Lunch with Uncle Si plus Baseball and NASCAR

Texas Rangers

Baseball beauty!

It was a busy weekend.  Friday started off early for me, getting ready for the Texas Rangers Opening day.  There was of course, the required trip to get tailgate supplies.

Ready to leave 

I tried to find a new shirt to wear because I always like to start Opening Day off fresh.

All blinged up 

I had my baseball bling all working for me and Don't tell my husband but the reason I insisted on a blue diamond was that it went with all my Texas Rangers swag.  Yes, I, a 44 year old woman used the term swag!

At the most beautiful place for baseball

Happily, after driving around in my season coupon lot forever, I found a spot and we were able to hike over to see my friend Travis and play for a little while....

Travis playing his bagpipes 

Make that watch him play.   Opening Day is like a corn hole party that doesn't stop.   Everything is shiney and bright and the season is new.

Tailgaiting with my beautiful friend 

Trish and I went in together on a mini-plan this season for a lot of reasons, we both got married last September and our lives have become a lot crazier more filled with blessings.   We both knew getting to a ton of baseball wasn't as possible as when we were single but we didn't want to miss out.   Sometimes the husbands will come with us, and sometimes, they won't.   Still, baseball friends are a good thing to have and Trish and Jan (who I saw on Saturday at the race but I forgot to get a picture with her)  are great and supportive friends both at the park and in life. 

Rangers Royalty...yes we have them. 

The ceremony for Opening Day was perfect as always.

Proud Americans 

Check out that grass.  How can anything be more beautiful than a sunny day at the ballpark?

Flyover 

And remind you of your blessings?  Freedom.

Think we were boring the guys behind us!

We had a great time with the Rangers and while I had a lot of other friends at the game, I didn't manage to see them for one reason or another (yet, but I will soon).   Mostly because I forgot to turn the brightness down on my phone and my charge was out by around the 2nd inning so I couldn't text anyone to go say 'hi'. (Also why my photos stop at the start of the game.)

My schedule collection from Opening days 

Every year on Opening Day the Rangers give away a magnetic schedule.   My fridge is full of all the Opening Day's I have been to.   I am happy to say this was my 6th year in row at Opening Day.  I even have one (see the one that says LITE in the bottom right hand corner?) from the 1st Opening Day ever at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (then just The Ballpark in Arlington).  I have been to many games both in the old Arlington Stadium and Rangers Ballpark and have a lot of great memories.

Here are a few baseball favorite Memories over the years, most from Opening Day. 

I have made several 'Baseball Buddy' friends over time and spending Opening Day seeing everyone (when your phone doesn't die in the 2nd inning) is always a blast.  Oh by the way that picture 2nd from the right top is me with Chuck Morgan the Rangers PA guy.  That was a tailgate I went to a few years ago with some Rangers fan site. I don't recall which.   I met my friends Micah and Lacy that day, both had come in from other states. (Iowa and California respectively)  I am pretty sure that is one of my favorite memories....Chuy's with the girls and Colton our cute, young waiter begging me for my cupcakes.  (I made cupcakes people, what were you thinking?)

But this is my favorite memory ever, my honey asked me to marry him last Opening Day 3/31/14
I said yes! 

But nothing will compare to last year because I got engaged.   Hubby even remembered our "anniversary of sorts" this opening day.   :)

Duck Commander 500

Hubs and I-he is always so happy!

Saturday was my first NASCAR ever.   Okay truth time, take everything you think you know about NASCAR, if it was me then it was basically Taladaga Nights.... and throw it out the window.   It isn't all rednecks and most of the fans actually have teeth. I only saw one chubby guy without a shirt and not one pair of Daisy Dukes...sorry guys.   In fact, if you had taken the Jimmy Johnson/Jeff Gordon/Junior  hats and shirts off and put baseball shirts on I would have sworn I was at the ballpark....right up until the race starts and then OMG are those cars loud.

Hubs and kid

Texas Motor Speedway where the Duck Commander 500 was happening.   It is a nice racetrack with so much parking you wouldn't believe.

Texas Motor Speedway

Junior's Car

You walk around a lot...for hours actually and they let you bring a cooler in with ANY beverages you want.   Oh and you get to sit in race cars and meet your favorite driver.

Jeff and hubs

Okay, sort of meet your favorite driver. If Jeff Gordon actually walks around like that I would be tempted to pull some music out from the King and I and make him dance!

Finally he is smiling!

My family had a great time and everyone was all smiles.  We even decided that we will keep the 11 year old wearing the Danica Patrick shirt despite her questionable taste in drivers.

Gordon Shirt and Junior hat 

I changed about halfway through the day from my Rangers stuff (which there was plenty of at the TMS) to my Jeff Gordon T-shirt I got at the TMS and the Junior hat.  I have always been a fan of Gordon because I consider him a Indiana boy.  Okay, so his family moved there when he was a teen because of racing but that's good enough for me.    I picked Junior for the wise reason that, I graduated high school in 1988.  LOL that's logic.



Duck Commander

Willie Robertson 

So being the Duck Commander 500 means that your favorite Redneck family the Robertsons from Duck Dynasty were in full effect.   That's as close as I got to Willie, Korie, and Jessica (that's Jessica's head, Korie was to Willie's left).  We did however manage to get some autographs. 

Martin, Godwin, Si, Jase, and Reed 

Martin, Godwin, Si, Jase and Reed Robertson all signed my cap which I forgot to upload a photo of but I will include it later in my Favorite Things blog this week.

Reed, Jase, Si, and Godwin 

This is Si actually signing my cap...believe it or not.

The kid and Si 

This is Si posing with my kid.  We stood in line for over an hour and ate turkey roll ups waiting to meet Si and Jase!

Jase who is my favorite, except Miss Kay

And Jase who was really quiet.  Actually they were all really quiet except for Godwin and Martin who were very funny.

Gentlemen start your engines 

And then the race started...

The track is amazing 

I have video for this but the cloud is not wanting to import anything so you know, technology bites.

The long and short of it it, NASCAR is amazing.  Yes, there is a period of time in the middle where you feel like you are watching cars go around and around because, well let's face it you are.   The cool part is watching them pit and seeing who gets out first.  There is actually more to racing than having a fast car and that is something I learned by being there live

The other thing I learned is that it is a big party.   There are parties in the parkinglot that make Opening Day look tame.  There are bands playing all day both outside the concourse and in.   They have an opening act and everything, like a music concert.  Our opening act was The Casey Donahue Band which is probably right since it was a Texas race and a Texas Band.   They have these trucks full of souveniers and then there are all the give aways.  You would  NOT believe the free stuff you get at the races.   Truck loads of stuff from anti-perspirant to, BBQ sauce to spray caulk.  I am not even kidding.  I made the kid get me some free caulk.  That stuff is always useful!  

Okay, that's 2/3 of my weekend.  Sunday was relatively boring with me running erands and working in the yard.    I planted herbs in pots and I am really excited about that but that isn't as fun as baseball and NASCAR.

I would love to know if you have ever experienced something like NASCAR that wasn't what you thought it was going to be but was so fun you can't wait to go again?

Easter Weekend Happiness!

What a weekend!  Kentucky lost!  The Lady Irish are on the way to the National Championship, and BASEBALL is back!  Greatness!!!  Aside from that.....

Old and tired 

I swear I didn't stop all weekend.   Between a marathon shopping spree at Walmart Saturday morning.  (Rant Alert: I hate shopping at Walmart.  It is such a beating.  I do not understand why they can't put the same floor plan in all stores.  Why must each be different.  It drives me crazy! I promise you it does not encourage me to shop more it just makes me a bitter, angry shopper),  catfishing on Lake Lavon all day Saturday afternoon (the fish weren't biting but that didn't stop the Easter miracle. We threw back the two we caught and they have a 2nd chance at life as we know it!) and beginning the refinishing of my old table Saturday night.

This is just a peek.  The legs are already color 2 and the top is being "distressed"

This table actually belongs to my husband pre-me and it has 6 matching chairs but I am not hand painting those bad boys.   The paint sprayer will be in full effect for that.  Once I finish the table, I will decide on what color I want to do the chairs but right now I am leaning toward a black chair with light distressing.  Anyhow, this table caused me a few problems.   First, it is veneer.  Second, I did not know it was veneer.  (It was hubs table from his 1st marriage and he doesn't have a memory of important stuff like that but I bet he can tell you all about the pig he shot 20 years ago! XO)   I should have known but they did a good job of faking it.  Even underneath they made it look like it is solid wood.  SIGH!   Anyway, I have something awesome planned...I just wanted to give you a peek.

Easter at our new neighbors 

Easter Sunday while I worked on the table some more, hubs got ready for a party at the neighbors.  My mom had some tragic home improvement problems and so there was no Easter at her house and while we could have done it at mine, the neices and nephews were scattered at odd ex-spouses houses so it was just one of those years where everyone did their own thing.  In a side note, my nephew won his baseball championship this weekend!  So proud of the big guy.  He is becoming quite a young man.  

This was the kid race

So we took fish, hush puppies, and french fries to the neighbors and they had a variety of Mexican goodness including this amazing chicken I am still thinking about and which they confided, I can get at the Mexican meat market 5 miles down the road.   I have been there before but now I know what to get.  Winning!!  I totally believe in learning about different cultures and experiencing the best of all of them and sharing them.  My family is Hungarian and German.  We have certain foods we traditionally make from those cultures.  Where would we be without spaghetti and tortillas and brats? I am so grateful to my neighbors for sharing thier amazing food traditions and for warning me not to put too much of the red sauce on my fajitas.  I was already afraid.  LOL

And this is my kid

Aside from amazing food they were incredibly welcoming and it was so much fun to see a big family celebrate together.   They had all these games and kids running around and it reminded me of my family life when I was a kid and we would go to Thanksgiving at my Aunt Peg and Uncle Walter's. Families are awesome!

Getting ready for the egg toss

Oh and my big and little kid had a great time!

Somehow the egg broke all over hubs face. LOL

I feel so blessed to have been able to spend the holiday with new neighbors and learn so much!   I am so grateful for my family and the fact we are all healthy and things are going pretty well.  I am blessed with just a bunch of positive and I focusing on the blessings.   It is so easy to get bogged down with the trials of life but my hubs looked at me the other day and said something about how things are going in the right direction lately and I said that yes, we are finally getting things in place.  When you sell a house, marry, and buy a house in a month it takes a while to feel at peace.  We are 7 months in now and we are finally getting a routine in place and feeling our way in our home.  Is everything perfect?  No!  He would have rather I spent Saturday night unpacking and tossing stuff out of boxes in the spare bedroom than refinishing that table, I am sure.   I, on the other hand, prefer having things around me look pretty so I can then focus on the hidden fugly! :)

Apparently 3 legs are not better than 2

Did I forget to mention the neighbors invited us to go with them to Monterey?   They are from there and go often and they couldn't believe I have never been to Mexico so they want take hubs and me and show off Mexico.  We are totally on board with this.  It sounds like so much fun!  

This week is full of softball with the kiddo, me picking up a fantastic new project to redo when I finish my table (it's a surprise),  Rangers home opener for me Friday and it looks like the Duck Commander 500 is happening Saturday.   This will be my 1st NASCAR and I am so excited.  First of all, I love Duck Dynasty.   Second, I love Jeff Gordon and it is his last  year.    OMG!  

Happy Opening Day to all my Texas Rangers fans.   

So, how was your Easter?  Did you receive any blessings?

Baseball Talk: Opening Day Fashion Talk

*Let me just say that if you support another team (shame on you) these styles probably come in your teams too and if you want to look on the links you can find them there.  BOO!

Spring Training is fast approaching and that means one thing, it is time to dust off your Texas Rangers gear and start thinking of what you are going to wear to Opening Day.   Now for men this is simple, a pair of jeans or shorts and a red or blue Rangers T-shirt and cap.  Women however have a very different problem.  We want to look pretty.  We want to show our team spirit and still be comfortable.  Baseball season is our chance to look good and show off our Rangers pride.  Baseball season is almost here and it is time to start planning.  Seriously, you can not get your Opening Day outfit ready soon enough.  You want to look good for those tailgates and that first pitch.  Nobody wants to be passed out in the parkinglot sitting in the stands cheering looking like a slob.

  So I did what I always do, took to the internet via MLB.com and a few other sites that have become my favorite and drooled over the new Rangers gear (and pinned them for you because I am nice like that) and told myself that I will find something in the 300 shirts I still haven't worn.   Okay maybe it is a few less but I swear there are shirts I still haven't worn.

Here are some of my favorite baseball looks:

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It will still be cold on Opening day so a sweat shirt is probably going to be required wear.  This one is just too cute.  You won't need it for long here in Texas but gosh darn it, when you want to be warm and cute, this says you are a fan and you look good doing it.

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This is my absolute favorite tank!  I love the damask on the back and I am just keeping myself from ording this, for now anyway, by reminding myself that my husband is going to shake his head.  Gosh this is adorable.  I WANT!

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I have a t-shirt that is very similar to this tank, in fact, I don't think I have ever worn it.  Hmmm.  Anyway, I love the Texas Rangers meets Chicago Cubs style.

Cute BABY!

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Because the littlest Rangers fans need to look good too.  How sweet is she?

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Definately the Opening Day shirt to have if you are a Dude and the Ladies would look smashing in this too!

Complete look!

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Now I am not a "wear heels to the ballpark" kind of fan because...real fans do not wear heels to the ballpark...in my Opinion, with the exception of my friend Trish, who has been known to once or twice, but she wears heels everywhere.   So if any of these looks I am showing you have heels, forget that! Also, it is Texas and you will not catch me in Uggs.  That is just stupid. I don't even wear my cowboy boots to the ballpark.  Those are for Country Music Concerts, thank you very much!

Say no to the shoes!

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Jeans are probably going to be needed on Opening Day because it is usually too cold for shorts.

No UGGS!

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I have my own personalized Toms but there are lots of options on Etsy like this if you don't and you can always make your own!

CUTE!
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Of course, you should also be carrying one of these:

Yum!
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Because they are just too darn cute...that is if you can manage to not eat it.  My gosh those look good!

Now, I have to admit something here.  I have Texas Rangers earrings, necklaces, handbags, shoes, t-shirts, and bracelets so pretty much by the time Opening Day rolls around I am a well accessorized walking billboard for our boys of summer.  I may go a tiny bit overboard if that is possible.  I like to overdo it just a little.  I have been known to paint my fingers and toes Red and Blue.  I feel very patriotic!  By the time Opening Day rolls around I am in full blown "We need to petition the United States Government to make this a National Holiday" mode.   I may be a fan.  

I can't wait to smell the grass, hot dogs, beer, peanuts, and hear the crack of the bat, ball meet leather, and the roar of the crowd.  There is nothing like Opening Day, except the World Series.  The World Series...now that is a feeling you do not forget!

Let me get serious just for a minute:

My husband accuses me of loving nothing more than him except baseball. He was teasing, of course and it isn't true.  I love hiim more than baseball but baseball is a romantic sport for me and I can't wait to feel the passion again.  I lost the passion last season because I was so wrapped up in my life, wedding and moving.  I didn't have time for baseball.  I am significantly cutting back on my baseball time this year and that is okay too.  When you priortize your life, you make room for things that are important but you put the things and people that are most important first.  My family is obviously the most important thing in my life but my husband knows that baseball matters to me and he is a wonderful and supportive man and he is making room in his life for the things that matter to me in the same way that I am trying to make room in mine for the stuff that matters to him.  That is what marriage is about, right?   

Okay, end of serious, so tell me, what are YOU wearing to Opening Day?

3 Day weekend: Lake and Opening Day!

Well this weekend was an amazing, whirlwind of good and bad. It started out really rough with a broken leaf spring Friday night on the way to the lake.









Now for those who have no idea what a Leaf Spring is, I still don't but it keeps the boat trailer wheel suspended and therefore, the tires don't smoke. We were rescued first by some of my honey's friends & neighbors and then by a great repairman who still knows customer service and came out to fix it at the end of a long workday for him. He made it out at 10:30pm and the trailer was back on the road about 11:30.







We were really tired by the time we rolled in to the campground about 2am. Tired and both really grumpy! We made it and finally got a little sleep sometime after 3am. The next morning we went fishing and caught a few. Very few but it was fun (bass boats ROCK!) and being a natural redhead I burned despite the fact I had SPF 50 on and reapplied frequently.







Monday was Opening Day and my honey's b-day! We had tickets (and if you follow my blog that isn't news!). We headed to the park about 9am to tailgate with a bunch of friends. It was really good to catch up with them all. Some I haven't seen since Rangers season ended. Travis is the cigar smoking bagpipe blowing doll who invited us to hang. He is amazing on those pipes, y'all!







Since it was Stinkey's birthday (ladies if you have a man, know a man, ever met a man, I am sure you know why I call him that!) Ranger's Captain came over and wished him a Happy B-day! As you can see Captain was super excited. I mean it's Opening DAY!

Anyway, that is a view from my season ticket seats this year. Hello! I am pinching myself these seats are SO awesome!







So the Rangers had a few new tasty treats on the menu and being half Hungarian myself, I could not pass up the Hungarian maple glazed bacon on a stick. OMG!! OMG!!! So GOOD!!!!Thankfully, Stinkey helped me eat it and we even let our neighbors in the seats next to us try. This was huge BTW because in the course of our getting to know each other this nice man with a bit of a East Coast accent dropped the bomb on me that he is a YANKEE fan from New York originally! I told him the honest truth, the only nice Yankee fans I have ever met are the ones actually from New York. The Texas Yankee fans are rude, annoying and just miserable people to be around and I avoid the Ballpark during Yankee games because of them. I also told him that sadly for his original team, my experience is always very pleasant when the Red Sox are in town. He laughed.



Anyway, we had an amazing time!

We got to hang out with some of his friends Friday and Sunday and some of mine Monday.



There was some bad and a lot of good that happened this weekend. So much awesome that I can't even express to you how blessed I feel. Opening Day is magic!



Simply,

Laura

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Enjoy the Ride!

Simply,
Laura