Baseball and Fireworks

So what's better on the 4th of July than baseball and fireworks. They actually mix quite well. Yesterday I went with some friends to the St. Paul Saints game where we tailgated in advance and then took advantage of the extra seating (on the warning track!) to watch the game. After the game they had an excellent display of fireworks with some pretty good music. The best of course was Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful". The only downer was the guy with the big pickup truck who lit a bunch of fireworks in the parking lot right in the middle of the driving lane. He left all of his trash there and when one of our group gently questioned him about it he said he is a taxpayer and his taxes will pay for city employees to pick it up! Not so proud to be an American at that point.

The other baseball and fireworks story I have is actually Pat Neshek's. Here is what he wrote in his blog: "I hope everyone had a terrific 4th of July. Last night I probably had the coolest Fourth of July in my life. I spent it on the roof of the Metrodome. I talked to Dan Gladden about a month ago and he said if we were ever in town over the fourth to make sure you check out the fireworks from the top of the dome. Sure enough we are in town right now and I had to see this for myself. I don't know how to describe it but I felt like I was in a dream climbing up the baggy. To get up to the roof you have to go through a series of doors so the pressure doesn't escape to quickly and send you or your things (hat) flying. It's the same feeling as when you walk out the dome after a game and the pressure sucks you out the door. Once on the roof there is a catwalk that goes around the stadium. Then you come to a point where there is a rope system you take to climb up the actual Teflon baggy. I couldn't believe it so I kept climbing up (with my left hand of course). Once up it was like being on the moon or having a giant trampoline. I spent the first couple minutes deciding if I was safe or not and then I started jumping. After about 5 minutes fireworks were going off in all directions and it was one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed." You can check out his blog at patneshek.com