oh say, can you see?

after paying my respects and watching the horrible sept 11 footage (to remind us they say, i, for one, haven't forgotten), and spending the day in quiet contemplation, i went to a tx rangers game. (sigh)

(how was the sentence length dave?)

not that i'm a fan or anything. when i lived in LA (it looks weird lowercased) i went to dodger's games. not for the game or anything, to do what all californians do much of their lives, i went to work on my tan. bathing suit clad LA natives work on their tans everywhere, so why not at a baseball game?

but i digress.

the game was boring, but what else is new. early into it some guy hit a home run and FIREWORKS shot off as he rounded third and headed on home. he was a tx ranger (incase you were wondering, like i was if they did that for everyone, no only the rangers). ugh.

i leaned over to my dear, now long unemployed telecom engineer husband and said, that is the kind of job you need...where they set off fireworks just for you doing your job. he shot one of those, that is ridiculous smiles at me and i piped down.

but i was serious (as i can be), and contemplated it for most of the game. these guys are paid so much money, i would say millions, but are they all paid that much, i don't know. these guys are paid massive amounts of money TO PLAY a GAME.

i think the thing i miss most from the aftermath of sept 11 is the real men. some mag back then, read, the return of the real men. and said how things had changed. well, we've forgotten. we're back to ignoring the real men, and drooling over athletes and the famous whatever they did to get that way.

after the game (which ended none too soon in my opinion), there was a spectacular, i'm talking put gandalf's dragon fireworks to shame, fireworks show. it was the best i've ever seen. i was sitting there and couldn't help but think about those who weren't there enjoying freedom, excess, and some p&q (or at least r&r)--not because i'm so noble, but because it also happened to be honor the firemen and policemen night and some iraq war veterans were there (purple heart medaled all).

i caught a glimpse of one of the guys they jumbotronned, and his face and ear on the left side were mostly scars from severe burns.

it just struck me, how i was sitting there, enjoying my freedom, taking it for granted really and our servicemen and women are over there in iraq fighting in a war. sometimes i wish my inner philosopher would take a few prozac, (and don't get me started on the prozac thing, that is another topic for another time).

then i hear the relief pitcher of the rangers hucks a chair at a fan. my dh tells me they were horribly heckling him, but i don't care. there was some debate as to whether or not he should be prosecuted, and i ask, why shouldn't he? if he were me, and i threw that chair and broke someone's nose, you had better believe i'd be in jail and facing charges. but we drag our feet and coddle the famous and it just makes me sick.

i am glad they arrested him. i am sorry he was horribly heckled, but we have to set some standards for behaviour. his crossed the line. his rights ended where her nose began.

i'll stop ranting now. just something that's been simmering in ye olde crock potte.