Studying something hard always made me incredibly thirsty...does it take water to concentrate?(not that the meds aren't responsible, sj, just something I noticed in college.) Thrall report: Ok, so if a person needed a primer of baseball and was denied the traditional "learning it hanging with your dad" method, where could she go? (Although in Olbermann's case, I've read mom was the sport-o, which I thought was cool but also set my projecto-matic wondering about Daddy Issues.) Cause I watched one for a while today and did not know why the stuff the voice guys were talking about wasn't just guys catching the ball. But I know I am an ignorant heathen. But I could still tell Chicago had had better days.

Maybe it's a backhanded way of complimenting your generosity? From what you've said, P-C, your mom is not too good with the showing of approval...

Sometimes she says she's proud of me. That's always a nice phone call.

God, now I feel like a dick for not lavishing my brother and sister with expensive gifts and instead getting them things I knew they wanted and would appreciate, even though they weren't overly expensive.

That is a completely crack-addled sentence.

Love the hair, juliana! And agree that you are stunning in that photo.

PC, are you going to be the recipient of similar largesse when the younger ones start their own careers? There's got to be a point where some of this starts flowing back.

erika, as a former sports-hater undergoing a slow conversion to baseball, I found the Stewart O'Nan/Stephen King book Faithful to be an excellent, fun primer on the mechanics of the game, the layers of strategy involved in putting together a team, and the weird wild wankery of fannishness. If you'd like, email me your physical addy and I'll pop my copy in the mail to you.

Ok, so if a person needed a primer of baseball and was denied the traditional "learning it hanging with your dad" method, where could she go?

I think the best way is to find someone to watch a few games with who knows the games and ask a lot of questions. I pretty much just started watching games one summer by myself and called my stepfather if I didn't know what was happening.

PC, are you going to be the recipient of similar largesse when the younger ones start their own careers? There's got to be a point where some of this starts flowing back.

Well, I think this is the flowing back after all the times family has given me cash. And then when the younger ones grow up, they'll be giving money to my kids. Who will grow up to give money to their kids. And it's all money money money.

Oh, that would be be awesome, JZ. Thanks. Insent in a sec. What would I do for a guy I had a chance with, huh? But it's okay...kinda widens the pool a bit to say the smart ones can be sporty. As long as they can talk about other things here and there.