Inclusionary Olympics

This is what I sent to the International Olympic Committee tonight:

So, in the sprit of the Olympics, I am suggesting that we consider an inclusionary Olympics:  Why have a “regular” Olympics and a “Para-Olympics.”  And now facing the controversy of “transgender Olympians,” why not figure out a way to:  do “Parallel Olympics.”   Do not hold them sequentially, but inclusively.   Hold the various categories and name the winners of these “categories” and then if THEY choose, let them compete against each other.  Including if male and female Olympians want to challenge each other.

 

In the name of world peace, survival of the Earth and Human Rights, you configure this out.  You are smart, and, hopefully would not be on the Olympic International Committee if you were dedicated to the Principles the Olympics stand for!

A Sports Day

Saturday, the 24th, was quite a sports day.  It started with the Texas Tech football team playing Baylor in Arlington, Texas.  The Tech team lost.  I went to see the Lady Raiders basketball team play the Houston Baptist Huskies.  The Lady Raiders won.  I stayed to watch the Red Raider basketball team play the Northern Colorado Bears.  The Red Raiders won.  The NBA Boston Celtics played the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.  The Celtics lost.  Well .500 is not the best average, is it? 

Basketball

I bought season tickets for the Texas Tech Lady Raiders Basketball Games, which might be a rip off.  The tickets average out to $5 a game, and they are being sold singly at $3 a game. Oh well, I wanted to be supportive of the new era under Coach Marlene Stollings, and as a season ticket holder, I get preferred parking, free entry to other Tech female sports that are also Olympic sports, and some restaurant discounts for restaurants I do not usually frequent.  

Tonight was the season opener for the Lady Raiders, and they won.  I was smart enough to check the men's basketball schedule, and know they had a home game scheduled about an hour after the women's game.  That meant my ticket was good for both games.  I planned to work my 8 hours, and leave in time to go home, feed the cats and get to the Lady's game before it started at 5:30 PM.  I had dinner at the arena, and stayed for the men's game, too.  The men also won!  

This year, there is only one other double header at the United Supermarket Arena.  It is scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  I will plan to attend both games that day.

There are other days that the men's team and the women's team play at home on the same day, but the amount of time separating both games allows for emptying the arena and the parking lot and charging two admissions.  What a bummer!

Saturday, A Lazy Day

I was able to sleep in Saturday morning.  I went for a walk, and read for a while before I started binge watching Blue Bloods.  In the course of watching TV, I did housework during commercials.  And got the chores done that I wanted to do.

Then I watched the Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma football.  It was a loud and crazy game to start with.  It ended poorly for Texas Tech.  So sad.

Reading

I am an avid reader.  I like murder mysteries, and I like the series books, although I will read a stand alone if it is good.  I am trying to read more non-fiction, also.

This fall, there has been a lot of sports on TV that has interfered with my reading:  Yankee and Red Sox baseball.  The Red Sox in the World Series.  Patrick Mahomes quarterbacking the Kansas City Chiefs.  The New England Patriots.  Texas Tech football.  The Boston Celtics.  

I have season tickets for the Lady Raider basketball games, and some of the out of town games will be televised. It also looks like most of the men's basketball games will be televised.  I try to listen on the radio, if the games are not televised, for both the men and the women. I cannot read during basketball. 

I used to knit when I watched sporting events, but Taki cannot be deterred from trying to play with the yarn, and it is too difficult to try to knit.  I hate to lock her out of the room, or put her in time out, so I do not knit much any more. 

Instead, sometimes I play Words with Friends, or other word games on the computer when I watch TV. But I am re-learning how to watch TV without also doing something else.

Sometimes, during a sporting event that is kind of boring, I will read during the commercials, and continue reading until I get to a good place to stop reading. 

I love to read. I love books. 

Disappointment and Good News

This was a sports day. Texas Tech played West Virginia in Lubbock.  Tech lost.  West Virginia started too strong, Tech tried to come back but fell short.

I thought I was going to get to watch the Red Sox and Yankees MLB on TV tonight, but the game was played this afternoon, and was aired on Fox Sports.  There was another game aired regionally so it was not available to me. It was played during the time the Tech football game aired.  I got onto MLB and followed the game on Gameday at MLB. The Yankees won! That was good, but it would have been good if the Red Sox won, too.  

So, it was not the worst of sports days!

Sports Day Today

It was a beautiful fall day.  My plan was to watch some sports and do some errands.  I watched the Yankees vs. Orioles  MLB .  The Yankees lost.  I was able to run my errands, do some yard work, and even eat dinner al fresco and sit in the back yard, reading and enjoying the fresh air for a while.  Then, the Red Sox vs. Indians game came on.  My plan was to watch that game, and then flip over to the Patriots vs. Lions game NFL.  Well, the Red Sox game went into extra innings, and sometime in the 10th or 11th inning, it was announced the Patriots lost to the Lions 26 to 10.  Oh my gosh, imagine my surprise.  And to add insult to injury, the Indians won in extra innings!  Not a good sports day today.  

What is Wrong with CBS?

I watched the National Football League game between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots yesterday.  The Patriots won.  The game was aired on CBS, and after that game was ended, they switched to the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.  The game was tied close to the end of regulation time, and went into overtime.  I kept the TV on CBS, thinking they would show the overtime play.  But no, CBS went to their post game show, with talking heads and uninteresting patter.

What is wrong with CBS?  They could have had a barnburner of a TV show, but they blew it.  
And, for that matter, what is wrong with the NFL?  Their crazy overtime rules make no sense, are not competitive, and really do not resolve ties, but are more aligned to ensure the games end in ties.  Who wants a tie in professional sports?  Have we become that neutralized that we cannot expect sporting events to be decided in overtime?

Smart Phone

I did not think I needed a smartphone.  What did I know?  Look at me today:  I am working on the computer, and watching the Tigers vs. Yankee (Major League Baseball) game on my smartphone.  The game was supposed to be on TV, but Fox Sports has a full line up of college sports, which has faced a rain delay.  So in an effort to get complete coverage of their college games, most specifically University of Texas Longhorns vs. University of Maryland Terrapins on TV, the baseball game is being aired on the Fox Sports app.  So, I have my smartphone propped up in my book holder, and I can monitor the possible TV coverage, work on the computer, and watch the game!

Yeah smartphone!

Vacation

This was the last weekday of my vacation:  I have a weekend, and Monday holiday before I return to work on Tuesday!

Because I went to a play last night, I arrived home late and it took me until well after 2 AM to wind down, but I slept in the recliner until about 4:45 AM, before I went to bed. I got up early to give the cats their breakfast, then retired till late morning. 

I had planned to run a couple of errands today, but decided I would binge watch Blue Bloods. It was aired from 11 AM until 6 PM today.  So, I did. I had chores to do in the house, which I accomplished, and after wards, showered, and went out and ran the other errands I wanted to run.  No harm done, just changed the order of tasks and errands.  I usually tend to business first, before I indulge in pleasure activities.  

I still have errands and chores to do, including regular housework and laundry, making a delivery to a colleague for NASW, and working on the monthly NASW mailing.  I can tend to all of that the next few days while I watch TV, including Texas Tech Football. 

I have to say, it has been a very good vacation.  
  

Red Sox Baseball

The regular reader will know that I am both a fan of the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball, and the New York Yankees.  This week, the Red Sox are playing the Texas Rangers, so I am fortunate to be able to watch those games on TV.  Sometimes, when they play the Houston Astros, I can catch those games.

Right now, the Yankees and Red Sox are the best teams in major league baseball.  That means that some of the national broadcasts, on Fox Sports or ESPN will feature some of their games, especially against the better teams.

Yardwork

I was very, very tired today, partly because of the physical work I did yesterday, and partly because I was up late watching TV.  I watched the Texas Tech vs. Florida NCAA world series baseball game. Tech won. Then, I watched Perry Mason. I heard the alarm clock go off,  but did not hear the secondary alarm from the smartphone.

I spent time reading today, and unusual for me, nodded off for a couple of naps.I enjoying a phone call from a dear friend from college.  I ran some errands, and went out to eat for dinner.  The Texas Tech team was scheduled to play in the College World Series this evening, but due to a weather delay, the game has been postponed until 6/20/18 NCAA World Series.

I obtained an estimate on fixing my carpet, and replacing the padding.  I contacted my Congressional representative and both Senators regarding my distress about the  separating of immigrant children from their parents at the border. I called the handyman I usually use about some tasks I need done around the house. He did not respond today, but that is not unusual, he sometimes takes a day or two to return a call to me.   I hope we can set up services for this week.

My lawn service mowed front, back and alley today.

I was able to take out a lot of trash, and do some trimming in my yard that the lawn service does not do. The trash I took out included things that I had stored for some time, but had no reason or value to keep.

It has been a good day.

The NBA Playoffs

I like basketball, and this year, the Celtics are in The NBA playoffs, so I am interested, not only in their games, but in the games of their potential opponents.  It has proven to be an interesting distraction.  

Reading

I have been on vacation since the 15th of March, and in that time I have read 5 books: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley (I did not realize that title was a quote from Shakespeare, but it is; 4 stars); Glass Houses by Louise Penny (love her Inspector Gamache series and would recommend it to all who love a good mystery; 5 stars); A Sudden And Fearful Death by Anne Perry (4 stars); The Strangler Vine by M. J. Carter (2 stars); and The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson (4 stars.)  

It seems I have read a lot during the month of March, because other books I have read this month include:   Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman (5 stars);  Oolong Dead by Laura Childs (4 stars); 212 by Alifair Burke (4 stars); and The House of the Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith (5 stars).

I used to read this much, but got out of the habit when I became addicted to playing "Words with Friends," which is a perfectly acceptable pastime, because it does challenge the brain, and I can play while watching some TV shows or certain sporting events.  (Not basketball, basketball is too fast and requires undivided attention if I am really interested in the game, and not just the outcome.) 

But we are in between sports seasons, except for basketball.  The Texas Tech team made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, and lost today, so I am not really interested in the rest of the tournament.   The Boston Celtics are doing well, and will be in some part of the NBA tournament that lasts for ever, so I will be able to watch them sometimes.  I have already watched the Yankees play a spring training ball game, and baseball season will start soon. But, I can read and listen to baseball, as well as play "Words with Friends" and listen to baseball. 

Well, I digress.  I have enjoyed all of the reading that I have done recently.

The Crossover Game

This is what I sent to tonight. ESPN:

The Crossover Game

Tonight, I watched “The Crossover Game” of basketball on ESPN, between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers.  The premise of this game is that college basketball announcers comment on this game, while professional basketball announcers comment on a comparable college game.  I have to say, this premise was a bust.  The commentators spoke about so many things that had nothing to do with the game, and everything to do with their own opinions about the current and future of college and professional basketball.  These are the kind of comments that belong on a sports commentary show, not a game broadcast.  I appreciate commentary on the current players, the history of the teams, and any current news in the sports, but everything else was extraneous in my opinion.  I finally had to mute the broadcast, and just watch the game.  Which effectively also took me out of the advertising for the game ($ Chi-Ching lost).  Sorry ESPN, not a fan of this type of broadcast.

December 28, 2017 Where are the Celtics

The Boston Celtics were scheduled to play the Houston Rockets on December 28, 2017, to be aired on TNT.  My cable provider provides programming on TNT.  When I tuned into TNT, there was some sort of notice about due to contractual reasons, they could not air the Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics game.   I understand that, if it is a home (Houston) game, and the game is not sold out.  But we are some 530 miles from Houston.  In other parts of the country, there would be no geographical considerations at that distance.  But, additionally, the game was in Boston, so the geographical consideration of Houston should have been mute. 

Nevertheless,  I did not get to watch the game. 

Lady Raider Basketball

I have season tickets for the Texas Tech Lady Raiders Basketball team.  I went to the exhibition game against St. Edwards University.  It was a good game, in the respect that Texas Tech won.  The players had lots of energy, and they won by more than 30 points.  St. Edwards' team were not as good as Texas Tech, but even so, Texas Tech made a lot of mistakes.  As I left the game, I heard people talking about how good the team is was and how much energy they played with.  There is a lot to do to get ready for season play, and they have some serious opponents before pre-conference play.  We shall see how the season progresses. 

Boston Sports

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 was a sports special night.  I watched the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox playing at Fenway Park https://www.mlb.com/.  The Yankees won. It was a cold and rainy night, and the ball park was not full, understandably, but it was a good game.

Switching channels, and the Boston Celtics were playing the Chicago Bulls in the NBA play off. http://www.nba.com/ in Boston. If the weather was good, Boston could sustain  two major league sporting event sell outs on the same day. As it was, the basketball game was well attended and the game was a squeaker until near the end. Boston won 108-97.

Friday night, April 28, was a good Boston Sports night, too.  I did not get the Red Sox, but I did watch the Celtics win against the Bulls, coming back from being down 2-0 and winning their Eastern Conference round 105-83.  It turned out that the Chicago Cubs were playing the Red Sox, in Boston, and lost.  Yeah!

2016 Summer Olypmics

So I have watched some of the summer Olympics in Rio https://www.olympic.org/.  I watched the opening ceremony.  It was interesting, exciting, the effects of the projector were great, and I love the parade of nations.  The stories about the past Olympians and the current Olympians are great.

I watched the men's basketball game against China on Saturday.  I realize that basketball was created in the United States.  I grew up in Western Massachusetts and I have been to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. http://www.hoophall.com/.  But I really resent that the announcers from the United States talk about the basketball portion of the tournament as if it is a forgone conclusion that the United States will win the gold medal.  I agree. The United States should win. But it is very rude, condescending and exhibits great hubris of our announcers.  I resent that. I think we are better than that as a nation, and should treat the other participants with more respect.

Sunday, I watched the women's basketball game against Senegal.  I heard the same overweening pride about the women's basketball team.  It puts a bad taste in my mouth. I want the United States to win the gold, and I think the US team will.  But we need to be more respectful of our international co-inhabitants of the Earth.

Texas Tech NCAA Baseball

Texas Tech NCAA Baseball has advanced to the final 8 of the NCAA World Series of College Baseball.  The series will be played in Omaha, Nebraska.  This is the second time in 3 years that Tech has advanced to the World Series.  They have done well the last 3 years, have a great coach in Tim Tadlock http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/tim_tadlock_786414.html, and have World Series experience.  This is great news for Texas Tech.  Go Tech!