Staycation - Suite view of the game

I was pretty nervous about this company-sponsored trip to the ballgame... Emilyn and I had to spend part of the day relaxing at the spa so that I could deal with it. She got a facial and I got a pedicure -- with Cha-Ching Cherry polish.

Now, I might have serious trouble going back to the cheap seats.

I decided to bite the bullet and see what was going on in the corporate luxury box Wednesday night. Be it a loyalty test, or some glad-handing with Lee honchos, I was ready for anything.

What I wasn't ready for was getting to see a great game. With free food and drinks. And people I actually like.

And all in a luxury box at Busch Stadium. Which are so classy that it's nearly impossible to even find the way in! They segregate you from the regular fan rabble and steer you up to a private escalator and ring of walkway that is pretty much inaccessible unless you have a golden ticket.

The hoi polloi have to walk up the regular ramps. I was across the way on the super-secret luxury box level.

When you walk into the suite, it looks like a hotel sitting room, with a big-screen TV and mini kitchen. This particular suite was outfitted with hot dogs and a nacho bar, plus beer wine and soda, and unlimited popcorn!



Outside the box is what amounts to a "front porch" with 20 comfy seats for watching the game. A sliding glass door keeps the air conditioning inside, or lets it all out if you leave it open, as my colleagues did. They also took full advantage of the free beer. Reporters love free beer. Just sayin'. I had a Coke and a cookie. Copy editors love free cookies.

I guess there was some glad-handing going on, but I was there to watch the game -- and so was one of my colleagues, Mandy. So, we took seats out on the "porch" and were riveted by quite a pitchers' duel. And I kept experimenting with the zoom on my camera.




I ended up eating a company hot dog. And the Redbirds ended up winning a squeaker, 1-0.

For all the photos from my weird, but fun, night at the ballpark, click here.