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

I was outside with Ginger around 2:30 a.m. and there were a few droplets of rain on the deck, but the forecast for rain this early morn' was not yet accurate. However, the forecast also called for a peak chance of showers/T-storms which are happening right now @ 3:50 a.m. After that, the chance for rain drops off to 15% @ 5:00 a.m. and then all the way down to 5% shortly after and throughout the day. It looks like the annual GH Easter Egg Hunt in Central Park should go off without a problem. That's good for the children, and their parents, who drive the kids from miles around in the Tri-Cities area to allow them to enjoy and participate.

Yesterday's visits to the big-box home centers went relatively smooth. We made our returns at one store and then moved on to the next store where we were to pick up our new vanity top. We also tried to return two items to that store in Muskegon, which we had purchased @ their sister store here in GH on Thursday, but they didn't have them in their inventory so they would not accept them. Once more into the breach dear friend, once more into the breach later this morning with the fur-children. Then we should be done, we hope.

Speaking of that bathroom remodel, we are nearing the end. John will be by to finish the project later this morning and then we will be done. I have taken pictures along the way, and I'll share them when we are completely finished. This remodel has been a marathon rather than a sprint.

I did get to assist in the kitchen yesterday afternoon once we had returned from our sojourn to the big-box home centers. I got to stir the pizza sauce that Mary prepared for our dinner. I even got to place it into the jar for storage until preparation time came around. Not much involvement, I know, but he also serves who stands, stirs, and bottles. That's a paraphrase of a John Milton sonnet entitled  "When I Consider How My Life is Spent" in which he intoned the line "They also serve who only stand and wait." I also used my trusty stand mixer to mix the dough for that pizza.

But I digress. Mary was not entirely satisfied with the outcome that resulted in our dinner, but I liked it a lot. Mary's vegeroni, her handmade sauce, some onions and a tad of nutritional yeast and vegan cheese shreds and we had a great dinner. Here it is in pictures from start to finish.

Fully assembled and baked.

Fully eaten.

My 2016 Chicago Cubs Christmas Tree ornament is in @ Hallmark. I ordered it late last year, but it wasn't available until now. Fortunately, the Hallmark™ Card store is next door to the big-box home center where our returns have to go today. The fur-children can't go into that store, but they are welcome in the big-box home center. Ginger likes going there. Both Mary and I are so over going to big-box home centers.

In an easy segue, the sports news yesterday was mixed. The Cubs fell to the Pirates, 4 - 6. That still finds the Cubs in 2nd place with an NL Central record of 6 - 4, but they need to achieve some consistency. They left the bases loaded in that game, twice, en route to the loss.  Those two teams play again today @ 1:20 p.m. on Jackie Robinson Day.

The Tigers survived a grand slam home run by the Cleveland Indians in the top of the ninth to win their game by a slim 7 - 6 final score. That finds the Tigers atop the AL Central with a record of 7 - 3. Miguel Cabrera, Miggy, broke out of his slump with a three-run home run of his own earlier in the game. The Tigers and the Indians play again today @ 4:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox took it on the chin from the Tampa Bay Rays, 4 - 6. That loss dropped the Sox into 4th place in the AL East with a record of 4 - 5. The Sox play again today @ 4:05 p.m.

The Caps also fell on hard times yesterday as they lost to the South Bend, IN Cubs by a score of 4 - 6. That dropped them into a tie in the Midwest League East with an identical record to that of the Lake County, OH Captains of 4 - 5. The Caps and the Cubs play again today @ 4:00 p.m.

Today, we have to take that aforementioned safari with the fur-children to the Hallmark™ store and the big-box home center. Mary wants to knit and perhaps sew more and also to put the bathroom into final form while I'm @ my Irish Jam session from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. I think I'll have a better time.

The sun will rise today @ 7:02 a,m, and set later @ 8:27 p.m. Ciao.