Ten Year-Olds

We didn’t actually see a red carpet Sunday night. Maybe we did and it just didn’t register with me. Not like it bothered us. Mom and Dad drove us down to the Flamingo Bowl on Washington. There was no way we were valet parking a Honda Fit. Had to retain some shreds of dignity. A quick drive-by the entrance, and we were pretty certain we had lightly overdressed. That’s what you get for following protocol. But it didn’t matter, because after we were dropped off – per request – a block down and behind the location in question, we blended in well enough inside the booming building. As much as two introvert Snicketts girls can blend.

Immediately, waiting in line to reach the guestlist: boom: Daniel Descalso. Allen Craig in a suit. Jon Jay in an orange polo. Then Adam Wainwright. We retreated to the sidelines to get a grip on the situation. Basically where to best stand as flies on the wall. Michael Wacha, already swarmed. Tony Cruz flew past with a buddy. Matt Holliday sauntered in with clearly no intention of bowling. That sort of bummed me because I was looking forward to a grumpy Matt Holliday bowling some gutter balls.

Deafening music, lines at the bar, pizzas, Adam Wainwright’s and Allen Craig’s wives already getting their bowling shoes laced up. Shelby Miller knocked past Holly’s elbow in the crowd, I think.

While feeling something akin to a ten year-old boy, staring at the tops of Wacha’s and Wainwright’s towering heads as they walked past, it was surreal and very normal at the same time. Inches away from these super St. Louis celebrities and it was sort of like they were just normal guys you’d see walking down the street.

“No presence,” Carrie explained later. “It’s not like Elvis was in the room or anything.”

I like that though. Peter Bourjos dressed up for the occasion in a t-shirt at billiards. Kolten Wong bowling some spares. Joe Kelly chatting with his wife at a table. Michael Wacha bludgeoned by blonde moms in their 40’s for endless photo ops; the kid looked so uncomfortable, we had to laugh.

“Do you now how many purses I could have stolen from all those cougars dropping them and running over to that guy?” Carrie told Mom and Dad later.

We played the whole wall flower thing pretty well. Not entirely sure that’s something to be proud of. But to be in the same room with nineteen or more baseball stars in the first place, is saying something. Anyway, I still felt like that ten year-old boy most of the night, just inches away from his superheros. So, like a ten year-old boy I can also say, “It was super cool!” I don’t know; do kids say stuff like that anymore?