Cubs in Spring / Din with DC

Flash-forward to the following Sunday, where Beck and I had more or less worked our ways out of our respective comas. We were both coughing up lungs and pancreases, but Beck managed to trek out west to work, and I managed to drive down and grab Dan to head towards the first of several Cubs spring training games this month. The Cubbies play at Hohokam park down in Mesa, and man, was there ever a mess of traffic when we got there. Probably took fifteen minutes to get from Dan's house to the park, and then another thirty idling in line. Fortunately, I have figured out a vastly better way to get down to the ballpark. But do you think I'm telling you what it is? Hell no! I'm confident I just broke the heart of one person who googled "secret way to get to Hohokam park for Cubs spring training games." Take that, internet lurker.

So the Cubs game was schwank, even though they got beat. We had seats down the left field line for this one; here are some shots of our view:

That last pic is Matt Murton playing catch with Felix Pie between innings. And that's Derek Lee batting in the first two pics. The Giants LF, some dude named R Davis, went o-4 in the game and has the added distinction of running exactly like Homestar Runner. Seriously, it was uncanny.

Other highlights included seeing Felix Pie hit a HR and looking highly competent. Fukudome, the Cubs new RF, did a whole lotta nothing. And N Cotts pretty much pitched his way off the Cubs major league roster. Of course, ST is much more about the thrill of hanging out in the stands, seeing outdoor baseball in Arizona, and discussing postmodern literature with the people in the row behind you. I have a mild suspicion that Dan had a heavy influence on that last activity.

After the game, we sped back to DC's and met up with beck for steaks and Anchorman, starring ubiquitous semi-pro star Will Ferrel. Oh, the hilarity. Seriously, a good flick if you're up for absolute silliness. We also spent at least a few minutes watching a HD channel entirely devoted to nature scenes. Not nature shows, scenes. They just put a camera in a swamp somewhere and leave it running. It's like watching security feeds where people are really worried about getting robbed by ducks. Or manatees. The main point being that we have successfully achieved a state where we no longer have to leave the couch to enjoy nature. You've got a constant look out the window / look at the TV screen option set. Of course, for Sparkle and Wrigley, that collapses to one option.*

* - (If you're unfamiliar with behavioral trends of S&W, they spend an inordinate amount of time staring out the window as though it were an engrossing television program. They're doing it right now, actually).

ALSO of note from that Sunday night is that I am apparently Lovett dude in the know, because our friend Cheryl from Rice is pregnant and I was the only one of the Phoenix contingent included on her mass e-mail. Wahoo, and in your face, Christina and Beck! (This probably more accurately means that I am the only one of us who still updates his alumni account at Rice, indicating either that I am super-responsible or that I haven't made enough post-college friends to warrant a new e-mail addy. The solution to this situation? Go back to college. Done AND done). Anyways, congrats Cheryl, hope you are feeling nice and round like Ziegenbock and curbing your Ziegenbock-related diet habits.

The next coupla days continued to involve a ridiculous amount of coughing and beleaguered tutoring for me. Seriously: talking / teaching for six and seven hours straight with a cough is way less than awesome. I powered through. Beck and I effectively set up camp and waited for the Searl's impending arrival Tuesday night. Which sounds like another post entirely...

(Link Section):

Two of the better Onion articles I've seen in a while.
Geometric art.
Oscar-winning animation shorts.
Jesus v. Zeus.
Alison Krauss breaking the levee. Pilfered from Chris, and very cool.
Also pilfered: who is more closely watched, the US Gov or the NFL?
This is creepier than it is funny.
Top 2007 stories that mainstream media didn't jump all over.
Played in the Key of D'oh.
Funny because it's true: stuff white people like. Note esp. #60.
Beautiful photo set. ANd another, slightly nerdier set.

And we'll end this with some old skool Shaq-Fu free-stylin'. Seriously, with all apologies to Vlade, this RULES: