Right now

• I'm waiting for the painkillers to kick in so my migraine will go away.


• I'm eating Goldfish crackers because the meds leave a funny taste in my mouth.


• I'm daydreaming instead of working.


• I'm grateful for Patrick taking Griffin into day care this morning - my head was hurting too much to deal with the daily battle of getting Griffin dressed and out the door.


• I'm happy that it's Friday - looking forward to playing with Griffin this weekend.


• I'm proud that I've been keeping up with my writing goal.


• I'm determined that I will finish this first draft by Griffin's birthday (July 22) - only 21,969 more words.


• I'm disgusted with the Chicago Cubs, yet I feel compelled to watch each game.


• I hope my boss approves my request for a week of vacation at the end of July so I can play with Griffin and prepare for his 2nd b-day party


• I'm grateful for our state-issued health insurance for Griffin. It has saved us hundreds of dollars so far...maybe even thousands once Griffin gets his ear surgery. In all honesty, based on our income, we pay NO premium, NO co-pay, and all of his generic meds are free. I can't say enough how absolutely grateful I am to the state of Iowa.

I {heart} the Cubbies...

Here's something from one of my favorite blogs:

How to torque off a Cubs fan (without really trying)

by znohitter on Mar 18, 2009 10:38 PM CDT

A guide for broadcasters (some of whom we will only listen to this time of year because there isn’t always a WGN feed).

[Note:

Thank you.]

1.  Talk about the curse as much as possible.  Remember, there are several to choose from; make sure and cover them all!  Accuracy isn’t as important as pointing out that your team has been to a World Series in the last 64 years (or didn’t exist).  High points include:

--1945:  Some guy brings a goat to the game.  He gets refused entry, or thrown out, or the goat eats PK Wrigley’s hat and throws up on the ivy.  Or something.  Seriously, it was 1945.  Cubs lose.

--1969:  A cat crosses Ron Santo’s path at Shea.  As a result he contracts diabetes.  Cubs lose.

--1984:  Bowie Kuhn tells the Cubs that they have to install lights to play in the post-season.  After a group of irate Cubs fans torch his car, Kuhn resigns, handing the reins over to Peter Ueberroth and secretly traveling to San Diego to ensure a Cubs loss in the NLCS using his ninja skills obtained from the secret training given to all Commissioners of Baseball (how else do you explain Bud Selig?).  Also, there was some thoughtcrime or doublespeak or something.  Cubs lose.  (Ueberroth finally forced the Cubs to install lights in 1988 by threatening to make them play their post-season games at Comiskey.)

--1989:  The Cubs, like many animals, were thrown off by the impending earthquake when they got to San Francisco.  Cubs lose.

--1998:  Three words:  Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux.  Cubs lose.

--2003:  Some @$$#0!€ with a seat on the line... too soon?  Too soon.

--There are also some theories that involve events before 1945.  Feel free to totally B.S. your way through those.  Bill Veeck’s name can be brought up liberally.

2.  Be sure and paint the Cubs fans as unemployed alcoholics.  After all, they attend a ton of day games, so they must all be losers, right?  And the parking is awful, so clearly no one is doing well enough to drive, right?  And have you seen the bars around Wrigley?  They’re everywhere!  It’s like having an AA retreat next to a Bierhall.  During Oktoberfest.  In Munich.  If you’re broadcasting tee-vee at Wrigley, be sure and get a few shots of the local establishments.  Preferably one with a drunken horde standing around smoking.

 

3.  Any Cubs fan you interview or show on tee-vee that isn’t hammered should be a Chad or Trixie wearing 87 different pieces of paraphernalia that make it painfully obvious that they are some once a season attendee that drives to the Skokie park and ride “because taking the train to Wrigley is so cool” but does not know who Ron Santo is.

 

4.  Mention Ron Santo’s repeated failed bids to get into the Hall of Fame.  Bonus points for interviewing a current HoF’er about it.  Double bonus points for Joe Morgan or Mike Schmidt.

 

5.  Attempt to convey that failure in the post-season is somehow offset by “Beautiful Wrigley Field.”  Remind everyone that this is the NL’s cathedral, and how nice it is to play here, even if there hasn’t been a new gonfalon to hang since 1945.  Also try working in the word ‘gonfalon’ as much as possible.  It’s fun to say!  It’s even more fun to win (or so I’ve been told)!

 

6.  Mention HWSNBN (woo!).  Just once.  Then make sure you can hear him in the background for the rest of the game.

 

7.  Steal one of our radio guys.  (Thanks, Uecker.)

 

8.  Complain about how the NL doesn’t use the DH.  Because everyone in the NL loves hearing about how the DH makes for better baseball.

 

9.  Spend an entire half-inning showing close-ups of people on the rooftops across the street.  Also the AC sign.  We love being reminded of that.

 

10.  Use the phrase “Loveable Losers” as much as possible without being repetitive.  (Aw, hell, go ahead and be repetitive.)

 

11.  Try to do anything for the 7th inning stretch.

 

12.  Spend all your time smack-talking and fail to mention that the Cubs have won the NL Central TWO YEARS IN A ROW.

A possible reason to sell my soul

Anyone who knows me knows that I live and die for the Cubs. I'm a third generation Cubs fan and I start anticipating the new baseball season as soon as the Cubs are eliminated {Jason, this is no time to crack a joke}.

I have always dreamed about taking a mini-vacation and heading to Spring Training in Arizona. A few days, a few games, and lots of sun. I just checked the spring schedule and see that the Cubs play the Sox March 4th and 5th and they're playing in Las Vegas. Seriously. Las Vegas + a Cubs/Sox matchup = Heaven.

Someone's playing the lottery this week...

All the Way

Jason - Don't even bother watching this because it will only fuel your dislike of the Cubs and Cubs fans :-) Don't worry, your beloved White Sox will be in the post season. Let's just unite and rejoice that the Yankees' season ends this week...

Go Cubs Go!

Finally!

Brewers at Cubs. 1:20 PM.

Game on!

Pictures I Should Have Posted a While Ago...

Yes, I'm a dork and took a picture of the TV on this fabulous night.

Light the Night:



Boo is recovering nicely and found a new hiding spot. Don't worry, the dishes were already dirty.

The cool table from IKEA that I put together all by my little self.

Pictures from my dad's birthday party. Vann is not really licking the cake...it's all an optical illusion...


My parents' 40th wedding anniversary


Celebrating my cousin's birthday later that same day.

Fade To Black

Thank Goodness There Are Five Games!

The Cubs lost last night. Disappointing? Yes. Shocking? Not really. Just about everything I read or heard about the game was that the Cubs would lose the first game to the Diamondbacks' ace pitcher - Webb. He pitched a great game...as did Zambrano. It really was exciting to watch such a pitching duel. I only wish we had come out on top.

There is another game tonight, though, and with Lilly pitching, I think we can do it. Our pitching staff is much deeper than the Diamondbacks (basically, they're relying on Webb), and if our offense gets hot...look out.

On a side note, Patrick told me last night that he doesn't think our marriage can survive this postseason. I guess it's because I'm superstitious, neurotic, and a bit dramatic. I also cuss like a sailor and can trash-talk like nobody's business. Deep down he loves it...

Go Cubs Go!!!

Ten hours and counting...

NL CENTRAL CHAMPS!!!

Two!

Three!

Four!

Oh What A Night...

Dy-no-mite!!!

I'm probably the only one laughing at this, but...

Oh Happy Day!

This could have been a huge disaster...but they rallied in the bottom of the 9th!

Tonight I Will Cry Myself To Sleep

My husband called me at 11:30 AM to gleefully tell me some very upsetting news:

The Chicago Cubs Traded Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres

This is not funny for two very big reasons: 1) I think he's a great player and I think the past few weeks have just been a bit of a slump for him and more importantly 2) He is my back-up/fantasy boyfriend and I will no longer be able to watch him play baseball.

So depressing.

At least I got to watch him live at the June 15th game. Here is my ode to Michael Barrett:

Michael Barrett (heavy sigh)...

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

It was quite the perfect day to spend at Wrigley Field with my dad for an early Father's Day celebration. We haven't been to a Cubs game together in many years - we both were trying to figure out what year it was (1993, perhaps?). We had a great time - got to Wrigley nice and early, found our seats, and ate our hotdogs. The last Cubs game I attended last year was downright cold (barely 40 degrees) and it was raining. Yesterday was beautiful - about 90 degrees and sunny. Fortunately, we were in the shade, so the heat didn't feel too bad.

The game had a little bit of everything - controversy, homeruns by Soriano and Fontenot, and a Cubbies win! It doesn't get better than that.

I brought both of my cameras with me (film and digital). Here are a few (ok, more than a few) of my favorite pictures: