Day 44 - "ID please"...."you're a hard ass!"

I really don't know what I could say that could even compare to the game that took place last night.

I am still mad at myself for leaving the stadium last night. By the time I got through checking out and clocked out, it was the middle of the 9th inning. I decided that I would get to my car in time to beat the traffic since I knew I had a busy day ahead of me. As I was walking across the parking lot next to the stadium, I hear the roar of the crowd as the Cardinals got a runner on second and had the game winning run at the plate.

I walked past Mike Shannon's and stopped to look up at one of the screens that the game was projected onto. The "bouncer" standing there told me to come on in and I could watch if I wanted to from inside...I was rather shocked I wasn't carded...but maybe I'm just used to being the "hard ass" (yes, I was called that last night) that I am carding people in the stadium.

I watched the Cards tie up the game and I decide to head on home...I couldn't go back into the stadium anyways or I would have gone back in...and I personally didn't care to just stand around at Shannon's in my sweat-soaked uniform.

It was weird. I was sitting at home watching the game I was just working at. Then I got pissed. I realized my phone just died, so I went to grab the charger from my room and when I came back and looked at the tv, the game was over. Albert's walk-off hit was amazing...seen through replays...oh well...I have a hunch I'll see him hit many homeruns at a home game this season...

Anyways...last night was pretty amazing...not just the game, but in sales. I did pretty well! I decided that I would stop selling Cracker Jacks and sell bottled water in its place since I'd make more commission off of bottled water. Not to mention, cracker jack sales haven't been the best for me lately...

Stories and such from last night's game -

-I was called a "hard ass". I had a group of 4 ask for 4 beers. The guy on the end asked for them. I only got a quick glance at him and the guy next to him and the girl in the 4th seat down, but not the 3rd person. Since they looked like they were in their late 20's, I still carded them. (Reminder: we are to ID anyone who appears to be under 31 1/2) So the guy asked if I needed all 4 of them and I said yes. Well that 3rd person I didn't get a look at, looked like it was this dude's mom. He showed me his ID and he said he was 33 and his wife was older than him. So he showed me his wife's ID and she was older than him...she was in her late 40's...nearly a 15 year age difference....Anyways the girl at the end who I did see before wasn't too happy either...she asked me if I really needed to see her ID because she was going to have trouble getting it out of her wallet with a sprained wrist...she then lifted her wrist up to show the brace she had on. I asked if one of the guys could please help her and they finally got it. She was upset to the point where she wasn't even wanting the beer and called me a hard ass for carding them when they were clearly old enough...I gave them their 4 beers and collected their money...

My job as a beer man...(my only job and only source of income)...is too important to me to keep than to get fired for not carding someone and possibly getting caught selling to a minor! It seems to be that about every night, I have just one or two groups who get all pissed off about me carding them. Most people already have their ID ready for me to check. What's the big deal? If someone has gray hair and is obviously in their 80's, no, I won't card them...9 times out of 10, people (ladies) appreciate being carded.

-I sold an entire case of beer by only walking down one row of steps into one section...awesomeness! I nearly sold another full case during the bottom of the 7th inning in a different section!

-During the play where Manny caught that ball that cause a stir in the crowd, personally, it looked like it was a homerun where Manny put a little hollywood into it to get it called fan interference...I don't know why all of the fans thought that the beer man would know everything about that play that just happened, but I was bombarded with questions from people asking me what happened and why they called back that homerun...I just replied back that it'd be on Sports Center or Baseball Tonight later tonight...and it was.

Overall, I think I did pretty well in sales compared to other beer men...I sold right at 3 1/2 cases and I was shocked to hear how some of the guys didn't even get past their 2nd case...

I've come to learn that as a beer man, it's not just about making 'regular' customers through a game, but also being in the right spot at the right time....basically having ice cold beer when everyone around you is thirsty. ...mmmmm...that just made me thirsty...

Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
86 Bottles of Water
176 Bags of Peanuts
2511 Bottles of Beer