Steal bases not cameras.

Yesterday I took my son and two of his friends to U.S. cellular field for the second Double Duty Classic. This game is a celebration of the negro leagues specifically the east-west all star games played at Comiskey Park, The classic is name after the late negro league star Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, who received his nickname by commonly pitching the first half of a double header and catching the second half.

U.S. Cellular Field opened in 1990 as New Comiskey Park and was built right next to Old Comiskey. The Sox destroyed the old building and constructed parking lots where it had stood. In what I thought was a cool touch, they maintained the old home plate and situated it outside one of the entrances to the new park. I took a picture of all 3 boys standing at home plate on our digital camera. The camera was on it's last legs. Motor problems were causing it to lose power much quicker and often not even open. Fixing the camera, I was told, would cost more than getting a new one. So, I was planning on buying a new one later in the summer.

I took the pictures and I absently put the camera in our lunch bag rather than putting it in my pocket which is where I planned to keep it. The game was free, and we had our choice of sitting anywhere we wanted. So we chose behind the players dugout on third base in the first row. I did not want to lose those seats so we draped jackets bags and gloves on them when we went to the wash room. Now I have left bags at seats countless times in the past and have never had anything stolen before. Until this time.

Instead of just describing to you what happened, I have decided to relate it in a different way. You see just recently I heard the song by Dave Carroll called United breaks guitars. I like how he took what happened to him and turned it into a song. So this morning inspiration hit and I wrote a song about what happened to me. Here is the blog premiere of Steal bases not cameras.

It was raining on the south side, when we got into the park
Put our jackets and our lunch bags in our seats
Off to the boys room our foursome did embark
When we came back we were greeted with a treat.

Some boys from the athletics were handling my glove
I said I'm glad you like it boys that's mine
You can have the front row, I said to them with love
They said "No thanks sir we'll be fine."

Well it just kept on raining and I said to my boys
Grab your stuff will come back when it's dry
I couldn't find my Sox bag and then I made a noise.
"My camera was in there!" was my cry.

Now jumping to conclusions can get you out of shape
So I glanced behind me with an open mind.
I wish they were all eating pizza or maybe just a grape.
They were munching on our peanuts at the time.

Chorus:
Steal bases not cameras my friends
Bases is where thievery should end
Hope you liked our peanuts and our chips
Glad I took your mitts off of our mitts.

Drago from security caught the kids in their lie
How do you buy peanuts at two stores?
The thief he did admit it but would not give me my prize
He said "he dropped and left it on the floor."

Their coach was less than helpful; wouldn't look me in the eye
Seemed to think the whole ting was just a joke
Me I'm not disheartened, a new camera I will buy
Had to anyway, the one they took was broke

Repeat Chorus

Now life can get real stormy, then out will come the sun
As it did, we remembered why we came
We shared the food they left us and we had a lot of fun
Chasing foul balls and watching a good game

I feel more like a fan than a victim of a crime
I'll curb my propensity for lectures
But I'd tell those young Athletics if they'd give me the time
That is not what is meant by taking pictures

Repeat Chorus

If you want to know how the song goes musically. Think Johnny Cash meets Willie Nelsen. As far as Amy is concerned, the real crime is I made her listen to a country song.

Next Time: Unbelievable! You want me to do what?

An Award for Me?

I just found out about a new carnival called: Six Word Saturday

at Show my Face. The button says it all. I decided to incorporate today's post to that format:

Listed in best Christian homeschool blogs.

Next Time: Steal Bases not Cameras

Free Things This Thursday and Friday

It's Thursday and I am pinch hitting again for Michelle at Psalm 104:24 for her wonderful carnival: Three Things This Thursday. If you read my last post you know Free works for me. For today's post I will tell you of three free things I have done or will do this week.

1. Lincoln Park Zoo/Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL

I love zoos. I have been to zoos in four countries on three continents. The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the few free zoos in the United States. Located off of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago it is just across the street from Lake Michigan. We generally visit the zoo and then spend some time at the beach. This is exactly what we did this Monday. I have been going to that zoo for over 35 years and I still can't get over how I can be looking at a lion, look up and see the Sears Tower.

We packed our own lunch so the total cost of our afternoon at the zoo/beach was money for gas and $4.00 for parking. It did take us around 10 minutes to find a meter, but well worth it.

Now as I have said very few zoos are free, many however, have free days. I have been to free days at zoos in Springfield and Milwaukee in the past year. Check your local zoo's websites to see if they have any free days.

2. Six Flags Great America - Gurnee, IL

Now Six Flags Great America is not technically free. If they were, it might explain their latest financial woes. My two oldest children did earn free tickets to the park in a reading program this past year. I love Great America and was hoping to be able to afford to take the kids there this year. Their free tickets paved the way. I bought a seasons pass which has 4 free ticket vouchers (two are already expired). I will be able to go again twice this year just for the price of parking (twenty five dollars for close to the park, fifteen dollars for far from the park.) Note: you can save much money by bringing food with you and eating in the car. However if you park far from the park, this can be time and energy consuming. Also, Great America will not readmit people after 7 p.m., SO bringing your food will work great for lunch, but make sure you check your watch if you plan to do the same for dinner. We had a late lunch, only going back to the car once.

The water park was also included in the kids' free tickets and my annual pass so we hit that as well. We had a great time on rides like Jester's Wild Ride (sound's an awful lot like a Disney World ride, hmmmm?), Bumper Cars and the Home Town Fun Machine (Video Below). I plan on going at least twice more and using my free vouchers so my next trips should only cost gas and parking. By my math that's 7 people at Great America for the cost of one season's pass ($60.00) and 3 times parking in the cheap seats (45.00) all made possible by kids who love to read!




3. Baseball Game at U.S. Cellular Field. Chicago, IL

I have mentioned in previous posts how I am able to go to take my kids to White Sox games at just the cost of transportation and parking due to their kids club program. The tickets you get are generally on the upper deck and while I firmly believe there are no bad seats at the Cell (The old Comiskey Park had seats directly behind poles), sitting that far away from the action can hinder the ball park experience a little. Especially when your son is keen on catching foul balls.

This Friday, The White Sox are hosting the second annual Double Duty Classic at the Cell. The games are an homage to the old negro leagues and feature an all star game from high school baseball players from inner cities around the U.S. The game is free to the public and free parking is available as well. Charlie and I will be there when gates open at noon and look forward to having a great day and learning more about the negro leagues. Maybe we will even catch a foul ball.

So that's it for me. Those are the free things for this week. Now it's your turn. Blog about three free things (or any three things at all) and click on Mr. Linky. Nobody participated last week, and while we all want Michelle back and running this, we also want her to think that the carnival is in capable hands (she doesn't have to know the truth). If you have any trouble with Señor Linky, let me know and He and I will get things squared away!

It is now friday and I am double dipping at Frugal Fridays. If you want to see what other tips are out there go to Life as Mom. Also, if any of your tips are free things (3 or any other amount) feel free to link it here.




Next Time: An Award for me?

Free

Free, I love that word. I like free time. I like shooting free throws. And I'll tell you there is such thing as a free lunch, cause I've eaten my share of them. I even like Frito's, but that might not be the same thing.

I especially like getting things for free. What I don't like is when people try to sell you something giving you the idea that something is free when it's not. So for today's WFMW I wanted to give you some free advice on how to know when free is free and when it's not.

When Free isn't free:

BOGO . I'm not sure when two for the price of one or 3 for the price of two became buy some get others free. I am pretty sure the intent is to appeal to "free" lovers. Now don't get me wrong, 2 for 1 is a good deal. But you are still paying for the first one. I especially don't consider the second one free if you only bought the first one to get the second one. If, however, you were planning on buying two shirts and you got a BOGO offer, it makes some sense to call the second one free.

The same can be said of offers when they give you an item at no cost if you subscribe to a service or publication. Newspapers do this at parades. They state they are giving away chairs. Yet they are only free if you subscribe and generally only free if you pay with a credit card and agree to automatic billing. So the free chair is actually a high (priced) chair. Again if you were planning on getting a newspaper subscription anyway, than the chair seems more free. The way it is marketed though is to sell newspapers to people who really want chairs.

When Free is Free:

Sometimes even when you have to pay more money. If you are given a certificate for a free dinner, but you still have to feed a meter to park, that doesn't mean the dinner wasn't free.

Even if your taxes pay for it. Our Park District and Library District provide our family with a good portion of our free entertainment. While my tax dollars do subsidize these "freebies," they subsidize them even when I don't use them, which is why I'm inclined to still refer to them as free.

So getting stuff free works for me. In my next post I am going to talk specifically about three things I have done or will do this week for free. I want you to participate as well. This week I am hosting Three Things This Thursday for Michelle at Psalm 104:24. Think of 3 things that you have done recently for free and link them to my post. For this week I am going to call it Free Things This Thursday. Join me here at about 6 a.m. central on Thursday or at a more reasonable hour if you like. For more Works for Me Wednesday scoot over to Kristen's at We Are that Family.

Next Time: Free Things This Thursday