You can look at birthdays in many ways. Has another year slipped away, too many opportunities withered and unfulfilled? In my case, the 82nd year on this earth was celebrated in grand style with a trip to Seattle on Amtrak to see the ball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox.

Michael, my eldest son treated me to this great experience. The trip there was cool and comfortable and a welcome relief from the devastating heat wave oppressing the Portland area and the northwest at the time. We were a happy crowd of commuters, some Red Sox fans to be sure but mostly Mariner-Ichiro tee shirts worn by small boys reverently flexing baseball gloves in anticipation of that wayward fly or foul ball. The train station is a short walk from Safeco Field and we joined 45,975 fans climbing the stairs to our seats off third base Safeco Field with it's retractable roof is a phenomena in itself but with a bright blue sky, sun shining on the natural turf and 45,975 fans swaying to the tune that is baseball, it can't be surpassed.

The sun shone on us for a few innings causing doubts about reliability of sun screen but a hot dog with everything on it and an iced cafe mocha in the shade erased any fears of melt down. The shade enveloped us by the third inning and the game went into high gear. The score teetered back and forth from Mariners 3-0 to 3-3, then 5-3 favor Boston. The Mariners took it to 5-5 and 8-5 only to be followed by 8-8 at the ninth inning.

Baseball is the pageant I remember so well when my parents moved to Detroit from West Virginia during World War II. and attended the Tiger games shouting "hit that ball you rummies". My mother camped all night outside the ticket office in Detroit to buy tickets to the bleachers for one of the games when the Tigers were in the World Series. My Dad took my young sons to games at Briggs Stadium, plying them with treats that made them sick but happy and also lifelong fans of the game.

The score was tied 8-8 and we feared we'd have to leave for the train station if it went into extra innings - it was unthinkable. The Mariners held Boston the first half of the 9th and came up with their last chance for glory. One out and here comes that tall drink of water, Sexson. He hadn't hit A thing through the game but I had failed to note his home run average. Maybe this time. He hit that ball and the ring of it had us on our feet, A HOME RUN. We shouted, screamed, jumped up and down. There was joy that sunny day in Seattle when the Mariners won a big one from the Boston Red Sox.
It was a day befitting an 82nd birthday celebration and one I'll remember always.