Rhubarb?

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I went to see the A's and the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Every time I go to a game, I feel ripped off that I never went to professional baseball games as a kid. My parents took me to community concerts--the symphony, Ferranti and Teicher, like that--while all my friends got to go to see the White Sox or the Cubs.

In their defense my parents did like to travel and took us kids along, which would've been great except they were boring travelers, tour takers. For instance, they took my sister and I to Europe when I was five, too young to really get Europe. We boarded endless tour buses when I just wanted to walk and look around. I'd ask, "Another castle?" How many castles could there be? Or, "What's a cathedral?" Church on vacation... on a Wednesday...you've got to be kidding me? Plus my older sister, then fifteen, was always airsick on the plane—white bag sick. We took little short flights country to country that nearly killed her. The first thing I'd do once I'd found my seat was look in the pocket by the tray table and helpfully whip out my barf bag with enthusiasm. "Here's mine, you can have it." Didn't know I was announcing to the plane…we have a puker over here.

We went to Hawaii when I was in middle school which was very cool. But, my dad got mad at me because I wanted to go to the beach. He wanted me to thrill over the bus tour to the sugar cane and pineapple fields, the tour of the University of Hawaii, and Pearl Harbor. I wanted to get in the water and lay in the sand and get tan.

My folks did like nice hotels and restaurants and that was fun. When we ate dinner at the Royal Hawaiian I was amazed that one guy had a job of keeping ice cubes in people's glasses. He wore a black uniform with silver buttons and white gloves. He carried clear glass ice bucket. He'd slip the cubes in the water glasses with polished silver tongs. He didn't carry plates, or drinks or water or butter cubes or anything else--just the ice. Of course while I was watching the ice cube man, all my friends were singing, "take me out to the ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch and eating hot dogs slapped with mustard.

LeeAnna,

What a great description - thanks for sharing it - feel like my middle school self was there. :-)

Hey, keep a look out for May 1 here. Your Writeaway piece makes me think you might enjoy participating in this next event.

Otter

Otter,

May 1...I'll stay tuned.

Thanks,

LeeAnna

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Hey, if any of those snaps are good, please share them. I visited Virginia once. My husband's uncle was stationed there as a career navy guy. Gorgeous spot - lots of azaleas and humdity.