Oh Sweet October Madness

I’m sure by now you might know that I am a baseball fan. Not a fanatic (I actually can’t name all the players in the infield – or the outfield – of the teams I follow). But not a casual fan either – if our teams are playing & if Fox Sports doesn’t screw us (strong, but accurate, language), we’re watching the games.

When Dr. M & I were first married we lived in a house owned by an orthdontia practice. We lived in two rooms on the top floor of the house & were responsible for mowing & cleaning. It was a sweet deal, although now I can’t really believe that we lived for a while basically in our bedroom (the other room we used for storage). We did have the use of the kitchen.

Anyway, the spring after we were married we watched a LOT of baseball in our one habitable room (that was the time when I completed that insanely large stained glass window jigsaw puzzle N gave us – I hold him personally responsible for any current twitchiness). Coindentally, that year (1991) our Atlanta Braves went from the worst team in baseball to the first team. I thought that was an auspicious beginning to our marriage. That was the beginning of a pretty successful run for the Braves. Fourteen consecutive division titles (we shall not mention the strike year). Going to the World Series five times and winning once. Those were halcyon days. 

However, for a number of years now we’ve watched our Braves not quite (or even not even close) get ‘er done. Year after year Dr. M & I have spend the post season just basically pulling for whoever could maybe beat the Yankees* or Boston. And our adopted team, the Cincinnati Reds? Not a pretty picture in oh so many years.

But this year we have an embarassment of riches. The Braves and the Reds are in the post season, which starts tomorrow. Fortunately they don’t play each other right away so we can pull for both for a little while longer. What I’m hoping for is a Braves/Rays World Series. It could happen! If the Braves get their act together. Really!

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew



http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/sports/braves/phillies-braves-100310/

 

*Uncle David, I would apologize for the slight to the Yankees, but they are an evil big business machine & I’m not sure how a Democrat could pull for them. Of course, that’s assuming you’re a Democrat. Do I even know you?



Under Pressure

• The last two books I finished left the heroines waiting to be arrested for murder (one murdered her mother and the other one was accessory to the murder of a raping scumbag). I’ve gotten off track somehow – I like books with an ending. Closure. Now with these two women I’m left wondering – are they really arrested? Do they go to jail? What happens? Gah!

• I’m not sure I’m cut out for this gardening thing. By gardening, I mean watching Dr. M do all the work while I wring my hands and dither. I don’t mind if the plants don’t bear actual vegetables – I just like seeing them all healthy & beautiful. But what happens if they don’t make it? Gah!

• My dad is playing Dastardly Dan in a local community theater production. It’s a melodrama & I imagine he’ll have the time of his life hamming it up. I can’t decide whether or not I’m glad I can’t be there to watch the show*. Gah!

• The neighbor’s puppy comes to the edge of our yard and just stares at me with unwagging tail. I’m nervous around dogs & should try to make friends with this one before he turns into a brute of some kind. But I can’t quite bring myself to go over & offer my hand. Gah!

• Last night I dreamed that Blogger Dad was providing daycare services for the nephew of one of my Facebook friends. I think that my internet worlds are coming close to colliding. Gah!

• The two baseball teams I follow (Braves & Reds) are doing entirely too well. I don’t think I can take the pressure of them being in first place- I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Gah!

• I am even now imagining my Aunt Brenda shaking her fist at me for saying, “Gah!” She always said that such expressions were too close to taking the Lord’s name in vain. And she reads this blog. Gah! Er, darn!


*You know I wish I could be there Daddy – at the ripe old age of 46 I don’t get embarrassed quite so easily.

This is just an excuse to show my high school graduation picture

I was answering the random dozen questions. I talked about what I wore to my high school graduation (white dress with turquoise polka-dots – I thought I was the stuff). I referenced my terribly cute penguin umbrella. I talked about how I tried to help Dr. M with the mowing, but after pulling the cord 10 times I gave up. But then I ran out of steam & bored myself. So I decided to spare you guys. You're welcome.

Dr. M is teaching a class at a satellite campus this summer. One night a week – five hours. I'm pretty sure that he'll be tired of hearing himself talk after five hours. Pretty sure. He had his first class tonight. Two people were registered & one person showed up. Now that's some intense one-on-one teaching there.

I actually did some exercise last night. I listened to my book on tape & used my Gazelle. And then my hip hurt extra so I was tossing & turning in bed. My arm has been hurting more lately too (opposite side from my hip). And if I'm on my back one of my knees starts hurting. So I'm thinking, you know that sling that they use for horses who've broken their leg & they're trying to save? I figure if we rig it just right I could have a comfortable night's sleep. But I will not let hip pain keep me from exercising – I think the key to easing that pain & the one in my knee is to get some weight off. My arm will just have to fend for itself.

The Braves are last in their division. The Reds are second (behind those annoying Cardinals). So I feel like singing the song that legend says the British band played when they surrendered at Yorktown – The World Turned Upside Down.

Dr. M & I are planning a trip south at the end of the month. It'll be nice to see the fam again. Hopefully our pictures from the journey won't have snow or flooding in them.

Well, I'm sleepy & need to wrap this up. It's the 7^th inning & the Braves are winning for a change. Woot!

Sadness and Relief

It’s looking like my Braves won’t make it to the playoffs again this year. It could still happen, but it’s looking less & less likely. And my adopted team, the Reds, won’t be there either. That’s not all that unexpected – although they’re playing pretty good baseball right now.

As usual, at this time of year, when none of “my” teams is in the playoffs I’m filled with sadness & relief. Bittersweet I guess. I’m sad because we won’t get to watch these teams play ever again. Sure Chipper will probably still be with the Braves next year & Bronson will most likely still pitch for the Reds, but these particular teams won’t play again. There’ll be trades, and players designated for assignment, and whippersnappers up from the minor leagues. And for heaven’s sake hopefully some good pitching will be acquired! It’ll be fun & exciting, and at first every team will be headed to the playoffs.

But I’m relieved to have the “will they win or won’t they” tension gone from my shoulders. I’ll get to pull for teams indiscriminately – probably based on who the current underdog is (this is also my strategy in the NCAA basketball tournament). I will boo the Yankees and Cardinals, but pull for almost anyone else. And it’s exciting because who knows what will happen? Probably the Yankees or Cardinals will win the World Series – but you never know! And it’s a bit liberating to not have to watch “my” team play, breath bated, all that awful agony.

I know, I’m weird. And Dr. M is going to have some choice words to say about all this once I hit Post. He never thinks it’s a good thing when our team doesn’t make it to the playoffs. And don’t we all know that part of my relief is watching his disappointment now & not his sadness later (which may or may not be accompanied by choice words and flinging of inanimate objects – a Wake Forest basketball game years ago resulted in a duct taped TV remote).

It’s hard to watch the ones we love suffer & not be able to fix it. Yeah, not really talking about baseball now – love you sweetie.