Peaks and valleys

You know it's a weird weekend when it hails during a baseball game in mid-May...even in Chicago. But I guess it wasn't all bad. After all, the Cubs did win two of three from their crosstown rivals.

I planned to go to the game on Saturday since it was such a gorgeous day. The baseball gods were definitely smiling on me as I scored a very good seat from a downstate kid whose friend cancelled on him at the last minute. Of course, then Derrek Lee came off the bench to hammer a grand slam and send Wrigley's faithful into bedlam and secure a Cubs win.

Yay!!!

During the game, I got a text message from Porsche Guy, saying that he just "caught a ball at the Cubs/Sox game and wasn't it a shame I wasn't there to split a beer with." Um, split a beer?
And, no, I didn't text back. But I did say a silent prayer that I wouldn't run into him.

Boo!

After the game, I met up with some friends at a nearby watering hole. They were being chatted up by a group of guys that included one kinda cute guy who, it turns out, is 42 and never been married (my mother's dream for me), used to play minor league baseball for the Phillies (not a bad resume, methinks) and wasn't bad looking at all.

Yay!!

An hour later, Phillies Guy is shit-faced drunk and using the garbage can as a bar stool. I remember his name, but I'm pretty confident he won't remember me at all.

Boo!

Having already bought a ticket to today's game, I wasn't about to let a little overcast sky deter me. I grabbed my glove (and my rain poncho, just in case) and made my way over to the park.

Late in the game, a strange scenary began to unfold (or maybe I was just letting my imagination get the best of me.) First the seagulls started to swarm in the outfield. Yes, I did say seagulls. Then Aramis Ramirez parked a three-run homer to keep the Cubs' hopes alive.

Yay!!!

And then came the hail.

It was all very biblical. And cold.

But a happy ending was not to be for my boys and the Cubs lost. The White Sox avoided a Cubs sweep and capped it off with a grand slam by their catcher.

Boo!

Strange sports note on the weekend series: both grand slams were given up by pitchers who, not only were traded for each other just a year ago, but were both doing very well for their new teams until they faced their old teams.

Hmmnn???

Stopping by a bar on the way home, I saw a guy drop his cell phone on his way to the loo. He didn't notice, so I pointed it out to a bouncer, who returned it to the guy. Cell phone guy offered me $20 in reward because the cell phone was actually a $400 Blackberry. I declined.

Peaks and valleys, folks.

Peaks and valleys.