D is for Dirty, Dawson, Drain

Good morning and welcome to Day 4 of the A to Z Challenge.  This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB Sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z Wordles.  For more information about these themes click here.  

Part I: A to Z Limericks 

In researching all things limerick, I have discovered that many limericks are ribald, offensive, or dirty. I have decided to try my hand at a dirty one ...

If you happen to go to the zoo

You might see lots of kangaroo poo

And a whole lot of feces

From bunches of species

Yes, I know it sounds gross, but it's true.

Adapted from my FB post 1/24/2014

Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime

One of the challenges in doing an a to z challenge that is a list of people is figuring out who to include and exclude based on what letter their name begins with. It is especially difficult if a players first name and last name begin with the same letter. If I want to include Freddie Freeman in my homerun list, I have no choice but to use him as F which is where I was planning on putting Frank Thomas. Another problem is when 2 players cancel everyone else out. I knew I wanted to include both Dick Allen (who I featured on April 1st) and Andre Dawson on this list, but since they both use up the same letters it squeezes out players like Adam Dunn who hit 354 homers between 2000 and 2010. Allen and Dawson are good choices though as they both revitalized their careers when moving to Chicago.

Dawson hit 274 of his 438 homers between 1976-1987 tied with Don Baylor for 10th for most homers in that era. This included all 225 of his career home runs with the Montreal Expos and 49 with the Cubs in 1987 the year he won his MVP award. Dawson hit another 100 with the Cubs playing 5 additional seasons on the Norths Side before finishing his HOF career with the Red Sox and Marlins.

Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z

Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.

On March 4, 2022 my opening word was drain

D R A I N- A was the only correct letter and it was in the correct place, I went from drain to blade.

B L A D E - D and E were in the word but not in the tight place. I countered with stead

S T E A D - This put the last 3 letters in the right place, so I forged ahead with ahead.

A H E A D - which was right!

For more A to Z challenge click here,

C is for Capital Punishment, Cal, and Codex

 

Good morning and welcome to Day 3 of the A to Z Challenge.  This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB Sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z Wordles.  For more information about these themes click here.  

Part I:  A to Z Limericks

2 years ago my theme was state capitals.  Last month in preparation for this years challenge. With memories of that challenge  I wrote this limerick...

I once had a friend in Cheyenne

Who hated his cell phone plan

He got charged for roaming

Without leaving Wyoming

He's better off with a string and a can.  

Written in March 2022 in anticipation of the challenge.

Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime

When you think of Cal Ripken you don't necessarily think of home runs.  I think of the streak.  I think of the period between May 30, 1982 and 9/19/1998 when he started 2,632 straight baseball games.  Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals currently has a 467 consecutive game streak. Merrifield would have to play more than 13 seasons to get near that record.  Merrifield is already 33 years old.  Ripken was 38 when the streak ended.  

Yet Ripken was a prolific homerun hitter.  He hit 431 homers in his hall of fame career, 242 between 1988 and 1999 all with the Baltimore Orioles. 

Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z

Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.

On March 3, 2022 I started with codex.

C O D E X - This gave me an O in the right place so I followed up with aorta.

A O R T A - In addition to the O, I got a T out of position. My next guess was robin.

R O B I N - This gave me the O and the N and also the R as there was no other space for it.  That helped me get Mourn in 4.

M O U R N

For more A to Z challenge click here,

B is for Bisquick, Bryce, and Bulbs.

Good morning and welcome to Day 2 of the A to Z Challenge.  This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB Sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z Wordles.  For more information about these themes click here.  

 Part I:  A to Z Limericks

 

   

An Ode to Bisquick

                                                                  Their impossible hamburger pie

                                                                  A hyperbole meal you can try

                                                                 Course, if you can do it

                                                                 Do not misconstrue it

                                                                 I'm more an implausible guy

                                                                 Adapted from my Facebook post of 1/10/2014

Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime

Yesterday, we looked at a homerun hitter from the first 12 years of my life.  Today we look at Bryce Harper who is currently smashing the long ball for the Philadelphia Phillies.  Like Dick Allen yesterday, Harper  has won both the MVP and the Rookie of the Year award.  Harper won his Rookie of the Year in 2012 with the Nationals and has won 2 MVP awards one with Washington in 2015 and is the reighning NL MVP winning it with the Phillies in 2021.   In the period encompassing 2011 through 2021 Harper has gone yard 267 times, 184 with the Nationals and 83 more with the Phillies. At 29 there could be plenty more  homers on the horizon for the 6 time all-star.  

Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z

Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.

My starting word for the 3/2/22 wordle was Bulbs

B U L B S

With only the s in the word but in the wrong place, I countered with spare,

S P A R E

This got me a 2nd letter but both still in the wrong place.  I tried daisy.

D A I S Y

That guess gained me 2 letters in the right place and the logic formed by previous guessess determined that the S would be in the middle of the word. That should have been it, but thanks to guessing the uncommon mashy on my 4th try it took me the full 6 to get to the  nasty answer.  Here are my last 3 guesses and what they revealed.

M A S H Y

T A S T Y

N A S T Y

Tomorrow  is a day off for the challenge.  It's a good day to look around other blogs  and see how they have began the challenge.  I'll be back on Monday with a state and a streak and , well you'll have to C about the rest.  For more A to Z challenge click here.  

A is for Awana, Allen, and Ample.

                                                                

Good morning and welcome to another year of the A to Z Challenge.  This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB Sluggers in my life time, and A to Z Wordles.  For more information about these themes click here.  

I did not grow up attending the kind of churches that participate in the children's program Awana.  So, it was not until Amy and I started our own family that we participated as parents and volunteers.. Awana is a program that among other things promotes the memorization  of bible verses from children 2 -18.  They are in many ways similar to a youth scouting program and one of their biggest events is the Awana Grand Prix which is very similar to the Pine Box Derbiesthat  I participated in as a Cub Scout.    Awana is something that worked for out family for many years which I 0ne reason why I penned this limerick 8+ years ago.

                                                         Tell folks, tell friends, tell an iguana.

There's plenty of fun at Awana

                                                         We learn that God is King

                                                         We play games and we sing

                                                         But never Hakuna Matata

                                                         From My Facebook page 3/5/2014

Dick Allen (1942-2020) was my hero when I was a young White Sox fan. His 3 year tenure on the White Sox (1972-1974) is a big reason I became a White Sox fan. When you look at the list of the 10 best homerun hitters from 1964-1975, 7 of them are in the Hall of Fame. Only Dick Allen , Boog Powell and Frank Howard are not. Powell was a MVP winner and Frank Howard won the Rookie of the Year award. Allen had more homers than either of those men and won both awards. Allen hit 331 homers from 1964 -1975. 189 with the Phillies, 85 with the White Sox, 34 with the Cardinals and 23 with the Dodgers. Allen averaged 33 homers per every 162 games played.

Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.

My starting word on March 1st for Wordle was ample.

A M P L E

With the P and the E in the correct place. I tried to think of words that would fit. The first thing that came to my mind was Rupee.

R U P E E

Much to my delight and surprise it was correct, I found out a week or so later that Rupee caused a little bit of an sensation on wordle with many people breaking their win streaks on this word for Indian currency. For me it was a rare 2 time solve, but a good way to start my a to z wordle openers.

Thus begins another April A to Z to see what other prople are posting click here.

Last 5 Next 10 Spring Break edition

I am currently on Spring Break and I hope to get a lot of reading finished.  Here is what I have read and or listened to since 2/15/22

 

The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

Listened to via Hoopla

3/9/22

Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

3/11/22

Listened to vis Hoopla

Open and Shut - David Rosenfelt

3/14/22

Read to self borrowed from library

The Hawk and The Dove - Steve Ditko

3/20/22

                                                        Read via Hoopla

                                                            Born Again - Charles Colson

                                                            3/24/22 Listened to via Hoopla

It would be pretty easy to assume that most of my reading is taking place on my phone these days.  That is not actually to the case.  I am reading a number of books the old fashioned way but have been mainly finishing the electronic ones.  Over Spring break I hope to finish a few of the ones I've been plugging away at.

Ten books I am currently reading or planning to read soon are .

Essential Defenders Volume II - Len Wein

God's Forgetful Pilgrims - Michael Griffiths

Big Nate - Vol 1 - Lincoln Pierce

Love, Dance & Egg Rolls - Jason Tanamor

Renegades, Born In The U.S.A.  - Bruce Springsteen & Barack Obama 

Until Tuesday, A Wounded Warrior and The Golden Retriever who saved Him - Luis Carlos Montalvan

Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis 

Inside The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Devin Brown

Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 - Roger Ebert

The Story of God - Walter Wangerin

I finished my last book on 3/24 but today is 3/31 so I'll give you stats for both days. from 3/9 to 3/24 I finished 5 books in 16 days.  That's a book every 3.2 days.  If that could be sustained it would mean 114 books finished in a year.  As of today there have bee 90 days in the years and I have finished 15 books which is a book every 6 days which makes about 61 books for the year.  

Shamrock Shuffle Part II

 On Saturday March 19th, I ran in a 1 mile race in Chicago.  The mile at the Shamrock shuffle is a precursor to the 8k (5 mile ) shamrock shuffle run on the following day. I had not run in a timed mile race since 1980 when I was a freshman in highs school.  On that day I finished with a 5:50 mile.  

On the 19th in the cold and rain I ran it in about 9:45.  

My wife and I stayed overnight in Chicago on Saturday and I ran in the 5 k as well.  My 16 year old niece ran the 5k with a faster mile average than  my 9:45 and I finished my 5 k in less than an hour somewhere in the 11:30 mile range.  I achieved my only goals of finishing both races without walking.  I hope to run in a few more races this year.  I'll keep you posted.  Here are some pics from Sunday. 

Start of the race

My wife kept tabs on my location during the race

Me finishing the race. ( I'm not paying the outrageous fee for a copy of this picture, which is why the company logo is all over it.)

Pre (or possibly post)  race craziness