Pepsi – Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

Yankee Stadium and Tradition

What Happens as You Get Older and Things Cause You to Update?

I follow a lot of traditions. Most are the ones I created myself. I created the first ones at the original Yankee Stadium, when I was 7. I have kept them wholeheartedly. I am very strict. But what happens when things in your life change? Do you keep the tradition, or do you update it to fit your needs?

So here it is. When I exit the 4 subway station, I go down the same flight of stairs and use only one of two turnstiles to exit. I alternate turnstiles at each game. Yes, I remember from the previous one. These days I walk through the park where the original stadium was situated.

Once I am in the Stadium there is much work to do. Before the first inning ends, I must eat a hot dog with mustard, a potato product, and finish a Pepsi. As for the potato product, a knish ranks at the top. But chips or fries will do. Not every stand sells knishes. That’s a shame. The kosher ones do. They are delicious. In the fifth inning, you need to eat peanuts. I never finish the bag. I have a bunch at the top and bottom of the fifth. I bring the bag home and finish. Often, I hand it to one of the people experiencing homelessness outside the stadium.

Current Stadium and Park Where the Old One Lived

Any flavor of ice cream is required in the sixth inning. It can be in a Yankee helmet cup, cone, regular cup, or an ice cream sandwich. Not enough vendors sell ice cream. The lines at the ones that do are too long. I usually go in the middle of the fifth to make sure I have it by the sixth. As for the brand, I am hoping for Good Humor, Mrs. Fields, or Häagen-Dazs. I will not get Ben & Jerry’s. That ice cream is disgusting. You are better off skipping it, and speaking of skipping it. Sometimes you must. It is not unusual for the machines to break down or they run out. That’s not my fault.

Once the 7^th inning starts, I can eat or drink whatever I want. They no longer sell beer after the 7^th inning. Once, I had one in the 7^th. I went with my cousins, and they bought me one for that inning. Anyway, the beer in Stan’s across the street from the real House that Ruth built is cheaper, and they have a better selection. Plus, Stan’s is like Cheers.

Over the last decade, probably longer, I have had less and less soda. It is not good for you because of the sugar, and it can irritate your bladder. As someone who has had four kidney stones, I am careful. Soda is at the top of the list of no-nos. Spinach is up there. But I have never seen it at the Stadium. I do miss both.

So, what to do? I buy the Pepsi and take a sip or two, and somehow it falls and spills on me. Or spills into the sink in the bathroom. I am too clean to let it spill on the floor in the stands. Sadly, too many people do. Water is the best thing to drink for bladder health. Heck, we all know it is the healthiest thing to drink. I have added water to my beverage mix. I sometimes drink it before the 7^th inning. I do not want to dehydrate. I do wish to overhydrate. I have had that problem.

So, as long as I follow as closely as possible, with minor medical adjustments, I believe I am staying within my traditions. By the way, when the game is over, I exit via a certain stairway and try to enter the 4 subway station through a specific entrance. However, I am not beholden to that.

Pomegranate — Book 7

Marc finished his treadmill run. He threw on his coat and raced out of the gym. There was no need to for him to race. He had nowhere to be. He just moved fast. He was feeling nervous. Not sure why. Nothing was wrong.

He slowed down and walked toward Jewel Avenue. For some reason, all he kept thinking about was the letter, “T”.

He walked back toward the subway. But as he approached the steps leading down to the turnstiles he turned around. He started walking aimlessly. He was not happy.

What was about the letter, “T”? His mind rambled on. But he was coming up empty. He strolled along his block. He tripped over a Pepsi bottle. He got up quickly and carried on.

He heard some yelling near Yellowstone Park. He was still hashing out the letter “T” in his head. He really had no desire to play the superhero. He was obsessed with this letter. He decided maybe he’d find the answer in the park. So he hurried over.

All he saw were parents screaming at each at their children about how well or poorly they were playing basketball in the park. It was quite unruly. But didn’t see too alarming. Until one parent ran onto the court with a knife and tried to attack a young child who just missed a layup. From a distance Marc shot honey out of his eyes, followed by a pomegranate aimed at the parent’s head. She went down.

Marc wanted to leave. But a parent or two saw him. And sensed he was the one who took out the knife wielder. He walked quickly toward the park’s exit gate. Parents were following him. He never turned his head. One screamed out his name. He kept going.

Bleach Monster, part VII

Murray woke up to a lovely spring morning. Before he went to bed he watched, Andy pitch a great game and was happy that Cano was beginning to hit well. All was right with the world.

Stacey was out of the picture. Murray was upset. But not terribly depressed. She is cute. But she wasn’t right for him. Perhaps he’d find a new crazy before the end of the season.

Anyway, he brought his laundry off to the Laundromat. He no longer did his own laundry. He had to be careful with his use of bleach for him to continue to be the “Bleach Monster”. He hopped on the R-train and headed to Columbus Circle.

As he sat on the train he began to read, “Revan”. He was obsessed with the Old Republic. He felt he was part of it. He loved the battles and knew he had to fight much more.

He knew he had to form an alliance. Of course, he had to be in control. He was a little confused about how to get Dani, “the Wine-Girl,” Danny, “Blubber-Boy,” and Tony, “Tear-Water Boy” together under his domain. His sister, Dani would be the toughest.

He got off the train and grabbed a hot dog and Pepsi from a street vendor. He began to walk through Central Park. It was the usual park scene. Murray went to his rock. He’d been sitting on that rock and meditating for more years than he can remember. He was good at it. He turned his iPhone off and immersed himself in his thoughts.

About an hour later he jumped off his rock and bought bottled water. He hiked over to the lake. A cute couple was in a rowboat. They were smiling. He dreamed that it was he and his new nut job. The couple seemed happy.

But then he heard sharp words coming from the woman’s mouth about the status of their relationship. She really liked him. The guy liked her. But she always seemed to spend her time with other people. But she said she had known her other friends for many years and was having trouble squeezing in space for him. He was tired of being the second banana.

They rowed back to the boathouse and docked. They were holding hands. Murray didn’t hear all of their argument. So he figured they must have made up.

He tuned out for a moment or two and sipped his water. His ears awoke to a shriek. The guy from the rowboat was rolling on the floor in excruciating pain. His girlfriend slashed his hand with a razor blade. She kicked him hard in the chest when he tried to clot the bleeding.

She was now running wild through the park. The NYPD tried to stop her. But were no match for her. Little kids were screaming. Her boyfriend was being tended to by EMS.

Murray was not in the mood to deal with her. He was still figuring out how to create his republic. But there was still some good in him and he didn’t want anyone else to be injured.

He kicked his legs into high gear and approached her. The two of them exchanged words. Her eyes were blood red. Her twisted smile was beyond big. She came at Murray with the razor blade.

He didn’t move a muscle. She got within inches of him. Her hand was in attack mode. As she readied herself to slash his face his eyes shot gallons of bleach. She was drenched. She went down for the count. She started screaming. Murray poured some water over her. He didn’t want to kill her.

He figured she needed to go to the hospital and then the psych ward. An EMS technician came over to her. Thankfully, the usual rubbernecking crowd was forming. This gave Murray an easy escape. He meandered through the crowd unnoticed.

No he wasn’t interested in dating this woman even though he had a high tolerance for the mentally ill. In recent months a young kid broke him away from that. He finally recognized he needed to stay away. His breakaway was a slow and enduring process.

The sun was blazing. For some unusual reason, no one was around the lake. Murray jumped in. Did he care if the water was clean? In his neat freak, OCD, GAD mind he did care. He was going rogue. The water felt great. After a few minutes of the butterfly and side strokes, he climbed out. As he emerged a pigeon flew right at him. He has a little friend who hates pigeons. He’s not fond of them either. But he didn’t plan on hurting the bird. It came within inches of him and flew away.

Murray grabbed some napkins from a food stand and “toweled” himself dry. His shorts and Gehrig t-shirt were damp. But they were wearable.

While in the water he only thought of forming his republic. His crazed, but good and caring mind had lots of ideas. He sent a strangely worded text to Dani and requested her presence at a gathering….