i had to play 'the sad game' on the bus after tonight's game today, and it cost me an opportunity to catch up with my pal nemo, who's dealing with re-entry difficulties. (not really.)

you see, the boys lost tonight. not bad. but ugly. 2-0, for the second straight game. this means that we have to be somber when we get on the bus. and not just the players, but everyone.

so there's some laughing or whatever going on in the back half of the bus, and i'm giggling with nemo (telling him about ronny santo and his 'nardi girls' - - nemo wasn't impressed) and then our manager (he's supposed to be the last one on) gets on and says to the bus "you think it's funny? yeah. real funny. you think it's funny. you'll find out what's funny." it's at this point that i say quietly "gotta go. talk later," and hang up and look sad.

postscript to last night's story: i whined about the baseball america situation to our strength coach, ryan, as we departed the bus yesterday...i don't know what pissed me off so much, but i was pretty upset. anyway, today, as we're departing for the ballpark again, ryan says to some players 'hey - - did you guys get kevin's baseball america back? [they look on dumbly, but acknowledge that they didn't.] it was his, and he paid for it [note: this is not true] and you borrowed it... that's pretty brutal."

and, lo and behold, 20 minutes later, what should appear on my lap but a copy of baseball america?! and then, after the game, what should appear on my lap but a second copy of baseball america!?, reclaimed from the locker room where it was so callously left.

i wanted to kiss ryan. and then i found out he digs the jayhawks. and i wanted to kiss him sloppily. i resisted both urges.