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

With only a medium sized, albeit free for my birthday, bucket of popcorn plus a medium Cherry Pepsi™, Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Rick Rossovich, and I took on the Mig 28s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxDoFbsvWA and beat them like a drum on our way to and from Top Gun training in Miramar, CA.

Along the way, we lost that loving feeling, but we found it again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLzVbz2HHzo

We even found time to buzz the tower.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGGhLihDmFk

I came away supercharged with testosterone and I had to restrain my "Need for Speed!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR2hajcuFEM

Was this movie a jet fueled, jingoistic recruiting commercial for the United States Navy? Of course it was! But to borrow from Ronnie Milsap, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO0-n7Ot0_o

But enough about me and Tom. Let's talk instead about the world as it exists in "The City" and beyond.

Yesterday the Cubs fell to the NL Central 2nd place Cardinals by a final score of 4 - 6. The Cubs and the Cardinals split the series, 2 - 2, as they moved to an overall record of 73 - 43 still solidly in first place by 12 games over the Cardinals. The Cubs are off today before starting a series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday afternoon @ 1:20 p.m.

The Tigers easily defeated the Rangers by a score of 7 - 0. That win still leaves the Tigers in 2nd place in the AL Central with a record of 63 - 54. The Tigers trail the Indians, who won, by five full games. The Tigers face the Royals tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox come to Comerica Park on Thursday for a day game @ 1:10 p.m. against the Tigers. Once again, I will have to divide my loyalties and root for the home team and for my sentimental favorites, the Red Sox. The Sox have an overall record in the AL East of 64 - 52, but they are still in 3rd place, two games behind the division-leading Blue Jays, who won.

What a day it was for the Red Sox. Mookie Betts had his second three-home run game this season, en route to an eight-RBI day. Mookie shares that three home runs in two games distinction with Red Sox legend, Ted Williams. Dare I say MVP? Yes, I do. Not bad for a young man who is 23 years of age.

Not to be outdone, Dustin Pedroia had a five-hit game and former Tigers' hurler Rick Porcello remained undefeated @ Fenway, He has a record of 16 wins and only three losses. He is 12 - 0 at Fenway. The Sox are @ Cleveland this afternoon to take on the Indians @ 1:10 p.m. The Indians stayed atop the AL Central with a win yesterday.

Sadly, the Caps fell to the Lug Nuts yesterday, 2 - 4. That gives the Caps a record of 22 - 25 in the MW League East. They travel to Lake County, OH to face the Captains tonight @ 7:00 p.m.

So far all is looking good in the gardens of the PE. Mary's hibiscus that she has named "Pink" is now in full bloom, as are many of the other plants in the gardens. I took some pictures of the dinner-plate sized blooms on "Pink." I also took pictures of the other flowering plants and of the vegetable plants that are yielding some great crops. Here are the pictures of "Pink" and of the other flowering plants as well as the tomato plants that are producing well in this hot and humid weather.

Dinner plate sized blooms are the highlight of the gardens at this time of year, 

Although not easy to see the tomatoes and peppers, the plants in these pots have produced a bountiful crop this year. We have harvested so many tomatoes, that Mary has even given some to our neighbors. 

The tomato plants that Mary started in the living room, and which I cheered on, are about to yield some terrific looking tomatoes. We are hoping that the taste is as great as the appearance. 

The current temperature is somewhere between 66° and 70° under mostly cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to be 82° with a relative humidity of 70%. Tuesday's forecast from the NWS is a 60% chance of showers in the morning. As of Wednesday, the NWS is forecasting an 80% chance of T-storms. With a little luck, I should be able to avoid watering until later this week.

Mary and I have to finish the index and get it out to the publisher today. Mary will work while I take the morning safari with STWD, shown in this early spring picture on the deck. I caught the usually photo-shy "Baby" in a period of repose. I think she is the cutest dog on the planet, but that is one man's opinion.

Otherwise, not much is on tap for today. Reading the newspaper that the intrepid one and I will pick-up on our walk and doing the index editing that I do is about it. Mary will do her part, I'll do mine and everything will come together nicely.

The sun will rise today @ 6:51 a.m. and set @ 8:46 p.m.

I'll leave you with this montage from Top Gun. I feel that testosterone building again. Ciao

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58QOBqAWNzE