I've been trying to think of what my mood would be like on the eve of a real-world months-long sports trip. No doubt I'd be completely insane: bouncing off the walls, checking and rechecking my 6-page long packing list, compulsively recounting all my tickets...going absolutely bonkers.

To get from my home near Boston to St. Louis in time for Wednesday night's game (6:05 CT vs. San Francisco; it's on ESPN!), I'd leave tomorrow. Three and a half days seems about right for a fairly leisurely drive across the Eastern half of the country. Stop in Cooperstown, maybe hit a minor-league game somewhere in Ohio or Indiana, see whatever sights the Great Lakes states have to offer.

But tonight, it's all about last-minute preparations and trying not to worry about a Manitoba blizzard ruining the trip in December.