Our adventure started when I got an email informing me that you could get $3.99 tickets to the San Francisco Giants game. $3.99? That would be a cheap night out for our family and also a lot of fun! The kids didn't have school today so we took it easy in the morning. By noon, we were all packed and ready to have a fun-filled day in the City. The weather, unfortunately- hadn't been the greatest lately. We were crossing our fingers and hoping that we would get favorable weather. We drove through a lot of rain on the forty-five minute drive to San Francisco. Damien and I didn't talk about it because, really- what was the point? We were now committed to this journey and we needed to hope for the best!
We parked near Pier 39 which is a popular stretch of shops and attractions on the San Francisco waterfront. We had a lot of time to kill because the baseball game didn't start until 7:30 p.m. As we left the parking garage, we were immediately hit with this cold, misty, annoying rain. There was no way of escaping it! The wind was blowing it sideways, it was also hitting us from the top. Basically- it was miserable. We popped in and out of the little stores looking for some
respite from the dampness and just hoped that it would get better. No such luck. The last step before throwing in the towel was to eat lunch at
Boudin and try and figure out a plan. Surely the game would be cancelled if this rain kept up! Damien and I were not too happy. The kids didn't seem to mind the
dysfunction of it all. They inhaled their bread bowls full of fresh clam chowder and were having the best time!
Basically, Damien and I knew we had to make a decision. Either suck it up and hope for the weather to turn or go home. After taking a few minutes to gaze at the famous sea lions on the wharf while listening to our kids laughing and having a good time- we decided to tough it out and hope for the best. We walked for about ten minutes and noticed the rain was lightening. And then it stopped and there wasn't even a cloud in the blue San Francisco sky! Who would've thought things would clear up so quickly! We ended up walking down the waterfront- showing the kids some fun spots and places where Damien and I had fun memories. We told the kids about the 'Bush Man' who sits on the sidewalk behind a garbage can and pretends to be a bush- only to shake the bush at you as you walk by. The funniest part is standing across the street and laughing at people getting scared. Michael really wanted to be scared by the Bush Man. "But, you already know he is there! How can you get scared?" He shrieked, "Please?????" Claire, Michael, and I walked across the street and I told them we had to be really good actors so that he wouldn't be on to us. It was hysterical! Michael and Claire were great and they both got
legitimately scared because well, it's scary!
After walking the waterfront, we sauntered on over to
Ghirardelli for some sweet treats before the game. It was awesome! The kids got a giant hot fudge sundae and Damien and I split a banana split. The kids were just so happy to be eating this
yumminess! Since we were quite far from our car now- Damien suggested he and Matthew walk back to the car and come pick up me, Michael, Claire, and Emily at
Ghirardelli. Sounded like a great plan. They left to get the car and the kids and I walked out in front to take in the sights. Everything was normal until we heard people screaming. I thought I heard someone say that a homeless man was peeing on a wall so I disregarded the non-stop screaming and turned my kids in the opposite direction. Then I asked someone what all the commotion was about. This nice guys
says, "Oh. Nicolas Cage is over there." What? Seriously? My family is obsessed with him! Then his movies started coming to mind:
Moonstruck (my mom and sister's favorite
), Honeymoon in Vegas (an absolute
fav of mine), Family Man . . . and the list went on and on. I grabbed Claire and Michael's hand and pressed forward through the huge crowd. And then we were right there. Right in front of him. I was trying to tell Michael and Claire who he was but I decided to just tell them he was a HUGE movie star. Claire was starstruck immediately. Michael was more interested in the free chocolate we got from
Ghirardelli. Nicolas Cage agreed to take a picture with us so I pushed Claire his way and tried to get Michael to go but he was trying to unwrap his chocolate. And then I took the picture that had Damien in disbelief when he saw it as he picked us up moments later, the picture that sent my Mom and sisters into hysterical screams, the picture that had Damien's family cracking up, and the picture that Claire is more than happy to show you as she feels she has some kind of movie star status, now. You can't buy moments like this!!!
We ventured over to AT&T park to get ready to watch some San Francisco Giants baseball. The kids were totally excited and kept talking about how they were going to catch foul balls. Um, yeah. Good luck with that one! We got there before the game started ad settled into the left field bleacher seats and had a great time. Damien spoiled them with way too many treats but you gotta
splurge sometimes! Emily took an hour long nap which was great because I could actually relax and enjoy my kids and the game. The most hilarious and memorable part of the game was during the seventh inning stretch. We were singing
Take Me Out to the Ballgame and right before the line,
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks- Damien handed Claire a box of Cracker Jacks. Then we looked up and Claire was on the
Jumbotron for a good ten seconds! She was going crazy! First Nicolas Cage- then this??? It was her day. Michael felt burned that he didn't get
in the picture with the movie star or on the
Jumbotron so he started jumping around with the cracker jacks hoping to get on the screen, too. No cigar. We didn't think we would stay for the whole game but the entire nine innings
lasted just under two hours! The kids got some great free SF Giants backpacks and we all grabbed some Cracker Jacks for the ride home.
We had a crazy day. There is no question about that. However, Damien and I are always up for the crazy option. Sometimes when we push the limits- we create some pretty amazing memories. We just take life one day at a time and seize the opportunity to have fun- no matter how crazy it sounds. I am so happy we didn't go home. I am glad that we stuck around to experience this day and I know the kids are happy, too.
Our adventure started when I got an email informing me that you could get $3.99 tickets to the San Francisco Giants game. $3.99? That would be a cheap night out for our family and also a lot of fun! The kids didn't have school today so we took it easy in the morning. By noon, we were all packed and ready to have a fun-filled day in the City. The weather, unfortunately- hadn't been the greatest lately. We were crossing our fingers and hoping that we would get favorable weather. We drove through a lot of rain on the forty-five minute drive to San Francisco. Damien and I didn't talk about it because, really- what was the point? We were now committed to this journey and we needed to hope for the best!
We parked near Pier 39 which is a popular stretch of shops and attractions on the San Francisco waterfront. We had a lot of time to kill because the baseball game didn't start until 7:30 p.m. As we left the parking garage, we were immediately hit with this cold, misty, annoying rain. There was no way of escaping it! The wind was blowing it sideways, it was also hitting us from the top. Basically- it was miserable. We popped in and out of the little stores looking for some respite from the dampness and just hoped that it would get better. No such luck. The last step before throwing in the towel was to eat lunch at Boudin and try and figure out a plan. Surely the game would be cancelled if this rain kept up! Damien and I were not too happy. The kids didn't seem to mind the dysfunction of it all. They inhaled their bread bowls full of fresh clam chowder and were having the best time!
Basically, Damien and I knew we had to make a decision. Either suck it up and hope for the weather to turn or go home. After taking a few minutes to gaze at the famous sea lions on the wharf while listening to our kids laughing and having a good time- we decided to tough it out and hope for the best. We walked for about ten minutes and noticed the rain was lightening. And then it stopped and there wasn't even a cloud in the blue San Francisco sky! Who would've thought things would clear up so quickly! We ended up walking down the waterfront- showing the kids some fun spots and places where Damien and I had fun memories. We told the kids about the 'Bush Man' who sits on the sidewalk behind a garbage can and pretends to be a bush- only to shake the bush at you as you walk by. The funniest part is standing across the street and laughing at people getting scared. Michael really wanted to be scared by the Bush Man. "But, you already know he is there! How can you get scared?" He shrieked, "Please?????" Claire, Michael, and I walked across the street and I told them we had to be really good actors so that he wouldn't be on to us. It was hysterical! Michael and Claire were great and they both got legitimately scared because well, it's scary! 
After walking the waterfront, we sauntered on over to Ghirardelli for some sweet treats before the game. It was awesome! The kids got a giant hot fudge sundae and Damien and I split a banana split. The kids were just so happy to be eating this yumminess! Since we were quite far from our car now- Damien suggested he and Matthew walk back to the car and come pick up me, Michael, Claire, and Emily at Ghirardelli. Sounded like a great plan. They left to get the car and the kids and I walked out in front to take in the sights. Everything was normal until we heard people screaming. I thought I heard someone say that a homeless man was peeing on a wall so I disregarded the non-stop screaming and turned my kids in the opposite direction. Then I asked someone what all the commotion was about. This nice guys says, "Oh. Nicolas Cage is over there." What? Seriously? My family is obsessed with him! Then his movies started coming to mind: Moonstruck (my mom and sister's favorite), Honeymoon in Vegas (an absolute fav of mine), Family Man . . . and the list went on and on. I grabbed Claire and Michael's hand and pressed forward through the huge crowd. And then we were right there. Right in front of him. I was trying to tell Michael and Claire who he was but I decided to just tell them he was a HUGE movie star. Claire was starstruck immediately. Michael was more interested in the free chocolate we got from Ghirardelli. Nicolas Cage agreed to take a picture with us so I pushed Claire his way and tried to get Michael to go but he was trying to unwrap his chocolate. And then I took the picture that had Damien in disbelief when he saw it as he picked us up moments later, the picture that sent my Mom and sisters into hysterical screams, the picture that had Damien's family cracking up, and the picture that Claire is more than happy to show you as she feels she has some kind of movie star status, now. You can't buy moments like this!!!
We ventured over to AT&T park to get ready to watch some San Francisco Giants baseball. The kids were totally excited and kept talking about how they were going to catch foul balls. Um, yeah. Good luck with that one! We got there before the game started ad settled into the left field bleacher seats and had a great time. Damien spoiled them with way too many treats but you gotta splurge sometimes! Emily took an hour long nap which was great because I could actually relax and enjoy my kids and the game. The most hilarious and memorable part of the game was during the seventh inning stretch. We were singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame and right before the line, Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks- Damien handed Claire a box of Cracker Jacks. Then we looked up and Claire was on the Jumbotron for a good ten seconds! She was going crazy! First Nicolas Cage- then this??? It was her day. Michael felt burned that he didn't get in the picture with the movie star or on the Jumbotron so he started jumping around with the cracker jacks hoping to get on the screen, too. No cigar. We didn't think we would stay for the whole game but the entire nine innings lasted just under two hours! The kids got some great free SF Giants backpacks and we all grabbed some Cracker Jacks for the ride home.
We had a crazy day. There is no question about that. However, Damien and I are always up for the crazy option. Sometimes when we push the limits- we create some pretty amazing memories. We just take life one day at a time and seize the opportunity to have fun- no matter how crazy it sounds. I am so happy we didn't go home. I am glad that we stuck around to experience this day and I know the kids are happy, too.
2 comments:
I have not read this whole post, but as I scrolled down I saw NICHOLAS CAGE!!!! What!?!?! I LOVE him! Awesome!!! You are truly awesome for pushing right through that crowd with your kids for a memorable photo!!
You are my inspiration Lisa. What a fun memory for you and your family. I can't believe you saw Nciholas Cage, that is just awesome!
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