Celebrating Stuart's Birthday At Old Chicago

My friend Stuart - seen in the photograph above - and I celebrated his birthday at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in beautiful but incredibly boring Lakewood, Colorado yesterday afternoon. I would not be so presumptuous as to mention Stuart's age - I will simply say that he is OLD. Stuart and I discussed a number of topics, ranging from baseball to the January 6th hearings. Stuart is originally from the North Side of Chicago, and a Chicago Cubs fan. The Cubs are currently 17 games under .500, and even Stuart acknowledges that they stink. I am originally from the South Side of Chicago, and a White Sox fan. The White Sox have been beset by injuries, but are still only 4 games under .500, and I for one hope they can still make a run for the playoffs once all their injured players return. As for the January 6th hearings, both of us wonder how there can still be Trump fans after the revelations about his attempt to overthrow a free and fair election. There very well could be over 70 million of them, which is very very scary indeed. Even scarier than living in a suburb like Lakewood.

Coffee With Roddy At Kaladi's

I had coffee at Kaladi's, just to the west of the University of Denver campus, with Roddy, my friend and professor of photography at DU. I took quite a few classes with Roddy - seen at Kaladi's in the photograph above - when I worked at the University of Denver Bookstore, and he is both an excellent teacher and quite amusing too. This summer he will be taking a DU photography class to both Copenhagen and Stockholm, and afterwards heading to Finland to work on one of his photography projects. Now that sounds like a lot of fun. Have a great trip, Roddy!

Watching CFL Football With Mark

I watched the Toronto Argonauts play the British Columbia Lions with my friend Mark Sunday morning. The game took place Saturday night, but Mark recorded it so we could watch it the next day. Mark, seen in the photograph above along the Vancouver waterfront, is a BC Lions fan. I myself was rooting for Toronto, since I am rather nostalgic about spending vacations when I was young up in Ontario with my family. The BC Lions won the game 44 to 3, and the game was not as close as the score would indicate. Good thing I haven't downloaded one of those sports apps they advertise on television every minute or so, and started placing bets, even if they do say there is no way you can lose. After all, they can't say it if it's not true, right? Right!

The Highlands Street Fair

My sister Susan and I, along with her dog Blackberry, attended the 39th annual Highlands Street Fair this past Saturday. It is one of the largest such festivals in the Denver area, featuring music, food from local restaurants, and lots of merchandise and art. This massive block party was very well attended, and stretched all along West 32nd Street. When I first moved to Denver back in 1981, this neighborhood, one of Denver's oldest, was touted as the "affordable alternative to Washington Park." Now, of course, it is just as unaffordable as Wash Park, but still a fun place to visit.

Not only is this festival popular with people, but with dogs, too. It seems like every minute another dog was visiting with Blackberry, who tends to shy away from any dog that is bigger than she is, such as the two in the photograph on the right. I also think she was a bit freaked out by the crowds. She didn't relax until we headed back to the car through the much less crowded residential area, which features lots of 19th century Victorian homes. This has always been a one-day-only event, which helps explain the huge crowd, and I must say it was great fun. Can't wait until next year.

Getting Nostalgic About The Sun Castle

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my father Nelson, mother Mary, Grandmother Louise and I drove from Chicago to Pompano Beach, Florida back in August of 1963 to stay at the Sun Castle, a hotel right on the beach. It was a really nice place, and as I recall charged eight dollars per person per day to stay there during the summer, including breakfast and dinner. The photograph above shows my mother, grandmother, and me in front of the pool, where I spent a lot of time that week. The hotel was a three story building with a significant amount of beachfront, and we all had a great time there. Years later, when my mother was living in Stuart, Florida, we drove down there one day to look around, and the Sun Castle was long gone. There were nothing but high rises on both sides of the road, and if any of them were hotels, I'd be willing to bet they didn't charge eight dollars a day including meals any longer, although I could be wrong. I should probably head down there one of these days and find out. Tell them that was the price advertised on Trip Advisor.

It's Summer, And Bonnie Brae Ice Cream Is Doing A Land-Office Business! On A Weekday!

I took the photograph above of the Bonnie Brae Ice Cream shop this past Wednesday afternoon as I was walking home from getting a haircut in Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood. Even on a weekday afternoon, the place was packed, which was not a surprise, since it was such a hot day. It does remind me of the line spoken by Michael Moore in his 1989 documentary Roger and Me. He stated that he moved from his hometown of Flint, Michigan - where so many people were out of a job and looking for work - to San Francisco, where everyone had a job but nobody seemed to work. Has Denver taken up that mantel now that the place is filled with Californians? Perhaps so.

Bella Joy Gardens

I took the photograph above of Bella Joy Gardens and the mural of Isabella Joy Thallas the other day as I was walking along East 17th Avenue on my way to Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood and the Union Station light rail stop. It is a very small park named for a woman who was shot and killed while she and her boyfriend were walking their dog in the Ballpark neighborhood. The accused shooter, angry about their dog doing its business in front of his house, shot them both using an AK-47 he stole from a policeman friend. What a commentary on today's society when something so violent takes place over something so petty. The trial starts next month, and the defendant plans to enter a plea of insanity.

Tuk Tuk Tours!

I passed a Tuk Tuk tour when I was biking home from Lower Downtown Denver the other afternoon. They were stopping in front of some of the old Victorian mansions on Pennsylvania Street, where the rich and famous lived during the late 19th Century, including "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" of Titanic fame. These tuk tuks are brand new, made in Denver, and in addition to tours, can be used as taxis, just like in India. I think it would be fun to drive one of those things around, giving tours of the area, not to mention taking people to various destinations around town as fast as possible, just like they did in the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Ever since I saw the crazy tuk tuk scene at the start of that movie, I have wanted to replicate it. If not in India, then why not Denver? I'll be sure to put in an application to be a driver for that company first thing tomorrow morning.

Happy Hour At The Wynkoop Brewing Company!

Happy hour at the Wynkoop Brewing Company is indeed truly happy - pints are $5 from 3:00 until 6:00, and things are always pretty lively, especially after an afternoon game at Coors Field. My sister Susan and I took the light rail train to Union Station this past Thursday, and stopped in for a couple of beers. The Wynkoop was started by John Hickenlooper, the former mayor of Denver and governor of Colorado, who is currently a U.S. Senator. He sold his share of the bar to his partners after his political career was established, but I'm sure they would have hired him back as a maitre d' if he'd lost the senate race in 2020.

My favorite part of the Wynkoop is sitting on the outdoor deck, watching the crowds go by, especially when everyone is so jazzed after a Colorado Rockies victory - admittedly a rare occurrence, although this past weekend they swept the San Diego Padres, who are actually a pretty good team. I have to wonder if Rockies players got together and paid the Padres off, or if it was just some sort of divine miracle? Regardless, the happy hour beers are the same price, win or lose, thank God. And if you are in Lower Downtown Denver, be sure to check the place out.

The First Day Of Summer!

Today is the first day of summer - the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year - and at Stonehenge, the gates have been opened, and modern day Druids are celebrating at that ancient monument. Here in Denver, things are a bit more quiet. I took the photograph on the left Sunday afternoon in Washington Park while on my bike ride downtown. As you can see, nothing much was happening - just a lone goose checking out the scene. I thought for a while that the rest of the geese had finally flown north to Canada after all those years of staying at Wash Park year round, but on the way home found they were all just hanging out on the other side of the park, still enjoying the good life in Colorado, just like all those damn Californians. 

As for the action in downtown Denver, there was an arts and crafts festival on the 16th Street Mall, a decent crowd watching the Colorado Rockies game on the giant screen in McGregor Square (across from Coors Field), kids playing in the fountain at Union Station (as seen in the photo on the right), and a lot of people at the Juneteenth Festival in Five Points. But no Druids dancing in the streets with flowers in their hair, or for that matter preparing for human sacrifices. How boring.

Okinawa: The Restaurant And The Island

When I walk past the corner of York and Colfax here in Denver, I pass by Okinawa, the restaurant seen in the photograph on the left. Evidently, they specialize in sushi, and perusing the online menu, I have found that this place is not cheap. Of course, I myself would never eat sushi even if it was free. However, whenever I pass this restaurant, I think of my father Nelson, a dentist, who was drafted back in 1944 and sent to Okinawa during WWII. His friend Ed, also a dentist, was drafted at the same time, and was right behind him when they reported. Ed, however, was sent to Paris. That old Hoyt luck hasn't changed in decades. 

According to my mother Mary, my father actually liked his time in the army. He hated dentistry, and this gave him the chance to avoid the office for 4 years and have an adventure - in addition to fixing teeth, of course. Surprisingly enough, he told me it was just like the television show MASH over there. During the past decade, it has been popular to send veterans back to the countries where they served during WWII, not to mention other wars. I was thinking my father, seen in the photograph on the right in the back row (third from the right), would have gotten a big laugh if someone offered to send him back to Okinawa. After all, they were hit by typhoons twice, and my father lost all of his possessions each time. Plus, there was always the occasional sniper trying to shoot you (I suspect that doesn't happen anymore, but I could be wrong). And I know for a fact that my father would never have eaten sushi. Now, if instead of Okinawa, he had been sent to Paris, and they wanted to send him back there, that would have been a completely different story.

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day, and in honor of this I am featuring a photo (and yes, I have used it before, but tough toenails, as we used to say) of my father Nelson that I took at the top of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee back in August of 1963. I was 10 at the time, while my father was a mere 54 years old, 15 years younger than I am now. Which for some reason I find kind of scary. In any case, along with my mother Mary and Grandmother Louise Spillard, we were heading from our home in Chicago to Pompano Beach, Florida for a vacation at the Sun Castle, a hotel right on the beach that was charging bargain rates during the summer. This was a very memorable trip for me, not least because the South was still segregated, and even at gas stations along the way, there were separate washrooms for blacks and whites, which was quite an eye-opening experience. I also noticed black people living in shacks right out of the Beverly Hillbillies TV show just a few blocks from the beach in Pompano. But mostly it was a fun family trip, although my father called me back when I started to run down the side of the mountain at the Lookout Mountain Civil War Park. He told me he was too old to walk back up the mountain. Personally, I think he could have, but that's just my opinion.

Still Another Baseball Update: The Bad News And The Very Bad News

My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, currently have 8 players on the injured list, and as a result have been treading water, waiting for their top players to return to the field. They are currently 2 games under .500 and 5 1/2 games out of first place. Meanwhile, those damn North Siders, the Chicago Cubs, are in full June swoon mode, 16 games under .500 and 12 games out of first. But that's why their fans refer to them as lovable losers. Since the odds are that the Cubs are always going to lose, the bleacher bums at Wrigley Field can just sit in the sun, get a tan, drink beer, and not have to sweat the outcome. As for here in Denver, where I relocated from Chicago in 1981, the Colorado Rockies are solidly in last place, 9 games under .500 and 12 1/2 games out of first. I took the photograph above last Thursday at McGregor Square, just across the street from Coors Field. The game was being televised on the giant screen there, but virtually no one was there to watch. Granted, it was a workday afternoon, and the temperature was in the 90s, but still, one has to wonder if Denver fans have given up on the team. But wait a minute - everyone gave up on the team before the season even started. Definitely time for new owners, hopefully a couple of billionaires who care about winning. One can always dream, right?

Friday Afternoon On Clear Creek

There were a lot of people out and about along Clear Creek last Friday afternoon in Golden. I saw quite a few tubers heading for the river, a number of Colorado School of Mines students comtemplating jumping into the rapids (bad idea), and many people just walking along the creek, enjoying the parklike setting. There were even a couple of kayakers fighting the rapids, as seen in the photograph on the left (no doubt true crazies).

The trail along Clear Creek goes from downtown Golden, Colorado into the foothills, and is a really pleasant walk. Close to downtown there are statues placed along the trail, such as the one in the photograph on the right. In the other direction, past the Washington Street bridge, is the Coors Brewery, which uses the water from Clear Creek to make it's beer. As I have questioned before on this blog, with all the people who use this river, does Coors treat the water before using it to make their beer? If not, perhaps that is what gives Coors its unique flavor. Yum.

So Far And Good

I just finished reading So Far and Good, John Straley's latest Cecil Younger private eye mystery. I have always enjoyed this series, which is set in Sitka, Alaska. In 2001 Straley wrote Cold Water Burning, which one reviewer called one of the best mystery novels ever written. And then he stopped writing the series for SEVENTEEN YEARS. What is the deal with that? Finally, just before I retired from the Tattered Cover Bookstore here in Denver, I picked up an advanced reading copy of Baby's First Felony, continuing the Cecil Younger series, and I'll be damned if he didn't end the book with Cecil going to prison for 7 years. That really made me mad - why why why? I was sure that was the end of the series, but recently Straley came out with So Far And Good, which finds Younger still in prison after 4 years, with 3 to go, dismayed to find out his teenage daughter is getting into the private eye business, with dangerous consequences. I was dubious about this book, but I actually liked it. It is well written, and a real page-turner. I just hope the next book finds Cecil finally getting out of prison, resuming his life as a PI, and that I don't have to wait another 17 years to find out. 

Stanley Cup Fever Hits Denver

Now that the first game of the Stanley Cup finals - between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning - will be taking place here in Denver tonight, Stanley Cup Fever has begun to spread throughout the city. The good news is that tickets to tonight's game are still available. The bad news is that even tickets in the nosebleed section start at $500 each. Which is why a lot of hockey fans will be heading to local bars to watch the game, such as Stoney's Uptown Joint, seen in the photograph above. Stoney's is quite the hipster hangout, and so while the rich hipsters will be at the game, the poorer hipsters, with 5 or 6 roommates (thanks to skyrocketing rents throughout Denver) will be here. I just hope Stoney's has stocked up on plenty of spiked seltzers. Yum!

A Hot June Afternoon At The Zoo Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, most of the animals at the Denver Zoo Sunday afternoon were either inside enjoying the A/C or asleep in the shade, thanks to the 95 degree temperatures. Not only were the tigers not outside, but there were no camels around either. The camels are used to life in the Sahara, of course, and so are probably not acclimated to the extreme temperatures we have here in Denver. Happily, the Asian elephants had no such problem, including half-brothers Jake and Chuck, seen in the photograph on the left about to charge the fence and attack all those damn zoo visitors. They originally came from Ontario, a much cooler place, and so maybe the hot weather has made them both a little testy.

The happy looking elephant in the photograph on the right was not interested in charging anything. He was just wandering around enjoying the day, headed, I suspect, for the large pool at the other end of the compound. He is also an Asian elephant, no doubt used to the climate of Southern India, which on this past Sunday afternoon Denver approximated. I am not sure what his name is - I am retired and have a lot of free time on my hands, but have not yet gotten around to matching elephant faces with names. Perhaps next month.

A Hot June Afternoon At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo yesterday afternoon to take a few photographs, despite knowing that with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-90s, most of the animals would be either inside or asleep in the shade. And I was not wrong - the tigers were inside enjoying the A/C, and the 4 bachelor lions were all sound asleep the entire time I was there. Happily, the African penguins didn't seem to care about the heat - they spent the entire afternoon swimming around their new compound, as seen in the photograph on the left. 

The hippopotamus was also in the water, as usual, seen in the photograph on the right receiving a treat from a zoo employee (I think it was a box of Fannie May chocolates, but I couldn't be sure). I missed much of that employee's spiel, but I did hear him say that this particular hippo has so many brothers and sisters that they were having a hard time finding a mate for him. And even if they did, he would probably have to relocate to a different zoo and give up his pool. Seems hardly worth it, especially if you get a box of chocolates every day.

Of course, most of the animals don't have such nice pools to hang out in during the summer. Virtually all of them who were outside were asleep in the shade, including the ones in the photograph on the left. This pair were in the zebra compound, but looked more like donkeys to me. They had no stripes, but did have black circular rings on their legs, and so I assume they are some kind of donkey hybrid. As I have said many times before, I am originally from the South Side of Chicago, where donkeys - not to mention zebras - are few and far between. I do remember a creature resembling Bigfoot wandering around the Dan Ryan Woods when I was a kid, but I suspect it was just a local denizen from a nearby tavern getting a breath of fresh air. Probably had a glass of Old Style beer waiting for him back at the bar.

Time To Head To The Mountains

It reached 101 degrees here in Denver yesterday, with no relief in sight, and so it is definitely time to head up into the mountains to cool off. My favorite mountain hangout is Breckenridge, an old mining town that is now an upscale ski resort, but Vail - also a well-known ski resort - is very nice, too. Although it was only incorporated in 1966, Vail still has a lot of charm, built to resemble an alpine ski village, with Gore Creek running through the center of town. That is where I took the photograph above of my sister Susan, posing next to one of the many fountains in town, back when she still allowed me to take her photograph. I wonder if she would let me take another photo, in the same spot with the same pose, if I offered to drive us up there to escape the heat for the day? A "then and now" kind of thing. I would suggest it, but I'm afraid she would lunge at me with a knife. Some people are just so touchy. 

A Portrait Of Two Old Dinosaurs

I took the above self-portrait in Olde Town Arvada, Colorado, with the thought of submitting it for the final assignment for my Photography and Self class a few weeks ago. However, after looking at the other submissions on the group's Flickr page, I decided I needed something more artistic (i.e. weird), and submitted something else instead. However, I saved this one to use for this blog post. Lucky you, right? And after taking a class that required you to use your smartphone for taking photos, editing them, and then trying to upload them to the group's website, I definitely feel like an old dinosaur. But thankfully, I am not yellow. In color, anyway.

A Visit To Idaho Springs

My sister Susan and I spent this past Sunday afternoon up in Idaho Springs, an old mining town 30 miles west of Denver. Gold was discovered near there in 1859, and the town became a mining and market center for the area. The historic downtown has many 19th century commercial buildings, and the neighborhoods are filled with Victorian homes. Now that mining is gone, Idaho Springs is a tourist destination and bedroom community for employees working at Loveland Ski resort, as well as other places of employment. The town is also a popular stop for people returning from a day of skiing. Beau Jo's Pizza, located right downtown, is the destination of choice. Susan, her late husband George, and his cousin Richard once spent most of the night there after the road to Denver was closed due to blizzard conditions. Talk about a fun adventure! Can't beat a day of skiing - expensive lift tickets, freezing cold temperatures, blinding snow, and an endless drive home. Wish I had been there too.

The January 6 Committee's Public Hearings Start Tonight!

The committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol will be holding their first public hearings tonight. Donald Trump has demanded that Republicans vigoriously defend him against any accusations, which they have indicated they will do. Meanwhile, Trump will be working on winning back the presidency in 2024. The other day he even retweeted a photograph showing his face on Mount Rushmore, as seen above, which as the greatest president in U.S. history, he feels is only his due. South Dakota governor Kristi Noem is already on board. Once Trump gets reelected, by hook or by crook, in 2024, declares martial law and makes sure everyone involved in stealing the 2020 election is hanged (including Mike Pence), Trump can turn his attention to adding his face to that iconic monument. As for the hearings, they will only reveal what we already know, and MAGA World does not seem to care. After all, they reason, democracy is all well and good, but only if your candidate wins. 

The June Mutt Of The Month

I took the above photograph of the June Mutt of the Month across the street from my condo in front of the University of Denver's Ritchie Center. It was tied to a tree, next to a water bowl, while it's owner or owners were no doubt inside exercising in the Coors Fitness Center, getting in shape so they can drink more Coors Light beer. This is one friendly looking dog, no doubt wanting a little company until it's owner comes back. Even my sister Susan's dog Blackberry - who tends to shy away from other dogs - seemed to like this one, although the fact this dog was tied up and unable to get any closer might have played a role. Like I have said before, Blackberry is one smart dog.

Rereading The Road To Little Dribbling

I just finished rereading The Road to Little Dribbling, one of my favorite books by Bill Bryson. Bryson is an American ("I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.") who moved to England, married an English girl, and began his career there as a journalist. Bryson has written many different kinds of non-fiction works, but travel books are his forte. Neither Here Nor There, Notes From A Small Island, I'm A Stranger Here Myself, A Walk In the Woods, as well as The Road to Little Dribbling are all excellent reads, hilarious and fun. I often wind up laughing out loud, such when he describes the popularity of UK holiday camps, and summarizes it all up by saying that "Butlin had invented the prisoner-of-war camp as holiday, and, this being Britain, people loved it." You can't go wrong reading any of these titles. Be sure to pick one up today.

The Park Hill Art Festival

My sister Susan and I, along with her dog Blackberry, walked around the Park Hill Art Festival yesterday afternoon, which took place in Denver's South Park Hill neighborhood. It was a pretty mellow and modest event, more like a local fair than a city-wide affair, but it did have a lot of nice art on display. There was a statue that Susan liked very much, although when I told her the price was $15,000, she decided to pass on it. The website for the festival said that well-behaved dogs were welcome, but we decided to bring along Blackberry anyway. The much larger Denver Arts Festival took place this past Memorial Day weekend in Denver's Central Park neighborhood, but their website stated that you should leave your dog at home. I suspect they haven't realized that dog owners are also big art lovers, with fat wallets. Dog owners have to have fat wallets to afford all those vet bills. In fact, I think I saw a couple with a long-haired Pekingese forking over the $15,000 for that statue. In cash!

Matchbook Memories

As many, if not most of you will remember, years ago so many people smoked cigarettes that restaurants and bars provided free matchbooks, with the front cover providing a cheap form of advertising. I have never smoked, but would always pick up a matchbook at every restaurant I visited, and then toss them into a bowl (eventually two bowls) when I got home. I still have those bowls sitting on a living room table, and looking at them now is like a trip down memory lane. A while back I took a photograph of a small part of that collection, as seen on the left, and each matchbook brings back all kinds of memories and emotions. Some of those places still exist, some are long gone, but all of them represent a part of my life. Josephina's, Dol Camino's, La Plaza, the Island Reef, Huckleberry's, even Two Guys Pizza on East Ocean Boulevard in Stuart, Florida all bring back happy memories. And should I now relate the personal history each of these matchbooks represents? Do you have eight to ten hours to spare? I thought not.

Walking Wash Park With Blackberry

My sister Susan and I took her dog Blackberry (seen in the photograph above) on a walk around Smith Lake in Denver's Washington Park yesterday afterrnoon. Blackberry is 15 years old now, and although she still enjoys going on walks, she prefers to take the time to smell the dog urine along the way, as we all should - or is that flowers? No matter. She also likes to roll on her back on the grass when the weather is especially nice. Sometimes I join her, but you would be amazed at the strange looks I get when people walk by. What ever happened to "do your own thing"? Or "do what you feel but keep both feet on the wheel"? How times have changed.

There Is A New Professional Frisbee Team In Denver. Really!

I was taking my sister Susan's dog Blackberry for a walk on the University of Denver campus, across the street from my condo, last Saturday and was surprised to find that there was a professional frisbee match taking place at DU's Peter Barton Lacross Stadium. I learned later that it was the home opener of the Colorado Summit, who were playing the Salt Lake Shred. And there were actually people in the stands watching the game! And they looked perfectly normal, too. I also noticed a charter bus from Salt Lake City out in front, which means the Salt Lake team had to travel all day to get to Denver, play the game, and no doubt travel back to Salt Lake that night. Colorado won the game 21-20. I checked on the internet, and found that tickets cost $15, which to me is a lot of money to watch people play frisbee. Will the league survive? My opinion is that if you like professional frisbee, you had better go to the games while you still can.

The June Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I recently received the June Issue of Chicago Magazine, whose cover story is titled Best Places to Live, both in Chicago proper and the suburbs. The number one spot was Woodlawn, located just to the south of the Midway Plaisance and the University of Chicago on Chicago's South Side. This was a pretty iffy area back when I lived in Chicago, but evidently is undergoing some serious gentrification these days. Number two on the list is South Shore, located along Lake Michigan and also on the South Side. I remember this neighborhood as being quite pleasant. However, I read an article not too long ago - also in Chicago Magazine - that the ground floors of buildings just across the street from the lake in South Shore were being flooded on a regular basis due to the rising level of Lake Michigan, with no solution in sight. So was the first article wrong or an exaggeration, or is South Shore not the bargain paradise mentioned in this month's issue? Questions, questions. And yes! That is indeed my condo's swimming pool in the background of the photograph above. However, since the temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s lately here in Denver, there have not been too many swimmers yet. The wimps. After all, as I recall, back in Chicago people would dive into Lake Michigan even in January. Not me, of course. Other people.

A Major League Baseball Update

As of the 1st of June (i.e. today), my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are one game under .500, five games behind the first place Minnesota Twins. The Sox have been beset by injuries, with shortstop Tim Anderson, left fielder Eloy Jimenez, right fielder Leury Garcia, and third baseman Yoan Moncada on the injured list, not to mention pitchers Kendall Graveman, Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn, and Joe Kelly. Talk about cursed. Can the White Sox tread water until all those injured players return, or are they doomed? As far as I'm concerned, I am just glad I didn't bet my life savings on their going to the World Series, as many baseball experts predicted. Their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, are in a rebuilding mode, ten games under .500, and in next to last place in the standings. The Colorado Rockies, who I follow because I have lived in Denver since 1981, are in last place, four games under .500, to nobodys surprise except owner Dick Monfort, who predicted a very competitive team before the start of the season. How somebody so rich can be so clueless is a mystery to me. But wait a minute. I forgot about Donald Trump, and so it is obvious that being clueless is not an uncommon thing for rich people at all. And yes, that is me watching a White Sox-Red Sox game on MLB.com in the photograph above, hoping against hope for a White Sox victory.