Our fun, separate day with family…Three days and counting…Off we go, back to South Africa…

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Tom and his son TJ were at the Minnesota Twins game yesterday.

Yesterday, Tom joined his son, Tj, and grandson, Jayden, for a Minnesota Twins baseball game at Target Field in Minneapolis. TJ was able to get tickets for the event that included “all-you-can-eat” snacks, including drinks, but not alcoholic beverages.

Tom, undoubtedly, was on Cloud 9 about the “free” snacks, most likely more so than the game itself. However, he was excited to go with the boys, including Jayden’s friend Thomas. They had a fun evening. It rained a little during the game, but not enough to make spectators uncomfortable or cancel the game.

Tom and grandson Jayden at the game. The Twins won!

When Tom returned to the hotel by 11:00 pm, he got a kick out of explaining to me what he ate, listed below, all of which is not shown in the photo below. (He didn’t eat the potato chips):

  • 3 hotdogs
  • 1 hamburger
  • 2 large chicken filets
  • 1 bag of popcorn
  • 2 ice cream sandwiches
  • 2 Pepsi

    Only a small portion of what Tom ate yesterday was at the game.

But, even worse, was the fact that he walked in the door with a plastic bag, as shown in the photos below, which made me cringe… 11 pounds of his favorite jelly candies from Fleet Farm, as a Father’s Day gift from his daughter, Tammy. He’ll regain ten of the 15 pounds he’d lost when we were in South Africa.

He’s already gained a few pounds while here before eating this batch of candy. It’s so unhealthy for him to eat this, but as Food Police, I have to keep my mouth shut. However, with all the clothes, shoes, and items we purchased here, our two bags were maxed out at the allowable 23 kg, 50-pound limit each.

Here’s the 11 pounds of candy Tammy gave to Tom for Father’s Day! Yikes!

The 11 pounds of candy could require us to purchase another suitcase at around US $125 and pay an additional US $100 in extra baggage fees. The candy will have to be carried in a plastic bag as a carry-on item, and he’ll have to haul it through four airports, along with the two carry-on items we each have to haul with us. Oh, good grief.

“Zip it up!” I tell myself.

Nonetheless, he had a great time at the game, which was the last time he would see TJ and Jayden before we leave in three days.

As for my afternoon, my three grandchildren, Maisie (18), Miles (17), and Madighan (15), picked me up in Miles’ newly purchased used car, and we drove to the local AMC theater complex nearby to see the movie “Karate Kid: Legends.” I had pre-purchased the tickets in advance, and I got a kick out of paying for three adults and one senior! Gosh, they’ve grown up!

Target Field is located in downtown Minneapolis.

I had planned to spend a fortune on snacks in the theater inside the Eden Prairie Mall, but they were worth it. However, knowing how expensive the food is in the theater, they all suggested getting a bite to eat at the food court, which was about half the price of what I’d pay inside the theater. Once they finished eating, we headed inside the theater, and I suggested that they each order a beverage.

We had a great time! I love being with those kids! Our seats were the recliner-type with raised footrests. I had a bad night’s sleep and thought I might nod off during the movie, hoping the kids wouldn’t notice. But, as it turned out, the movie was so much fun, I never closed my eyes. We all loved it! I was so distracted by our good time that I forgot to take photos. Maybe I will tonight, when we all meet (including Greg and Heather) at a Mexican restaurant for dinner, our final time together before we go.

Back at the hotel, I spent time on the phone with my dear friend Karen, who, along with her husband Rich, will be arriving at Marloth Park to stay with us for a few weeks. We are all so excited for their visit, let alone our enthusiasm to return to the bush to see our animal and human friends.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 12, 2015:

The early morning lights of Luna Park, Sydney. For more photos, please click here.

The Minnesota Twins playoff baseball game…A fantastic experience at Target Field in Minneapolis…A special day ten years ago…

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Grandson Miles, me, and my son Greg. We had a great time at the game.

I didn’t hesitate for a moment when Greg called and asked me to go with him and Miles to the second baseball playoff game (many more games to go) for the Minnesota Twins. After it was all set, I realized this could be a walking nightmare when my legs don’t work well.

There are several reasons my legs are weak and painful when walking. One, I have a terrible spine with herniated discs, for which my low inflammation diet controls back pain. Both my legs had two operations when they became infected after open heart surgery in 2019, damaging nerves. Three, after having COVID-19 in April 2022, walking became all the more difficult.

The bases were loaded.

I try to walk to strengthen my legs, but I can’t walk often enough or long enough to effect any change. It is a fact of my life I’ve had to face as it’s worsened considerably since COVID-19, during and after which I started having Afib (rapid inconsistent heart rate), pain in my left sinus causing face pain and headache, and the awful leg pain when walking more than short distances.

Of course, I am worried about this, especially with the upcoming hiking in the Galapagos. Our hiking boots arrived yesterday, and I hope wearing them will aid my walking. We shall know soon enough.

But attending the baseball game yesterday required a considerable amount of walking and climbing up and down stairs, and I did the best I could. Greg dropped us off at the closest location to the section with our seats at Target Field, and Miles and I began the trek while Greg parked the car.

Cellphone flashlights were turned on to encourage the team.

It was much harder than I’d expected. Not only did we have to climb several flights of steps with rushing crowds behind us, but we also had to walk a long distance and then climb more stairs to get to our seats. When we sat down, I was relieved but felt fine a few minutes after sitting. It isn’t that I get out of breath. I don’t.

Greg arrived at his seat next to me about 30 minutes later, having parked almost a mile away. The game began, and we enjoyed every moment. When my kids were young, we attended many baseball and hockey games in Minnesota. I managed to get World Series Tickets in 1987 and 1991 when the Twins won on both occasions, and we have fantastic memories of those games.

Firey screens lit up the field as the game progressed.

The Twins haven’t made it to the World Series since 1991, although fans have remained loyal and supportive. What a lively crowd there was last night, although it was cold and, at times, it drizzled a little. Greg brought an umbrella we never needed to use.

When the game was over, Greg took off to get the car while MIles, and I made our way to meet him at the intersection of 5th Stree and 5th Avenue. Fortunately, we could find a ramp that took us down to ground level, but the walk was long and difficult for me, and I felt my pulse rapidly increasing the longer we walked.

The Twins won 2-0.

About 25 minutes later, we spotted Greg and couldn’t get into the car fast enough. It was windy and cold, and we were both shivering, looking forward to the warmth of the car. Once situated and on our way, my pulse, over 100, wasn’t settling down. When Miles asked to go home instead of out to dinner since he wanted to meet up with his friends, Greg and I didn’t complain.

I didn’t want to tell them how I was feeling. Instead, we made our way through traffic, and by 8:00 pm, after leaving the hotel at 2:15 pm, I couldn’t get back to our hotel room quickly enough. At that point, my pulse was 140 and not going down. I didn’t panic but instead called my sister, Julie, in California, who also had long COVID-19 and Afib, and she walked me through some breathing techniques she learned when she suffered the same Afib symptoms.

The sounds of the crowd at the Minnesota Twin win were palpable.

In a matter of minutes after starting the diaphragmatic breathing technique, my pulse dropped to 65, and I was feeling so much better. She suggested I practice this breathing technique several times a day. Her Afib eventually went away entirely. I am hoping for the same. I am doing everything I can to stop these awful episodes, but I realize strenuous exercise is a trigger. Thus, I am concerned about how I will do while hiking in the Galapagos. I can only do my best to try to control it.

Nonetheless, I am not sorry I went to the game with Greg and Miles. We loved every moment during the exciting game, well-played by the”Twinkies,” their popular nickname.

Tom is up north with his daughter Tammy and son TJ until late tomorrow afternoon, when I hope to meet him at Billy’s in Anoka for the final family get-together before we depart. I will drive the rental car to Anoka since he won’t have a ride back.

Tonight, I will spend the evening with Madighan, who’ll arrive at the hotel around 4:30 or 5:00 pm. We will do some crocheting, watch a movie, and have dinner together.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 5, 2013:

Anderson, our safari guide in the Masaai Mara, Kenya, took us on an unplanned 90-minute safari rather than wait at the airstrip for another couple to arrive on a later flight. This was one of the first photos we took along the Mara River. Our tent is located on the banks of the river, where the hippos will awaken us with their hysterical morning calls. We couldn’t believe our eyes or our ears. For more photos, please click here.