18 : 435 : 6 : 2
I was pretty irritated when we coasted into school exactly one minute late that early Monday morning. Traffic was ridiculous, unpredictable, and always longer than necessary due to motorists who just couldn’t figure out how to merge properly and efficiently. One minute later in the office, Puck was handed another green tardy slip. So annoying.
Yali and I spent the rest of a brief morning and early afternoon at the Big House where I edited and posted the podcast and kept Yali from squeezing the cats too hard. There was some pumpkin bread left over from the weekend. And I think Linnea ended up driving to Vanbuskirk’s once or twice, bringing back a jumbo candy apple slathered in layers of different chocolates. I guess we’re about to that time of the year again.
Puck eyed the two sheets of sums stapled together sitting on the kitchen table in front of him later that afternoon. They weren’t difficult, but the fact that there were two sheets instead of one must have inspired him to seek solace during the middle of this expedition.
“Mom, can you scratch my back? I need some soothement.”
About an hour later, I was back on the road again. My eighteenth game of the season included Dad, Mom, Carrie-Bri, Rose, Francis, Thumper, and Linnea-Irish for company.
We scattered ourselves throughout the stadium to find our seats after Francis bought two rounds of nachos for himself and Carrie, who had both been at class all day and were starving.
Things started off with a bit of a yawn. It didn’t feel much like a pennant race, despite the spliced montage of explosions, train wrecks, and fighter jets screaming across the jumbo-tron to inspire the mood of the season. I couldn’t figure out if the crowd was just sleepy, or tense.
Turns out they were more than ready for some action, because finally in the eighth inning, the boys did some damage and managed a nice come from behind win on St. Louis Blues night. Inching closer and closer to the next victory, one game at a time.
CARDINALS:
St. Louis: 2-1 win with Tony now behind the plate.
4 games up on Pittsburgh: 94 and 56; 12 games remaining.
Magic Number: 9.