1.) Yesterday after I went to the doctors, Rick leaves a note on my desk with something he needs fixed. (I *love* notes...so much more personal than email. If you want me to bump you to the top o' my list - leave a note...)

2.) I find the note this morning and immediately proceed to get completely sidetracked

3.) Rick tracks me down b/c "he wants to talk about the note"

4.) SunnuvaBitch!

5.) Don't worry about the note, he tells me. Problem solved.

6.) But then I think... Alright, my pathetic excuse for an atention span just got a little pat on the back. Maybe it anticipated the obsolesence of the note and made a little preemptive strike. Or maybe I'm just still half asleep and excited over nothing....

But really folks, I digress.....for I need to take a great big breath, throw my shoulders back, hold my head high and yell....

R A V E N S!!!

Yes it was Charm City's finest hour. (Well, of the last 30 years) What the O's could never give us. What Irsay took away. What Tagliabue tried to deny us. What Cleveland begrudges us for. We won back.

As football games go, I'll be the first to admit that it was not the most exciting of times. Save for three touchdowns in 36 seconds it was actually a pretty lackluster game.

But afterwards, downtown was lit up. People just gravitated toward the spiritual heart of our little town - the harbor. Young/old, black/white, men/women everyone had come together to cheer, to hoot and holler, to hug, to laugh, to cry. It was one of the most touching examples of civic preide I've ever seen. Other towns riot - Bal'mer had a giant giddy group hug.

Sunday night, my town got its spirit back.

'Till Later

Mike