I used to be a huge Cubs fan but since moving to MN, I haven't paid that close of attention and while baseball is one of the "live" sports I actually enjoy watching you would think I'd pay a little closer attention to the Minnesota Twins. But somehow I'm in the camp that baseball is just wrong to be played indoors, even if the world series will supposedly be played in November and that would be a BONUS...it still should be outside (or maybe in a stadium like the Diamondbacks have with the retractable roof).

Back to the story at hand, the St. Paul Skyway system near Eco-ville isn't the busiest and there's this somewhat cheesy convenience store that opened up that sells a pleuthra of beanie babies, random candy they probably picked up at sam's club, some varieties of soda (their one redeeming quality is that they carry Ginger Ale) and lottery tickets. Apparently this store has sold over $24,000 in lottery tickets over the past six months.

That said, there is hardly ever anyone in the store when I wander in at lunchtime or 3 p.m. or 9:30 a.m. for that matter. Just the somewhat bored disinterested clerk, who perks up like you're the lifeline to her sanity when you approach her register, and who always appreciates when I dig in my purse to find exact change.

Today I wandered to get pizza for lunch at this place called Pino's run buy this italian family Pino who I just get a kick out of - particularly this one guy who is kind of short but has watched way too many arnold schwartzenegger movies. And kind of talks like those saturday night live characters from the 80's who want to "pump you up" Anyhow, got my $5.00 pizza special and wandered back to eat at my desk as the food court was teeming with kids from the science museum.

I was walking by the convenience store and there was a little typewritten sign that said, get your free autograph signing with some Twins player I didn't know. For lack of my short term memory I think his name was Jason Bartlett, but I might be wrong. Anyhow, they were practically dragging people in (like I said, not many people come down that far toward the skyway)

I didn't stop, mostly because the only thing I knew was that the twins had won their game last night but that was about it and I couldn't even say...gee, I think you are a great player because what if he was injured and was just doing the skyway convenience store a favor? Also I didn't have a clue who the guy was and so I couldn't say - you are a great short stop or first baseman because I didn't have a clue. I just felt sorry for the guy. There wasn't anyone in the store front and he had to have been sitting there for a good couple of hours and he looked pretty bored.

It wasn't even as if he and the bored clerk could chat because they had tucked him in the store next door that is known for the insane Winter Carnival button hawkers. We are bred to ignore anyone in that store based on the annoying button hawking owinter carnival people that station in that store front for what seems like months before the winter carnival. Even if I pass them every day, they will still insist on asking if I have a button yet, to which my response is always a whole hearted yes, because I know the spiel that will follow if I deem to say no. Anyhow, poor Minnesota Twins player whose name I don't really remember...Yep, I pitied him, but imagine how worse he would have felt if I would have asked for an autograph and didn't have a clue who he was and then, really, what would I do with the autograph anyhow?