Vacation Defined

According to Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language: vacation 1. a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday; 3. freedom or release from duty, business, or activity; 5. to take or have a vacation.

Travel isn't something TV Stevie and I do. Oh, we took the Chromos to Niagara Falls overnight a couple of times when they were young. In 2006, we drove to Columbus, Ohio for a film festival and took the Chromos with us. We ended up going to a couple of Clippers games -- they were still the NY Yankees' Triple A team, and it was the final year in that stadium, so our timing was good. And the year Y-Chromo had his college freshman orientation, TV Stevie and I stayed on Long Island and visited friends in Manhattan while Y oriented.

We are not vacationers in the common sense of the word.

Our Syracuse Chiefs season tickets are our vacation. Every night when a home game is scheduled, we leave behind our regular world and escape to Section 207. We eat out -- usually a hot dog and lemonade, but sometimes chicken tenders and fries (we split the platter), or even a bowl of chili on really cold nights. And if my day has been particularly challenging, there's Dinosaur and a beer. I'm not cooking, I'm not washing dishes: I'm on vacation.

Reality slips away as I watch the game. In her book, SAFE AT HOME, Alyssa Milano says, "...unlike hockey or basketball, where you have to focus every second in case you miss something, watching a baseball game is a leisurely, slow-paced affair . . . " She goes on to say, "The place that restores me is the ballpark."

Isn't the point of a vacation to escape life for a while and simply relax? Isn't a vacation supposed to be restorative? By definition, baseball is vacation for this fan. My vacation season lasts from early April to around Labor Day. I am blessed.