John Sheda

Last weekend we packed the car up a bit and headed into Chicago for a couple of Yankee-White Sox baseball games as well as some sight-seeing. Two night was all. Not a major vacation by any means but just a quick “get-away.” It’s interesting how people pack. Especially men and women or husbands and wives to be more specific. Well, Deb and myself to be brutally honest. I packed for a two-hour trim, Deb, a two-week trip. I tossed a couple of t-shirts in the suitcase along with another pair of shorts. Had my flip-flops and that was enough for my feet. Deb had sandals, tennys, and some dress shoes in case we went to Church or some other nice place. Hurrumph! Flip-flops would handle anything, except snow, which there were no worries there.

Our 16 year old grand-daughter, (a true Yankee fan) went with us. Thus the trunk of the car was completely full for our two night trip. My stuff could have been secure in a grocery plastic bag. And then there were the “goodie” bags. Everyone knows that on short get-aways, (long ones for that matter), all diets, exercise, eating healthy are null and void. Right? Deb went to the store and after forty years of listening to my complaining why she didn’t buy this or buy that, she just bought everything remotely possible that we might munch on. We could have survived two weeks up in northern Alaska with all the goodies, snacks and candy she bought. She is learning!!!!

Ok, back to the trip. Chicago! Yankee baseball games. We try to get to at least one major league baseball game a year. But this will be the last time we venture into the windy city. The traffic is horrible to put it mildly. We left our hotel which was about 30 miles from the stadium about 4:30. Game time was 7:10, so we thought it would be nice to get there early, watch batting practice and get settled in. Two and a half hours, (yes, 2 1/2), we finally reached, (not our seats) the U. S. Cellular parking lot. Twenty bucks right there. Three blocks from the stadium. We finally got in the stadium and watched the Yankees bat in the top half of the first inning from the concourse. And by the end of the first inning, we finally were sitting in our seats.

But alls well that ends well, right? Yankees won the game 13-6. After the game, we enjoyed fireworks. They must have heard the Shedas were coming and decided to honor us with a beautiful display of fireworks, put on by Pepsi. Thank you Pepsi but how did you know we were gonna be there?

During the game, Alex Rodriguez, (A-Rod), was tremendously “boo-Ed” every time he came to bat. I guess White Sox fans have trouble with a guy that was suspended all of last year for steroid use. I do too with all the other ball players that have used “performance-enhancing” steroids, but well, A-Rod is a Yankee. So that’s ok, right? Thought you’d understand. With that thought, all Yankee fans cheered him while White-Sox fans boo’ed him.

Here’s something I don’t understand, (hah, there’s a lot of things I don’t understand), why do they get to have toll booths in Illinois and we don’t here in Iowa? Everywhere we went it seemed, it cost us to travel on their interstates. A buck-ninety here, buck-fifty there and several times three dollars to travel in their state. Why, why why???? There was also tons of construction going on and both Jasmine, (grand-daughter) and I noticed signs reading “BE ALERT IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE.” She was the first to opine once we got through the construction zones, “G’pa, you don’t have to be alert anymore. ” Smart kid.

Before closing, two more quick points; first, let me assure anyone that is worried about spending money in Chicago and worrying that you might not have enough places to spend it. Not to worry, everything cost 20 bucks, except for the more expensive stuff like, well, anything else. And secondly, we enjoyed one of Chicago’s finest deep-dish pizzas downtown in a crowded place called “Pizzeria Uno.” Delicious.

Well, That’s The Way I See It. And what did you do on your vacation? Give me a call at 319,327.4640 or email me at jsheda@indytel.com and let me know. Just like you feigned interest while reading this I shall do the same as you share with me.

Next week my thoughts on Donald Trump, politicians and all that jazz!!!!