Monday, June 9, 2008

Live Small and Prosper: No more baseball tickets or NASCAR for me

I like baseball, played baseball, wore the long pants and slid into third base head first.

But I won’t watch another game at a ball park. TV viewing is shaky too.

I've always liked watching Nascar races on Tv too but I'm not going to tune into another one.

Why the sudden change?

Baseball ticket prices too high? Have to drive too far? Price at the pumps getting me down?

If I turned off the TV I could get more work done around the house? There are so many forms of recreation today that many seem frivolous?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.


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And too frickin’ hot for me to sit out under the sun?

Gee whiz - yes!!

I can’t sit outside in the sun for long spells anymore, let alone watch people in long pants chase after a ball without feeling a steady bead of sweat run down the back of my underwear.

And watch grown men drive around an oval 300 times while wearing three layers of fire-retardant underwear? No deal.

As well, ‘umpin’ ‘iminy. There are 1000 ways we burn fossil fuels to entertain our poor selves and I can’t sit outside or be TV supporter to some events any longer.

Time for a big change, to sit on the porch and think about how to save money for this winter’s heating bills.

Now, I could be tempted to watch reruns of sports on TV. We must have 5 bazillion episodes on video tape so we’ll never be without something to pass our time.

With modern technology we could even supply the play-by-play ourselves and make it twice as entertaining!!

Tune in tomorrow to witness my first experience as a play-by-play announcer.

[And please click here for ‘Recommended Reading: Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing - Rule 5’]

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4 comments:

Barbara said...

I love baseball. I love NASCAR. I love driving my truck. But I love having money in my pocket more, so my truck sits in the garage while I watch baseball and car races on TV in my cool basement studio. Maybe I should get a Harley!

G. Harrison said...

Hi Barb,

Good comment.

If interested in biking buy a used bike to try it out. Maybe a 500cc Kawasaki, 650cc Suzuki or 750cc Honda Shadow. My used 1984 1000cc Yamaha has lots of ride left, gets decent mpg and was so inexpensive I couldn't say No.

But now, way things are going, I'm definitely thinking my next bike will be smaller.

GAH

Butch McLarty said...

Geez, talk about missing the boat!

There's extremely competitive, high-calibre baseball -- courtesy of the London Majors -- played at historic Labatt Park here in London, Ontario, Canada -- you know, the city you call home.

It's $6 admission for adults, $4 for seniors and children under 12.

From Wortley Village, Labatt Park is a 25-minute walk or a 10-minute bike ride.

Why is it that so many people apparently think Intercounty Baseball is a beer league.

Two days ago, the London Majors had two players drafted by Major League Baseball.

I wouldn't go and watch a MLB game at the Rogers Centre if you paid me to attend. Concrete domes and artificial grass are a blast for some neophytes, but I tend to avoid them like I do rats with red eyes and rabies.

G. Harrison said...

Butch is right, folks, re the good deal local ball provides. And it survives without me.

I could have plugged it but...

I had bigger recreational activities chiefly in mind, e.g. MLB, where the sun, length of game, price of admission and beer, slow pace and a few other factors have ruined my taste for it as a recreational activity.

And the NASCAR circuit was on my mind, where the amount of fuel burned makes me wonder if the sport is completely frivolous.

NASCAR supporters could send a powerful message by saying they were going to shorten their races by 20 per cent next year, more after that, because of the need to conserve resources.

GAH dreamin'