Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

I've been sitting here trying to confirm the forecast from the NWS regarding the impending showers and T-storms by looking out the WW. The forecast I consulted before bedtime showed the showers beginning around 3:00 a.m. Unfortunately as is all too often the case, that forecast is now obsolete. The showers are now forecast to begin @ 6:00 a.m. Plus, the NWS seems to be consulting their crystal ball for the balance of the week through Saturday Their forecast calls for showers and T-storms every day with between a 50% and 80% probability. There is a Twitter™ site that I follow that seems to always show T-storms every day. An odd forecast for a tourist town like GH.

As of now, the only thing I can confirm is that it is dark outside with a current temperature of 70°. I have noted that the storms that are plaguing the Gulf Coast, especially Louisana, are supposed to  be moving northward. The sun will rise @ 6:52 a.m. and set @ 8:44 p.m. Those are facts. The balance is based on computer models that seem to be subject to the vagaries of climate change and other factors.

I can also confirm that there were two trains that passed through on the RSTL yesterday. At 11:05 a.m., EMD GP 38 locomotive #2057 rumbled through without its regular companion, locomotive # 2019. In tow were 12 CHCs and one DBTC that was bringing up the rear.

Later @ 2:47 p.m., that same locomotive passed through on the RSTL towing one BC, 18 CHCs, with one of those painted bright orange. I did not have a clue as to what if anything that color signified until I went to the internet and learned that this is the new paint scheme that is intended by CSX to increase visibility and therefore safety. In addition, there were three DBTCs, with one of those at the end in lieu of the cabooses that are no longer towed behind trains. Those cabooses are no longer needed with the automatic braking equipment used on today's railroads that have eliminated the need for a crew of brakemen. Sigh.

I also learned through that research a new to me acronym, MOW, which stands for Maintenance of Way. I guess that as I try my hand at being a trainspotter and rail fan, I still have a lot to learn. That means that I'll have to be ready to espy all types of locomotives and train cars for years to come.

Speaking of acronyms in a tangential fashion, Mary and I got the latest index out of here around 6:45 p.m. last evening. We had paused for dinner for ourselves and STWD around 5:00 p.m. and that delayed the process. This latest index was chock-full of acronyms and specialized words that required tighter editing. I still missed a few words that we caught during our combined final collective edit. I have a tendency to find one error in an entry and then miss the next. I guess that I am a more competent stringed instrument player and singer than I am an editor. Oh well, given the low salary that I receive, I am worth every penny.

I nearly forgot to mention that Mary was happily in her kitchen last night while I was in the media room. She was creating another roast beest.

The sports news yesterday was mostly bad, with one notable exception. The Cubs were off following their loss to the Cardinals Sunday night. The Cubs are still solidly in 1st place in the NL Central, with a full 12 game lead over the Cardinals who were also off. The Cubs play in Milwaukee this afternoon @ 1:20 p.m. As I've noted previously, the Brewers always seem to give the Cubs a challenge in spite of their often less than stellar division record.

The Tigers fell to earth @ Comerica Park last night with a 1 - 3 loss to the visiting Royals. The Tigers are still mired in 2nd place with a record of 63 - 55 in the AL Central, 5.0 games behind the Indians who lost to my beloved Red Sox. The Tigers and the Royals play again tonight @ 7:00p.m.

Yes, the Red Sox defeated the Indians 3 - 1, but they are still in 3rd place in the AL East, one scant game behind the victorious Orioles and their statistically tied for 1st place rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox have a record of 65 - 52. They hit the road tonight for a game in Baltimore against the Orioles @ 7:05 p.m. They will be @ Comerica Park on Thursday afternoon for a game against the Tigers commencing @ 1:10 p.m. Mary and I have plans to make it to that contest. This is the final appearance by Boston DH David "Big Papi" Ortiz as he calls it a career.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/food-drink/ill-bite-blog/article95713597.html#storylink=cp"Big Papi in Comerica Park, forever, as he calls it a career, With the rise of Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and other young players, the future for the Red Sox looks bright.

The Caps also fell to earth as they lost to the Lake Couty, OH Captains 1 - 2. That still finds the Caps in 4th place in the MW League East with a record of 22 - 26, 10 games behind the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Caps and the Captains play again tonight @ 7:00 p.m. Later this week, Mary's sentimental favorite Dayton Dragons come to town. This may be our best chance to see the Caps play  on a Sunday afternoon @ 1:00 p.m. Mary would like to get some Dragons swag if possible.

Otherwise, we have some indoor chores to do today and a visit to the orthopedist for a final check on my thumb. In addition, there are other things on our agenda that have been on hold due to work. Now we can get back to being retired for a few weeks.

Mary has plans to sort out her knitting and sewing stashes. I have plans to get to some chores that I have been meaning to get to along with some pleasure reading. I am following the advice of my former employer Bob Apa @ Triangle Mobil, who had a favorite saying, "Put off until tomorrow what you can put off until tomorrow." Good advice. Hopefully, the intrepid one will be willing to go out if the weather takes a turn for the worst,  Ciao.