Warning, Yvonne you will wish to skip the beginning because it is a human interest story that happened at a ballgame which you tell me each time I post the word baseball how you hate it and won't read it.
So you can stop here or skip to after the video, all understood!😁
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My favorite team has won 11 games in a row as of Tuesday night.
Rick has insisted all that winning is because I am unable to watch them play. If I watch they lose.
Well of course that isn't true, or is it?
Being married to a minor league ballplayer (1st hubby) I know all too well the superstitious things ballplayers do. If he was on a streak EVERYTHING had to remain the same in his life, the food, which foot went into his underwear or pants first. It was crazy. But all of them did this.
I used to laugh but I saw how these men all took this very seriously so I never laughed when they were around. If it messes with their heads, then do it so it doesn't. That I understood at least.
Well, now ole Rick here got in my head reminding me last game they lost I got to see. Damn it! He just kept telling me I was the reason they were winning because I wasn't watching.
Tuesday night a game was televised on a regular MLB channel on TV.
I recorded it and the show after in case it went extra innings. I refused to watch I did not want to make them lose. They were playing the Blue Jays and man they are a hot team right now. Rick was amused by all this which he freaking started. He kept flipping over to the game and I would walk away. I just didn't want to jinx it. Go back to 'This Is Us' I'd say!
At 4:05am I couldn't fall back to sleep. I laid there for 1 hr listening to Rick's rhythmic breathing. I finally got up and showered. I made some coffee and sat down to watch a baseball game. It worked.
We won. (we? what position do I play?)
There were a few plays that we did not deserve that the umps got wrong.
We still would have won but I just hate when that happens.
Then the nicest friggin' thing ever happened.
Aaron Judge hit another home run and a Blue Jays fan caught it and gave it to a 9-year-old boy sitting nearby who was wearing an Aaron Judge NY Jersey. The kid as you will see below bursts into tears and hugs the stranger.
This world is so awful and then you see this and well my allergies (wink wink). flared up when I watched it.
This is a nice man! A good man. This nice kind-hearted man was Canadian....would an American do this? Possibly, the likelihood of it happening is small and minuscule sadly. Now if you see someone in the opposing jersey you can lose your life. It has happened.
This 9-year-old boy got to meet his favorite player Wednesday before the game with his parents. It made the poor kid cry again. He got his ball signed and his jersey. He shook Aaron Judge's hand. The video was adorable.
The boy's father and family are all Blue Jays fans. I wonder how this kid became a Yankee fan? He also told Aaron Judge that the man who gave him the ball was his new best friend. How cute is that?
Why can't everyone do nice things for one another?
You know like leave my uterus alone?
In other news....
I had to go to Walgreens Tuesday. They offer the lowest Good Rx price on my one drug not covered by insurance (thyroid - crazy) So after the pharmacy, I walked down an aisle to leave and I see something and pick it up. I get in line. There is a very old man and woman in front of me. I notice their things on the counter, depends, Voltaren (the new bengay, lol) some aspirin, medical things, etc.
The woman picks up the tulips on the counter as an impulse buy.
There were 3 bulbs with leaves in a container for $8.99.
I thought $9 for 3 bulbs was high.
She turned to me and asked,"are all of these only 3 bulbs?" As if I worked there.
I looked at them all and said, "It appears so." She put it on the counter.
When the man said, "I can do this for $7.99 today" She went ballistic!!
She began to yell, "why are you charging me more money?"
Now, this was loud, very loud and I really thought this was going to get violent the way she was behaving.
I was confused.
Apparently so was the nice cashier.
The cashier said again, "no ma'am I am only going to charge you $7.99, not $8.99.
Now the woman is clearly agitated. She is now rocking back and forth and it's getting faster and her husband who is bagging their things looks back and appears confused. Again, the woman LOUDLY says, "this is not right, you're cheating me! 8.99 is less than 7.99!!"
Then she turns to me and says, "why is he doing this to me?" '
She hits the counter with her fist and she is rocking faster now.
Oh boy. I touch her back and rubbed it, I do not know why but it seems to calm her as I said softly and slowly close to her ear, "actually he is giving you a dollar off the regular price so it is a good thing to save $1.00 today. You are saving one dollar."
She slowly stopped rocking now but I still had my hand on her back. I could see her changing. Now her husband has come back and is staring at us.
It was quiet for what seemed like a long time but I'm certain it wasn't.
Then the woman turns to me and says meekly, "I think I just got confused, he is saving me one dollar right?"
I said, "Yes he is a nice man (she called him a mean man several times) and he wants to help you"
The cashier and I locked eyes and again he mouthed 'thank you'
The woman's husband asked what was going on and she quickly but sounding annoyed at his question she said, "I just got confused for a minute, everything is fine"
Her poor husband. Poor her! Is this just a brain fart or something more?
It felt like it was something more.
She gathered her things and thanked me but never made eye contact for helping her and they left.
The cashier said to me, "When I saw you touch her I thought she was going to go nuts and or hit you" I said, "you know I have never touched a stranger before but she was escalating and I just felt she needed calming with all that rocking. I didn't know if it would work at all, it was happening so fast that I wasn't even thinking I was just on autopilot."
While this woman was screaming another person came to the counter and it appeared to me they were just observing but I didn't pay a lot of attention because I was trying to get this woman to calm down. (Besides, he was on my right, and unless looking directly at him I couldn't see him)
Well apparently he was a mgr, he was now back to the counter to thank me and gave me a gift card to Walgreens. So not necessary but how damn nice was that? Apparently, he heard her yelling all the way in the back of the store where he was.
Then the manager asked what made me think to touch her she seemed like she could be violent. I said I have no idea whatsoever.
Honest to God it was like instinct. I didn't think.
I have never done that in my life or thought about it.
It was instinct or a higher power that just made me do it.
It never occurred to me to do anything, it just happened and I am as shocked as you!
Thank goodness it worked.
One thing that couple did not have to pay for was toothpaste. They didn't have but a tooth or two so maybe that $1 can go into savings for her to get some teeth. :-) Then again they may have teeth they don't wish to wear that day.
Then my next stop was the post office in my little burb. I've been there 3 times. Each time it's worse than the time before. They are rude and mean.
I went into the post office with 3 boxes.
One had a free shipping label.
I had 2 others that I needed to fill out labels for and I asked what labels I needed on these. I saw a priority mail, an express, etc which label should I be using for the least expensive but to still be able to track?
Post office: and I quote, "how would I know how you wish to send it?"
Me: Pardon me?
Post-Ofc: she said if you want it to go express fill out that form. etc.
Me: Could you tell me the cost difference then?
Post Office: Yes if you know how you want to send it.
Me: I laugh and say I don't know because I don't know the difference in cost. (I thought she was not understanding me but oh she did)
Post Office: Behind you on the wall are labels, you can buy them for $.99.
Me: Labels aren't free? Does that label send them ground, air, express, priority?
Post office: Some labels are free, but Ma'am how do you think I would know how you wish to send them?
Me: I'm sorry, let me try this again. I need to know the least expensive way these 2 boxes can be sent. 1 is local and 1 is going to Vermont, here are the addresses.
What method would be the least expensive?
Post office: (loudly as if I'm deaf) HOW.DO.I. KNOW.HOW.YOU WANT.TO.SEND THESE?
This was said in such a rude tone. She looked at the man next to her, they laughed and rolled their eyes.
I grabbed my boxes off the counter, and she asked, Where are you going?
I said, "UPS" I heard what name they called me as I walked away.
I will not stoop to the hillbilly's level and I said nothing else and went to my car fuming.
In reality, I did not go to UPS. I sat in my car and googled 'post office near me'. There was another 6 miles away in another town.
I drove out of my way to go there. It was only 6 miles so what the hell.
Gas is $3.89 and I'm driving extra miles!
I got up to the counter when it was my turn.
Me: Could you please tell me if one of these is going to VT and one local how much it would cost or which label I fill out to get the least expensive and still have tracking?
Post office: Well for the local I can do $5 and don't bother with any labels, here is a pen, just write the address on the box.
The other one to VT would be $12 and that is the cheapest way to go and you will get tracking. It'll be there by Monday if that works for you. Then just write on the box with the felt tip pen. If you go to the counter, just wave when you're done so you won't have to go to the end of the line again. Then he took the box with the free shipping label from me.
**He did tell me the cost of the priority etc and they were all too much for what I was sending**
Me; Thank you so much! I grab the pen and head to the counter he sent me to fill out the boxes.
When I brought my things back to the counter I paid and was given my tracking info. He thanked me and I said, 'oh no, thank you I was somewhere else and they were so unhelpful.
Post office: Oh you were at the Garner post office weren't you? and he laughed.
Me: Gee, I see everyone knows how awful they are.
Post office: Oh we hear this daily at least once.
Me: I'm glad you are only 6 miles further - I will drive here from now on.
Then he gave me a link to fill out a survey. Oh, boy did I.
15 comments:
OMG. Don could have written two thirds of this post. HE is entirely responsible for his team's losses simply by watching them and he just recently had a post office exchange, slightly different from yours but equally as aggravating. He took it the postmaster and prevailed though.
Also -- there's the difference between a Canadian fan and a Boston fan. If a Red Sox fan catches an opposing team's homerun ball, they simply throw it back on the field in disgust.
That boy will cherish that memory.
It's not just athletes who take superstitions seriously. Of course, my take is that it's not superstition if you have data. Therefore I keep a Game Jersey Mojo spreadsheet, wherein I track what team jersey I'm wearing and measure it against where my team is playing and what jersey they're wearing, plus where I watch the game. If you have data, it's science! ;) But that's just for football.
For hockey, I do a stripped-down version where I print the schedule and just note my jersey and the final score. Then I tally up the results so that I can make an educated decision regarding what jersey to wear for the playoffs.
My methods aren't foolproof by any means, but they have resulted in 2 Supter Bowl wins and 3 Stanley Cups since 2005.
Olga, that's funny!! Im sorry we had the same kind of day. Don I take it likes my hated Red Sox. 😁Last nite I saw an enormous fist fight, a pummeling at the game between 2 guys who were opposing team fans in Chicago. I'd rather be in Canada! I think Don and I could watch a game together and not beat each other up🤣🤣
That video brought tears to my eyes! That was truly a moment neither the young man who gave the ball away or the boy he gave it to will ever forget.
Just keep recording the games and watching when it is all over. You can't possibly hurt them then. I always feel if I don't watch, they will lose. Your Yanks are doing marvelously. Be proud.
I saw that exchange between the guy who caught the ball and the young Judge fan. So very sweet and understand it more knowing he was Canadian. As a rule, they are just nicer people.
As for that P O, since the other offices know what an awful office it is, can't understand why they are still operating with the same personnel. Glad you gave the good one a positive survey and see if you can't find the site for the ugly office and give them a piece of your mind.
Jean, me too. Who says there's no crying in baseball?😀
Patti, yep recording from now on. Although they lost last nite and I didn't see it. In my nice review I did mention the bad place.they had to know was my feeling.
Bluzdude, I had to read this comment to Rick. Okay so data is science. I understand but it does make me giggle!
Your boys are off to a good start. Mrs. Shife laughs at me and all my sports superstitions. Glad to see that I am not the only one who thinks their team will lose if they watch them play. The exchange between Aaron Judge was so cool. I wish all of the players realized how a short moment between them and a fan can have such an impact that lasts a lifetime. Take care.
Wow I just don't get why people are so freaking rude! If you have a small scale to weigh your packages (and a printer) you can buy your labels online, usually at a small discount too.
Scott is like that with the baseball games. He'll turn it off so he doesn't make them lose etc lol. You guys would have a great time hanging out.
It wasn't funny but it took me more than five minutes to read about the couple in Walgreen's. I laughed until my eyes stung and tears flowed. I can laugh because I am old and since I have gotten older my son said I was confrontational and all I want to do is pick a fight. In all seriousness I understand and sympathize with the lady. I love, love your blog and look forward to reading it. I am glad your eye is better.
That young boy will continue to believe just because a good Canadian gave him that boy. You ask, would an American give the child that ball? Probably not but you can believe in angels.
Cruisin Paul
Thank you for your kind instincts towards that woman. Olivia
Mr Shife, I am seeing that there are a lot of folks like me and I feel less silly. Thank you! But their streak ended. It was fun while it lasted.
Julie, I am going to get stamps.com and yes, use my small scale and make my own stamps and labels to ship.
Mike, Oh that would be so much fun but I could never! But I sure wish I could.
Sybil, well it's good to laugh. I sure can now but while it was happening I was flipping out.
Paul, I saw where the man received a lot of gifts from both the yankees and the blue jays. So his karma has been filled already.
Olivia, I keep talking about this to my husband as he said, "Oh you always recoil when you see a problem with a stranger where I lean in, what made you lean in?" I have no clue. Was it instinct when normally I would recoil? It NEVER crossed my mind I just was suddenly doing it. Weird but happy it all worked out.
Oh, Peg! I enjoy human interest stories, even if it revolves around baseball, haha. But thanks for the disclaimer!
Wow, what a crazy time you had at Walgreens. I feel so bad for that woman and her husband. I can't imagine, except it sounds like she has dementia. My Mom would go off every now and then, but luckily it didn't happen often. It's a good thing you were there, even if you acted without thinking, that it calmed that poor lady.
Oh, the post office. Sounds like a true toxic place, and I would be more than happy to drive out of my way to avoid it. What an awful experience! How do they keep their jobs with all of the crappy reviews? Surely someone contacted someone (haha) to report that abusive behavior?
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