The Phanatic stepped on Christine's foot

We had a few errands to run today, so we happened to find ourselves at the Moorestown Mall, which just so happened to be a stop for the Phillies World Series Trophy Tour.

We didn't camp out all morning to get a good spot on line, but we were there before the exhibit opened. We thought we were all right when the parking lot wasn't overly filled. Wrong. The line inside wrapped three times around a side hall. By the time we figured out where it began, they stopped giving out the tickets you needed to get up close and personal with the hardware.

But we were able to get a good gander at the trophy. It seems smaller up close.

The crowd waited patiently for its turn. My only gripe is that when people finally got up to the trophy, it seemed like they took forever with it. I know because I stood on a bench waiting to snap a picture of the trophy in between families.

The marketing genius that is Rita's gave out free samples. I had two scoops of cherry, hence the plug for the water ice company.

Overheard from one line stander: "I heard Chase Utley is down by Boscov's." (The trophy was stationed near Macy's, on the other side of the mall.) I don't think anyone fell for it.

The other highlight of the morning was a surprise appearance by the Phanatic. He belly-bumped a fat guy, tussled a bunch of children's hair, posed for a million pictures and hugged some old ladies - well the same old lady and her husband over and over again.

Oh, and he stepped on Christine's foot.

While I finished my second water ice, Christine threw the camera at me. Not thinking she would ever call the Phanatic over to take a picture with her, I quickly snapped a photo of her with the Phanatic in the background. It came out pretty well, but she won't let me post it.

But I didn't know that when I snapped, Christine tugged the green guy's fur. He didn't come and accidentally (we assume) stepped on her foot. She says it still hurts. {And I'm pretty sure that wasn't the real Phanatic, just one of his helpers. The real one wouldn't step on my foot.}

After finishing our out-of-the-mall errands, we came back to get lunch, which was my condition for going to the mall in the first place. It was an hour past the time the trophy tour was supposed to end, but it was still there with some last-minute stragglers.

We got up to the display just in time to see some guys carry the trophy right past me. I didn't know that the inside of the base was a baseball. That was neat.

Christine is disappointed we didn't get to pose with the trophy. I told her that now we know what to do next year, although that will involve a ride to New England. {No way, it will involve camping out at the Moorestown Mall.}