Wooooooooooohooooooooooooooooo!

The Astros just took a 2-1 league against the Cardinals!!!! What a game!!!!

Boss' Day

Boss' Day is on Sunday, of all days, and in spite of the fact that I thought EVERY day was Boss' Day! Anyway...

We're all surprising our bosses with a chili lunch at work tomorrow. The sweetest guy I work with wanted to cook it all himself. I thought he was crazy, but he argued... no, he really enjoyed it. When asked if he needed help, he insisted he had it all under control.

Then this afternoon, HIS boss gave him 4 projects that he needed completed by 2pm tomorrow. I couldn't believe it. How ridiculous! How totally unfair! He handled himself so well, but I could tell he was upset... particularly because he was wanting to spend the evening cooking chili... in honor of his bosses!

His good friends at work, and he's made a lot of them in his short tenure, quickly got together and decided that we would cook the chili... no ifs, ands or buts. He reluctantly agreed, but only because there is really no way he could do it.

What a guy... seriously. But more about that later...

So, I've cooked a huge pot of chili tonight. It's only the third time I've cooked chili, so it's anybody's guess whether it's edible. The last time I cooked it, it was so freaking hot that I could only stomach it in small doses. And the first time... well, I might want to run for public office one day, so I can't tell you about the first time! Trust me, though, it's a tale.

I tasted the ground meat, and it was good then. But I haven't tested since. So who knows... I'll keep you posted!

Biting Nails Over the Astros!

This game, after last night's game, is making me reeeeeally nervous.

And then whattaya know! Burk just scored on a wild pitch! And the score is 1-0! We've got 2 men on base and Biggio is at the plate. Now would be a great time for a homer. But no... 3 strikes.

It's going to be a long night!

Time Flies... or does it?

It seems like just yesterday... that it was Christmas, and the first of the year. What happened? Everyone I know over 40 will tell you, the years pass quicker and quicker.

Collectively, I believe that feels true.

But there are days that fly... and days that crawl.

I mean, a pleasurable day doing things you love to do... or for that matter, a sick day spent in bed watching judge shows and Dr. Phil... are over before you know it. Literally, sometimes, before you're even hungry for lunch... it's 4pm.

And then there are days like today. Don't get me wrong... it was a good day. It was a very productive day spent in good company. In fact, I was reunited in a meeting with an old and family friend, over a new business project in which we are both parties. It's an exciting project and I took an immediate liking to the client.

The day was just spent... out of place. Time was spent waiting on other people, and I guess work for me lately has been fast paced, putting at least one fire out an hour. Today was completely different. The pace was hurry and wait and hurry and wait.

My boss (who I really like, respect and get along with really well) and I left early and travelled 130 miles to meet with a client, contractor and civil engineer. As the meeting was productive, so was the trip, pleasant.

I guess I'm just not used to NOT having a fire under my butt all day. I wish I could have enjoyed the less pressured day... and in some ways I did, but it also made the day seem LONG.

I'm just glad to be home.

Was the world always this scarey...

or am i just better informed?

The mounting reports of missing people, heinous crimes and senseless murders, at times, really "gets" to me. My earliest childhood recollections are of feelings of empathy and compassion for others, as well as wishes and prayers for "fairer" world.

I've mentioned how concerned I am for the return of Natalee Holloway, for peace for her family, and for justice to prevail.

News, today, about the discovery of the body of Taylor Behl has me down. The circumstances and suspects involved paint such an evil picture of the world.

And I reflect on the way I threw caution to the wind from the age of 15, until I was almost 30. I never valued the characteristics, "older and wiser", but my appreciation has grown by leaps and bounds this summer.

I would be the last person to be described as lucky... but perhaps I truly am.

Andy Bags Game One for the Astros

...Taking nothing away from his stellar pitching, but his at-bat in the seventh frame, at the time, appeared as clutch as his performance on the mound. He took an 0-1 pitch from Tim Hudson and lined it to the left-field wall for a ground-rule double, and when Ensberg's line drive found a hole at third, Pettitte scored, giving the Astros a 5-3 lead. It also knocked Hudson out of the game.

"We give Andy a hard time about his hitting," Bagwell said with a grin. "He gets really excited about it and he gets real down on himself when he doesn't get hits -- especially a double the opposite way. That was a huge hit for us at the time."

Said Pettitte: "I know it's shocking. It shocked me, I can promise you that.

"I'm just terrible. I hit so bad, I was like, 'I need a miracle at the plate.' I told Biggio, too, and Biggio said, 'You've got to believe.'"

The game turned into a blowout in the eighth when the Astros scored five runs in merry-go-round fashion. The frame was highlighted by Bagwell's pinch-hit, bases-loaded single to left field off Chris Reitsma, a bases-loaded walk to Ensberg and a two-run single by Orlando Palmeiro.

The Astros sent 11 men to the plate, and the Braves ran through four pitchers before they logged the final out on a Brad Ausmus strikeout.

The Braves threatened in the ninth, scoring two runs before putting runners at first and third with one out. It wasn't until Mike Gallo induced a 4-6-3 double play by Rafael Furcal that the Astros acknowledged their big win over the Braves to take a 1-0 lead in the Division Series.

"I'm sure it's not going to happen all the time, that we score 10 runs," Bagwell said. "Get three hits out of Morgan Ensberg, a bunch of walks, a couple dinkers here and there and we score 10 runs. It's not going to happen all the time, but it's a good start."