Archive for August, 2023

Chores

August 27, 2023

Mariners are now in 1st place in the AL West by themselves.

There is still a lot of season to go, so Anything Can Happen. (An old Ms motto) I mentioned this to my Dad during a phone call today. He was not overly impressed. (NY Yankees fan since he grew up in the Bronx.) I should have pointed out he was only 76 years old the last time this happened, in 2003.

So I managed to accomplish just a few small chores, both involving screwdrivers.

First up was the teeny tiny screws that hold the car fob battery in place. For this we have an equally teeny Phillips head screwdriver. I did only manage to get 3 of the 4 screws back in. A few have gotten slightly bent along their millimetres long length. It’s a 20-year old car, and I don’t know how many battery changes have been required.

Now that I think about it, I can’t remember if we got a new fob (at least one) when we lost an original. I left the fob on the bumper and drove to work. (Don’t ask, it involved scraping windows and trying to turn off lights in a neighbor’s car. ) This was when we discovered you can drive the car without the key. It’s only required to get it started.

Second up was replacing the telescoping handle on one of our suitcases. This is the second handle I have replaced. The first was on the matching suitcase in the spring. Travelpro provided the replacement handle, at no cost! 8 screws out, 8 screws back in, rezip the lining that hides the guts, rethread 2 straps, and done. The screws were all normal sized Phillips, although there were 3 different lengths to keep track of.

Ignore the mess

Oh, and I finished a book obtained from the little free library on Birch Point Road in upper Michigan. Who knew. Black Hills, by Nora Roberts if you are interested.

Not really a chore, but done.

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Baseball can be Fun

August 26, 2023

I just want to get that down while I’m feeling that feeling again. It has been several years.

Yesterday’s game was tight, but the Mariners prevailed. This put them in first place in the AL West for the first time in 20 years. (Tied with the Rangers)

Today’s game ended up being a laugher. Is that a word? 15 to 2, Mariners hit 7 home runs, some sort of record I think.

It’s a happy time. But also more tense as there are now expectations.

After today’s day game, with temperatures in the 80s, we walked about a mile south, to get on the northbound train one stop south of our normal boarding location. The goal was to get more of a walk. We did, but it was perhaps a bit warmer than was good. So we stopped in a Whole Foods on the final walk home to get the fixings for a smakerel dinner.

Tomorrow I will try to accomplish something of note. Like a chore, or some work. I did pay bills this morning, so not a total baseball day.

And of course, being in a position where the playoffs are a real possibility means that we will soon be asked to pay for playoff tickets. This will pile on the 2024 season ticket payment coming up soon.

But still, it has been a few satisfying days of Mariner baseball.

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