Thoughts of a Common Man

By the end of the day, 2025 will be in the books. The Yankees didn’t win the World Series - they were good, not great. I didn’t get an ace - got close a couple of times.  I worked too much - didn’t take enough time off. But, the family stayed healthy - and that’s the most important thing. “Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive.” America has been a mess for about ten years. It saddens me to no end, and it coincides with the emergence of a political figure who emerged, bringing hate and rage down a golden escalator. Either that was the reason it all went to hell, or its because the Cubs won the World Series back around then. Things need to change. Those in power who are raping children, taking bribes for pardons, getting rich in the stock market, ducking taxes, and selling their souls have to be held to account. The common folk need a chance at a life. People shouldn’t have to die to stop working. Healthcare should be a right, and not a pyramid scam. Kids should be able to go to schoo...

Those were some serious winds here in Buffalo yesterday. The battle isn’t over as there are calls for heavy snow today. Yet, it’s a weird thing knowing that I have to get dressed and go outside for work. I opened my eyes, and ears.  Heard the wind. Looked out the window. Made a decision to ease back into things after the break. “Few inside jobs. Write reports. Get back inside.” My phone rang around 7 a.m. “We have a scaffold that is collapsing.” So much for easing back into anything!!! I was on the site by 7:30. The temperature was noted at 33 degrees. My car hadn’t anticipated the wind lowering the temperature. I was dressed well enough… …or so I thought. I needed my hands to take photos using my notepad. “Why do we live here?” I yelled in the direction of one of the workers. He didn’t laugh. It took me a good thirty minutes to get feeling back in my hands. It was garbage day. The containers were all over the street. Only in Buffalo. What were my ancestors thinking? Why did I alwa...

All my life I’ve spent the days before the start of a new year thinking about the year that’s just passed, and plotting what I might do better in the next 365 days. 2025 has been a really strange year. The politics are one thing. We are absolutely bombarded by chaos, and you can’t really grab hold of one crazy story before the next one hits. Can’t control any of that, which makes me think that I should just ignore all of that noise, but that’s not an easy thing to do. I don’t pay any attention to any of it during the work day… …there’s so many different ways for it to get in though. I’ll try to be better. There are other avenues of chaos though as I’m reaching the point of my career where looking ten years down the road is no longer about the status quo. “How long you going to work?”  I heard that question thousands of times in 2025. I’m caught between it still being fun, and it sometimes being a colossal pain in the ass. No idea. The kids need us a little less. It’s quieter around...

Have had plenty of down time - which is strange, but has allowed us plenty of time to watch a few movies. We caught: 1). Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere - about the making of his Nebraska album back in 1981. Of course, I was a Springsteen fan way back then, and it was a record that was slow, and so different from the previous three he had made. Had no idea that Bruce was suffering with depression back then. He opened up about that just about ten years ago. The movie is great, even though I already knew the story inside and out. Jeremy Allen White was great. Bruce’s relationship with his Dad was well done. 2). Weapons - Jake was pushing this movie on us, and it is a horror movie with a little sci-fi mixed in - not our usual go-to movie. It was great!  Intense from the start and well done. James Brolin and the woman from Ozark were great. Two hours of intense fun. 3). Goodbye June - a Kathy pick - was about saying goodbye to the family matriarch.  This was a little slow, an...

Weird week with Christmas throwing the routine out the window, and we had some ice come in. Icy conditions are the worst. Even Ollie was slipping around catching one of his new balls. And I glanced at the upcoming weather - ice and snow give way to 51 degrees and rain on Monday and it’ll be down to 20 by Tuesday. And next week will also be a weird week as we all start wondering who is working and when the banks and post offices are closed. I’ll be going in on Monday, for sure - 5 straight days off is enough! Then we will think of 2026. Try to plan ahead a little. Not easy to do as there is so much unsettling news. We are watching a mental breakdown in real time: “Merry Christmas to the radical left scum.” “Biden-FBI sent 274 agents into the crowd on January 6th.” Insanity. Joe Biden was not the president on January 6th. Agent orange was. As for calling half the county ‘scum’ because they want the Epstein files put out. Unsettling at best. Hundreds of hate-filled posts on Christmas morn...

There’s certainly enough probable cause. Al Franken was fired for making a joke (when he was a comedian) that seemed to demean women. Americans were up in arms as everyone agreed that politicians and leaders must be held to a higher standard. We have seen just a little of the Epstein files - there are more than a million documents still being held back by a DOJ and FBI that appears compromised. And still, what we’ve seen has been horrifying and there is no denying that the current president is all over the files. The accusations are horrific. Rape, murder, intimidation of victims and straight up violence against children. Children! No wonder why they tried to deny they existed, and then made a terrible attempt to redact the documents and hide one specific name. No one involved should be in a position of power. It’s not a hoax. It’s not a witch hunt. It’s not a Democrat conspiracy. What it is, is horrible acts of violence and sexual abuse of CHILDREN! Some have since died in what may ...

It’s been a strange year. A weird timeline. Hoping there is peace around the corner, worried for the future of the country, for sure. But, for a couple of hours yesterday, we sat around, eating, laughing and sharing stories of years gone by. Nothing feels better than blood on blood. The laughs come quick when you’re spending time with siblings and nieces and nephews. Especially in my family where we were all so close, and more than a few of us were ‘a little off’. Grey hair. We all get tired faster. I didn’t see more than 2 opened beers on the table. We killed a case of water though. Laughed hard at a few of the stories, and the hugs are tighter now. No matter what is going on in the world, they can’t take away family love. Or great memories. I hope the food is great, the drinks are cold and the laughs are long. Merry Christmas!

The memories are vivid. Christmas Eve gatherings were always at Grandma and Grandpa Fuzzy’s . If we were playing word association and someone mentioned ‘Christmas Eve’, my first response would be ‘ Anchovy Pizza ’. Grandma made real pizza - like they serve in Italy - she always included an anchovy one and I ate a lot of it. The house was always packed - cousins everywhere - and drinks flowed. As a kid, it always seemed loud. Lots of hugs and kisses. We’d head over to Uncle Herb & Aunt Rosalie’s too. We’d get home in time to get ready for Midnight Mass . As the adults we’ve also made Christmas Eve a focal point with our families  The food is always great too and Chuck does a pretty good job of imitating Grandma’s pizza . Whatever your traditions are: Make them wonderful. Seems to me that our ancestors are still around on Christmas Eve. That’s the magical part.

Dreams are great. Especially those that feature loved ones that we’ve lost. Dad’s birthday came with a visit in my dreams and I woke up smiling. I read somewhere that most dreams that we have last for like 3 seconds. When I can remember my dreams - which is often - it seems that I’m dreaming that dream the entire night. But what is weird to me is that the dream isn’t a memory, but rather a brand new discussion about absolutely nothing. Dad was just there. I heard his voice, saw his face, and woke up thinking: “Happy Birthday!” The holidays are tough when it comes to losing loved ones. I truly feel for people who are going through the first Christmas without a treasured loved one. It’s hard to set that aside and just enjoy yourself because they’re just missed. Dream visits are great, but Dad putting Frank and Dean on full blast and having a drink or two was as good as it got… …and the food was so much better. Happy Birthday to my Dad… …thanks for stopping by!

It’s sickening. The Epstein files were not released.  What was released was meant to mislead and misdirect away from the pedophile in Chief. Photos of Diana Ross and Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger at charity events. A shot of Bill Clinton in a pool. Everything else redacted, but a few things leaked through, and a photo of the man trying to hide everything and a child was shown. “That’s A-I!” “That’s his daughter!” No matter what evidence is presented, those in the cult will use one or other of those excuses to try and say he was clean. And I can’t kid myself into thinking that everything will be exposed. The coverup is what brought down Nixon in Watergate days. The coverup we are seeing regarding this is almost comical.  Those in charge are grossly incompetent. But it keeps going, doesn’t it? Jack Smith came out and testified to everything. 1). The 2024 election wasn’t legit. 2). There was a Russia connection. 3). Documents were stolen. 4). January 6th was a criminal enterpri...

There are packages all over the kitchen table. Gifts about to get to their destination, but they must be wrapped first. I’m not allowed to wrap gifts. I even offered. “Don’t touch them,” Kathy said. “We can’t give anyone a gift that you’ve wrapped.” She’s probably correct. I definitely do not have that talent. I’ve tried.  Can’t do it. Yet there’s also prep work to do. We have a couple of Christmas Eve visits to make, and then I’m cooking here on Christmas Day. “I need to know who is eating here,” I said. “So I can make enough.” “Doesn’t matter how many people I tell you are eating here you’re going to make enough food for twenty people,” Kathy said. She has a point. But Christmas has always been a day of anticipation, hasn’t it? As kids we waited on Santa. As adults with younger kids, we waited for it to be over. And now, it’s a little more relaxed… …unless you’re blessed with OCD. I waiting for the gifts to be wrapped. And then unwrapped… …so I can get rid of the paper.

The howling winds resulted in bitter cold temperatures. Coming the morning after a 55 degree day in December… …I got dressed for job sites. Thought about never taking a day, and decided that I could still do some work without clomping through mud as the wind hit me in the freaking face and froze my ample forehead. I got a mug of coffee and went up to the computer with Miller in tow. Thought about Christmas and some things we needed around the homestead. Headed to BJ’s to look around. I even wondered, “What am I doing here?” Bought some Christmas presents for Mom and a few others. Sat in a massage chair , and considered buying it. It comes in a huge box. “Who’s putting that together?” I wondered, as I passed up buying it. Meandered home and put away what I bought, and took a slow ride to have lunch with a couple of other safety guys that I’ve known for 30+ years. We had a lot of laughs about days gone by, and tacos from an authentic Mexican place . That’s when the wind really kicked up...

Mike Johnson sent Congress home for the year. The final tally is 87 days worked in 2025. They went home, spelling an end to the end of the Affordable Care Act exemptions. Millions will pay more…a lot more…for their healthcare. The speech was a colossal failure because, as expected, it was one lie after another. Drug prices are down 600% meaning that you will now earn a lot of money just by getting your script filled. I’m thinking people will take it as a part-time job. And it’s unbelievable that someone would have the gall to change a John F. Kennedy Memorial to include a name that will forever be stained… …think Benedict Arnold . And make no mistake, there won’t be a vote on Friday because they are attempting to conclude all business on the day the Epstein files are coming out. He changed the name from Kennedy Center to Trump-Kennedy Center . I have a better idea. Instead of the Epstein Files it should certainly be changed as well. Trump-Epstein files sounds about right to me.

In light of recent news events, I’m struggling with the idea that America truly went around the bend. Just nastiness. Constant garbage behavior. There’s a portion of the population that is thrilled that they get to call people ‘re*ards, or fa**ots’. Seriously, they thought it was straight up bullshit that those words were frowned upon. Yesterday, plaques were put up about Obama and Joe Biden. In the White House! Don’t read what was placed on the plaques - it’s as if a 6th grader wrote it about the guys who beat him in kickball. You can Google ‘Bad Behavior in fast food places’ and watch customers fight, berate servers, and destroy one another. Every single social media post has someone in the comments making fun of the person who posted it. Sickening stuff. And there are two songs that stick in my head when it comes to thinking about such things: Jewel has a song where she delivers the line, “Only Kindness matters.” And the Stones sing, “Put On a Kind Face” in their song “Between a Roc...

Thinking back to all those years when Christmas was the most highly anticipated day of the year. Seemed like it took forever to arrive. When we had the kids here, of course, it was even more exciting. “I’ll call Santa” was met with a resounding: “I’ll be good!” My brother posed as Santa for me. I have no idea what he’d say on the other end of the line, but my boys always behaved after talking to him. Miss those days. A week away from Christmas Eve now, and I’ve watched packages arrive. “What are those?” I asked. “Your gifts to me. By the way, what do you want for Christmas?” “World peace,” I answered. Can’t think of a single thing. Most of what I wear I get from contractors. My golf bag is up to date. Plenty on the book shelves. Can’t think of anything. The tree is standing. We don’t have any bulbs on it yet. Kathy and her friend are going to get to it. Hopefully before Christmas. Yet, we have plans to see our families and I’ll cook for the boys on Christmas Day. Going to surround myse...

I didn’t know Rob Reiner. But man, waking to the news of his death, and that of his wife - possibly at the hand of his son… …hit me hard. He was Meathead, of course, so he was in my life when I was just a kid. I used to think about what he was trying to say to Archie, and realized that he wasn’t going to win an argument. A liberal trying to talk sense into a bigot was good television as Mike got his ass kicked every week, and Archie - as ignorant as can be - stuck to his guns on issues like Vietnam, global warming, gays and race relations. All that stuff was being debated way back then, and Rob Reiner’s character was on the right side of all the issues as he fought for equality. I didn’t know Rob Reiner, but through his work, I knew where he stood on world issues. I know he didn’t care for the current administration and one gigantic mess in particular. We even had a few exchanges on Twitter as I found myself rooting for Rob Reiner to speak out, and he did. To be killed in such a manner...

The latest mass shooting to be reported on was at Brown University. “Thoughts and Prayers” has given way to: “Stuff happens”. Or: “Shootings are a fact of life. We need to accept it and move on.” Those above quotes are attributed to the president and the vice president. Isn’t that sickening? Nothing to be done. Hold your breath and hope the next mass shooter isn’t in your neighborhood because, evidently, if you get gunned down… …the rest of us will just accept it… …and move on. We can’t fix it. We won’t fix healthcare. Buy less food and toys if you’re hurting for cash because you aren’t wealthy and until you are you have to learn to live with less. Since we have to just learn to accept it I have decided that I’m not going to get caught up in the coverage of any of the mass shootings. We aren’t studying the men who do this to see if we can stop it. The idea that lunatics shouldn’t have unfettered access to guns can’t even be discussed. We definitely need to protect the rights of the gun...

We are in for a crazy holiday season. The Epstein files are scheduled to be released in the next week or so, and while the FBI most likely redacted the names of some of the offenders, the oversight committee has a treasure trove of information, and they are going to release it a little at a time. That information will implicate a lot of powerful men, including a huge orange one. There’s no way that he is not involved. The two men were bosom buddies, and the operation is way more sordid and horrifying than any of us ever imagine. I’m under zero illusion that we will find out everything. Way too many people are trying to keep their fortunes and careers. Too many people are going out of their way to try and forgive some of the most vile crimes. There are photos of Epstein with powerful men. Those men belong in jail for what they did. Hundreds of children. Their lives destroyed. So, what to do, what to do…. …start a war with Venezuela? There will be distractions. Denials. Accusations. And ...

I don’t follow college football, but I know that Michigan is one of the power teams. Still didn’t give it much thought when I saw that they fired their coach Sherrone Moore, but I kept getting news flashes about it. So I looked. Seems the married coach and father was having an affair with someone who also worked at the school. After he was fired, he was then arrested. For stalking and breaking in and terrorizing the woman who had suddenly broke up with him. So, now I was hooked. Word was that everyone was aware that the affair had been going on for two years or so. It was against school rules, but a blind eye was turned. Then the woman broke it off on Monday. By Wednesday, he was fired. On Thursday, he stalked and broke in and threatened the woman. Allegedly. I’m not into the gossip of it all, and certainly don’t know any of the people who were involved… …but it amazes me that someone can blow up their life in such short order. We hear about such things when there is a mass shooting or...

This is the week, I guess for Christmas get-togethers. We had our annual safety guy get-together and it’s always great to see everyone. Had a few laughs for sure with people I’ve had the pleasure to work with for more than 3 decades. And I work with a lot of different companies and they always invite me to their company parties. I don’t go to many. I’ll swing by for lunch if I’m in the neighborhood, but these are guys I see on roofs, in excavations, and on demolition projects. It’s good to shake their hands when they aren’t filthy. Tell a story or two. It’s kind of the best time of the year for just hanging around, and smiling a little. Of course, we’ve been battling a cold snap here and that’s a real bear on the body. “This was a fast week,” Kathy mentioned. “Really?” I asked. “Was less than five degrees every morning. Every hour passed like a day.” “Christmas is only 2 weeks away.” Yep. See more friends and family and loved ones and smile a little bit. Nothing wrong with that. Two mo...

I have tried hard to steer clear of bashing the Orange turd, but man, he makes it difficult to ignore what has become painfully apparent. He’s out of his freaking mind. Just in the last couple of days: 1). Mentioned Karoline Leavitt’s mouth and lips. Truly creepy. 2). Spoke of his ‘aced’ cognitive tests. It’s a truly odd thing that he is fixated on.  His doctors continue to test his mental capabilities and he hasn’t figured out why, but he is obsessed with the idea that he did better than anyone ever in history. 3). He keeps falling asleep in meetings, and he’s lost as to why people are mentioning it. He also mentions that he works 21 hours a day. (He doesn’t). 4). The economy. He gives the current economy an A+++++ but one breath later explains that affordability is troubling because of Biden. If we are at an A++++ why does he blame Biden? 5). This might be my favorite: “Someone told me that I’m the best President of all time. Even better than Lincoln or Washington, and I said, “B...

 Ollie has 12 different balls. Most are of the football variety, but we also throw a round ball now and again to stay in shape for baseball season. He is under strict orders to bring the ball in after each round, but he forgot. Oh, we also name every ball, and we have deep discussions about which one we are using for that particular round. The ball you see pictured is named ‘Goofy’ and for the last few days, we’ve searched high and low for the original ‘Goofy’. The betting line is that he left it outside and then the snow fell. Finding a white ball in a yard buried in snow is difficult. We were both sick of looking so I stopped at Pet Smart and picked up the replacement. Oliver was so excited when he saw it. He caught every one. On another note: I may be losing my marbles.

The thing about being a lifelong writer is that sometimes I don’t get a lot of say on how it’s all going to play out. In early November, my sister sent me a text that had a nickname that she has always called me: “Clit.” Made me laugh at the time, but something clicked. Just a six or seven word text kicked it off. That night, I wrote a few pages. Set the story the night before the ‘Blizzard of ‘77’. It snowballed from there. Characters, plot line, the title and the main theme… …it was all there. Typed it as fast as it came to me. There’s a long way to go, but it is just sitting there, and I visit it, an hour here and an hour there. Over the weekend, I didn’t write anything new. Just read what I had. Another little trick is to make sure that I’m not mentally worn out when I’m putting the words down. Reading it was good enough. Woke up yesterday morning, not realizing that more of the story would be sitting there for me to grab. As I made a long drive to the first site, I was TRAPPED in ...

I don’t say it much this time of year, but as I tossed the ball around the yard for Ollie on Sunday morning, one word came to mind: Beautiful. The snow was lightly falling. We heard the PA system from the Bills Stadium as they announced something or other. Then the voices of children.  They were laughing. And that’s what took me back. I visualized the back yard with the sandbox and swing set. Thought about the boys playing tennis ball baseball back there. I could almost hear their laughter. And I thought about a line we heard in a movie we’d just seen. “The payoff for being a great parent is that you become irrelevant in their lives.” We aren’t there yet, and that’s sort of depressing, but it is true. They don’t need us like they needed us 10 or 15 or 20 years ago. But it was peaceful. I thought about the day, I moved a truckload of dirt to set up that swing set. Took me hours, and Kathy opened the window and asked: “What are we doing for dinner? The boys are hungry. I can make you...

Since we spent ten minutes in a tour bus, parked in Taylor Swift’s driveway, right next to Travis Kelce’s car, I feel as though I’m sort of an expert on their relationship. Yes, they’re engaged, and Taylor has been at all the Chiefs home games, but this isn’t a typical year for Kansas City. They’re going to have to battle for the right to end Buffalo’s season in the playoffs. As for Taylor?  All her songs are in the top 10 from her new record, and I’ve listened to, and liked a couple of them. So, yeah… …expert. What calls it all to mind is that Travis mentioned that in two and a half years, they have never had even a single argument. Come on now. I’ve been married for who the hell knows how long, and I don’t believe that we ever went more than two and a half weeks without having an argument. Two and a half years? Like 900 days? Nothing???? Hard to fathom. And I’m thinking that if you go that long, holding it in, or biting your tongue… …there will eventually be an explosion of sorts...

I texted my sister on Monday to ask her if the birthday celebration week was underway. “Of course!” She answered, and mentioned lunch with a friend and time spent with Chuckles. My sister enjoys her birthday, and she should. She deserves to be celebrated for at least a week every year. And man, we have celebrated December 6th for a lot of years now. I taught a class on Friday, and there was a young girl in attendance. I had to ask. “What year were you born?” “2006!” She proudly announced. My God! And now, when we have to enter our year of birth, we have to really spin that wheel like we are contestants on the Price Is Right. But I’m hoping that my wonderful sister has at least 50 more birthday weeks. We will figure a way to join the celebration today. Thank you for all you do, and for keeping the family tight. The Queen! Happy Birthday 🎁🎊  We love you!

Like a mafia don, the president is ordering executions of people on boats as they approach the United States. Are they running drugs, or fishing? We’ll never know. Because there’s no due process. Just blowing people out of the water, and doing it in between naps during the cabinet meetings where they go around the table and thank him for keeping hurricanes away from the main land. Hard to believe. The blowing people out of the water is troubling. Figuring that there were two survivors clinging to a boat after the initial strike… …they bombed them again. Those are war crimes at best. Straight up murder in the least. And it sounds honorable - trying to keep fentanyl out of the country- but: a). Venezuela isn’t where fentanyl comes from. b). If you’re serious about saying no to drugs, you probably shouldn’t pardon a drug king pin. Now, as for nap time at every meeting. Three straight days of video of him sound asleep. Yesterday he slipped off whilst standing up. Sleepy Joe? Finally, how a...

Doing my little training gigs all across New York State and as part of the safety training I have had to do sexual harassment training as dictated by the state. It’s always a rough sell to construction personnel and I get a lot of comments about ‘this sucks’. I know a lot of guys who roll their eyes when told they can’t make fun of someone who is changing their sex or want to be known by a different gender. The video is long. The test is cumbersome and the participants absolutely hate it. Then I am asked to sell it to them a little… …which is difficult because I have been in the business for a lot of years. I’ve heard it all. I’ve traded playful insults with a lot of guys and have never had my feelings hurt… …but as I told the class. “It’s a real issue, and many people have had their lives ruined by a boss or a coworker who didn’t stop.” “Don’t cross the line. Don’t be an asshole.” The class laughed. “You should write all the safety rules,” one of them said. And, in a world where it se...

So, America is now taking aim at boats with brown people on them. As a matter of fact, they struck one, saw that there were survivors and bombed it again. The idea being that perhaps it was a boat bringing drugs to our shores, but I’m just wondering here: Due process? Or is it straight up murder now? “We’re gonna’ start doing it on land,” the huge orange toad said.  Meanwhile, he pardoned a convicted drug dealer, in between drone strikes of small boats. Fighting crime? Law and order? Department of war? All of it stinks, and now, no one knows anything. The drunk, ex-Fox news reporter now knows nothing about the murder of those who survived the first attack. “I was hustling into my next meeting.” Didn’t stick around to watch the carnage. Now, I may be misinterpreting the constitution here, but is the penalty for a boat ride - with or without drugs - now murder - if you’re brown? Every damn day. A new horror. Had to laugh at the long nap during the cabinet meeting, though. Sleepy Joe?...

Uh, no. The latest distraction being bandied about is that people should put on a jacket and tie to take a flight. That would be comfortable, right? I’ll put on a jacket and tie when I get a seat big enough to be able to hold a book without making contact with the person who is also sharing my seat. People are so crammed in now. You want civility? Have the people carting us around maybe stop yelling at us the entire time. “Are your pockets empty?” The guy asks in a nasty voice. Then he asks it five more damn times before you can take 3 steps. God help you if you have a sip of water on you as you pass through the line. On the plane there’s a ten minute lecture on buckling your seat belt. Then are the wonderful moments when they hustle you onto the plane to hear: “We are seventh in line for take-off.” And you sit there for 40 minutes. In a suit and freaking tie? And then there is the deplaning issue. The plane lands and people in the 20th row immediately stand up… …if you’re seated next ...

December. Thanksgiving in the rear view. The break was certainly restful, but the howling winds and the cold temps had me feeling a little agitated as the long weekend wound down. But I was kind of looking forward to being back on a construction site. I have training coming up too, and it’ll be fun to dust off some of the old stories, and tell a few new ones. Three weeks until Christmas, which has started the: “What do you want for Christmas talk?” I gave my standard answer: “Peace on earth.” What else would I possibly want? My golf bag is updated. I have plenty of books in my ‘to read’ pile. Just sixty days away from my golf trip. Peace on Earth is the only other thing I can think of. Yet, that question is always followed up by what we are going to get the boys, and other family members. As far as my kids are concerned it’s less about a gift and more like a bank transaction. “They want money.” Time to get the tree out… …make sure the heater is charged up for my jacket. Time to head ba...

Saturday was the 4th consecutive day off. I woke up rested and relaxed. Ollie had a lot of trouble bringing the ball back during some of our rounds today because he got a lot of reps. The stuffing was great - I had it a few times as a snack - I nailed it this year. And then…. …a huge move! I put potatoes in the air fryer as everyone kept saying that it was the replacement for baking a potato. I was skeptical. I didn’t want my baked potato going wrong to ruin my porterhouse. Have you tried it? The process took about 45 minutes. Let’s just say, I will never bake a potato again. Was absolutely perfect. There certainly is something to be said for the more relaxed days. I have slept an hour later each day, have read a lot, and have written a bunch of pages (more to come soon). A lovely break all in all. Back at it tomorrow.

The post was sent on Thanksgiving night. The president of the United States called the governor of one of Minnesota, “Severely Retarded.” Seems like a low point, but obviously we can go lower. In just the last 2 weeks he’s called a reporter, ‘Piggy’. Told another to ‘Shut Up’ and also, on Thanksgiving night called a reporter a ‘Stupid Person’. Then there was a press conference to announce the death of a 20-year old National Guard soldier. He spent at least five minutes letting the world know that he is a great golfer who has won 38 club championships. He explained that he won ‘legitimately’ because people were watching. And Biden was basically removed from office because he stuttered during the debate. There are whispers… …that he is losing it and that MAGA is quitting on him. I don’t quite see it. One of the Republican congressmen put a triumphant post up: “He’s given us permission to say ‘retard’ again!” If you are nostalgic for the good old days when you could throw that word around...

I suppose that it was only a matter of time. National Guardsman patrolling city streets, and now we have a senseless tragedy. It’s bad enough that we have to battle daily lies. “There hasn’t been a murder in Washington DC in 6 months,” the liar in chief proclaimed the day before. Which wasn’t even remotely true. Then two National Guard soldiers were gunned down in the shadow of what’s left of the White House. “Did you hear about the shootings?” A work friend texted me. After I confirmed that I had his next text stopped me in my tracks. “The girl who died is my niece.” Good Lord. And now the blame game begins. Biden let him in, but the vetting process for asylum was granted in 2025. “Not the guns fault!” All the same stupid crap that we hear about with every slaughter in the streets of this soon to be 3rd world nation. I simply kept thinking: “She should not have been in harm’s way.” These kids are being used as political pawns in a game being played by people who don’t care, for even a...

I got a lot of the meal preparations done yesterday as I brined the turkey, and prepared the stuffing. All good so far, even though I can’t quite duplicate Mom’s stuffing - it’s close - and great - hers was better. As for the turkey - I have 20 pounds. For 5 people. That’s a lot of bird, and I will make sure it’s done well… …problem being, all but Kathy would rather have the dark meat. Which kind of works out because turkey is definitely Kathy’s favorite and I’ll field this question for days: “Can you make me a turkey sandwich?” Which I’ll do as I grab a bowl of stuffing with hot sauce. I’m telling you, Mom’s stuffing was so great that I’d eat it on a sandwich - which is essentially a bread sandwich! And my one constant Thanksgiving memory comes to me each year. 1986  We were living in Mountain View, California and it was 80 degrees. We played basketball all day - lifelong friend Scott was in the crew - and the Lions and Packers played an epic game that ended on a punt return for t...

I’ve been tired lately. I have always said that I get out of bed like I’m shot from a cannon. I chug my coffee and I’m traveling down the road before I even know where I’m headed. And I work from that moment straight to the end of the day. No breaks. I eat on the run to the next site. Usually. But I’ve been worn down, and last night I made an executive decision. No site visits. I’ll have the phone on, but my plan for tomorrow is to brine the turkey and make the stuffing, and hang with the Big O and Mr. Miller. Thanksgiving Break until Monday. And right on cue, there is talk of a winter weather advisory for Thursday and Friday. Let it snow. There aren’t any golf courses open now anyway. So, take some time to be thankful… …don’t take the social media bait to fight about politics… …and get rested up. The cannon can sit idle for a while.

She has always loved dogs. My love for my dogs has come directly from my Mom. She gave me the world’s greatest gift. Mom encouraged me to read. She was all for me writing, and through the years was my biggest fan as I chased the dream of writing something that makes people feel something. We have never had an argument. Growing up, I sat at Mom’s right hand at a dinner table that sometimes got a little crazy. I’d banter with my Dad about a whole lot of things (and I later learned that he took the opposite side of an argument with me - on purpose! Dad was teaching me to look at things from all angles). Yet, sometimes those arguments got rough, and Mom always had my blind side. I enjoy sitting with Mom, and I’m so grateful to my older sister, Corinne for making sure that Mom is happy every day. On Saturday, we watched a couple of episodes of Two and a Half Men - and shared some laughs. What else do we need to say on her birthday? No one - and I mean no one - ever made potato salad or brea...

Saw the story about a plumbing company that was using illegal immigrants as their main workforce and that the owners made a lot of money by paying low wages and jamming 20 workers into a hotel room. That’s the big secret, I guess. Business owners all across the country have taken advantage of cheap labor, on the backs of people who are willing to work. Then those same business owners complain about the influx of illegal people (which really irritates me as people aren’t illegal). I have a lot of experience working around men who struggle to speak English and struggle even more to understand the safety rules. The entire group of workers start to whistle when I show up on a site. Their little code to let one another know that the safety dude is lurking. The company’s that I work with have followed the proper channels to bring the workers in. They’ve paid money to bring translators in to train the employees. They like working with the employees because they show up every day and will work...

For some reason, I have a lot of guilt on Saturday mornings.  Here is the ritual. I try my best to sleep a little longer. I was awake at my usual rising time, but I successfully rolled over and got another hour.  I did Wordle, caught up on a little news. Sadly realized there was no overnight sudden death of a political leader, and then off we go. Ollie knows when I don’t have work.  He knows that he’s going to play a lot of ball.  Coffee for me, cat milk for Miller, and Ollie goes out to wait. I put on either Modern Family or Monk, and sip the first cup. We get the first game in, and return to the couch where, I start feeling the guilt. I know I need to rest my legs. I realize that doing absolutely nothing is doing something. And yet… …I feel unproductive. I’m at the stage of life where my body tells me to just stay down. Relax. You’ve done enough this week… …but those damn nuns did a number on me.  So did society. “Do some work!” I did the math as Jay and Glori...

My brother John is 62 years old today. Of course, it is also the 62nd anniversary of the day when JFK was killed in Dallas. I also heard about preparations for the 250 year anniversary of the country. I distinctly recall looking forward to the bicentennial celebration back in 1976. We had a parade in North Collins, flags waving high. It’s crazy how time flies on by. As far as John goes, I recall flying high on the swing set when we were about five years old. Life is short even in the longest days. As I get older, it gets harder to get to Friday each week. Sometimes it seems that time is moving slowly as we battle through the daily grind…. …but then it hits you that 50 years has suddenly got behind you. I love pointing out to kids at the construction sites that I’ve been in the business longer (and in some cases) a lot longer, than they’ve been alive. I’m also fond of letting them know that it’s the blink of an eye. And then they’d be in the boat I’m in now… …moving a little slower… …gr...

It’s weird to get that 28 degree blast in the face at the start of the day, but over the last few days it has warmed up nicely to nearly 50 degrees. More importantly, the sun has shined. Which is the important part. The grey is the enemy around here and the more days that are in color the better I feel. November 21st, and once again it dawned on me that I took precious few days off this year… …3 in February, 2 in August and 2 random days for golf. Definitely stupid, and probably the main reason why I feel absolutely burned out as I crawl to Thanksgiving week. Yet, it’s hard to overcome routine and obsessive thoughts. I have been saying, for about a month now, that I need a day. Just a quiet day.  Sit on the couch, play with Ollie, and do nothing else. But my eyes open at the same time, and I mindlessly go. Next thing I know, the day is coming to an end, and I’m beating myself up for not doing as much as I should have. And then, a stray thought creeps in… …my working career is neari...

You hear a lot about: “Why are we helping them (insert nation here) when we need help here?” I’ve heard that forever from Republicans… …wonder how they’re feeling about the $40 billion that was just ushered out the door. …concerned about how they feel with the love-fest with MBS and Saudi Arabia. (Thought they hated the rag heads). Wondering how they’re all reacting to the line: “There aren’t any talented people in America.” And don’t even get me started on the tariffs… …which were said to be “pouring in from other countries” but are now being lowered on beef, coffee and other items because… …Americans couldn’t afford the tax. The east wing of the White House was demolished… …the Supreme Court just let the world know that it was unlawful to do it and that there won’t be a ballroom built in its place. So, now they have to spend money trying to rebuild the east wing. Thankfully, the Epstein files made their way through the house and senate and only need to be signed by the president. The...

Two days ago, the president of the United States fielded a question from a reporter. Evidently, he didn’t care for the question because he said: “Quiet, Quiet, Piggy.” The day before his voice was hoarse because he supposedly went crazy shouting at the leader of another country. Yesterday, he sat next to MBS after doing a fly-over to welcome the Saudi Arabia leader and defended the guy for murdering and dismembering a Washington Post Journalist. He did this by saying that a lot of people didn’t like the reporter. All of the above is absolutely disgusting behavior by all accounts. “Quiet, piggy”???? Good Lord! When I saw it I wondered what my answer might have been had he said that to me. How did the reporter not answer that with a resounding: “Go fuck yourself!” I would have. I know it, and being kicked out would have been just fine with me. It calls to mind a work meeting I had once. The guy called the meeting for 5:30 in the morning and he did it to yell at the contractor I was worki...

There’s supposed to be a vote today, I think, on whether or not the Epstein files will be released. Doesn’t get any more corrupt or criminal than this. And it’s amazing to me how strong the red versus blue argument is in this country. Will people still wear a hat or fly a flag for a politician who is definitely in the files? There’s only one hat out there. I’ve never seen anyone wearing a hat for any other politician but the one who is most likely implicated. The ‘I hardly knew the guy’ argument doesn’t quite work when there are literally hundreds of photos of the two of them hanging around, ogling women. Birthday cards, emails, Miss Teen beauty pageants where the owner of the show broke into the locker room to inspect the contestants as they got dressed. The proof has been out there for all to see… …for decades. Photos of him holding his daughter by the hips and staring at her breasts and saying, “if she weren’t my daughter.” Paying off a porn star? The Access Hollywood tape? It’s bee...

Clare Danes is my favorite actress. Her facial expressions are amazing, and we went with her new series, “The Beast in Me” because she doesn’t appear in bad shows. It was great. “Landman” with Billy Bob is back - the first episode of season 2 debuted last night. “Mayor of Kingstown” is great. We also keep an eye on “Tulsa King” with Stallone. So, it’s less than 40 degrees out and the wind is blowing hard. We also watch a few network shows including “Tracker” and “Boston Blue”. We go with “Abbott Elementary” for comic relief. And I laugh at the people who mention that they “don’t watch a lot of television”. Why not??? It’s a golden age of television. The winter months are upon us. Keep making new shows… …beats the hell out of reality.

 That’s the hat that Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen will wear on the sideline before the Bills game against Tampa. It’s a hat that was designed by sick children from Oshei Children’s Hospital. Hopefully, they will sell a lot of those hats to benefit that hospital. Nearly 25 years ago, we spent a lot of time at that hospital. For a lot of years following, I participated in a program that helped define patient-hospital relations. Copies of my books, ‘Counting On A Miracle’ and ‘House of Miracles’ were handed out to new employees. I became friends with a lot of doctors and members of the public relations team. Yet, nothing captured the imagination of the kids at the hospital like visits from the Buffalo Bills. I did a signing at the hospital and attendance was good, but only one of three local television networks showed up. “If you were the long-snapper from the Bills you’d have all the media here,” the PR guy said, and we laughed. Josh Allen has a foundation that benefits the ...

Step back… …clear of the mess for a second… …and think about how insane this is. We are in the midst of an absolute madman raging that he isn’t a pedophile, despite all the evidence to the contrary. The madman is the president. And it’s not just the rage tweeting about how unfair the world is to the poor, suffering billionaire who plays golf every weekend. It’s also the: “What will he do to change the subject?”  That’s a fear. The Supreme Court ruled that he can’t be held responsible and that the president doesn’t have to answer to anyone… …so what’s next? A war? That’s most certainly a real possibility. Arresting Democrats? They’re certainly doing their best to do that. Give everyone a pay off so they continue to defend you even though you may have raped children? The $2,000 idea has already been floated. I’ll tell you one thing: I’m tired of it all. They’re now re-opening a case regarding Epstein go that the files can’t be released. Another little trick. I hope everyone is just l...

I heard a talking head speaking about how the administration is “laser focused” on doing the right thing. And this isn’t a political post, it’s a language post. They’re always ‘laser’ focused. When a character shouts: “Is that clear?” The other character ALWAYS responds with one word: “Crystal.” We have some lazy television writers! Every judge in every cop show says: “I’ll clear this courtroom!” Or more urgently: “In my chambers! Now!!” And I’ve always hated the cliche driven conversations. I worked with one guy who spoke in nothing but cliches. “I realize that you don’t have much bandwidth to work with, but I need you to think outside the box on this one.” I’d always answer him by asking: “What the f*** are you talking about?” And that’s why I don’t often participate in work or zoom meetings. It’s just a lot of people laser focused on making it crystal clear… …that they’re morons.

These next few weeks are going to be wild. Yesterday they released some of the Epstein emails and surprise, surprise, the guy that the pedophile Epstein hung around with, and called his best friend… …is all over the paperwork. To the uninitiated the guy in question is orange. He called an emergency meeting to try and squash it. Color me shocked. Anyone, at this point in time, that believes that he’s a good man, is absolutely delusional. It should have been over when he mocked the disabled guy, or spoke about grabbing women by the… …but it didn’t end there. When he was caught not paying taxes he said that it was cause he is smart. Making fun of veterans. Nothing moved the needle. So, finding out that he was sexually assaulting children probably won’t change the minds of the people who don’t have any morals. The rat is cornered. And that’s what makes this a truly dangerous moment in time. The world should be disgusted. A lot of people will let it slide. And that is disgusting.

Sounds like the government shutdown is coming to an end because Democrats caved. They gave in when the Republicans gave them their word that they’d listen to them. Color me skeptical. I’m not quite sure that a promise from those people will work out. But something had to give, right? Flights were canceled. People were left to starve. And there’s a lot to breakdown. 1). People aren’t staying home from work for the opportunity to get a maximum of $177 a month from SNAP. 2). Don’t start writing checks against the $2 grand that was promised because there’s so much tariff money coming in that they don’t know what to do with it. 3). Those on Affordable Care are about to have their premiums doubled. Not sure what might happen with the rest of our healthcare, but I doubt there will be rebates. 4). Don’t get a 50-year mortgage or a 15-year car loan. Imagine buying a home at 33 and trying to sell it at 65 after paying 32 years of interest. You’ll have about $8,000 in equity on a half a million d...

Two pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians were suspended in July for suspicion of betting on themselves. Clause and Ortiz would place bets, or have their friends place bets, on a single pitch! It seems (and I’m not a part of any of the betting groups) that one can place a bet on something as simple as a single pitch. It is alleged that this is what these guys were doing. They place a bet that the first pitch they’re going to throw is a ball, and then come into a game and bounce it. Easy $5 grand, right? Las Vegas has people watching! Why would there be huge bets placed on such a thing? Would you bet $5 grand that a pitch was going to be a ball? Me neither. Only way I’d do it is if I were the guy throwing said pitch! And that’s how easy and stupid as it was. It worked once, and they allegedly got addicted to winning their bet and kept doing it. It’s also a way to get fast cash for your friends. But here’s the thing: Clause was making more than $10 million a year. Ortiz’ salary was also ...

My nephew was heading to Miami to go to the Bills game with my cousin. His flight was canceled at the last minute because of staffing issues. My nephew has little political sense and doesn’t read into a lot of things. He argued with me about the last election, and then didn’t bother to vote. As he broke the news about his flight, he said, “The politicians are pissing me off!” I laughed. “They’re eating a seafood buffet and we can’t even get on a flight.” I laughed again. “We don’t have any help at work because all the Hispanic guys are getting deported, and they’re all legal.” “I told you,” I said. “I KNOW! I’m on my knees begging your forgiveness.” And I guess that will be how the tide finally turns. When all the gluttony and greed in one’s face, along with suffering, and hunger… …minds will change. Finally. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that he was sound asleep with an office filled with people holding a press conference. That’s funny. Sleepy Joe, indeed. (And I don...

Caught some footage of people standing in line for food. American soldiers are now visiting food banks and so are people who are employed by the government and haven’t received a paycheck since the shut down. Not to mention the air traffic controllers who are now quitting. But, it called to mind seeing food lines in 3rd World countries and thinking: “Glad that doesn’t happen in America.” I was a kid back then. As it turns out, I had a warped understanding of what being American meant. Yet, it called to mind the times when I didn’t have all the money I may have needed. I was never close to starving, but the college days were rough. We never had money! If we somehow scored a bag of Doritos and a tub of chip dip, we were thrilled. We ate a lot of boxed macaroni and cheese. It had to be check day if we could add a little hamburger. And we were never in danger of not eating because we had a meal plan, and we also grew fond of saying: “There’s a pork chop in every bottle!” As we held a beer ...

Americans typically travel to be with family for Thanksgiving. That will be very difficult this year as there will be a huge reduction in the number of flights because the government is shut down. Why is there no sense of urgency to solve this? SNAP has been halted. The information about who needs that help is easy to look up. Children, the elderly and the disabled. Even those who may be drawing it fraudulently aren’t getting rich off $100 a month. People will truly suffer, and the courts have stood up and said: “Fund it.” The administration is going to the Supreme Court to fight to make sure that no starving American gets fed. Why? Explain it to me like I’m five, because I can’t understand it. Grocery prices and inflation are up across the board. Tariffs are being paid by Americans. “People are going to suffer,” the dweeb who is the speaker of the house said. People are suffering! Isn’t the government there to help? Why are they going out of their way to make life more difficult. Peop...

I can look at that photo for a long time. Someone passed out during a meeting in the Oval Office. People are attending to the guy. The pathetic joke in the center of the photo has zero empathy. You can read his face: “Why isn’t everyone paying attention to me?” And I’ve heard from people who love that thing. “He donates his salary!” Welp. Turns out he doesn’t. His tax returns show that it was a lie. “He cares about the working man!” One phrase always comes to mind when I hear that: “He wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire.” That’s the truth, and the food stamps drama shows that none of them give a damn. In other news, Musk now has a trillion dollar paycheck. Upside down. No empathy. That photo says so much.

Back in 1981 or 1982, I was seated at the kitchen table of my buddy Jeff’s childhood home.  We were in the middle of an eating binge after playing golf. We heard the door open and Jeff said: “Uh-oh, Mom’s home.” “Why is that a problem?” I asked. “We just ate all the cold cuts and drank a gallon of milk,” he said. Jeff’s Mom came in and looked at us. A huge smile lit up her face. “I have pickles,” she said. As we grew to adults both Jeff and I would greet one another’s Mom as though they were our Mom. I always looked forward to the huge hug that Jeff’s Mom always gave me. Jeff lost his Mom today. It’s one of those seismic losses that shakes a town, and brings tears of loss to a tremendous family, as well as the entire North Collins community. As the years passed, the smiles grew bigger, and the hugs were stronger. The Renaldo’s and the Fazzolari’s have been shaken by loss, and all sorts of things that life brings. And tackling those losses together, with an unbreakable bond, and wit...

I posted the following on Facebook: “Hello darkness, my old friend. Why you here? It’s 4 pm.” And of course, I haven’t felt right since we switched the clocks… …waking up an hour early… …the darkness making me wish that my bedtime was now 6:30 pm. And speaking of darkness, Dick Cheney passed away. How miserable a human do you have to be for Dick Cheney to say you’re garbage? Cheney was the mastermind behind the fake invasion of Iraq. He was one of the more hated men at the start of the century. He died having been outspoken about what a waste the huge orange dude is. So, I leave in darkness. Come home as darkness is dawning and read all about the darkest days that this country has ever faced. Is America great again? The government shutdown is now the longest ever and there’s no end in sight. There are food lines. Another plane crash. A 60 Minutes interview that was absolutely embarrassing. And it’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow. My next tee shot is about 80 days away. I might need ...

Today is Election Day, and while the political scene is an absolute mess… …we all have the right to and should vote. Recent polling shows that 63% of the country have an unfavorable opinion of the sitting president. How anyone can watch the 60 Minutes interview and think: “Wow, he’s great,” is beyond me, but I’ll never understand it anyway. Yet, on this Election Day think about the fact that the federal government has been shut down for more than a month. SNAP benefits are drastically cut, leaving the most vulnerable of all our citizens without food. $40 billion went to Argentina to help their beef farmers while we have people starving here. So, elections have consequences and we are truly learning that lesson right now. I’ll take the time to vote. Takes 5 minutes. Does my one vote count? A lot of people don’t vote because they don’t think it will make a difference… …and that’s why so many millions don’t vote. Get out there. Let your voice be heard.

My first instinct when the Yankees were eliminated was to give up baseball for the year. On Sunday morning, I drove up Langford Road in my hometown and glanced to the park where I got my first ever hit in a little league game. I saw it clearly.  A ground ball thru the right side - between first and second - and as I rounded first I heard a lot of voices. My Mom was definitely cheering. I rounded it too far and had to scramble back to first. Stood there, panting. Thought of watching those World Series wins in ‘77 and ‘78 with my Dad. And thought about the game I’d seen on Saturday night… …between two teams I don’t care for. I didn’t know what to root for, so I just sat there and watched. It was amazing. Toronto fans feeling it. Two outs away. A light hitting 2nd baseman up was to be the first of those two outs with Ohtani on deck. “I don’t know why they aren’t pinch hitting for this guy,” I told my wife. “That’s why,” she said, one second later as Rojas hit it over the wall for the ...

As a 61-year-old man there are plenty of things that get by me. I use it to poke fun at the younger guys on the work site, taking jabs at their music choices. “What’s this rap song called, ‘Go f**k yourself?’” Much of the rap music is angry and contains some explicit language. There is one kid who is fascinated by the fact that I’m older and I chide him about what he likes. I’ve told him stories of the 90’s, which he missed because he wasn’t here yet. “By the time you were born I needed rehab,” I said. Well, he took the OSHA 10-hour class for the first time. “How was it?” I asked. “6/7,” he said. “What?” I asked. “6/7.” I just looked at him. He laughed. “You know, you’re usually senseless, but ‘6/7’ doesn’t answer my question.” Another guy overhearing it, laughed. “They say 6/7 to everything,” he said. “It’s annoying as hell.” “What does it mean?” I asked. The young kid shrugged. The other guy said, “No one knows. It’s nonsensical.” I was fascinated. It reminded me of the time when my ...

23,500 National Guard troops are being trained to handle civil unrest in American cities. You know why???? Because they’re planning to starve people and take away any chance people have of getting healthcare. It’s already virtually impossible for a young couple to buy a home, or pay off college loans… …and because they needed a tax cut for the rich… …millions more will suffer. We’ve all seen the breakdown of the people who depend of SNAP to eat. The elderly. Children. Disabled. And the working poor. That’s the majority of people who will be suffering. The training of the National Guard to fight against civil unrest is because they are expecting people to stand up and fight to survive. It truly makes me wonder about the men and women who are going to accept the assignment. As American soldiers did they ever expect that their fight would be against the American citizens? Dangerous, dangerous times, and I’ve said it a lot over the last couple of years… …I never thought I’d see it here in ...

We watched the Ben Stiller documentary about his parents Stiller and Meara. It’s a great view. They were together in marriage for 62 years, and they worked together for a long time, and got pretty famous in their day. They were two distinct personalities, and he was a perfectionist while she would simply perform the act. They also documented all their lives with a tape recorder and a camera. One clip of a real discussion hit me as they spoke about his need to get the act perfect. “You only cared about how you were perceived,” Anne says. “Then when it’s over, you didn’t enjoy it. It’s joyless.” I’ve thought about that a lot throughout my life. Why do we put so much stock in what other people think about our work, how we live our lives, or just exist? And my breath kind of caught when she tells him: “It’s joyless!” I suppose that my breath caught because I have been guilty of living my life and doing my work… …worried about how I’m perceived. Whether it’s within the pages of a book, or o...

I kept an eye on the first two games of the World Series. When Toronto won game 1, I thought: “Good, the Dodgers lost.” When the Dodgers won game 2, I thought: “Good, Toronto lost.” You get the idea. I wish they could both lose. Yet, I turned on Game 3 for a little while. Caught an Ohtani homer. Flipped over in game 4. Saw Vlad homer. Of course, I did not watch all of the 18-inning game that ended a little after 3 in the morning, but my boy Sam did, and I woke to texts that read: “You might be right. Baseball is a better game than football.” I will say that with my dying breath. Baseball is the greatest game ever invented, and although I don’t want to see either of these teams crowned as champions… …come Sunday, the countdown begins. To April. The winter months are long because I’m going to be stuck watching football, or keeping an eye on the NBA or the NHL. There are always trade rumors and free agent signings to follow, but life isn’t the same when baseball is off-season. Go Jays… …b...