Family Reunion Trip: Entry One

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Today can be divided into Good and Bad.

Good: Car was packed and we were ready to leave on time.
Bad: Hope wanted to wait on a blanket to finish its cycle in the washing machine so she could put it in the dryer before we left. We left thirty minutes “late.”

Good: The rented van had an auxiliary input which meant I could play my iPod through the stereo.
Bad: No one wanted to listen to my music.

Good: GPS got us to Turner Field in time for the Braves game.
Bad: Traffic around the stadium held us up so long that we didn’t get to our seats until the second inning.

Good: I thought ahead and bought a parking pass on line to save us time.
Bad: The spaces were so tight that it took a group of five people to guide me into the parking space. It didn’t help that the owner of the car next to us stayed to watch me back in and make sure I didn’t scratch his car.

Good: Our friend Ben turned our six dollar bleacher tickets into prime seats, 12 rows behind the Brave’s dugout.
Bad: It was one of the hottest days of the summer and there is no shade in the prime seats, 12 rows behind the Brave’s dugout.

Good: GPS told us that, from the stadium parking lot, we were only 5.2 miles from the brand new H&M store.
Bad: GPS was more confused with the pervasive road construction in Atlanta than we were and our meandering route ended up doubling the ETA.

Good: Found a Chipotle and enjoyed a chicken burrito along with chips, guacamole and a Barq’s root beer.
Bad: Can’t think of anything negative about that.

Good: Hope had accumulated enough Hilton Honor’s points for us to get two free rooms for the night.
Bad: The hotel is hosting three family reunions, one with over 200 people involved, and the entire hotel is hopping. And they are all wearing matching t-shirts. And there is a table in the lobby selling Obama shirts.

Tomorrow: Tennessee