Well, we’re back. And, thank God Michele went with me. Apparently, the Garmin was programmed incorrectly (who could have seen that one coming). Had we followed the directions that the computer kept screaming at us, we’d have unintentionally been Thelma & Louise. I say that because I’m quite certain that it would have launched us off a bridge & into the
We wandered around the Sports complex section of
We were going up the stairs to the building, when Michele suggested I take a picture. Well, as she said, “After that guy gets out of the way”. The guy was taking way too much time to get down the stairs, & Michele was getting a little annoyed - & who could blame her.
That’s when it hit me, & I reached out my hand & said, “Mr. McNabb? My name is Tamara Kells.” Yup, it was quarterback Donovan McNabb. I was happy just to have met him, when Michele said “go take a picture with him!!” So I did, after I stopped shaking. He was very nice, asked some questions & was more than patient with me. It was hard for me not to pinch his cute little cheeks.
We made it into the building, when I began to notice some of the Eagles were, in fact, in said building. Now, had I known that, I would have studied the roster so I could call them by their names. Instead, we just watched them all go by & smiled & said hello. Now THAT was surprising – the fact that they were there & I didn’t stop them even if I didn’t know their names. And, no, I didn’t see Michael Vick. That I know of. It’s probably a good thing that Big John Runyan wasn’t there. He’s my favorite Eagle of all time.
Derek came down, & brought out a big ol’ box, filled with Eagles t-shirts. We pulled the car up, & he loaded it into the trunk. He was very sweet, told me that what we were doing was really nice, & that if I needed anything else, to let him know (he doesn’t know me very well, does he?). Bonus, he was really cute.
It was too early to go to the Phillies, so Michele took me to Tony Luke’s. Apparently, I was supposed to be impressed, but I’d never heard of this place. This quickly became evident to Michele, who thought I should be admitted to the nearest hospital for crazy people (not that she would have been far from wrong).
Still, good food. Then, it was on to the Phillies.
We went into the wrong parking lot at first. A really, really sweet girl helped me by taking me into the building to an office where I was directed to the right place. At this point, I should note that the gate I went through to go into said office was one way only. I was on the wrong side of the gate, while Michele & the car were on the other. Thankfully, she noticed my plight, & opened the door for me. If not, I’d still be wandering around aimlessly, begging for alms.
We finally get to the right area, but, sadly, the office was a good clip from where we’d parked. Normally, a light walk wouldn’t have been a problem. But, noooo. I’d decided to wear a wedged pair of heels. My feet were killing me, & I was wobbling all the way there. I kept glancing at Michele, wondering if she was strong enough to give me a piggy back ride. I decided against it, since I couldn’t guarantee Alex that I’d get her home safe & sound as it was (due to traffic, the long drive & my driving “skills”). However, if I delivered her with a sprained or paralyzed spine, I somehow doubt he’d let her accompany me on any future excellent adventures. I carried on like a trooper (a big, whiney trooper).
We made it into the building & met Scott Palmer. He took us into the elevator, & the next thing we knew, we were on a behind the scenes tour of the ballpark. A very, very quick paced tour. Mr. Palmer, aka Jesse Owens, seemed to think we were prepared for a nice jog.
We went into the clubhouse, & Michele took pictures of all of the guy’s (I don't know what they’re called) locker thingys. We saw the batting cages, went out onto the ball park, & Michele was able to take a picture with the World Series trophy. Thankfully, Mr. Palmer took the picture, as I couldn’t take a clear picture of a snail taking a nap. I think I may have annoyed Mr. Palmer, though, because the first thing that came out of my unedited mouth was, "Gee, this is a lot smaller than a football field".
Michele was able to keep up the brisk pace. I (however) was lagging behind, concentrating on not falling off my shoes & breaking my ankle. And if that wasn’t enough to keep me occupied, I began to have heat flashes. But a good scout is never unprepared, so I fished a fan out of my purse. I was able to surreptitiously fan myself until we rounded a corner. I dropped the fan.
Michele should really consider trying out for the Phillies. That girl practically dove to pick it up before our guide could see. But, ever the spry guy, he turned around & noticed. Good times.
We FINALLY made it to Palmer’s office for, “the interview”. He left & brought back some woman, who is their veteran’s affairs representative. We sat & listened to the stories of what they do for soldiers. And honestly, it’s impressive the work they do behind the scenes. I have to give them that. They listed all the good things they do; & all without recognition. So, kudos to them – seriously.
That was when I decided to ask if they would at least send something over to Rick & his unit. And they said YES!!!
They even went one step further. Mr. Palmer would like Rick’s
So, there you have it, folks, Tamara & Michele’s excellent adventure. And, again, I can’t thank Michele enough for accompanying me on it. If not for her excellent navigational skills, I’d probably still be wandering around
Tomorrow, I’m off to interview Kurt Landes, the GM of the Iron Pigs, Phillies’ minor league team. This time, I’m wearing flat shoes & I’m tossing the Garmin out the window. It’s only
Wait, never mind.