A sad day at the Cubby Bear...

Sorry folks, but this post is seriously, wickedly, unfortunately overdue.  But, in my defense, I've had a very busy week, and there were lots of pictures from this event.  Pictures make a post hard (especially lots of pictures), because I have to sort, choose (and that's hard!), crop, resize, etc.  And then I have to actually write the post to put the pictures in!

Anyway, here's how it went down: T and his good friend K took my sister K and me to the baseball game, and was it ever an adventure!  We started out early.  T's friend K works for the Cardinals (he's actually kind of a big deal), so we got to go hang out down on the field during batting practice!  Then we went to check out the press box (never been in there before!), and then to lunch.

Lots of pictures of Yadi for K!

 And a little fraternization with the enemy by two of our best!

(Sorry it's so dark! It was sunny out that day!)

So, we're sitting at the table in the Redbird Club, just chowing down, chatting, enjoying the A/C, generally minding our own business (after being accosted by Fredbird, that is), when we notice that K is wearing a World Series Ring!  For real!  I told you he was kind of a big deal, and I have pictorial evidence:

So now I've gotten to fondle a Super Bowl ring and a World Series ring.  Anybody know anyone who plays pro basketball they could put me in touch with?

Then we finally make it to game time!  Sister K (that makes you sound like a nun!) was intent on keeping score, so she could send the scorecard to JJP as a "look what fun I'm having!" (and a bit of an "I wish you were here.").  We missed the first out, but other than that, I'd say the score keeping was a fairly successful venture.  Of course, there were times when K's ADD kicked in, and she needed to do something else while one of her trusty sidekicks - the other three of us - manned the paper and pencil.

Despite the fact that K's seats are on the shady side of the stadium, it was about 10,000 degrees that day.  Okay, actually I think it was 98 (ha! 98 Degrees), but it was a record high for that day.  I need time for my body to adjust to the suffocating summer humidity; this business of going from 65 to 98 in two days just does not work for me!

Ryan "The Riot" Theriot, and our cool scoreboard

 Fredbird, making more trouble for K

Who's on first? Yadi's on first!

Big Al, about to get hit by a pitch

So, the unfortunate thing about the game, is that we had a bad sixth inning; at least the top of it was bad.  We had been up 2-0, then the Cubs took the lead 4-2.  In the bottom of the sixth, we tied it up with two more runs, and we were at an impasse which lasted all the way to extra innings.

I have to preface this by saying that we're in All-Star voting season right now, and I voted for Albert Pujols as our first baseman.  I was chided by K (Ty's friend), who informed me that Albert just hasn't been performing up to snuff, etc., etc.  And it's true, his average could be (and has been) better.  His home run count is low, given how far we are into the season (although it was a Pujols homerun in the fourth that tied the game).  Etc., etc.

But there we were, in the bottom of the twelfth, slightly less sweltering but now getting hungry for dinner, and Albert comes to the plate.  Two balls.  One strike.  Then he does it again.  I stand by my choice.

While we waited for the crowd to clear out, we headed back to K's office to play table shuffleboard, which it turns out that I'm not very good at.  I don't even know all the rules, but it was fun anyway!

Special thanks to K for the tickets and all the superb access, and to T for setting us all up!