How am I not blogging every day? I talked to my psychiatrist on Thursday and didn’t mention that. I’ll have to bring it up with my therapist. I know the world is not eagerly awaiting my blog every day but I am. It’s a sign that something is not quite right with me. OK fine, many things are not quite right with me, but this is a new one. I watch my behavior to monitor my mental health the same way I monitor everything about my digestive system to keep on top of my Crohn’s disease.
Yesterday’s big adventure was grocery shopping. I grade adventure on a curve. It would still make a better movie than the Star Wars sequel trilogy. I brought a metal shopping cart with me because I was hoping that they would still have the 5lbs boxes of matzoh. I was not able to get it before Pesach, so I tried on the last day. I had success! They are always cheap $5 but now they were on sale for $2.50. This will last me months. I see much matzoh brei in my future not to mention peanut butter and regular butter. Damn, I forgot to buy pepperoni for matzoh brei pizza. Oh well, next time. I also had some good egg luck. The price of eggs is soaring due to the bird flu epidemic. The eggs that were $2/dozen at my local supermarket are now over $4. Stop & Shop had a sale on brown eggs, 2 dozen for $4. That’s large eggs not the jumbo I usually buy but that’s fine. Brown eggs are now cheaper than white eggs which is unusual around here. I suspect that the brown eggs chickens are not as affected by the flu. One reason I’m bringing this up is that inflation is often blamed on the president. The president has little influence on inflation. I wish schools taught more economics. It is more important for our daily lives than history but is not considered part of the core curriculum. I had one semester in high school, and I went to a great school. I also took it in college. That’s enough to let you know how little you know about economics and that most people don’t know enough to make decisions, yet it’s the biggest factor in who they vote for.
I had to adventures with the metal shopping cart. When I got to the store, I went to attach it to the supermarket cart with the s-hooks at the front. This is how we do things in New York Every New Yorker knows exactly what I mean but I wonder if others do. I can’t find a picture of it. It’s how people without cars go shopping. The problem was there were no s-hooks on any of the carts? What do I do with my cart when I’m shopping? I tried putting it under the supermarket cart, but the wheels got stuck. Somebody had to help me get it off. I then realized that if I slid underneath handle end first it would work. All that was fine but by the time I got home my back hurt. The cart is not ergonomically sound. Most people don’t walk 4.55 miles with theirs like I do. I had been using a much lighter and ergonomic large vinyl grocery bag on wheels, but all that walking proved to much for it and the wheels literally fell off. It could not be repaired.
I’ve adjusted to listening and not watching Met games. It helps that their record is now 11-4, the second best in baseball. It isn’t even all smoke and mirrors, they are actually good. Their run differential justifies their record. They are doing this even though they are missing their most valuable player by far, Jacob deGrom. How are they doing it? Every other pitcher is doing great. That is partly design and partly luck. Signing Scherzer for the highest salary in baseball is turning out great. He’s worth every dollar. They did load up on pitching depth to better whether injuries. That’s design too. But Tyler McGill all of a sudden gaining 2 MPS on his fastball and better movement on his other pitchers was all his doing. That was work he did on his own in the off-season to improve. Some of the improvements in their other pitchers, I’m looking at you Carlos Carrasco, might not just be from improved health but improved instruction by the team. After 150 years they have finally figured out how to systematically improve pitchers. There were always some coaches that had the knack; Rube Walker taught all the Met pitchers to drop and drive to throw the ball harder. But now they work on how much and just as important what kind of spin to put on a ball. They also base pitch selection on data, not hunches. Some people hate that but not me. I love when people figure out how to do things.
Last night the Met’s blew a 5-1 lead and let the Diamondbacks tie it up at 5-5 at the end of 9. The Mets won it in the 10th. I know I’m supposed to hate the ghost runner. In extra-innings you start the inning with a runner on second base. I was vehemently against it. Here’s the thing though. It didn’t make the 10th inning any less exciting. If anything, it made it more so. My objections are philosophical but if I don’t think about it just watch the game it is perfectly enjoyable. It only ruins the game if you let it ruin the game. Many things are like that.
Now I should concentrate on listening to the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess and then get ready to volunteer at the Common Ground Coffeehouse, Mark Erelli and Abbie Gardner are playing. I’d tell you to join me, but it’s sold out. That will teach you to not dilly dally. Buy your Common Ground tickets in advance.
Wise Madness 