Put Me in Coach

On Saturday, Chris and I went to the Astr.od.ome Yard Sale and Auction.  What I thought would be a fun time looking at baseball history turned in to a 7 hour wait for Ast.roTur.f. 

8:00 AM
We walked in to the building hosting the sale and auction, and saw the sign to register for the live auction.  We had no definite intention of buying anything but figured that signing up wasn't a bad idea.  After registering, we set out to find the end of the line.... we walked and walked and walked before ending up outside and wrapped partially around the building.  It was the longest line I had ever seen.  

9:30 AM
An announcement called for all participants of the auction to get in a separate line, we tried to ask if getting in to the line for the auction excluded us from buying non-auctioned items.  We never got a definite answer, so Chris and I split up... he went for the auction, and I stood in line for what ever wasn't being auctioned - we, line many others, were totally in the dark about what exactly was for sale.

10:45 AM
The auction starts... over an hour after it was supposed to start.  The first items up for auction were concession items.... We could have scored a pretzel warmer for $25. 

10:49 AM
Chris texted me to say that he got some turf and was standing in line to pay for it.  WOO!!  At this point, I realize that I should have charged my phone fully that morning.

11:57 AM
An announcement stated that the turf was sold out - a whole baseball field of turf was sold!  After the announcement, there was a collective "awww man" from the line.  Several people got out of line.  I was able to move up 20 feet or so... a big accomplishment for the mile-long line (sarcasm).

12:30 PM
An announcement stated that the stadium seats being sold at $200 per pair were sold out for the day since the crews only pulled 800 pair from the stadium and that everyone would be allowed to order seats by pre-sale to be picked up at a later date.  Not many people got out of line, but everyone was disappointed... another collective "awww man."

1:30 PM
My phone died.  I was still in line in the hallway waiting to get in to the auction /sale.  Chris was still inside waiting inline to pay for turf.  My patience was growing thin.  The patience of the two children in the stroller with the woman in front of me was G.O.N.E.

2:00 PM
Third and final announcement: We have exhausted our inventory and will not be accepting pre-sales today.. blah-bitty, blah, blah.  The crowd used words that I do not wish to repeat.  Chris was STILL in line to pay for three squares of turf, and I was standing in the hallway not in a line and so very disappointed.  No one was allowed inside who was not already inside... and the crowd was MAD.  Lots of people who got there way before we did never even got the chance to step inside the room, because they didn't know (we didn't know either) that you could sign up for the auction AND buy turf and stadium seats.  Nothing was organized; no information was provided.

2:30 PM
The security guards looked the other way and I snuck in to the auction / sale to find Chris STILL standing in line.  There were only three people in front of him in line, so I was excited that we would be heading out of there soon.  I was wrong.  The line moved sooooo slowly.  For the thousands of people purchasing items, only 8 registers were open.

3:15 PM
Finally... we had our piece of history...

TURF!!!!!

I think that the only person who would truly appreciate that we now have turf from the dome is my Daddy...  Several times while I was in line, my eyes teared-up.  I just wanted to call him to tell him the whole story.  Now our piece of turf is sitting next to our kitchen table.  Looking at it makes me think of my Dad and smile... that makes waiting in line for 7 hours totally worth it.

(too bad the voters of Houston didn't feel the same nostalgia... the Sav.e the Do.me proposition did not pass... on a good note, maybe the turf just went up in value ;)

Title from "Put Me in Coach" by John Fogarty