[Passion Takes Many Forms] Unadulterated torture, with euphoric bliss sprinkled throughout

The Houston Astros did it again!

They beat the Braves in 18 INNINGS to advance to the NLCS for the second year in a row. Since I don't have cable TV, I listened to almost the entire game on XM Satellite Radio. The game began after church as my family and I were eating lunch. We then went for a drive upstate. (I wasn't wild about driving during the game, but I put the XM in the car, and we were good to go.) We drove for over 2 hours after kind of getting lost before we arrived at our destination. Throughout the trip I became more and more despairing. We were way out of our way near Midland, Michigan. The Astros were down 5-0 and then 6-1. Could this day just end, please?

Then Berkman hit the SLAM! At first, I thought he had tied it because I had forgotten about the McCann homer in the top of the inning. Once I realized that it was only 6-5, I felt good that they had come back so far, but disappointed that the Braves were still ahead. As we pulled into our destination, Uncle John's Cider Mill, the Astros were down to their final out. I figured it was over. We were literally pulling into a parking space when Ausmus hit a drive to left, probably to be caught by Andruw Jones... nope, a double... [what?]... A HOMER!!! HE TIED THE BALLGAME!! TIED GAME!! And we're here!!

I felt bad about getting us lost, so I didn't feel like I could sit in the car and listen. Plus, Aidan had really been looking forward to the cider, donuts, and pumpkin-picking. So we got out of the car, and I called my dad. I asked him to call if anything happened. So I waited... and waited... and waited. He called when the Astros threatened in the 10th, but nothing else. I couldn't believe they were still at it. I began to think my phone wasn't working or dad had forgotten.

After we had our donuts, rode the train and the wagon, and picked a pumpkin, we were ready to go home. We got in the car, and to my (and Kari's) surprise, the game was STILL ON. They were in the top of the 15th. We listened the whole way home. We got home as they were moving to the top of the 17th with Clemens still pitching. I kept thinking, "This is ridiculous. The Atlanta bullpen sucks. We should have won this a long time ago (forgetting that many of our best hitters were no longer in the game). Kari wanted to make dinner, so I stayed on the chilly driveway playing with Aidan and Regan and listening to the game on the car stereo for almost an hour when Chris Burke, mediocre hitter extrordinaire, came to the plate with one out in the bottom of the 18th.

He hit it.

I started screaming and jumping up and down with Regan in my arms (oddly, she wasn't scared; she actually looked as happy as I was, like she knew what had happened). Aidan knew exactly what had happened, as he had been following with me on the radio. We were both screaming and jumping up and down. It was a great moment.

I immediately went inside, hoping that FOX would have some instant highlights, but they still had a football game on. As we got settled into the house for the night and ate dinner, I kept the TV on, hoping that FOX would show highlights before the Yankees/Angels game. No luck. (Who knew that FOX's football postgame show was the longest, most boring excuse for a show on TV?) They went straight from football into the other game. Someone should have told them that they just missed arguably the best game in postseason history.

That was okay, though. The Astros won. They have another chance to do what they didn't do last year. The Astros and Cardinals are very different teams this time around, but it should still be a great series. GO ASTROS!!!