to catch a gosox - the final chapter

I sat there tickled...
just me and my diet coke and cell phone.
Oh, and my logbook, signature stamp and ink of course...
and a special little letterbox that Mountain Scorpia and I had created that Sunday when our first plan was hatched.

I could here GoSox start his job for the evening. And during a brief description... he gave me the answer. The answer as to how I was gonna approach him and give myself away. Oh, heck no... I couldn't just go up and say "Hey. I'm Dixie." That would be no fun! It had to be one of those things where the realization of what was happening would either sneak in to envelope him like a dark fog or it would fall on him like a thousand letterboxers asking for an exchange and be he'd like "Man. I'm busted."

His job on this night was one that made it easy to walk right up...
hand him a "clue" that was I was here and then walk away to await the results.

There was some kind of question... a true/false question.
I couldn't hear it very well... the stereo speaker by my head played something completely different.
"Write your answer on a slip of paper with your name and bring it up to me"
That part I did hear. Oh my gosh... this couldn't be more perfect.
I wrote down an answer... I don't even know what...
I signed it "dixie" with a great big open mouthed smiley face :-D
and I took it up to him. This was my first good look at him.
Hummmm. He seemed to have nice, kind eyes. Huuumpf!
I hold my hand out and then lay it over his to give him the paper.
I knowe I musta been grinning like a big ole opossum.
Then I tucked tail and ran... back to my comfy booth in the back.

Every step back to the booth had me wondering if he had noticed my PACKERS shirt. I wore it with the intentions of it maybe giving him a clue to my identity beforehand. The waiter was near my booth... I asked... is his name David?

Now... unknown to me at the moment...
GoSox was already peaking around the corner behind me. *snicker*
He owned up and asked me later... did ya see me peaking around the corner? to see who you were? I regret that I did not :-)

anyway...
just a few short minutes later...
here he came bounding down from the upper level with a big smile to warm the hearts of any GoSox stalker. Uh... letterboxer!
We made eye contact and we both chuckled out loud.
I don't even remember the first thing he said... we just laughed and laughed.
Our visit had to be done in short 1 or 2 minute sets... he was working afterall.
Oh... he did let me know as he was heading back up to his station that he didn't have a sig stamp with him and then he said... "I've been made!" as he shook his head and smiled.

He asked if he had told me he worked there...
that sorta thing...
and I gave up the clues that got me here.
I gave him a small gift and y'all know how I like hugs...
*tickled* he gave me a hug and a smile and a few words to say "This is cool".

By his third short visit down to my table I had it all ready...
we could still exchange with thumbprints.
So here I am...
asking the curmudgeon to put ink on his thumbs while at work no less. Again, he was all smiles...
and much to my happiness he was very much willing to ink up.

While he was working I inked up the Mountain Mystery event stamp for him and made an impression. We then did a quick exchange and he "found" the letterbox "Gotcha GoSox". Now that he had found it... I gave him the stamp to use however he wants. I kept the logbook with his thumbprint.

It was getting late...
he had work to do... and I had an hours drive home.
I packed up my things... while of course feeling really glad that I had met this man. Twice he mentioned his little boy with a tenderness only a good, loving papa can have. He made mention that maybe... just maybe... he can get involved in the Pub Crawl and he seemed genuinely glad to have met me too.

My mission was accomplished but I had acquired much more than a good story to tell.

I keep saying it...
it was destined for me to find this hobby...
it was meant to be. All these wonderful people and all the ways they touch our lives... it's incredible. It's amazing.

I went to GoSox one last time to say "goodbye and glad I met ya" before heading out the door. He turned to me with that smile and said something of the same. So instead of goodbye... I told him "I'll be seeing ya".... and with that I felt that we were two friends standing there in a hug that was honest and happy.

To you GoSox... I tip my hat...
and to all the rest of ya out there who wonder who GoSox is.
I have one thing to say with a touch of sarcasm...
"Curmudgeon my foot"

oh yeah...
and one more thing!
Go Sox!!!!!!!