Cloudy And Cool Weather Does Not Equal No Allergies

Spent yesterday afternoon at Target Field for the Big Ten Championship Game.  A thriller, Indiana took the lead twice but Nebraska ended up tying both times, but then the Hoosiers loaded the bases at the bottom of the ninth and won the game on a first pitch gapper into deep left-center field.

Anyway, there was an announced crowd of over a thousand people there, though there were a lot more Cornhusker families and fans than Hoosiers.  And I wanted to apologize to both sides who traveled up to our dear city and explain that usually the Twin Cities has much sunnier, much warmer, and much better summer weather than the 60's and clouds that enshrouded the game.

I didn't, of course, but moreover I'm kind of glad it was overcast -- or at least I thought I was.  I hate hot weather, and even though baseball was meant to be played outdoors in the sun, I don't know if I could have stomached, say, the upper eighties with humidity.  Give me the weather we had yesterday any day.

But I need to amend that: I will take that weather after everything has bloomed.  I think I thought while heading to the ballpark that I would be relatively good health-wise.  I brought a jacket because I know the winds would whip through the seats, especially behind home plate where I planned on sitting.  But I didn't think I would be clearing my nose as if it was winter and I had a cold.  That, sadly, is precisely what I did for most of the game.  Now I don't think it was the relatively cold weather that made my nose run; it was the allergies.  But I didn't think I would be affected by allergies because I usually associate my runny nose and itchy eyes with the sun and the sunlight reflecting off the grass and flowers opening up their pollen and tossing it in the air for me to breathe it in and get all fucked up and miserable.  I should have realized, unfortunately, that the same thing happens when the sun isn't out.

That wake-up call was confirmed a couple hours ago when I mowed the lawn.  I don't think we've done it yet, but we had to wait a long time because it snowed earlier this month.  However it was way overdue; much of the grass that's still growing (and I should blog about this because our yards, especially the front yard, looks like a goddamn desert) was almost a foot tall.  So I did what I promised Father yesterday and went out to cut the grass.  And damned if I didn't have to stop the mower halfway through the front and back yards to blow my nose.  Yeah, I really did think that I wouldn't have to because it was cool and cloudy outside.  But nonetheless it's allergy season, and I'm still trying to clear my nose.

Oh yes -- Happy Memorial Day, and a salute to all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to this country.