One of the reasons that Emily and I settled with the apartment that we did is because of the neighborhood. Our desire to walk compelled us to live in the smaller (800 sq. ft.) upstairs dwelling right next to a beautiful set of houses with myriad sidewalks rather than the larger (1200 sq. ft.) downstairs apartment stuck in back of an old hotel by the interstate with no decent way to walk into town.

(We also have a better mobile signal here - five bars for the win - but that’s besides the point.)

Since we have such easy access to town, I’ve been trying to get back into running, especially with all this free time before school starts. Obstacles keep popping up, however. The latest came this weekend when Emily and I headed north for fun with friends: a picnic on Saturday featuring all day sports which almost robbed me of the ability to walk the next day. Baseball and kickball and ladder golf are certainly worth the pain, but it’s Wednesday and my thighs still hurt a little. Such is the price of fun.

My pain has coupled with the weather to keep me grounded this week. If I had actually felt the desire to step out for awhile and at least walk a spell I would have been greeted with 96 degrees and pea soup-thick humidity. It ain’t pretty out there, but tomorrow rain should cool things down enough for me to finally get some exercise. We’ll see.

A tip to staying in shape while having your treats: Emily and I found a great ice cream/custard/yogurt stand that’s quite popular with the residents of the Giant Truck Stop, and several times a week we head there for creamy taste bud fun. It’s nice that we walk there, but it’s even nicer that it’s a two and a half mile walk. One way. We work hard for our calories.

With the Cubs now in first place, let me tell you how they got there.

On Monday, June 11, 2007, the second day of our honeymoon, my new bride and I awoke in Milwaukee, planning to head up the western coast of Lake Michigan as part of the Circle Tour. Later in the day we planned on touring Lambeau Field in Green Bay, since I figured we wouldn’t be in that neighborhood for a while. First, though, we would stop by Miller Park, home of the Brewers, and take their tour that included a trip through the clubhouse, dugouts and press box. This was, to me, to be one of the highlights of our trip.

Buying our tickets on the internet in advance, we arrived about a half-hour before the tour’s start time of 10:30. Killing time, we looked around the team store and wandered into the seats for a minute, as they failed to close off that part of the concourse. A few minutes before tour time, we made our way to the starting point along with five or six other people.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, those five or six other people marched over to the ticket window and wondered what was going on.

Another fifteen minutes.

And another ten.

Finally, thirty-five minutes after our tour was set to begin, we were informed that there would be no 10:30 tour. Nor one at noon. No, if we wanted to see the secrets that Miller Park held for us, we would have to wait until 1:30. The Mrs. and I had fancy plans and could not wait that long, meaning we would be denied our fun in Milwaukee.

Your author was (slightly kinda) heartbroken (well, almost,) and his wife could tell. Together, they decided to place a curse upon the Brewers, that they would not stay in the comfy first place position they currently favored in the NL Central Division.

On Monday, June 11, 2007, the second day of our honeymoon, the Brewers were playing .539 ball, with a record of 34 and 29. Since then, they have played .533 ball, going 24 and 21.

Not much of a difference. Some curse, huh?

Actually, this is a Curse that works in Reverse.

On Monday, June 11, 2007, the second day of our honeymoon, the Chicago Cubs were playing .451 ball, with a record of 28 and 34. They trailed Milwaukee by five and a half games in the NL Central.

Since then, they have played .667 ball, with a record of 30 and 15. They are in first place in the NL Central.

Milwaukee has company.

There’s still two months to go; the Brewers haven’t blown it yet. But they will. The Cubs will win the Central Division, all because our curse, the 10:30 Curse, is far more powerful than any once laid down upon the North Siders. Our curse is powered by Love, and Love beats a billy goat any day of the week.