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Thank you Chicago Cubs for Keeping Grandpa Around Another Year!

My grandfather is a rock.  This man has seen so much in his 94 years.  Years ago, I found a copy of the ship’s passenger log bearing his signature, from when he came here in 1934.  He was 19 years old and didn’t like what was happening in Germany, so he had the foresight to come to America with very little money or family.

And he’s seen it all since then.  He’s seen 18 US Presidents. He’s seen the discovery of penicillin and countless medical breakthroughs.  He’s seen unbelievable advances in communication including the development of radio, television, movies, and now the cell phone, computer and the internet.  He’s seen the construction of a national highway system and transportation break-throughs that make his long journey by ship a short jaunt by airplane.  And he’s seen us build buildings that stretch to the sky.

But there’s still one thing Grandpa Heinz has never seen… A Chicago Cubs championship.

Yes, Grandpa is a die-hard Cubs fan.  He can tell you what Ryan Theriot had for breakfast.  Or he’ll complain about Lou Piniella going to Kevin Gregg again,  after several blown saves.  He’ll let you know that Geovany Soto has a tough time hitting with men in scoring positions on Wednesday day games after a travel day.

Grandpa will even reminisce about past Cubs, like Jerry Morales making “hot dog” basket catches in center field, or Dave Kingman hitting the ball on the porch of the house “3 houses down Kenmore!”

It’s been a rough few years for Grandpa, especially with the White Sox winning their championship and Boston ending their mild drought.  And Grandpa is not too happy.

But I’m pretty good with it.  Because, despite an amazing 14,800 odd games since their last championship (and grandpa has seen most of them), the Chicago Cubs have squandered another chance to break all the curses, and have assured themselves that 2009, like the previous 101 years, will not be their year.

And of course that means just one thing: I can thank the Chicago Cubs for keeping Grandpa around for another year!