My interest in professional sports ranks somewhere down there below my desire to understand differential calculus or the federal tax code. I feel that those things are certainly worthy in themselves, but they have little meaning to my daily existence. And I understand that I live in a society where my disinterest in sports is not quite the norm.

So when Devin told me that for date night this week we were going to a San Francisco Giants baseball game, I didn’t exactly jump up and down and shout with glee. I much prefer dates to the symphony or to plays or movies. Still, I give Devin a TON of credit for constantly dreaming up different things for us to do so that we don’t get stuck in a rut. So it wasn’t really a big deal for me to agree to go along.

We had a nice corporate suite that his company let us use, and that made it rather nice. Fortunately, since it was all junior staff at tonight’s event (I guess the particular game held no interest for the bigwigs), there was no catered food in our box. As we walked down the long hallway of other suites, however, we were overpowered by the smell of garlic. Apparently garlic fries are the big thing. Who knew.

Devin went off to get himself a bite at one of the concession stands. When he got back, he begged me to go down there again with him so I could “see the kind of food they have and how huge all the people are who are waiting in line.” I respectfully declined.

The game was pleasant but uneventful. We had a nice time and left early to avoid the crush.

Many people have mentioned to me how hard they find it to go to the ballpark and NOT overeat, and now I have a greater appreciation for what they are talking about. Because basically, its not really about a baseball game. At any given moment, probably only about 10% of the spectators are even looking out at the field. Instead, 90% of the people who are there are talking, laughing, partying, calling friends, drinking beer, and just having a fun time outdoors. If there is a particularly exciting play on the field, people begin to clap and then everyone looks over to the players, but soon they lose interest and go back to what they are doing.

I was lucky tonight because I went home first, had a sensible dinner and then brushed my teeth. By the time I got to the park, the smell of the food was tempting but not overwhelming. So avoiding the garlic fries really wasn’t much of a feat. And once I saw the kinds of stuff people were digging into (nachos, beer, hot dogs) I really didn’t feel as though I were missing out.

Maybe for date night next week, *I* should be proactive and think of something. I’m open to healthy suggestions!