Boo

I love postseason baseball. It may well be the death of me, but I love it nevertheless. That game today between the Braves and Cardinals was the epitome of what playoff baseball is supposed to look like. Mike Soroka and Adam Wainwright staged a great pitching duel. The Cards broke through with one run in the second. The Braves had no answer for Wainwright. It was a tight game throughout; every pitch felt big. With hope fleeting, the Braves scored 3 runs in the top of the ninth and held off a rally in the bottom half of the inning. If the Braves can get one more win against the Cardinals and win this division series, Adam Duvall is a strong contender for MVP of the series. And if you predicted that Duvall would be the big bat that carried the Braves to two wins in the postseason...Congratulations, you're the only one who saw that coming. Shame I wasn't wearing one of those step counter doo-hickeys today. With the amount of pacing I did, I probably could have walked to St. Louis and back.

1,306 days since I last lit one up.

You have a great attitude Abby.

Welcome back Meathead. You still like Van Halen and hot chicks?

The lido deck awaits...Good job Wantsit.

Welcome aboard Steve. Good call on giving up the smokes. The rewards of quitting have only started, there will be many more. Enjoy the ride.

When Moises Alou was still playing baseball, he and his wife announced the birth of their son. I was hoping they would name the kid after retired first baseman Boog Powell. The boy's name would have been Boog Alou. Look...I never promised that there would be a "point" to anything I write here.

October check-in.

Congratulations on 9 months of freedom Abby.

In 1995, the Braves having already clinched the division coasted through the remainder of the regular season that ended with Atlanta losing three straight in New York. The Braves won the World Series that season. The Braves, with the division championship in hand, just finished up on the wrong end of a three game sweep in New York to finish the 2019 season. Which means, of course, that the Braves will... I'm not a superstitious guy, but I really want to believe that this coincidence is indicative of destiny. Chop On!

Say no more....Hey Meathead! We got Babes...

There's no harm in wanting a cigarette. It's to be expected early in the process of quitting. Gets back to the quitter's paradox: I don't want to be a smoker, but I sure could go for a cigarette. These are the moments where quits are built. Those times when the petulant voice of addiction screams for a fix and you stand your ground and say: NO! You're doing great. Hang in there.

The wrist still isn't at 100%, but it felt good enough to get in a lifting session this morning: Squats, Incline Presses, Bent-Over Rows, Sled Pushes, and Farmer's Walks. Finished up with twenty minutes of mobility work.

The view from the top truly does make the journey all worth it. Enjoy your newfound freedom Abby. You earned it.

Hard times are temporary. The freedom gained is permanent. Your focus is in the right place Juan.

Welcome aboard Birch. Congratulations on making a great choice to ditch the smokes. You quit smoking and chose freedom over slavery; you absolutely belong here. Grab a seat and stay awhile.

Welcome back Opah. Congratulations on the new job and good call on giving up the smokes. You're going to enjoy not smoking a helluva lot more than you ever enjoyed smoking. I guarantee it.

Congratulations Jillar. We all chipped in and got you a gift...

I like the history and backstory talking bits. To each their own....

I went to a thing called "Wine Over Water" in Chattanooga a few years ago. I was just there because a friend's band was playing on the main stage. About half the folks there seemed alright. The other half were pretentious jackasses. Some lady was talking about tasting decorum and said the big question was: "spit or swallow?" Nobody else laughed and I knew this was not my kind of crowd.

I think I would do better looking at Rorschach tests. There are no wrong answers, but you do run the risk of being labeled looney.

Where's Meathead? He's in there somewhere.

Two weeks + One Day...Good job Juan. You've got momentum now.