Jubilation to dejection in just one pitch

What an incredible Game 5 of the NLCS between Houston and St. Louis! I may hate both teams, but I have to admit that was an exciting last few innings of baseball. After Lance Berkman's 3-run homer in the 7th, everybody was punching Houston's tickets to Chicago for the World Series. Even the announcers were writing off the Cardinals at that point. Of course they were wrong—Albert Pujols, in what seemed like a scripted scenario (batting with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a playoff game, facing elimination) slugged a mammoth 3-run home run well over the left field fence to recapture the lead.

As I realized that the ball was bound for the bleachers, my heart immediately went out to the true blue Houston fans. Make no bones about it, I do not like the Astros. I'm only rooting for them in this series because my Cubs fandom will not allow me to cheer for St. Louis. (Not that I'd be in the Cardinals' corner otherwise.) I do realize that all real fans, especially those who have been deprived of the ultimate level for so long, share a common set of characteristics. As such, I can empathize with the rollercoaster ride of emotions that the Astros fans rode on in that ninth inning. To be so sickeningly close to a goal and then have it snatched away in an instant is simply heartbreaking. I still predict that Houston will win the series, but at this moment in time I can understand what baseball fans in the Lonestar State are going through.

That being said, how good is Albert Pujols? I mean absolutely no disrespect to Derrek Lee, who had an absolutely phenominal year and is a total class act, but if I had to choose anybody to be my first baseman it would be Pujols. The guy not only puts up consistently astounding numbers, he is also clutch. To come into a situation with that much pressure—on the road and against a dominant closer like Brad Lidge—and do what he did just simply amazes me. It's such a shame that he is a St. Louis Cardinal.

-Mark

Tired ramblings

Why is it that every time I publish a blog entry—as infrequent as that may be—the timestamp is inevitably past midnight? I'd have to guess that I use the computer so much at work now that I just need a break from it when I get home, thus the reason why I either don't post or wait until it's way past what my bedtime should be (but, of course, isn't). When I was still at college I used to post during the morning, afternoon, and evening. Of course, that was when I had the wonderful college lifestyle that afforded me plenty of time throughout the day to do everything except work.

I am truly astonished by ordinary people who manage to update their blog daily, or at least something close to that. These aren't the hardcore bloggers whose life revolves around their online writings but the Joe Schmoes (like me) who just manage to consistently make additions to their blog (unlike me). I'd like to be one of those people, but I've been getting busier lately and that doesn't help things.

I missed my blog's anniversary two Fridays ago. I had intended to post some of my favorite entries from the past, but of course that never happened. (Then again, not posting on my blog's anniversary is rather appropriate given the frequency—or infrequency—of updates that I've made.) I still may list my favorite posts at some point in the near future, though, so be on the lookout for that.

Okay, enough blog chatter. It's time to get to the interesting stuff!

Things are going GREAT with Stacey. This will probably sound pretty corny, but I feel incredibly lucky to have her in my life. After a striking out countless times in the dating game, I have finally found someone who was worth the wait. The past few weeks we've had spent some truly remarkable time together, including a fantastic trip to downtown Chicago this past Saturday. The day centered around a planned trip to the Art Institute for a special exhibit about Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. After examining all the wonderful art, we walked over to Millenium Park and then up the lake shore. The weather was absolutely gorgeous—especially for October! Mid-seventies and sunny, without a cloud in the sky. And to think that Sunday was overcast and rainy... we sure lucked out!

Speaking of Saturday, the web site that I've been working on for my job has finally launched. It's a culinary web site with recipes, classes, tips, and more. The address is www.chefs.com, so go and check it out when you have a moment. (Don't forget to sign up for a free user account!) I know there are lots of plans to add more content in the near future, so do yourself a favor and bookmark the site so you can check for updates.

Okay, I'll stop being a human commercial now.

I have to admit that it was nice not to have a Bears game to watch today, not because I dislike watching them but because it means I have a little more free time for other things. Speaking of the Bears, they are officially in first place in the NFC North with a mighty 1-2 record. Aren't you impressed?

While we're on the subject of bad football, I (thankfully) missed the Florida game on Saturday. They lost to Alabama in embarassing fashion, by a score of 31-3. Now let's never speak of that game again...

With the extra free time I had on Sunday I went with my parents and sister Mary to see my other sister Laura's new condo in Chicago. The place was very nice, but the thing that stands out from that trip was a total asshole truck driver. See, this guy driving a semi was tailgating mid-sized cars... at 80 MPH. Really smart move there, buddy. Forget about the 3-second rule—this guy didn't even believe in the 3 car-length rule. And he had the nerve to give us the finger for shooting him a nasty look. Well I guess I might not be used to asshole drivers as much as people who drive on the tollways and in Chicago on a more regular basis, but I still think the way this guy drove was shocking. The sad thing is, he'll probably only end up losing his license after he kills someone who was unfortunate enough to get in his way.

I bought an iPod tonight. As you may have known, I have a similar MP3 player, the Dell DJ, but it's been basically shot now. First the back plating started coming loose. Next, the next track button went on the fritz—it would either perform the wrong action (such as pausing the current track) or would require an incredibly strong push to actually work. The last straw, however, is a recent flaw that only produces sound in one channel. (Basically this means that I'm only getting sound in the right ear when I listen with headphones.) I guess this is an issue that crops up due to a problem with the headphone jack. Unfortunately, I'm out of warranty, so I just decided to start from scratch. A large credit card charge later has me waiting for a 60 GB iPod (color) and all the necessary accessories. Between the Dell DJ and the digital camera I've had enough bad luck with expensive gadgets to last me for a long time, so hopefully the iPod will last for a while.

Today is the Weezer/Foo FIghters concert at Allstate Arena. Matt and Dan, among others, have tickets and will be enjoying two of my absolute favorite bands play. I could have gone but I wasn't sure what my work situation would be so I passed. Part of me regrets this decision, since I'm sure the concert will be a blast, but I'll survive. Speaking of Matt and Dan, by the way, I'm heading to DeKalb on Saturday to see Chad's new apartment and hang with those three guys. I haven't been to the Big D since I moved the last of my items out of the apartment in early August, so t am very much looking forward to this. I also am thrilled that I can bring up my laptop instead of lugging my desktop computer up there, as I have in the past. The only thing missing will be Billy, who is still kicking ass and taking names in Iraq. He will be missed, for sure! There will undoubtedly be another shindig when he returns home soon, however.

Shit, it's 1:15. I've been typing this for quite a while, and now I'm dog tired and have to be up in less than 6 hours. I'm surprised that my body has not yet told me to go to hell and decided to shut down. In any event, I'm off to bed. Have a great day, everyone!

-Mark

P.S. I just read that Dusty Baker will be offered a 2-year contract extension. I sure as hell hope he declines it! Having that hack around longer would just prolong this disgusting state of mediocrity that the Cubs are mired in right now.