Phoenix - Day 3
Today I woke up late. My cold was even worse than the day before, probably because of all the singing I did at the concert the night before. Dan also slept in.
Best Egg
We drove off to the Best Egg restaurant, as Dan knows I like to eat a big breakfast every once in a while. After I was done eating, I felt better. Maybe it was the orange juice? Maybe it was the Diet Coke?
McFarlane toys
Before we went to breakfast, Dan looked up McFarlane and we found out they had a showroom right in Tempe -- not too far from Dan's house. We weren't sure what the difference was between a showroom and a store, but once we got there we were pleasantly surprised.
The showroom was basically a place where they could show off the best McFarlane figures -- including prototype figures -- as well as a bunch of McFarlane's sports collection. My favorite items were two original seats from Wrigley Field.
They also sold toys. Many of the boxes were autographed by Todd McFarlane personally. I picked out Wallace (from Wallace and Gromit) and a Halo figure for my boys. I also picked up a Hank Aaron figure for my brother, who a huge baseball fan.
When Dan and I got to the register, we found out the cashier was from our hometown of Richland, Washington. I used this moment to point out to Dan about synchronicity again -- a meaningful coincidence. (I find that synchronicity happens more on vacation or when I'm away from home -- probably because I'm more alert to new things I'm seeing around me).
What were the chances that we'd run into a McFarlane store the night before (one of two stores in existence) -- and that the showroom store was only a few miles from Dan's house? What were the chances that the cashier would be from the same town where Dan and I met in third grade? Interesting stuff, at the very least.
Baseball in Phoenix
Later, Dan, Kim, and I went to Preston's baseball game. Preston is about the same age as my oldest son Cameron. I believe everyone has at least one gift, and one of Preston's is playing baseball. I've never seen an eight year old fielding like an 18 year old. From shortstop, he was firing the ball over to first base. When he was up to bat, he hit doubles and home runs. When the other team hit what looked to be a home run, Preston went into the outfield, grabbed the ball, and threw it in to home to stop the runner.
After seeing Preston tonight, I feel like I've seen a kid who could advance into a baseball career. I know that there are still many more hoops for him to jump through, and many more years for him to play, but you heard it here first. If this kid keeps focused, he'll be going to The Show when he's 18 or 19.
