Take me out to the ballgame

Nothing will distract you better for a few hours than going to a baseball game, especially a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. On Sunday I went with Nick, Mike, and Chris to see the Cubs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a rain-shortened series. The Cubbies had blown a ninth inning lead in Saturday's game so I was still a little upset over that, but as soon as we arrived on the corner of Waveland and Sheffield I forgot all about it.

This was the first time any of us had sat in the bleachers, so it was kind of a new experience. When you buy bleacher tickets online you have to either print them out or pick them up at Wrigley Field. Not wanting to drive all the way out to Chicago just to pick up some tickets, I chose the former. Well, when we were walking toward the entrance some random guy behind us yelled out to get our attention, then said he had something he wanted to show us. Figuring it was just some scalper or someone trying to hawk his wares, I turned around and shouted, "No thank you." Then, as I started walking away, I heard him yell out, "I"m a police officer," and I promptly stopped in my tracks. For a brief moment, my face was as white as a ghost. Thankfully, the officer just wanted to make sure we bought our tickets online. Apparently con artists had been selling phony "color printer" tickets like mine to unsuspecting victims, thus explaining the officer's presence. Still, I was really worried for a brief moment...

The actual game was great. Kerry Wood, in his first decent outing of the season, gave up two tough second inning runs but allowed nothing else over 5 innings of work. The Cubs took the lead in the 4th with a solo home run by Neifi Perez (at which point Nick exclaimed, "Nomar who?") and a 3-run shot by Jeromy Burnitz. They added a run in the 8th to win 5-2. It was fun sitting in the bleachers, as we nearly got a home run ball and a ball thrown into the stands by Burnitz. I had Chad's glove in case anything came my way but nothing was quite close enough. It was just a lot of fun spending time with Nick and the two White Sox fans on a chilly yet sunny day at the ballpark.

After the game we rode the bus home. We got the Pace roundtrip tickets for $7.50 a piece, and it was a good deal—especially for Nick, who didn't have to drive. When I got home I watched the exciting Bulls playoff game against the Wizards, which they won in thrilling fashion. I'm glad that they're having the success that they are this season. They don't figure to advance too far in the playoffs without Luol Deng and Eddy Curry, but next season they'll be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. In the meantime, I'm just sitting back and enjoying the ride while it's moving.

Let's see, what else is going on... well, I found out I can have a day off of work on June 24th to take my comprehensive exam (the test needed for me to get my master's). That's great because it allows me to potentially get it out of the way early in the summer, as opposed to the October for the fall exam. If I happen to fail the first time I can also take it again in October, so that's a bonus. I will have to study long and hard for this exam, though, so the road won't be an easy one.

I have to give props out to my buddy and former roommate John on his "anchor auditon" on the WGN Morning News last week. He did the sports report and was great! He won't get a chance to stick at WGN, however, as his internship there has ended and he is now working for a station in Indianapolis. Best of luck to you, John!

Wow, is it really after 3 A.M.? Well, I was going to talk about my upcoming week but I think I'll skip that for now in lieu of extra sleep. Of course I was really tired last night so I should have gone to bed about three hours ago, but I am a night owl and this is my life. (Well, it's my life until I'm forced to change for my job, at least... anybody got a kleenex to wipe the tears out of my eyes?) So with that I bid you adieu... look out for more Mark, come soon to a blog near you!

-Mark