Christmas is going to come a little early next year. And my birthday too.

It’s two weeks before my 40th birthday (yes, I actually said it), but I can tell you right now where I’ll be on Aug. 12-14, 2011. I’ll be making what should be my first visit to Turner Field in Atlanta since 1998 when I took on the Braves fans (read: dickwads).

The reason? Because that’s the next time my beloved Cubs will be in the ATL.

Rewind to the beginning of April, 2010: I was pretty pissed when I found out that Chicago was playing here in Atlanta on Opening Day this year. That’s because sugar-mama was going to be here. She was flying down the night before and was here for her interview to get this great new job that brought us down here. I knew it was Opening Day, but I didn’t realize until the night before the Cubs were down here too. #failme

Since they already played their one series here by the time I moved, I haven’t had any reason to go see the Braves. Mainly because I don’t like the Braves. And I like their fans a lot less.

When we were here last time, it was the 1998 MLB Playoffs. The Cubs (amazingly) made a run behind Sammy Sosa’s bombs. And there was the career-best 17 jacks by Gracey, the revival of the Rat, a waiver pickup of Glenallen Hill and the magic of Mickey Morandini.

And it was the same summer Sosa and Mark McGwire chased the home run record.

Funny how that looks now, but whatever. Whether they were cheating or not, you can debate that. But you can’t take away the excitement that was created, the feelings Cubs fans had watching every swing and the joy–not a common feeling in my 30-some years of Cubbie fandom–of a team in the chase.

And then a one-game playoff with San Francisco that actually went to the good guys for once?

Holy shit, we’re in the postseason!!!!

I knew it’d be few and far between playoff appearances in my life (hell, at the time I thought it may have been the last one ever what with all the shit teams that had taken Wrigley Field in the 10 years since 1988), so I figured I needed to go. Chicago was playing the first round in Atlanta and since I was working in North Carolina, it seemed liked an easy trip.

It was. About eight hours down to Georgia, then we stayed for the game and turned around and drove straight back. I took one day off and saw an awesome game… for 8 1/3 innings.

The game was fun, especially since it was about 30-40 percent Cubs fans in the stands. We did our best to give them a home-field advantage, but it didn’t help as the Braves rallied for the win, 2-1, after scoring once in the ninth to tie it and then winning it in the 10th. (Sidenote: If you like stats, check out sports-reference.com. They’re awesome historical sites for everything from MLB, NHL, NFL and college football and basketball with more info than you could ever want).

Anyway, the fans. Atlanta’s fans were terrible. And by that I mean boring asswipes. I’ve never been yelled at for standing and cheering for my team at length before (then again, I’ve never sat in the stands at Memorial Stadium). After standing through about three at-bats, I was getting admonished by the pansies in the stands around me and even almost got into a fight with some jackass because of it.

I guess I should have expected it. You have to respect the run they made in the 1990s and the immense talent they’ve had. But the fans? They’re front-runners. Now, there may be some diehard fans, but I’m guessing there are more of those outside of Georgia than inside it thanks to TBS.

Their fans really made me have no interest in going there again. Until now.

Next summer I’ll definitely be there and will gladly go three days in a row. And anyone who wants to come down here to see it with us is formally invited. Hopefully sugar-mama won’t mind if I put our place up for rent, but if I’m still “working at home” by then, I’m guessing she won’t mind.

So come on down and let’s have some fun.