how cold was it? (m)

Baseball in April in New England is a total "hit or miss" proposition.  It's either decent (at best) or ridiculously cold.

My husband and I drive four hours to New York for Sam's game where the forecast is "wet and windy."  Lovely.  A doubleheader.  At least 16 innings of baseball.

I pack the car at 7 a.m.--boots, gloves, hats, blankets, chairs, down vest, storm coat, rain slicker, umbrellas--you know, your basic baseball gear.

We arrive at Sam's school only to find that they are in the fifth inning of the first game.  Apparently, given the weather, the coaches decided to start much earlier.  Also, I got pulled over for speeding which slowed me down.

The parents bring alot of food to these games for the tailgate.  Too much food.  So much food, that they need two long tables to lay the food out.  Then they need tents to cover the food.  Two big tents.  Well, the wind is so strong, it blows one of the tents across the field, into the baseball game. 

Down to one tent which is blowing in the wind like a flag, we try to secure the food and protect it from the elements.  I hear ping! ping! ping! on the roof of the tent.  Hail.  It's hailing out.

The boys break in between games and come over to get lunch.  There are 24 players and coaches to feed.  Everyone grabs something quickly and runs to take shelter in the dugout. 

I look around at what's left (I'm on clean-up duty).  36 submarine sandwiches, 30 bags of chips, bowls of pickles, banana peppers.  A tin tray full of salad (an interesting salad of mesclun leaves, goat cheese, those fried Asian noodles, candied pecans, and some kind of balsamic dressing).  I can't tell if it is Asian, Greek or Italian).   A banana bread.  A basket of Reese's peanut butter cups.  A huge box of homemade cookies and three large "tomato pies" (essentially, pizza without the cheese, big in these parts).  Four cases of soda, two cases of water and two cases of Gatorade.  Also left is a bowl of fruit--clementines and apples.  The paper goods are blowing around.  I have to find rocks to secure them.

I'm on clean-up, left alone with all this stuff.  On a good weather day, this would be like leaving the fox to watch the henhouse. I might have had half a sub, definitely the homemade toffee/chocolate chip cookies.  A bag of chips, a diet Coke and a piece of fruit.

Today, however, I just want the stuff put away so I don't have to chase it across into left field.

I am too cold to eat.  That's how cold it was.