Hoping for Spook-tacular instead of Spooky

I'll blog now before I learn if Halloween was really a trick or a treat. Hoping a treat. But the Vikings are scaring me with their inability to hold a lead! Tied after 3 quarters. Uff da.

Meanwhile, the Braves could take the Series tonight but got a bit spooked and are behind. I am hoping the Braves pull it off one of these nights. My brother-in-law is a huge fan and this would make his week! Plus, who likes the cheating Astros anyway? Put rocks in their Halloween bags!

Alright, gotta get back to my recliner and the games. Was a low-key Halloween here with just one family of trick-or-treaters. Glad I wisely bought Jim's favorite (Butterfingers) instead of mine (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) for leftovers.

Or am I? 

Crossing fingers I won't need comfort candy later. Happy Halloween!

Do Not Disturb :: By the Numbers

If anyone needs me, you better let me know before 7 p.m. Central Time, when I hang my Do Not Disturb sign up. 

By numbers... 

We've got episode 2 of the new season of The Voice from 7-8. Then the two-hour season premiere (that's episode 1) of This Is Us. And I know that won't get boring by any means. But I still have to get in some sneak peeks at the 6th game of the World Series. Either Dodgers go home with the big-ass trophy or Tampa forces a game 7. I don't even care who wins. It's just been pretty interesting baseball!

So yeah, blogging now since I only have 90 minutes to eat, check the batteries in the remote, and make sure all my creature comforts are in place. Whew.

Wish me luck.

Play Ball, Please

The latest news ticker says this: Players vote down MLB's latest offer to play 60 games, sources say

Ugh. I just really want to see my Twins play this summer. I want road trip in my new vehicle over the Twin Cities and take in a game with my family. Like last summer.

Instead, I'm stuck watching Classic MLB TV. And even if watching the exciting Game 7 of our World Series Championship never gets old. It's getting close.

I think Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer summed up my feelings best in his tweet: It’s absolute death for this industry to keep acting as it has been. Both sides. We’re driving the bus straight off a cliff. How is this good for anyone involved? Covid 19 already presented a lose lose lose situation and we’ve somehow found a way to make it worse. Incredible. 

I completely comprehend health concerns. But at this rate, when I finally get back to the office in person, it'll be football season already. (fingers crossed) Guess I should order a Vikings mask and skip a Twins one altogether. Not that fashion has anything to do with my desire to see a game. But if you see me walking around the neighborhood with my Homer Hanky wrapped around my head, you'll know I'm desperate for anything resembling baseball.

Find the middle ground, boys. Your fans everywhere are waiting to say, "Play ball!"

Hump Day Headlines

A few highlights from the week so far...

The Cutest Little Pumpkin: Meet my favorite great-niece in the whole state of Wisconsin! Our nephew Colin and his wife Amy gave birth to little Mya late Sunday night. I was holding the pink little bundle of joy by Monday night but waited until they told their friends Monday and Tuesday before I told mine on Wednesday! She's a cutie and very healthy, arriving pretty much right on time. Since the 10 nieces and nephews plus 9 great-nieces and nephews on my side of the family live far away, I can't wait to have this little pumpkin so close by to love on. Good work, kids!

Not My Idea of Fall Colors: White isn't part of the beauty of autumn, if you ask me. Thankfully we only woke up to a ground cover on Tuesday morning. Mainly sticking to grass but temps below freezing made roads a little slick. I'm still working in Pumpkin Spice mode. Hold off on Winter Wonderland stuff at least until November! Of course, most of it's gone but the stuff in the shade is still hanging out. We may get more for Halloween – or at least a windchill advisory. Bundle up your little monsters!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun: I believe that! Can you believe today marks two years already since I started at Sentry? Who says working at an insurance company can't be fun? Well, working in marketing at an insurance company sure is! (You can tell by my desk picture.) Just like any job, it has its stressful moments, but mostly I absolutely love what I'm doing. And the people are a bonus. #winning

Game 7 Sphere: Do you have any idea how much money I have riding on this World Series? I'll tell you. None. But still, it's been pretty interesting to watch or at least follow. Tonight hubby and I are sitting down with our favorite sphere – Hawaiian Pizza – and watching the game. Do I care who wins? Not really. Good 'za, a comfy recliner and handsome date are all I need. Play ball!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I suspect there may be more people watching Game 7 of the World Series tonight than the recent presidential debates. But that's just my guess.

Game 7 with two teams that haven't won a World Series during the lifetime of most of their fan base. It's exciting and nerve-wracking for the Cubs and the Indians. And makes for good television. Even for those of us who aren't necessarily fans of either team. The fans, though, gotta be going crazy.

Been there, done that.

Yes, despite this dreadful 2016 season, my Twins were good once. Very good. Although the series win in 1991 was exciting, winning it in 1987 was more memorable and more personal for me. The summer leading up to it, I had the privilege of attending at least a half-dozen games at the Metrodome, even sitting within shouting distance of Kirby Puckett in centerfield (he turned around and waved, too!). Watching them play in the Series was like watching MY team.

And I know that's how it is tonight, too.

I have lots of friends who are Cubs fans. I don't know any Indians fans but I do know some very non-Cubs fans. Ha. So we'll have to see later who feels this was all "worth waiting for."

OK, 7th-inning stretch is over. Gotta get back to the game.

Play ball!

Spring Training

I can't figure out if Mother Nature is training us how to welcome change in the weather – or how to cope with her mood swings. Either way, we still don't know what's going on in central Wisconsin.

It didn't start snowing – if you call it that – until midafternoon. They, as in the weather dudes, are still insisting we are right in that line to get at least a foot of snow. Apparently, it's going to happen while we're sleeping so we can have a nice spring surprise sprung on us when we awaken.

I joked with Carter that they already called off school. He's probably bummed it's spring break because they won't get a snow day out of this!

When I got home from work, Coach Austin had left the ESPN Classic station on so I could catch the end of Twins vs Cardinals World Series game from 1987.

Just in time to see Hrbek hit the crucial home run in Game 6. Whoo-hoo! Now I am in the mood for baseball season... and in the mood to wave my Homer Hanky. Will have to wait for Royals (Assumption, not KC) and Twins spring training to wrap up first.

Speaking of spring training, I think my mother is finally training us to give her what she wants. While she is the queen of snail mail, she is not the queen of subtle. I just giggled out loud when I read the note today that I am sure was mailed to all able-bodied sons-in-law and grandsons in advance of the birthday-Easter gathering Up North this weekend! I hope I don't wait until I'm 84 to finally tell people what I want. God bless her.

Hopefully whatever this spring-winter thing is will not hamper anyone's travel plans. I believe after the storm passes, we will have temps in the 40s so there will be nothing to stop the manual labor from hitting the road Saturday morning. 

Unless Mother Nature has another surprise up her sleeve. Let's not give her any ideas.

Great Scott!

As Doc Brown would say: "Great Scott! We are back to the future!"

Yup, if you are a fan of the Back to the Future movie trilogy like I am, you've had the date Oct. 21, 2015, rattling around in the back of your mind for decades. Would our life in 2015 really be like they portrayed it in the movie when it was so far off in the future? And do you realize now that everything included in that movie is now in the past? Weird.

We don't exactly have self-lacing Nikes or cruise around on hover boards, but I know the Cubs fans were hoping for the fictionally predicted World Series win. As I type this, it looks like they probably won't even get in! Sorry.

I got a text today about something I never would have predicted to hear on Oct. 21, 2015. King Cone is officially coming to Wisconsin Rapids in 2016. I know I previously reported this based on word from a reliable source, but I had to take a field trip at lunch to validate the rumor.

Oh yes, they have a sign up on the inside of the doors and a freshly paved parking lot. This is real, folks! That made my day almost as much as the knowledge that Sister Weekend is merely hours away now.

For locals, it will be located on the southeast corner of 16th and Grand, right across the street from the old Herschleb's Ice Cream Parlor that went out of business some 10 years ago and never recovered. King Cone should make it, based on my patronage alone! The location will be a convenient turnoff for people traveling through Rapids on the expressway/bypass. And convenient for those of us who now work in that neck of the woods. Ha.

Convenient AND dangerous for those who lack willpower. Not naming any names, but she is typing this.

Either way, I think I see a dream job in my future! I'll have to check with Doc to see if he can make that happen.

Great Scott! That would be sweet!

Twins Territory

I may have mentioned a time or two that I am a Minnesota Twins fan. Always have been. But did you know that there used to be a Twins team in Wisconsin Rapids? There was an A-level team back in the '80s that 2 guys I know played with -- Kent Hrbek and Gary Gaetti. You've heard of them.

Tonight, the G-Man, as we close friends called him at the Dome, made a return trip home to Rapids to kick off the 2011 season for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. I knew about this months ago but figured I'd opt out since Carter had a baseball game at the same time. Could I really put my Twins before my son? Hmmm. Turns out a creative mom can do both!

I decided at 6:25 I was going to go. That meant I had 30 minutes basically to get into town, find a parking spot, stand in line for a last-minute ticket and not miss Gary Gaetti toss the ceremonial first pitch at 7:05! Could I do it? Let me just change into Twins gear, grab my old World Series pennant off the wall and see!

By the time I did all that and got into the park and found his table, Gary was just standing up and finishing his session. I said, "Awwww, no way!" And I think he saw my adorable Twins hat and thought, "OK, one more," because he sat right down.
And signed my dusty old pennant I did not have time to clean up. Hey, it's not in bad shape for getting packed and unpacked in something like 8 moves!

They distributed photos at the gate so I got an autographed picture, too! Then I shook his hand (no hugs, darn) and said thanks for all the excitement. "Now go pitch a strike!"

I sort of stalked him after that because I could legally stand within 5 feet of him, take photos and not get arrested. That's a small town for ya! Here I was pretending to take a picture of him meeting the lucky young Rafters catcher. But really I was thinking, "Look at those pipes! He's still got it!"

This is when he stood on the pitcher's mound and pointed my way and said, "See that girl over there in the Twins hat and Twins shirt? She's the best fan ever! She saw me play a half-dozen times at the Dome in 1987!" I'm pretty sure reading lips, that is what he said about me. How could he not?

They were reading off his accomplishments -- playoff MVP, Twins Hall of Fame, etc -- and he humbly motioned to wrap it up.

I sort of missed the ceremonial first pitch. G-Man, you gotta wind up or something. I was unprepared!

Here he is smiling because he's back in Rapids and he knows NOW that this is Twins Territory!

I could have told him that.

And yes, I did make it out to Carter's game (the correct field) for the first pitch. Super fans can do anything!