What can be said? It's been a torturous week for this old Cubs fan, and tonight was especially torturous, but in the end, it's finally happened. I can't express how happy I am.
On this joyous occasion, let us pause to remember a faithful Cubs fan, our old friend Findalis, who should have lived to see this day. I still remember the first time Findalis wrote "Hell has frozen over. I'm going to agree with Siarlys."
I fear I may have some small responsibility for how long this took. I am a jinx. If I even watch a game on TV, the Cubs start to lose. I was watching most of the series against San Diego where the Cubs took the first two games at Wrigley and then lost the next three. The night this year's series went 3-1, I was meeting Franklin Evans in Chicago (you may remember him from the old days at Alexandria... an impeccably courteous pagan who had respect for the most polar opposite opponent in any discussion). Anyway, he suggested a sports bar on Wabash, where of course everyone was watching the game. I tried to keep my eyes off the screen but... well, we know how that turned out. The last three days, I have avoided even being on any internet connection, and went to bed each night in suspense, waiting for the next morning's paper to give us the good news. Maybe next year I'll let myself actually watch a game and see what happens. I did take my little brother to a Brewers-Cubs game a few years ago, where we both rooted for the Cubs, and they won. So who know?
Born 1945 in Los Angeles. Worked from 1998-2016 as adjunct teacher at University of California at Irvine Ext. teaching English as a second language.
Served three years in US Army Military Police at Erlangen, Germany 1966-68.
1970-1973- Criminal Investigator with US Customs
1973-1995 Criminal investigator with Drug Enforcement Administration. Stationed in Los Angeles, Bangkok, Milan, Italy, Pittsburgh and Office of Training, FBI Academy, Quantico, Va. until retirement.
Author of Erlangen-An American's History of a German Town-University Press of America 2005,
The Story of Papiamentu- A Study in Slavery and Language, University Press of America, 2002, and
The Languages of the Former Soviet Republics-Their History and Development, University Press of America, 2000.
4 comments:
Oh ye of little faith. Now do you believe?
On this joyous occasion, let us pause to remember a faithful Cubs fan, our old friend Findalis, who should have lived to see this day. I still remember the first time Findalis wrote "Hell has frozen over. I'm going to agree with Siarlys."
I fear I may have some small responsibility for how long this took. I am a jinx. If I even watch a game on TV, the Cubs start to lose. I was watching most of the series against San Diego where the Cubs took the first two games at Wrigley and then lost the next three. The night this year's series went 3-1, I was meeting Franklin Evans in Chicago (you may remember him from the old days at Alexandria... an impeccably courteous pagan who had respect for the most polar opposite opponent in any discussion). Anyway, he suggested a sports bar on Wabash, where of course everyone was watching the game. I tried to keep my eyes off the screen but... well, we know how that turned out. The last three days, I have avoided even being on any internet connection, and went to bed each night in suspense, waiting for the next morning's paper to give us the good news. Maybe next year I'll let myself actually watch a game and see what happens. I did take my little brother to a Brewers-Cubs game a few years ago, where we both rooted for the Cubs, and they won. So who know?
I followed the 1984 series in Italy with my short wave radio-the San Diego games at 3-4 am.
The first 5 games I was in Mexico watching alone in my hotel room. I "gave up" after game 4. But I kept watching the games.
My new resolution and promise to my wife: I will be a Cub fan forever, but I will not live and die over it. I have had my moment.
Yes, Siarlys. Findalis. May she rest in peace. Hopefully, someone in her family like so many other Cub fans has put a Cub marker on her grave.
That's a nice custom. Putting Cubs flags on the graves of family members who didn't live to see the day.
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