Good morning GH. This is a sharp change from yesterday morning when the temperature dropped to 52 degrees about this time.  Today at 2:00 AM in "The City," it is 66 degrees and we are once again enjoying life in our little slice of paradise. Sugar the Weather Dog is sound asleep and that means that the front that was supposed to come through didn't produce any rain. I've also decide that if Sugar is a dog who is sensitive to the fronts, then I am Jack the Weather Guy who is also sensitive to those same fronts. Every time a front is moving through, I get a sinus headache. Our next chance of meaningful precipitation is Wednesday.

On Monday, Sugar and I went for a walk in the AM, and Sugar and Mary went for a walk to the waterfront in the PM. In between Mary and I traveled to the library for some additional reading material. I got a book about Tesla the engineer along with some spy type thrillers. Mary got a couple of books too.

At home I elected to do very little and that was enough for me. I did get in some guitar playing, but other than that, I was basically inert. Sometimes that's enough. Oh well, that's one of the things about being retired. However, being up at this hour has also allowed me to listen to the WGN host reminisce with Jack Brickhouse's widow about the legendary broadcaster on the 15th anniversary of Jack's passing. For those of you like me who also remember the late broadcaster, let me say that it is has been a pleasure

Today, I don't have any real plans. I often plan and then put things off. I think that the days when I get up around 11:00 AM and then let the day follow its own course are the best. I used to think that each day needed a plan, but now I think that the days that write their own script are the best. No deadlines, no schedules, no appointments. Oh well, I'm rambling.

In sports the boys in blue fell to 18 games back and they didn't even play. Somehow Jack Brickhouse would have found a way to make us feel good about what became an all too familiar outcome for the boys in blue for too many years. Listening to Jack call the 500th home run for Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, and the no-hitter for Milt Pappas was bittersweet. In fact, Jack could make a rain delay exciting as it seemed that he knew just about everyone in baseball and could call them into the booth for some great moments in history. Jack was a three sports announcer as well as doing man on the street segments and doing the news.  Before there was Harry Caray and his "Holy Cow," there was Jack Brickhouse and his "Hey-Hey, whee." He was truly one of the greats in sports and deserved his place in Baseball's Hall of Fame. I still measure the first day of spring as the day that pitchers and catchers report in February.

The Tigers looked like they might lose a game and then when it looked bad, a ninth inning home run snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they defeated the Tribe 4 - 2 and moved to four games ahead of that same team. Unfortunately, they lost their shortstop to a 50 game suspension. My beloved Red Sox were blanked by the Astros 0 - 2 resulting in a .5 game lead over the Rays. The Caps after a resounding win over the Dayton Dragons the day before, fell to those same guys 4 - 5.

So, that's about it for today and yesterday. Soon it will be...Tea time and that means that a little more sleep is on order. Ciao.

P.S. Be sure to check out Mary's blog for some great pictures of Saturday's parade and the fireworks that closed out our Coast Guard celebration.