Thursday Grab Bag: (Almost) Skunked

A skunk nearly got in my apartment on Tuesday.

I leave my apartment door open a lot to cool it off. I was finishing up dinner when I heard the familiar crackle of leaves and underbrush at the opposite corner of the building.

There are several cats that roam around the area, so I thought nothing of it when an animal crept through the shadows next to the building. When it came right up to the entrance, three feet from my hardwood floor, I stood up and went to see it.

It wasn't a cat. A long, white stripe ran down the middle of its tail and it got a terrified look on its face. Not as terrified as mine as the skunk raised its tail in defense and I slammed the door just in time.

I didn't get to climb anything this week because of the Connie Mack World Series. Still, it yesterday turned out to be a great day off.

I checked out the Riverwalk. I may be a nerd but I must say it was delightful to walk down a path next to a river. It reminded me of a more maintained version of the Cahaba River trail back in Hoover. I saw a deer at the "river overlook" as well and I'll be going back there to write at some point. It's a tranquil spot.

I also got to eat some ice cream, cherry jubilee. To the woman working at the Baskin Robbins, I hope your daughter is feeling much better today.

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Tiger bait: The PGA Championship started today with Tiger Woods taking a first round lead. Woods shot 5 under, one stroke better than Padraig Harrington.

It's not a guaranteed win -- Woods has won seven of 11 majors after leading the first round -- but many suspect Tiger to take his first major win of 2009.

He won the tournament before the previous three majors and finished sixth at the Masters and U.S. Open and didn't make the cut at the British Open.

His two straight wins entering the PGA Championship are similar, but his first round isn't -- he played much better this time.

Woods hasn't played his best at a major since winning the U.S. Open prior to surgery. He's not as consistently good as he was a few years ago, but as many tournaments as he's won this year, he's bound to play that well in a major at some point.

Coming off perhaps his worst performance in major history, he's going to be anxious to prove himself. He's got the intensity of a Michael Jordan. I think he wins this tournament by at least three strokes.

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Connie Mack unpredictable: The baseball at Ricketts Park has lived up to its billing during my first Connie Mack World Series.

Throughout the high school season and into the summer, many of the games are predictable. Aside from the twice-a-year Farmington and Piedra Vista game, usually one team is better than the other and most games hold to form.

The CMWS has been difficult to predict. The host team won their first game in a blowout. The defending champion East Cobb (Ga.) Yankees didn't make the semifinals. The Dallas DBAT Mustangs are alive despite getting thrashed 10-1 in their opener against the Florida Legends and missing a few key players.

The semifinals are tonight with the Midland Redskins the only undefeated team. Both Dallas teams are still alive though and could make the first Lone Star State final if they advance.

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Hungry Aggies: The New Mexico State athletic department is asking for donated snacks for hungry athletes.

Charged with cutting $1.5 million from the budget, the football staff is trying to do its part. They e-mailed fans to ask for snack donations. People have already responded.

"It's good stuff like trail mix or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," linebacker Jamar Cotton said. "We had a guy bring in a bunch of watermelons. That was great. The team was excited. It was like little kids getting lollipops."

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Links of the week: The Dallas Cowboys really took hazing the rookies to an extreme. Check out these haircuts that look disgusting.

I'm not sure that I'd go this route, but one man proposed through a 59-person whisper chain, setting a world record.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher