And yet there is hope.

I'm really struggling with this post. I want to write it, but I'm having trouble finding a way to begin with the tone I want to set. Which is one of hope. 

Forgive me. I'm going to get there. To hope. But first I think I have to acknowledge the despair that currently feels like it is swirling around us, threatening our existence. 

We are stumbling through a pandemic that feels unnecessarily difficult. The consequences of said pandemic are causing economic devastation and unfathomable death to families across the country, in cities and towns of red and blue alike. Our government feels like it is incapable of functioning and yet able to dismantle a nation through that dysfunction. There are double-hurricanes and apocalyptic wildfires. 

We are struggling mightily. 

And yet. 

There is hope. There is always hope. 

But reason to hope is often not as plainly evident as cause for despair. Despair assaults us and surrounds us and makes us feel powerless. It robs us of our senses and leaves us in the dark, unable to see clearly. 

We can't allow ourselves to fall to the pangs of darkness that stalk us. We need to open our eyes wider and let the light in, let the hope become visible. Focus on it.

We have to do this for ourselves. We have to do this for each other. 

Look around. The hope is there. Wrestle free of the chains of disappointment and allow yourself to feel the freedom of optimism. If you can't feel it, send out a search party--give it a real effort! Look around carefully. 

Hope is out there. All around. Patiently waiting for you to see.

Brie and Figs

I just realized my last three posts were all laments on politics and pandemics, so I thought I'd give a go to writing about something more soothing. There's no point to be made here. Just me riffing on the afternoon.

I just took a short bike ride in 100 degree heat and then came home and jumped in the pool, which was beyond refreshing. I cannot explain why I would take a bike ride in 100 degree heat. It's not normal. I get it. But I wanted to move and get out of the house and weather-be-damned, move and get out I did. 

And here I am, sitting at my computer writing while enjoying a snack of Breakfast Brie and figs. Are you jealous? I know my readers (all six of you). I'm pretty sure most of you are not, in fact, jealous. But in defense of figs (because I am quite certain you're on board with the brie), might I ask, Have you tried them? They are delightful! They are subtly sweet and earthy and you can eat one in one bite or you can be civilized and cut them in half and enjoy them in two bites, thereby prolonging your enjoyment. Also, they're just beautiful when you cut into them. They look like plate decoration--they're that beautiful. If you have decided you don't like figs but have not tried a fig, I say the next time you run into one (I think you're probably safe for a bit) you give it a go. And if you can manage a small bite of brie with the fig, all the better. 

So feeling rather decadent with this whole swim/brie/fig thing happening. I mean, how's this any different than taking a brief dip in the Ligurian Sea and then sitting down on your chaise on the Sorrentine beach and having Christian the waiter/lifeguard bring you a cheese and fruit plate? 

My next move, in case you were wondering, is probably to pour myself a cold glass of white wine. You're a stickler for details and you're probably going to notice that I posted this around 3:45pm and yes, that's a wee bit early to have a drink and I just don't care. 

It's a hot day and I have brie and figs. I'm going to enjoy them to the fullest. 

Trump Bingo

 BINGO! I win! See if you can find how I got BINGO. And know that when I say I win, it really means we all lose.

Hillary’s emails resurface	Kayleigh McEnnany dresses appropriately	Trump suggest curing Covid with bleach (I mean, how likely is that?)	Yo! Semite!	Trump releases his taxes
Fauci gets death threats	Trump weighs in on middle-east tragedy, suggests terrorism with no evidence	Nikki Haley replaces Mike Pence in the VP slot	Arizona is declared a Covid success story	Florida is the only state declared to be vote-by-mail corruption free
Trump catches Covid	In midst of Covid, high joblessness and racial unrest, let’s remodel the Rose Garden!	Free Space	Lindsey Graham loses ANOTHER round of golf to the guy extorting him	Joe Biden chooses Susan Rice as VP, ensuring that Trump has four more years
Trump claims Biden is against God	Deutsche Bank rolls on Trump to save its own ass	Trump puts together two complete sentences	Kodak makes a comeback	Trump learns how to correctly read a graph
Trump won’t leave the White House in the wake of defeat	Over half of Trump’s cabinet is Senate-confirmed	Trump claims the US is doing better than the world in Covid (??)	Melania comes to her senses	Mitch McConnell shelves Dem’s relief package for months, recesses Senate

Just pretty much ignore this post and go about your business

I have some issues I'd like to air and I bet you're on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about them. Because nothing screams originality like someone complaining on a Monday. So maybe consider skipping this post. It's really more for me than it is for you. 

I'm just going to get these out. I'm not really going to extrapolate them. I think I just may need to scream them out my front door at 4am but I am a good neighbor so not doing that. You're welcome Mark, Bobbi, Karen and Brad. You can, if you'd like, get up at 4am and imagine me doing it, though. Let me know if it brings you any relief. 

So here we go...

Wear. A. Mask. 

The USPS is not expendable, Republicans, for ANY reason. Speak the #&$*% up!

There is no silver bullet for this pandemic, America. I know you want one. It's not coming.

Vaccines will not be here by November like you're being told so Wear. A. Mask. 

The vaccine will not be an instant solution. Do you know this, America? You do know this, right?

Kids should not be in school. Period.

We have chosen bars and restaurants over education. 

Congress should not be allowed to go on recess with the current chaos. 

A third of Bangladesh is underwater and it's not even a major news story. A THIRD OF BANGLADESH!

Google's new YouTubeMusic app has some kinks that need to be worked out. Just saying. 

People, if you have a peach tree, pick your peaches for god's sake. Don't let them fall to the ground to rot.

Homemade molasses cookies are really good but probably better in the winter I think. My mistake. 

I love baseball but it's kind of a mess right now. 

I do not love Farhan Zaidi or his impact on the Giants. Wish Kapler had more free reign. I like him.

Phew. I think I'm done. Carry on. Go about your business. Nothing to see here. 

MLB Baseball... brought to you by...

America's favorite pastime is now brought to you by Nike. And SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service. And Geico. And Franklin Templeton, Chevron and T Mobile. And Taco Bell. 

The list goes on and on and on. 

It's not that I think MLB shouldn't seek out advertisers. I'm not naive. I understand that's how they make their money. But how about seeking advertisers ONLY for actual commercial breaks? Old school. 

Stop the passive and aggressive in-game appearances and shout-outs. Because the unceasing assault of commercial sponsorships during the game is distracting from the game itself and, in my opinion, insulting to the fans who are tuning in to watch the action. In these challenging times (I can't believe I just typed that but it really does fit here), fans want to soak and marinate in the action, to cheer their favorite teams and players and be immersed in America's favorite pastime; we want to enjoy the game, not have to weed through the greed to get to the good stuff. 

For example, I don't think we need a sponsor for instant replay reviews. The fact that we have to interrupt the game to call NY is annoying enough. We don't need an announced benefactor for this to happen. 

Incidentally, I do not understand the Taco Bell "Baseball is Back" shout-out. Literally, Kuiper will say, in between batters, "Baseball is Back, sponsored by Taco Bell," and the Taco Bell logo will appear on the screen. That's it. No play to watch. No player to salute. Just "Baseball is Back". What? I mean really, what? I repeat, I do not understand. It's as if Taco Bell paid money to have an announcer just say their name. 

When the pitching coaches go to the mound to calm their pitchers, its sponsored and gets announced. Pitching changes have commercial backers. There are now corporate logos on the back of the mound. The "Play of the Game" is brought to you by... The on-deck circles no longer contain team logos but rather business sponsorships. Large swaths of empty seats in the stands, all strategically placed for maximum time on camera, are now covered with giant tarps trumpeting some company's name. Every. single. player. in MLB now has a Nike swoosh prominently displayed on the front of their jersey. 

It's too much. 

It feels like MLB is prostituting itself. Or maybe we are being prostituted by MLB. 

Fans can't go to the ballpark, and that's a huge disappointment for everyone involved, But please, MLB, at least let us watch the game without feeling like we need to take a shower afterward.