Instant gratification is not soon enough.

-- Meryl Streep

I am being buried under an avalanche of your summer vacation postcards, so let's zip through the mail, which seems to be taking on a baseball theme this month, awaiting my July trip to Yankee and Shea stadiums, no doubt.

Harold and Sarah Smith , of Augusta, say the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., is "a great place."

Jeff and son Jesse Carter , of Evans, are doing a baseball vacation up right. They sent a beautiful card showing Boston's Fenway Park, which was only part of their amazing summer trip.

"On a baseball stadium vacation," they write. "We saw Manny (Ramirez) hit No. 500! (Mets/Dodgers). Tonight we are in Boston. Tomorrow night Yankee Stadium. Thursday p.m. Phillies!, Friday night, Nationals in D.C., Home Saturday, Atlanta Sunday!"

Elsewhere in baseball, Doris , of Aiken, sends a card from Camden Yards, the ballpark in Baltimore where the Orioles play.

She writes: "The Orioles trained in Aiken in the 1940s. There is a photo of them at the Aiken County History Museum."

Elsewhere, Lloyd and Lynn Creech , of North Augusta, send a card showing the new Washington Nationals ballpark in D.C. ... and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. They also send a Memorial Day card from the World War II Memorial in D.C., and another from the Shenandoah Valley.

Closer to home, Simon Medcalfe , Brenau University educator extraordinaire, sends a postcard showing Augusta's St. Paul's Episcopal Church with an appropriate comment. "With gas prices still high, the only journey I'll take this summer is a journey of faith."

He also sent a card showing Augusta's Riverwalk.

And we have the traveling return of David Daitch , who writes: "After a year's hiatus due to the illness and death of my dad, my travels have once again commenced. We are on board the Carnival Victory sailing from Charleston to Freeport and Nassau. Life goes on and my ship has come in. Wish you were here!"

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TRAVELING THIS SUMMER? Send me a postcard so we can get one from all 50 states. 725 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901. Still need one from Kentucky, New Hampshire and Texas.

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GAS GUESSING: To those who have asked: Yes. We are still waiting for gas to hit $4 a gallon for regular here in Augusta, as determined by the AAA Web site.

About 40 of you are still in the game to predict and win a $100 gas card.

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TODAY'S JOKE: Here's another one from Billy Cooper , of North Augusta.

A man with a gun went into a bank and demanded money. Once he was given the money, he turned to a customer and asked, "Did you see me rob this bank?"

The man replied, "Yes, sir, I did."

The robber shot him.

He then turned to a couple standing next to him and asked, "Did you see me rob this bank?"

"No, I didn't," the man replied. "But I think my wife did."