Yesterday on the way home from Loaves and Fishes, I was listening to the Astros baseball game. They were behind 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning.

The Detroit Tigers made a pitching change which didn’t work out for them. The Astros clawed their way back into the game with a couple of hits and a little misfortune on the Tigers part. While I was listening, my mind wondered and it found its way to a book I read a more than a dozen years ago, Imperfect, an Improbable Life.

The book was about a baseball player, Jim Abbott, who was born with a partially formed right arm who taught himself to play baseball. It’s an inspiring story and I wrote about in this blogpost – Saturday Morning – late April – published April 28, 2012. And I went back to read it. As I have discovered with many older posts, my writing has changed and the links I added, no longer worked. So, I did a little revising to the links.

This morning, I was reading a blogpost from one of my favorite bloggers – Beth from I didn’t have my glasses on…. A trip through life with fingers crossed and eternal optimism. She posts almost everyday, it’s quite impressive. Beth’s posts are inspirational, funny, and thought provoking.

This morning’s post was about book lending and it took me back to the book I had read about Jim Abbott and his journey from Flint, Michigan to Yankee Stadium and beyond.

I lent that book, Imperfect: An Improbable Life, a few times before I lent it a final time. I haven’t seen that book since, or that person for that matter.

It doesn’t matter, I could (and probably should) lend more of my books and never get them back.

Beth’s post sent me on a rabbit chase of sorts where I discovered a video about Jim Abbott that was produced by ESPN last summer. I missed it, I was busy with other things. The trailer below is about how he learned t play baseball one handed.

Jim Abbott overcame an incredible amount of hardship in his life. Much of it through his own hard work and determination. But baseball, like life, is a team sport.

Nine players on the diamond to play a game.

Every player has to be all in for it to work.

Today is going to be a great day, especially when I go down a rabbit hole in time. Like every day, I have a lot to do and today is no different. I am watching the grandies in a little over an hour and as usual I am behind on the things I thought I’d get to this morning.

Rabbit holes.

So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, even when I am diving into rabbit holes.

When was the last time you dove into a rabbit hole?

NOTE: I posted this unedited versions of the sign on Sunday and only noticed the mispelling after a commenter noticed it. I went back Sunday afternoon and the error had been corrected. As always, I was reminded that some times my most effective proofreading comes AFTER I press publish.

When the day came, it really wasn’t a surprise, but there was a surprise involved.

A couple of weeks before the game, I called my daughter on her way to work and shared that the Astros were going to be in town and asked if she wanted to go. There was a silence on the other end and then an answer,

“You didn’t hear this from me, but I’ve been watching for tickets…Father’s Day is coming”

A few weeks before, she asked me if I had any baseball trips planned for the summer. I told her,

“No, all the good weekends are taken.” I said.

“What do you mean?” she replied.

“Well, all of the games I’d like to see are weekend when I can’t go. Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, my brother’s visit, Race Weekend, weekends when I can’t go.” I explained.

I finished my bucket list last August when I watched the Astros play the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. With that game, I had made it to all 30 of the baseball cities and 33 baseball stadiums.

With that milestone, I needed a new bucket list item! So, I added a new item to my bucket list, it’s a updated version of the original bucket list item – to see the Astros play in every stadium. Presently, I am at 17 cities where I have seen my team play.

It had been a while since I had been to a game with my daughter – it was 2018 before the Astros cheating scandal when she stopped rooting for the Astros.

I wrote about a trip to the park almost a dozen years ago, Weekly Photo Challenge: Between June 2014. I had to go back and edit – the link to the seventh inning stretch was broken, but I was able to find the video and update it!

A couple of days before the game, I found out the rest of the surprise – my son and his boys would be joining us! I was so excited. A baseball game with the grandies!

It had been even longer since I had watched a game with my son – I think it goes back all the way back to April 2017.

Anyway, Saturday couldn’t come soon enough. Friday afternoon, I listened to the finish of the game in my classroom after school and the Astros won 4-2!

Saturday morning I was up early and excited.

My son had borrowed my car the night before and the grandies loaded and ready to go.

The drive into Chicago went smoothly until we reached the city and got bogged down in lower Wacker traffic. IYKYK!

We had decided to park remotely, instead of attempting to park near the stadium. A WIN because it was free and much easier!

We parked, loaded the bus, and finished with a short walk to Wrigley.

The Astros were up 2-0  in the second inning when we got to our seats, but it didn’t matter. We were there to enjoy a day together at the ballpark.

My son had brought snacks and drinks for the grandies and they were happy to watch and take in the game. I got ballpark food the kids and me and got a free peanut (for the photo) from the couple behind me!

We had a great time and the Astros were able to tack on another run in the fourth inning.

When the seventh inning came, we were all in and sang “Take Me out the Ballgame” with gusto.

It was a fun game to watch, but to be honest it was just fun being at the ballpark sharing the game I love and spending time with my kids and grandies.

After the game, we let the crowd go before we left our seats… and we let the grandies play before we packed up and headed back to the bus and home.

On the way home we checked in with mom (my wife, B) and organized an outdoor pizza party to finish the day.

And now, I have a new bucket list item – watch as many baseball  games as I can with my grandies!

It was an amazing day and I’ve been waiting to share ever since. It’s Father’s Day and I am blessed with two amazing kids and a couple of grandies to boot. Today is going to be an amazing day. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, being father since 1998.

Any Father’s Day memories?

It is that time of the year when late spring storms cross the Midwest. Yes it is still celestial spring for a few more days.  Last week’s storms spawned 11 tornadoes in Chicagoland.

Yesterday afternoon thunderstorms popped up by the lake in the afternoon and again in the evening. Neither of the storms were severe, but we did get rain and some hail and a lot booms which scared Fern.

Today severe storms will pass south of us at the lake, but will pass through home. We are keeping your fingers crossed.

My brother’s visit was success and we had cool temps and very windy weather which kept us off the lake, but it was wonderful to visit and catch up in person.

There is always something to do and I have been going back in time on the blog and finding things which need fixing. When I started blogging in 2010, I was learning blogging and using WordPress. In the sixteen years since I wrote those posts, much has changed on the internet. I’ve discovered many of the images on MtDC’s older posts are not visible because the link has changed or some other reason, so I’ve been going back to restore the images and update each post – it’s time consuming, but fun to go back and realize how far I’ve come with MtDC.

When I began, I wanted to practice writing and put my words into action. One of first blog projects, after going to France with my step-mother and brothers in early June, was blogging while I was at summer camp with my son and his Boy Scout troop. I posted daily and sent an e-mail home to share. Blogging from camp  was a hit and I continued for the following two summer camps.  A form of it still happens on the troop’s website.

When I go back, I cringe at the writing, and I see how I’ve grown.  I also can see where WordPress has evolved as well.

• Day 34: Flags – edited (post #26)
• Day 35: The Mile – unedited (post #27)

It is also amazing to realize who far those scouts have grown, too.

Time moves quickly, especially when it is summer. Today is day nineteen of this year’s summer break and in a lot of ways I have made the days count, and in others I could have done better.

So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day,
And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
Today is gonna be a great day!

Making the Days COUNT, one day at a time. 

How is your weather?

While I was writing Wednesday’s W^2 post, I was sipping coffee at a Starbuck’s because a thunderstorm had knocked our power out. I figured I could charge my devices, create an overdue post, and maybe collect my thoughts from an already busy week.

I finished my post and my coffee, then stopped to grab dinner and head home.

The power had not been restored; fortunately the storm brought relief from the heat and humidity, so sleeping without power came quickly.

The power was still out when I awakened Thursday morning. I checked with the power company – the update stated that they planned to have power restored by Saturday at 3:00 PM! I knew that our outrage was relatively small – only a 100 customers. According to the power company, they had more than 200,000 customers without power, so I understood the three-day timeline.

No power meant no coffee. So, I left the house to grab a cup of coffee. I had a lot to think about.

Thursday’s forecast called for two more waves of severe storms, with the latter being the strongest.

Besides the power being out, I planned to be at  lake the following day , but I couldn’t leave the house without power including a full refrigerator and freezer. I had a lot to think about and do.

My first thought was to get a generator, which I quickly realized made little sense. Then it shifted to empty both freezer and refrigerator, clean them, and restock later when the power was restored. Finally, it dawned on me I could donate the salvage the frozen food and donate them to the food pantry, while tossing the what couldn’t. To do the salvage and donate, I needed to borrow a cooler from my son, so I left the house to pick it up and passed the cause of the power outage where I discovered two power company repair trucks parked and waiting. So maybe, power might be restored after all. I got the cooler, anyway, and was back a half-hour later.

When I returned, the power company was starting to stage the repair by closing off the two lane road before beginning the repair.

I took a walk to inspect, and be nosey. I took a few photos, too. On the way back I ran onto a few neighbors and I shared what I had learned.

So, I waited. I took a short nap.

The first wave of thunderstorms rolled through, then power came back on. We had been without power for twenty-three hours.

We still had one more wave of weather to roll through and it would be the most severe of the week, possibly the season. But I was relieved and I could start thinking, again.

The last line of storms passed through with the worst of the storms passing south of our home. And the electricity stayed on.

Friday morning, I drove to the lake, stopping along the way to visit my brother and his wife at their campsite in Holland, Michigan. Yesterday, they joined us at the lake for a visit and dinner. Today, we hope to take a ride on the lake and finish the day with dinner.

Until then, I need to get moving and jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Today is going to be a great day. Making the Days COUNT, one day at a time, slowing down to restart thinking.

Have you ever had a moment like the sign read?

I took these photos five weeks ago and I have every Wednesday since go by without posting them. Until today.

I captured the images after a brief thunderstorm passed through Aurora, Illinois while I was volunteering at Loaves and Fishes.

Once the thunderstorm passed through, the skies opened, the temperature dropped, and we were able to finish serving our clients for the evening.

I have never seen a double rainbow despite the fact that they aren’t considered rare, according to a quick Google search – a one in five chance!

Rainbows are exciting to see and a double rainbow even more so, even if it’s not a rare thing.

It’s Day 12 of Summer Break and I’ve been, errr, I mean we’ve been, busy. We were at the lake last week and drove home Sunday afternoon.

I had scheduled some appointments this week and I had planned to carve away at a few of those ‘things I am going to do…’ But really, the appointments and taking of the house and yard were the big things we needed to accomplish this week.

The biggest thing was the making the decision to retire from teaching and yesterday, I put in my notice with my school district. The effective date seems far away, but I’ve had my eye on the date – June 30, 2030 – for almost three years. There were lots of factor that went in two making the decision, but this year was my 27th year of teaching. Four more years will get me close to full retirement of 35 years, and it’s time.

I am excited, and nervous, and giddy at the idea of being able to take a long weekend and explore places without sneaking a day off or writing sub plans.

Last summer, my youngest brother retired. Yes, I was envious. Before he retired he and his wife purchased an RV and have been traveling on the weekends and short vacations in Texas and a few of the western states.

This spring he called and let me know they were planning to visit the Midwest and planned to stop and visit with us at the lake for a couple of days. Last Monday, they left their home in southeast Texas and headed north. Their plan was to do a giant loop around two of the Great Lakes – Michigan and Superior before winding their way back home through Michigan’s upper peninsula, then Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma before getting back home.

I am excited to see them.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Saturday will be here before I know it and I have a few a lot more to do’s and a couple more appointments before they arrive, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count one day at a time, because that’s how it works.

Have you ever seen a double rainbow?

I was able to remember a few more of the promises I made about summer and acted upon a few before we left town for the lake. We arrived at the lake house very late Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. The dogs barked, but our daughter (who was already here) did not wake. We brought in the essentials before collapsing into our beds.

We fully unloaded Wednesday when we awoke to an amazing day.

We’ve been busy since. Thursday I ran to town for errands and got the fixings for dinner and thought I’d capture a few signs for this week’s post and I discovered one of the signs hadn’t changed since late April!

Friday was a lazy day. Truly, it was overcast and it rained.

This morning it was cloudy and wet from the overnight rain, but it has since cleared and the sunshines brightly. Which means my moments of writing are few and fleeting.

The local veterinarian always has good signs and I captured the signs below when we were here in February and the images were ‘out of date’ by the time I had time to write.

There was snow on the ground and it was much colder than it is today. There is a breeze on the lake and it promises to warm to the mid-70s (about 24-26C). Hopefully, it will trigger more memories of other promises I made about getting a few chores done.

It’s Saturday and it is going to be a full day and as I think back to my first post at MtDC I am reminded,

This could possibility be the best day ever!
(This could possibility be the best day ever,)
And the forecast says that tomorrow will likely be a million and six times better.
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day,
And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
Today is gonna be a great day!

So I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, because that’s how they come.

Do you have any promises you’ve made which are coming due?

I had thought this might be a funny sign of the week, but I think I might find one more appropriate for making my days count.

Thanks to Bushboy’s Last on the Card to enable the photo to find a use. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for another sign of the week.

In the meantime, I am going to make the days count, one day a t time.

What is the last photo you took? 

School’s out for summer and today is Day 1.

It’s a beautiful spring afternoon and I am trying to remember all the things I promised I’d do when summer came – but there are too many to remember. So, I’ll start with the lawn, then the mulch, and maybe my memory will return. Until then, I am going to have fun and stay safe. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, especially when getting started is the hardest thing to do.

What’s is a hard thing for you to get started with?

My dad was a Taurus. Today would have been his 82nd birthday. He passed away after a brief illness on July 20, 2009. He was 76, too young. His passing took me by surprise, though if I had been paying attention I would have known, or at the least been more prepared, more ready.

My dad and his mom – one year old – May 1934

It seems like just the other day, but it was almost six years ago. It was at the end of the school year and I remember the entire event unfolding in slow motion in my memory, as if it were yesterday.

A year after my dad passed away, my brothers and I escorted his cremains to France and spread his ashes where he wanted to spend eternity in the countryside of northern France. Since that summer, I’ve been on a quest to recapture and gather my history, my story – who I am, where I have been, and where I am headed. In a way, MakingtheDaysCount.org has been my journal and my travelogue.

This past spring we took a trip to Washington, D.C. and on our way home, we stopped in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where my dad’s parents are buried. It was my side trip. I had never been to the cemetery. I was too young to have gone to my grandfather’s funeral and there was no service for my grandmother when she passed away several years ago. My mom and my step-mom were instrumental in helping me find my way to their gravesite; and since that trip, I have questioned both of them about my dad’s family. It’s been over forty years since my parents divorced and my mom’s memory of my dad’s parents is understandably fragmented. My stepmother’s memory is equally patchy because she married my dad after my grandfather passed away and she and her mother-in-law, my grandmother, had limited contact. However, my stepmom had my grandparent’s photos. A couple of weeks ago an envelope arrived in my mailbox and it was full of photos of my dad and his parents. I sifted through the photos and found notes from my grandmother to us three boys. I need to spend some time and make copies and forward them to my brothers – if they read this – which I doubt – they’ll discover I have some photos, I haven’t disclosed. Sorry, bros.

My dad was born in the middle of the Depression, a couple of months after FDR took over the helm for his first term. He was born in West Virginian coal country in Huntington. Life was very difficult for him – his parents divorced and his mom remarried when he was in grade school. His step-dad – the man I know as my grandfather – adopted him when my dad was in his teens. He had a difficult relationship with his mom and it spilled over in to my relationship with him. It turns out I was just as bull-headed as my Taurus father, despite being a Scorpion. His tough upbringing branded him in a way I am only just beginning to uncover and understand. I remember his busting my chops about wearing blue jeans when I was in my twenties. I asked him why he couldn’t understand or cut me slack and he looked me dead in the eye with the coldest iciest stare, and he said:

“Sonny, I worked my ass off, so I’d never have to wear blue jeans.”

He never did wear blue jeans.

He graduated high school sixty-five years ago this June and he went off to college, graduating in 1958 after a three-year stint in the Marine Corps from 1953-56. He met my mom in 1958 or 1959 and they married in 1960. The rest, they say is history, my story. Regardless, today would have been his birthday. I’ve been blogging for almost five years and I wonder what he would think about this space or this post. He never did like the internet, despite being an early adopter of the personal computer. He loved basketball, especially his alma mater Kentucky and enjoyed playing golf. He was a book collector, an avid reader, and amateur historian. We talked history and politics. I remember arguing, being lectured; and learning. He was a complex person, which I am still discovering six years after his passing, and today would have been his birthday. Happy birthday, dad.

Out of the corner of my eye, I am watching the Blackhawks and the Ducks play hockey and it’s late, very late. Usually at this time, I am looking at the inside of my eyelids and sawing logs. I’ve planned tomorrow’s lessons, I am ready for Wednesday and whatever it brings. Today is gonna be a great day, possibly a million and six times better than Tuesday, so I had better finish this post and get to sleep. The Hawks can wait – they’re into the third period of overtime. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, because that’s the way it comes.

How do you handle a loved one’s birthday after they have passed away?

image courtesy of Space.com

I was reminded by the sign below that I have a great deal for which to be thankful. I found it a couple of weeks ago, and I found the time this morning to write about it.

A week ago, I had a flashback to my first year of blogging and I reached out to a parent of a former student from the 2010-11 school year. It was my first year of blogging and she introduced me to another blogger whom she had met the summer before. I was, and still am, thankful. My message was brief and it took several attempts to find the correct email address before the message went through without a mailer-daemon reply.

Good morning,

I am not sure if this going to work… but I’ll give it a try.

Thought of you and your son this morning as I started my day – it is the day the first Coca-Cola is served in Atlanta!

I remember your family came back from a trip to the UK with a copy of a CD by One Night Only as it wasn’t available in the US.

My son – who’s your son’s age and grade, is now a firefighter paramedic, married, and has twin boys (18 months old). How is your son? And how are you doing?

I hope all is well, peace. BTW, I am still blogging at https://makingthedayscount.org

Semper sharkus,

I received a reply and I have yet to reply, but I will before the day is done. It was great to hear of my former student’s successes since he left my class, I knew he was destined for greatness as he showed curiosity, resilience, and great sense of humor as a seventh-grade boy.

Friday afternoon, I attended a retirement celebration for three of my fellow educators who are finishing their careers and retiring this year. One of them has been at our school since it opened in 2001 and many former teachers and administrators showed up for the party. It was wonderful to see so many people I haven’t seen for several years and catch up.

One of them was a band teacher who left about the time I had Edward, or maybe it was before. But it’s been a while. As we talked, he shared how he remembered the MtDC posts I would share via Facebook. I stopped sharing my blog posts on the platform when FB labeled them spam and contrary to the rules of the platform. I never understood how it happened, but it was probably a word or phrase that got flagged, so I stopped. The entire thing had me in knots, before I let it go.

It’s true I have far more blessings than I have problems as the sign says. Sometimes I just need the reminder.

In a few weeks, my sixteenth year of blogging will roll over to seventeenth. It is hard to believe it’s been that long, but it has. I have learned a lot along the path, and I know I am a better person for my years blogging.

Today is going to be a great day, if I can only trust it. It could possibly be a million and six times better than yesterday. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time making time to be present and patient.

What’s on your plate for the day?