Random Thoughts

Just a couple thoughts that I've had bouncing around my head.

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We did our family Christmas Thursday night.  As previously mentioned, we waited until we could get everybody together to celebrate.  It was nice.  We just did a snacky type dinner, with sandwich fixings, sausage balls and deviled eggs, and a few other trimmings.  

Gifts were given.  I gifted my nephew and brother-in-law each a hatchet that I'd joined a kickstarter for way back in 2022.  It was a whole thing, where I had actually given my hatchets up for dead, and that I had just lost the money.  When out of the blue they showed up in February of this past year (nearly 2 years after I'd ordered, and after 2 Christmases when I'd planned to give them as gifts).  Both seemed to like them.

Got another really nice gift.  The Cubs will be in Atlanta in September of this coming season, and April and Lee got me a couple tickets to the game on September 8.  That's a Monday.  Don't know how routes will start shaking out this year if Shyam's Aunt Beth decides to retire, but I think we can make a trip to Atlanta happen.

It's been a minute since the last time I got to see the Cubs play live.  It may have been 2021.....it may have been before that, even.  I'm thinking I got to seem them in 2019 for sure.

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I'm vaguely optimistic about the upcoming season.  I'm liking the rotation, and you can't sneeze at having Kyle Tucker in the lineup.  He's the type of bat that may end up making Happ, Busch and Suzuki a little better, if only because they will have a little more production pressure taken off them.

I'd like to see what's happens at third base, which just turned into a black hole last year between Morel and Paredes.  I'm guessing we see Matt Shaw get at least a couple months worth of hacks at the hot corner.  I've seen a couple people supposing you could see Tucker get a couple reps at third, but I think he stays in the outfield.

I echo my belief with Turner that it's only a good trade, though, if you can sign him to a deal.

That said, I kinda like the rotation.  And I'd like to see them grab a couple more arms for the bullpen.  Is Alzolay slotted for closer, coming back from injury?  Maybe use some of that money they're saving from trading Bellinger for a good arm or two.

And truth be told, my memories of the bullpen are largely painted by that stretch in May and June when they were total fucking bullshit.  They were pretty solid in the second half.  I keep looking at that blown save number, and shake my head, because had they blown just half those saves last year, they'd have been a 95 or 96 win team.

Now, nobody was beating the Dodgers last year (and maybe this coming year), but 96 wins is nothing to sneeze at.

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I'm using the prhase "nothing to sneeze at" a lot, and for that you have my most humble apologies....

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Went on the route yesterday, and at one of my stops, we were trading the normal questions you ask of people you see about once a week, foremost this week being "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

This particular stop has a pretty black labrador that is kinda skittish around people, but after a few months of not pushing the issue, finally let me pet her last fall.  It felt good making a new dog friend

I asked if she, too, had a nice Christmas.  She perked her head up at my question.  The owner of the store said "Yeah, she had a great Christmas!  She got more presents than I did!"

And indeed, she was sleeping on a comfy new giant pillow.

I had to laugh, as since Shyam and I don't have kids, I like to put out Santa Claus gifts of treats and toys for Thesaurus and the cats.  

Itsabit got a new laser mouse, and couldn't be happier....

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It's a Saturday off.  Shyam is running a short route this morning, and I'll go check on Mom after while, to see if she needs any hatches battened down before this evening's forecast bad weather wanders in.

I'll leave you folks to it....keep it out of your butts, folks......