I can’t stand the Dodgers. Their
fans, their ‘Dodger blue’ (it’s just blue), their team, their manager, the
entire concept of their baseball team is a thorn in my side. The only nice
thing I can say about them is how happy they make me when I see them lose;
especially when they lose to the Diamondbacks. Sure, watching them lose from
the couch or even at Chase Field is one of the best things in life, but I’d
like to think there’s more joy to be found in their downfall. So, in my quest
to see the Dodgers lose, I must go into the heart of their operation. On May 9th,
in just 9 days, I’ll be at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with my Archie Bradley
jersey on watching my Diamondbacks crush the Dodgers.
An
overnight trip to LA doesn’t require too much luggage. Here’s what I’d bring:
-
Two shirts (in case one falls
victim to a ballpark hotdog induced mustard stain)
-
A pair of pants
-
A pair of shorts
-
My Archie Bradley jersey
-
My black Nike sneakers
-
My Diamondback cap
-
Two pairs of socks
-
Two pairs of underwear
-
$150 cash
-
My phone and charger
-
Some cold brew coffee for the
drive
-
Trader Joe’s Giant Peruvian Corn
(glorified cornnuts)
-
Car keys (the crux of all of
this)
-
My hydro flask
-
My backpack to put it all in
Driving to
LA is undoubtedly a chore. Seven hours of boring highways, rancid smelling cow
feed lots, lifeless windmills and dusty drive through towns isn’t how anyone
wants to spend their Wednesday morning. With graduation being just the night
before, I’ll have to leave early in the morning on Wednesday to get to LA in
time for the 7:10PM game. I’ll need a full tank of gas, a good amount of cash
to deal with the criminal cost of pumping gas in California, an oil change to
turn that light in my car off, and a good amount of snacks to get to LA. Once
there I’ll make a stop in Azusa, California to pick up my friend who I’ve known
since preschool, Connor. With the way LA traffic is we’ll probably need to
leave his house in Azusa at 5:30 to drive the 25 miles to Dodger Stadium and
get there 30 minutes before the game. From his place we’ll Uber down to Dodger
Stadium and hang out at a bar or two before making our way to the gates and up
to the nosebleeds. Hey, baseball is fun to watch, but it’s sure not cheap. Once
we’ve got our peanuts and beer we’ll hunker down and get busy relaxing while
the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers.
Once the
Diamondbacks win we’ll make our way back to Azusa and meet up with some of
Connor’s friends to find a nice brewery and revel in our recent college
graduations. After we’ve finished our merrymaking we’ll Uber back to Connor’s
house and I’ll take up my bed for the night on Connor’s faux leather couch in
the den. I’ll wake up the next morning slightly worse for wear after a night of
friends and beers. Connor and I will probably go down to Glendora, a slightly,
as he puts it ‘bougee’ neighborhood just east of Azusa for breakfast outside at
a café. We’ll probably waste most of the day playing videogames and catching up
after our busy semesters. One thing I’ve always appreciated about a friend like
Connor is that nothing ever really seems to change even if we haven’t seen each
other for a while. Our friendship has had a reoccurring theme of distance ever
since we met on the playground at Shadow Rock preschool. In the 3rd
grade Connor moved to Japan and would come back every summer until he moved to
California for school four years ago. I still see Connor from time to time but
even if it’s been a month, a day or a year we’re still the same two friends.
A mostly bald me and Connor.
After our ‘boujee’
brunch I’ll say my goodbyes and hop back into my two door jeep and make my way
back down the I-10 though Palm Springs, Blythe and then Litchfield Park to
Tempe. Reinvigorated and rejuvenated from seeing my longtime friend and the
Dodgers lose, I’ll set up shop for the summer in Tempe, toiling away at my past
due thesis in a research lab in PSD 116.
Comments
Post a Comment