Priceless

Four grandstand tickets for the September 28th Red Sox vs. Twins game at Fenway: $220.

Two hot dogs, one sausage sandwich, one slice, one bag of Cracker Jacks (with hardly any peanuts, I will note), one bag of M&M's (mostly consumed after the game), and two soft-serve ice creams in plastic Red Sox caps which, according to my niece Molly, fit very nicely on Webkinz: $31.75. (Cost held down by my sister Trish bringing four bottles of water from home.)

Being at Fenway with my Trish and my nieces Molly and Caroline when the Red Sox won a really great and exciting game that turned out to be the division clincher: PRICELESS.

Walking home on a beautiful night, safe and away from the crazed revelers who we assumed would pour out of the park, the surrounding bars and clubs, and the local college dorms if the Baltimore Orioles accommodated Boston by beating the Yankees (which didn't look that likely when we left Fenway,but you never know...); finding out when we got to my house that the O's had tied things up and they were in extra innings; watching Melving Mora bunt home the run that would result in the Red Sox winning their division for the first time since 1995: FROSTING ON LIFE'S CAKE.

Sure, there's a lot more baseball left in this season, and there are certainly no guarantees that the Red Sox will be playing until November, but what a glorious night it was to be a baseball fan in  a baseball city.

Let the October Games begin. "We're" still playing ball!

(And if there are sports gods watching: what could be more wonderful than a Cubs-Red Sox match-up in the World Series? The only downside would be that everyone in the country - other than members of Red Sox Nation and ticked-off White Sox fans - would be pulling for the Cubbies. Even I would be hard put to get that upset by a Cubs win. But I am, of course, getting ahead of myself.  Nuf  Ced. GO RED SOX!)