Benner's List of Things We'll Miss While We're Away From Philadelphia No. 1: Phillies Games

So if you've looked at this blog once or twice, you probably figured out that we're moving to Los Angeles soon. It's kind of a big deal, so don't be surprised if it's the primary focus around these parts over the next little while.

But if you get the idea from reading this blog that we're kind of excited to get to California and be in nice weather with Sarah and Steve, don't be fooled; it's exciting and all, but we're also kind of sad to be leaving. There's a lot of stuff we're going to miss, and we're already starting to feel the pangs of East Coast yearning. So in the spirit of missing things, I (Benner) have decided to keep a running list of things that we're going to, uh, miss. Each day (or each time I feel like doing it) I am going to write about one thing I'll miss while we are on the Left Coast living it up. Of course, our friends and families go without saying, so we're going to just leave them off the list. I'll talk about you guys somewhere else, I promise.

Without further ado, please enjoy the first installment of Benner's List of Things We'll Miss While We're Away From Philadelphia™ (BLOTWMWWAFP for short).

1. Phillies Games - For only the second time since 1994, people are saying the Phillies are a serious playoff contender and it doesn't feel like a dirty, dirty lie. But even if the Phillies suck (as they often do), going to Citizens Bank Park is always a treat. Day games are fantastic; skipping work to catch a game, drink a couple of beers, eat hot dogs and nap in the warm sun while millionaires play a children's game 50 yards away is a unique and awesome experience. Night games are great too; you skip out of work a little early, drink a couple of beers, eat hot dogs and cheer on the millionaires playing a children's game 50 yards away underneath the bright stadium lights that make the grass look so green it's like God's front yard. If you're lucky, it's late August and the Phils are in the thick of the playoff hunt, making every game, inning, at bat or even swing feel like life and death.

Alas, I will not be here to see Ryan Howard nail some dingers, nor will I see Pat Burrell stop caring mid-season or the dreamy Chase Utley be chased by every white girl in the stadium. No, I will be in Los Angeles, home of the Dodgers and the All You Can Eat Stadium. Oh, the humanity. All I have to look forward to is August 11 through the 14, when the Phillies will be visiting the Dodgers for a four-game stint and the distinct possibility that they will be battling each other for playoff supremacy.

At least then I'll be able to eat all the hot dogs I want.