Ever want to get away???

Remember TSG? The guy I'd been trading emails with who said he wanted "in?" Well, since I hadn't heard anything from him since that encouraging (if short) email, I was left wondering. And never one to let sleeping dogs lie, I decided to poke it a little.

"Maybe I misunderstood," I wrote in my email. "I thought you wanted 'in' as if you were 'INterested' in being 'INvolved.'"

Just a day later, I received an email from TSG apologizing for his disappearance but it seems his mother is in the hospital and will probably never come home again. He's spent the last few weeks caring for her and trying to make the impossible decisions regarding her long-term care and housing.

Um...yep, that nails it. I'm going to burn in hell.

Career homework

Yes, I've been seeing somebody. Actually, two somebodies. But it's not what you think.

They're career counselors. S and J are being paid well to guide me to a career that I hope will be not only lucrative ('cause you KNOW how much I love $$$) but satisfying as well. We'll see.

In the meantime, they've given me homework. And it's harder than you'd think.

Think back throughout your entire life (including the days when you were too young to think about a paycheck) and try to remember all of your achievements. It doesn't matter if it was something that seems trivial now. It was a success to you. A gold star next to your name.

Whether it was organizing babysitting jobs for you and your friends or being named vice president of marketing or trimming $5,000 off the company's office supply budget.

Try to remember as many as you can...in detail. Write up each of them in about 100 words.

Next, take each individual achievement and list all the skills that were necessary to reach that goal. Maybe you are good at asking questions or you make people feel comfortable talking to you. Also on that page, list the qualities that you exhibited in achieving it (yes, I thought the first two seem to be the same thing, but whatever) and a third list of the people who supported you in that success.

By now, you are probably knee-deep in paper. If you are, you are farther along than I am.

I'll keep you posted. And yes, this stuff is coming with me to Florida. I'll try not to spill a pina colada on it!

Please define 'in'

Remember a week or two ago, when I asked TSG if he wanted to stay in contact with me (since we hadn't seen each other since August) and he said that he wants in?

I guess I should have defined 'in' like INterested or INvolved because I haven't heard a word from him since then.

But you know what? I'm not going to stress over it because I really don't have the time. I leave for Florida on Saturday morning and I've got to pack!

Cross your fingers for fun and sun!

Stew on this

It was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I parked outside the rundown church a few miles north of my neighborhood. This would be my first volunteering assignment and I really didn't know what to expect but I planned to keep an open mind.

A growling stomach would be horrifyingly inconvenient when serving dinner to people for whom this might be their ONLY hot meal this week, so I made certain to snack before I left home. A few hours earlier, I threw some veggies, some cubed meat, beef broth, red wine, crushed tomatoes and a bunch of spices into my crockpot and set it on low (and tried not to feel guilty about my late dinner of homemade beef stew).

Several of our 'clients' had already arrived when I walked into the third floor auditorium-turned-dining room. Our team leader immediately instructed me to tie my hair back, wash my hands, and grab a clean apron.

I'm ashamed to admit that I expected the room to be filled with stick-thin elderly black men in grubby ripped clothes - - the 'underpriviledged' as my suburban upbringing drew them. To my surprise and dismay, the room filled with a group that reflected most any neighborhood in Chicago. Black, white, hispanic, asian, young, old, men, women (okay, not many women) all in old, but clean clothes.

The faces were different, but they all wore smiles of gratitude. Not a single person who received food that night neglected to say 'thank you' or 'God bless you.' I was humbled when our clients gave us a round of applause just for helping out.

My job, as it turned out, was to serve the entree. Or rather, to fill the largest compartment on the cafeteria trays that we filled and served to our guests. Pasta, salad, applesauce and cake occupied the other tray areas.

The main dish?

Beef stew.

The apple fell pretty far I guess

As is the norm for Saturday mornings, I drove out to the suburbs to take my 80-year-old mother out to breakfast. It was a deal we made when I became a North Sider and moved "all the way up here" (about 30 minutes north).

Anyway, since I know that my mom likes to live vicariously through me, I try to come prepared with little tidbits of things that are going on in my life. You know, so the breakfast will be entertaining for her. And, so she won't get on my nerves about not having her idea of a perfect life (i.e. husband, kids, dog, house with white picket fence). The woman really knows how to push my buttons sometimes.

In keeping with my new spirit of life in 2008, I thought I'd let my mom know about the volunteer projects that I'm signing up for (including serving dinner to some homeless people and helping to re-organize the library in a local charter school).

This from the woman who has cleaned our local church every week since time began,
"Why would you let them take advantage of you like that?"

Yep, did your jaw drop open too?

The great is starting (I think)

Way back last summer when Firecracker (now Maple) and I used to go to Cubs games, we'd meet a lot of fun people. One of these people was a guy I called the Tall Southern Gentleman (TSG).

You may remember that TSG and I were in touch until late August when his best friend and said friend's wife were involved in a terrible car accident. The wife died and TSG was hit very hard as she was like a sister to him. He fell out of touch.

Fast forward to November.

Upon returning from Australia, I decided to drop him a line. He had warned that he'd be out of contact 'for quite some time,' but since I didn't know him very well, his definition of 'quite some time' might be different from mine.

I received a nice, polite email in return, saying that he thought about me quite a bit when the Cubs went to the playoffs (alas, his Detroit Tigers crashed and burned). Nothing about coming to Chicago to take me to dinner (which is where we left it in August). Hmmnn??

A few weeks and a few emails went by and it became more and more apparent that he was only returning my emails with no new input from him.

So, in light of my new mantra, I decided to call him on it. Fish or cut bait, right?

I waited until after the holiday craziness died down and then sent an email explaining my new mantra and how I expect great things for not only me, but also for people I know. And, essentially, is he IN or is he OUT?

A few short hours later, I had my answer.

"I am in."

Expect great in '08!

That's my mantra for this new year.

Expect great.

It's a big leap for me, right? I know it is, but I think it's time.

I HAVE to start thinking great things or else great things won't happen.

And they WILL happen. This year.

But where to start with all this expected greatness?

Here are some ideas:

• Smile more. (Tried it the other night at a nice restaurant and not one, not two, but THREE guys wanted to buy me a drink!)
  
• Be open to more new things and new people.
• Keep my mouth shut more (yep, a challenge, I know).
• Take more chances.
• Do volunteer work (already signed up for two January events).
• Get rid of excess crap in my home (by the truckload people!).
• Create opportunities for more physical exercise (dancing, maybe?)
• All the little annoyances??? Just let them go!
• Learn to meditate (Jada?? a little help here please?)
• Find a job I LIKE! (spoke to career counselors already).
• Clean house in my relationships (If I lose contact with someone, there's probably a good reason for it. If they want to contact me, they probably know where to find me.)
  

And if 2009 rolls around and I haven't done all of these things (not just once, but regularly), it will still be okay.

Every little bit helps.

A new loo!!!

I'm sure I have photos somewhere of my old bathroom, but I can't find them (and I'm not going to stress over it like I used to!) so you'll just have to trust me when I say my new loo is INFINITELY prettier!!!

Okay, picture this: tiny gun-metal gray floor tiles, a commercial toilet (no tank, just a metal flushing handle), a plastic sink with a peeling wood vanity cabinet that rocked if you leaned against it, an old tub with a rusty drain and blue stick-on fish on the tub floor, and the cheapest round-bulb vanity light fixture with one stubborn bulb that always blew out immediately.

Got a good picture in your mind? Okay, now I have this!


For those of you with really good eyes, yes, these photos are ones I've taken on my many travels. I've used the theme 'water.' Seemed appropriate for the setting, doncha think?



The towels are navy blue, not black. I splurged and bought some terribly luxurious Egyptian cotton towels. Seriously, I don't think I could stand up with the weight of these towels when they are wet! Fabulous!




And, yes folks, the vanity countertop is black granite! No more plastic fake marble shit for me. I'm pretty pleased, if I must say so myself.

Too soon for New Year's resolutions??

Sorry about that sad Christmas post. I'm working on eliminating negative thoughts from my consciousness, but it's taking some time and more effort than I expected.

I'll do better next year.

I promise.

What are some of your New Year's resolutions?

Is there any eggnog left? Is it spiked?

It doesn't feel like Christmas.

Yes, it's cold outside (but the snow melted in a bizarre 50 degree day yesterday), but I don't have a single decoration in my home. Of course, if you count the Christmas cards I've received (mostly from former coworkers), then, yes, I have decorations.

For the first time EVER, my home does not have a Christmas tree. And for those that know me, my Christmas tree -- with its glass ornaments from all over the world and the wildest assortment of shapes and sizes of lights -- is a true highlight of the season for me. Putting my tree up always puts me in the holiday mood. That, and about six candy canes!

In past years, I've held a Christmas party where I continue my father's tradition and ask each guest to guess the number of lights on the tree. With lights shaped like icicles and poinsettias and giftboxes and flickering lanterns and snowflakes, it's not an easy task to count them all.

Two years ago, one of my German colleagues (a very well-educated fella) worked up a scientific formula to come up with a number. And he won a bottle of tequila for closest guess!

As disappointing as it is, there is one good reason for the lack of arboreal decor. My bathroom remodel, which was supposed to be finished by mid-December at the latest! is still going on. Although it's only my bathroom that's under construction, the dust and debris and truckload full of tools throughout my apartment made cleaning (let alone decorating) impossible up until a few days ago. I just couldn't bring myself to clean and decorate after Dec. 20, knowing I'd be taking it all down in only a week or two.

Christmas shopping has been one of my great and rewarding challenges these last few years. I've been lucky enough to make a decent salary, so I use my good fortune to buy what I think are pretty cool presents for my family. Finding a gift that will make someone say "Wow!" when they open it is really fun for me.

I said it's a 'challenge' and never has that been more true than this year. To begin with, I spent my first few weeks post-Australia visiting my brother in the hospital, so no Christmas shopping then. I came home from vacation to a HUGE mess and a less-than-ideal situation with regards to personal hygiene (i.e. sponge baths and hair washing in the kitchen sink!)

Not one of my family members gave me a hint as to their needs and wants for Christmas this year, so my creative juices really worked overtime to come up with good gifts.

And my job, in a word - sucks! So much so that I have an appointment with a career counselor next week and if the stars align and I don't lose my nerve, I will be leaving my shitty job in 2008.

Can you say 'stressed'?

Finally!! I finished my Christmas shopping on Thursday (although my mother's gift - - which is usually really great since I set the bar so high with her past gifts- -is back-ordered!). The back-up plan for her gift is strangely back-ordered also. I say strangely because I wanted to purchase the DVD of an old British TV show that my mom and I used to watch when I was younger. It wasn't a very popular show in the US, but apparently, it's the No.1 gift this year because every store and every online outlet has it backordered!! WTF!!!

Oh, get this! While purchasing my brother's family's gift, I messed up my shoulder.

Any doctors in the house? Let me ask you: if my right arm hurts after lugging around a large heavy box and during the night, I roll over onto it and hear a loud 'pop' and, in the morning, it feels better, does that mean I dislocated it?

I've decided that 2008 will bring changes for me. I just hope they're good ones!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa brings you everything you've wished for!

Animal, vegetable or mineral in Oz

This area of the University of Adelaide campus almost makes me want to sign up for grad school. How does anyone get any work done in such a beautiful place?


Okay, is this the scariest entrance ever?!?!?! This psychotic grinning clown is the entrance to Luna Park, an amusement park just across the Harbor Bridge from Sydney.

Gives me nightmares!!!

Could this BE any more beautiful? A schooner tips in homage to the majestic Sydney Opera House.

An emu emphatically ignores the sign's instructions at the Habitat Rainforest Preserve in Port Douglas. And yes, I was that close to this very LARGE bird!

Koalas are every bit as cuddly as they seem. This cute little guy was introduced to me at the Habitat Rainforest Preserve by a fella who makes Crocodile Dundee sound like a New Yorker!

So beautiful, I had to take another picture. Sue me. Guess it was too beautiful a day to pass up an opportunity to go sailing, whatever the boat.

Aussies are great people for making any open area a fun place to be. These schoolkids are playing rugby during recess in a park created under the Sydney Harbor Bridge (on the Kirribilli side). Too cool!

Believe it or not, boys and girls, this was taken at a vineyard! In my five previous trips Down Under, I'd toured the Hunter and Yarra valleys, the Margaret River valley and now, the Barossa Valley. Yep, I'm officially a wino!

The mile-long walk from Bondi Beach to Bronte featured art installations of all kinds and this one seemed just too appropriate for a top-optional beach (like all of them in Australia). I would've seen more art, but about 5,000 other people had the same idea.

I can't help but take a picture every time I sit down for breakfast at the Soul N' Pepper in Port Douglas. It just too beautiful a view. I don't know if you can tell, but just in front of my plate, the table features a huge gap where the sun and sea have eroded the tree-sourced tabletop.

Down here, if you get a group of boys together and hand them a bunch of long sticks, they don't play hockey, they row (or crew, as I believe the sport is called). Pretty neat team event, huh?

Back at the Habitat Rainforest Preserve, the mornings feature a program called "Breakfast with the Birds." And they aren't kidding. While the parakeets were colorful (if not also noisy and a bit too aggressive for my liking), there were some stork-looking birds that (at almost 3 feet tall) were a bit too big to be jumping on my table and reaching for my muffin!

Happy Turkey Day - - not!

SYDNEY - - Saturday in Sydney for me is Retail Therapy Day and I've decided that I deserve it after a phone call from my mother this morning.

Every year, I schedule my birthday trip's end to coincide with Thanksgiving, that great American eating festival. Not a huge holiday, but one that my family traditionally shares at my mother's home and one that each and every member of my Chicago-area family would torture me for missing.

One of my brothers has been ill and will be having surgery the day before Thanksgiving. My mother even tried to convince me to change my flight so I could be home early (did I mention that he is the Golden Child in our very large family??). Anyway, since I had booked my flights a few months ago and the surgery was only set a few weeks ago, I had timing on my side. Also, he'll won't even awake from the surgery until I'm on the ground in Chicago, so I've got that going for me too.

Needless to say, I didn't change my schedule.

But my mother changed hers.

She called this morning to tell me that she's having Thanksgiving this Sunday! While I'm still in Australia!

Wonder if they'll save me any turkey?

Does a stuffed shirt come with that?

SYDNEY, AU - - Freshly showered and prettied up after a day or two of sunning, I decided to tempt fate and head to an upscale after-work bar around the corner from my apartment (doesn't it sound cool to say I have a Sydney apartment?!?!).

I'm tempting fate because it was at this same bar that I met The Stalker last year. Remember him? The guy who invited me to lunch, changed it to a private meeting at some out-of-the-way place and then when I cancelled, proceeded to call my cell phone 25 times in three days???

Anyway, no Stalker this time. Yay! The bar was filled with men in all forms of business attire, primarily blues, grays and black suits and ties aplenty. My kind of scene! Apparently I'm not alone in my enthusiasm for the clientele as proven by this great line told to me by a lawyer fellow from New Zealand:

"They call this place the Dry Cleaners because girls come here to pick up a suit."

Alas, I left alone.

Must have forgotten my ticket.

PD is my MD

PORT DOUGLAS, AU - This place is my drug of choice. It's my relaxation medication.

I walk slower here (not SLOW, but slower).

Of course I walk slower here. Walk too fast and you miss the screeching blaze of rainbows as lorikeets race overhead. Swim too fast and you miss the amazing feat of glorious sea creatures that breathe water!

My breathing is slower here. My heartbeat, too.

The sky is much cleaner here and the colors much more vivid. It's like a life-sized allergy commercial where the views are blurry until the allergy medication kicks in and then viola! the world is brighter and clearer. I notice so much of nature here and it's because I'm moving at a slower pace that allows me to absorb all the beauty.

The only thing that doesn't slow for me is time and my time in PD is almost up. Tomorrow is my last day here and then down to Sydney.

sigh

My day on the reef

Port Douglas, AU - Yesterday was my 42nd birthday (today for those of you in the US and Canada - Hi Firecracker!!). I have been so unbelievably lucky to spend my birthday these past three or four years snorkeling the Low Isles of the Great Barrier Reef and this year was no different.

Wasn't sure Mother Nature would cooperate when I awoke to overcast skies but by the time the catamaran Wavedancer left the marina, the skies had warmed to a brilliant blue.

We had a small crowd, which suited me just fine, as my mind has been overflowing lately with thoughts of my horrible work situation (yep, couldn't quite turn it off, as much as I've tried). I did, however, meet a very nice British couple (Jilian and Rupert, how British is THAT?!?!). Julian was near tears when they came aboard, not knowing where to put her things, what to do on the boat or on the island, would they get lunch?, is it included? She seemed very rattled and her husband had no idea what to do.

"Are you a good swimmer?" I asked her, jumping right into her panicked world. She nodded.

"Then you're going to have a WONDERFUL time today," I said and smiled. "You can leave your stuff on the boat. The staff will watch over everything. You can either snorkel or dive or go on the glass-bottomed boat or just go and walk on the island with the marine biologist. And they serve a really nice buffet lunch here on the boat."

She smiled and dried her tears. Her husband smiled too and said "Thank you." He showed more tangible appreciation in buying me a XXXX Gold beer later.

One of the staff members offered to give me a Wavedancer employee outfit.

The outfit I did get was a blue Lycra bodysuit which is supposed to keep me from getting stung by jellyfish and getting too much sun. I woke up today with a swollen lower lip (apparently the suit didn't cover all of me and the sun hit me right in the face.) Oh well.

Sorry that I don't have photos of my fish adventures yet, but when I get home, I'll post them.

Of course, I had already used up all of my underwater camera's film by lunchtime, so the post-meal snorkeling would be just me...no technological crutch. You see, when I get nervous in the water, I tell myself just to concentrate on taking pictures of the pretty fish and don't think about sharks or jellyfish or any other aquatic dangers.

But yesterday, on my birthday, I wasn't nervous about losing my crutch. I was excited (and pretty sure I wouldn't be one of those people who die on their birthday. But wouldn't that be a fascinating way to die? eaten by a shark on the Great Barrier Reef??)

But I digress.

After securing all of my snorkeling gear on the island, I backed into the water and drifted through the clear, shallow water (the tide had gone out over lunch). The proximity of the coral reef made me a bit nervous as we'd been told numerous times that we'll kill the coral is we touch it.

Don't think, just swim and look at all the pretty fishes, I told myself.

And then I saw them.

Clams! Not your run-of-the-mill appetizer clams. These were HUGE, blue-lipped monsters that wouldn't even fit in my bathroom (post-remodel)!! My jaw would've dropped but then I would probably drown so somehow I managed to be in awe and keep my mouth shut at the same time (pretty big feat, huh?) How incredible!! And what a time to be without a camera!

Strangely, I wasn't disappointed that I couldn't document this sighting for my loyal readers (both of you, ha!), but you'll just have to trust me on this one.

And then it got better.

I had just decided that this snorkeling thing is pretty strenuous and I could use a break, or maybe even call it a day altogether when I lifted my head to locate the island. My mask had barely broken the surface of the water when I spotted the turtle (or 'tortuga' as our Spanish contingent said.)

She (I don't really know the sex, but still) seemed to be jammed partially under a section of reef. I couldn't decided if she was rubbing against the reef to reach an itch or maybe she really WAS stuck. Okay, that seems pretty stupid now, but at the time it seemed a possibility.

She was gorgeous, about a meter and a half long with a intricately themed shell. I didn't want to scare her, so I stayed back. I just floated there, occasionally lifting my head to see if any other snorkelers were around to show them my exciting discovery.

After at least 10 minutes, another Blue Man arrived at my side and I pointed to my lovely shelled friend, still wiggling around under the reef. We both held our ground (water?) and saw as she freed herself and surfaced.

I lifted my head and saw her grab a breath and submerge again. We played a bit of peek-a-boo for a minute or two and then she drifted away out of sight.

How fantastic!

Oh, and by the way, I asked the marine biologist and she said that turtles jam themselves under the reef to sleep (so they don't float to the surface). Apparently, I had arrived at naptime.

A walk in the park

ADELAIDE, AU - Decided that I'd check out Adelaide's Botanic Gardens, as is my habit in all Australian cities. Nothing like celebrating my first full day in South Australia (known on the license plates as The Festival State, for those interesting in that type of trivia) with a face full of kangaroo paw (strange but cool flower found in these parts).

The day opened as it closed yesterday, too cool for my liking. I left my hotel with several layers that included a scarf around my neck, but Mother Nature had changes in store for me and I returned several hours later with my scarf tied around my camera bag and my sweater wrapped around my waist.

Never made it to the Botanic Gardens, however, as the University of Adelaide's campus stood in my way. I strode through the huge wrought-iron gates and was somewhat disappointed to see very few students. All in class maybe? Nice campus, though.

Having a vague idea where the gardens began, I headed through the campus toward Torrens River. Now the place reminds me of Melbourne, where it gave me glimpses of Perth yesterday. Melbourne features the Yarra River dividing sections of town and one must find a walkway across the Yarra to get to Melbourne's amazing Botanic Gardens.

But I digress.

Having crossed the Torrens, I found myself not at the gardens but at the entrance to the Adelaide Zoological Gardens. Okay, that works. I love zoos!

Can I put in a plug here for the Animal Planet show called "Meercat Manor"? Seriously folks, I can watch those critters for hours and nearly did in Adelaide. For sheer entertainment value, they really do rival the chimpanzees - and that's saying something.

Having viewed my buddies the meercats and some odd African creature called a mara which looked like someone put a rabbit's head on a small dog, I decided that nature was calling. Is it strange or very creative that the ladies room at the Adelaide Zoo is built into an aviary? Yep, brightly colored (and noisy) parrets were watching us pee from above.

I devoured a croissant sandwich, doritos and a water and decided to call it a day (since I had absolutely NO IDEA how long it would take to get back to my hotel.) I had been meandering around since 10:30 in the morning and since all of the grammer school field trips had departed, it had to be late.

Time to go.

On the way back, I stopped for a breather on a park bench near the Adelaide...oops, sorry, the Royal Adelaide Hospital (not sure what's royal about it, but whatever). Anyway, while sitting there enjoying the first real sun I've absorbed in days, I saw a group of young boys in white short-sleeved shirts and a few in matching white hats run across the street in front of me.

A few minutes later, more boys in the same shirt (with a purple stripe across the shoulders) trickled by and raced through the parking lot across the street. And more boys, these a few years older, followed a few minutes later.

There's a game on!

White shirts and hats?? Would it be cricket maybe? I remembered seeing an area called the "parade grounds" on the map and it wasn't too far from here. Maybe it's Aussie Rules football? I don't know squat about either sport, but what a great chance to find out!

I raced across the street in the direction that the boys went and found myself back on campus, but this time it was the University of South Australia. Whatever. I headed toward the river and spotted the boys on the far banks of the Torrens, gathered with some men near a small structure.

One look at the equipment spread out on the ground and I knew.

Not cricket, not football, but crew!

To grocery shop or not to grocery shop?

Granted, I'm not one of those people that maintains a refrigerator stocked full of fresh vegetables and healthy snacks, but GEEZ!

A quick check of my 'frig last night revealed that everything in there (aside from a door full of condiments) is either chocolate or wine. If it matters, it's really good chocolate (Milka brand from Europe) and pretty good wine, too.

Guess I should feel bad about that, but I really don't.

Countdown to vacation: eight days!

A sunny Sunday

They might have been part of the congregation from the mass that just let out. The two of them, a couple, shuffled toward me with the peculiar gait that often marks a mental deficiency.

A huge smile split her cocoa-colored face as she walked hand-in-hand with him, her lips unable to conceal the misshapen mouth and bucked teeth. Through thick and wide glasses she looked not up, but across at her pudgy friend.

His hair a greasy mess across his pimpled forehead, he pulled at his wrinkled and baggy jeans as they stopped for just a moment.

They kissed.

And continued on their way.

God didn't give them physical beauty, but He gave them happiness.

And I couldn't help but be a little jealous.

Countdown to Opening Day 2008

People that know me, even the casual acquaintances that I see during my workday, know that I'm a Cub fan. To some of them, I'm sure that's my sole identifying characteristic.

"There goes that lady that's a big Cub fan" as if I walk around with a big red 'C' on my forehead.

But lately, with my team exiting the post-season with nothing but a whimper, I've been the recipient of many concerned looks.

"Are you okay?"

People, please! It's not like someone ran over my dog. As a longtime Cub fan, I've learned to temper any raging enthusiasm, any urge of "we're gonna win it all!" with memories of past disappointments. I've learned that Cub fans have thick skins. At least they should.

The cashier at my lunchtime spot gave me that mournful look of sympathy and it triggered a thought.

The Cubs last participated in the World Series in 1945, but since 1984, the Cubs have played in the post-season five times. FIVE TIMES!! Okay, they haven't won "the whole thing" in my lifetime (yet), but I've felt that rush of seeing the red-white-and-blue bunting hanging from the brick walls of Wrigley.

It seems that many so-called baseball fans are defining success in very black-and-white terms. Hey! Only one team wins the World Series. One! Does that mean that the other 29 teams in baseball are utter failures?!?!

Winning a pennant doesn't mean anything? How about taking home a division title? Or going from last place to first place in one year? Can you honestly say those aren't terrific accomplishments?

It's not all-or-nothing for me.

Would you tell your child that if they don't collect straight As on their report card that they must be stupid?

I think not!

Opening Day for the Cubs is March 31, 2008.

Save me a seat.

My boys

C'mon! You can't tell me these don't look like fun guys!

It's too bad I have to say goodbye to them...at least until next March!


Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster having fun in the bullpen.

Dempster, ever the ringmaster, introducing the singing rookies in costume in Cincinnati.

I'm thinking Jacque Jones had a rough night following the Cubs' division clinching in Cincy.

We wouldn't have gotten this far without the LSU Connection (alias Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot).

And then there's speed demons like Felix Pie that keep things interesting!