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rolandlytle
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rolandlytle
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Hi my friends.

I have been off my rocker for a few days but started feeling better last night. I am falling so far behind on my reading. Please accept my apology.

I love my father, but he believed in so many of the right-wing conspiracies like Covid-19 was a hoax. So he did not get the vaccine. Last week he got sick. He would not go to the doctor because he did not think it was serious. My sister and her husband, who live with my father, made him go to the hospital on Sunday night with labored breathing and a fever. When they arrived My sister and her husband had their temperatures taken to get in the hospital and found out they both had fevers too. All three were tested and were positive for Covid-19. Last night my father died of Covid-19. My sister and her husband both had their vaccines. My sister still has a slight fever and a sore throat and her husband no longer has any symptoms. Next week I will be going to Charlotte, NC with my family for his funeral.

I am heartbroken and upset. I can not help but think my father threw his life away because of the lies he listened to and believed.

Until I return from the funeral, I will not be writing much, but I will try to read some. I am sure that reading your stories will help keep me sane for the next two weeks.

Death is a part of life, just like birth, happiness, love, and tragedy.

Till later. Be safe, happy, and continue being the great people you are.

Laughter is healing, so remember; chameleons who can not change color are suffering from reptile dysfunction.
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rolandlytle
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Happy Monday y'all.

It is beautiful here. Sunny and about 25c. My youngest grandson is in his big blow-up pool on the raised deck. He is throwing water all over and singing. He is my special grandson. He has non-verbal autism but is usually a happy, fun child who loves life except when he can not communicate well and gets frustrated. We now have a robin's nest under one corner of the deck.

Quote by verbal
Speaking of the Cubbies, you are right about that fire sale, Roland - but it also means you'll have fresh new talent and a smaller payroll to start fresh. Rosters get bloated after a World Series win. At least the Mets got a piece of that championship in Javy Baez.



Jeff, you are going to love watching Baez play. He plays the game with the heart of a gladiator, the talent of a hall-of-famer, and the joy of a little boy. His defense and baserunning are gifts from Olympus. If you forgive him for his strikeouts, he is day in and day out the best in baseball.

Ginger snaps and pecan divines for me. I brought my own strawberry and cream flavored water.

Saw my brain doctor today, and he said over the last six months, I have shown only a minor decline in my tests. So I did not dare tell him I had not slept since Saturday night. I have had insomnia since high school. So I have been binge-watching 'Grimm.'

Have a great week, my friends.
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rolandlytle
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Hello everyone

Congratulations to all of the entries to the contest. Every story was excellent. I would have pulled out every hair on my head if I had to make those choices.

Sometimes, when I read a story, I can not think of a single thing about that story that has not already been said, and I wind up not commenting. I read every story in this competition, and everyone was excellent, but I did not comment on three of the stories. Two of those three non-comment stories won awards. Either that was a big coincidence, or the judges must think my praise is negative towards grading.

A couple of cookies and tea, please.

Bryant (SFG), Baez (NYM), and Rizzo (NYY) all hit home runs in their first game for their new clubs. I wish them well.

Have a great day, my friends.
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rolandlytle
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Hi everyone.

I have been spending so much time reading the great stories here that I have not been to the forum much. All of the competition stories were fabulous. I am glad I do not have to pick the winners.

The Cubs have cried uncle and had a fire sale. 5 of their best 8 players are gone. The Mets got Baez and a decent pitcher Williams. Lindor will be very glad about that; he is a close friend of Baez. Bryant and Rizzo are gone too. Well, at least four years for rebuilding.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones.
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rolandlytle
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I had a lovely early evening sitting on my raised deck, watching the pond next to my house, and reading a little. We have two otters in the pond and a big turtle. I saw a heron in the pond a couple of days ago, along with a few swans. I am re-reading one of my favorite books, 'Ball Four' by Jim Bouton. It is the best book about baseball I have ever read. I knew that baseball has changed, but a lot of what made the book so good is still happening today. If you like baseball and have not read it, I highly recommend it. Also 'Moneyball' by Michael Lewis is a great baseball book too. I am reading SS stories too.

There are quite a few new members that have joined and written stories. Am I wrong in thinking we have gotten so many new members in the last three to four months compared to the site's recent history?

Everyone, have a wonderful week.
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rolandlytle
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Sorry for my not being here lately. My brain has been off-line.

It is nice outside today. In the pond next to my house, I saw a heron and an otter today.

The Cubs are still struggling. I overestimated their ability to win by about six games. That would drop them from 1st to 4th place this year. They may have a fire sale to get rid of their high-paid player to get young prospects before the July 31st trade deadline.

Larry, sorry to see the Suns not win the series. They had a great run this year.

Way behind on my reading. I will try to catch up with my reading this weekend.

Best wishes to all!
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rolandlytle
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I watched Richard Branson go into space with five others. I should have chosen billionaire as a career path after high school to make it into space.

Quote by Ping
Fittest players of any sport? Most physically strenuous sport to play?

Football (not US Stewie head-shaped throw ball) and hockey for the first question. Surprising to some, but not to those of us who played, squash was rated as the most physically taxing sport.


I guess the rough and tumble sport of curling did not make that list, but I still enjoy watching the stone traversing the pebble-strewn lane as the sweeper tries to direct it for the perfect curl with their brush on the hammer to reach the button for a winning end. Curling is the most exciting yet slow-moving game I have ever watched. My favorite sports in order are baseball, curling, hockey, and sumo wrestling.

Cool and overcast with showers again today. Birds are building a nest under the corner of my elevated deck again this year.

I watched 'The Tomorrow War' last night. It may have the most poorly thought-out plot idea I have seen in sci-fi in quite a while. It is not a time travel movie; it is an alternate reality movie. If you watch it, that will become very evident. The makers of the film were lazy. It is apparent in the writing and production values. To prevent spoilers, I will give an example that will not give away the plot. While in a wintery snow-covered location, they did not use special effects to provide fog to the actors' breaths. I would rate it a 5 of 10 myself, despite a decent acting job by Chris Pratt.

The coffee cake looks amazing, and I will have a piece to go with some herbal tea today.

Till later.
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rolandlytle
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I hope everyone's weekend is off to a great start.

I scrapped my idea for the completion. Another story I wrote about a year ago was recommended to me. I decided not to enter it before because the site may not be able to post it. I am trying to fix it so that it will be allowed.

I am putting aside time during the next week to finally catch up with my reading. I am ten stories/poems behind.

I liked the weather here in Illinois today. I sat outside for two hours reading in 22c and cloudy conditions.

Green tea for me today as I talk with Molly. (we have a lot in common)
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rolandlytle
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Quote by Mendalla
Later, alligators.

Afterwhile, crocodile.



I hope everyone's week is ending well and that you all have a fun and interesting weekend.

Bill, I am pulling for the Suns to sweep.

Ping, if you want to see giant mosquitoes try the Louisiana bayous. I had two of them land on me; one on an arm and one on a leg. The one on my arm said, 'Make a wish.' Those mosquitoes are regularly the length of your thumb.

Larry, I have not heard the term sun-dodger in a long time. Usually, they are called bubbleheads. My best friend is a bobblehead, I am a skimmer, worked with brown shoes and jarheads, and my father was a flyboy.

Jeff, remember when doubleheaders were scheduled, and you bought one ticket to watch both games?

It is quiet on the home front, and Liz is making significant progress with the new knee. Unfortunately, today will be the last sponge bath I get to give her. She can use the bath/shower from now on. I guess my cheap thrills are over until her next operation.

Green tea for me today.

What would you see if Pinocchio said to you, 'Watch my nose grow.'
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rolandlytle
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Hello everyone.

We had some afternoon showers here today.

The Cubs have lost eleven in a row. Will this nightmare ever end? [-o< [-o< [-o<

I was in court this morning for some idiotic behavior between my son and his wife. I am trying to stay neutral, but I am sort of wishing they could both lose.
No one can hurt you worse than family.

Liz is now hooked on watching 'Karen' videos.

I have started two stories, one of them for the competition.

I will have a ginger snap and tea, please.
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rolandlytle
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I have started watching the show 'Dead Like Me.' My wife said we watched it when it came out in 2003. It is about a young woman who dies by getting hit by a toilet seat from the Mir space station. When she dies, she becomes a grim reaper and collects souls from people in Seattle, Washington. I have only watched the first two episodes, but I like its weird humor.
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rolandlytle
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Hi everyone.

I would like to thank you for all of your input concerning rating stories on SS. I found it very useful.

Covid -19 deaths in the US are averaging about 220 a day now. Compared to the thousands a day losing their lives only a few months ago shows that, for the most part, the US has turned the corner. The vaccines seem to be doing the job. Covid-19 will probably be with us from now on just as our cases of flu are. Even the daily death totals around the world are continuing to lower, but we have now passed the four million worldwide death total. We have come a long way, but there are still huge areas of the globe that have vaccination rates below 20%. There are many on SS from all over the world. How are things going in your part of the world?

I am looking forward to seeing 'Black Widow' in theaters soon. I believe it is coming out Friday here in Illinois.

The weather is good and my youngest grandson is playing in the large blow-up pool on our back deck. He is such a happy child.

Liz started work today. She will be working from home until she recovers from her next operation in September.

I am going to watch last night's Cubs game at 3 pm. They have lost nine in a row (five by one run) and gone from 1st to 3rd place in the NL Central. <pout>

I hope everyone is well and happy. Assuming you want to be happy. I do not want to put undue pressure just in case you feel like having a sad or angry day.

Thank you both, Elizabeth and Trevor, for the good jokes.

I will have some milk and cookies, I hope you do not mind if I dunk. Till later.
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rolandlytle
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On this day in 2014, The Brooklyn Cyclones, attracting a sellout crowd of 8,241 fans at MCU Park in Coney Island, celebrate the 25th anniversary of the debut of Seinfeld, an iconic sitcom about nothing that initially ran for nine seasons on NBC, from 1989 to 1998. The tribute to the iconic television series includes players taking batting practice in puffy pirate shirts, a low-talker announcer, an Elaine Benes dancing contest, a 'Magic Loogie' bobblehead of Keith Hernandez giveaway, and renaming the foul poles the Festivus poles. It was so popular that it is now a yearly event selling out early each year. (not including 2020 because no minor leagues played that year) The Cyclones were a class A (low) minor league team in the New York - Penn League affiliate of the New York Mets.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by Ping
Buddy, scoring systems have been debated for many years, here and there. It is generally viewed as being flawed and imperfect. It must be noted that there is NO perfect system. There are many reasons as to why, and these can be discussed in more detail if desired. Bottom line: Nothing is gained by scoring anyone’s story or poem less than a fiver. But one risks unnecessarily pissing people off by scoring anything less. It’s just not worth it.

The best way one can show their support is by reading and commenting. Scoring the piece a five is good for optics but really means nothing. Scoring less means something. I strongly urge and advise you not to do the latter.

If you read something and truly feel it’s not five worthy, don’t score. In addition, don’t leave a negative comment. It too does not offer anything of value. If you want to relay your thoughts - negative or constructive - do so in a PM. Most writers, as fickle as most are, prefer that. Egos are a delicate thing. Which brings us back to the scoring. Being a flawed system that is easily manipulated, err on the side of caution. Fives or nothing. There is a valid reason admin here and there do not use scores to determine the success of competition stories. Some people, if you can believe their gall, low score fellow competitors’ stories and even elicit ‘friends’ with their nefarious albeit deluded scheme. It doesn’t work. Admin sees everything and adjusts accordingly.

Let the writers write. Let the readers read. Let the judges judge. Please don’t be that guy who scores stories any other way. Unless you can validate your reasoning with a detailed rubric, providing the author with particular scores on spelling, grammar, sentence structure, plot development, etc., stick to what you can justify - your opinion expressed in words, not numbers. I have several mathematics jokes, but I shall refrain.

I hope that helps.


Thank you, Ping. I have no idea how competition winners/runner-ups are chosen. BTW I enjoy math jokes. Please pass them on.
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rolandlytle
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Hi, Spacers.

I would like to get some advice on the 'Survivor' competition. Almost no one gives anything but a five rating/score on SS anymore. Before I start reading any of the competition submissions, should I use a different, more strict entry scoring?

A four or even sometimes a three score was not unusual in years gone by. When was the last time you saw a score lower than five? I am at a loss at the best way to deal with this and would dearly wish for input on this idea. So many of you are my friends, and I trust your opinions on this.

Till later. Ta.
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rolandlytle
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Good afternoon my friends.

Trevor, that is a great-looking table of goodies. Nom... nom...

Elizabeth, thank you for the quips, they are very punny!

Happy 4th to all the Americans. I must say that I am not a big fan of patriotic holidays. Not because of what they represent, but for how many celebrate. Fireworks are not the best way to celebrate these types of holidays. I personally know four veterans that can not go to fireworks displays and have a terrible time on the 4th of July and a few days leading up to that date. Loud explosions can be very disturbing to some veterans who have seen the darker side of combat. I admit it bothers me a bit too. I am sure all of you can understand this but had that idea crossed your mind before?

I am still trying to catch up on my reading. Please be patient. I often plan to read 5-8 stories but stop earlier. I have to stop to let the story run its course through my brain. The stories and poems are so wonderful and emotional that I have to stop for a while. So it is partially your fault I read the stories so slow.


Best to everyone and have a wonderful day!
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rolandlytle
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Cheers, all! I hope everyone is having a fun and interesting weekend.

With the 4th of July coming, are people in the British Isles celebrating that they got rid of the crazy blokes over the pond, or are they sad they could not vote to get Trump elected PM?

I am glad to see a Pluto planet cookie. I have never accepted that Pluto is only a 'minor' planet.

I can not believe the heatwave through Canada. It got so hot a village burnt to the ground. That is some weird dung.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by Verity
Good morning everyone. That moment when someone asks you to bake a cake and put Happy Birthday in French.


I adore the whole idea of direct interpretation. This type of thing is so funny! It is even better than puns.
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rolandlytle
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I have had four people tell me I am too reasonable and need to be more emotional. I am still trying to get my head around this.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by Survivor


Black Panther.


I know quite a bit about Wauconda. I live only a few miles north of the village. However, I am always disappointed when we travel through Wauconda. I have yet to see those beautiful buildings or even a single flying car. As a matter of fact, the population does not seem to be primarily black. I guess they must be using some holographic technology to hide these things from sight.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by etairay
Just finished catching up on Charmed ..finished Sweet Tooth ..struggling with Loki


Were you watching the original Charmed or the remake?

So far, the three Marvel mini-series seem to be formatted like a movie cut into pieces rather than a standard mini-series, where each episode is formatted as a single show. This makes some episodes harder to enjoy singularly. I think the best way to watch them is to wait until the entire series is completed and then binge-watch them. I just can not wait that long myself. I thought the first two episodes of 'Wanda-Vision' were so dull, but they played an essential part in the whole story when taken with the entire mini-series. With 'Falcone and the Winter Soldier' had the same problem with a couple of its middle episodes. I have only seen the first three episodes of 'Loki,' and they seem alright, but once I have seen the entire mini-series, I believe (hope) that all of them will become more understandable and interesting. It seems to me like movie trilogies. The trilogy's second film is usually considered the worse of the three because it does not have the beginning or the end of the trilogy.

I have started rewatching an old TV series. It was Aaron Sorkin's first TV show, 'Sports Night.' It has a good cast and was well-produced, but Sorkin's scripts are fantastic. The pacing and rhythm are like listening to poetry or music.
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rolandlytle
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Cheers, fellow Spacers.

Liz is recovering well. Her physical therapist's first visit was today.

Happy Canada Day! I was born so near to Canada that I feel like Canada is part of me.




For you amateur American historians, C-Span has released its fourth American President Survey results. The top five rated presidents are Lincoln, Washington, F. Roosevelt, T. Roosevelt, and Eisenhower. This has been the same over C-Span's four surveys. (2000,2009, 2017, 2021) The rankings are listed in ten categories and total. Check out how your favorite presidents ranked. All the info for how it was done and who participated are at the website
https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/

Great cookies, Sara, but I was surprised there were no Terrance & Phillips cookies. <hehe>



Be well and happy, everyone.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by verbal
Don't leave us hanging! What movie did you rate a 10?


The only movie I have ever rated a 10.0 is a movie most people have never heard of, 'The Man of Earth.' It is a small independent film written by Jerome Bixby, who died in 1998. His son, Emerson, brought together a group of well-known co-star type of actors to film it in 2007 on a $200,000 budget over six days. It won a Saturn award that year and several other awards at various film festivals. It had a very limited release and was then released on DVD in 2007.

Its ratings are high on most sites, but due to its static nature and religious connotations, it did receive some low votes. It was filmed in and around a single rural house. Much as '12 Angry Men' was filmed in two rooms during a jury's deliberation.

IMDb's summary is, 'An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.'

I highly recommend it as my all-time favorite movie. I believe it is currently on Hulu for free.
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rolandlytle
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Hi everyone!

A quick stop for tea.

Liz is home and doing well. I think I have convinced Liz to enter a story for the competition. I hope she does well for my sake.

Congrats to England and the Nationals. (Big Schwarber fan)

Cubs threw a combined no-hitter, then celebrated by losing four in a row. Yesterday they lost 4-14. (including a 10 run 8th inning by the Brew-Crew)

Health and joy to all.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by Mendalla
Quote by rolandlytle

I suggest you use the one that will win the contest.


Wiseguy. There's one in every crowd.

You would think that after two good finishes in comps last year, I would have some sense of that, but no such luck.



I will be pulling for you, Scott. I have always done terribly in contests. I did one on Christmas, and it was the lowest score I ever had. I guess Bah-Humbug is not a good theme for a Christmas contest!

BTW I edited that post almost immediately. Check it out.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by Mendalla
My comp entry is flailing. I can go two ways with it and can't decide which to follow... Or there's another idea I could pursue but it is so vague and high level that I am not quite sure what to do with it in terms of actual writing.


I suggest you use the one that will win the contest.

My wife Liz is planning on entering the contest. It would be her first story on SS. If she does not do well, she will surely do me physical harm. I convinced her to do it. When you vote, please remember my health may be in danger.

[-o&lt; [-o&lt;
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rolandlytle
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I just finished 'Sweet Tooth.' It was entertaining and emotional. A rating of 8 of 10 for me. I have only rated one movie a ten. I am a tough scorer.
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rolandlytle
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Quote by gillianleeza
Point Lookout Lighthouse and buoy marking the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay.


While stationed at Little Creek, Va, for the early part of my naval career, after schooling. I was onboard the USS Papago ATF-160. When my ship got underway, I was on the Sea & Anchor detail as the lead helmsman. (mainly due to my loud voice) After clearing the Little Creek harbor, I was placed on the Special Navigation detail. Special Navigations was used until we were safely into the main channel, within a couple of miles of the coast, or anytime there was a navigational hazard nearby. (including heavy traffic for any reason) I was assigned as a bearing taker. Taking bearings referred to using special equipment to measure two or more angles from our ship to a fixed location on a chart (map). The ship's navigator used this information to plot our position. We often used the Point Lookout Lighthouse and specially moored buoys (such as in your photo) to take our bearings. At the time, I could recognize these spots from memory, especially many of the lighthouses, including Point Lookout. Thanks for bringing back those memories, Gill.

The Mets/Nationals series should be awesome.

My wife is at the hospital. I was not allowed to go. My mobility is limited, and Covid visitor restrictions would not let me visit her anyway. If everything goes according to plan, she will stay overnight and return home tomorrow.

Yesterday my calculator died. I will have to get a new one. My number-cruncher gave me 31 years of service. I used it for more than half of my adult life. So long, my good buddy.

I met a 'sovereign citizen' on my trip back from NC. A walking case of sheer ignorance with no common sense and an ego the size of a rugby pitch. I had seen videos and read stories about these individuals, but actually seeing one in action is insane. I still am unsure if a sovereign citizen or a 1st Amendment auditor (commonly called a frauditor) is the worst. SovCits are in the US, Canada, British Isles, and Australia/New Zealand. The frauditors are only an American crazy. (to the best of my knowledge) They make 'Karens' seem dull and less bothersome. As pitiful as all of these types are, at least you can laugh at their stupidity.

It is pissing a mite here today, but nice outside.

Have a great day my friends!
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rolandlytle
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Quote by WriterGirl
Hi all!

Just poppin in. I'm looking forward to reading the comp entries!

I played golf for the first time in 20 yrs yesterday. Shot a 58 on 9 holes. My drive's surprisingly still there, but I 3-putted most greens and even 4-putted one. Ha! Hopefully, that will improve with practice.

Have a good evening!


Kim, after twenty years off, I would say that a 58 in nine holes is good. I used to play some golf in my younger years. I was not good but sure enjoyed it.

Elizabeth, the Nationals have one of my favorite players, Kyle Schwarber. Schwarbs has been lighting it up lately, and he is the kind of hitter that can carry a team a long way.

Sorry for my absence recently. After my trip to see my family, it took some time to settle myself. Then we had some family drama that grabbed my attention. First, my wife, Liz, is going in for knee replacement surgery tomorrow. Then after her recovery, she will have the other knee replaced also.

My family is quite dysfunctional, but I love them all dearly. My dad, sister, and oldest son are all rabid Trump supporters. They are full of conspiracy theories and craziness. My youngest son and his wife, with their three children, have been living with us for about four years. They are going to get a divorce for the last three years and go out of their way to push each other's buttons. Neither of them can afford to move out on their own, and I will not willingly throw either out of the house unless I have no other choice. So occasionally, we have a blowup between them. I have to be the peace-maker because I am the only person in the house that everyone respects. I am sure many of you have dealt with at least one of these situates in your family or friends.

Until later, everyone have a great day.
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