Day Nine

Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.

I have no photo of the small coffee (cream + sugar) that I bought form Dunkin' Donuts this morning.  When I got my little cup, I wondered why I didn't get a medium. 

 

This evening I went to a Rockies vs. Cubs game, brought to MordeKei by Big John and Little Debby's (Mordo won these tickets). Finally, I made use of this hat (last picture). I was decked out in various non-matching shades of purple. Everything went pretty well--my grandma hooked it up with parking nearby; the Rockies won; I saw CarGo; I may have been on TV briefly in the background of a child boasting his eighth birthday with a giant home-made poster; I ate a slice of pizza and nachos, and I got to smell red rope nearby (I probably would have gotten/felt sick if the guy came around one more time because I would've bought some); Mitsu was fine at home alone while we were gone and seems to be doing well. So, the last thing "I" bought, by which I mean "we," but which I mean Mordecai, was nachos. I have no photo of this purchase either, so instead, I present to you two pictures from the game.

Tomorrow I 'defend' my topical. Can't catch up on the latest 90-minute episode of Glee until that is over.

Saturday: Won an Authentic Alfonso Soriano Jersey

At least I think it's the authentic one. On Saturday, Mordecai, Joe and I dropped by Elite Sports Card & Comics on Montrose by Damen to see if any of us won a raffle/sweepstakes contest we had automatically entered by buying boxes of Topps Series 2 cards a few weeks ago. For every X number of packs you purchase (I forget how many, we aren't at this Little League level), you get to enter Y number of raffle tickets, and for every hobby box or jumbo box you purchase, you get to enter Y + more raffle tickets. Since Mordecai and I got a hobby and jumbo (Big Leagues), we entered a lot of tickets. The owner, John had the tickets and corresponding prizes listed on a sheet of paper. A 5 year old won an autographed Kerry Wood photograph, and a 74 year old man won some stickers of something unknown. I WON FIRST PRIZE, AN AUTHENTIC ALFONSO SORIANO JERSEY (MEDIUM).

I waltzed into Elite with my new White Sox jacket, too. This just adds to the long history I have with the Cubs, where it seems like I should be a solid Cubs fan. I've written this elsewhere, but I'll say it again: I spent a large portion of my childhood/adolescence half a block from Wrigley Field at my grandma's; I went to a day care with Shawn Dunston's daughters; I went to many Cubs games with said day care; I have met Ernie Banks and have a personlized autograph from him; many of my friends and classmates are Cubs fans; I have met Koyie Hill and have a personlized autograph from him; and now, I win this jersey. The other jerseys that are going to be up for prizes in the next rounds are the Phillie's and Joe's favorite, Chase Utley and the Giant's and Joe's other favorite/Filipino brother, Tim Lincecum. I would've preferred Lincecum because he's on my fantasy team, but I guess it's fitting for me to win a Cubs jersey. At least I don't think lowly of Soriano. His face looks a little skull-ish to me, but I like him fine, and would prefer his jersey over that of other "Cubbies," save for maybe Ryan Dempster because he's also on my fantasy team. This jersey will probably not be worn, but I will hang it and take care of it with tons of pride and gratitude for Elite and John.

Upon careful inspection (Mordecai happened to capture the moment, even though the photo is a little out of focus), I noticed the giant Cubs logo on the front that is bigger than my face is made to look like it's sewn on. The little black zig-zags are merely printed instead of being actual thread. I'm not sure of the details of an authentic jersey, but I really hope the actual "Cubbies" aren't running around with the same patch, because that'd be sad and lame, much like reported crappy facilities in Wrigley Field.

In closing, I want to say that I thought maybe this was a sign that I should "transcend team loyalties" like one of UIC's finest, Prof. Jon Jarrett, who specializes in the foundations of quantum mechanics (or something like that). I only talk to him about baseball (never took physics in my life), and he once told me to email him a list of my favorite players because he collects cards. My email ended up being this long-winded explanation of liking Japanese players, the White Sox over the Cubs, and now a growing, fuzzy love for the Tigers, and how fantasy is just fueling me into overdrive. I ran into him the next day by the mailboxes, and I said hi, and he looked at me and started laughing. In the email, I had asked him about this mysterious "transcending team loyalties" thing. Since all I got in response so far is laughter, I'm still kind of lost in fantasy/personal biases, not knowing exactly how to feel about this Soriano jersey as a Soriano jersey, versus as a prize from Elite and John. If he ever writes back or clarifies the "ascent" or what the Land Beyond is like, I'll certainly update here or on the Marauders of Time blog or Third Base or Bust. Maybe I'll just have to straight up interview him.

Koyie Hill @ AU Sports, Skokie IL

This post could also be called, "Reason #23984 Why I Should Be a Cubs Fan." (More details on that in the hopefully near future.)

Mordecai, Joe and I first encountered Skokie's AU Sports on Dempster before it moved to Village Crossing. I think I was a little bewildered by the disorderly state of the Dempster location but looked forward to the new, near-Chili's location. Aside from Meijer and AU, I have no place to purchase, in person, pricey hobby packs of 2008 Stadium Club with a chance to pull a rookie autograph I already have or what I would consider the haunted Nick Adenhart autograph. Mordecai and I dropped by AU's new location last weekend for its "pre-grand opening." Joe went a few days later, and while the store was closed, he noticed a sign at the door saying that the Cubs' backup catcher Koyie Hill would be doing a signing at AU the following weekend.

We weren't particularly committed to going until the very last minute. The three of us are White Sox fans anyway, and I think our combined knowledge of Koyie Hill was rather minimal. I was kind of curious though, and at this point my love for baseball is so enormous that I'll take any active player's signature and a photo with him. So, along with cards, Mordecai and I got a photograph of Koyie and Joe got a baseball for Koyie to sign. He arrived in a white SUV with his daughter, which was quite endearing, and was very pleasant to everyone. I don't like speaking to strangers unless I have to, so naturally, Mordecai did all the talking. He asked for it to be signed to "Kei and Mordecai." My theory is that as a result, Koyie thought I was absolutely foreign. He also wrote "Go Cubs Go!" which I didn't see on other people's signed things, to the extent that I could see them. On all kinds of levels, I probably am absoultely foreign. Anyway.

Joe said that Koyie reminded him of Dustin Pedroia. I saw a picture of Pedroia without his helmet recently, and I started to see what Joe was saying. But I think it went more like this: the baseball gods made Koyie Hill and they were like, "Not bad. We'll keep this template." And then they made Dustin Pedroia but something didn't go exactly right, at least visually, along the line. But it was good enough, so they moved on. I don't know if Pedroia has nice teeth, but Koyie had some nice pearly whites.

Here is Joe with Koyie. Joe admitted to being star-struck.

I don't think I'll ever be a Cubs fan, but I think I'll always be somewhat sympathetic. I have too many connections and I can't seem to evade them (again, more on this later). Andy has Geovany Soto, and I probably won't ever have an opportunity to meet Geovany Soto, and Geovany Soto's shoulder is "sore." Perhaps it will get sore-er. So, I will forever root for Koyie to be the Cubs' starting catcher. Go, Koyie, Go!