Sports and other dangerous hobbies

As a single mom, I sometimes feel guilty that my hobbies and interests have become Mark's hobbies and interests. He loves shoes, tabloid magazines and good gossip waaaaay more than your average 10-year-old boy should.

I try to balance out the things I like to do with the things he likes to do, and he likes sports. So this week, we went to TWO professional sporting events.

Saturday we went to the Dodgers game. He loves baseball and the Dodgers, but he was more interested in his root beer float than in the baseball game itself. We had incredible seats (thanks, Vic!!), and the guy two rows ahead of us even caught a foul ball (I've never been that close to a foul ball before). I was still pumped on the adrenaline of almost being killed by a rogue foul ball (ok, not really) when Mark asked if there were any more cookies left.

Our second event was a pro hockey game. We ate junk food for dinner and smuggled in trail mix with M&Ms in it. Security tried to take it away, but I uttered the D-word and the guard immediately said, "No problem," and ushered us past.

The kid next to us wasn't so lucky; Mark was mortified as security took the kid's whole, unopened giant bag of M&Ms away.

"He should've said he had diabetes, too," Mark said.

"And the M&Ms were for his lows?" I chuckled. "Somehow, I don't think it would've worked."

We ran into friends at the arena (what up, Devin!), and were having a blast before the game had even started. We found our seats and prepared for a fun night of hockey.

Let me just acknowledge at this point that I know nothing about hockey. I know there are three quarters, and I also know they aren't actually called "quarters" but that's where my knowledge ends. I almost screamed "Hit the ball!" a couple times, but remembered it was really a puck. But whatever, we didn't need to know what was going on to have fun.

Mark's favorite part was when a Duck player crashed into the other goalie, and sent him sliding into his own net. "Goal!" Mark shouted.

He also liked when an inflatable sheep floated around the arena during intermission. The sheep released coupons to the crowd below. However, because of where the coupons came out, it looked like the sheep was...well, urinating coupons on to the crowd. This was my opportunity to take the high road and be a good model for Mark, and I failed miserably. We were both in hysterics, and vowed to run if the sheep came near us.

Mark ate his trail mix, and the M&Ms inside gave him a burst of energy. He wrestled with me, and I reminded him that some people actually came to watch the game, not a hyperactive little kid. He settled for a less distracting round of thumb-wrestling.

We stayed through the first two not-quarters, and then it was time to take the little sports fan home to bed. The Ducks hadn't done too badly while we were in the arena, but by the time we reached our car, the Coyotes scored another goal off them. By the time we got on the freeway, the giant electronic sign said the Coyotes scored again! So we saw two goals in the arena, and two outside it.

All in all, it was a fun night. I'm no sports fan, but I love an event, and hey, the tickets were free. So you can't beat that, not even with a giant urinating sheep!