Anyone know a rain dance?

My boys are really stinking up the place lately and with the rat bastard Cardinals coming to town for a 4-game series, there is a distinct chance we will be thoroughly humiliated by the men in red.
I know it's been rainy, but that's not good enough. Personally, I'm praying for a monsoon. Maybe if we delay the games, the Cubs will have enough time to pull their blue-capped heads out of their pin-striped backsides and PLAY. THE. GAME!
I read recently where Aramis Ramirez has been playing hurt. Seems he pulled a right quad muscle on July 27 and has been "playing smart" since then (also known as "taking it easy"). The third baseman agreed that his injury effects his entire game; batting, running and playing defense. The numbers prove it: 6 for 30 in 8 games in August (0 for 15 in last 4 games), plus 15 errors in 105 games this year (he only made 10 in 144 games last year).
Somebody please explain how it helps the Cubs to keep him in the game when he can't bat, run or field in his current condition??? How 'bout putting him on the DL and playing Jose Macias at third, or better yet, bringing up Scott McClain from AAA Iowa? McClain's batting .292 with 81 RBIs and I'll bet he will bust his ass going to first.
Just a suggestion.
Ooooh, it's raining and the Cubs/Cards game has been delayed! I'll dance faster...

A special time

I can't decide if I like the recorded messages that I get from my dentist. It's nice to have the reminder with the receptionist's voice inserting my name in the appropriate spot. But it's kinda disappointing to see the little light on my answering machine (I have a message!!) only to hear the impersonal recording. :-((

Recently, I've started to receive them from my doctor's office, too. Like last night. I came home and dialed into my voicemail only to hear the reminder plus "if you can't make your appointment, please call our office as this special time has been reserved just for you."

Okay, WHAT?!?! "Special" is not exactly the word I would use to describe having a medieval-looking metal device shoved into (what my mom calls) my "private area" while I silently count the holes in the ceiling tiles and breathe through my mouth!

Oh, did I mention that my new doctor is cute, blond and single?!?!?! Yeah, that's SPECIAL!

A reality check

Okay, here I am feeling depressed about the Cubs' 6-game losing streak. My wonderful friends have suffered through my ranting about their lack of effort and seeming disregard for the loyal fans.

Just when I'm feeling sorry for myself, reality comes along and gives me a smack upside my head. CNN has just reported that Dana Reeve (widow of actor Christopher "Superman" Reeve) has lung cancer.

Tell me this woman hasn't already been through enough, caring for her paralyzed husband for nine years before his death last year. She said she's already started treatment and can feel Chris with her, especially now.

Peter Jennings of ABC News announced he had lung cancer in April and died just the other day. The American Cancer Society reports that the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer patients is 15%.

God speed, Dana.

Thank G for friends

I'm one of those people who doesn't have a TON of friends, just a few close ones. Sometimes I wish I had a whole mob o' pals, but then I remember how lucky I am to have these few people in my life. I wouldn't want to "water down" the intimacy that I have with these wonderful people.

I spent this past weekend with one of my friends (Firecracker) and it was a real, too-much-to-do, too-little-time, fun-packed summer weekend. She works so much that she hasn't had too many of these yet...and its already August!

We attended a street fest in my neighborhood that celebrates the gay lifestyle (neither of us are). She got hit on by at least 3 guys (and one of them was gay!) Quite an accomplishment for a straight girl in that 'hood!

We've only known each other a few years, and it's wonderful that we can both share intimate details of our pasts without judgement (a conscious effort for me), call each other with silly little comments about how much our Cubs suck lately, and discuss the pros and cons of shopping at Victoria Secret. I'm very thankful that we've become friends and I hope I never take our friendship for granted.

I'm afraid that I've grown apart from my East Coast friend (I'll call her Jada) in the time since she's moved out there. Hopefully, my visit will help to mend any bonds that have broken or been stretched too thin.

She visited me recently and saw immediately that something was wrong. Well, if you could call having no direction in my life a problem, then yes. Jada let me know that there's a wine festival in her area while I'm there. I believe a nice reisling could push us toward the conversation that is so woefully overdue.

Jada is one of the most fabulous, creative, loving and accepting people I know and I find myself being intimidated by her life. She made a plan for herself when she was, oh, probably 4 years old and she's stuck to it. She's got a master's degree and is married to a doctor and here I am, divorced (no boyfriend) with a crappy, dead-end job. I'm not jealous, just envious.

We'll need a LOT of wine, I think. But that's what friends are for, right?

Secret admirer??

For the second Monday in a row, I came to my desk to find a water glass filled with flowers. Last week, it was a huge hydreanga (sp?). A beautiful, smoky pink blossom that overflowed the Crate & Barrel glass. As the week wore on, the antique shade became even more lovely as the petals began to dry.

This week, I have yellow lilies (one open, two ready-to-open) and some other multi-budded cream-colored flower (maybe sweet pea?). Really pretty and fresh, very summer-ish.

I asked around to the usual suspects (colleagues who have gardens), but no go. Hmmn??