Good morning GH. It is nearing 4:00 AM here in the city and I am up just long enough to write this blog. As always, I can report that the view out the Weather Window is dark and the current temperature is on the cold side. In fact, it is 30 degrees, and we are hoping for a high of 35. Of course, there is light at the end of the tunnel, 50s by the weekend. However, that comes with additional precipitation, albeit in the form of rain, not that white stuff that has been falling.. Mary said it is okay to put away the snow shovels now along with the salt. Wow, I hope she is right.

Yesterday, we had a great opening day party. Mary made hot "veggie" dogs with all the trimmings. relish, mustard, celery seed, and for me, pepperoncini or peperoncini if you prefer, in place of the usual sport peppers. By the time we got to them, we had to stop ourselves from inhaling them due to hunger. She also made ballpark nachos with sliced jalapenos. Well actually, I had the jalapenos, she had salsa. Best of all, we had stopped in Holland prior to our car appointment and bought some peanuts in the shell. We also had a few beers in celebration of opening day too.

Oh, did I mention that it was opening day?  Jeff Samardzija, the newest Cubs player anointed the "Ace" of the pitching staff, actually pitched very well, striking out nine, with a mid-nineties fastball, and breaking pitches that actually broke. He also got some very solid support from newly anointed phenom Anthony Rizzo, first baseman, with a home run on the first pitch of his first opening day at bat. He drove in Starlin Castro with a towering drive. Speaking of Castro, he was pretty spectacular himself. Castro got a couple of solid hits, made some great plays at shortstop, and in general lived up to his billing as a true all-star. Left fielder, Nate Schierholtz, may be the latest in the long line of acquisitions by GM Theo Epstein who turns out to be just what the doctor ordered. Known for being a defensive fielder, Schierholtz got on base all four times he came to bat and did not embarrass himself in the field. However, Brent Lillibridge, the sub for Darwin Barney, our regular second baseman, booted the ball on his first chance and put runners on. Fortunately our newly anointed "Ace" was up to the task and no real harm was done.

However, what would a Cub's game be without the opportunity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Carlos Marmol, the closer, got torched when he replaced Samardzija to open the ninth, gave up a run, put two men on, and so and was pulled from the game. His replacement, James Russell, got his man and then the latest Japanese player for the Cubs, Kyuji Fujikawa, got the final out. There went the shutout, but not the game. So, the "Boys in Blue" are 1 and 0 in this new season. Do I sound like a "Die Hard" Cubs fan?

By the by, my beloved Red Sox beat the dang Yankees. The Detroit Tigers also won, and the White Sox, well they won too. A side note, for anyone who follows baseball, the Nationals also won.

A lengthy train is going by now at just after 4:00, late for them. Oh well, what would be the trains in this town if they were predictable.

Not much on tap for the day. A trip to the orthopedic doctor for my weekly knee treatments, only four more to go for six months, a stop at the library to pick up some books, and a short trip to the office supply store for a lamp.  Then a stop at the big-box hardware store for some gardening supplies and things. Doesn't sound like we'll be too busy today.

So now it is bedtime and then...Tea time. Ciao.