Last night, Gale and I went to the Indians-Cardinals game. This was the first foray into the ampm All-You-Can-Eat Seats at Progressive Field. This is the section in the upper deck that offers soda, hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and peanuts in stuff-your-face style.

However, the flaw in the system is in its delivery. The assumption on my part going in was that there would be people taking care of my orders, much like a regular concession stand. Not so fast, my friend. The setup is much the same as it is in the Club Seats. Of course, without the really, really good food.

Here's the deal. There is a unique stand to those who sit in this ampm-sponsored section. You have a voucher with your ticket that you give to an usher upon entering, and they slap a wristband on you. The line forms, but it is all self-serve! So, you are the mercy of the aged, the indigent, the youth, the motor-skilled challenged, amongst others.

The only food portion that is regular-size is the hot dog. Peanuts and popcorn come in the same-sized cups that are used in the Clubs, so it isn't as if you are getting full bags of popcorn and peanuts. If you get nachos, there are about 10 chips plus nacho cheese. If you want salsa or peppers, you are SOL. Sodas also come in the much smaller cups. So, if you get behind a kid, they have to reach up for the cup at the self-serve fountain, get their own ice and hope they hit the right button for soda dispensing, etc. Last night, for instance, I would hate to miss an Albert Pujols homer because some kid was dawdling in line. Didn't happen to me, but it could have.

My take on the section is if you are an adult, pass on this section. It would be great if you could get full-sized pop and popcorn and nachos, because you'd probably only have to only make one pass through. I realize now they really can't execute it that way because the lines would be way too long. For the kids, yeah, probably not a bad idea. They can run through the lines a lot, without much care for the game.

But an interesting thing happened after the game. Don't know if this happens all the time, but they had a whole bunch of hot dogs left over that they were giving away. It didn't appear that you needed a wristband. And people were, indeed, loading up on the way out. So, if you find yourself upstairs after a game, take a walk over there, you might get yourself a postgame snack for free.

BTW, the gulls were not a factor. Sure, there were a few flying mainly near the light supports, but nothing on the field and nowhere near the record numbers that have been down there lately. The Indians were shooting fireworks between innings as a precaution to scare them off. But the gulls were mostly gone before the game, so I'm wondering if more nefarious methods were used ahead of time.

Oh, and the Indians won. And we did not stay for fireworks.

Meal of Links

The Lifehacker Cookbook. Some good stuff there.

Bill O'Reilly gets mad. So much yelling.

The first County corruption indictments came down yesterday. The minnows are cooperating, meaning nothing but bad times ahead for the big fish.

The Worst Drug Movie Ever



Exercise Yard

Pittsburgh-City of Champions. Ugh.

But you can't beat the tradition and uber coolness of the Stanley Cup presentation, regardless of who wins.



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26 Down: Mexican beer with XX on its label (8 letters) Answer: Dos Equis "Stay thirsty, my friend."