Simplify

Henry David Thoreau often discussed the idea that we need to simplify.  He lived in the early days of industrialism, and I can only think what he would think of our lives today if he thought we needed to simplify then over 170 years ago.  

I open with that because it has been quite some time since I have contributed to this space.   I could come up with lots of excuses like the end of the school year, Star Wars Celebration, working all summer, attending Gen Con, blah, blah, blah.  But seriously, as the picture that accompanies this post suggests, I tried to spend as much time simplifying and enjoying my hammock space outside this spring and summer. 

I spent quite a bit of time contemplating things while watching our twin, baby trees grow this summer.  I listened to a lot of music in the hammock.  I listened to a fantastic audiobook   I read many, many comic books in the hammock (yep, I took comic books into the summer heat and humidity).  I caught up on a lot of podcast episodes.  But most importantly, I grabbed up as much time as I could to clear my mind.  So, a casualty of so much alone time was my writing.  I also cut extra time thinking about and planning for the school year.  I cut out time that I would spend riding my bike on long rides.  I did not give my collections the attention that I normally would have.  I cut a lot of things from my life, even briefly, to help simplify my life.  

As I start to bring some things back, I start to feel a little bitter that it is stealing my time to think.  I feel that way because I am in conflict with the "fewer things" and things that I miss and love doing.  I am working to balance it, but writing is something I don't feel conflict with.  Writing and "Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy" brings me peace.  It helps me to process what is happening in and around my world.  

I appreciate those of you who have supported me and been encouraging me to write.  It may be a few and it may be a lot of you, but numbers aren't what is important.  What matters are the friendships and the support you give me to help me to simply simplify.  

2022 Coca Cola Kids Fantasy Baseball Team

We are a couple weeks into the new Major League Baseball season so it seems appropriate to introduce you to this year's Coca-Cola Kids Fantasy Baseball Team.  Established in 1988 as a National League Rotisserie Baseball Club, but then upgraded to an online team in the mid-1990s on Sandbox, the Kids enter their 34th season of fantasy baseball.  The Kids joined their current league, the League of the Gorgeous Rogues, in 2003 and took 7th place.  Since then the Kids won the championship twice in 2006 and 2013.  In 2021, the Kids shocked everyone in the playoffs to finish third, the only sub .500 team in the playoffs. They have finished last more times than they would like to admit, however.  Enough history, it is time to look forward to the 2022 baseball season. 

Each year teams in the league may keep up to three players from the past season. The Kids elected to keep: Brian Reynolds, Outfield, Pittsburg; Javier Baez, shortstop, Detroit; Kris Bryant, third base, Colorado.  Brian Reynolds quietly put together a good season last year and both Bryant and Baez are with new teams this year with promise to have really good years.   

Here is how the remainder roster shakes out after the draft: 

C:  Eric Haas, Detroit Tigers

1B:  Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

2B:  Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds

3B: Kris Bryant, Colorado Rockies

SS: Javier Baez, Detroit Tigers 

OF1: Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox

OF2: Brian Reynolds, Pittsburg Pirates

OF3: Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles

Utlility:  Shohei Ohtani, Los Angels Angels

SP:  Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox 

SP: Robbie Ray, Seattle Mariners

SP: Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds

SP: Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres

RP: Gregory Soto, Detroit Tigers

RP: Michael Kopech, Chicago White Sox

P:  Diego Castillo, Tampa Bay Rays 

P:  Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs

Bench: Chris Taylor, 2b, 3b, SS, OF, LA Dodgers; J.P. Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners; Jarred Kelenic, OF, Seattle Mariners; Austin Meadows, OF, Detroit Tigers; Justin Steele, SP, Chicago Cubs; Yimi Garcia, RP, Toronto Blue Jays; Casey Mize, SP, Detroit Tigers. 

If you are counting, there are more players than our 23 man roster.  That is because three players are already on the 10-Day Injured List.  

At posting, the Kids are currently in 9th place (out of 10 teams) and are looking to use the benefit of a long season to catch up!  Anyway it turns out, it will be a great season of baseball.  

First Quarter of 2022 Personal Stats update

I am a couple weeks past due for this report, but here is the first quarter of 2022 "accountability" report for my Personal Stats of 2022!

I added a few things from 2021. Several people asked what books, movies, and series I had read. Once I turn the TV off, walk out of the theater or close the book, I just don't remember what I have read or seen (kind of sad, actually) at the drop of a hat. I guess I have moved on to the next thing! Anyway, at the bottom of the report, I have added that information. I also added a link from the 2021 First Quarter Report to see where I stood in comparison to approximately one year ago. If you have read or viewed any of the content I have experienced, I would love to hear your thoughts. Share in the comments below or reach out to me on Twitter: @draftline

Through April 13, 2022:

Movies watched: 7
Rewatch: 5
First time: 2

TV series (streamed):
Episodes: 34
Rewatch: 10
First time: 24

Books read: 6
Graphic Novels: 4
Fiction: 2
Nonfiction: 0
Pages read: 1039

Books abandoned: 0
Graphic Novels:
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Pages read:

Audiobooks: 0
Fiction:
Nonfiction:

Short Stories: 0
Pages read:

Comic books read: 79
Digital: 22
Print: 57

Book Titles:
Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Vol. 1 1/2 (date finished)
Legend of Zelda vol. 3 1/2
Legend of Zelda vol. 4 1/3
Legend of Zelda vol. 5 1/28
In Sylvan Shadows Book 2 Cleric Quintet
Catfishing on the CatNet 3/13

Movies:
Back to the Future 1/1
Back to the Future II 1/1
Back to the Future III 1/1
Encanto 1/8, 1/29
Hamilton 1/8
The Courier 4/9

TV Series:
Book Of Boba Fett
Daredevil season 1
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
National Geographic: Welcome to Earth
Hawkeye
Moon Knight

Here is the link to my First Quarter Check-in for 2021  

Here is the link to the original Personal Stats post.  

New Logo!!

A benefit to working at a high school is that I work with a lot of talented people.  In this case, I am referring to the students I work with.  One of our advanced art classes does a unit on graphic design for business, and I asked the teacher if one of the students could help me with a logo for my blog.  

After emailing back and forth with the student a few times for her to get a feel for what my blog discusses, she sent me the first draft.  I liked it!  She nailed the "feel" for my writing, but I wanted a bit more visual.  I replied what I loved and asked for something that includes the feel of "galaxy" and "searching."  That is what I got!  What do you think?  I love it!

The positive that I want to share here is there is so much promise in our youth.  I know they get a bad rap about being constantly connected to their devices, and they catch a lot of heat for laziness or an "I don't care" attitude.  Let's remember that our youth learn by watching adults, and maybe we all could have a bit of a new look at our behaviors as well.  But don't fret, our youth bring talent to the table as they grow and mature, just like the generations before them.  I see it every day in their creativity, discussion, athleticism, drive, and positivity.

So, thank you to Heidi, for her hard work, creativity, and excellent listening to what I was looking for.  Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy now has a logo!  

Snow Days

When I was a kid, I loved snow days.  What kid doesn't love a surprise snow day from school?  I think, for me, it was less about missing a day of school and more about the opportunity to drop everything to head outside to sled, build a fort, or just goof around in the fluffy white stuff.  As an adult working in education, I still get to enjoy an occasional snow day, but they are enjoyable for different reasons.  

I love snow days now because snow is one thing that can slow people down or maybe even bring things to a halt.  Everything just kind of stops.  I don't hear cars rushing down the street early in the morning heading off to work.  If cars are going down the street it is slowly and quietly.  I love that a snow day lets me spend time with my family.  We are all relieved to not have hectic mornings of rushing around getting ready for the day.  We slow everything down.  We get to have meals together without someone missing or rushing out the door.  We get to talk to each other.  I get to watch my kids playing in the snow as I shovel the driveway.  In fact, with our last snow day, I shoveled much of the snow on the driveway into two large piles in the yard.  In one pile my kids dug a tunnel and "cave" to hang out in.  On the other pile, they created a small sledding path that ended up a "surfing" hill.  There aren't too many times in my day where I get to watch them having so much fun together.  The best is coming in and having some hot chocolate while laughing about all the dumb things that happened while surfing down the hill, "face plants," epic crashes, and distance records.  The snow day forces us to slow down to watch and listen to each other.  

Why do we need a snow day to do that?  Our lives are so packed from morning to night that many people that I see, myself included, rush around with no time to actually see other people.  I think it is evidenced by the number of people who constantly speed on the roads rolling right through stop signs and gunning it through yellow lights.  Sure, we see people and we might even get to work with people (that is sarcasm there), but how many times do we actually get to stop and talk with them beyond the "How are you doing?"  

I worked outside of education for about 10 years between being a student and becoming a teacher, and I never got a snow day.  There were plenty of opportunities for them, but my bosses never allowed it.  I didn't work in any crucial industry like public safety,  healthcare, or snowplowing, so I never understood why it was necessary to head into work when there are 6 inches or more of snow covering the ground.  It is too bad, because there are many mental health and family benefits to staying home on a snow day.  

A couple things come to mind.  If you don't get to enjoy a snow day, find ways to simplify a day at work or on a weekend.  I don't know how to suggest that, but we all know in our own worlds what can be put off or maybe even not started.  Shed things in your day, even just one day, to give yourself a chance to clear the fog and take a look around you.  Give it a try!  Give yourself and the people around you (family or coworkers) a surprise "snow day."  Give yourself and others around you a chance to look and listen to each other.  The benefits are great!  Enjoy a snow day!  

Friday Favorites: Top 5 Football Players

With the Super Bowl Sunday upon us, I thought I would share my 5 favorite NFL football players in my life.   As with any list, it fluxuates, but here today, these are my 5 favorite: 

5. Warren Moon, QB, Houston Oilers: Moon had a gun for an arm and he could throw the ball.  This is
not an official statement, but it felt like most of his passing yards were in the air, not after the catch.  He threw over 4000 yards four seasons and two of those seasons were over 4,600 yards.  He made the Pro Bowl 8 straight seasons and nine in all.  

4. Jerome Bettis, RB, Pittsburg: They called him the "Bus" but Jerome Bettis was a tank carrying the
ball.  I will never forget how powerful he was playing the Bears early in his career with the Rams.  Bettis for his smash style of running, racked up over 1000 yards rushing in 8 seasons.  

Jerome Bettis: Top 10 Big Guys video  **

3. Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco:  No player frustrated me more in the late 1980's than Joe Montana.
  Why?  Because he, more than anyone, knew how to win.  He stopped several really good Bears teams from reaching the Super Bowl, but I suppose Montana was pretty good himself.  In 1987, he threw 31 touchdowns to lead the NFL.  Montana has a 16-7 playoff record and over 5,500 passing yards in the playoffs.  He won every Super Bowl that he ever played in which is four, if you are counting.  What I remember most about Montana was his poise on the field even when he was under pressure.  

Joe Montana: Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players  **

2. Barry Sanders, RB, Detroit: Sanders was a highlight reel every week on some pretty bad Detroit
teams.  What made Sanders special was his ability to improvise and make defensive players miss.  Sanders was power, but he could spin, cut left to right to make defenders miss and then put on the gas to out run most linebackers and many secondary players.  

Barry Sanders: Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players **

1. Walter Payton, RB, Chicago Bears: He was Sweetness.  What more do I need to say?  Walter Payton was my favorite player growing up and when I think of the Chicago Bears or even favorite players in the NFL, Payton is always the first player to come to my mind.  I will never forget my dad saying to me, as he would a decade later with Michael Jordan, he is the best in the sport.  No one even comes close.  Best is always debatable, but I will always argue that Walter Payton is one of the best.  

I remember as a young boy watching Payton crash into the line over and over and my dad would say, "two yards and a cloud of dust."  The thing with Payton was, he may pound the "two yards" but then he would break out, hit some defenders really hard, and drive down the field.  As he approached the endzone, he would start his classic high-step and run right in.  Where Barry Sanders was a magician in making defenders miss him, Payton would make defenders pay the price for getting in his way.  

Walter Payton was innovative as he made the goal-line dive famous.  I will never forget the front page of the Chicago Tribune sports page one Monday morning with a end zone line shot of Peyton flying over the defensive line to score the touchdown.  Besides just being one of the greatest running backs, Payton was versitle as he set numerous blocks to set the fullback free.  Peyton could throw the ball as he completed 8 touchdown passes in his career.  This Chicago Bear brought my brother, dad and I together every Sunday afternoon for years.  I am grateful for that, and for the amazing skill he shared with all of us.  

Walter Payton: Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players **

** The videos are not available to post on the blog, so I supplied the YouTube links to checkout the highlights for yourself.  

   

Basement Treasures: Family Heirlooms

 

A stroll into the basement in search of some Basement Treasures uncovered this family heirloom.  This dollhouse was hand-built by my Grandfather and given to my mom who owned and operated a preschool in our basement.  He also made a copy of this dollhouse for a raffle (see picture), so there is or was another house just like this one.  

My grandfather was a Methodist minister, but I knew him better for the things he built.  He crafted a special item for my brother, sister, and me that we cherished as children.  My sister received a dollhouse that I have no memory of what it looked like, my brother received a red barn that he and I played with often, and I got a rocker that was a green turtle which I quickly outgrew.  I still have the green turtle rocker that will likely show up in a future "Basement Treasures" post, but both of my children used and enjoyed the rocker.  My hope is that my girls' children will also be able to use the rocker someday.  

I received the dollhouse when my mom was clearing out her house after she closed the preschool.  I have two girls who at the time were young and of age to play with dolls and dollhouses, so that is how it came my way.  My girls loved the wood floors and wallpapered walls that my grandfather so carefully hung and created.  He hand-created each wood shingle on the top of the house and inserted windows.  What can't really be seen is that the front of the house and the back of the house slide off to give full access to the interior of the house.  There is also a panel of the roof that can come out to give access to the attic.  This house has brought years of fun to so many children.  

Me and my Grandfather  and the twin house

What is sad to me is that it now sits in the corner of our basement and is only thought of when I have to reset a fuse in our own house.  Its purpose now is to wait for a new generation of children in my family.  It is in some disrepair with some missing windows and wallpaper curling up and off the wall.  I think I look forward to the "grandfather" duty of making those repairs in retirement sometime in the future in anticipation of grandkids myself.  That is years away but for now, it is a classic family heirloom that hides in the corner of our basement as a "Basement Treasure."  

Update:  10/27/24

I found a new home for the dollhouse.  I was sharing the story of the dollhouse and my grandpa at work when one of my colleagues mentioned that her husband and daughter like to work on projects, especially reclamation type projects.  So, long story made short, the dollhouse eventually went home with them so they can make it a family project to fix up the dollhouse.  When they came to pick it up in their pickup truck, it was sad to see it go, but I was excited for the look in her husband's eye when he saw the dollhouse.  I shared with him how it was built and the things that had fallen to disrepair.  His interest and excitement to work on it was clear, which made it much easier to be able to say goodbye to a piece of our family history.