#811 Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

We’ll get to the big deal in a moment, but first I want to give a HUGE thanks to my old pal Joe who is now the CFO of Ramey’s grocery stores. We were buds in high school, went to prom together my junior year, and now I hardly ever get to see him around.

Joe and me before prom. I was clearly awkward and 16. I wish you could see my hair in the back. Kelsa spent 3 hours making the perfect low chignon. Oh well.

I asked him if he could get Ramey’s to donate Boston butts and hamburger buns to Laurel Main Street for the chili cookoff fundraiser this weekend, and he obliged without hesitation. I picked it all up this afternoon and felt terrible walking out with a buggy full without paying for any of it. But it’s good to have friends in high places, right?

The cookoff is Saturday from 12 to 5. There’ll be 15 teams competing with handmade bowls of endless chili for sale (I love this concept), a beer garden, a kids’ area, live music from the 6550s, and Robby Scruggs’ famous BBQ sandwiches. Bring your Prilosec.

Then tonight we went to see one of our sweet senior youth guys play baseball at Laurel High’s opening tournament in their brand new stadium. I know absolutely nothing about baseball, but sitting with our neighbors with the best seat in the house while they’re blaring the Beatles and Zach Brown from the pressbox makes it a whole lot of fun.

 Mal went with a ballgame pickle, but I chose sunflower seeds. I was pleased.
Mrs. Susan, our former beloved mayor, told us the story of when she had to make the decision about what color to paint that water tower. She agonized over it and finally decided on a white-grey. With black letters. She wanted to put a tornado on there, but it cost too much. So now you know.
Honestly, we had more fun at this game than at Ole Miss games. But I guess it didn’t have much to do with the game, huh?
And Allen played like a champ, by the way. I only wish my phone camera had done him justice.