Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."

Dare I say it? To paraphrase W. P. Kinsella, "Say it ain't so Jack, say it ain't so." Sorry, dear readers, I can't. My teams once again went oh-fer. Yes, they all lost with varying degrees of ineptitude.

The Cubs looked hapless, as they lost again to the Marlins, this time by a score of 1 - 6. No amount of whitewash can cover up that fact. The Cubs did not mount an offense and they were inept in the field. They have dropped six of seven recent games, including an embarrassing sweep by the Cardinals at the not so friendly confines of Wrigley Field. That finds the Cubs still in 1st place in the N. L. Central, with a record of 48 - 26.

If there is any solace, it is that injuries have been a factor. But that's an excuse, not a reason. Major League™ players who are paid like Major League™ players, are expected to perform at a Major League™ level. Youthful mistakes are not an excuse at this level.

The Tigers too looked inept, as they fell to 38 - 38 in the A. L. Central, a record that ties them with that other team from Chicago. The final score of 3 - 9 in their loss to the Indians, doesn't adequately depict the Tigers' ineptitude. Justin Verlander, or JV, as the broadcasters call him, looked very mortal.. The sports news places the Tigers in 4th place, I suppose they could have been placed in 3rd, ahead of that other team, but what difference would that make? Inept is inept.

My beloved Red Sox are looking inept too, as they lost to the Rangers, 2 - 6. The Sox are now sporting a record of 41 - 34 in the A. L. East. That places them in 2nd place, 4.0 games behind the Orioles.

The Caps lost for the 4th time in a row, to the Lansing Lugnuts, by a score of 9 - 12. That puts the Caps in last place in the Midwest League East with a record of 0 - 4, while the Lugnuts are leading the division with a record of 4 - 0.

So once again, I'd like to "Say it ain't so", but I can't. Inept is inept.

The weather cooperated yesterday, as the rains fell early, thus negating a need for me to water the lawns and gardens of the vast PE. However, no additional precipitation is in the forecast from the NWS until Friday at the earliest. So I'll be back out there later today. We have a current temperature of 71/72°, with today's high forecast to be 81° under sunny skies.

We got up late yesterday, forced STWD to take a shortened safari, and then returned home for those indoor chores and reading towards my Beachcomber's Book Bingo goal. I am now 5/9 of the way to my goal of nine books by the end of the summer, and also towards my reward of a nifty looking bag.

Mary made lunch and a vegan bologna after we returned, and then went back to work on the index. Later she engaged in her favorite kitchen activity, chopping, as she prepared a delicious stir-fry dinner. Rice, baked tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, ginger and other spices, combined to make this dish not just "pretty good" as Mary put it, but "great" as I would call it.

Today, I'll be walking to the hospital for my O/T appointment. Mary and the intrepid one will accompany me part of the way, and then return home, so that Mary can get back to work. I'll probably water before I leave.

That will be enough for one day. The sun will rise at 6:07 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.