The Rickwood Classic

You’d like this game at Rickwood Field. Lots of offense. Four of five home runs. One almost hit my car. They made me park beyond the right field fence. 

Manual scoreboard. National anthem sung by a barbershop quartet. One of the singers liked the Stripers shirt that I wore. 

Barons wearing the Black Barons uniforms worn by Willie Mays. Pensacola also wearing throwbacks. A charter bus of fans drove up from Pensacola for the game. 

Pensacola piled on the runs. Final score 23-4. 

I left home right at 7 am. Stopped at McDonalds for a $3 bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Didn’t stop by my Birmingham office because my friend Danny wasn’t available. Stopped by some thrift stores and an early lunch at Arby’s - two chicken sliders for $2 total. 

Then I drove up to the big Vulcan statue that overlooks the city, and checked out the museum. 

Arrived at the parking lot at 1130. Should’ve gotten there earlier. Took me 45 minutes to park. 

On the way home I gassed up at Buccees. Got a $2 Sonic milkshake. 

Passed Anniston and Oxford on the way back. The GPS steered me off the interstate due to a wreck. Drove on back country roads with my window down, pretty much all the way on Highway 120. Crossed into Georgia, then to Tallapoosa past West Georgia Golf, on to Buchanan, Dallas, Hiram, into downtown Marietta from the west, then home. 

Tomorrow: National Hamburger Day.

The Good Old Days

Being a young adult these days is tough, especially financially. I get it. But. Back in my day it wasn’t exactly a bowl of cherries. 

Yes, houses were cheaper - but we weren’t earning much. When I finally landed a real job in 1985 my starting salary was $15000 - $1250 per month. Instead of traveling and buying a new car, I saved for a down payment for a house. I was single. Went on retreats with the youth and singles at my church. I was a frequent visitor to the numerous dollar theaters around town. 

Ate 19 cent macaroni and cheese, sometimes with a can of Kroger tuna fish mixed in. Canned chili or peanut butter with saltine crackers. Canned BBQ. Frozen pizzas. When I ate out, it was the fast food dollar menu, the Pizza Inn buffet, or the Western Sizzlin potato bar. But at least 4 days a week I’d take my lunch to work - usually keeping a pack of hot dogs and buns in the fridge at work. I don't see many young people doing this.

Didn’t play golf. When I finally took up the game, I cobbled together used clubs from my in laws and played at the cheapest course in town - which I still do to this day. General admission tickets to Braves games. 

This was before thrift stores became more prevalent. Not sure how I looked, but I rarely shopped for clothes. What I got for Christmas and my birthday usually got me by. For a couple of years my only jacket was the free windbreaker I received for coaching Mighty Mites. I wore that sucker out. 

When we got married we spent a lot of time renovating the 40 year old house we’d bought, doing a good bit of the work ourselves. We rarely took vacations, thankful for the annual beach trip paid for by my in laws. 

These days I see so many younger people not scrimping and saving, but going out to eat lunch 4-5 days a week, spending sometimes $15-20 a day. Arriving at work with a cup of expensive coffee. Going on lavish vacations. I’d hear about everything they’d spend money on, then them complain because they can’t afford a house. Some don’t seem interested in getting married, and even fewer are interested in having children. For sure it’s a different world.

Not talking about any one person in particular. Not just coworkers, but relatives, and some of the kids of friends and acquaintances. 

Thankful and blessed that so far two of my three kids have gotten married, bought houses, and have children.

Monday evening and this morning I was sore from the Kennesaw Mountain hike. This morning C dressed for the gym but said she didn't want to take her usual class because her hip was hurting. I suggested we left weights together, since she had recently mentioned that she wanted me to show her how to use the machines. So we did. She had 30 minutes, and after she left I did some stretching, sat in the sauna, and cooled off on the treadmill. 

Listening to the Vince Flynn novel Oath of Loyalty, number 17 in the Mitch Rapp series. Very good, but lots of shooting and stuff. Not sure I've read all 17, but I've read several.

Ceil cooked lasagna tonight. Very good. Also grilled squash with onions, and a tossed salad.  

Memorial Day Hike

This morning I climbed Kennesaw Mountain, with several guys from Sunday School. Nice and not too misty. About 1-1/8 up and down. Brian, Dan, Steve, Jim, and David. Also Brian's dog, Winston. When we got to the top it was too cloudy to see anything.

The plan is to hike the mountain every Saturday morning, stretching it out to go up Kennesaw, then continue over to Little Kennesaw Mountain and down the other side, then hike back - a total of 6.6 miles. It’ll be good for me to add in a different kind of training. Gotta get some hiking poles. 

After the hike I stopped by the Goodwill just west of the Marietta Square, then across the street to McDonalds for a bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Then straight east back to the gym, for the sauna and treadmill. 

Stopped by the house, then made an afternoon excursion. Stopped by three more thrift stores looking for those hiking poles. Got a frosty from Wendy’s and a BOGO chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s.

Drove up to Beaver Mazda in Cumming for a presentation on their new CS-5 SUV. Those who attend are entered to win a 3 year lease. I was the only one at the 2 pm presentation, but they said about 50 had attended throughout the day. The drawing is Friday. 

After church yesterday we just hung around the house, watching golf and the Braves.

The Courage to Dislike This Book

I recently finished "The Courage To Be Disliked". The book was written from the point of view that Christianity is no longer a valid lifestyle in the world today, it is a thing of the past. The book tries to justify the Japanese premise that high productivity leads to happiness, that there is no meaning to life other than that. With Japan's skyrocketing suicide rate, how is their God-less society working out for them?

I asked AI to summarize the book. First time I'd ever used AI to cmplete so complex a task.  Here's what it said: The Courage to Be Disliked presents the ideas of Adlerian psychology, arguing that happiness comes from taking responsibility for one’s life, focusing on the present, and accepting that not everyone will like you. It challenges beliefs about inferiority and the need for others’ approval, and invites the reader to live more freely by contributing to community.

Format and premise: how to achieve happiness using Alfred Adler’s “individual psychology,” which emphasizes choice, purpose, and social connection over past causes like childhood events.

Key psychological ideas: “trauma does not exist” in a deterministic sense. People use past events as reasons to justify present choices, rather than being controlled by them. Feelings of inferiority are described as subjective interpretations; an “inferiority complex” becomes an excuse not to act. Life is reframed as non‑competitive rather than a constant comparison with others.

Interpersonal problems and “tasks”: the authors claim that virtually all problems are interpersonal relationship problems that arise from comparison, approval‑seeking, and power struggles. Each person is responsible for their own life tasks and emotions. Suffering comes from trying to control or solve what actually belongs to someone else. 

Community feeling and contribution: a central goal of life is to gain a sense of belonging or “community,” seeing others as comrades rather than threats or competitors. A person finds value and happiness by contributing to others and the wider community through work, relationships, and everyday actions, rather than chasing status or recognition. 

The “courage to be disliked”: real freedom means acting in line with your own convictions even when this leads some people to dislike you, since their opinions are their own “task,” not yours. Letting go of the desire for recognition and practicing self‑acceptance—acknowledging both strengths and limits as they are—allows one to live fully in the here and now instead of anxiously performing for others. 

Article: a gay "bishop" at an Oakland United Church of Christ says the Bible has become problematic, and not the word of God. Who moved?

Noah's Ark: researchers investigating a massive boat-shaped formation near Mount Ararat have uncovered what appear to be underground corridors and chambers, raising fresh questions about whether this site could be linked to the biblical Ark. Advanced radar scans revealed tunnel-like structures and a central cavity that strikingly resemble the internal layout of a vessel described in ancient texts.

There's a hundred year old castle worth checking out at Huntington Beach State Park, just a few miles north of Pawley's Island.

There's a Bob Uecker movie coming out soon. Watch the trailer and sign up for updates.

Quote for the day: “Truth is the agreement of our ideas with the ideas of God.” — Jonathan Edwards

Caitlin Clark: Admirable?

Caitlin Clark is indeed great. People flock to see her. The straw that stirs the drink. Truly the goose that laid the golden egg. Sure there are other players who are talented, other stars. But what's with the effort to downplay Clark's accomplishments? Allowing the thugs in the league to beat Clark up, night after night? The NHL never allowed Wayne Gretzky to be beat up. 

I will admit - Clark doesn't shy away from contact - she goes after it. The drives to the basket. The glare. She initiates contact, and complains to refs - almost incessantly. Not exactly the type player that I usually admire. But the type tough player that you'd think would earn the respect of the other players. Notice I didn't say peers.

Why do other players have Clark in such contempt? Such a bad look. Sure looks like jealousy. Would they rather play before fewer fans, get lower TV ratings, have less money for player salaries? From the outside, this contempt doesn't make sense. What changed that caused the sudden surge in WNBA popularity? Sure there are other new players coming into the league, joining a galaxy of established stars, but so many refuse to give Clark the credit that she so obviously is due. 

When Tiger burst onto the golf scene, winning tournaments and majors and sucking up the attention and sponsorship revenue - how did the other players react? They didn't tear him down. They reveled in the higher purses. They worked on their games, raising themselves to higher levels in an effort to compete. Together, Tiger and his contemporaries reinvented an even greater PGA Tour. Would be nice if the WNBA could be able to do the same.  

How will this end? Will the WNBA figure out that Caitlyn is a treasure? Will Clark's attitude change? I'm sure it's frustrating to get beat up so much. Seems like Clark and the league need to meet somewhere in the middle. For sure the WNBA is more watchable when Clark is playing, as opposed to when she is sitting on the sidelines.

Similarly, a website ranked Arch Manning as only the tenth best player in the country. Perhaps just an effort to get clicks. Arch is the odds on choice to win the Heisman, and will most probably be the number one overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

Saw a list of great Great UGA baseball players. Of course all were from the last few years. Notable omissions: Derek Lilliquist. Jeff Treadway. Jeff Pyburn. Buck Belue. Dave Fleming. Chris Carpenter. and Glenn Davis. Spud Chandler was an AL MVP with the Yankees. He still owns the MLB record for the highest winning percentage in history. 

Article: the time John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved the life of Abraham Lincoln’s son.

SHOHEI OHTANI  [B-R Bio] is the only player to win more than one MVP unanimously. All four of Ohtani’s MVPs, 2021, 2023, 2024 & 2025, were unanimous. He is the only player to win a National League MVP after winning an American League MVP. Only he and Frank Robinson have won MVPs in both leagues. In 2025 Ohtani's three bBobblehead days were 02-Apr, 15-May, and 27 Aug.

The All Time All Madden Team

Thursday: Anna and baby Miller visited us for several hours. We got Millie to take a much needed nap. I was worn out from the long Wednesday, and sleeping on the couch. Ceil just had to wake up early Thursday morning to see Will off to work - which led to Shivonne and Millie waking up earlier than they would have. 

I took an afternoon nap as well. C took the girls to Target without me. They bought a stomp rocket, which was lots of fun out in the driveway. You load the little rocket on the launchpad, then stomp on the attached air cushion - shooting the rocket over 20 feet in the air. Ceil didn't see how the rocket plummeting straight back down to earth could pose a safety issue for a 2 year old looking up in the sky, too young to be able to catch the rocket before it hits them in their eye.

Matthew stopped by. We loaded our old bed frame into his truck, and he helped me carry our box springs upstairs. Later Will helped me carry the mattress upstairs, as well as Ceil's cedar chest. Getting closer to being able to get one car into our 2 car garage. 

  

After Will took the girls home, we crashed onto the couch. Watched Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and the Braves game.   

This morning Ceil had to drive down to W&MCs to keep the girls. I did 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym, plus sat in the sauna. 

Lunched at Whataburger. Patty melt, tasteless fries, and a Coke Zero. I may be finally outgrowing my constant search for fast food deals. The food just isn't that good. Should've realized this years ago, I know.

Not everyone named to the 1997 Madden All Time Team was able to make the photo. Dick Butkus is a notable exception. I  still recognize most of these guys, but did had to look up a couple.

Front row: Willie Lanier, Walter Payton, Joe Namath, John Madden, John Mackey, Willie Wood, Don Maynard. 

Middle: Mike Curtis, Larry Little, John Stallworth, Larry Csonka, Roger Staubach, Paul Warfield, Herb Adderly.

Back: Mark Bavaro, Gary Clark, Mike Haynes, Jack Young blood, Jerry Kramer, Jackie Slater, Mike Webster, Buck Buchanan, Randy White, Joe Jacoby, Anthony Munoz.

David Hurt's oldest daughter Haley bought a condo. Somewhere in Buckhead I think. Not sure. maybe near Chastain Park. She actually frequented Bellwood Coffee.

Denison on why The Late Show matters to our culture and our souls: "I think the show’s ending is relevant not because it was losing millions, or that CBS allegedly acted for political reasons, but for a different reason. As Elahe Izadi reports in the Washington Post, “We no longer choose from a handful of late-night hosts to get our fix of breezy celebrity interviews; there’s an endless supply of podcasts for that.” She quotes Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University professor of television and popular culture: "Like all broadcast television, it was cultural glue. We all fed from the same cultural trough. That is gone and only remains in a few pockets, and those pockets are falling one by one. When Colbert leaves, another one of those important pockets will have fallen". 

Denison: "I’d like to suggest that losing such “cultural glue” is good for our culture. And for our souls".

Colbert, a professed Catholic and former Sunday School teacher, recently stirred controversy by opining a more Buddhist view of life after death. 

CARL YASTRZEMSKI [SABR Bio] had more at-bats than any other left-handed major leaguer, with 11988. Only Pete Rose and Hank Aaron had more. Yaz was the first American Leaguer to earn a Gold Glove and win the batting title the same season, in 1963. He hit .321 and also led in hits (183), doubles (40), walks (95), OBP (.418), and made the first of 18 All-Star appearances. Yaz was the only player to collect a hit against Satchel Paige upon Paige's return to the majors after a 12-year absence. On 25-Sep-1965, Paige was brought in to open for the Kansas City Athletics. Paige pitched 3 shutout innings, and a double by Yaz in the first was the only hit. Read here.

Wild Goose Chase

Wild goose chase: with all three grandchildren over at our house this morning (and Anna), it was my job to take Winnie to her appointment at the vet. I didn’t know what it was for. Earlier this morning Ceil fed Winnie, saying she couldn’t eat anything after 9 o’clock. I didn’t think anything about it.

Got to the vet and Winnie got checked in. Evidently Winnie was getting a shot that would knock her out for an hour or so. The vet asked “so she hasn’t had anything to eat since 9 last night?” Uh, no. Winnie ate before 9 this morning. We had to reschedule the appointment.

After golf on Wednesday morning I drove straight to the gym. Sauna and treadmill. Later Will and the girls came. We played. Up and down the steps a bunch of times. Burgers and fries for supper. 

At 6:30 pm  Will and I drove over to pick up a bunk bed he was buying for his girls. Had to help take it apart and load it into both our cars. Then we drove downtown and unloaded it at his house. Then drove back up to East Cobb, arriving at 930 pm. A 12000 step, 5-1/2 mile day. Listened to the game on the radio.

Note: when Will and I left to get the bed, the five leftover burgers were pushed back in the far corner of the countertop. Ceil was upstairs giving the girls a bath. When we got home at 930, Ceil had already cleaned the kitchen. It wasn't until Thursday evening when we figured out that Winnie had eaten all the burgers. Ugh.

Wednesday was the girl’s last day of school. They had the Waffle House truck provide food.

I just realized that I should have volunteered for the World Cup, but I would’ve had to apply almost a year ago. I’ll have to see what other big events are coming to town.

I played golf on Wednesday morning. Teed off at 6:43 am. Wore shorts for the first time this year.

1. Hit two drives off the first tee. Neither were pretty but both got good rolls. Hit three approach shots: two short of the green but one rolled up the hill to the right fringe. Chipped two of 3 onto the green.

2. Hit a 4 iron off the tee that stayed right. I hit a mulligan so good that I never found it. Must’ve flown the green and rolled into the woods past the 3rd tee. Hit three okay chips, onto the green. A couple of passable chips.

3. For the life of me I can't hit the ball straight on this hole. Pulled two left and one right. Two decent chips that didn't hold on the elevated green. Lost three balls on these last two holes.

4. Hit three good 6 irons off the tee. Due to the severe slope, all three rolled from right to left. Almost holed a chip. 

5. Hit a great 4 iron onto the green, plus two others that got close. Great lag putt to inches. Par.

6. Hit three drives but only found one. From the fairway I hit three decent 4 irons. Then a couple of passable chips.

7. Hit a drive that faded right, but got a great bounce way up to the top of the hill - one of my best drives ever on this hole. Hit one of three fairway shots well. Chipped onto the green. Three leg putts didn't get as close to the hole as I would've liked.

8. Hit what I thought was a good drive. It sailed down the fairway and through the trees guarding the right side, down the hill on the 7th fairway - where the golfer playing behind me picked it up and tossed it to me. Chipped three balls, but none good. From the fringe I did chip two balls close to the hole.

9. Hit a good hybrid up the hill. Pitched three balls, but none close. From the right fringe I chipped two close. Finished around 8:13 am.

Question of the day: who's your favorite four-eyed athlete? I listed Freddie Freeman, Sonny Jackson, Jeff Burroughs, Satchel Paige, Bob Gibson, Tom House (below right), Kurt Rambis, Alex Karras (above), Rodrigo Blankenship, Bob Griese, Raymond Berry, Moses Malone - and BJ Upton.