The Daily Parker

Via friend RU, a blog about...well, really hideous cakes.

Yes, we still have to wait almost 169 days and 3 hours until he's sworn in. That aside, today is Barack Obama's birthday.

The four-park sprint (and seeing some really great—and really patient—friends along the way) has ended. I'm off in a few minutes to restock my fridge and, at 4pm on the nose, to pick up Parker.

Sweeping Milwaukee into Lake Michigan?

Does anyone, any longer, doubt the Cubs are the real thing this year?

My four-game sprint through part of the 30-Park Geas ended last night, with another home-team loss. Here's what that looked like at 9:40 (yes, the game was that short):

Mid-game, instead of the customary sausage race, they had a president's race. Apparently Teddy hasn't won yet—possibly because of things like this, where he's being sacked by Screech the Eagle:

Obligatory home-plate shot of the star player:

And, finally, obligatory shot of the main gate, but this time from a different angle than usual:

Apparently, I'm anathema to home teams. I've just attended another home-team loss, this time the Phillies beating the Nationals 2-1.

I will say, however, that when it's 2-1 at the top of the 8th, it looks really bad for the park to empty out. Yes, the 8th: guys, one run in the 9th is not unheard of. Sheesh. With fans like that, it's hard to feel sympathy.

Photos tomorrow morning (probably).

Quick update: The Cubs are 7-0 over the Brewers in the top of the 9th at this writing, which more than makes up for watching a lackluster loss in 32°C sultriness.

All right. I'm caught up now. Herewith, Yankee Stadium, where they lost last night against the last-place Orioles:

And this, boys and girls, is what a grand slam looks like before it's a grand slam:

Finally—and I promise this is the last one, only because I don't know where Washington's city hall is (or even if it has one)—here is New York City Hall:

Now, in a little while, I'm off to the Sena–er, Nationals game, at brand-spanking-new Nationals Park.

Since I went to the Philadelphia game two nights ago, a lot has happened—most of it in the last few hours:

• Republican Alaska U.S. Senator Ted "Series of Tubes" Stevens got himself indicted for, among other things, allegedly accepting over $400,000 in bribes (that is, undisclosed "gifts") from constituents;
• Bennigans filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection;
• The Cubs beat Milwaukee thus re-establishing their lead in the standings, which had slipped to a dead tie, to two games; and
• Scientists discovered a rookie New York cop who had never heard of YouTube.

So, I am aware of all these things, but the only purpose of this post is to put up photos from Philadelphia. First, city hall (which is becoming a trend in these posts):

Citizens Bank Park:

And this, which astute readers may recognize as the Noah's Flood bearing down on the city:

No kidding:

I will now dive into my photos from last night's game...

Ooh, wow. I'll have photos of my once-and-only trip to Yankee Stadium once I get to DC, but man! In Chicago, we call that "playing like Cubs." To add injury to insult, I couldn't find a slice anywhere in the East 50s after the game.

Waah, waah, waah.

OK, all my computer issues have gotten sorted. I've arrived in New York, ready to continue the 30-Park Geas, in a hotel that has adequate WiFi and air conditioning. I am, however, two days behind in my reporting.

Saturday was Baltimore, starting with Historic Charles Street:

City Hall:

And, of course, Oriole Park at Camden Yards:

Later, Philadelphia; right now, lunch.