Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Semi-good news, my yak/sacroiliitis is feeling a tad better. Not as good as I'd like, but at this point, I'll take whatever incremental improvement comes my way.

Mary was just outside with a reluctant Ginger because she was trying to spare me the 2:00 a.m. run with Ginger. Maybe, just maybe, Ginger will go to bed and stay there until around 7:30 a.m. this morning after the sun rises @ 7:28 a.m. and well before it sets @ 7:49 p.m. Anytime after 7:30 a.m., Ginger, and STWD will be demanding their breakfast and an early morning out. Then I can go back to my La-Z-Boy for some additional rest.

Right now the temperature is 64° and the skies are partly cloudy. The NWS is forecasting a high today of 76°, also under partly cloudy skies.

I spent part of my day in the kitchen yesterday making baked tofu cubes and spicy chickpeas. I was going to do more, but I have to limit my time in an upright position. Today, I may do some baking.

Yesterday, Mary made some delicious meals. Lunch was a delicious cucumber, onion and tomato salad with a dressing of maple/mustard dressing that Mary got from one of her cook books. It was delicious and is definitely a keeper. That salad was the side dish for the modified vegan tuna melt sandwiches that she made using some of the sourdough bread that we had left in the breadbox. I liked those too.

Dinner was nacho chips with cheese. That cheese was a recipe that Mary had memorialized in her handwritten recipe cookbook. I liked it, but the cheese was a tad too sweet, owing in part to the sweet potatoes that are part of the recipe. I think the recipe might benefit from the addition of some pickle juice/brine. The brine idea came to me as I was contemplating what it is that gives many dairy-based kinds of cheese their flavor. Just a thought as I don't have anything else to base that idea upon.

Sports news yesterday was 50/50. The 1st place in the NL Central Cubs eked out a win over the 3d place Cardinals, 4 - 3 to move to a record of 83 - 66, a four-game lead over the winning Brewers and six games over the losing Cardinals. The Cubs are off today before traveling to Tampa Bay to face the Rays Tuesday night

Although not baseball related, this is the perfect opportunity to mention that the Bears were in Tampa Bay yesterday to be crushed by the Buccaneers, 29 - 7. Ouch.

Back to baseball, my beloved 1st place in the AL East Red Sox lost a close one to the Tampa Bay Rays, 2 - 3. That loss still finds the Sox in 1st place, three games ahead of the losing Yankees. The Sox meet the Orioles in Camden Yards tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

The Tigers battled it out with that other team from Chicago to hold onto 4th place in the AL Central with a record of 62 - 87, two games in front of that other team. The Tigers welcome the As to Comerica Park tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

Today I will finish my book and then start another. I am still enjoying my current read. Mary will once again have to solo on the morning safari with the fur-children while I keep the home fires burning. Then she'll have to get back to indexing. I will be in the La-Z-Boy if I'm not in the kitchen before or after my appointment @ the physical therapist @ 1:00 p.m. Ciao.