Holy Cow! 71 years and a win

Ooh ahh!! After 71 long, faithful years, Cubs' fans watched with joy tonight as the Cubbies clenched the National League pennant in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. We're going to the World Series for the first time since 1945!

During the summer of 1990, my dad took me on a daddy-daughter trip. He told me I could choose anywhere in the world, and I chose Chicago and New York, to see the Cubs and Yankees play. 

"Are you sure, Em? We can go anywhere."

"I'm sure!"

My sister was shaking her head with disbelief, and muttering, "I'm going to Italy" under her breath.

To Chicago and NYC Dad and I went, weathering an epic heat stroke in both cities to watch the Cubs play and, in NY, the damn Mets (of whom I'm no fan) because the Yanks were out of town. While in Chicago, Dad suggested we mosey up to Evanston to visit Northwestern. "I mean, we're here. We might as well."

I wasn't terribly interested in college yet but I went. Kimberly Williams had just starred in Father of the Bride and, because she was an NU student, her picture was all over campus. Northwestern is a beautiful school, and summertime shows the Chicago area at its best. 

I was smitten. And 8 years later, I entered Northwestern as a proud freshman who still loved the Cubs. And they kept on losing.

So imagine my joy tonight as I returned home from dinner with girlfriends to find game 6 of the NL championship under way with the Cubs, up three games to two, in the lead. Rizzo homered, Hendricks was on fire, Chapman pitched solid relief, and Baez-Rizzo turned a double play for the final two outs.

Cubs win! 5-0!!! The curse is broken (interestingly enough, on the very day (10/22/70) Sianis died).