Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."

This is a perfect opportunity to borrow from a feature in the Grand Haven Tribune and very likely many newspapers throughout the country, called Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down! This feature allows readers to offer a visual commentary like that offered by the Romans @ the Coliseum or even many movie reviewers when relaying their opinion of movies they have had the fortune, good or bad, to have recently seen.

In my case, Thumbs Down! to the people in charge @ Yahoo! for waiting two years to tell people that Yahoo! was hacked in July of 2014 and that a hacker got access to over 500,000,000 clients of their service. I immediately changed my password, but this makes some recent email scandals recently investigated by Congress, look like small potatoes. Welcome to the digital age

Since I am speaking of the digital age, let me give the weather report. The reading on my DTWS that is derived from the FPMS was missing the temperature reading. I knew it would be back, and it is, showing 69°. The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 66° with fog. A quick glance out the WW shows clear skies. Go figure. STWD is asleep, so there is no storm activity.

Speaking of the intrepid one, I let her out last evening and something spooked her and sent her scurrying back up on the deck and then into her upstairs hide-e-hole. I didn't hear a thunderclap nor explosion, but something scared her. I didn't see or hear anything, so I don't know what set her off.

She spent several hours in her safety room. As of this time, I can't rely on her forecast either. The NWS has forecast a high temperature for today of 72° with 82% relative humidity. They have also pushed the next significant rain event back until Monday with an 80% chance of showers. They are warning of the potential for showers today @ 20%. I guess I'm on my own for the true story. At any rate, the temperature is also supposed to drop into the upper 60° range by Tuesday too.

I have to plead temporary insanity regarding last night's sports report. I think that I must have temporarily lost my perspective as I placed the Cubs in Cincinnati when they swept the Reds. I received a report from my Chicago Bureau, that the Cubs were in "The Friendly Confines", Wrigley Field when they swept the Reds. That being said, the Cubs with their 1st place lead over the Cardinals now @ 17 games in the NL Central and a record of 97 - 55, host those Cardinals today @ 2:20 p.m. Can 100 wins be far away?

The Tigers eked out a 4 - 2 win over the AL Central bottom dwelling Twins. That gives the Tigers an overall division record of 82 - 70, but they are languishing in 2nd place, where they have been for weeks. The 1st place Indians also won, maintaining a seven-game lead in that division. The Tigers are home tonight to host the Royals @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox also won their AL Eastern division game over division rivals the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5 - 3. The Sox' magic number to clinch the division is down to five. Sadly, the fans disguised as empty seats in Baltimore last night were out in full force. I grant that the Orioles seem to be fading, but they are still in contention and the Sox are a 1st place team. The Sox travel to Tanpa Bay to face the Rays tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

I went to the doctor yesterday for my quarterly tootsies exam. All went well on my first medicare visit there. There is a medical assistant there who has the perkiest personality I've ever seen. That's good, but wow, her Perkometer is set to stun at all times.

I drove myself to that appointment and afterward I was going to travel to the big-box home center near the PE, but I couldn't set the mirrors on our new car so I came home. It took Mary to provide an assist with the rearview mirror in the cockpit. When it comes to this car, I feel like those people of a certain age in the commercial who welcome their grandchildren to their grandparent's home and then hand them all of the tech gear that the grandparents can't get to work.

I nearly didn't go because of the lack of rearward vision, but I soldiered on and then came right home to get Mary and let her take the helm for further missions. Not a very good first solo effort in the cockpit.

I did get a lot done yesterday, as I did the laundry, mowed the lawns of the vast PE, patched the concrete around the outdoor entrance to the man-cave, and organized the closet in my office. I was inspired by Mary's recent organizational efforts of her craft room and the various stashes that seem to go hand in hand with most craft-type hobbies. Things that I should have gotten rid of years ago from my closet were donated during our afternoon outing.

We traveled to the big-box home center, the Goodwill™ store, and D & W grocers. I was glad to be riding shotgun on the trip. I used to love to drive, but I seem to have lost the will and need to drive shortly after my various illnesses a few years back. That's okay, as being a shotgun seat driver/navigator is a lot easier. I did get in some time with the girls early yesterday along with more reading, so that was also a saving grace for the day.

Today we have no plans beyond Mary's afternoon chat @ 2:00 p.m. and a trip to the chiropractor's office for our weekly tune-up. I may get into the kitchen to do some biscuit-baking while Mary is otherwise occupied. That will give me a chance to try out my new flour sifter. I just hope that Mary can avoid being a nosy cook's helper. Hint, hint.

The sun will rise today @ 7:34 a.m. and set @ 7:39 p.m. We are nearly back to 12 hour days. Ciao.