Any Man – Amber Tamblyn
The debut novel from actress Amber Tamblyn, Any Man details a serial rapist targeting men and the devastation that she leaves in her wake.
Tamblyn has been at the forefront of the #metoo movement and her novel flips the gender roles that you would expect in a tale of rape. For the most part, it works, bringing home the destruction that rape does to the victim and those around him/her.
For the fourth consecutive year, a Chicago team is in position to start selling playoff tickets to their season ticket holders. While the Cubs have once again struggled to pull away from the pack, they currently hold a 3 game lead in the National League Central and are nearly locks to make it back to the postseason.
Thanks to a randomly selected combination assignment, I would end up with tickets to a home Wild Card game, should the Cubs drop out of first place, all Division Series home games, home games 1 and 2 of the Championship series, and home games 1 and 2 of the World Series. Unlike past playoff appearances, it seems I would have my normal tickets for the first two rounds, before moving a little closer to home plate but 6 rows up for the World Series.
A new wrinkle for 2018 is that only electronic tickets will be issued. Following the conclusion of the postseason, commemorative physical tickets will be made available.
It’s been 3 years (to the day) and 121 games since we last looked at the single game leaders in offensive categories for all the games I have attended in person. There are some new names of the list that weren’t there when we first looked in 2012 and again in 2015.
Home Runs
| Name | Total | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Sammy Sosa | 3 | 6/5/1996 |
| Moises Alou | 3 | 7/4/2003 |
| Manny Machado | 3 | 8/7/2016 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 3 | 10/19/2017 |
| 119 with | 2 | Most recently on 6/16/2018 |
Hits
| Name | Total | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Rolen | 5 | 4/22/2007 |
| Mike Fontenot | 5 | 6/25/2007 |
| Mark DeRosa | 5 | 9/17/2007 |
| Alfonso Soriano | 5 | 5/17/2008 |
| Derrek Lee | 5 | 6/28/2008 |
| Ryan Braun | 5 | 8/2/2010 |
| Prince Fielder | 5 | 8/2/2010 |
| Danny Santana | 5 | 8/3/2014 |
| Melky Cabrera | 5 | 6/21/2015 |
Runs
| Name | Total | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Burke | 5 | 6/13/2006 |
| Gary Ward | 4 | 8/14/1984 |
| Paul Konerko | 4 | 6/28/2002 |
| Continue reading → |
A pretty good week, with 5 out of the 7 days coming above goal. Things started off strong on Sunday, with just over 7100 steps. Monday was the big day of the week, coming in at nearly 11,200 steps. Tuesday was back down at 8300 steps, while Wednesday finished 105 steps higher. Thursday came in just shy of 7200 steps. Friday was a down day, with 6300 steps. Saturday used a trip to Medieval Times with Hayley and Daryl to finish just shy of 6000 steps.
Total steps: 54,501
Daily average: 7785.9
Our Kind Of Cruelty – Araminta Hall
In her latest novel, Our Kind Of Cruelty, Araminta Hall tells the tale of a young man, emotionally stunted due to a poor childhood. When his girlfriend breaks up with him after an admitted indiscretion, he thinks she is playing a game in attempt to get him to earn his way back to her. Her quick engagement and marriage only lead him further down the path, until he has convinced himself that the only way to save her and prove that he still loves her is to kill her new husband. When both are charged with the crime, the jury, and the reader, must determine if the game was only in his mind, or if he truly was manipulated.
Hall never comes out and tells you if Verity was truly playing along with Mike, or if it was all in his head. Given some of her comments about the genesis of the story, how “the continued injustices perpetuated against woman in our so-called civil society” fueled the first draft, one can only assume that she was an innocent bystander to the men in her life and got caught up by the legal system.
As we enter the dog days of summer, we have Michael representing the city of Chicago at Guaranteed Rate Field, with the skyline in the background.
Another good week, as the move to Willow continues to beneficial to my weekday performance. Things got off to a slow start on Sunday as we recovered from Saturday’s hike before heading to the airport for the trip home. Monday offered a good bounce back, with a good work day followed by a trip out for ice cream with Michael. Tuesday was the high point of the week, finishing above 10,800 steps. Wednesday was back down near 7000 steps. Thursday was back up over 8000 steps. Friday finished over 7700 steps, thanks in part to a post-work haircut. Saturday came in over 8700 steps, thanks to trips to the grocery store and the White Sox game.
Total steps: 57,309
Daily average: 8187
Today, former White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome joins long time Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, Expos and Angels star Vladimir Guerrero, and Padres ace Trevor Hoffman in taking their place in Cooperstown. With 3 new hitters joining the list of Hall of Famers I’ve seen play live, let’s check back in with the new leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2018.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jim Thome | 35 |
| Frank Thomas | 15 |
| Vladimir Guerrero | 6 |
| Ivan Rodriguez | 4 |
| Chipper Jones | 3 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jim Thome | 110 |
| Frank Thomas | 54 |
| Ken Griffey Jr | 32 |
| Continue reading → |
This Sunday, the Hall of Fame class of 2018 will be inducted in Cooperstown and Trevor Hoffman will become the 6th Hall of Fame pitcher I’ve seen live. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we will take another look at the pitching leaders amongst Hall of Famers in games I have attended between 1984 and 2018.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Greg Maddux | 9 |
| Tom Glavine | 1 |
| Rich Gossage | 1 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Greg Maddux | 12 |
| Tom Glavine | 2 |
| Tom Seaver | 2 |
| Rich Gossage | 1 |
ERA
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Trevor Hoffman | 2.25 |
| Rich Gossage | 3.86 |
| Greg Maddux | 4.17 |
| Tom Seaver | 4.21 |
| John Smoltz | 4.50 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Greg Maddux | 92 |
| Continue reading → |
This past weekend, I got on a very small plane, along with Val, and headed down to the beautiful metropolis of Roanoke, Virginia, to celebrate Jeff’s 50th birthday. Our trip started Thursday night after work, where we arrived and got some quality time with a young puppy named Simba. Friday, the three of us worked remotely before heading out for dinner and to see the sights of Roanoke, which basically was The Roanoke Star and a grocery store.
Saturday, we headed out early to hike up Catawba Mountain to McAfee Knob. With an elevation of 3,197 feet and a trail distance of approximately 4.4 miles, McAfee Knob is one of the highlights of the Appalachian Trail. It took quite an effort on my part, and probably more time than we were planning, but the views from the top, not to mention the satisfaction of one of my traveling companions, were worth it. The trip back down was a bit easier, thanks to a fire road, but a small stumble certainly made it interesting.
Sunday was spent relaxing and recovering from the strain of the previous day, until it was time to head back to the airport and fly home.