On my 16th day of self-isolation (and what would’ve been Opening Day of Major League Baseball), I talked to a friend who works in the Yankees’ minor league system about his two-week quarantine in Tampa.
(This is the closest thing I have to baseball right now, and the miniature Reese’s I bought on my only grocery store run in the last 20 days aren’t numbing the pain.)
Quarantine Experience
Jon arrived at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 27. In his fourth year as an athletic trainer in the Yankees farm system, he was looking forward to kicking off another season.
He has spent the last three summers with the Staten Island Yankees, the Class A short-season affiliate and namesake of the big-league squad.
Official team workouts start in March, but Jon wanted to be there early to help with individual workouts as players trickled in.
Fast forward two months, and the season is in jeopardy. All sporting events have been canceled or postponed, and he just wrapped up a two-week quarantine with the players he was looking forward to helping.
“Once we had the meeting and shut everything down, everybody didn’t know what to do with themselves,” Jon said. “Baseball players are such creatures of habit, so they have their routine. It was like, ‘Can I still throw?’ ‘What can I do?'”
Both the MLB and MiLB shut down spring training and postponed their seasons on March 12. Three days later, baseball had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. That player was a minor leaguer in the Yankees farm system.
“It was weird being the first organization with a confirmed case,” Jon said. “I wouldn’t say there was panic, but it was just uncertain.”
Jon and the rest of the staff and minor league players were told to stay in their hotel rooms (or alternative housing) and leave as infrequently as possible, only when essential.
As part of the medical staff, Jon was there to check on players and help if anyone experienced symptoms. He also helped deliver the meals he was so appreciative of receiving.
“The (Yankees) organization was great. They took great care of our guys and provided everybody with meals during the quarantine period.”
But this new role didn’t take up as much time as the role he typically plays.
“We don’t usually have any days off in March,” he said. “Once we hit the first workout, it’s 6:30 (a.m.) to 5 in the evening. If I wanted to lift, I’d have to lift after work. And then it’s go home, eat and go to bed, and get up and do it again the next day.”
Luckily, the athletic trainer with newfound (forced) free time bought a PlayStation just before the quarantine.
“That was a great investment,” he said. “I’ve absolutely dominated some NHL. I started a career and stuff, although I got drafted by the Red Wings, so that kind of sucks. But we’ll work our way out of that.”
He’s also doing a Bible-in-a-year study and says he has enough space in his room to refine his putting skills and play around with his golf clubs.
“I’ve been doing some hotel workouts, too,” he said. “It’s tough with just doing body-weight stuff. I had been on a really good lifting routine before this all started, so (I’m) just trying to stay in that.”
Jon says players were also given body-weight workouts and other programs to help with their mobility.
Players were released from quarantine on March 26, but international players who were unable to return to their home countries stayed in Tampa.
Jon and a lot of the staff are still around as well.
Although (like many Americans and people around the world) he and the team are trying to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation, he says the waiting game is tough.
“I’m down here to work,” he said. “It’s weird to not be in the complex with these guys and building relationships and hanging out in the dugout. This is just so different than anything I’ve experienced in baseball.”
Thank you to Jon for giving us an inside look. He also shared his recommendations forall of us to stay in shape during this time of staying home.
“Get up and move. Body-weight workouts can be great for overall fitness, and if you’ve got stairs or weight equipment, that is even better. Blocking out 30-45 minutes a day to move and get your heart pumping is a great start to any day.”
So Jon, where do my miniature Reese’s factor in to the equation?
After an emotional Ballpark No. 6, I headed out west to compose myself and to experience the Pacific Northwest, including Ballpark No. 7 – T-Mobile Park, home of the Mariners.
That Pacific Northwest feeling at Yaquina Head Lighthouse
I arrived in Oregon on Friday night (more accurately, Saturday morning) and plan to drive up to Washington on Wednesday for Fireworks Night and a July 3 meeting between the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners.
I don’t have any significant memories of the Mariners other than playing “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest” on N64.
(It was never my favorite MLB video game, but the commercial was definitely something.)
The only things I knew about Mariners history before researching it were that they boast a couple megastar alumni (Junior and Ichiro Suzuki) and strung together one phenomenal regular season at some point in my lifetime.
Mariners History Lesson
The Mariners are a 1977 expansion team that didn’t finish a season above .500 until 1991. They originally played in the Kingdome and moved to Safeco Field (renamed T-Mobile Park in 2019) in 1999.
Two years later (Ichiro’s rookie year), they posted the most-ever wins by an AL team, finishing 116-46. They went on to lose to the Yankees in the ALCS that season.
The Mariners have made three American League Championship Series appearances (1995, 2000, 2001) but haven’t made it to the postseason since.
Cardinals Connections
Three former Redbirds play for the Mariners, and one is scheduled to start on Wednesday, when Mike Leake takes the mound against former teammate Adam Wainwright.
(The other two are starting pitcher Marco Gonzales, which is how the Cardinals acquired Tyler O’Neill, and Sam Tuivailala, who is on a rehab assignment after an Achilles injury sidelined him last season.)
Game Preview Cardinalsvs. Mariners T-Mobile Park Wednesday, July 3, 2019 7:10 p.m. PT Probable starting pitchers: STL Adam Wainwright (RHP)vs.SEA Mike Leake (RHP)
The Cardinals had a magical Albert Pujols weekend but have since struggled yet again. Going into the series, they are 41-41 but only three games out in the division (as of right now when I’m writing this because the Brewers already lost today).
Seattle got off to a hot 8-1 start in April but quickly crashed and burned. The Mariners now sit at a dismal 37-51 going into the series and are 18 games out of the AL West.
Personal Game Notes – The Cardinals are 4-2 when I attend games specifically for Ballparking It. – This marks the second time they’ve faced a former Cardinals starting pitcher when I’m in attendance. (The last resulted in a Cardinals victory over Lance Lynn and the Twins at Ballpark No. 2.) – This is my second stadium with a retractable roof. (The last resulted in a loss to the Brewers at Ballpark No. 3.) – The Cards are 2-0 when I’ve seen them at AL stadiums in the Ballparking It era. – This is my second Wednesday game (the other being Ballpark No. 2) and first time repeating a specific weekday on this journey.
On Deck: #SpookySummer
I’m in the middle of Spooky Summer 2019 – Halloween all year long, so I’m making a pit stop in Snoqualmie, Washington, to channel my inner special agent Dale Cooper and celebrate Fourth of July Twin Peaks style. Who killed Laura Palmer, anyone?
I’m also planning to hit up Timberline Lodge (as seen in “The Shining”) on my way back to where I’m staying in Oregon.
Occasionally, you get lucky enough for someone to offer you free baseball tickets. If you get really lucky, those tickets are for seats right behind the dugout on a night your team is in town, and it just so happens, so is your alma mater.
This is the dream scenario I’m living this week at my fourth ballpark, Guaranteed Rate Field, when the Chicago White Sox host the St. Louis Cardinals and former Flyin’ Illini great Kendall Gill throws out the ceremonial first pitch.
Low-quality photo of my first White Sox game, pre-Ballparking It
The Tuesday evening affair will mark my first night game of the season and the second time I’ll see a DH in the lineup.
I could have used this post as a cautionary tale about the importance of naming rights (or the lack of importance of the DH). I didn’t, but I do find it worth mentioning that the state of Illinois (my home state) owns the ballpark, so the White Sox are kind of Illinois’ MLB team.
In fact, if I had to pick an American League team to follow, I might pick the White Sox, somewhat due to proximity but mostly due to the whole enemy of my enemy thing. (Side note, I’m pretty sure White Sox was the name of my team during the rookie season of my two-year T-ball career.)
Like two of the other teams whose ballparks I’ve visited this season (the Reds and Twins), the White Sox won a World Series in my lifetime before the Cardinals did.
In 2005, the year the White Sox won, the Cardinals were 100-62 in the regular season but lost (heartbreakingly) to the Houston Astros in the National League Championship Series. The Sox were 99-63 in the regular season and beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League Championship Series.
I have a tendency to avoid any mention of baseball once the Cardinals are eliminated (I’m a baby like that), so I’m pretty confident I did not watch any of the White Sox-Astros World Series. The only thing I vaguely remember about the South Siders winning it all is their rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” and how glad I was that the Sox made it to three rings before their North Side rivals did.
The White Sox have been around since 1901 and have three World Series titles (1906, 1917 and 2005). Guaranteed Rate Field (formerly called U.S. Cellular Field) opened in 1991 as a second Comiskey Park. The Sox played at the original Comiskey Park from 1910 t0 1990 and before that, they played at the 39th Street Grounds from 1900 to 1910.
My History with the Ballpark
I’ve been to the current ballpark before but not during the Ballparking It era and not when it was called Guaranteed Rate. (As I declared in my original post, I started back at zero.)
Low-quality photo of my first White Sox game, pre-Ballparking It
The first time around (Aug. 20, 2014), I also had a free ticket and great view, thanks to a friend from college. The Orioles beat the Sox that night, but he, another friend and I shared a nacho helmet, and nothing says friendship like eating nachos from a helmet.
This Time Around
I’m not a huge fan of Chicago. Is that mostly because of the Cubs? Maybe. But I cannot deny that Chicago does two things really, really well – hot dogs and pizza.
(It’s almost 1 a.m. while I’m writing this, and I really want a hot dog covered in sport peppers with a dill pickle spear right now.)
Last time I went to a White Sox game, I got a basic hot dog (in addition to the nachos). This time, I want a Chicago-style one. At Guaranteed Rate Field, it’s called a Comiskey Dog.
(If I don’t eat a Comiskey Dog, it better be because I ate deep-dish pizza instead.)
I enjoy baseball history as much as the food, so I’m excited to check out the White Sox Legends Sculpture Plaza in the outfield to learn more about the franchise.
I wish the White Sox also had a full museum at the ballpark to offer an inside look at both the good and the bad of their history, including the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. It would be fascinating to see how they approach the topic of allegedly throwing a World Series. (The Reds were on the winning side of that World Series, but I didn’t specifically look for anything about it in the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum when I was there in April.)
Illini Night
Like many teams, the White Sox host special theme nights, and the game I’m going to happens to be one of my personal favorites, Illini Night. (I didn’t realize it until a couple days ago, but I’m glad it worked out that way.)
I’ve been to one Illini Night at Busch Stadium (in 2017) and had a blast.
I had to miss Illini Night at Busch Stadium this year (because I was still in Minnesota after the Twins game). I did, however, see former Illini and current PGA golfer Steve Stricker throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Brewers game in May, so I will have seen former Illini stars throw out first pitches in back-to-back games.
Game Preview Cardinals vs. White Sox Guaranteed Rate Field Tuesday, July 10, 2018 7:10 p.m. CT Probable starting pitchers: STL Miles Mikolas (RHP) vs. CWS Dylan Covey (RHP)
The Cardinals have struggled off and on this season and have hit a rough patch as of late. The White Sox have struggled the entire season and are in somewhat of a rebuild mode. They’re on a five-game losing skid.
Recent All-Star Game selection Miles Mikolas (9-3, 2.63 ERA) will be on the bump once again for the Cardinals, marking the third time (out of four) he has pitched in a game I’ve attended this year. (The Cardinals are 2-0 when I see a Mikolas start so far this season.)
Big thank you to my brother’s work friend, who hooked us up with these awesome tickets. Thanks, man.
Also, another thank you to my brother’s college friend, who gave me my first White Sox ticket.
My second of 30 ballparks brought me to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, for an interleague meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals, dollar hot dogs and a whole lot of sunshine.
Welcome to Target Field
Game Day Conditions
The Twins game was only about one month after our inaugural road trip to Cincinnati, but the weather was about as different as possible … sunny, hot, barely a cloud in the sky, what most people probably think of as baseball weather. However, after a long winter that overstayed its welcome well into mid-April, this game marked the first time this year I spent multiple consecutive hours in the sun.
Game time was 80 degrees, and the temperature reached the upper 80s, which I would not have guessed for a May game in Minnesota. I wasn’t quite in midsummer form for tolerating the sun and accompanying heat (and by the looks of all the fans flocking to guest services for free sunscreen and a little shade, I was not the only one).
Note: Although it’s not right on the river, Target Field is the only other baseball stadium (the other being my home team’s ballpark, Busch Stadium) that’s in an MLB town on the Mississippi, so I felt like I had something in common with Twins fans.
Game Day (May 16, 2018)
My brother and I had driven to the Twin Cities area the night before the Wednesday afternoon game, so we had a (relatively) short drive to the ballpark on game day. No Uber for us this time … we navigated our way to Target Field ourselves (well, with the help of Waze).
There are parking garages conveniently located right around the stadium. Did I struggle with figuring out how to get into them, drive past the entrances a few times times and start to freak out a little? Sure. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t convenient. Plus, we got a few cool views of the ballpark as I drove somewhat aimlessly around it.
Skybridge from parking garage to Target Field (me driving aimlessly)
Once we finally parked (at the very top of one of the garages), we made our way down to ground level and crossed the street to the stadium.
Target Field is unlike any ballpark I have ever seen, and I’m still not certain whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It kind of looks like someone is launching a missile off its roof (more so in the photos than in person), and with all that limestone, it doesn’t really scream baseball to me.
Target Field missile-like roof
Regardless of whether or not the building itself looks like a baseball stadium, fans are treated to plenty of baseball history as they make their way to the entrance.
The Twins’ World Series, American League and division championship banners caught our eyes as we walked toward the stadium, so we took a brief detour to see what they were all about. The banners on the stadium to the left of (what I would call) the main entrance made their way clockwise around the building in chronological order.
1987 World Series banner
I took a minute to mourn the Cardinals’ 1987 World Series loss to the Twins from the year before I was born, which I mentioned in my Target Field preview.
But I bounced back quickly when I saw the Kent Hrbek statue … not because I recognized Hrbek (I didn’t) but because I clearly enjoy posing with statues.
Kent Hrbek statue
Kent Hrbek plaque
And yes, I realize Hrbek helped the Twins win the World Series at my team’s expense and that I basically (unintentionally) look like a cheerleader hanging out with him, but I don’t really have strong feelings about the Twins, and I’m all for getting lost in baseball history, regardless of the team (although I can maybe think of one exception).
After the Hrbek detour, I got distracted by this street banner of the game’s starting pitcher, Lance Lynn … mostly because I appreciate him as a former Cardinal and goofball and a little bit because he was struggling going into the start and would maybe be what the Redbirds needed to get back on track. (Sorry, Lance.)
Still a Lance Lynn fan
My brother and I then made our way back to where we started and to what I would call the front of Target Field. Unlike our first ballpark (Great American Ball Park with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum), the Twins do not have a museum, at least not in building form. They do, however, proudly display their history outside the ballpark in an area called Target Plaza, but more on that later.
We entered Gate 34 (named after Twins Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett) from the Target Plaza area. Security was quick. We were there early, and there wasn’t much of a crowd at that point. (Gates open 90 minutes before the game Monday through Thursday and two hours prior to the game on Friday through Sunday.)
Me and brother entering Target Field
View immediately inside Gate 34
Once inside, we explored a little and made our way to our section (126), which happened to be where the Cardinals were stretching and signing autographs. Batting practice was over, but we probably still could have gotten autographs if we tried.
Cardinals pitchers
Pitchers Matt Bowman (I think) and Brett Cecil
I have to give a shoutout to pitcher Michael Wacha, who stuck around to sign autographs for pretty much every fan who asked. What a guy. (Side note, so many Molina shirts.)
Nice-guy Michael Wacha signing autographs
Nice-guy Wacha still signing autographs
We then made our way to the dugout, which doesn’t have quite as much character as Cincinnati’s but still offers nice views of the ballpark. We chose the third base side, which is the away team dugout.
Me and my brother at the Twins away dugout
Twins away dugout
After our dugout stop, we walked around the concourse some more, checked out the team store and took photos from about every angle of the stadium. (And unlike our first ballpark adventure, this time, we took advantage of the escalator.)
T.C. Bear pointing up the escalator
My brother and this cool ticket from Target Field’s inaugural game
Me being either A) bossy or B) indecisive
From left field
To me, the two best views are looking out at the Minneapolis skyline and looking in toward home plate. (I think skyline views in ballparks are always some of the coolest features, and this one is no exception.)
Minnepolis skyline
Looking toward home
My absolute favorite feature of the ballpark (and the one that to me, feels like it screams baseball) is this old-timey image of Minneapolis and St. Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River that sits atop the stadium in center field. (I think I mostly like that it is both vintage-looking and geographically accurate in that the Mississippi does in fact separate the Twin Cities … plus, the whole friendship thing. Adorable.)
Minneapolis and St. Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River
Once the game started, we stopped exploring and stayed in our seats (other than to make a few trips to the concession stand and Guest Service Center.) Again, I’m not much of a roamer when there is baseball to watch.
Play ball! View from section 126, row 9, seats 7 and 8
The day’s menu? Dollar hot dogs and bottled water. And with all that money I saved on my $1 dog (because the Twins have $1 hot dogs every Wednesday in 2018), I was able to splurge on this Chocolate Malt Cup … which I guess is technically malt-flavored ice cream rather than actual malt? I’m no expert. Either way, it was delicious, and so was my hot dog. Plus, the frozen treat was fantastic on one of the first steamy days of the summer.
Chocolate Malt Cup time
During the game, we enjoyed some between-innings entertainment from the Twins mascot (T.C. Bear) and a race by an odd assortment of misfits, which included the Target dog.
Race winner
The yellow one (above) was so far ahead that you can’t even see the other runners (below) in the same photo.
The losers
Between all the entertainment and snacking, I managed to secure my second passport stamp for my MLB GameDay Pass-Port book. Unfortunately, I forgot the book at home (and I couldn’t find any in the team store), but the lady at the guest services booth stamped a random Twins business card for me. Problem solved.
Plus, I got my second first-time visitor certificate of the season. I picked it up before the game on the upper level. Unlike the Reds, the Twins staff does not print a custom certificate and instead, hands you a colorful blank certificate for you to fill in later. While this was slightly more eye-catching than the plain Reds one, I preferred the custom printed, official-looking Reds certificate.
(I also got a free Twins magazine with a scorecard and other info that I admittedly still haven’t read.)
Passport stamp and first-game certificate after the game
Looking out over the field
Game Highlights
It wasn’t pretty, but the Redbirds came away with a 7-5 win in a game that lasted just shy of four hours. (I had no idea the game was that long until I looked up the duration weeks later. It was over an hour longer than our previous game, but I actually prefer the longer games when I’m visiting a new stadium.)
As predicted, Lynn wasn’t sharp, but neither was Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Both pitchers had early exits, and the game was decided by the bullpen. Bud Norris got the save, and flamethrower Jordan Hicks picked up his second win of the season.
Game Summary
MLB GameDay Pass-Port summary page for Twins game
Target Plaza
As I mentioned earlier, the Twins don’t have a traditional museum, but they make great use of the area outside the ballpark with Target Plaza. If you’re in the Minneapolis area, I suggest you visit. It’s basically a free outdoor museum, featuring the Twins Hall of Fame, year-by-year rosters, several statues and one of my personal favorites, this giant glove.
Giant glove at Target Plaza
I also highly enjoyed the Kirby Puckett statue and accompanying quotes from the 10-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer. (I loved reading quotes for all the statues. That was one of my favorite parts of Target Plaza.)
Kirby Puckett statue
Kirby Puckett statue plaque
As good as the first quote is, this next one might be my 5-foot-0 self’s new quote to live by.
Another Puckett quote
There are other statues as well, including this Twins ball.
Twins ball
And I couldn’t pass up a photo opportunity with the Twins mascot, T.C. Bear. (I wouldn’t have been able to tell you their mascot was a bear before this game.)
T.C. Bear and me
Our last stop in Target Plaza was the Twins Hall of Fame, which spans the bridge across I-394.
Twins Hall of Fame
Twins Hall of Famer Torii Hunter (possibly my favorite Twin … I don’t remember Puckett firsthand)
After the game, we sought out some food (and more importantly, air conditioning) at The Loon Cafe, just a few blocks east of the ballpark.
I had a Southwest turkey sandwich, and my brother had a grilled skinless cajun chicken breast sandwich. Mine was OK, but I’m still jealous of his beautiful chicken sandwich (below). The Loon, as I’ll now call it, is heavy on the Twins theming, and it’s known for its chili, which is served at Target Field.
My brother’s sandwich at the Loon Cafe
Two Down, 28 to Go
Overall, Target Field offered up a great baseball experience. Was it the most unique or charming baseball experience of all time? Probably not. Did it check all the boxes for a great game day experience? I’d say so. To me, the inside of the park is more impressive than the physical appearance of the ballpark from the outside, but Target Plaza truly feels like baseball.
Target Plaza is 100 percent worth the (free) experience. Go. I can’t say that enough. Even if you’re not going to a game, just walk around and take in the Twins history … FOR FREE. But if you’re in the area anyway, I also recommend you catch a game … and eat a hot dog, especially if it’s a dollar dog Wednesday.
Check back for a full Target Field photo gallery and for my adventures to other Twin Cities destinations, including the Mall of America. (When in Minnesota, am I right?)
Target Plaza
Shoutout to two of my great friends (and their adorable daughters), who let us stay at their place throughout the trip. I appreciate it a whole lot and miss you guys. Thanks for hosting.
For my second of 30 MLB ballparks, I’m headed to Minneapolis for a midweek day game between the Twins and Cardinals.
I admittedly don’t know a lot about the Minnesota Twins or their ballpark, Target Field. I do know the Twins play that other brand of baseball where the pitcher doesn’t get to bat, but I also know I end up at Target multiple times per week … so I’m keeping an open mind. (Plus, I believe Torii Hunter was my go-to American League center fielder when it came time for All-Star voting in the 2000s.)
Unlike the Reds, whose ballpark I just visited and who have been around in some form since professional baseball began, the Twins got their start in 1901 as one of the multiple iterations of the Washington Senators. They didn’t move to Minneapolis and become the Twins until 1961.
The Twins were apparently all the rage right before I made my grand appearance on this planet, winning the World Series in 1987 against my would-be favorite franchise, the St. Louis Cardinals. (Side note, back then, the Twins weren’t playing at Target Field, which opened in 2010. They were playing in the Metrodome, which I remember most for its roof collapse.)
I forced myself to watch highlights from the seven-game ’87 World Series to get a better feel for the history between the teams I’ll be watching on the field this week. They were shockingly less depressing than expected. (And now I know what I’ll be humming throughout the game on Wednesday.)
The Twins went on to win another World Series in 1991 but haven’t claimed the crown since.
I’ve been to the Minneapolis area four times in my life, twice to visit friends and twice for college sporting events (basketball and gymnastics), but never for baseball.
My first trip to Minneapolis was an Orange Krush road trip my senior year of college in 2011. For those who don’t know, the Orange Krush is the charitable student cheering section at Illini basketball games, and each year, Krush invades a Big Ten opponent’s arena.
(Maybe I’ll do a throwback blog on that at a later date. But for now, enjoy this picture of me getting back to the student union after a 25-hour bus trip, 7 a.m. on a Thursday to 8 a.m. on a Friday, from Champaign to Minneapolis and back. I basically got off the bus, brushed my teeth and went to class. Illinois won, so it was worth it.)
Original 2011 Facebook caption: Proof that I’m willing to sacrifice personal hygiene for the Illini
Now, back to baseball.
Going into this two-game series, the Cardinals (22-16) are 2-4 since sweeping the Cubs, May 4-6 at Busch Stadium. (Sorry, I HAD to put that somewhere on this blog). Two of those four losses came to Minnesota in a two-game series last week in St. Louis. The Twins (17-20) have won seven of their last 10 games.
Of note, former Cardinal Lance Lynn will be taking the mound for the Twins, looking for his second win of the season with a 1-3 record and 7.34 ERA. Also worth noting, I’ll be going to my second Miles Mikolas game of the season, which could be a good thing because he is 5-0 with a 2.51 ERA. If he wins this game, maybe I should make this a tradition.
Game Preview Cardinals vs. Twins Target Field Wednesday, May 16, 2018 12:10 p.m. CT Probable starting pitchers: STL Miles Mikolas (RHP) vs. MIN Lance Lynn (RHP)
Twins Tickets
Editor’s note: About five paragraphs in, I realized I forgot my MLB GameDay Pass-Port and pretty much spent the rest of the night freaking out about it. I was already two hours from home and didn’t want to spend four extra hours driving back home to get it, but I did want the stamp. At press time, I was still trying to decide what to do. (Hey, at least it’s not a real passport.)
