Word to the wise: when coming through the Starbucks drive-thru during a downpour, turn off your windshield wipers when you get to the window. If you don't, the person working DT that day will get soaked.
Cliff has a rain gauge. I think that's how "gauge" is spelled. Too lazy to look it up. Anyway, we've gotten an inch and a half of rain since yesterday... and that was before it started pouring this afternoon.
My car windows leak. :(
I'm thinking of building an ark. Who's with me?
Friday, July 14, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
If it gets too familiar, I'll be gone
This weekend (and by weekend, I mean Friday through Tuesday) I...
-Ate Giordano's Pizza
-Saw a friend I thought had died get married
-Went to the top of the tallest building in North America
-Walked to Navy Pier from Union Station on the highway
-Freaked out on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel (I always forget that I'm afraid of heights)
-Drank Jamba Juice (!!!YAY!!!)
-Slept in a basement belonging to the mother of NASCAR driver Carl Edwards
-Watched Revenge of the Sith in said basement
-Apartment hunted in Missouri (not for me)
-Conquered my fear of driving over the Wabash River
-Ate Giordano's Pizza
-Saw a friend I thought had died get married
-Went to the top of the tallest building in North America
-Walked to Navy Pier from Union Station on the highway
-Freaked out on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel (I always forget that I'm afraid of heights)
-Drank Jamba Juice (!!!YAY!!!)
-Slept in a basement belonging to the mother of NASCAR driver Carl Edwards
-Watched Revenge of the Sith in said basement
-Apartment hunted in Missouri (not for me)
-Conquered my fear of driving over the Wabash River
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
... At the old ball game
[This post is about 6 days late as life has not permitted me much computer time in the last week]
God bless David Eckstein.
His RBI base hit (albeit scored on an error) ended the Cardinal's longest losing streak in 8 years last Wednesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. And I was there to see it all go down.
Nothing spells summer to me like an evening at the ballpark. There's something electric that happens while soaking in live the best game ever invented. Make it a Cardinals game and I can't possibly think of a better way to spend my evening.
Last week Cliff took me to St. Louis to take in a game at the new Busch Stadium. We went to the old one last year right before it was torn down and we promised each other we'd return when the new one was built. Keeping our word, we arrived last Wednesday to stand-still traffic over the Mississippi River. Alas, we finally made it.
The game was incredible. We got off to an early lead, but let's face it, our pitching staff is crap. The minute our bull pen opened up in the eighth, our lead immediately deteriorated to being down by a run. By the end of the eighth inning, it looked like the Cleveland Indians would be handing us our 9th straight loss. Many Cardinals fans had had enough and made their way to the exits.
But Cliff and I had come too far to give up. Although an early morning shift at Starbucks awaited me the next day, I couldn't leave. We stayed planted in our seats through the top of the 9th as Isringhausen bumbled his way to a saved inning. With no runs scored, it was time for the Cardinals to take one last shot.
In times like this I see each baseball game as something like an epic battle. It doesn't matter how well or how bad a team has been doing in the past. The only thing that matters is this moment, this strike, this hit, this out. Some see the game crawling along at a snail's pace, but you can't watch it like that. You have to see the intricacy, the strategy, the human drama as each player puts aside the past to make the play. They truly are warriors with knee socks and billed caps, slinging that little white ball like a projectile missile.
So Taguchi stepped up to bat. He just happens to be my favorite Cardinal because it seems like when the Cards are in a tough spot and everyone starts sucking, he steps up his game. However, it looked like the inning was over when he tipped the ball straight up over home plate. The ball went sky high... there's no way the Indians wouldn't catch it. But So ran anyway, and as the pitcher brought the ball down with his glove, it dropped to the ground. Suddenly, hope! The crowd went wild as Taguchi doubled on the error. Molina squeezed him to third, Miles brought him home with a base hit. The Cards and Indians were tied with one out in the 9th.
The next out went to Spezio, who still managed to put Miles in scoring position for the game-winning run. Up came Eckstein who hadn't been playing his best that night. Eckstein has a reputation of always getting on base one way or another, however he hadn't been living up to his rep that Wednesday night. Now he had the opportunity to bring in the game-winning run. He grounded to short. Everyone held their breaths as he ran hard for first although it looked like we'd be going into extra innings. But as the short stop threw the ball to first for the third out, something happened and he missed the glove of the waiting first baseman. Eckstein was safe at first and Miles was in at home. The Cardinals won!
I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. Even my boyfriend, who tends to take plays like that sitting down, was up on his feet right along side of me clapping and cheering.
Did I mention I love baseball?
God bless David Eckstein.
His RBI base hit (albeit scored on an error) ended the Cardinal's longest losing streak in 8 years last Wednesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. And I was there to see it all go down.
Nothing spells summer to me like an evening at the ballpark. There's something electric that happens while soaking in live the best game ever invented. Make it a Cardinals game and I can't possibly think of a better way to spend my evening.
Last week Cliff took me to St. Louis to take in a game at the new Busch Stadium. We went to the old one last year right before it was torn down and we promised each other we'd return when the new one was built. Keeping our word, we arrived last Wednesday to stand-still traffic over the Mississippi River. Alas, we finally made it.
The game was incredible. We got off to an early lead, but let's face it, our pitching staff is crap. The minute our bull pen opened up in the eighth, our lead immediately deteriorated to being down by a run. By the end of the eighth inning, it looked like the Cleveland Indians would be handing us our 9th straight loss. Many Cardinals fans had had enough and made their way to the exits.
But Cliff and I had come too far to give up. Although an early morning shift at Starbucks awaited me the next day, I couldn't leave. We stayed planted in our seats through the top of the 9th as Isringhausen bumbled his way to a saved inning. With no runs scored, it was time for the Cardinals to take one last shot.
In times like this I see each baseball game as something like an epic battle. It doesn't matter how well or how bad a team has been doing in the past. The only thing that matters is this moment, this strike, this hit, this out. Some see the game crawling along at a snail's pace, but you can't watch it like that. You have to see the intricacy, the strategy, the human drama as each player puts aside the past to make the play. They truly are warriors with knee socks and billed caps, slinging that little white ball like a projectile missile.
So Taguchi stepped up to bat. He just happens to be my favorite Cardinal because it seems like when the Cards are in a tough spot and everyone starts sucking, he steps up his game. However, it looked like the inning was over when he tipped the ball straight up over home plate. The ball went sky high... there's no way the Indians wouldn't catch it. But So ran anyway, and as the pitcher brought the ball down with his glove, it dropped to the ground. Suddenly, hope! The crowd went wild as Taguchi doubled on the error. Molina squeezed him to third, Miles brought him home with a base hit. The Cards and Indians were tied with one out in the 9th.
The next out went to Spezio, who still managed to put Miles in scoring position for the game-winning run. Up came Eckstein who hadn't been playing his best that night. Eckstein has a reputation of always getting on base one way or another, however he hadn't been living up to his rep that Wednesday night. Now he had the opportunity to bring in the game-winning run. He grounded to short. Everyone held their breaths as he ran hard for first although it looked like we'd be going into extra innings. But as the short stop threw the ball to first for the third out, something happened and he missed the glove of the waiting first baseman. Eckstein was safe at first and Miles was in at home. The Cardinals won!
I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. Even my boyfriend, who tends to take plays like that sitting down, was up on his feet right along side of me clapping and cheering.
Did I mention I love baseball?
Sunday, June 25, 2006
"What's a Wonderwall anyway?"
Just about every morning on my way to work, Oasis comes on the radio and gets in my head. Not an unpleasant experience by any means, but 'tis starting to get old.
I accidently saw the Budweiser Clydsdales (sp?) on both Wednesday and Thursday. I think they're overrated and look very uncomfortable.
Cliff and I are going to the NEW BUSCH STADIUM on Wednesday. Pujols is back in the game and it's gonna be a party. Go Cards!!!
I accidently saw the Budweiser Clydsdales (sp?) on both Wednesday and Thursday. I think they're overrated and look very uncomfortable.
Cliff and I are going to the NEW BUSCH STADIUM on Wednesday. Pujols is back in the game and it's gonna be a party. Go Cards!!!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Here and now
I'm not the kind of woman who is easily satisfied with the present tense. In fact, I've spent most of my life yearning for some point in the distance, some magic date upon which the world of toil I currently occupy will melt away into paradise. I pretend I know these dates and I look forward to them with great anticipation. My made-up dates come and go, never delivering on their promises, and so I ascribe mystical properties to yet another date and sit and wait and let life pass me by.
No more.
In recent weeks, I've had a revelation. Life, right now, is good. I no longer wish for some future point on the horizon but enjoy the present for all it's worth. I have a job I love and a man who meets my persistent attention needs while refusing to spoil me. I smile and laugh more than I have any right to. I can honestly characterize my life with joy.
And I don't say that because everything is going my way. I'm still frustrated by the drudge of life and feelings of inadequacy. Yet I know that God has my future in His hands and He's given me the present as a lavish gift.
There are a few dates on my horizon to which I look forward (most notably a long-awaited Cardinals game at the NEW Busch Stadium), but I no longer pin on them utopian properties they cannot possibly fulfill. Instead, I let tomorrow worry about itself. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be GLAD IN IT.
No more.
In recent weeks, I've had a revelation. Life, right now, is good. I no longer wish for some future point on the horizon but enjoy the present for all it's worth. I have a job I love and a man who meets my persistent attention needs while refusing to spoil me. I smile and laugh more than I have any right to. I can honestly characterize my life with joy.
And I don't say that because everything is going my way. I'm still frustrated by the drudge of life and feelings of inadequacy. Yet I know that God has my future in His hands and He's given me the present as a lavish gift.
There are a few dates on my horizon to which I look forward (most notably a long-awaited Cardinals game at the NEW Busch Stadium), but I no longer pin on them utopian properties they cannot possibly fulfill. Instead, I let tomorrow worry about itself. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be GLAD IN IT.
Monday, June 12, 2006
"The world's a roller coaster and I am not strapped in"
Sometimes life is an absolute party.
Holiday World. Now that's a great place. Basically, Holiday World is my childhood. It's an amusement park in the middle of NoWheresVille, IN (actually Santa Claus, IN). You drive through random cornfields and all of a sudden there's this huge parking lot and a lake and a roller coaster. You enter the park and its an extravaganza of fattening food and holiday-themed delights. Oh, and there's also a waterpark... the largest in Indiana. Oh man.
Yesterday Cliff and I indulged in a day at the park, lunch, and unlimited free soft drinks/sunscreen on his employer's dime. Nice. We rode the new roller coaster (a bit long for my taste... it's pretty bad when you get bored on a roller coaster and want it to end) and all the water slides. My favorite was Zinga, where an enclosed slide spits you out into this funnel-like pipe. We got hit by a mid-afternoon rain shower while waiting for one slide, but we were wet anyway, so no big.
The wildest part of the day came toward the end when we decided to make one more go on the classic Frightful Falls. This ride has been around for as long as I've been going to Holiday World and is basically just a 20 or so ft. drop. As our log-shaped vessel began its coveyer ascent, we heard this nasty pop and the ride shut down. Ride attendants and security guards started running to our rescue, all while the song "Celebrate" blasted from a nearby speakerbox. No one got hurt and it was more funny/ironic than scary.
Hooray for summer!
Holiday World. Now that's a great place. Basically, Holiday World is my childhood. It's an amusement park in the middle of NoWheresVille, IN (actually Santa Claus, IN). You drive through random cornfields and all of a sudden there's this huge parking lot and a lake and a roller coaster. You enter the park and its an extravaganza of fattening food and holiday-themed delights. Oh, and there's also a waterpark... the largest in Indiana. Oh man.
Yesterday Cliff and I indulged in a day at the park, lunch, and unlimited free soft drinks/sunscreen on his employer's dime. Nice. We rode the new roller coaster (a bit long for my taste... it's pretty bad when you get bored on a roller coaster and want it to end) and all the water slides. My favorite was Zinga, where an enclosed slide spits you out into this funnel-like pipe. We got hit by a mid-afternoon rain shower while waiting for one slide, but we were wet anyway, so no big.
The wildest part of the day came toward the end when we decided to make one more go on the classic Frightful Falls. This ride has been around for as long as I've been going to Holiday World and is basically just a 20 or so ft. drop. As our log-shaped vessel began its coveyer ascent, we heard this nasty pop and the ride shut down. Ride attendants and security guards started running to our rescue, all while the song "Celebrate" blasted from a nearby speakerbox. No one got hurt and it was more funny/ironic than scary.
Hooray for summer!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
"Ladies, it ain't easy bein' independent"
In this morning's Courier & Press, I read a rather disturbing AP piece on some feminists take on the career move of ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas. In the article, Jocelyn Noveck reports the reactions of a few agenda-driven women to Vargas' decision to focus on her family. Their take: the prospect that a powerful, successful woman cannot balance a career and family must mean that women of today still cannot "have it all." Poor babies.
I consider myself a feminist in the traditional sense. I believe women should have the right to equal pay and respect if they so choose to enter the workforce. I also believe a woman's decision to stay home for the good of her family should be respected and not subjected to conspiratorial scrutiny from a small but very vocal sect of feminists.
The feminists noted in the piece claimed Vargas was forced to step down by higher ups (although they had no evidence of this and Vargas herself denies it). President of the so-called Feminist Majority Foundation Eleanor Smeal bemoans the vestiges of patriarchal oppression calling Vargas' move "a demotion" and asking, "Is this a return to the days when it was tougher for women to get ahead?"
The answer, Ms. Smeal, is no. Vargas herself proves that getting ahead as a woman is not impossible. Success is difficult for anyone, but if you're going to make a broad statement like that, please account for the successes of Katie Couric, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, and the countless other women I see in cable news anchor seats. The truth is that many women value relationships over the corporate ladder. When the time comes to decide between the two (and I know from experience that high-track journalism and family cannot coexist in an egalitarian partnership), these women choose family not because Patriarchy made them do it but because, get this, they want to.
I consider myself a feminist in the traditional sense. I believe women should have the right to equal pay and respect if they so choose to enter the workforce. I also believe a woman's decision to stay home for the good of her family should be respected and not subjected to conspiratorial scrutiny from a small but very vocal sect of feminists.
The feminists noted in the piece claimed Vargas was forced to step down by higher ups (although they had no evidence of this and Vargas herself denies it). President of the so-called Feminist Majority Foundation Eleanor Smeal bemoans the vestiges of patriarchal oppression calling Vargas' move "a demotion" and asking, "Is this a return to the days when it was tougher for women to get ahead?"
The answer, Ms. Smeal, is no. Vargas herself proves that getting ahead as a woman is not impossible. Success is difficult for anyone, but if you're going to make a broad statement like that, please account for the successes of Katie Couric, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, and the countless other women I see in cable news anchor seats. The truth is that many women value relationships over the corporate ladder. When the time comes to decide between the two (and I know from experience that high-track journalism and family cannot coexist in an egalitarian partnership), these women choose family not because Patriarchy made them do it but because, get this, they want to.
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