John & Melissa: November 2010

As you can imagine, the last three weeks have been crazy. We packed our belongings, hauled it all to Dallas (special thanks to the Mallory men for all of their assistance) and began our new life in the Big D.

While we're not completely settled yet, we have made tremendous progress.

John and I LOVE our neighborhood too. We've got several friends nearby and they've been so great to include us when they head up to the Time Out Tavern (the bar we can WALK to) or for Thanksgiving potlucks, birthday dinners and Christmas parties.

That being said, I'm not going to lie--it was still hard to leave Waco. (If you would have told me in 2002 I would have said that, I would have thought you were crazy.) The good thing is, we'll be back frequently seeing our friends and family there. And, obviously, most major Baylor sporting events.

(John's good friends from Baylor, Ben and Nathan back for the BU/A&M game)

On my last day of work at the Waco Foundation, these two ladies swung by for a last lunch together. I'm going to miss happy hours, walks and talks with the crew.

I did, however, begin a new job in Dallas this past week. After THREE interviews, Communities Foundation of Texas (hereby known as CFT) offered me the position as Donor Services Manger, specifically overseeing special funds. For those not in the nonprofit world, it simply means I'm connecting donor's philanthropic intentions with strategic opportunities not only in the Dallas community, but across the state of Texas. More specifically, my area is scholarship, emergency and designated funds--feel free to ask more if you're really that interested.

Anywho, it's a good fit, the people are nice, the building is BEAUTIFUL, my office is sweet and I have unlimited access to soft drinks, tea, coffee and snacks. (It's the perks in life, really...)

The Hardages are officially ready for visitors! Come see us soon!

So…with the Rangers finally being in the world series, I thought this was an appropriate time to make an informal list of specific Ranger games I remember going to and what it is that makes me remember them. I have been to a lot more games that didn’t make this list, but these, for some reason, stand out. In no particular order…

The 2010 ALCS Game Six, Rangers vs. Yankees. Rangers win, clinch the pennant, and go to the world series. I was there with Mike Newman, and the whole experience was incredibly fun and special. The fireworks, the celebration, the awards ceremony, the confetti, the speeches, A-Rod...

The 2010 ALDS, game 4. The Sunday game against the Rays. We had good seats but they were right in front of the Rays’ families and wives. Unfortunately, the Rays won and the only people cheering all day were right behind us. This also marks the earliest I’ve ever got to a game…about 9 am (for a noon game, of course).

Myself, My dad, and my late grandfather went to a Rangers-Brewers (when the Brewers were still in the American League) game at the Old Arlington Stadium. It’s the first game I remember going to. It was a day game and it was blazing hot.

My birthday party one year when I was in elementary school. The game was at Arlington Stadium. Rangers-Brewers. It was “turn back the clock day,” and the players were wearing old fashioned uniforms. The Rangers' uniforms actually said Washington Senators on the front. Also the hot dogs and cokes were priced cheaply, like from the early days. Everything was 50 cents or something like that.

Myself, my family, Craig Bland, Andrew Hathcoat, and Edwin Bonner sat in the upper deck behind home plate.

The day they retired Nolan Ryan’s number 34 Jersey at the new ballpark. Went with my friend Craig Bland and his family.

While visiting the Twaddells at their house in Dallas, we all randomly went to a game. I don’t remember more than that, except I thought it was cool that they lived close enough to just up and go. (it was almost a two hour drive for my family to get to Arlington, TX).

Nolan Ryan Bobblehead night. I was about a sophomore in high school. Went with Edwin Bonner and Ben Cutrell, I believe. Maybe Jordan Ramey, maybe Alan Armstrong. I have been to every bobblehead giveaway since then. * So that’s almost 20. When the promotions schedule comes out every spring, I immediately clear my schedule for bobblehead nights.

*There have been two instances when I (or we) have had something to do the night of a bobblehead giveaway that actually trumped the game. However, we made special trips to the stadium and I would let Melissa out of the truck, she would buy a cheap ticket, go through the gate and get the figurine, and I would make the block and pick her back up. That’s why I love her.

I would also like to note Elvis Andrus bobblehead night this year. I got there early, of course, and my group had multiple bobbleheads. Eventually they ran out of bobbleheads. We happened to be walking around out by the gate and I heard a man angrily lament that “They only have one promotion this year worth a damn and we got here too late to get it.” So Mike tracked him down and gave him his. The man was very, very grateful. What a good sport.

The night in high school when me, Edwin, Craig, and Edwin’s girlfriend Megan went to the game. I don’t remember the occasion or the opponent, but when we got there everyone else decided to leave the game and go use a gift certificate someone had for Texas Land and Cattle Company. I thought they were nuts because I didn’t drive all the way to Arlington to go out to eat. I drove all the way to Arlington to go to the baseball game. So…everyone else left the stadium to go eat and I stayed and watched the game alone. I still bet my hot dog was better than their steaks.

4^th of July, 3 times, I think. I remember sitting on the very top row the year they played Oakland and watching the fire works.

One summer during college, myself, Romines, maybe Craig, and my cousin Clint went to the Rangers-Yankees game. Again, we sat on the very top row…for a while. We eventually made our way down to the bottom deck and watched Rod Barajas beat the Yankees with a walk-off homerun.

Similar story…my cousin Clint’s bachelor party at the Rangers game. Rangers beat the Yankees on a walk-off grand slam by Marlon Byrd.

I was there with mom and dad in 2007 when Michael Young got his 200^th hit, for the 4^th season in a row. Historic.

I was at Alex Rodriguez’s 2^nd game as a Ranger. I went with Jordan Miesse and a couple of others. The Rangers had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. Alex Rodriguez was up with two outs. He hit a deep fly ball to left field and ran toward first base with his right hand in the air, like he just knew he had hit it out. We went crazy…until the left-fielder caught it at the wall. That game was a microcosm of A-Rod’s entire career here: Lots of hope, but really just one big disappointment.

Rangers vs. Indians. This was the night they filmed the baseball scenes of the movie “The Rookie.” My dad knows the director John Lee Hancock so before the game we went to where they were filming and we became extras in the movie. During the 7^th inning stretch, Dennis Quaid and a film crew ran from the bullpen to the pitcher’s mound. (movie flaw…he played for the visiting team but actually ran out of the home bullpen. I guess it was more aesthetically pleasing from a Hollywood standpoint). We stayed after the game to watch them film a conversation between pitcher Jim Morris, the manager, and the catcher. (in the movie and in real life, Jim Morris struck out Royce Clayton).

I’ve also been on several dates there. Those records are now sealed.

I remember going over there with my high school youth group to a game. I remember fireworks, and we divided up the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody amongst ourselves (Brandon Oswald, Craig Bland, Jon Dicken, and myself). We were awesome.

Opening Day 2007. Rangers beat the Red Sox 3-2. Melissa was really, really cold.

My dad and I went to Fan Appreciation Day one year. I got a bat with Juan Gonzalez’s stamped signature on it and a player I didn't recognize tore my ticket stub.

I was at Kenny Rogers’ perfect game. Not really. That would have been cool though. I remember where I was when I watched it…Alan Armstrong’s house in Sulphur Springs.

I remember the game that me, Melissa, Katie Gilbert, Edwin Bonner, and Alan Armstrong went to in college. Don’t remember the date or the opponent, but I know that it was early in the 2006 season. I’m sure we had fun.

My dad and I went to a game with our friend from Keith Cogburn from Milwaukee. We sat in the Lexus second deck.

I remember driving to the game with the Cutrells and sitting in a luxury box.

The day after my bachelor party, my friends and I all went to the Rangers-Dodgers game. It was crazy hot and the Rangers lost to Chad Billingsley.

The games I remember this season.

1. CJ Wilson beat the A’s 1-0. Went with Mark Twaddell. This was the same day that I had my job interview with Walters, Balido, and Crain. I eventually got the job.

2. Melissa and I went to the Orioles game. It was delayed about 2 hours for rain. Rangers were winning 6-2 going into the ninth. Feliz gave up a grand slam in the top of the ninth, and the Rangers wound up losing 7-6. It was right before the all star game. We lost 4 in a row to the Orioles, and I thought the season was shot.

3. Went and saw the Rangers beat the Royals and Zach Greinke with Sterling Burleson.

4. Elvis Andus Bobblehead Night. See description above. Also, I got David Murphy’s autograph (“Sic’em John”) that night on my Rangers’ hat.

5. Rangers-Mariners one random night when Edwin and Megan had driven in the weekend of Josh Holland’s wedding. The Rangers won big.

When Melissa moved back from Atlanta we went to the Rangers-Braves game the next summer. Rangers lost.

In 2001, Barry Bonds was chasing the McGwire record for single-season homeruns. The Giants played in Arlington during the interleague part of the schedule. Edwin, Zach Kelty, and myself bought tickets in left field. (most people tried to sit in right field because they hoped to catch one of the left-hander’s homeruns. But we sat in left field, hoping to have a good view of him in the outfield). However, there was a factor we neglected to consider…the designated hitter. Bonds didn’t play the outfield during the game we watched; rather, he DH’d. hmph. He did not hit a home run that night.

Summer 2007, went to the game with some friends. We had great seats because they were Baker Botts’ tickets, so Brian Romines went and danced up on top of the dugout in the 7^th inning stretch with the Rangers Girls or whatever they’re called. He was very proud of himself and still brings it up regularly.

During the summer of 2005, Ben Burge and I went and watched the Rangers play the Red Sox at Fenway Park. We had a beer at Cheers and met a homeless man in the Boston Common who tried to buy weed from us (of course we didn’t have any) and urinated on himself right in front of us. Then we took a train down to New York and we saw the Rangers play the Yankees at old Yankee stadium. The Rangers lost both games pretty badly.

During college one summer I drove down to Houston and met some of my high school friends at a Rangers-Astros game. I am pretty sure that the Rangers won.

Summer of 06, shortly after college graduation, I took Melissa to a fireworks night game. I don’ t remember much more than that.

While working at Decker Jones in the summer of 2009, we went to a Rangers/Tigers game. Rangers won. I don’t really know why I remember it other than they were good seats.

I also remember being at the Ranger game on the night in 1996 when U.S. track star Michael Johnson broke the world record for the 200 meter sprint. The summer Olympics were in Atlanta that year. The Rangers actually stopped the game and showed the race live on the jumbotron. Johnson won the gold medal and set the record while wearing his gold shoes. I thought that was a neat thing for the Rangers to do.

Melissa and I flew to Phoenix for a couple of days to watch spring training games. One of the games we were to see was Rangers – Cubs, and it actually got rained out. It rains three days a year in Phoenix, and we happened to be there for that one. We did see Rangers vs. A’s, though, the next day.

Also, the spring of 2008, we did the same thing. We saw Rangers vs. Padres and Rangers vs. Angels.

During the summer of 2007, I was offered tickets from Taylor Bledsoe to go to the game where Sammy Sosa wound up hitting his 600^th career homerun. I couldn’t go, because of some stupid law school thing. Sorry Taylor, that would have been fun.

I’ve been to a lot more games than this, but these especially stand out for one reason or another. I’ve spent a lot of time at that stadium and watched games with a wide variety of special people. Hopefully this sheds some light on why I’m such a big fan and why this season was such a magical one for me.

I am already looking forward to 2011 and making a lot of new memories. It’s time!!