Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 11:00 p.m. in "The City." I'm going to deviate or depart from my regular format and report, as Sergeant Joe Friday, the fictional Detective Sergeant of the radio and TV series, Dragnet would have said, "Just the facts ma'am, just the facts."

The current temperature is 40° with an overnight low of 36° expected before we rebound if you can call it a rebound, to tomorrow's high of 41° and an overnight low of 31° That will occur between the sunrise at 7:16 a.m. and well before the sunset @ 8:18 p.m.

I decided that it was safe to report that the Chicago Cubs and a cast of players with whom I am only slightly familiar, won their home opener in a chilly Wrigley Field, 5 - 4. That being said, I thought this was a good time to wax prosaically about the first time I saw a Cubs game, the in-between times, and the last time, which was many years ago.

My first Cubs game was when I was about eight years of age and I was Cub Scout. I cannot tell you the score, but I do know that that would have been around 1959. Much of the park was empty, like today. and the seats were very inexpensive. 

Later, I must have been 16 or 17, and my brother, Randy, Raig, as he came to be known, and I went to an opening day. It was cold and we moved around trying to find the warmth of the sun. Once again, I cannot remember the details. That was in the days of only the mechanical scoreboard, the Bleacher Bums, the Andy Frain ushers, a smaller number of seats, and often, a closed upper deck due to the woeful nature of the Cubs' teams. It wasn't until 1984 or later that Wrigley became the place to be and be seen by the entire worldwide population. 

Later in life, Mary, Adam, and I went to Wrigley Field for many games and the experience was just as I'd remembered it, cheering crowds, a sunny day, and a fun time. I know that we often took the El train from Wilmette to the park and that Adam enjoyed sitting up front to watch things as we traveled. 

I doubt that the experience of Wrigleyville would be the same today. Too many people, a changing neighborhood, and changes in the park itself. Alas, I am old enough to remember things that were and can never be again. 

But enough nostalgia. Now, I can bask in the glory of a win on Opening Day, a chance to see more baseball, and most of all, a chance to live vicariously through the young ballplayers of today. Ciao.