Mid-Summer

It's nearing the end of July, and I've had a busy three weeks of Introduction to Christian History class.  Four hours a day in class, five days a week, plus reading homework and then papers to write.  Tomorrow is the final day, and the class had been great.  So tomorrow will be a great day of ending as we talk about the last 50 years of Christian history, and then I'll be (mostly) free for the month of August to do a lot of something and a lot of nothing.

Also, the Giants are having a good month.  Really, they are having a good year.  How do I know this?  Well, aside from checking out the Giants games, box scores, and stories, I find myself already checking the standings every day.  In mid-July.  With well over two months to go on the season.  Yowza.

What have I learned?  Well, as of tonight, the Giants are a fine four games in first place, tied for the largest division lead at this point.  For those counting at home, they have the same number of wins as the Evil Empire (aka the Yankees) while scoring 125 fewer runs.  Who needs high-priced free agents?  Or the ability to score runs?  Only the Phillies have allowed fewer runs than the Giants, which should make for an interesting series come October, should both get that far.

It's the same Giants as last year, but worse.  Somehow, they find a way to win those one run games (at 26-13), and that's all it takes.  A win by one run counts the same as a win by twenty.

If the Giants make it to the playoffs again, I'll be happy.  If they make it to the World Series again, I'll got nuts.  And if they win again?  Well, I wasn't sure how I'd react to the first one last year, so I have no idea how I'd take two in a row.  Of course, if they fall flat and miss the playoffs, I'll be sad, but then I can remember the glory of last October, for I'm sure I'll be feeling that one for a while.

But, seriously, it's too early for watching the standings every day.  So much can happen in two and a half months.  Just look where the Giants were last year at this time.  You never know who will come from behind to make a run at it.  You never know what Cinderella will fall apart (Pirates?  Indians?  Diamondbacks?).  So what's the use with all this scoreboard watching with so much time left.

Now, do as I say, not as I do.