Savannah Bananas in Chicago

This past weekend I headed to Chicago to see the Savannah Bananas and my first Firefighters game of the season. I left Thursday evening and got to my fancy pants hotel. While the room was labeled accessible, the door weighed a ton and I had to ask someone in the hallway for help getting inside. Fortunately that issue only was because I had luggage with me and I managed to get in and out a lot easier the rest of the weekend.

Friday I headed to the stadium a little after 1 and waited for the 2pm doors to open.  When I got in the Bananas were out signing, but KJ’s line was already what appeared to be 30+ minutes long and I didn’t spot anyone else out that I might have wanted to say hello to. I ended up sitting by the stage and then security came and told me they had a seating area in the shade that I could hang out in if I wanted.  The spot ended up being behind the stage and I made a friend to talk baseball with until it was time to go inside.

This game had a TON of fan catches. It tied the record of 6 in one game and 5 of them were in the first 2 innings.  It was wild to see. (Especially since the minor league stadiums didn’t have all that many because a lot of the foul balls went over the top of the stadiums.)  At half time, the special guest was Chance the Rapper who put on a performance for us all. (Do I get to count it as a concert now too?) Dalton Cornett’s Dad was in the White Sox organization and Dalton took an at-bat in his Dad’s jersey.  The special guests were AJ Pierzynski and Mark Buehrle.  AJ even stayed in the game to catch when Mark was pitching.  Peanut got hit by a pitch and was injured.  The bananas ended up winning.

Saturday was a totally different experience – we had VIB – we were escorted into the lobby via elevator and the AC was cranking.  We teased maybe we’d just hang out in there instead, as it was so hot and humid and gross.  (And they had the Mets on TV!)  We made our way out to the field and things were a little bit more chaotic than I had gotten used to with my Party Animals games in minor league stadiums.  We made our way around about halfway, then I realized RAC and some others had really long lines, so we snaked around them and I went to Noah Bridges as he is one of my friend’s favorite players and she had said she wanted a photo of us together.  I ended up mentioning that she could go to Yankee Stadium with me, but is a Red Sox fan and Noah said “let’s make her a video!” and took my phone and recorded a video telling her that he wanted to meet her.  So freaking awesome!  We ended up waiting for Stilts, RAC’s line was no one on our way out so I told him I appreciated how he handled his fall and that kind of reaction was something I needed as a kid having CP and hating falling in front of people and hopefully there are some kids like me out there who will benefit from it. He thanked me for telling him that and gave me a big hug.  I was glad that I saw KJ at the pre-game plaza because I’d have spent the whole time just waiting for him if not!  But that’s definitely something to think about for my future games.

Then when the pre-game stuff started, we knew a storm might be rolling through. Everything was still in pre-game mode and not rain delay mode as far as I could tell, but about 3 minutes in to the game (2 batters worth) the rain started coming down really hard and the tarp was put on the field and the rain delay show began.  It kept everyone entertained but then there was a lightning delay.  Fans were encouraged to go up to the concourse and that players and cast would join then there.  Our seats were covered, so we opted to not move unless staff told us that we HAD to because it seemed safer to stay in the seats than be in a crowd of people. (No one ever told us to leave)  Once the game got going again, the special guests were Ozzie Guillen to coach and Paul Konerko to hit.  With me starting to get into the MLB in 2005, I think this was the first time I knew of all the guests (and even guessed myself a couple that would show up!)  The bananas won once again, 5-2. RAC even had a home run!

I had scheduled an uber for 5:37am for an 8am-ish flight out of O’Hare.  It was making me nervous when it said my driver was running late, but he got to me just about on time and got me to the airport.  I made my way through security, got to the gate and worked on trying to finish my book as I waited to board.  There were a lot of people who had been trying to get on the flight and there was a line of 5-6 people by the time the gate agent showed up.  She let one of the flight attendants down the jetway (I had though the plane came in the night before) and then about 20 minutes before we were supposed to board, the monitor at the gate just changed to “CANCELED”.  What!?  The gate agent said it was due to weather on the way to Hartford.  I called about getting on a new flight and was told there was nothing until TUESDAY (it was Sunday morning) and that they could not get me a hotel or booked on another airline because it was weather related.  I checked my Southwest app too see if they had anything from O’Hare, and nothing was direct, but there was a 10am flight from Midway.  I bought it and hoped I could make it – and embarked on my very own version of “The Amazing Race”.  I couldn’t track down a wheelchair to leave, so I walked myself out (falling once and getting helped up by a couple of nice guys in the security line) got an Uber and made it to midway by 8:15, we’d be boarding at 9:30.  They told me wheelchairs were delayed about 30 mins but I had “plenty of time.”  At 9:10 I started to panic, and they finally bumped me to the top of the line.  Of course, there was a commotion at TSA with the wheelchair in front of us, and then I had to get a pat down because my crotch set off the machine. I could see a clock in the distance saying 9:24 and by the time we got out of the security area it was 9:30.  My pusher hustled us to the gate agent to get a tag for the walker and I ended up boarding between A and B groups instead of pre-boarding.  I was in the 9th row in a window seat but still not convinced we’d be leaving because of this “weather”.  (If it was cleared up by 10, why weren’t we just delayed? The flight paths couldn’t be all that different from ORD and MDW – could they?)   I also realized my seat was broken and knew I’d be the one to be bumped off the completely full flight so I didn’t say a word. (The button to recline was stuck in the pushed in position so any time I leaned back even a little, it went back the whole way)  The flight attendant did end up figuring out it was broken as we were about to land in Hartford – but at that point I had made it!  I ended getting home at 3:30pm, ordering some dinner and then going to sleep for the rest of the night.

My next trip is to Pittsburgh and I have layovers to get there, but I am hoping Southwest will come through for me once again.  Now to just hope my travel insurance will ALSO come through for me with having to had purchase that last minute flight home!  And I canceled my upcoming flight with American when I got home as well.  I do have one I *have* to use them for, but I’m hoping for a better outcome.