UYE Durham Bulls Game

Please don’t let my lapse reflect the awesome-​ness that was experienced at this UYE thanks to the mad planning and eagle-​eye «groupon» skillz of Ron W.
This was my second time out to a Durham Bulls game and like the last, I wasn’t the least bit disappointed in the entertainment! It was just made sweeter by partaking in $ 5 tickets coupled with a fireworks show extraordinaire! I got to meet some new Unilocalers (Ed T., Dan R. and Kevin P.) as well as re-​connect with the usual welcoming and friendly crew of Unilocalers. I got to bond with Meghan B. over our stints in Las Vegas, Ed T. over climbing… and I got to shake my bootie for Phil G. Unfortunately, I missed out on an hour of the first few innings due to a small paper cup failure over $ 1 family-​night fries and dogs at the concession stands. I was satiated by my $ 6 beer however and talking with disgruntled baseball fans in line… I milked it for all it was worth waiting in the line when I (among others) ultimately caved in and brought back the $ 6 family bucket of FAIL fries.
That’s alright… Bulls Win! Bulls Win! Bulls Win!!!

Great UYE! I love me some good olé’ American baseball. :)
It was great to see some familiar faces and also meet some newbies to the area. Thanks to Ellen for the cookies to celebrate Canada Day! They were way better than Crackerjacks.
I was really impressed by the stadium! It’s the nicest, newest, and cleanest minor league stadium I’ve been to, and no, I’m not saying that just because my home team (Rays, baby) happens to be the parent team. I love that they have lots of local beers on tap, I just wish they’d offer those for a buck along with the hot dogs!
There should be multiple UYEs here. Thanks to Ron W. for the idea and getting all the tickets!

Oops, way way late to the reviews. (And about to be way way late to dinner, so it’s a quick one.)
I love any baseball game — and I freakin’ looove the minor league games. (They try harder!!) And the best part was hanging out with all the Unilocalers. Great to meet y’all!

Way late to the reviews, but AWESOME UYE!
Ron W. hit a home run with this game-​changing UYE!!! Other Unilocalers will have a hard time beating this batting average!
I barely even watched the game. Ellen quickly became my favorite person by 1) Bringing in Canada Day themed sugar cookies 2) Sharing her extremely expensive and amazingly delicious french fries with me and 3) As in her words, discovering we’re living parallel Twilight Zone lives.
Then the conversation from Christina made me wonder what the heck happens at CM gatherings. Much talk of being «iced» and then talk of what sounded like role-​play parties. Maybe I’m mixing up different stories, but now all I want to do is crash a CM conference!
Meghan was the expert of the game, explaining rules and knowing lyrics to baseball songs. It was most impressive. That and her brief touch with child genius.
I loved the fireworks! And I was vastly amused by the Unilocal men’s inability or thwarted attempts to buy $ 1 food items.
All in all, most deserving of 5 stars. And Ed T most gallantly walked me back home. Who said chivalry was dead?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I always have a good time meeting up with the Unilocal crew.
The great thing about this meet up was the zen-​like awareness one develops while looking out for foul balls while also chatting with the group. This is how you become one with all things… or risk going home with a second forehead.
Big props to Ron W for sharing the wealth of his group discount on tickets. I had not been to a Durham Bulls game before, but after going, I am impressed. I’ve never been a big baseball fan, but the charm of a minor league game is that it’s more about hanging out than being a die hard fan. There was inter-​inning entertainment, including sumo wrestling and a hot dog eating contest (the winner ate 2 hot dogs). The beer was good, and even though I didn’t eat, I didn’t anyone complain about the hot dogs and fries. Also, lots of families around, so a good place to take the kidswithout a huge jam of people like you would find at an MLB game.
Glad I made it out, as always —

We were happy to celebrate Canada Day in an all-​American way! To me, baseball games are more about socializing with friends and eating bad stadium food, so we scored on that front. To prove my complete cluelessness to baseball, I don’t even know the words to «Take me Out to the Ballgame» (or maybe that’s a Canadian thing). Like Christina, I barely paid attention to the game because we were so busy gabbing, stuffing our faces with junk food, and checking out the hot baseball players — only for Susan Z’s benefit, of course.
Great meeting Ed T, Kevin P, and Dan R and for the hilarious group conversations we had. One particular snippet I caught was Christina G discussing a sexy costume party where people would dress up like «professors and students» or «jocks and cheerleaders» — I’m just sorry I missed the first part of that conversation! Also cool was bonding time with Spusan since we discovered *gasp* that we have the same alma mater and that our lives are turning out parallel in a weird, twilight-​zone kind of way.
The weather was just perfect — comfortably warm but not hot by any means. The fireworks show was captivating and surprisingly lengthy, although a little scary since they were shot off a truck in the middle of the field just 200 feet away. (I was imagining freak accidents in the manner of Michael Jackson’s Pepsi commercial).
Great event, Ron. Thanks for scoring the tickets and for arranging this fun-​tastic UYE!

There’s a saying that it’s better to be lucky in life than skilled and I’d have to agree! I had a lovely time last night, hanging out with fellow Triangle Unilocalers on an amazingly comfortable evening. When do you ever get temps in the lower 70’s for a July beisbol game? $ 1 dogs, fries, popcorn… The Bulls breaking a 0 – 0 tie game in the 8^th inning with three homeruns… Tickets at half price AND a fireworks show after the game?! Oh and yeah, the bull billboard lighting up with smoke coming out of its nostrils, way cool!
Great to see Ed T for the first time, Kevin P getting out for a bit and the Meghan B on a brief respite from work. And of course the usual cadre of Unilocal kids (Ellen, thanks for the cookies!). Missed a couple of people for the game but no worries, the extra tix were secured by a daddy-​daughter couple for the game so everything worked out great.
While it’s always fun to meet fellow Unilocalers at a bar or lounge, sometimes these outdoors UYE’s are even more fun… Thanks everyone for coming out and hanging in Durham, we shall see ya again soon…

Ron W pitches another no-​hitter! Great crowd of ten Unilocalers gathered for a good ol’ fashioned American past-​time. Ron scored us discount tix in advance and the seats were phenomenal — luckily no fly balls in our immediate vicinity! Highlights from the game — or – er, the event (since the conversation was so good, I didn’t really catch much of the baseball!):
7:15pm
Meghan B explains that how she was mistakenly id’d a an advanced reader in kindergarten… turns out she was just looking at the pictures in that Adventures of Huck Finn book! (But hey, turns out she’s an advanced Unilocal writer in the end. ;)
7:30pm
Ellen C unveils cookies! In honor of Canada Day! Sugar cookies! With red sprinkles! I fully expected her and Susan Z to break forth in the national anthem; maybe next year.
8pm
Dan C returns triumphantly (45 minutes later) from the food line. Curse you family night!
8:15pm
Susan Z and Ellen C speculate that the ball players walk funny due to «giant jock straps»
8:30pm
Susan Z asserts that «those Amish know how to make those donuts» — and apparently she’s driving to Pennsylvania and meeting a pal from NY just to get some (uh, donuts) this weekend. =P
8:43pm
Phil G and Dan R receive impromptu booty-​shakin’ lap dance from Dan C. Niiice. At this point, I’ve consumed a Dillard’s pulled pork sammie, two cups o’ fries and a dozen of Ellen’s cookies — proving that gargantuan amounts of food can indeed still be consumed at non-​foodie Unilocal events.
9pm
I explain the rules of icing. NC: look out; you won’t know what hit ya. Kevin P and Ron W discuss the merits of potential guys’ night rendezvous points ( Unilocalettes, consider yourselves warned! ;)
10pm
Bulls’ shut it out with 5 runs in the 8^th inning — and two back-​to-​back homeruns! See, I watched a little of the game…
10:05pm
Twenty whole friggin’ minutes of fireworks and much oohing and aahing and neck craning. And slightly bizarre rap music in the background (?) Better show than a few July 4^th celebrations I’ve attended. Well done, DBAP.
10:20pm
Ed T pledges that the minor leagues are what’s up
True dat.