My Love/Hate Relationship with Baseball

I have mixed feelings about Andy’s America’s favorite past time. 

I should specify. I have mixed feelings about attending baseball games. My feelings about the sport itself are pretty concrete and one-sided. I don’t like baseball. There. I said it. I think it is slow and boring. And no matter how hard I try to focus and get into it, I almost always find myself playing Spider Solitaire on my phone by the 4th inning....well actually usually sooner. The 4th inning might be my record. Before you go judging me and calling me un-American, hear me out.

I actually like going to baseball games. If there were something other than baseball to watch, I would probably love it. I am aware that this makes me sound crazy. Don’t worry. I don’t have multiple personalities. I just love everything else about baseball games except the sport. Think about it. The food is good. Most everybody there is having a good time with friends or family. You get to eat ice cream out of plastic hats, and sometimes there’s even fireworks. That’s what I would call a good use of $7....well, plus whatever those little plastic ice cream hats cost. Not to mention, if you don’t get some surge of nostalgia and patriotism from hearing some guy yelling “Peanuts! Get your Peanuts!” there might be something wrong with you. I think we should put singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame on that test you have to take to become a citizen because there is nothing more American than the seventh inning stretch.

Believe it or not my first real experience at a baseball game wasn’t until Andy started dragging me to them when we were in high school. I literally knew nothing about baseball. Get this, our local stadium is where the Washington Nationals have their spring training. So the stadium has their logo all over it. The first time I was there I asked Andy why this place loved Walgreens so much....because their logos look so similar

...but seriously....

By now I swear it feels like I have been to a thousand Brevard Manatees’ games. I even got asked to prom on the jumbotron with my feet up on the dugout at Spacecoast Stadium. I know major cuteness. Go Andy.

See the Jumbotron wayyy in the distance!?
It was way bigger in person I swear.

Aww look at little Martha getting asked to the prom!
I was in shock!

A couple weeks ago Andy was in Jacksonville, and we decided to go to a Jacksonville Suns game. This wasn’t my first time to this stadium, but last time I was there was during the day and I was with a big group. I guess I didn’t really take the time to soak it all in because when I went with Andy I could not believe the gorgeous view of Jacksonville we had from our seats.

Isn't Jax amazing!?

I hardly played any Solitaire at all because we were too busy exploring the different levels of the stadium and finding the best views. I seriously love this place and it makes baseball totally bearable! So I guess we have already done Number 12 on The List a couple times this summer, and I’m sure I we will at least a few more times too.

What I learned in International Waters

A couple weeks ago Andy and I decided to cross off Number 26 on the list: take to the sea on the Victory Casino Cruise. That’s right folks, we went gamblin’! We brought along our friend Chris, who has a lot more gambling experience than us, to show us the ropes.

I was pretty nervous before we left, since I can get pretty seasick and this was the first time I have ever gambled. After taking a not so small amount of Dramamine, we hit the road for Cape Canaveral. As we were parking, Andy had the genius idea to bring the jar of change I keep in my car. We planned on just using it for slots but it ended up being all I gambled with the whole night. Boarding the ship was surprisingly easy, and it only cost $10 to get on, which I think is a pretty great deal for a four hour cruise!

Right when we got on the boys went straight to the counter to bet on sports. Chris put a pretty hefty bet on the Miami Heat game and Andy put his money on a hockey game and of course the Rockies. Betting on sports is apparently pretty complicated. There were all these numbers and charts; basically, I was very confused by the whole interaction. After the ship crossed whatever imaginary line in the ocean allows you to gamble legally, they placed their bets, and the real fun began.

Here’s what I learned from my first gambling experience:

1. Smoking is still allowed inside on gambling cruises. I used to think I was born in the wrong decade, but now I am very grateful to live in an era where indoor smoking is banned...well...apparently with the exception of international waters.

2. “Don’t split the winning hand.” I didn’t actually learn this one on the boat...or actually learn it at all since I’m still not sure what it means. Chris’s father kept repeating this in the driveway before we left. I am certain that it is very solid Blackjack advice, and would be very useful if I knew the first thing about Blackjack.

3. You can still win at Blackjack without knowing anything about Blackjack if you have either your boyfriend or his best friend telling you what to do every second. The downside to this method is that if they are doing a good job focusing on your hands, they will inevitably begin losing more of theirs. (Sorry Chris)

4. Gambling is a lot more fun when you don’t care if you lose. I accomplished this by only betting with the change from the jar I keep in my car. Sure, carrying $11 in change onto the boat was a little embarrassing, but it was worth it when I turned it into $80 before I got off! And even if I had lost it all, so what?

5. Slots are way more complicated than they look in the movies. Andy claims he and Chris figured them out. But all the same I thought I just got to pull a shiny lever and wait for three cherries to line up. Not the case.

6. Friday night gambling cruises in Cape Canaveral are filled with exactly the type of people you would expect to take Friday night gambling cruises in Cape Canaveral. Most of them were very old and many of them served as a cautionary tale against the dangers of gambling addiction.

7. If you are not very tall , not very coordinated, and very prone to motion sickness a maxi dress may not be a wise wardrobe choice for this activity.

8. Gambling cruises are 4 hours long. There is nothing to do but gamble. Come with a full phone battery. Seriously.

Thank God we had our favorite third wheel!

I probably won’t be strapping on my sea legs again anytime soon, but I had a good time. At the end of the night I was up $80 and Andy made $130, plus we crossed something off The List!

Things I'm Loving

In case you haven’t noticed, I really like lists. Since Andy is house/dog sitting for my parents for the week, and there won’t be any update on The List until next weekend, I was thinking I would make a different list today. 

This one is going to be a list of the things I’m loving right now.

1. Fooducate- OMG my new favorite app. It’s so fun; you just scan the bar code of foods and it gives them a grade between an “A” and a “D-”. It also tells you if there’s something naughty about them (like lots of salt or sugar). 
 
You would be shocked how many organic, low-fat, sugar free foods are secretly making you fat! It will also give you healthier alternatives for every item you scan and show you how it ranks against other foods in the same category. It was so handy when my roommate and I went grocery shopping today. I have been trying to eat healthier lately, so I just beeped everything I was buying and promised not to buy anything below a “B-”. I cheated on some sweet potato chips that rated a “C”, but YOLO right?

2. Not working- So I’m a nanny. I nanny for a family with three kids ages 6, 8, and 10, and it’s all the chaos you would imagine it to be. Probably more. But it is super rewarding and as much stress as it is, it’s fun too.  And on top of that I drive a bratty 14 year old to school and pick her up in the afternoon. 

This is less fun. Way less fun.

But here’s the part I’m loving...it’s summer break! For the kids...and therefore for the nanny! It is so nice having to go to work every morning and afternoon. I have time for all kinds of fun things, like sleeping, and crafting, and starting a blog!

But don’t worry I’m going back to my favorite munchkins in the fall, and I’ll have lots of fun stories about them coming then!

3. Birthdays- I love birthdays. Mine is my favorite day of the year. And next week is my mommy’s, my step-father’s, and my boyfriend’s. That’s right. 3 birthdays. 4 days. I’m going to write another post on this next week, so stay tuned!

4. Monogram Necklaces- I love this trend!I finally bought one from etsy. It was only twenty dollars with free shipping and it came with a free tiny monogram decal for my Lilly planner!

Meep! So cute!

5. Which Wich- My roommate works at this amazing sub shop, and it’s basically the greatest thing to ever happen to me. It’s so fun. You just write what you want on a paper bag when you come in and then you just hand it to the cashier to order! I crave their Thank You Turkey sub basically 24/7. It’s like thanksgiving on a sandwich and it will change your life. They have a billion other sandwiches and yummy toppings. Plus it’s pretty cheap and they have a UNF discount. What could be better?

6. Season 4 of Arrested Development- Andy turned me onto this show back in high school and it was love at first sight episode. Unfortunately it was cancelled after the 3rd season....Until now! Netflix came out with a 4th season and I’m obsessed. It's so witty and hilarious. The jokes are very subtle...kinda like the Office. 

I will say you should watch the first three seasons before you watch this one; otherwise it would be super confusing.

7. These two-ingredient cookies- I just made these tonight. It only took me like 5 minutes and 15 for them to bake, and they we soo yummy! (Especially right out of the oven!) All they‘re made of is mashed banana and quick oats with chocolate chips...so you can eat like 8 of them and not even feel bad!

8. My best friends’ blogs- Dani’s is about music and has lots of fun new and old songs and bands and guidance for those of us who are slightly less musically inclined, and Jennifer’s has lots of cutesy pictures and stories about her puppy and hubby and perfect little baby boy.

My Name and My List

Hi, I’m Martha....Stewart.
That’s right. That’s my name. And it gets to be pretty inconvenient, so let’s get some things out of the way.

1. YES. That is my real name.
2. No, You can’t see my driver’s license, but only because my picture is horrible.
3. No, I am not related to the “real” Martha. I did meet her once, but that is a story for another day.
4. No, my parents don’t hate me, nor did they name me after “real” Martha.
5. No, I am not a good cook....well I guess I’m okay....but I’m definitely no Martha. Although, I will say I’m pretty confident I could outcraft her any day.

Also, jokes about being on house arrest? I have heard them all, and they aren’t funny. In fact if you knew me, (which I’m pretty sure you do, since my mom and my roommate are probably the only ones reading this) you would know I actually love getting out of the house. And that is why my boyfriend and I wrote The List.

Here it is! The List!

And here's me and Andy! Aren't we cute!?

The List is to get us off our butts and assure that the summer of 2013 is nothing short of amazing. It’s basically our “bucket list” for the summer....except we’re not dying. It’s a collection of things we have been meaning to do, things we have never done, and things we have always done. Some of the things are in Jacksonville, where I go to school; some are in our hometown of Melbourne; and some of them are in New England, where we will be road-tripping to see my family. The plan is to get the whole list done before the end of the summer when Andy tragically returns to Mississippi to start his junior year at Mississippi College, while I start mine at the University of North Florida.

You might be wondering why there are 47 things on The List. It’s not because we couldn’t think of 50, 47 is Andy’s favorite number. He and his family see it everywhere(street signs, clocks, table numbers you name it). If you look you will too....I swear...everywhere. I have to admit I’m absolutely over-selling The List. We wrote it in one afternoon, and, as you can see, we have already had to replace a few things. But it’s our list, I'm super excited about it, and this blog is how I’m going to document it...among other things.