Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City."

Baseball is an exciting, excruciating, maddening sport, whether played in Little League, High-School, College, the Minor Leagues, or in "The Show", as the Major Leagues are called. In no small way, baseball has been a big part of my life. I played one season in Little League before coming to the realization that I couldn't hit the curveball. I played softball when I was in my 20s, but like many men, I had other obligations that took me away from the game.

I also learned in my 30s and 40s that my bat speed had slowed, considerably. I went from being a dead pull hitter down the third base line to spraying the ball to center and right fields. I also went from being a casual fan to being a "Die Hard Cubs Fan" starting in my late 30s and continuing to this day, although my love affair with the Cubs probably began when I went to my first game @. eight years of age! In short, I love baseball and as one of my students said many years ago, "Baseball is life!" So today, I am still a "Die Hard Cubs Fan", I follow the Tigers and the West Michigan White Caps as a transplanted Michigander, and I still adore my beloved Red Sox.

All of that being said, I was naturally thrilled last year when the Cubs won it all and became World Series Champions for the first time in 108 years. You can imagine my delight when Cubs' President Theo Epstein, the former General Manager of my beloved Red Sox, was hired by the Cubs and team owner Tom Ricketts to bring a winner to Chicago, which he ultimately did.

You can also imagine my frustration these days when I watch the Cubs and Epstein deny the obvious and say that they have all the solutions in their own dugout. Yes, they also have many of their own problems there too. Last season's 16 - 5, low ERA starting pitcher, Kyle Hendricks, is rehabbing a hand injury in AA baseball. Last year's solid starting pitcher John Lackey is serving up home runs like the baseball is on fire and he can't wait to see it leave the yard. Jon Lester is inconsistent as is 2015 Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta. The relief corp is struggling too.

And, don't get me started on the wisdom of letting leadoff hitter and center fielder, Dexter Fowler, get away over money. Kyle Schwarber may someday be a leadoff hitter, but right now he is just another guy named Kyle. Is a trade in the works for one and perhaps two front-line starting pitchers? I sure hope so. The Cubs were/are supposed to be a dynasty and win several World Series rings. Now, they are a sub .500 team @ the All-Star break, chasing a Brewers team that should be behind them in a weak NL Central division while losing 2 out of three to the Pirates who are lower than the Cubs in the standings in that same weak division. Sigh, I've vented enough. Go Cubs!

The Caps were rained out yesterday in their game against the Captains. The Caps are @ home @ the Fifth/Third Ballpark to play the Cedar Rapids Kernels @ 7:00 p.m. tonight. The Caps are still in 1st place, 1.5 games ahead of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The trains plied the rails of the RSTL yesterday. At 11:30 a.m., MMRR EMD GP-38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057 were observed heading south towing seven, CHCs, five DWTCs, 27 DBTCs, one new and many old and in need of retirement, and one lone GTC. At 4:40 p.m., those same locomotives headed north towing one CHC, 15 DBTCs, and 11 DWTCs.

Mary visited the chiropractor yesterday and he pronounced her bug bites as being significantly improved. I can concur with his observations. Mary is doing her best to avoid the bugs in the back-forty of the PE, Ginger willing.

I almost forgot. I spent nearly two hours at the local coin laundry, washing and drying the king-size comforter for our bed. Our home washing machine and dryer are simply too small for that Herculean task.That did allow me time to read a great deal of my current book for the Loutit Library's Beachcomber's Book Bingo. This book, Climate Matters, by John Broome, is in the category of Building a Better Future I have one more book after that to qualify for this summer's prize.

We have a current temperature of 66° under clear skies. Later today after the sun rises @ 6:15 a.m. and well before it sets @ 9:24 p.m., the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 80° under partly cloudy skies with 75% relative humidity. Wednesday, the NWS is still forecasting an 80% chance for T-storms.

I have my next drawing class tonight @ 6:00 p.m. I find that although I may never be a great artist, I like the time spent just drawing and socializing. Ciao.