Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current and Real Feel temperatures are the same @ 70° with a breeze out of the southwest @ seven mph under partly cloudy skies.

The NWS predicts that the overnight low will drop to 68°. Today's high temperature is forecast to reach 81° with an RHI of 88%. Not a pleasant day for a walkabout. The low tonight will only fall to 70°. While not completely cloudy all day, the skies are expected to be partly cloudy. The sun will rise today @ 7:10 a.m. and set later this evening @ 8:17 p.m.

Yesterday was a great day for my final P/T session and a final evaluation by my therapist, Eric, that indicated that I had made significant progress. However, as Eric noted, he and I know, my yak will never be perfect. But that's okay, any improvement is always welcome. So now, I just have to keep up my exercises and stretches to maintain my improved status.

Yesterday was our 49th wedding anniversary. 49 years later, I still can't believe how lucky I was to find a woman who would stand by me through several medical issues, hang with me through multiple job changes, take time to have her own career, and also find time to raise our son to be the kind of man that all parents wish for. To borrow from that old beer commercial again, "It doesn't get any better than this."

We also had a chance to walk with our fur-children, ear-read, read the newspapers, cross-stitch, and listen to the POTUS give his speech about the current state of the union. Mary also tried to finish her personal ear-read, but she didn't make it. I understand that will happen today, for sure, she will accomplish that feat. Somewhere in there, she and Ginger will take a trip to that big-box nearly everything store for a few items. Oh, we also did the indoor chores too, well, mostly Mary, as I was out at P/T mid-afternoon.

Since I watered last night, I don't have that on my agenda for today. 

The 56 - 72 Cubs are in St. Louis tonight to face their polar opposite, the St. Louis Cardinals for a game @ 8:15 p.m. with RHP Adrian Sampson on the mound for the Cubs. This has been a long season for us die-hard fans.

The woeful 50 - 81 Tigers, took it on the chin in Comerica Park, falling to the 73 - 58 Mariners, 0 - 7. what can I say, the Tigers are not a good team this year, Maybe next year, but that is iffy at this point too. At any rate, the Tigers are once again home tonight to face the equally woeful 53 - 79 Royal, @ 7:10 p.m. with RHP Drew Hutchinson on the bump for the Tigers. Worthy of note, yesterday's loss was the 18th shutout the Tigers have endured this season. 

My beloved 64 - 68 Red Sox waited until the bottom of the ninth in Fenway Park to rally and defeat the 58 - 72 Rangers, 9 - 8, on a walk-off hit. This was the first in the majors by Rob Refsnyder. Sadly, that walk-off, while nice, was much too little too late to salvage this season. The Sox are home again to face the Rangers @ 7:10 p.m. with RHP Nick Pivetta on the mound for the beloved. 

Did I mention, that the Red Sox gave LHP Chris Sale a huge contract extension for $145 million two years ago? Then shortly thereafter, Sale had Tommy John surgery. This year he suffered a rib injury in spring training, an injury that kept him out for much of the season, a broken finger, and now a fractured wrist suffered in a bicycle accident. 

Sale doesn't think he has earned his money this year. Ya think? But he also has an opt-out clause in his contract that he could exercise. Who knows, maybe he will be back next year, but he will be one year older. He may yet earn his huge salary, but is he the next Justin Verlander? Yes, Sale was underpaid for years by that other team from Chicago, but if wishes were fishes, we'd all have a creel full too. So, that's his albatross, not mine.

Finally, the Caps, while they remain three games behind the Lake County, OH Captains in the MWL East, defeated the Tin Caps last night, 5 - 2. The Caps are still in Ft. Wayne tonight for a game @ 7:05 p.m.

I think that's enough for today's blog. Ciao.