Balls and Decks

September is almost over, which makes it difficult to talk about anything other than baseball in this space, but I'm sure you'd much rather hear about the deck. I cleaned it today to prep it for staining tomorrow. For those keeping score at home, that's two trips to Home Depot in two days, a feat not accomplished since the early days of 13 Pond. My back and knees hurt constantly, I sleep against a headboard, and our first mortgage payment is due on Monday. I'm getting old.

In an attemp to curb the effects of aging, I'm trying to take up tennis again. I played a few times this summer, but just as summer came to an end, I found two guys right at my level. Before and after doubles with Matthew yesterday, I played some epic singles tiebreakers with Sean and Khoa, perhaps a sign of tennis to come. Did I mention my knees and back hurt constantly?

Look Ma, No Hands, our kickball team for the fall season, moved to 4-0 with a 3-1 win on Thursday. I pitched a complete game with impeccable defense behind me, including a highlight-reel catch by the wife at second base. Look out, WAKA, Look Ma means business.

And finally, baseball. The Red Sox clinched the division last night in improbable fashion, a Mariano Rivera meltdown letting the Orioles back in what had looked like a blowout, and losing in 10 innings, shortly after Matsuzaka and the Sox beat Minnesota. It obviously would have been a much better year in baseball if not for the Y*****s' late-season surge, but I'll take a division title for the Sox and a tough Cleveland team throwing Sabbathia and Carmona twice each in an attempt to knock the evil out of the playoffs early.

At a few points this season, I said that if the Sox blew their division lead, I'd give up on AL baseball and focus on the Mets or Padres. Glad I didn't turn my attention to the Mets. Here's hoping, as the Nationals try to close out the Phillies tonight, that the Phils lose another one tomorrow and John Maine's near-no-hitter today ends up meaning something.

That is all.