On the Run

SUNDAY FUNDAY: We worked around the house most of the day Saturday, and so we decided to spend most of Sunday on a field trip to Safeco Field.

Mercifully, traffic was light and we scored a parking spot quickly, so we got into the stadium super early. That gave us a chance to watch pitchers warm up. We started at the Rangers' bull pen. There, we saw their pitching coach Mike Maddux work with one of their staff. 

Mike Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and is the older brother of four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux.

We also watched the Mariners' starter warm up - none other than future Hall of Famer King Felix Hernandez.

First, he played long toss in the outfield ...

 then he moved into the bullpen and started pitching from the mound.

It's always a big deal when Felix is pitching, and it's fun to be a part of it all.

We also checked out the new golf center under the centerfield bleachers.

We spied on the 'live fro Safeco Field' broadcast desk ...

And we checked out unused on deck circles behind the outfield fence. 

Felix was in fine form on Sunday, and the Mariners finally generated enough offense to give him the lead. In the end, Mariners win - hooray!

After the game, kids had the chance to run around the bases - a first for them!

 They even made it onto the big screen!

I sent my phone with Annabelle and she took some video of the experience. First up is getting ready to run. https://youtu.be/JVVjG-1lLt4

And here they are going around the bases!
https://youtu.be/pemtm90Incc


GOOEY GOODNESS: Did you know today is national S'Mores Day? Fortunately for us, local chocolate manufacturer Theo Chocolate observed the occasion by selling gourmet s'mores! 

The taste treat featured house made graham crackers, lovely, fresh-made square marshmallows, and your choice of a number of Theo's amazing chocolates.

 Annabelle opted for the coconut dark chocolate, while CJ went for peanut butter cup milk chocolate. 

 Delicious - and extraordinarily sticky!

Theo is also home to one of the "Astronauts on the Town.' There, we met Happy Constellations,a work by artist  Fin’es Scott, inspired by star constellations with pop art influences. 

LEAFY GREENS: In other space news, we watched a bit of a live spacewalk by a pair of cosmonauts live this afternoon. 

This morning, history was made on the ISS, as six astronauts became the first people to eat food grown in space, red romaine lettuce. For decades, NASA and other space agencies have experimented with plants in space, but until today, the produce was always sent to Earth for examination, rather than eaten.

https://youtu.be/D_723qwjULM