Mizzou Wins the Music City Bowl!

My beloved Missouri Tigers football team always figures out a way to finish the job. Today they came from behind to beat the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Nashville Music City Bowl 27-24. Iowa and Mizzou were evenly matched teams, each missing a strong offensive weapon. If they played each other ten times my guess is they would both win five.

Congratulations to Coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers for another fun season! For the second year in a row the Tigers have secured ten wins. I am so proud of this Tiger team! M-I-Z!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. -Luke 2:1 - 14.

I hope you and your loved ones have a very merry and blessed Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I thank the Lord God Almighty for so much on this Thanksgiving Day! I am more richly blessed than I ever deserved and have so many blessings and gifts I cannot begin to count all of them.

This year I have much, much more reason to be thankful. I am so thankful for the new kidney I received in May and the second chance at life it has given me. It's been six and a half months and all restrictions have been lifted. I am doing everything I want and the organ is doing its job very well. I give thanks to God for this gift! I also give thanks to God for my family, friends, nurses, doctors, surgeons, therapists and support staff. With all of their help my recovery has been easy!

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all my Facebook family and friends. May God bless each of you richly!

The Campaign is Finally Over

Thank God the 2024 US Presidential election is over after months of name calling, idiocy and outright stupidity expressed by both Democrats and Republicans. Donald Trump defeated Kamela Harris 312 to 226 votes in the electoral college, which is the antiquated system used to pick presidents in the United States.

The Republicans, it appears will control both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.  This combined with Trump being in the White House gives that party a trifecta in the legislative and executive branches of the US federal government.  This is the same situation as Trump had when he was elected to his first presidency in 2017.

Thanksgiving takes place in the US later this month on the 28th.  I am already thankful that this election is over.

World Series Game Five = 3:42 Boredom Factor = 33

The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up the 2024 World Series coming from behind twice to beat the New York Yankees 7-6.  The Yankees were up 5-0 before the Dodgers clawed back to score five of their own in the fifth inning to tie it. The Yanks went back up in the 6th inning with a run before the Dodgers scored two more in the top of the eighth.  Blake Treinen and Walker Buehler then combined to close out New York and win Game 5 and the World Series.

This was the longest game of the series clocking in at 3:42.  It was an exciting game, but still three hours and 42 minutes for a nine inning game?  MLB needs to go back to the drawing board and tighten up the rules in place to speed up play.

The Boredom Factor is a combined total of 18 strikeouts and 16 walks as well as a hit batsman.  But, the biggest time waster was all of the pitching changes. The Dodgers changed hurlers seven times and the Yankees made four changes. I realize numerous pitching changes have become a part of today's game, but it is also killing the game. MLB "leadership", if there really is any, needs to figure out how to tighten up the game even more. I could write at length about this and will when I have more time.

Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers was selected by writers and broadcasters as the World Series MVP. He homered four times and drove in 13.  The only other player who I would have considered for the MVP is Mookie Betts who drove in 16 runs while batting .290

I mentioned Aaron Judge in the post prior to this one.  For the record, he ended up climbing over the Mendoza line, hitting .184 for the series. He was 2 for 3, with a double and a home run.

World Series Game Four = 3:16 Boredom Factor = 22

Apparently, the rules implemented by Major League  Baseball before the 2023 season don't apply in the World Series.  Actually, they do apply but this game logged in at three hours and 16 minutes.  The Yankees finally got a win in Game 4 as Aaron Judge got a hit and contributed to the Yanks 11-4 win over the Dodgers.  Judge is still below the Mendoza line hitting a "whopping" .152 for the series.

The boredom factor is a metric I came up with to count the number of times a batter came to the plate and failed to put the ball in play.  There were a combined 12 strikeouts, nine walks and a hit batsman.  There were also 9 pitching changes where a national TV audience watched commercials and Yankee Fans sat around waiting for the game to continue.

The Dodgers now lead the Yankees three games to one.

World Series Game Three = 3:25; Boredom Factor is 31

The World Series shifted cross country from Los Angeles to the Bronx.  The Dodgers behind the strong pitching of Walker Buehler  won the game 4-2.  For the third consecutive game Freddie Freeman homered for the Dodgers.

The boredom factor of the game is 28.  This is a statistic I've developed that counts the times a batter fails to put the ball into play during an at bat. This game there were18 strikeouts, 12 walks and one hit batsman.

The game as you saw in the headline for this post lasted a whopping three hours and 25 minutes. The main reason for this is both managers over used their bullpens. The Yankees used nine pitchers and the Dodgers employed 8 pitchers.  The TV talking heads tried to tell the public this was exciting baseball.  But, I doubt many people who watched it agree with that assessment.  

World Series Game Two = 2:53

The Los Angeles Dodgers won for the second night in a row downing the New York Yankees 4-2 behind the pitching of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.  And for the second night in a row Freddie Freeman homered for the Dodgers.

There were a lot of dull moments in this game too as 18 plate appearances took place without the hitter putting the ball into play.  There were 13 strikeouts, three walks and two hit batsmen, both times Anthony Rizzo was hanging out over the plate when he got plunked.  Rizzo needs to remember half of that plate belongs to the pitcher.

If you are looking for the time and boredom factor in Game One you may read about it by going to this post.

Dodgers Are the New World Series Champions

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers on their defeat of the New York Yankees four games to one.  I didn't watch any of the games, because they are too long and boring. But, I did read the Associated Press stories and it will not go down as a great series.

I will post my annual time and lack of action blogs in the coming day or two.  To give you an idea of what I mean, Game 1 lasted 3:27. (It went one extra inning before the Dodgers won on a walk-off grand slam by Freddie Freeman; one of the few highlights of the five game championship).

There were 24 trips to the plate in game one which the ball was not put into play.  There were 17 strikeouts (three by the Yankees Mike Judge), six walks and one hit batsman.  All just a waste of fans time.

One final thought on the completed series, Game Three of the "Fall Classic" just barely beat a mid-season NFL game in the night's TV rating.  You would think the baseball championship would have fared much better in the rating than the Steelers and Giants.

Random Thoughts in Late September

It's been seven and a half weeks since I last posted to this blog. It's not I don't have anything to say, it's just that as I continue to get my life back, I have less time to write than while I was recovering from the kidney transplant.  As an update, my doctors have lifted all of my dietary and fluid restrictions and I am able to eat and drink pretty much whatever I like. I don't see any of my transplant team until mid December and my lab work is down to every other Monday morning.  So, life is good and I am keeping busy working a part time job and looking after my 97 year old mother.

I have spent the last four weekends in my old stomping grounds, Columbia, Mo. watching my beloved Missouri Tigers play football. Mizzou is 4-0 and really hasn't played anyone tough. They were rated as high as number six, but then beat 24 ranked Boston College and slipped to 8. A win last week over Vanderbilt dropped the Tigers to #11. My guess is the voters in the A-P poll don't think the Tigers schedule is as tough as the rest of the SEC teams ahead of them.  That is a logical assumption but keep  in mind Missouri has beaten ranked Power 4 opponent and the conference schedule was set by the SEC conference.  You know what's strange?  Today Mizzou climbed back into the ninth spot in the Associated Press poll despite having a bye yesterday. They've also moved up to number 9 in the coaches poll. I guess the writers and coaches think not playing anyone is better than winning.  Go figure.

As far as the NFL I haven't watched a game all season and have a lot of other things I can do on fall Sunday afternoons.  I might watch a game once it gets cold in December, but I have better things to do than waste my time on a league that has twice crapped on St. Louis football fans.

The 2024 MLB regular season came to a conclusion today with my beloved St. Louis Cardinals finishing eleven games back of the Brewers in the NL Central and missing the playoffs, again.  I haven't watched the team in over a month because they had mediocre starting pitching, a crappy bullpen outside of their closer and an offense that never came close to it's potential.  Still the birds ended up four games over .500 in a lame Central division.  If I owned the organization (the DeWitt Family does) I would give someone else beside John Mozielak a chance to be the general manager.  And, while he appears to be a nice guy, I would fire manager Ollie Marmol too.  He hasn't won in two years. It's not entirely his fault because Mozielak hasn't given him much of a team to work with.  But, as the saying goes, you can't fire the whole team.

Have people in the United States gone insane?  I can't believe millions and millions of voters say they will vote for Donald Trump.  The man is a pathological lawyer, somewhat senile and apparently thinks the voters are dumber than he is. Kamala Harris is more liberal than I care for but I will vote for her to save our democracy in the United States of America.  Now, having written that, I don't think anyone has ever said "I think I'll go look at a random blog to decide whom to vote for as president."

Does anyone know why Google no longer has a workable system for posting images on a Blogger? I've tried reading the instructions and even that doesn't work.

Have a great rest of September!

Congratulations to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024

The Professional Football Hall of Fame installed its newest class this past Saturday night in Canton, Ohio.

This year's class is comprised of eight players.  They are DE Dwight Freeney, LB Randy Gradishar,  KR/PR/WR Devin Hester, WR Andre Johnson, DT Steve McMichael, DE Julius Peppers and LB Patrick Willis.

I was fortunate enough to see McMichael play against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 80s and old Busch Stadium II in downtown St. Louis.  I also saw Julius Peppers play in person at the TWA Dome, later known as the Edward Jones Dome. Peppers was a beast causing havoc in the St. Louis Rams backfield in the 00s and teens. I also had the chance to watch Gradishar and the "Orange Crush" beat up on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. I was living in Columbia, Mo in the 80's and Arrowhead was about the same distance as Busch Stadium.

Rather than write a long article about each of these players I will defer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website for this year's players and activities.

Congratulations to the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer are the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Each of these players was inducted in front of an audience of 28,000 at the Hall in Cooperstown, NY.

Adrian Beltré played for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox and Rangers. I saw him play in person at Busch Stadium II in the early 2000s and then watched him again play for the Rangers in the 2011 World Series. I did not score tickets for the games but watched him on TV from home and saw him hit .300 with two home runs in the seven game series. My beloved Cardinals won that series 4-3.  Click here to view Beltré's induction speech.

Todd Helton played his entire career with the Rockies and I was fortunate enough to see him play against the Cardinals a couple of times.  First at Busch II and the second time at Busch III later in his career.  For so many years the Rockies struggled and they were not one of my top choices when I got tickets for Cardinal games. But, I saw him in 2000 (arguably the best year of his career) on a Saturday afternoon in April. I don't remember him having a good day, but in looking the game up on the Internet he did drive in a run on a sacrifice fly. I also saw him later in his career in I believe it was 2011. I don't remember him doing anything special that day, but he always played a great third base as evidenced by his three Gold Gloves.  You may click here to view Helton's induction speech.

Jim Leyland managed the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers.  He was always one of my favorites and I was privileged to see him  manage on many occasions with the Pirates. Leyland won three divisional championships while in Pittsburgh but lost to the Atlanta Braves in 90, 91 & 92. Those were some great Braves teams led by an always awesome pitching staff.  After the Pirates, Leyland managed the then Florida Marlins to a World Series Championship in 1997. He led the Marlins to a seven game win over the then Cleveland Indians. The following year the Marlins were terrible winning only 54 games after the team's ownership traded away all of the club's talent. Leyland left and went to Colorado in 1999 where he managed for one year. Interestingly enough, Leyland managed Todd Helton while he was in Denver.  After his Rockies gig, Leyland went to work for the St. Louis Cardinals as a special scout at the request of fellow Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa. Leyland then went back to managing in 2006 guiding the Tigers to the World Series before losing to the Cardinals. Later in 2011, 2012 & 2013 the Tigers made the post-season.  In 2012 The Tigers under Leyland's guidance made it to the World Series again, only to be swept by the Giants. Please click here to view Leyland's induction speech into the Hall.

Joe Mauer, because he played in the American League, was one of those guys I didn't follow that closely. I only saw him play in person one time on June 16, 2015. I still have the ticket stub to the game hanging on my "wall of tickets".  In that Tuesday afternoon game Mauer went 0-4 and played 1B.  To be honest I was surprised when he was elected to the Hall of Fame. But, he was the top catcher in the American League for over a decade and won the MVP award in 2009.  He had a career lifetime batting average of .306 and a WAR of 55.2. Mauer also played on six American League All-Star teams and won five Silver Slugger awards. When viewed against the numbers of other HOF catchers, Mauer is extremely deserving of his selection to the Hall of Fame.  You may follow this link to see Mauer's induction speech into the Hall of Fame.

All of the induction speeches were good and each is worth watching. Congratulations once again to Mr. Helton, Mr. Beltré, Mr. Leyland and Mr. Mauer!

Joe Biden Decides to Not Run

I think Donald Trump must be ecstatic his Democratic opponent for president of the United States, Joe Biden, has decided to not run for re-election.

Biden, under increasing pressure from colleagues in the congress and senate, announced a few hours ago he would not seek another term.  He said he will focus on running the nation for the next seven months.

Personally, I think Biden must have slipped much more than we the public know. Otherwise, if he really did have "just a bad night", I think his party would have been more supportive after the first presidential debate.  Reports today say Biden has slipped a lot, from the man who took office in January 2021.

It appears Kamala Harris is the front runner and Biden endorsed her almost immediately after announcing he would not run again. But, that won't necessarily keep the Dems from selecting someone else when they meet next month in Chicago.

Regardless of who the Dems select as their next candidate they are going to have a very hard time beating Donald Trump and the GOP.  Biden was already facing an uphill battle but now without an incumbent, the party will have to work extremely hard to hold onto the White House. I don't think they can retain the presidency.

And, that scares the daylights out of me.  Trump is a pathological liar, convicted felon (34 times) and arrogant narcissist. I fear what will become of the United States and our allies if he is elected. He served four years previously and made an ass of himself and the USA repeatedly. I also theorize that the growing divide in our country will encourage the upper middle and upper classes to make additional substantial contributions to the GOP campaign. I also think there are under educated Trump supporters who think they will be able to make this country go back in time to the 50s and 60s. Back then African Americans and other minorities had absolutely no say in running the United States.  Combine those voters, with the religious right, who would like to turn this country in a Christian fundamentalist nation. These are the same people who are critical of the radical Muslim sects, such as the Taliban, but are attempting to do the same thing in the U.S.  So, you can see why Trump has a great chance of being elected President of the United States and "leader" of the free world.  Like I said in the first sentence of this paragraph, Trump scares the daylights out of me. For more proof read, Trump and the Republican party's Project 2025 document. While, the GOP criticizes Democrats as being the radical left, the organizations supporting this document are reactionaries.

The next three and a half months will be a battle between the two parties with both sides playing for huge stakes.  Those stakes are the future of the USA, our allies and the rest of the free world.

I won't tell you who to vote for but pay close attention to everything you hear. And then fact check it for the truth. The nation's future is dependent on your vote.

248 and Going Strong!

I wrote this a few years ago on the Fourth of July and it's still just as true today, if not even more so.  I am blessed to live in the United States of America. It is still the richest and most powerful nation in the world. But more importantly I am allowed to worship as I please. I am able to express myself and to criticize our leaders as I see fit due to the Constitution and Bill of Rights of this great nation.

Today marks the 248th birthday of the United States of America. It is one of the longest lasting democracies in the world. This has been accomplished through the sacrifice of thousands of patriots going back to the Revolution against the British to today, with our troops deployed in Middle East hotspots. These brave men and women paid the ultimate price for our enduring freedom. I have no good way of sufficiently expressing my gratitude to them and to those who have served in conflicts such as World War I, World War II, Korea,  Vietnam and wars in the Middle East. Today I say thank you to all of our armed forces past and present. Because of you I am able to live in what I truly believe is the greatest nation on earth. Happy Birthday America!  248 years old and still going strong!

I'm Continuing to Heal

I've had some minor problems in healing from my May kidney transplant.  It took almost the full seven weeks for the incision wound left in my abdomen, that had been a major issue the week after the surgery, to finally close to the point where it no longer bled every day.  For all but this past week, I packed the hole with gauze soaked in Iodine and then covered it with dry gauze to protect my clothes.

I had pain in the area of the incision that at some times got to four on a scale of ten.  When I reported it to my transplant coordinator she told me the Tacrolimus I take was responsible for the slow healing.  Tacrolimus is an immuno-suppressive drug that I take to keep my body from attacking my new kidney.  And Tacrolimus is one of five medications I take to prevent rejection of the kidney.  Three are immuno-suppressants and the other two are an anti-bacterial and an anti-virus.  The transplant team has prescribed a generic form of Pepcid to keep me from having an upset stomach or heartburn from all of these drugs.  Despite the Pepcid I get heartburn from time to time.

The transplant team has been helpful as has my transplant coordinator.  I was released on June 11th to drive again and to be around groups of people of less than ten.  It will be mid-August before I can be around large crowds again, which is just in time for the season opener of my beloved Missouri Tigers on August 29th.

How is my health otherwise you ask.  I have heart issues that put me into atrial flutter.  I had a procedure called cardioversion which worked for about a year, but now the problem has returned. I saw my cardiologist a few weeks ago and she is recommending a procedure called ablation which she believes would solve the A-Fib or Flutter problem.  But, that will be some time before I can have it. The transplanted kidney and my body must be strong enough to tolerate the procedure. I still don't have my strength back and sometimes feel weak, especially my upper body and core. I am trying to get it back by walking 35 to 45 minutes each day.

As I write this I wonder if anybody really cares, but since I told you about the new kidney and the transplant back in May, I want to keep you up to speed with my recovery. 

Thank you to the courageous soldiers who have paid the ultimate price to keep the United States of America free. I also want to say thank you to the brave men and women of our armed forces who put their lives on the line each and every day to keep the rest of us safe. Happy Memorial Day!  May God bless the United States of America!

This was taken in the early evening of a warm summer night in September 2016 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.  It is looking east towards the Washington Monument from near the John F. Kennedy burial site.

I Got to Come Home from the Hospital!

Image courtesy of NKF

Five days after my kidney transplant surgery I was discharged by the transplant team to come home.  The doctors said I was making good progress and there was no reason to stay at Barnes Jewish Hospital any longer since a minor issue with bleeding was now under control.

I had been bleeding from near one of 14 staples that were used to close the incision site.  For a few nights I had bled heavily onto my hospital gown and the mattress pad on my bed.  I finally got the attention of a resident and nurse practitioner, who like two other doctors, said "we're not worried about it.  After he looked at a layer of blood on my abdomen beneath an abdominal pad, that looked like clotted barbecue sauce, he said "Oh".  Once he knew I was right about the bleeding he made a change to stop it. My fear was I would go home and then bleed on the mattress and sheets and ruin my clothes.  The bleeding was controlled by packing gauze into the hole near where the staple had been located.

I was anxious to get out of the hospital on the Thursday after the four hour surgery.  But, first I had to have a blood transfusion. The doctors reason was my red cell count was low and they wanted to "top off my tank" before I left.  My thought was I bled so much they wanted to "top off my tank" before I left.  The transfusion took two hours and then labs were drawn by a new tech apparently learning on the job which took longer than anticipated.  I finally was told I could leave at 2 p.m. but then I had to wait for meds from the pharmacy.  My ride had waited for over an hour while techs and pharmacists did their job.

One great thing on being wheeled out of the hospital to my driver's car was stopping at the nursing station where I was given a kidney bean and told to place it into a special jar.  When I did so, the nurses who were at the station charting and eating lunch, stood up and cheered my success.  I tried to tell them thank you for the outstanding care I had received, but my voice cracked up and I ended up with tears in my eyes.  They just cheered me on and wished me good luck.  I told the nurse pushing my wheel chair it was the steroids talking and not the real me.  She smiled and looked at me like "yeah, right".

I finally got home about 3:30 p.m. and immediately my sister and brother-in-law went to the grocery store, since the cupboard was bare.  My sister brought groceries and my brother by another mother, bought beer for himself and me.  I didn't have the heart to tell him I couldn't drink alcohol for 30 days.  But, when I finally told him, he said he would drink one more for me.

After dinner that night I posted an update on a social media site.
 

"UPDATE: At the risk of being repetitive, my blessings continue. This afternoon I was discharged from Barnes Jewish Hospital by the kidney transplant team. The doctors told me I was healing quickly and was strong enough to come home with help from my family. I am still in disbelief at how quickly this all happened. First to receive the kidney exactly when needed but now to be back in the comfort of my own home just five days after the surgery. " Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good". 

I have a very long road to recovery in front of me and I ask that you would keep me in your prayers that the bag full of medications I have been given to fight rejection, viruses, infection and fungi does the job. Likewise, I ask that God give me the strength to follow all of the restrictions in place to insure the safety of the new organ. It will be 90 days before I can be around large groups of people and a minimum of 30 days before I can drive. I also have a lot of medical appointments in the coming days. Thank you everyone for your prayers, concern, kind words and support since last weekend. It means more to me than you will ever know."

An Old Man Gets a New Kidney

Give the Gift of Life

I am 71 years old and received the greatest gift of my life a week ago Saturday. I became the recipient of a new kidney on May 11th.  I am overjoyed with my new life and give thanks to God for not only giving me a kidney but also a very strong one that has been functioning extremely well.  I posted the following article on social media two days after the fact.  Because it is so miraculous I ask that you please read the entire post.

"My family and many of my friends in the greater St. Louis area are aware of the story but for those elsewhere I received a phone call on Saturday morning that has changed my life forever.

If you don't know, I've been battling chronic kidney disease for the last 10 years. Over a year ago I was placed on the UNOS kidney transplant list and told to expect a three to five year wait unless a donor came forward. In the past year I had become fatigued, rundown and slept a lot. I was not in very good humor much of the time and was not having much fun.

Saturday morning at 2:45 a.m. I received a call from the kidney transplant team at Barnes-Jewish Hospital / The Doctors at Washington University, telling me they might have a kidney match for me but that I was the backup candidate. I was at the hospital a little after 3:30 a.m. and told I was still the backup, but the nursing staff immediately started testing me to make sure that I was in shape to receive the kidney and that the kidney was the great match they thought it was. And then I waited expecting to be sent home.

At 9:15 a.m. I was told I would receive the kidney and prepped for the procedure. It suddenly hit me, this is really going to happen. My mind was flooded with thoughts and emotions and by 9:50 a.m. I was on the operating table and a team of eight doctors, anesthetists and nurses were preparing for their work. Ten minutes later I was asleep.

I woke up a little after 2:00 p.m. in the recovery room and was told surgery was successful and the kidney had started producing before the team had even closed me up. I was sleepy and sore but very happy I had a new lease on life.

Since then I have met literally two dozen nurses, residents, therapists and aides who are looking out for me and taking care of me. To an individual they have all been kind and compassionate and caring people. I am grateful for what they are doing for me.

But, I am so much more thankful to God Almighty for giving me this wonderful gift. I have been so richly blessed more than I have ever deserved. I rejoice and give thanks to Him!

This is a great gift and I am thankful to the family of the individual who donated the kidney. I asked my doctors where the organ came from and was told that information is sealed for 6 months. At that time, I will attempt to reach out and let this family know how appreciative I am. While my family and I rejoice at this time, I know there is a family out there that is grieving a loss of its member. I don't know who they are but I pray for them.

I have a long way to go but with the supportof family and friends I know I have help and it encourages me to get better as quick as I can. I have been given a second chance at life. To paraphrase Lou Gehrig "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth!"

I was released from the hospital five days after I received the new organ. I will blog in a few days about the hospital stay, coming home and what is being done by the transplant team to support me and the kidney.

Keeping the Streak Alive

April has been a good month.  Now, that isn't exactly earthshaking news or opinion.  But, the main reason for this particular post is to keep my consecutive streak of publishing every month ongoing.  I started this blog in May 2005 and in the past 19 years have written about many things ranging from piss poor journalism, to sports, to politics and whatever else moved me.

So, here is the 228th consecutive monthly post.  Yes, April was a good month for the most part, but I was tied up with a lot of doctor appointments and diagnostics.  I am battling chronic kidney disease and heart disease.  My kidneys are all but shot and they have impacted my heart and put me into atrial fibrillation.  Who, knew when I started this blog I would be writing about old man health care issues?  I will write more about my chronic kidney disease in the coming days.  But, I will tell you I am on the kidney transplant list at a local teaching hospital.  And the cardiology issues are being followed by a very good doctor.

My health kept me busy, but I also started working the scoreboard again at the high school from which I graduated almost 53 years ago.  I enjoy the job, the school district, AD, and staff treat me better than I deserve and it gives me something to do with my spare time.  And, they pay me for it.  It's a win-win!

I should have more free time next month, giving me more time to write.  Thanks for reading and keep your eyes posted for updates.

Happy Easter to You and Yours!

Happy Easter to you and your family!  Christ is Arisen this day and his resurrection has changed the world forever!  Knowing that Christ has made the ultimate sacrifice means we will live with him forever in Heaven.

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

Happy First Day of Spring

It's been several weeks since I last wrote, but in that time the long cold wet winter has started to give way to warmer temperatures and more sunshine where I live.  And, because I am anemic, the warmer weather makes me a happy camper.

Now, I can get out and work in my yard without having to wear a winter parka, gloves, and layers of clothing under the winter coat.

It's supposed to be cold tomorrow and Sunday (in the lower 50's) but
then a gradual warm up is expected as next week progresses.  Happy
Spring to you!

Super Hype Bowl

Jerry Jones - Grumpy Ass Old Billionaire

While you're watching the greatest most super duper football game of all time, I'll be enjoying dinner and then watching a movie.

It's not that I don't like football...I do.  It's just that I have no use for the NFL (No Fan Loyalty). I love college football and if you read this blog you know I'm a huge fan of the Missouri Tigers.

But, I can no longer tolerate the NFL and it's pompous owners.  Twice, I invested my time, money and loyalties in St. Louis NFL franchises.  And twice, the NFL pulled the rug out from under my feet.  What's most frustrating is both of those franchises, the Cardinals and Rams, were extremely well supported even through numerous crappy seasons due to ownership mismanagement.  And then the league's owners told the teams they could move away and screw St. Louis.

So you can see why I could care less about the Super Bowl and all of the hype that goes with it.  I also have a hard time watching all of the PC bullshit the league parades before the American public as if it really gives a shit.  My take on it is, there are 32 billionaires trying to show low and middle income fans how much they care about you.  They don't care about you and they don't care about me.  All they care about is getting even richer at the expense of the poor working stiff.

So, while the NFL propaganda machine is working overtime I'll be grilling steaks and watching something enjoyable.  The NFL can kiss my ass.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2024!  I hope this year brings peace, health, happiness and prosperity to you.  May it bring you the best of everything!