I admit it...

[Oleg]

Unlike Wednesday, when my stomach was in knots all damn day, I'm kind of calm about tonight. I don't like it. It seems wrong.

I was too busy on Wednesday to think about it, which worked out.

Today I have very little to do.

I might die.

Wednesday I had one long mindless task to do. Today I have a million little things to do. Maybe that's the difference. That, and Wednesday was an elimination game.

I feel like I'm going to lose control of my bowels at any moment.

[Quality Start Machine]

Unlike Wednesday, when my stomach was in knots all damn day, I'm kind of calm about tonight. I don't like it. It seems wrong.

I was too busy on Wednesday to think about it, which worked out.

Today I have very little to do.

I might die.

Wednesday I had one long mindless task to do. Today I have a million little things to do. Maybe that's the difference. That, and Wednesday was an elimination game.

I feel like I'm going to lose control of my bowels at any moment.

I admire your ability to treat this as a regular day.

[PenFoe]

Unlike Wednesday, when my stomach was in knots all damn day, I'm kind of calm about tonight. I don't like it. It seems wrong.

I was too busy on Wednesday to think about it, which worked out.

Today I have very little to do.

I might die.

Wednesday I had one long mindless task to do. Today I have a million little things to do. Maybe that's the difference. That, and Wednesday was an elimination game.

I feel like I'm going to lose control of my bowels at any moment.

I admire your ability to treat this as a regular day.

Today is much, much easier. It's Game 1 of a 5-game series. 

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Unlike Wednesday, when my stomach was in knots all damn day, I'm kind of calm about tonight. I don't like it. It seems wrong.

I was too busy on Wednesday to think about it, which worked out.

Today I have very little to do.

I might die.

Wednesday I had one long mindless task to do. Today I have a million little things to do. Maybe that's the difference. That, and Wednesday was an elimination game.

I feel like I'm going to lose control of my bowels at any moment.

I admire your ability to treat this as a regular day.

Today is much, much easier. It's Game 1 of a 5-game series. 

(And we all know how forgiving a 5-game series can be.)

[Tonker]

... I think bitching and moaning about the umps is stupid and pointless.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

... I think bitching and moaning about the umps is stupid and pointless.

THIS

[SKO]

... I think bitching and moaning about the umps is stupid and pointless.

Umps bug me when they're inconsistent.  This guy made it clear what he was going to call a strike very early on and the Cubs just stood and watched. I was mad at them more than him

[ChuckD]

... I think bitching and moaning about the umps is stupid and pointless.

Umps bug me when they're inconsistent.  This guy made it clear what he was going to call a strike very early on and the Cubs just stood and watched. I was mad at them more than him

Yep, pretty much exactly this. Especially Bryant's strikeout looking in the 9th.

[Tonker]

... I'm glad that Wheezer's back, even if I don't understand anything he says.

[Tony]

Unlike Wednesday, when my stomach was in knots all damn day, I'm kind of calm about tonight. I don't like it. It seems wrong.

My nerves are back up to Wild Card game levels.

[Wheezer]

... I honestly couldn't sort out Javier Baez from John Baez for nearly 10 seconds.

[Shooter]

... I honestly couldn't sort out Javier Baez from John Baez for nearly 10 seconds.

What about Joan Baez?

[Wheezer]

... I honestly couldn't sort out Javier Baez from John Baez for nearly 10 seconds.

What about Joan Baez?

Could've been worse, but no.

[CT III]

Yesterday, I took my kids to Cantigny to climb around on army tanks.  Later while we were walking through the gardens, they went ahead of me but then came sprinting back.  "DAD!" the oldest screamed "WE FOUND A DEAD BIRD!"

Naturally I hurried over to look at this gruesome scene and found the most perfect looking dead cardinal I have ever seen. There didn't appear to be a mark on it. It couldn't have been dead for more than hour.

My first thought was: "it's a sign!'

My next thought was: "you don't believe in signs you idiot"

Followed by: "but don't tell anyone about this because you'll jinx...something"

So I guess what I am admitting is that I am fucking insane.

[Wheezer]

Yesterday, I took my kids to Cantigny to climb around on army tanks.

Ah, that was a big favorite when I was a kid. It appears that the thread in which I expressed irritation over the retconning of the pronunciation was ratto'd. It would be hoping beyond hope that they had preserved the interior, complete with telephones, pushbuttons, flashing lights, and coin-operated injection molding machines.

Later while we were walking through the gardens, they went ahead of me but then came sprinting back.  "DAD!" the oldest screamed "WE FOUND A DEAD BIRD!"

I'm further reminded of (part of) a time when I was perhaps five years old. Apparently, I had found a dead bird and was throwing it in the air to try to get it to fly. The part that I remember is that at some point my late mom came into the back yard to check on me and I showed it to her, whereupon she freaked right the hell out and yelled at me.

I see three options for what to make of this, which leads me here:

My first thought was: "it's a sign!'

My next thought was: "you don't believe in signs you idiot"

Of course you do. You couldn't navigate a new road, read a menu board, etc., otherwise.

Followed by: "but don't tell anyone about this because you'll jinx...something"

So I guess what I am admitting is that I am fucking insane.

Only if ideas of reference are misinterpreted as coming from "outside." The tricky part, aside from the implicit negation of time, is remembering to pay attention to the inverse (or contrapositive, if one is so inclined).

I'm not exactly delighted when a black cat crosses my path, but I wouldn't try to avoid a black cat, any more than I would avoid a "bump" sign rather than the bump itself. Supernaturalism leads to futile avoidance of, while solipsism leads to constructive learning from, the black cat.