Foul Ball

BUDGETS AND BASEBALLS: Last night we went to a Mariners' game. No big surprise there, right?

But last night was different. For starters, the tickets were FREE! They were part of a promotion by BECU (formerly Boeing Employees Credit Union). Called "Bills, Budgets & Baseballs," they describe the event as a simulation where teenagers had to "make the sort of real-life budgeting decisions people face every day. Staying within the means of your assigned career, choose which housing, transportation, clothing, and other purchases make sense for you and your family."

 I'll let CJ tell you a bit more about it.

On 24 July 2018, before going to that day's Mariner game, I participated in a BECU-run event in Safeco Field's Ellis Pavilion. The event involved downloading an app on my Nook (a brand of tablet) named "Bite of Reality 2" (not to be confused with the original "Bite of Reality").

In Bite of Reality 2, the user is assigned with budgeting various expenses (transportation, clothing, housing, etc.), without going in debt or angering the user's spouse or children. My assigned role was that of an economist, I do not remember my spouse's occupation, and my assigned role's child was a three-year-old named Hector.

There were several stations I had to attend in order to make purchases for myself, my spouse, and sometimes, my child. Several of the station attendants pressured me to choose the more expensive options (for example, a sports car instead of a used car or a jalopy.) I later learned that this pressure to spend more was intentional.

After making all of the purchases, I discovered that I was $755 in debt. I was instructed to speak with an assistant at the credit union, who, upon discovering that my most expensive purchase was a sports car, informed me to purchase an inexpensive car. And that's how I wound up with a jalopy.

In the end, Bite of Reality 2 was an interesting experience and I'm glad I participated.

Annabelle participated as well. She was a zoologist and, like CJ, found out that a flashy car was not the best choice for her, economically. She had to trade it in for something more modest. She also had a financial setback when her glasses broke and she had to spend $200 (virtual) dollars she hadn't budgeted for.

 In the end, the kids were both pleased with their bottom lines.

 A screen shot from CJ above, and one from Bee below.

Afterward, we got to 'enjoy' a Mariners game. 

 It was a beautiful night at the stadium, that's for sure ...

but my, oh my, it was a parade of humans behaving badly.

In fact, afterward, we agree that last night was the worst time we'd ever had at a game, thanks to horrible human beings. 

For starters, a group of rude 20-something males up where we were sitting high, high on the 300 level (high to try to escape inane people talking everything but baseball). Well, no escape last night. One of the group of coworkers was being COMPLETELY inappropriate and loud regarding what he was talking about (a female coworker in extraordinarily vulgar terms). None of them were watching the game at all, they were just blathering loudly, apparently oblivious to the fact that it was so, So, SO inappropriate. (#MeToo).

I wasn't going to listen to that for nine innings (or even one more out), so I went down and reported him to a guest services attendant.  I hope I ruined their night. They certainly deserved that. When we were leaving the section (after I reported them), four 'incident response' team members were going up to say hello. SUPER not OK behavior. #MeToo

After that awful experience, we went and stood down on the main concourse. It was cooler there. For about 2 minutes. This guy just didn't look right to me who was standing by us, off to the left. He gave off a very bad vibe and I kept watching him, instead of the game. Yeah, well, within about two minutes, all of the sudden there is this FIGHT like an inch in front of us and the sketchy guy is on top of another guy. OMG. Like right at our feet. I'm yelling trying to get the guest service attentants'  attention and they can't hear me for whatever reason. The guy on top (the one who didn't look right to begin with), says 'it's my son' (as if that makes it OK), and says something about 'consequences' to the 'kid' (an adult). What a shit show. For whatever reason, dad lets the kid go when security gets there, and the kid runs off through the crowd. CRAZY.  (Turns out later he likely let him go because he was buying alcohol for his minor son and that's not OK, of course. They're both 86-ed.)


Oh, and then the Ms lost.

Rough one.