Words Evade Me

Grilling, apartment style!

Lou Gehrig is always on my mind on July 4.

So is Dave Righetti.

And, oh yeah, signing the Declaration of Independence yada yada.

I hear some fireworks in the distance and, thankfully, Rascal is unfazed. I recall that Bandit, my old friend for 17 years, was not a fan of fireworks or thunderstorms. Fred, my friend for 11, also wasn't cool with them. Chico, who we had for a far-too-short time at the end of his life, didn't really care.

Rascal -- much like Fred in terms of personality (that is to say, he's a bit nuts) -- just keeps doing his thing.

I have a few items I want to get to here on the blog. Some frivolous and some deep. They can wait.

One thing I've done since the move has finally settled down is to catch up on some TV.

I recently binged the first season of "Only Murders in the Building," and it was as brilliant as advertised. I've started watching season two. Just outstanding.

I also finally caught up with "The Flight Attendant," which I was a big fan of in its first season in early 2021. I just finished season two a few minutes ago.

I guess I'm thankful to Major League Baseball -- forever screwing things up -- for not having the Yankees on their schedule today.

The New York Yankees did not play a July 4th game for the first time since 1915. That's 107 years if you're doing the math. Tradition? Bah! Who cares?

You know, July 4th is only the day that Lou Gehrig made the most important speech in the history of sports and one of the most well-known speeches in history. Why should the Yankees have a game every year on July 4th and -- Manfred-forbid -- have it at Yankee Stadium?

July 4th, on a lesser note, is also the anniversary of Dave Righetti no-hitting the Boston Red Sox in 1983. At Yankee Stadium. The first no-hitter by a Yankees pitcher since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

July 4th is also George Steinbrenner's birthday. It's also John Sterling's birthday.

It's also an important date in the baseball calendar much like Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Alas, I digress.

Incidentally, I didn't see a single pitch of Righetti's no-hitter. It was on SportsChannel and my family didn't have cable yet. Sort of like not having Amazon Prime, for instance, in 2022.

For what that's worth.

But, ah, the title: "Words Evade Me." Well, they clearly haven't because I've bobbed and weaved my way around various (and sundry, naturally) topics so far, haven't I?

I'll also add that I'm pretty horrified at the affairs today in Illinois today. More shot. More injured. More dead. 

More division.

And I guess that's where the words evade me.

They evade me on the trolls who won't simply shut up and stop dividing us.

They evade me on the phony friends on social media who hang on every word of others yet treat you like you have the plaque.

They evade me on the enablers. So much more to say and, yet, no.

Maybe it's time to eliminate those "capital/lower case" writing types bringing the unnecessary negativity into life. You know tHe TyPe.

The ones still obsessed with orange people or whatever the case may be.

Enough.

Remove the toxicity.

Those are the words that are evading me tonight.

Even though, in the end, I found enough words.

Like these: Do better.

On the happier side, I'm calling baseball tomorrow.

Goodnight, America, how are ya...