Today

Today I am all about baseball: Watching the St. Louis Cardinals, who are pummeling the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 in the 6th inning. Five homers already. And I have DIscovered the cure for my baseball woes of late: I shall root for the Cubbies during the regular season, and then root for the Cards during the postseason.

Because, what the fuck: The Cubs are not actually going to MAKE the postseason for another few years, anyway, and even if they do? Not like they are going to make the World Series or anything ... let alone win the damn thing.

Perhaps I will switch my allegiance to the Cardinals entirely. I admit I really like watching them play ... and Dad. My dad would have LOVED this team. Yes, he would have questioned every move by Tony LaRussa (last time we spoke, he still had not forgiven them for getting rid of Whitey Herzog ... nor for trading Keith Hernandez), but he would have loved the way this team plays. As do I.

The older I get, the more I understand his connection to this team. And the more I want to carry that on, somehow. Almost as if there is a little part of him, in me, that is still alive and cheering with every Redbird victory.

: )

Today I am all about the fact that we are having perfect fall weather in Southern Illinois: Bright sun, bluest of blue sky, leaves right on the verge of displaying their most perfect red, orange and yellow. Sun shining in my window as I type-type-type (earlier, I was surf-surf-surfing eBay, looking for tickets, and more tickets). Before that, me, puttering and organizing and cleaning to work off some nervous energy early in the game, which is coming in perfectly on my very non-HDTV, un-flatscreen TV. My portable electric heater takes the chill out of the air because, am I going to even THINK about cranking up the furnace on October 5?

HELL no!

: )

Today I am ready to post a few pictures from 3 summers ago. Mainly because I have decided that the windmills in Kansas (and parts of Central Illinois, I recently discovered), and the hilly, grassy terrain, reminded me, just a little, of The Netherlands. And who would have expected that? Not I.

Windmills at Zans Saans



Bird, Interrupting, as Horses Graze



Mailbox at Zans Saans



Today I am feeling better, physically. Amazing what a difference it makes when you can actually breathe through your nose. Not a lot to ask, really, but still. Quite refreshing, really.

Final score: Cardinals 8, Dodgers 3; Cardinals lead the NLDS 1-0.

: )