Spring Training 2023 - Day 46

We 're ready.

We had a mobile auto detailer wash the RV this morning. The roof especially needed a good cleaning.  I knew it needed cleaning, but I am not allowed up on the roof anymore to do it myself. They did a good job, it is very clean, and we are ready for the first enroute rainstorm.

After getting the inside of the RV ready, going to the store for a few last-minute things and resting awhile, we went out to dinner. 

We went over to Safety Harbour, a nearby, very nice waterfront resort/vacation town, for dinner at a neat pizza place. Pizza Gregario.  Alas, despite a website that said they were open, when we got there a sign on the door said they were closed and unsure about their future plans.  So, we went to another place downtown, The Bar Fly and had an excellent meal. It is a casual beach theme restaurant with an extensive menu and a lot of fresh seafood selections.

It was then back to the RV to rest up for our morning departure.  Our first stop is Tifton, GA, about halfway between here and Atlanta.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 45

The laundry went well.  We are ready for the road, clothes wise. We also had to reorganize and pack/unpack clothes for whatever weather we may encounter on the way home.

That was about it for the day.  Relaxed a little, had a late lunch, and just a snack for dinner.

More getting ready tomorrow.  We are getting the RV washed tomorrow morning and will continue preparing for our Saturday departure.

Spring Training 2023 -Day 45

Getting ready.

We started the day fairly early.  Judy had a 9:10 am appointment at the Quest Diagnostic facility (In Walmart) for a blood draw for an upcoming doctor's appointment at UCSF after we get home.  It was then breakfast at a nearby restaurant, La Peep, and back to the RV.

After returning to the RV, I started breaking down our outside setup, organizing the outside bins, and checking the towing cables and hitches.  We are not totally finished with our outside trip preparations, but we made a lot of progress.

I also wanted to replace the RV chassis battery before we started home. It still works but it is the original battery that came with the RV in 2016. It was time for a new one.  There was also a lot of corrasion around the battery terminals.  I decided to have a professional install a new one and clean up the corrasion. It didn't exactly fit the effective response model of our road emergency service provider, Good Sam Roadside Assistance, so I purchased a new battery at an auto parts store and had a mobile RV repair guy do the old battery removal, installation of the new one, and cleanup of the battery terminals and battery location area.  He came at 11:00 am and did the job.  It was well worth it and above my pay grade to personally do it while on the road.

After taking the old battery back to the auto parts store to get my "battery core deposit" back, I stopped at the grocery store for a few things we needed before leaving on Saturday.  It was then dinner in the RV after a busy day.

Laundry tomorrow. 

Spring Training 2023 - Day 44

 Last baseball game of spring training today.  The Phillies played the Toronto Blue Jays on a " Get Away Day".  The game started an hour early at 12:00 pm to facilitate the departure of the team to Dallas (Arlington, TX) for their opening day with the Texas Rangers on Thursday night.

The regulars played into the 5th inning and some of the reserves and minor leaguers finished the game.  The Phillies won in the bottom of the 9th inning. With the win, they finished with a spring training record of 16-14-1.

We also said goodby to a great group of park staff in our reserved seating area. They really made us feel welcome.  Many are seasonal, some are regulars and work the Phillies Class A team, the Clearwater Threshers games during the summer. The Threshers play most of their games in the evening due to the Tampa summer heat. The crowds are not large.  They say they average about a 1,000 people each game and frequently have promotions like $1.00 hot dogs and beer.  The tickets are cheap, and you get to watch a lot of young minor league players who may-or-may not ever make "The Show". In contrast, about 140,000 people attended Philles Spring Training games this year. Most were from out of town.

Phillies v Blue Jays

Baseball also continues here for now as the minor league/non-roster players continue their spring training.  The minor league team rosters will be formed shortly and the players for each minor league team will  travel to their home parks (Allentown, PA, Reading, PA, and Lakewood, NJ).  The rest of the young prospects not making a minor league team roster, will stay here for Extended Spring Training into the summer with the club development staff.  It really is almost a year-round baseball operation down here.

After the game and a quick stop to a nearby Sam's Club, we headed over to Clearwater Beach to have an early dinner at another favorite restaurant, The Columbia.  It features Cuban cuisine and has been open since 1905 at its original location in Ybor City, the Cuban cigar community just north of Tampa.  They now have 4 locations in Florida. The one we visited is on the water between Clearwater and Clearwater Beach, just south of town.  We have eaten here many times, and once again, had a great meal, - a pitcher of sangria, tapas and authentic Cuban bread.

The Columbia Restaurant

We will be focusing on getting ready to depart on Saturday.  It will a busy time.  Right now, the weather looks good all the way to New Mexico.  It is too early to tell beyond there.  And of course, things may change before we get there.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 43

Most of the day today was spent getting ready to leave for home. The itinerary for the return trip is pretty much set, some of the RV park reservations have been made, and we confirmed our stops in GA, Al, and MS all escaped the severe weather that just passed through the area where we will be travelling to visit our high school friend in North Central Alabama.

We are also keeping a close watch on the weather forecast for our trip home.  The 10-dayforecast looks good for the first leg of the trip, but can quickly change this time of year in the South.

We went out to dinner tonight at a favorite Italian restaurant the Aqua Alta Ristorante.  It ia authentic Italian and has mostly a local clientele. We had another great meal. Linguine with clams, shrimp and tomatoes in a great sauce.

Our last spring training baseball game tomorrow.  The game will start an hour earlier at 12:00 pm.  The opening day rosters have been set, and the team will break camp after the game and head to Dallas to play the Texas Rangers to open the season on Thursday.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 42

 A relaxing day today in the RV.

We just slept in, had a late breakfast and didn't do much.  All of a sudden it was lunch time.  After lunch the highlight was listening to the Phillies game. No TV only a streaming radio feed from a Philadelphia radio station.  They were playing the Orioles in Sarasota.  A dull game.  Marginal regulars and reserves had to do the bus trip south.  A very uninspired performance and thy lost 4-2.

We had a great dinner in the RV I cooked steaks on the grill and had baked potatoes with beans and salad

Another day off tomorrow and our focus will be departure planning.  The preliminary weather forecast for our going home side trip to Alabama on the way home looks favorable right now.  We will keep checking.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 41

Baseball today with the NY Yankees.  A very good team.  The Phillies fielded their starters and best pitcher, Aron Nola in essentially a last warmup before the season starts.  Alas, the Yankees hit the ball early and often and the Phillies lost 8-3. 

There is one more spring training game on Tuesday, before they break camp and head for Dallas to play the opening game of the season against the Texas Rangers on Thursday.  Traditionally, the last few spring training games are just "let's get out of here as soon as we can games" for the regulars. Non-roster players are still playing for major league jobs, however. We may see the regulars for an inning or two, in the last game but most just want to end spring training and start the season.

Phillies v Yankees

Nevertheless, we will be there for our last spring training baseball experience this year. We also still have things we want to do here before leaving on April 1st and will try and get everything in before leaving.

Our visit to Alabama to visit a high school friend may be impacted by the severe weather yesterday.  Our going home route and schedule is a carefully considered experience depending on weather and road conditions.

It was a late dinner in the RV and not so early to bed for a change.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 40

We slept in today and relaxed in the RV this morning.  We had haircut appointments at 1:15 pm so we skipped lunch and traveled to see the same person (Kerri) who has been cutting our hair every year we have been coming here.  She remembered us when we called for an appointment.  She has a lot of regular clients from the RV park for years and said we probably hold the record for RV "snowbirds" from the farthest location.

After the haircuts we traveled over to the Frenchy's Grill on the causeway over to Honeymoon Island.  Another great late lunch/early dinner:  Pina Coladas, she crab soup, a couple of shrimp appetizers and the famous Frenchy's fish pretzel.

It was then back to RV and we watched the Phillies v Toronto evening baseball game in Dunedin on TV.  Not a very good game for the Phillies.  Mostly reserve players and minor league pitchers against the Blue Jays first string team.  It was 6-0 in the 7th inning when we called it a night.  The Phillies play the Yankees tomorrow.  It should be essentially the final tune-up for both teams before the season beginning next week

Spring Training 2023 - Day 39

 A much nicer day today. Lots of sun, very little wind and temperature in the low to mid 80s.

Baseball today.  As we were eating breakfast, we had a visitor (Great Blue Heron) checking out the park retention pond for fish.  There may be some in there, but no one is fishing that we have seen.

It was a good baseball day.  The Phillies got their players back from the World Baseball Classic and fielded a lineup very close to their seasoning open day lineup of regular players.

They got off to a good start, but their regular starting first baseman Rys Hoskins was injured in the second inning with an apparent knee injury.  Not good, but hopefully not too serious.  He is a key player and will be hard to replace if he is out for an extended period of time.  The Phillies went on to win the game, however. 

Phillies v Tigers

Another off day tomorrow and the Yankees on Saturday.  Just one more game after that on Tuesday the 28th.  We will then focus on getting ready to leave here on April 1st.  It seems like we just got here (We are acting like snowbirds.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 38

 Another day off today (sort of).  It was laundry day again and it went pretty well.  The weather has significantly improved.  Lots of sun, a gentle wind and temperatures in the 70s.

I also went to the local auto parts store to get a new battery for the RV chassis (Ford E450). The current battery came with the RV in 2016 and is about ready to crash.  I decided to replace it before we start for home.  The old one would probably make it, but a new one certainly will.

We also got caught up somewhat with paperwork and calls that needed to be made.  I also did some return trip planning and made RV Park reservations for the first part of our return trip.  Travel home will depend on weather variables and road conditions for the most part.  We will closely monitor what is ahead of us and take proper precautions, either route changes or shelter in place as needed.

After another long and exhausting leisure day, it was take-out pizza/Italian food for dinner.

Baseball tomorrow.  Three games to go.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 37

Not a lot to report today. We slept in, had a leisurely breakfast and just relaxed around the RV.

The weather has improved.  Florida winter has moved on and we are unlikely to see cold weather again before we leave on April 1st. They are predicting mid 80's by the end of the week.

We have started go home planning and today I got caught up on some paperwork and other things that follow you wherever you go.  Also, a short shopping trip for a few grocery supplies.

No lunch after a big breakfast, and I cooked out hamburgers for dinner with potato salad and beans.

No baseball tomorrow so it is laundry again and more RV time.  Maybe out for dinner tomorrow night.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 36

Well, it was supposed to be warmer and less windy today but it wasn't.  It was another "cold" day at the ballpark.  We sit in the shade on the second level and if the wind comes from the North and the temperature is down, it can be brutal.  The temperature never got above 62 degrees today and the wind was out of the North at 10-15 mph.  Deespite being bundled up we all were still cold. It was also a very slow game and when the Phillies went ahead with 11 runs, we decided to leave early again.

Phillies v Orioles

We then went over to Dunedin for an early dinner at another favorite restaurant the Bon Appetite.  It is at the end of the wharf and a great place to watch the sunset.  It was too early for that however and too windy and cold for outside seating.  Nevertheless, we had a great meal inside.

It was then back to the RV and a farewell to our grandson Phinneus who is leaving for home in the morning.  We had a great visit and despite the two cold games he enjoyed it all and had a little taste of Philadelphia baseball in Florida.

No baseball until Thursday.  It is getting close to the end of Spring Training and the beginning of the regular season.  We have three more games left.  It is time to start thinking about going home and we will start planning for our April 1st departure.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 35

 An interesting day today.  The cold front went through and as predicted it was cold and windy this morning.

Our plan was to go back to Lenny's restaurant with Phinneus for breakfast.  We left early (we thought) to get there and have breakfast in time to get to the game at the regular time.  When we arrived, the wait was an hour for a table.  The place was packed.  So plan B.  We went to a Waffle House down the street.  Waffle House restaurants are fairly small, a simple standard menu with a breakfast emphasis wherever you go.  There are 2,000 Waffle House restaurants throughout the south, all corporately owned.

After a short wait, we were seated and our waitress, a long time Waffle House employee, after taking our order she asked us where we were from.  We said California and asked if we had ever eaten in a Waffle House before.  We might have once or twice on the road but Phinneus had not as there are no Waffle Houses in California.  She said first timers had to wear a Waffle House hat and have their picture taken.  Well why not, and we posed with silly hats.  A nice lady, very friendly and like many older Southern waitresses we have encountered, calls the customers hon or honey.

Despite warm clothes for the expected cold wind in the ballpark, it was still cold.  The temperature was 55 degrees, mostly overcast, with a 10-15 mph wind in our face.  We lasted until the 7th inning and left.

Phillies v Red Socks

We then wanted to show Phinneus the beach, so we headed over to Clearwater Beach for an early dinner at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill.  It wasn't crowded due to the cold weather, and we had another excellent meal.

It was then back to the RV and Phinneus to his airbnb.  He has done all the driving with his rental car since our truck only holds two.  He has done an excellent job with the heavy Tampa Bay area traffic.

Another game tomorrow.  It is forecast to still be cool, but not as bad as today.  This will be Phinneus's last game as he heads home early Tuesday morning.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 34

The forecast was for rain today but it didn't quite get here by 9:00 pm local.  Maybe later tonight.

No baseball today so we decided to sleep in and check the weather this morning before making any plans to do things with our grandson today.  He also wanted to sleep in after a long day yesterday.

We finally got around to deciding to go up to Tarpon Springs, about 12 miles north of here on the coast.  It is famous as the sponge diving center on the Florida Coast and perhaps the country. It was settled by Greek immigrants/sponge divers and is still a working port and thriving Greek American community.  It is also a very popular tourist attraction. 

 Besides an active fishing and sponge diving port, the sponge docks portion of town has numerous excellent Greek restaurants, trinket shops (lots of sponges for sale) and an excellent Greek bakery.   You can also take boat tours including one with a diver in an old fashion diving suit with the metal helmet.  You go out to the end of the inlet and the diver goes down and brings back a sponge to show the people in the boat.

We have been here many times for the Greek food. Phinneus also likes it and we had another great meal at Dimitri's on the Water.  Any restaurant that uses olive oil in 50-gallon drums has to be visited.

After dinner we stopped at the bakery for some take home baklava and other goodies.

It was then back to the RV and Phinneus to his Airbnb.

Baseball tomorrow with the Boston Red Socks.  The forecast is much cooler with a North wind. Unsure about any rain after todays weather.forecast

Spring Training 2023 - Day 33

 Our grandson Phinneus, our daughter Karin's son, flew in from Los Angeles this morning for a visit with us through the weekend. He will be attending 3 games with us while here: today, Sunday and Monday.  He has joined the Army and is leaving for officers' candidate school in April. 

It was a great weather day for baseball and the Phillies won, beating the Toronto Blue Jays. Since it was St. Patrick's Day there were a lot of fans "wearing the green".  It was also a full house with a very festive atmosphere. 

Phillies v Blue Jays

After the game we headed up to the Lucky Dill Brookyln Deli a very popular restaurant and bakery with New York style deli food and atmosphere.  They also have a week-long celebration of St. Patrick's Day festivities culminating in a big St. Patrick's Day event with live Irish Music, entertainment, and related events, decorations, and of course the green beer.  We arrived around 4:00 pm, had an early dinner and left before things got too crazy later in the evening. 

Phiineus then dropped us off back at the RV. then it was back to where he is staying at an Airbnb near the airport. It was a long day for him after the flight from LA anf his first Florida Spring Training Experience.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 32

 A nice weather day today.  Sunny and temperature in the mid 70s.

No baseball today. We slept in again then headed over to Lenny's restaurant near the ballpark for a late breakfast.  It is a Philly outpost for spring training.  Every Philly fan from Philadelphia and elsewhere who attends spring training here eats at Lenny's at least once during their visit.  Lots of Philly stuff on the walls (and ceiling) and the menu is typical East coast (Philly) - large portions, many selections, regional favorites (scrapple, pork roll, bagel and lox, knishes, etc.), reflecting the historical ethnic heritage of the Philadelphia area - mostly Italian, Irish, Jewish and a few other European countries that immigrated to the East Coast back then.

I had the "Redneck Benedict" again.  Not a historical ethnic dish however but good.  Two poached eggs on biscuits with sausage covered with biscuit gravy and lots of home fries' w/onions.  Each meal comes with a basket of Danish pastries.  Judy had a more traditional "Country Breakfast" - two eggs, sausage, home fries and fresh fruit.  We were able to eat most of it and took the leftover pastries with us.

After breakfast we headed over to the nearby Costco to pick up my new glasses.  While there, we got a few other things then traveled back to the RV.  After a stop at the local grocery store for a few more things all of a sudden it was late afternoon and time to rest.

Still full from our hearth breakfast/brunch it was a light dinner in the RV and again early to bed.

A big day tomorrow.  Our grandson Phinneus, is visiting for the weekend before he leaves for Army Officer Training School.  He will be attending 3 games with us - tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.  Tomorrow of course is St. Patrick's Day and will be a busy day all around town - and at the ballpark (another sellout).  We will try and stay out of the way.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 31

No baseball today.  The Phillies were playing the Yankees in Tampa this afternoon - They won.

We slept in.  It was raining this morning, pretty hard, but no wind.  It was a fast mover however, and the skies cleared by noon.

So, we decided to do laundry.  Everything went well and we were done by 2:30 pm.  There are 3 laundries in the park. This is one of the nicest,

The rest of the day was relaxing in the RV.  The skies are clear, but it is cool (69 degrees) and the low for tonight is forecast into the low 50's.

Another day off tomorrow and it will be warmer until more rain is forecast for Saturday.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 30

 It was a lot cooler today.  High in the low 70s and a north wind about 15 mph.  Doesn't sound too bad considering what is going on elsewhere around the country. At the ballpark here however in the second level where we sit in the shade, that means long pants, and a sweatshirt as the wind comes through there like in a wind tunnel.  So, we bundled up for the game which turned out to be a real clunker for the Phillies playing the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies starting pitcher an "almost major leaguer" gave up 3 runs before getting the first out.  It got worse from there as a secession of minor league pitchers continued to not pitch very well as the score continued to rise to 14-2.

We lasted until the 6th inning. We felt windblown and "cold", low minor league players came in to finish the game, so we left early.  Not a common occurrence but the right one for today.

Dinner in the RV again tonight.  Two days off before the St. Patrick's Day game on Friday.

It looks like the weather will remain cooler with a chance of rain on Saturday.  Our early summer here is heading back to normal for a while.

Phillies v Braves

Spring Training 2023 - Day 29

 Not a lot to report today. No baseball so it was an R&R Day in the RV. 

A cold front came thru last night.  It was forecast to be cooler, raining and windy.  We didn't get much of any of that.  It was mostly sunny today, temperature in the in the high 70s and humid.  It was partly cloudy and windy but no weather challenges.

Tomorrow's game with the Braves has been hyped all week as a cold day with strong North winds.  We'll see and will be prepared with appropriate gear.

Time flies when you don't have to do things.  We did do a few housekeeping things in the RV however and I made a short shopping run.  All of a sudden it was 5:00 pm and time for dinner and things.

Sausage sandwiches, beans, and salad for dinner and again early to bed.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 28

Back to baseball today.  The Philles played the Toronto Blue Jays.  This is always a popular game. Their home spring training site is in Dunedin, about 10 miles from here and there and a lot of Canadian snowbirds come her for the games.  Today was no exception and we had an almost full house (9,000 + in attendance)

The weather was reasonable, high 70s and a little wind.  We can deal with that.

Lunch at the ballpark was hotdogs and our shared Bloody Mary.  A close game but the Blue Jays won 8-3.

Dinner in the RV was nachos and wine before and leftover pizza for dinner.  No home game tomorrow.  A frontal passage is expected tonight with some rain and wind, followed by a significant cool down for our next game on Tuesday.

Phillies v Blue Jays

Spring Training 2023 - Day 27

 Today was a "catch up with the blog" day.  I have been tardy, not keeping the blog current as we go.  No excuse, just overworked leisure.

While updating the blog we watched the Phillies play the Yankees in Tampa on TV (they won) and later the Flyers lose again.

I am grilling a pork tenderloin outside tonight for dinner. 

 Baseball with Toronto tomorrow and a colder week ahead with several front passages forecasted.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 26

Baseball again today.  It was the Phillies v, the Pittsburg Pirates.  It was another nice weather day, 80 degrees with a little wind from the South.  We did our same game day routine.  The complimentary mimosa upon arrival at our seats in the suite level, loop walk around the field (1/3 of a mile), and a shared Bloody Mary back in our seats.  Then lunch before the game.  Judy had a chicken sandwich, and I had a ballpark cheesesteak (tasty but not a real cheese steak).

It was a good game, the Phillies won 10-4.  There were several home runs and lots of hits.

Phillies - Pirates

After a short shopping trip after the game, it was BBQ sandwiches and salad in the RV for dinner.  We also had a front passage this evening with some short heavy rain.  It quickly passed through and has cooled off a little bit and is now clear.

A day off tomorrow.  Nothing big planned.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 25

Our fourth baseball game today.  The Baltimore Orioles are here from their training location in Sarasota. The game is almost a sellout.  Actually, all the games we have attended this year have had large crowds.  Winning the National League Championship and playing in the World Series last year has renewed interest by a lot of fans.  That and the lifting of COVID restrictions has also helped increase attendance.

We won the game today.  It was warm (82 degrees and breezy but very enjoyable).  We tried the chicken salad at a new ballpark concession for lunch today.  It was very good.

Phillies v. Orioles

After returning to the RV we decided to get a pizza for dinner.  There is pizza chain here (West Shore Pizza) just down the street where we always have takeout pizza.  Great NY style pizza as well as a variety of other Italian food selections

Spring Training 2023 - Day 24

 Laundry day today.  Never a lot of fun but it went pretty well.  We got through it all without any delay by early afternoon. 

After resting a bit, we decided to head over to Frenchy's Rockaway Grill on the water at Clearwater Beach.  The drive over the causeway from Clearwater to Clearwater Beach and the beach area gets very congested as the Spring Break crowd arrives.  It is still a little early for all that so we figured it would be a good time to go there.  It was.  We left around 3:00 pm for a late lunch/early dinner and arrived without any delay. There wasn't a lot of traffic but there was a lot of "beach town" activity and a lot of people on the beach.   Swimming is not advised due to the current "Red Tide" threat, however.  It didn't seem to deter a lot of the younger beach goers in swimming/beach attire. 

The Red Tide is a bacteria like Alge that is common down here mostly in the Summer under certain water and wind conditions.  It is apparently early this year.

Red Tide

We had another great meal at Frenchy's.  We eat here or the other one on the causeway out to Honeymoon Island at least once or more every trip.  They serve a variety of mostly seafood related items but include a lot of other things.  I always get the she-crab soap and a grouper fish sandwich.  Judy, the she-crab soup and fish tacos.  That is what we ordered along pina coladas.  Still delicious.

She-Crab Soup

It was then back to the RV.  It was a little busier on the way home during rush hour but a good day and a great meal.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 23

The Phillies played the Tampa Bay Rays today.  They are the local home team and play their home games during the regular season in St. Petersburg, just South of Tampa.  Their spring training home is also in St. Petersburg.

The teams the Phillies play in spring training have no relation to their division rivals during the regular season.  The schedule is primarily built in regard to geographical location of spring training sites. The Phillies location in Clearwater is closest to those of the Rays (St. Petersburg), Toronto (Dunedin), Detroit (Lakeland), Yankees (Tampa), Pittsburg (Bradenton), Orioles (Sarasota), and the Braves (North Port - near Ft. Meyers) are the teams they play in the spring.  They also play a couple of games with the Twins and Red Sox who train further down the west coast of Florida.  Not a lot of regulars from those teams make the long bus ride to and from Clearwater. Each team however is required to have at least regular players who are on the major league roster for all away games.

 All these teams are in the American League during the regular season except the Braves, who are the farthest away.   All the National League teams in the Phillies Eastern Division (Mets, Nationals, and  Marlins) train on the East coast of Florida along with the Astros, and Cardinals. 

Phillies v Rays

After the game it was back to the RV for dinner and another early to bed.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 22

Since no baseball today. We decided to go over to Costco in Clearwater to get new glasses for me.  I had a new prescription after my annual eye exam just before we left and didn't have time to get new glasses before that.

We also decided to have breakfast at Lenny's, a favorite breakfast restaurant near the ballpark.  Lenny's is a Phllies oriented place with lot of memorabilia, Philadelphia atmosphere and an East Coast menu.  Alas, it was closed and is now only open Wednesday - Sunday, even during spring training.  Perhaps another victim of the post COVID retail readjustment many businesses are experiencing.

There are lots of good restaurants around however and we had an excellent breakfast at a regional chain restaurant, the Bacon Street Diner, adjacent to a nearby mall.  

After Costco, ordering new glasses and filling up the truck with Costco gas ($3.02/gallon) it was back to the RV with a grocery store stop along the way. Dinner in the RV tonight (Sausage sandwiches, pasta salad and baked beans) and early to bed again.  Relaxation is very tiring.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 21

Today was spent mostly completing the site setup and cleaning the RV and outside bins and the truck.

The RV was pretty dirty from the trip here and all the outside bins with hoses and associated equipment needed to be cleaned.  It took most of the day to get everything done, but we are now setup, the RV and truck are clean, and we are ready to relax and watch more baseball.

Hamburgers for dinner after a long workday.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 20

Our second baseball game today. There were 3 games in February before we arrived but we will see 13 games before spring training ends and we leave for home on April 1st.

They played the Pittsburg Pirates today.  They lost but it was good to see live baseball again.

They sometimes have a local little league team take the field before the game and they are joined by the regular players as they take the field.  It is a great experience for the kids and enjoyed by the fans.  The pregame warmups also provide an opportunity for players on different teams who know each other to informally chat before the game starts.

Phillies v Pirates

Dinner in the RV.  Finishing up leftovers from road food.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 19

Our first baseball game today. The Detroit Tigers.

It is good to be back.  Our seats are in the 2nd level.  This is the reserved seating and suite access.  The tickets cost more but are worth it.  You have dedicated bathrooms and concession stand and entry to the area is restricted to ticket holders.  The staff remembered us from past years and were glad to see that we were able to return.  There are also spring training ticket holder friends here that we have known since we first started seating up here.

We changed our seats this year.  We have moved to the disabled section at the far end of the section down the first base line.  Judy can sit in her walker and there is an accompanying. stadium seat.  There is more room and there are no steps to get up and move around the area.  This will work out better for us this year.

As the Phillies won the National League Championship last year, the Phillies have setup a tent on the right field walkway with the league trophy inside. Attendees can lineup and have their picture taken by a staff member with the trophy.  Of course, we had to do that.

A number of Phillies players will be leaving spring training to play for the USA team as well as several other international teams in the World Baseball Classic. We will only see some of them in the first few games and then towards the end, depending how the USA team does in the tournament. Alas, the Phillies lost today.

Phillies v Tigers

After the game we went out to dinner at Cody's Roadhouse, another favorite, peanut-shells-on-the-floor casual restaurant close to our RV park.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 18

 After sleeping in and breakfast, the mission for today was the laundry.  Never a fun experience no matter where you are on the road. It is a lot of work dealing with machine availability and laundromat machines of variable reliability that eat quarters like popcorn.  Nevertheless, we got it all done despite a backlog that we hadn't had the time to deal with the last portion of the trip.

I also got the truck washed and got a few supplies at the local grocery store- (Publix - a big grocery store chain down here).

Our first baseball game tomorrow - Phillies vs Detroit.

Spring Training 2023 - Day 17

 We arrived in Oldsmar at our RV Park destination, the Bay Bayou RV Resort, and checked in right at noon.  The rest of the day was spent getting the site set up for our stay and rearranging the RV from travel mode to living mode.  It all takes time, and we were pretty tired at the end of the day, so it was a light dinner in the RV and early to bed. After a long trip we are finally here (2997.8 miles).  It is good to be back.

No game tomorrow se we have another day to get settled.