Braves, Baltimore, and Idols

Good evening to you all! As I'm typing this, we're watching the first place Braves play on television. It has definitely been great timing to return to GA during baseball season, especially this year. The Braves have been in first place longer this year than in the last four years added together. We have the largest lead in any of the divisions and our scrappy team just keeps on winning. (For example, Chipper just got a hit that drove in Prado and Heyward and then McCann followed with a home run and now the Braves are winning 4-2 instead of losing 2-0.) Just so you know, I plan on celebrating my October birthday by watching the Braves win the World Series. :)

Hamp and I leave tomorrow to fly to Baltimore for a long weekend visit. We're looking forward to seeing friends and getting to enjoy some of the fun things to do (and eat!) in the city. At the top of my list are crab cakes and Pitango gelato. It really is true that Baltimore has a unique crab cake and after eating them there, I don't want them anywhere else.

The main reason we're going this particular weekend, though, is for an event being held in Baltimore on Saturday night. You need a little background to fully appreciate our upcoming attendance at this event. In the cold and dark winter months this year, American Idol became our entertainment on Tuesday and Wednesday nights starting in January.

Ellis and Ginger's daughter, Lauren, became my Idol Buddy and we shared popcorn, hot chocolate, and other treats as we often watched the show together.

Then with only 4 weeks left, I moved away and abandoned her as the season finale approached. We were both very sad at the timing, but thanks to her parents sharing their cell phones, we stayed in touch via texts and calls as we critiqued the remaining contestants and cheered for our favorites.

On the last night as we waited expectantly through the two hour finale, I remembered that the top ten finalists go on a summer tour each year after the show. Yes, you guessed it....this Saturday night Lauren and I (and her mom who is graciously joining us) are going to the American Idol Tour in Baltimore. Laugh if you must, but just in case you wondered, our pick won so we must have learned something along the way. Congratulations to Lee DeWyze; we'll see you Saturday night.