A few weeks ago brought a day of firsts. It was Cooper’s first baseball game, and my first baseball game hot dog. Two momentous occasions, one of which was inevitable, and one of which I would have never thought possible without employing some awkward veggie hot dog smuggling. Also, “veggie hot dog smuggling” is not a euphemism for some weird sex act. For once.
I didn’t have to smuggle in a veggie dog because Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, serves veggie dogs! Yes, that’s kind of a lame thing to get geeked about, but geeked I got. I finally got to be one of the beer-swilling, hot dog-eating masses at a ball game on a blisteringly hot Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t have been happier.
I was so excited that I may have gone a little overboard with the ketchup and mustard, but dammit, it was great. I didn’t get anything else on it, because I hate onions, and sweet relish is of the devil, but I didn’t need anything else. The sweet taste of victory was quite enough.
For meat eaters or recent vegetarians, my exuberance over a veggie dog may seem a bit odd, but it was a big deal for me, a life-long vegetarian. I’ve always been a weirdo, always conspicuously eating sides, or in cases like a ball game, popcorn, so it was really cool to be able to actually look normal for once.
I had my hot dog, my fries, and Cooper enjoyed his first baseball game while stealing peanuts from the lady behind us like the feral raccoon he clearly is. All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Jun 23, 2010 @ 15:16 EST5EDT
A hotdog – regardless of composition – is a requirement at a professional baseball game.
Good for you for being able to ‘feed your need’ … and not feeling guilty about it.