Day: August 14, 2003

We’re back in this thing

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

Big time. Thus spake Dusty.

Now seems a fitting time for me to eat some crow. Big time. I wrote earlier that the Cubs shouldn’t try too hard to make any trades to bring costly veterans to try to make the playoffs this year.

My thinking was that it wouldn’t be the worth the talent the Cubs would have to surrender and that aside from the top four starters the Cubs were so mediocre a playoff spot was out of the question. After watching this team (in person) win two straight against the Astros and three of four in the series (sorry, Karen!), it’s obvious I was wrong.

Hendry made a great trade for Lofton and Ramirez and Sosa’s heated up at the right time. While the ultimate price of the Pittsburgh deal isn’t known yet (the Pirates name the second player in the deal Friday), even losing Bobby Hill is arguably worth being “back in this thing,” only a half game out.

Ultimately, the Cubs have simply played much better than I thought they would. Since the All-Star Break they have gone 15-10 and have won five of their last six series.

Now on to the Dodgers!

A new (work) toy

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

Insurance Journal has purchased me a very nice digital camera so I can take pictures for the magazine at all the very exciting insurance events I attend.

Naturally, I had to test it out, which I did at the Cubs game yesterday and on a walk with Sporto in the early evening.

Here are a few of the pictures I kind of liked:

I doubt I’ll be posting photos with any regularity, as I usually shoot with my good old fashioned film camera and I’m too lazy to scan them and too cheap to pay for those digital CDs or whatever.

I can relate

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

While working from home has lots of advantages too obvious to outline here, it also has plenty of drawbacks, which I guess came as a surprise to me.

I really do miss the camaraderie of working in an office, and I also feel there’s a limit on how much or how quickly I can learn my trade from home. Yes, I can call and e-mail my colleages around the country and I try to set up meetings as much as possible here in town, but it’s not the same as being able to pop your head into someone’s office and shoot the breeze.

That’s how you really learn in journalism, I think. That mentoring process is absent for me right now, and I’m not sure what I can do to replace or recreate it.