The Baseball Update

I don't believe in curses, so I am fine with saying that the Sox will win this game (currently up 16-9 in the 8th). By the time I got home, I had missed Wakefleid entirely and got to see the glorious comeback.

Three things I noticed: (1) Aggressive baserunning. I know I've heard some people complain about Demarlo Hale as a latter day Send 'em in Kim, but the aggressive baserunning paid off. Lugo first (although he should have been nailed - Upton has an absolute gun) and Youk second. Key plays. (2) Man, is the D-rays pen awful. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Some power arms (Dohmann in particular had a nice hard FB going), but can't spot, bad command (Dohmmann's 2 walks to start the fifth started the carnage). Did them in. (3) As much as I hate people who say this, because usually they're advocating something silly like "Smallball", it was the little things that made the difference - Navarro dropping Upton's absolute strike from 300 feet, but then Upton giving up on Youkilis's triple to center. The former would have gotten the Rays out of an inning where they gave up 2 more runs. The latter would have been a momentum killer.

The Taxes Update

Not much new today. The goverment's case against KPMG and R.J. Ruble (et al) seems to be turning slightly back in its favor with David Makov, a former promoter of the Blips shelter, agreeing to testify for the government.

The Death Update

Nobody in particular I want to talk about today. On 9/11/01 I was home watching the Today show when they cut to coverage of the first plane hitting the WTC. Like most people, I imagine, I assumed that it was a pilot error and headed into work. Even by the time I got to my desk at 9:30 or so, the news hadn't really broken in Boston. It was only after breathless emails to the whole firm from our lovable, but horribly not competent physical plant folks, that the truth became clear.

Around 11:30 or so (maybe closer to 12) building security ordered an evacuation. By then, we were all trying to make calls on our cells, unsuccessfully. I walked with a small group of friends to the Back Bay. Nobody really knew what was going on. We decided to have lunch. If you can believe that. After realizing that the Parish Cafe was shut down, we had Thai on Newbury. Then we went back to the apartment of one of the folks and were glued to CNN for the next 5 hours. We knew when we were having lunch what happened, and it was then that some of us tried to get in touch with friends and family in New York (TaxSis worked in the village. TaxBro lived uptown - both were fine).

I suffered no personal loss that day. I did not know anyone in the WTC or on any of the flights who died (although I went to school with Mark Bavis, I didn't really know him). Still, I, like many people I am sure, went to church on Friday following Tuesday, at a hastily arranged memorial service. And prayed. Not knowing what for or really even whom to.

I find that now, after I have experienced real tragedy, real loss, I still cannot find the words (and often go out of my way to find really vile words because of my anger). Whether that's struggling with faith or a lack of imagination, I don't know. I do know that it sucks and I imagine that many people who had the misfortune to really experience 9/11 knows that it sucks. No matter how much you try to close your eyes to it.