Day 69 - That damn fat lady sang

I hate every moment of sitting here writing this post.
Not because I hate to blog...but it's over...She sang....
That damn fat lady sang and it's over...for now.

I wish I could have bottled up the feelings and vibes that I encountered as I walked to the stadium from the parking garage.

The atmosphere was amazing! Everything felt like it was as big, if not bigger than it was during the All-Star Game festivities.

Enough of this blah, blah, blah....STORIES!

Now you'd think that with the final game, there'd be some amazing stories...well, you're right...sort of...there was at least one amazing moment during this final game of the '09 season.

-I walked to the top of a section and a lady in the top row asked for a beer. She looked like she was in her mid-to-late-40's and (who I can only assume to be her husband) was standing behind her. I gave her her beer and then she realized she needed to pay me. She seemed to act a little funny after I handed her the beer. She started to fumble through her pocket and pull out everything but money. She began to talk about how she thought she had some money in her pockets...She emptied out of her pockets a half-dozen receipts, some car keys, chapstick, fingernail clippers and a few quarters. Finally she found a few $1's and then her husband (who I could tell was frustrated/embarrassed by this woman) stretched out his hand with a $10 in it. I gave him back his change while the woman continued to search for money...she was talking to herself...as if she was encouraging herself to find money.

A few innings later I was walking back up to the top of that same section when I noticed this same woman start to walk back to her seat. As she started to sit down, she wobbled back and forth a bit...then gravity decided to her...she fell straight to the floor. She snapped back up and sat back into her seat. As her husband helped her sit upright, he just shook his head ashamed of what just took place. I was right there in front of her and immediately asked her if she was alright. She kept saying over and over again, "I'm Fine!" as if she needed to remind herself.

I followed protocol...alerted the closest usher and other beer men about the intoxicated cougar at the top of section 248.

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Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that unneeded reinforcements were brought in for the game. About 8 beer men from Chicago were brought into our commissary. These guys from Chicago were beer men at Soldier Field. About 50 more people were brought in from the military base in Ft. Leonard Wood to work throughout the stadium. I guess they were expecting a big crowd or something.

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After completing a sale, I tell the beer-drinking fan, "thank & enjoy the game." I had several instances when the fans would return with a, "yeah...well, we're trying to" or a "if we had a few more runs we will." Then towards the end of the game, fans would realize that this was it. The season was over after this game if we were to lose. Then they'd realize that this was potentially my last day of working too. A few fans asked what was next for me. "Are you going to work Blues or Rams games?" I laughed when they asked about Rams games. Then I'd tell them how I just accepted a temp job. I'll be in charge of an email marketing campaign and will be doing that till the end of '09. They would usually just say the usual, 'good luck with that' or 'see you next season'.

Hmmmm....next season...return as a beer man?...well that will be covered in a blog in the near future.

As for the end of this game, this season...it has been an amazing time.

I will post a few more blogs over the next 2 weeks...reflecting on different things that I never talked about during the season...as well as a special Cards/Cubs tribute blog.

So, until later on again this week, thank you faithful readers. It's been an amazing time!...just wish that fat lady could have waited to sing on another day.

Totals for 2009 season:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks (at $3.50/bag = $255.50)
167 Bottles of Water (at $5/bottle = $835)
293 Bags of Peanuts (at $4/bag = $1172)
4564 Bottles of Beer (at $7.75/bottle = $35,371)
Grand Total for 2009 sales: $37633.50
(no, I did not make that much money, just a small commission of it)

...When the Fat Lady Sings.

Well I'm at a loss of words after last night's nail-biter of a finish between the Cards and Dodgers. ...not to mention the rough night for any St. Louis sports fan or Mizzou fan....but hey, we still have the Rams to keep our spirits high right???...

Sitting here and realizing that tomorrow night very well could be my last night as a beer man....for this season....and potentially forever.

Do I see myself returning next season?...

Timeout...last time I checked, this series is best out of 5. Although, I feel like the Cardinal-Nation has already tossed in the white towel...Perhaps the same white towel that caused Holiday to take a punch in the crotch from that fly ball instead of allowing for it to land in his glove. (If you missed Waino's interview (go to 1:45 mark to catch his remarks about Holiday)...you need to watch it to know what I mean).

Plenty of people have already closed the door on the chance of the Cards of coming back to win this series. Only 4 teams have ever come back from an 0-2 deficit. A little optimistic view on it all...the Cardinals have never been swept in any divisional playoff series.

Maybe the Cardinals are just trying to keep the 2008 tradition of when the Cubs were NLCD champs...and get swept by the Dodgers in the playoffs?

This beer man has some high hopes still. Being my only source of income at the moment...I'd like for the Cardinals to go all of the way to take the World Series...just hoping. Here is to tomorrow night. Saturday night playoff game. Beer sales should be amazing!

The end is near!?!?!....

I've had a few friends ask me recently if I was ready for the season to be over?...If I was prepared for the end of being a beer man.

This took me by surprise.

Am I a beer man for the Cubs or something? If so, I would know my job as a beer man would be over the last day of the regular season...but last time I checked, I work at Busch Stadium! We're in 1st place in the NLCD and that means playoffs. Not to get ahead of myself...but we just pulled ahead of the Cubs by 7 games last night. Playoffs? Me thinks so!

I mean, I guess it is already nearing the end of September and there is just a little over a month left of the regular season...but we are sitting in an amazing spot to be in the PLAYOFFS!!!!

When I first started this season, I knew that the All-Star Game was well worth working at the stadium. Shortly after the All-Star break, I felt like something wasn't the same...I didn't feel as excited to go to work at the stadium...I lost my passion...

Wait...a beer man who has passion for his job?

You better believe it. There's something about going to the stadium and being surrounded by the smells and the sounds of the game. You know what I'm talking about. Seeing a team in a city with deep roots in the American tradition of baseball. I love it! I LOVE MY JOB!

As for being finished after this season...HA! I mean, hopefully I'll have a full-time job by the beginning of the 2010 season and have no need to work as a beer man...BUT...as long as my job schedule would allow for it, I have full intentions of at least working Friday and Saturday games through next season. Why not?!?!? It'd be easy extra money. I use the term "easy" lightly...because of the actual physical labor that is involved with the job. As long as I live in the STL area, I have full intentions of continuing this job...I love it!

The only problem I currently have is not knowing what days we'll be playing in October. Yes, they have the general dates of each playoff round, but not sure when those games will be at Busch...