Journal of a Sabbatical

October 14, 1999

northwest wind

Is this a great ALCS or what?!?!

Today's Starting Pitcher: Ramón Martinez vs. David Cone

Today's Reading: Danube by Claudio Magris

The universe in which Kent Mercker can start against El Duque and we still take the Red Sox chances seriously must be parallel to this one at the end of the millennium. But we are indeed in such a universe. Also a universe in which I am not getting enough sleep.

Yesterday's score:

                                  R  H  E  LOB
 Boston           210 000 000 0--  3  8  3    6
 NY Yankees       020 000 100 1--  4 10  1    9

When I finally get up this morning after watching every single pitch as if my attention were crucial to the Red Sox success, the predicted windy weather had definitely started. The wind is blowing like crazy out of the northwest.

Out my bedroom window I see a dark eyed junco clinging to a lilac branch tossing in the tempest. The junco sways back and forth without letting go.

A crow glinting blue-black in the sun swoops over the lilac bush right over the junco's head. The junco takes off and flutters to the poorly trimmed hedge next to the front steps.

There seems to be a beer can in the shrub, must remember to get it out. The junco disappears into the heart of the shrub and two house sparrows emerge from inside looking very disturbed. They scold the intruder loudly.

The junco flies across the steps to the identical poorly trimmed shrub on the other side and flushes another junco - the two fly off pecking at each other.

These shrubs are dense and impenetrable there could be hordes of house sparrows or dark eyed juncos or house finches in there and I'd never know it unless they sing or fly.

Trash and lawn furniture is rolling around in the wind. Small branches are coming down. It's not raining, just very very very windy.

I decide to stay home tonight and watch the game with a cup of echinacea tea because I feel like I'm getting a cold, did Roy transmit it through the phone?