hawing

Last night it was the remake of "Movin' on Up" that plays in the Mercedes-Benz commercial during Brewers games. Fortunately for that song, by coincidence I have come to associate it with Brewer victories, so I don't mind it...yet.

I'm a chronically anxious person, so yeah, I've got some fears. I tend toward hypochondria, and so a big fear of mine is disease (like dread diseases - I've learned not to ever read stuff like webmd), as well as general age-related degeneration. I worry about this stuff both on behalf of my loved ones and myself. I won't fly anymore (I did once, when I didn't have a choice, and didn't like it). It's not just my fear of heights, the pre-2001 fear of flying, or the post-2001 fear of terrorism. It's also that airline service is so awful, by virtually all accounts; why should I reward them with money if I can find another way? I also fear being alone (like abandoned, not just solitude), the unknown, bats, snakes, and the circus in general. And definitely spiders! as well as most (but not all) other kinds of insects. I'm sure there's more, but if I list them all here I'll be up all night. Somehow, I can handle the pea sized objects, though. As long as they're not pea-sized/shaped insects.

I can remember a week later going to my brother's soccer game, which was at night, and seeing a few planes fly and wondering in my mind if they would fly into something. Another memory uncovered from my fall 2001: Originally, we were supposed to go to a game at Wrigley on the Saturday after the attacks, then a game at MP that Sunday. Both were postponed to the first weekend of October. So there we were on the first Saturday in October at Wrigley, and I couldn't help but watch every plane that flew overhead. By the latter innings we timed the planes: they went over every 70 seconds. Incidentally, the cubs played the scurvy cur pirates that day - I'm pretty sure. Sammy had an ITP home run, which I missed by being in the bathroom. I was mildly disappointed to miss the ITP, but less so since it was Sosa's accomplishment. (Edited to highlight the quote)

http://www.rankinbass.com/images/schoolhouserockcel.bmp Figure eight as double four, Figure four as half of eight. If you skate, you would be great If you could make a figure eight. That's a circle that turns 'round upon itself.

"Where were you when Kennedy/King/Lennon was shot/Pearl Harbor was attacked..." This triggers another memory I have of that day. The media were making the inevitable (and arguable) comparisons to the Pearl Harbor attack, and I remember wondering if the way we felt that day was at all similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early 1960s. I thought one could make a case for that comparison because of the suspense/anxiety of wondering when things would escalate and how soon. Obviously, it was more like Pearl Harbor because there was an actual attack. Since 9/11/2001, the question of "when will the other shoe drop" (i.e. the next big attack) has been on my mind. In that first year it was on my mind a lot; now it's more in the back of my mind - but it's always there.

Wow, is Russell ever looking friendly.

I was at my workplace (same office as I'm in now). One of my co-workers came over a little after 8:00, looking white as a sheet, and said her father had called with the news. Since we were in a library, we started checking news websites, but soon found they were all overloaded and not responding. So we turned on a radio and didn't do a whole lot for the rest of the morning. I got a lot more nervous when the Pentagon attack was reported. I remember thinking, "what if they go after all the capital cities? crap!" (since I both work and, at the time, lived within 8 blocks of Wisconsin's state capitol) Now, since that day, my S.O., whose background is in geography, has reminded me many a time that the capital of New York is Albany, not NYC. But it was a knee jerk reaction. At midday I had a dental appointment. I really would have preferred to have lunch with the S.O. (in the way I think a lot of people wanted to be with their loved ones), but I'd already had to reschedule the appointment once, and I really did want to have my teeth cleaned - so I decided to go. I was hoping there'd be just muzak on in the dentist's office, but it was all terror news. After the initial details got out, I didn't watch much TV coverage, though I'm sure if I'd been at home I wouldn't have been able to turn away. I'd had my emotional fill by the time we got home for the night, and I remember being grateful to find TV Land showing regular programming. The other thing I remember thinking throughout the course of that day was how incongruously beautiful the weather was - in Madison, at least. A lovely, warm, late-summer day; not at all the backdrop you'd expect for such a dreadful series of events. Also - on the Friday following (the national day of mourning, or whatever it was), the UW had kind of a service on Library Mall that drew 20,000 people. The mall was completely packed. My co-workers and I watched from the balcony on our building - which was an interesting view, though I wouldn't have minded if the whole event had been unnecessary in the end.

With apologies for nit picking, the Brewers have won at PNC this year (over the Pirates, even), 10-3 on July 2. Damian was crazy effective that game. But yeah, how about one win tonight for a start, Brewers? Paging Dr. Jekyll - we've seen enough of Mr. Hyde.

My experience has been like temke's. Occasionally I can't find the "mark forum read" statement, and then I realize I'm either not logged in or bumped out (a la ezboard). On the other hand, I just realized earlier today where the "mark all forums read" appears - so don't consider me an expert by any means.

Right now, I don't know that I care whether it's bandwagoners or diehard fans wearing the swag. Anyone wearing, say, a Brewers cap isn't wearing a cubs cap (to use a timely example), and that is good enough for me. Heck, it's good news, relatively speaking, to see any MLB swag during a month where most of the local media is trying to smother us with football. (Not that I want to take a baseball vs. football tangent here.) Whenever I see someone with a jersey tee, I always look to see which name is on the back. It's usually Fielder or Hardy, but even in Madison I see a variety of names. And man, have those shirts proliferated this year. The Walk-off Wednesdays promotion was one smart move.

I have no 'road trip' tales, but I am noticing more people around the Madison campus wearing Brewers swag. Of course, the campus population just tripled again as classes began last week, but still. In my library one morning last week I could hear one side of a cell phone conversation in the hallway that mentioned the Brewers-Cubs tie for first place. It just feels like more of a buzz. It's exciting and I hope the Brewers continue to justify said buzz.

The Brewers' short-term future (and the short-term happiness of bf. net nation) is totally on your head. Have fun!

Sweet. I think I'll choose the Brewers' IGT to change the "number".

OK, well, your radio broadcast information definitely works for me.

JP just cited another run for the cubs (7-6). Hang on Bucs! Then you can relax and falter for a few days.

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/sports/brew/img/may02/adcock3052402.jpg Joe Adcock - who I recently learned was my mother's favorite Milwaukee Brave.

But it did come back. This time, for now, at least...

For those of you just kicked out of the chat... 1. It wasn't me booting you, it was the server. 2. I think I might be back in. Not related to the chat... 3. Buckle down, Ben. Don't let them back in. Edit: My bad, this belonged in the other IGT.

Chicago (N) at Pittsburgh, 12:35 CDT: Trachsel vs. Morris. St. Louis at Arizona, 3:40 CDT: Thompson vs. Davis. Go Sharpie! And go Bucs, just once more for now.

Couldn't you have moved that TV to Madison sooner?!

I'm with Toby. Though, should the Brewers advance and should they face Arizona, I believe they could totally take Sharpie.

http://images.wisconsinhistory.org/700007090004/0709000035-m.jpg Bob Buhl of the Milwaukee Braves.

I especially enjoy that this thread was started by dlk9s, with the little bug avatar.

Easy for me. The Green Bay what? I think one reason why I began following the Brewers in 1982 was to have an interest that was different from the majority (in the case of sports, the Packers). Over time I reasoned that the NFL hardly needs me as a fan. Then I lived in Green Bay for a couple of years and saw the uber-hype first hand, and I got pretty much burned out on the NFL.

Allen You mean Meat. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/wink.gif