Hey,

It is been a busy span for me over the last 36 hours.  I got tickets to see the Yankees in Seattle and went on a search to find someone to go to.  I came up empty handed.

I called my brother and asked if he would like to go.  He said he would.  So I left at 1pm and got to where he was by 5pm.  That’s a lot of driving… heh, not as much as when I came up from Arizona but still, enough to make me want to stop.  He lives about 1 to 2 hours east of Seattle.

Got to Safeco Field area about 5 minutes before the game, but didn’t get in until during the first inning.

The first arena is Quest (where the Seahawks play), the one behind is where the Yankees were playing.  I just liked the view, haha.. I’m crazy like that.

We got in, and had to go to the highest seats in the place–but for 8 bucks a ticket I wasn’t going to complain.  I took some pictures of the arena from our seats

Yep.  That’s the place.  I liked how you could see the whole skyline of the city from our seats.  (shown below)

That’s the view I liked the most.

It is one of the surrounding views of the city from the ballpark..

They had a place to eat outside, and during one of the innings me and my brother went outside–  he just wanted to go smoke, haha– before he did so… he took those two pictures.

And, well before we knew it– it was night.

Home of the 11 game losing streak… Mariners.

The problem for the Yankees tonight was.. their pitcher.  They fell 6 to 5 in the bottom of the 9th inning.  Ugh, and at my first Yankees game too…

As we left, my brother snapped this picture of Quest Field (he’s a big football fan).. so I think we will be returning to Seattle for a Cardinals game in September.

However fitting it is, this is the opposite view of the first picture was we walked back to the car.

You think I’m done?  Ha!  I laugh at the notion.  This is a long post– but most of the above is pictures, so you can deal with it.

Story of the night:  During the game my brother and I were talking to Mariner fans (who were –all in all– pretty nice).  After I think the 3rd or 4th inning we went back to our seats (from taking pictures around the park).  A man in his 50’s was sitting in my seat.  We let him know that he would have to move, and he moved down 1 or 2 seats (to and empty spot).  We sat down.

He started talking to me (I was the closest to him).  I initially tried to talk to him,  (the way you would with a stranger) but I noticed a strong smell coming from this man.  Like weeks of going without a shower, living in your sweat- and also a strong alcohol smell over his breath.

He kept talking about this woman who was sitting a few rows down from us who we briefly talked to.  He liked her, he wanted to hook up with her.  He wasn’t all together, every time we would cheer for the Yankees he would look over at us and say, “what?  Why are you clapping?  Oh,.. yeah you are going for the Yankees aren’t you?”

He eventually called down to her, and asked her to come up and sit with him for a few innings.  She came up and sat next to him.  Automatically he started talking about how he wanted to ‘be with her’ and how she was pretty etc…

She looked at him and said “I will be your friend… you know what?  I don’t usually come to baseball games, this is my first one– and I will pray for you.”  He looked at her and said “Good.. Good!  I need prayer, and if anything else comes along with that I’m ok with it.”

He wasn’t really getting it.  I talked to her a little more and she was heavily involved with some local church in the Seattle area, her son was a manager for a Christian rock label.  I told her I was going to Cascade College as a bible major.  She was very excited – because she just received an email about Cascade college this week.

Crazy thing eh?  Considering the student body of Cascade is about 300.

She prayed with him and continued to talk with him.  After learning more about him, he was a very upset and hurt man.  His son died when he was 17, and he blames God for his death.  “Why did God take him away?  I know I wasn’t the best person, but my wife was a saint, and it killed her.”  Trying to explain things to a drunken man is harder than expected.  I explained to him about the sin in the world– how this is the turf, domain, land of the Devil.. how he has free reign over this place– that if he wants to take someone that it may happen.  Not everything horrible that happens is God making it happen to you.  A major part of these things goes on Free Will.. and that is a long subject.  I tried to make it as short as possible.. but it still wasn’t sinking in.  To add on to it, he was living on the streets– and homeless.  Priorities would say — why go to a baseball game?  But sometimes a game means a lot to someone.

She kept trying to talk to him, and he kept putting her in circles– not really getting anywhere.  And me?  I found myself torn… isn’t that funny?  You would think that I would DIE for this type of a situation.  I was wanting to help the guy, but on the other hand I wanted to watch the game.  I myself was kind-of torn.

I whispered in the woman’s ear that he was drunk, that he was talking to circles, and as a reminder to not cast her pears before swine.

You are thinking.. what??  …see Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”

After thinking about this for a minute she agreed with me.  She then asked me to start praying for him (out loud) and she would finish it.  I didn’t hesitate, I just prayed.  A little after that the woman returned down to her seat- but gave me her business card so that she could keep up with me.

So the Yankees lost.. but that oddly enough didn’t ruin the night.  A damper?  Yes.

Okay, cool story .. at least I thought so.

Last part, last bit of news….

I slept at my brothers house.  I woke up and called the loan office to find out why I hadn’t gotten the loans yet for the next year of school.  Turns out there was a problem… well kind-of.  Instead of getting 4 years worth of loans I actually only was scheduled to get the one time loan.  Yes, I know the paperwork said there would be 4 payout’s, — that’s why I did it in the first place.. so I wouldn’t have to have 10 different loans.  And yeah..

Right now I have no funding for the next year at Cascade, or any school.  I will be figuring out what to do with the rest of the week.  Fun times indeed.  If I can’t go to school… then I won’t worry about it.  I’m not getting ahead of myself.. right now I just want to find out if I will qualify for a loan needed for this year.

That is all for now– had enough yet?  haha

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit– fruit that will last.  Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  This is my command: Love each other.  If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it’s own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.”  John 15:15-19

Pray Hard, Seek Harder

Ciao