Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

They say that an optimist is someone who sees the glass as 1/2 full rather than 1/2 empty, or that they see the light at the end of the tunnel. A pessimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel too, but they are sure that it is a train. My glass is 3/4 full. With the exception of the Tigers, my teams were winners.

The Cubs and Kyle Hendricks looked solid, as they split the series with the hated Mets, 2 - 2. Following their 6 - 2 win yesterday afternoon in the N. L, Central, the Cubs now have a record of 57 - 37. Their next game is Friday night @ 8:10 p.m. in Milwaukee, against the Brewers. Somehow, the Cubs struggle against the Brewers, regardless of the less than stellar record of the "Brew Crew." Go figure.

The Tigers are still a mid-pack team. Not good enough to really contend, not bad enough to give up on. In baseball, and in NASCAR racing, the mid-pack drivers, and cars or the mid-pack teams make for a race. Once in a great while, one of those cars and drivers wins a race and keep the fans coming back for more. Adam believes that the races in NASCAR have preordained winners, just like in professional wrestling. I think he may be right.

But I digress, the Tigers fell to the last place Twins, 1 - 4. So that means that the Tigers are still in 2nd place in the A. L. Central with their record of 49 - 46, a full 2.5 games ahead of their opponents for tonight, that other team from Chicago. The game begins in the "Windy City" @ 8:10 p.m.

There is joy in Bean Town, as my beloved Red Sox trounced the Giants, 11 - 7. Hanley Ramirez swatted three home runs and added 6 RBIs to his totals. He even got hit by a pitch and then still hit another home run in his final at-bat. All of that is my way of gloating over my continued faith in the Sox as they now have a slim .5 game lead in the A. L. East, good enough for 1st place over the losing Orioles, who lost to the Yankees, 0 - 5. The Sox host the Twins tonight @ 8:10 p.m.

The Caps were convincing as they defeated the Peoria Chiefs, 11 - 1. That keeps the Caps firmly in 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 9 - 11. Next up those same Chiefs @ 7:00 p.m. tonight.

The weather here in GH is hot and humid and getting hotter. Like much of the nation, we are under a heat advisory for the next several days, culminating with a forecast high of 93° on Saturday. Sunday looks like the next chance of scattered T-storms or showers @ 60%. I guess that I'll be watering for the next several days too. I need to mow the lawns of the vast PE, but coupled with watering, that will be the extent of my outdoor activities today. As I watered and walked wit the intrepid one yesterday, Mary soloed to the GHFM @ 8:00 a.m. for some produce to replace what I would be using up during my endeavors in the kitchen,

Mary returned yesterday from her sojourn to Holland, unscathed by the traffic. While she was absent from her kitchen, I chopped, stirred and sauteed over four quarts of my famous squash and kale soup. I harvested the kale just before watering yesterday morning. I had some for dinner, and it was delicious. Not being a soup fan, Mary is unlikely to say. "Please sir, may I have some more?" That's the line spoken by one of the orphans from Oliver Twist, A little Dickens in the morning is good for the soul.

I nearly forgot trainspotting, EMD GP 38 locomotives 2057 and 2019 passed through the RSTL heading south @ 10:22 a.m. In tow, were two BCs, 11 CHCs, and four DBTCs. At 2:10 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives passed through heading north, towing seven CHCs, one DWTC, and three DBTCs that were bringing u the rear.

We have a current temperature of 75 sultry degrees with 100% relative  humidity. A quick glance out the WW shows that in spite of the falling barometric pressure and that 100% relative humidity, no rain is falling. Today's high is forecast to be 88° under partly cloudy skies with 80% relative humidity.

So there you have my days in a nutshell. Mary has to work, I have to do chores, and stay out of the heat and humidity. We will take the morning safari with STWD. Yesterday, Sugar got spooked by a loud noise and so she was ready to come home almost before we left. I insisted we go farther, but it was a short walk nonetheless.

The sun will rise today @ 6:24 a.m. and set @ 9:17 p.m. Ciao.