For Pete's sake, Red Sox-please win tomorrow!

Today was a great day for this baseball fan. First, the Cubbies came back to beat the Cardinals in the 10th inning 5-4. Second, the Reds won, so now they are only 2.5 games back. Awesome! Finally, I just read that Peter Gammons went to the Yankees-Red Sox game:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2554773

However, it cannot be good for his health to see his favorite team lose to the Evil Empire 13-5. Therefore, please pull off a victory tomorrow night, Boston. Baseball fans everywhere want our beloved Peter to get back to his old self again. Falling further out of the Wild Card race is not going to help his road to recovery. Thank you for your support, Big Papi and company. Good luck and God speed.

What kind of soul are you?

You Are a Newborn Soul

You are tolerant, accepting, and willing to give anyone a chance. On the flip side, you're easy to read and easily influenced by others. You have a fresh perspective on life, and you can be very creative. Noconformist and nontraditional, you've never met anyone who's like you. Inventive and artistic, you like to be a trendsetter. You have an upbeat spirit and you like almost everything. You make friends easily and often have long standing friendships. Implusive and trusting, you fall in love a little too easily. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

If I Can Dream

There seems to be a misconception out there that the only two topics I care to discuss are baseball and pop culture. If you look at my blog description, I can understand why you might get that impression. However, I am in fact much deeper than that (please don't confuse my lighthearted nature with being shallow). One thing that deeply troubles me is the constant threat of terrorism against the citizens of the United States. Thank God the latest attempt was thwarted, but unlike many other Americans, I have not forgotten about the horrors of 9-11. As an eternal optimist, I would like to believe that someday conditions will improve and that eventually we will achieve world peace. The following song by Elvis Presley gives me hope and comfort during these trying times:

If I Can Dream-

Elvis Presley

There must be lights burning brighter somewhere

Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue

If I can dream of a better land

Where all my brothers walk hand in hand

Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true

There must be peace and understanding sometime

Strong winds of promise that will blow away

All the doubt and fear

If I can dream of a warmer sun

Where hope keeps shining on everyone

Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear

We're lost in a cloud

With too much rain

We're trapped in a world

That's troubled with pain

But as long as a man

Has the strength to dream

He can redeem his soul and fly

Deep in my heart there's a trembling question

Still I am sure that the answer gonna come somehow

Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle

And while I can think, while I can talk

While I can stand, while I can walk

While I can dream, please let my dream

Come true, right now

Let it come true right now

Oh yeah

My Five Factor Personality Profile

***Your Five Factor Personality Profile***

Extroversion:

You have high extroversion.
You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends.
You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation.
Enthusiastic and fun, you're the first to say "let's go!"

Conscientiousness:

You have medium conscientiousness.
You're generally good at balancing work and play.
When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.
But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. (that's for sure)

Agreeableness:

You have high agreeableness.
You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.
Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.
You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseur of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.


The Five Factor Personality Test:

http://www.blogthings.com/thefivefactorpersonalitytest/

Just for the taste of it, Diet Coke!

I bet this is what the new Pepsi vendors at work do just as soon as they get back to their trucks. Coke is the real thing! Perhaps I will eventually get over this change in beverage vendors, but today is not their lucky day...

Blogthings, you make my heart sing...

Like my buddy Maria, I too am addicted to Blogthings. Here are some of my favorite quiz results:

***Your 2006 Summer Anthem Is***

Hips Don't Lie by Shakira

"I'm on tonight
You know my hips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection"

What's Your 2006 Summer Anthem?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyour2006summeranthemquiz/

***Your Personality Is Like Acid***

A bit wacky, you're very difficult to predict.
One moment you're in your own little happy universe...
And the next, you're on a bad trip to your own personal hell!

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatdrugisyourpersonalitylikequiz/

***Your Quirk Factor: 45%***

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it.
Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/howquirkyareyouquiz/


***The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic***

Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few.
But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky.

Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?
http://www.blogthings.com/ifyourlifewasamoviewhatgenrewoulditbequiz/

Kelly, the inadvertent cleat-chaser

Last Thursday-Sunday, I ventured to Paris, Illinois for a quick trip home to visit the fam. I had a lot of fun doing lunch and reminiscing with my good friend, Nicole, and her new baby, Aynsley, in the Indianapolis area. My dad then picked me up in Terre Haute, where we did a little shopping and then headed home to eat dinner and watch the Cubbies. It was a great weekend not only because I got to spend some quality time with the V's, but also because we were all able to watch the Cubs sweep the Cardinals in a 4-game series at Wrigley (that hasn't happened since 1972, before I was born). The highlight of the trip, however, definitely occurred on Saturday night, when we went to the Danville Dans game...

I wanted to go to Danville to see 3 of my ballplayers from Memphis compete in the Central Illinois Collegiate League (http://www.ciclbaseball.com/ ). Now it's not real difficult convincing anyone in my family to go to a baseball game, and since we had a good time there last year, we all hopped in the car for a 45 minute road trip. The game was close and the beer was cold. Although the Dans lost 5-4, but we weren't too disappointed because they put in a solid effort. Since the players had an autograph session after the game, I yelled through the fence to my guys to let them know I was in the house. They asked me to hang around for awhile since there were a million kids waiting in line. My sister, Kelly, decided to wait with me while I sent my brother, Brian, and Dad to Royal Donut to pick up donuts for Sunday's breakfast.

Kelly and I stood in the autograph line for what seemed like an eternity until we finally reached one of my former athletes, who is an assistant coach for the Dans. He introduced me to a hottie assistant coach, for which I owe him a debt of gratitude. We then saw my other two guys, who were more than a little surprised to see me. Two of the three wanted to make changes to their Fall schedules, but I regretted to inform them that I do not carry Schedule Adjustment Forms in my back pocket. While I was chatting away with the boys, Kelly decided to have the whole team sign the poster they passed out at the gate so she could give it to me. When we reached the end of the line, we heard one of the ballplayers warning his teammate not to do "what he thought he was thinking of doing." I just figured they were lusting over my baby sister because she had the girls on display. However, when we got home, we noticed that one of the Dans had written his phone number across his picture instead of his signature (I won't tell you who gave his digits in order to protect the not-so-innocent)! It was pretty darn funny as Kelly is not exactly in the market for a 20-year old horndog after finishing law school. But I don't think she minded the attention one little bit. :)

Baseball Tonight is in shambles!

First, our beloved Peter Gammons has a brain aneurysm at the end of June. Good Lord willing he's going to be OK and will be able to come back and cover our national pastime again soon. Baseball Tonight has not been the same without him. Then this afternoon, Harold Reynolds is fired from ESPN totally out of the blue. None of the sports websites are saying why, but my friend Julie sent me the following website with allegations of sexual harrassment against HR: http://www.deadspin.com/sports/top/was-this-why-Harold-got-the-axe-189733.php

I am in shock. Can this show survive without its top 2 personalities? Don't get me wrong-I love Krukie and Ravie. However, Peter and Harold were the glue that kept Baseball Tonight together. I don't know who they're going to add to spice things up. Personally, I cannot stand former Mets GM/Mr. Know-it-all , Steve Phillips. Here's hoping they have Tim Kurkjian and Brian Kenny or Chris Berman on the program more frequently (and less random weekend fill-ins like Tino Martinez). Stay tuned. There's more drama on ESPN than the soaps right now...

HOLY COW!!!

In 2006, the Cubbies have found creative ways to lose. Tonight, after getting out to a nice 5-0 lead, they gave up TWO grand slams in the 6th en route to an 11-run inning. This season, I finally started following the good advice of my parents who have encouraged me for years to change the channel when it starts getting ugly. Well, I switched to Emeril Live after the 1st grand slam and the subsequent pitching change (anytime Novoa comes into the game, it's not a good sign), so luckily I did not have to witness this offensive explosion by the Mets. It has truly become embarrasing to be a Cubs fan. However, I will still wear my Believe bracelet with pride and will try not to throw my cell phone, remote controls, etc. in disgust...

Thank goodness for VH1, which has provided a welcome diversion from this maddening baseball season with some fun summer programming. All you pop culture nuts out there, don't miss The World Series of Pop Culture on Thursday nights at 9 pm CST . It is a blast playing along at home and seeing if you can answer more entertainment trivia questions correctly than the contestants. I think this is the one "sport" where I could become an all-star. I've also thoroughly enjoyed I Love The 70's Volume 2 because it was one crazy decade. Check them out if you need an escape from reality like I do.

What are the keys to your heart?

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to good manners and elegance. In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved. You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage pessimistically. You don't think happy marriages exist anymore. (I don't necessarily agree with this result) In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily. What are the keys to YOUR heart? Take the quiz to find out: http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/

81 down, 81 to go

Cubs fans, we have made it to the halfway point of the season. After Dumpster's blown save in the 9th yesterday, I didn't know if I could take it anymore. But the Cubbies came back today and beat the White Sox 15-11 to avoid a sweep. 30-51 is hardly a record to write home about, but at least we're not in the basement (thanks Pirates). I honestly don't think any of the Cubs are worthy of an All-Star selection this year. However, since MLB insists that each team must have at least one representative, then I guess we will have to put our hands together for Carlos Zambrano. If interleague play is any indication, the National League should get spanked pretty good by the American League in the Midsummer Classic once again . Take heart, Cubs fans/players/personnel-October will be here before we know it. Then we can all get some much-needed rest.

Song of the day: "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

My kind of town Chicago is...

This weekend marks the second Cubs-White Sox series of the year. The first matchup featured fisticuffs and a bench-clearing brawl. Although Barrett cold-cocking Pierzynski was certainly the highlight of the season so far, the Cubs still lost 2 out of 3 games. I'd love to see the Cubbies even the score this time, especially since they're playing at Wrigley. If we're going to have a terrible team, the least we can do is beat up on the White Sox and Cardinals whenever we have the opportunity. GO CUBS!

On a totally unrelated note, I wanted to let all of my loyal readers know that I returned to my new hair salon today without incident (see my "I'm feeling like a criminal" post if you're confused). There were no sightings of policemen or rent-a-cops in the vicinity. Maybe I've been taken off the neighborhood watch list. ;)

Mama said knock you out

Michael Barrett's 10-game suspension for punching A.J. "The Instigator" Pierzynski was upheld by MLB today. While I will miss seeing our catcher's tight ass for the next week and a half, it's not like his absence will be a big loss to the team. This is because the Cubbies are absolutely pitiful this season. They are so far out of the race that it simply doesn't matter that their Silver Slugging, All-Star backstop is not in the lineup. Personally, I think a 10-game suspension is a small price to pay for knocking out a cocky White Sox player on Fox Saturday Baseball's Game of the Week. If you can't join 'em, beat 'em. ;)

It's time to hop on board the CWS bandwagon

If you want some good old-fashioned wholesome entertainment this week, then look no further than the College World Series: http://www.cwsomaha.com/html/home/index.asp

I don't understand why this NCAA tournament does not excite the majority of Americans. Last night, I was out on the town and was really curious about the Cal St. Fullerton-North Carolina baseball game, which was tied when I left my apartment. You would think that it would be easy to find the score on my cell phone since I have the following sports websites on Media Net: ESPN, CBS SportsLine, Yahoo Sports, & Sports Illustrated. But noooooooo-none of these sites even mentioned college baseball. Oh sure, I could have read a whole article about J.J. Redick's DWI or Ben Roethlisberger's careless motorcycle accident, but I couldn't get these vital stats. The top 8 college baseball teams in the nation are in Omaha fighting for a national championship, and no one seems to care. It's a shame, really. If you would like to watch a baseball game that is untainted by steroid use or skyrocketing salaries, then please tune in to the CWS on ESPN and ESPN 2. Get hip to aluminum bats. PING!!!

Soundtrack To Your Life

*WARNING-this entry is not my usual lighthearted fare. Sap alert!!!*

Do you ever hear a song on the radio that makes you think back to a certain time period or important event in your life? If so, you might enjoy these lyrics from "Soundtrack To Your Life" by Ashley Parker Angel:

Your life is a flashback
A question, a photograph
A statement, a story, a struggle
A chance to laugh
Cuz if you don't laugh you cry
A last crescendo when you die
So hit the rewind and listen
It's the playback
The soundtrack to your life

Wouldn't it be cool to make a mix of these songs and share them with your friends just to let them know you're thinking about them? Yesterday I heard "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor while I was eating breakfast at a bakery in Charlotte. This song always makes me a little misty, especially when I look back on all of the great friends I have made over the years. To all of my buddies out there, whether I have known you for a long time or we have only recently met, this song is dedicated to you:

When you’re down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
I’ll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.

Game shows, one of my guilty pleasures

I cannot tell a lie-I love game shows. When I was little, I dreamed of flying to California to be a contestant on Press Your Luck (big bucks, no whammies). To this day, I still think that I would make a great game show host. Come on, who could resist this charisma? ;) Well, needless to say when I was flipping through channels last night and saw a program on CBS called Game$how Marathon, my curiosity was piqued. If you want a little mindless entertainment, you've gotta check it out (Thursdays 7 pm CT). Celebrities play classic game shows like The Price is Right, Beat the Clock, and Let’s Make a Deal to win prizes for lucky television viewers and money for their favorite charity. The theme for tonight’s show is Press Your Luck, so you know I’m psyched. As an added bonus, they also show clips from the original series. What’s not to love?

Summer means FUN!!!

I have really enjoyed the summer so far. Some of you out there in cyberspace may be questioning my sanity since summer has not officially arrived according to the calendar. However, in my world, summer begins as soon as the spring semester is over. Thus, I have already experienced about a month of this glorious season and I am loving it! We recently hired a bunch of mid-twentysomethings at work and they have been kind enough to invite me out with them lately. Maybe it's because I don't act my age or perhaps it's because of my WOO (Winning Others Over, my #1 strength according to StrengthsQuest), but we have had a great time hanging out. The past 2 weekends, we have gone to Beale Street and I am happy to admit that I can still party like a rock star. Young Guns-thanks for the laughs. It's true; age is just a number and you're as young as you feel (I'm thinking a spry 27 sounds just about right).

This weekend, the fun will continue as I'm traveling to Charlotte for my college buddy Amy's wedding. I can't wait to see her because it's been far too long. We sure had some good times back in the day, didn't we, Schmoopie? :) I will also be getting together with some of my old baseball buddies from Bona's, so laughs are sure to ensue. Be young and have fun, everyone!

No Idol, no Cubbies...what's a girl to do?

This is a weird Tuesday. Idol is over, so there's nothing to vote for and critique this evening. The Cubs are blacked out in my area, so I can't watch the game. Granted, this isn't such a bad thing considering they have only won 6 games all month. However, I think it is ludicrous that Cincinnati, Atlanta, and St. Louis are considered Memphis' "local" teams. Since when is a city that is 6 hours away local? I can understand blacking out games if you live an hour away from a city and could technically hop in your car at a moment's notice to attend (i.e. blacking out Milwaukee games if you live in Chicago). In my opinion, this is just another dumb move by Major League Baseball that further alienates fans in a sport that probably ranks third in popularity right now behind the NFL and NBA (and maybe even NASCAR, as much as it pains me to say it). If true blue fans like me are willing to shell out the big bucks for the MLB Extra Innings package, we should get to watch our team whenever possible. OK, I will get off my soapbox now. Please keep the Chicago Cubs in your thoughts and prayers as they need all the help they can get.

America, you make me proud

I am so happy that the citizens of our wonderful nation chose wisely and voted in favor of Taylor Hicks as our new American Idol! There is nothing more American that dancing to the beat of your own drummer and beating overwhelming odds in order to accomplish your dream. Best of luck to the Silver Fox in his recording career. You can definitely count me in as a member of the Soul Patrol! :) Today's music industry lacks distinctive voices and styles, so in my opinion, we need an artist with the infectious personality of Taylor Hicks to make listening to the radio fun again. Can you imagine what his first video is going to look like? I'm smiling just thinking about it.

Now can I get an encore, do you want more?

This is it, Idol fans-the finale. Sorry I didn't write last week, but I think we all knew that Elliott would be the one to go (to quote Whitney, "it's not right, but it's okay"). Tonight, Katharine and Taylor recycled 2 songs and added a new one to the mix. Personally, I thought Kat performed her songs worse than she did previously on recent broadcasts ("Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" in particular). The judges' rave reviews of her "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" seemed rehearsed and I am STILL NOT impressed. Her last song, "My Destiny", was absolute drivel. My sister said it sounded like something you would hear at a county fair beauty pageant and I can't think of a better description. Taylor, on the other hand, rocked the house once again. I think he chose wisely by picking songs he had not sung in awhile. His "Living For The City" was awesome and I thought "Levon" was also very good. I think Randy was just trying to create some suspense by acting like Taylor didn't perform the second song that well (whatever-America isn't fooled). Finally, Taylor did a great job with the lame song he was given, "Do I Make You Proud". I don't know who writes this stuff for the finale but they should not quit their day job. Anyway, Simon said that Taylor's performance should make him the next American Idol. I sure hope he's right because I can't stomach a McPheever victory. So far, I have voted 20 times and there's still plenty of time left. Pick up those phones and call now: 1-866-436-5702 or 1-866-436-5704 or 1-866-436-5706. Thank you for your support. :) SOUL PATROL! SOUL PATROL! SOUL PATROL!