The Giants Win the Pennant!

I'm glad that my travel plans today had me stopping at Medford/Central Point rather than trying to push through farther, because it meant that I got to my hotel at only about 7 PM and there was still a lot of tonight's NLCS game 6 to go. I listened to as much of the game as I could driving south from Mehama this afternoon and early evening, but radio reception though the Cascades is spotty and kept fading out. Around Hugo (north of Grants Pass), I was delighted when I could hear KNBR again and could listen to the Giants broadcast instead of the ESPN Radio network feed.

Oh, boy, did the Giants give us heart attacks and torture us. But they won the game and the National League Championship and now go on to face the Texas Rangers in the World Series.

I must admit that I did not expect this team to make it this far. I knew the pitching was good, but our offense didn't generate enough runs. I'm astounded we made the playoffs, let alone the World Series. But I sure hope they win and give the Giants their first Series title since they moved to San Francisco before I was born.

Meanwhile, go look at "Torture" a la Billy Joel.

The Rest of the Day

Lisa and I were booked this morning to take her father over to Rickreall (about 35 miles west of Mehama) to the Polk County Fairgrounds and the Swaptoberfest ham meet. He wanted to be there early before the good stuff had gone, so I'd simply left my alarm set for the usual time I get up for work, planing to just do my ordinary morning routine that would put us into position to leave shortly after 8 AM to be there when they opened at 9.

This morning, I woke up on my own and checked the time. 7:45 AM! Yikes! Yesterday afternoon, while we were at Lisa's audiologist having her fitted with a sound-generating hearing aid that we hope will allow her to get a better handle on her tinnitus, I silenced my phone and I forgot to turn the sound back on, so the alarm only buzzed for a while at 6 AM and then gave up.

( Adrenaline-charged wake-up call got me moving to Swaptoberfest )

We got back to Mehama around Noon, and after dealing with a few small things, Lisa and I packed my things into the van, I said goodbye to Kuma Bear and her, and I headed south. The trip was uneventful but rainy. I stopped for lunch in Cottage Grove and saw that the Holiday Inn Express next door to where I normally stop there has been de-frocked, having presumably been unwilling to pay for the refurbishment necessary to renew their franchise, like Yuba City. On the other hand, Canyonville is supposed to acquire a new HIX next January, but I see no new construction, so I continue to wonder what hotel is about to change flags; it might be the Best Western on the opposite side of the freeway from the casino. Speaking of the 7 Feathers Casino, I offer them my thanks for buying me another meal; I spent the $20 winnings from blackjack on dinner here in Central Point after going out after the Giants game.

The Formula One race is apparently tonight at 11 PM my time, but I don't know if I'll be awake that long. Besides, I have a long drive tomorrow. At the moment, I don't plan to make the swing through Sutter, because it adds several hours to the trip.