Astros game

We last minute got tickets on opening day of the 2009 Astros season last month. They were playing the Cubs, and one of our best buddies was now in the big leagues. Koyie Hill and his wife Meghan were our first and only married couple friends that first baseball season of our married life in 2001. We were together non-stop in Wilmington North Carolina until we got moved to Great Falls, Montana, easily the lowest moment in baseball for me. Koyie got traded to the Cubs from the Dodgers a few years ago, and he was always a top prospect from the start. Two years ago he had a horrible accident where he almost lost four fingers. It's amazing the comeback he has had, not to mention the fact that they put his hand back together in a throwing position. Pretty nice for a catcher. So back to the story - Koyie left us tickets and we took Justin to his first Major League Baseball Game. We sat with the Cubs' families, the players' wives were cracking me up with all their bling bling. Justin eventually got bored, so we ended up in the Minute Maid Squeeze Play.

After playing on the big jungle gym, we stayed for about an hour at this place.

You wait for the light to go down from yellow to green, and then you run down the baseline to the catcher.

Justin would stand by the big kids and laugh along with them. Then he would tell them when the green light was ready for them to run.

I love this photo - thought it it blurry of Justin. Derek is laughing at the whole thing in the background.

We then would swing the bat (left-handed) at the water coming out the ground in the batter's box.

Derek stayed for the rest of the game after sending us off on one of the little bike jockeys to our car. We had a blast riding in it. Reminded me of the Livesays at the Coldplay concert.

Had a great time at the game, though I think a minor league game will be in our more recent future. The game is more intimate than a big major league game, though any free game is better than none!