All-America Weekend

I have never been the type to enjoy societies standard of a good time. I am a little, let’s say, avant –garde. Despite my anti-establishment tendencies, this weekend I did it up All-American style. My descent to normality began when I was offered two Mets tickets for the price of none. I somehow found my way to both the Friday 9/26 night game as well as what would be their final win at Shea stadium on Saturday 9/27. For those of you who follow sports, Friday’s game sure sucked! The intensity of the crowd’s optimism never faltered despite the horrific loss. The highlight of my evening at the park was overhearing one of the patrons trying to pick up a female cop while she diligently stood guard behind my seat. After the basics, “What’s your name?” and “Where you from?” where covered, sports spectator guy #1 stepped it up a notch. “I like the way you think Jeanette! What’s a guy gotta do to get your number?” Her response was typical of the non-interested, “Why don’t I just get yours?” His reply, “Cause that’s too easy!” And scene…or at least this is where I lost interest. Day two was far more exhilarating. I had never been to a game in its entirety and this was a great one to be there for. Johan Santana pitched his little heart out 117 times locking in the 2-0 win verses the Marlins. Despite the ongoing rainy mist, the spirit of die-hard Mets fans was humbling. I never understood how or why people could be sucked into an almost brainwashed state of dedication to a group of guys hitting balls with bats. That was until I looked at America’s favorite pastime from a new perspective. With all the wrong that goes on in our day to day lives, sometimes rooting for your favorite team, and hoping they win with all of your might, makes life a bit more bearable. Establishing traditions within one’s family, bonding with friends over a mutual hatred for the opposing team, hot dogs, $9 beer, and the ecstatic happiness of reaching home plate really does create a special aura of excitement. Plus I absolutely love when people yell things like, “Hey umpire, you’re a fucking bum!” RIP Shea stadium.

Sunday is typically a day I spend sprawled across my couch channel surfing the basic movie options offered through my limited (no HBO or Showtime) cable package. This past Sunday I closed my All-American weekend with a day trip to Six Flags Great Adventure New England. It was my very first time ever. Sadly, the nation’s most famous amusement park let me down. Perhaps it was years and years of highly intensified advertisements that left my expectations unsatisfied when the reality of an over glorified carnival met me at the entrance gate with $15 parking. Maybe it was the continuous technical errors that occurred amongst a handful of rides that put me off. It could have just been my cranky mood, but I considered Six Flags to be an average adventure at best. Thankfully there were no lines this day and the group I was with was able to make our rounds though park with haste. Did I mention one of the girls I was with ate a bug? I didn’t? Well, one of the girls in my group saw a line of people signing up for some type of spin-the-wheel game, and decided that she wanted to play too. Without inquiring about the actual details of this game, she eagerly jumped on the Popsicle stand stage and spun away. Larvae, she landed on larvae. Mmmm. She manned up and took her maggot shot without a chaser. What was the prize, you ask? It was two free pictures of her eating a bug. I equate her experience with mine, pointless while leaving me slightly nauseated.

I did happen to stumble across a fantastic deli on the mean streets of Old Greenwich Saturday morning. It’s called Corbos Corner Deli located at 1380 E. Putnam Ave. A deli after my own heart, they still served breakfast past 11AM!! The staff was playful…just the way I like it…and even labeled my bacon, egg, and cheese with mayo, “Almost Famous”, after the conversation we had in regards to me NOT being the girl from “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist!” I promised the boys a shout out and I am true to my word!!! Go eat great food at Corbos Deli!

It sure beats what they were passing off as food at the shit hole Denny’s in West Haven. The service was slow, the food was cold, and when one of my friends was promised a blue sword in his fruity drink, he was given green. C’mon people, is it too much to ask for a blue sword? How about silverware? No, can’t do that either? I don’t mind stirring my coffee with the straw from my water, it’s cool! At least the coffee didn’t come watered down unlike the night before at the TGIFridays in Orange, CT. From what the locals tell me, if the Fridays staff don’t know ya, they don’t give ya liquor in your drinks. Stick to shots if you happen to be in the neighborhood!! Well, that’s that. What did you do this weekend?