, and eating her cotton candy (on a stick) she befriended some kids that were sitting by us. This is not uncommon with Kristen, nor is it uncommon to figure out that another family on our row was from Waco, and she had to talk to them as well. (Those of us that are in the Herring family know quite well where she gets this from, but we just take it in stride.) So somehow by the middle of the game she has talked (in length) to a seven year old boy. She has also talked them into catching a homerun for her and giving it to her. We left before the game was over, plus the Rangers were winning 11-1 at that point, and she never got her homerun ball if you were wondering.

The best part about this is although she sometimes does not want to go to a sporting event; she always comes out of it having a lot of fun. I still need to work on her coming to more college basketball games, but once December is here she will have PLENTY of time to watch a college basketball game that her husband does marketing for. I do have to say in my defense, if it wasn’t for sports we wouldn’t have met in Colorado Springs.

Music for this week:
Well, I am now on the countdown for ACL Festival (40 days to be exact). I have started to listen to some of the bands I want to see. Also I hope that three of my friends take me up on some of my suggestions for music seeing they are going to be traveling soon. Dave, Jeremy, and Craig if you need me to hook you up with a travel playlist let me know!

Arctic Monkeys
Well, this is a band I can’t wait to see in Austin, I am very excited to see them. I just got their newest album today and it is really great. Not to mention their previous two are also very good. I hope they live up to my expectations and put on a great show in Austin for everyone. I would recommend an album, but all of them are great. Listen to the songs Fluorescent Adolescent, Fake Tales of San Francisco, and Dangerous Animals.

Friendly Fires- Friendly Fires
This is a good album; I have been putting off listening to it for a while. It kept getting pushed my way so I took a chance and listened to them. It’s not too bad; I would like to hear more from them. Check out the song Jump in the Pool.

Stellastarr*- Civilized
Well this band has been out for a while, and a blog I read each week this is one of his favorite bands. So they had a new album come out not too long ago and upon his love for them I gave them a shot. I have to say, they are a great unknown band that should get some air play. Check out the songs Tokyo Sky and Graffiti Eyes.

Dinosaur Jr.- Farm
I have always been a Dinosaur Jr. fan, just sometimes you forget about them, and you shouldn’t. Without A Sound has always been in my all-time favorite albums list. This is another great album from the old school alternative band. Check out the song See You, it has that classic Dinosaur Jr. feel.

Beck- The Information
This album has been getting some love from me lately. Although Midnite Vultures is my all time favorite album. The Information gets back to some great Beck beats and not to mention his odd but great musical lyrics. My favorite song so far is Cellphone’s Dead and Nausea.