THAT was the weekend, that was!
Finally, approaching four decades since I became an avid follower of America's 'National Pastime', I saw a Major League Baseball game in person.
Yes, it wasn't over the Pond, but nevertheless it was a real contest with two massive juggernauts of the sport going head-to-head in the first-ever London Series.
As soon as I discovered MLB had arranged for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees to meet in a two-game series in the capital, I knew I had to be there.
At the time of the announcement I was still working and hoped to watch the contests in the Press area of the London Stadium covering the action for the Liverpool ECHO. After all, Boston's owners - Fenway Sports Group - are also in charge of Liverpool Football Club.
However, that all changed in January this year and I now had to make other arrangements for the big summer showdowns.
Having organised my transport and accommodation, I began my pilgrimage from Liverpool on Friday morning.
By early afternoon I was checked into my hotel, and an hour or two later I had made my way to the 'London Yards' event at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, barely a couple of home run shots' distance from Spitalfields Market for those who know their capital geography.
There, I was amongst many friends. Virtually everyone was wearing a baseball cap and shirt displaying the colours of their favourite team - yours truly included in my San Diego Padres livery.
Fabulous ballpark-inspired food and drink was being served while fans could partake in both pitching and batting challenges in specially-erected cages. For me, I was just happy to have my photo taken posing on a Topps baseball card!
Three hours later, full and refreshed, it was time to return to my hotel back down in Putney and prepare for Game One on Saturday evening.
Saturday morning dawned with beautiful sunshine and with forecasters predicting the hottest day of the year lay ahead in London, I was more than happy with that.
My biggest fear was the 'Great British Weather' would intervene and lead to the games being called off due to rain.
But thankfully there was zero chance of that occurrence and the main objective was to seek shelter from the sun's powerful rays and not the heavens opening with a deluge.
Game One was scheduled for a 6.10pm start but I had made the conscious decision to be at the London Stadium early for a very special photographic event.
Via Twitter, fellow baseball fans had arranged for a 'teams group' shot featuring supporters of all 30 MLB franchises - and I was more than happy to represent the Padres for this!
First, though, I had to purchase a ticket for the game. I was given several options for my seat but in the end settled for what I thought would be a decent one. It was high above home plate, with the third base line directly in front of me.
The ticket safely tucked away in my wallet, it was back for the photo. Seeing and greeting fellow fans was a wonderful occasion and everyone was clearly buzzing with real happiness that their dreams too were about to be realised in just a few hours' time.
Sat down in the shade, a longer chat followed with a good friend of mine, a huge Yankees fan who I'd arranged to meet at the Stadium, before it was finally time to take my seat.
And what a sight to behold. My unrestricted view of the diamond and outfield was just perfect.
The pre-game formalities completed, for me time just seemed to stand still when Boston's starting pitcher, Rick Porcello, tossed the first pitch of the game for a called strike at 6.10pm.
In that moment I thought of how I'd grown up as a child learning about baseball through my wonderful Dad and over the intervening decades had come to love this most special of all sports.
And now, at last, I was watching it for real.
Thirty runs, 37 hits and an almost record-setting four hours and 42 minutes later, it was all over, a brilliant double play instigated by shortstop Didi Gregorius sealing an extraordinary 17-13 victory for the Bronx Bombers.
Travelling back to my hotel took the best part of two-and-a-half hours via various Tube trains hurtling along deep into the London night. But inside I was flying, on such a high for what I had witnessed for the very first time in my life.
Sunday was Game Two, but for me it was time to head back to Liverpool. I managed to follow the action via my phone during my train journey seeing the Red Sox race into an early 4-0 lead. However, by the time I returned home to watch the remainder of the clash, New York had turned all that around, eventually prevailing 12-8 to sweep the inaugural London Series.
Yes, the 'Damn Yankees' once again!
But in the final reckoning, the results barely mattered to me. Actually being in attendance for a MLB game was the most important part of the weekend in the presence of thousands of fellow fans, many like me, I guess, who had waited a lifetime for this to happen.
God willing, I'll be attendance at the London Stadium next summer when the St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are set to lock horns for the London Series 2020.
And maybe one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, I'll witness in person my Padres play in San Diego and see another lifelong dream realised.
Because for me, there's really nothing in sport - and often life itself - that can truly compare with "the old ball-game".
