Tag / Corona Virus

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Locked Out Of The 10,000 Step Club

Things were a lot different a year ago, as I was finishing up my fifth year using a Fitbit.  I had just added 45 new 10,000 step days, my 3rd best year to date, and, with upcoming trips to Boston and California already on the docket, things were looking good to add a good number more and add some new tales to this list of my top 25 step days.  Then, the corona virus happened and the world basically shut down.  I worked from home for the remainder of the year, which gave me a lot more free time, but also significantly cut down on my daily step totals.  All told, I managed only 3 10,000 step days for the just completed sixth year of Fitbit usage, which came to an end last week.  Just for giggles, here’s a duplication of last year’s top 25 step days, since nothing has changed over the past year.

1: 4/14/2018 – 27,470 steps

My best single day total is from my April 2017 trip to New York to see Angelina.  The day’s excursions included trips to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, Central Park, the Guggenheim museum, and the Empire State Building.

2: 7/21/2018 – 27,278 steps

My July 2017 trip to Virginia, to hike up Catawba Mountain to McAfee Knob with Jeff and Val, fell just short of the top spot.

3: 6/6/2013 – 24,988 steps

2013’s trip to Disney World, which spent 5 years as my single day best, included excursions to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom, and yes, falling 12 steps short of 25,000 still irks me.

4: 6/3/2019 – 24,665 steps

The first full day of 2019’s summer trip to Washington DC spent most of the day at the Smithsonian Zoo.

5: 8/8/2019 – 23,866 steps

Late in the summer of 2019, I spent two weeks in San Francisco for a work trip.   On my last full day, I went out after work, walking to Pier 39 and then back the other direction to Oracle Park to see the Giants take on the Phillies.  My totals would have been even higher, but I was dead tired and took an Uber back to the hotel after the game.

6: 3/18/2018 – 23,780 steps

My first day in Las Vegas for the 2017 IBM Think conference, the day’s totals include gallivanting around town, including a late night trip up to Caesar’s Palace from the MGM Grand to see Absinthe.

7: 10/24/2018 – 23,362 steps

My October 2018 trip to Boston to see Angelina for our birthday gives us our next entry.  While she was in class, I took tours of Fenway Park and Harvard, before meeting up with her for a late lunch and then heading to the airport for the trip home.

8: 3/22/2016 – 22,493 steps

My one-time second highest day took place during the ill-fated trip to Disney World in March of 2016.  The day’s excursion started at Hollywood Studios before heading over to Epcot Center with Jeff and Val.

9: 7/27/2013 – 20,592 steps

Still my highest total at home in the state of Illinois, the next entry comes thanks to the 2013 BTN 5K and a, for lack of a better word, misunderstanding about where I should be picked up after the race.

10: 12/29/2018 – 20,374 steps

We wrap up the top 10 with 2018’s trip to California and the trip to Disneyland to see Danny perform with the Lincoln-Way Marching Band.

11: 8/5/2017 – 20,218 steps

The next entry came in August of 2017 on the first day of my trip to Boston with Danny and Michael.  After landing in town, we traipsed to the Science Museum, a breakfast joint, our hotel, and, finally, Fenway Park.

12: 7/14/2017 – 20,208 steps

Down to #12 is my 2017 trip to Disney World, a one day journey with Angelina to celebrate her high school graduation. Continue reading →

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The Game Remains The Same… Wait

As baseball looks to start its second pandemic-impacted season, a number of rule changes were announced yesterday as part of the updated health and safety protocols.  These rules cover spring training, the regular season, and the postseason.

Each team is required to submit a list of up to 75 players eligible for spring training by February 12.  For spring training games that occur between February 27 and March 13, the “retiring the side” concept will be relaxed, allowing managers to end an inning prior to three outs following any completed plate appearance, as long as the pitcher has thrown at least 20 pitches.  In addition, substitution rules for all of spring training shall be relaxed, allowing pitchers to be eligible for re-entry.

A 26 player Opening Day roster as well as a list of up to 28 players that will be assigned either to the Class AAA affiliate or Alternate Training Site, must be submitted by noon on Opening Day.  Any player on the Injured List who does not remain with the big league club will be assigned to the Alternate Training Site, but will not count against the 28-player maximum.  Teams will also be permitted to have a five player taxi squad, which includes at least one catcher, on all road trips.

In the regular season, doubleheaders will continue to be comprised of two seven-inning games. The extra-inning rule introduced last season also will continue to be in effect.  Also, each extra-inning will continue to begin with a runner on second base.  All on-field personnel, including players, must wear face coverings over both the mouth and nose at all times in the dugout and bullpen, except for pitchers and catchers warming up in the bullpen.  Players who violate this requirement are subject to discipline by MLB.  Limitations on the number of pitchers on the active roster and the restriction on position players pitching will not be applicable.  The roster size will expand to 28 on September 1.

MLB has the right to relocate teams to neutral sites, spring training sites, or other clubs’ home ballparks, and/or reschedule games during the 2021 season for health/safety reasons, to comply with governmental restrictions, or to complete the schedule.  With the consent of the MLBPA, MLB also has the right to conduct some or all of the postseason at neutral sites or to delay the start of the postseason in order to reschedule regular season games following the planned completion of the season.  MLB shall also have the right to reschedule any game postponed due to COVID-19 as a seven-inning split or straight doubleheader.  The first four doubleheaders scheduled per team due to COVID-19 shall not count against the limitation on split doubleheaders in the CBA.

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Fitbit Year 6

A year ago, I set a goal of 2,730,000 steps, an average of 7500 steps per day. Thanks to the corona virus becoming a concern in March and the complete abdication of responsibility for managing the pandemic by the Trump administration that led to much of the country still being shut down today, I fell quite a bit short of my challenge, finishing more than a million steps behind with only 1,711,727, the second straight year I’ve failed to surpass my yearly goal for the only times since 2014 under the old GlobalFit program. My average step total per week was 32,917.83, which comes out to about 4702.5 per day. The median weekly total was 31,765.  My best week was Week 27, where a concerted effort to get out during the summer propelled me close over to 56,000 steps for the week.  My worst week was Week 49, the dreaded down week between Christmas and New Year’s.

For the upcoming year, I’m going to keep things as is, in the hopes that I can finally reverse this downward trend. I am leaving my goal for steps per day at 7500, which would again bring me to a yearly total of 2,730,000 steps. Hopefully the third attempt, now that I’ve got this WFH thing down pat, is the one that sticks.

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Fitbit VII – Week 1

We kick off the 7th year of Fitbit use with yet another down week, as the combination of winter and the corona virus keeps me locked inside the house.  The week got off to a bad start on Sunday, with 2700 steps.  Monday managed to be my high point of the week, with only 3900 steps.  Tuesday was almost at the same level, coming in 15 steps shy of 3900.  Wednesday saw a sharp decline, falling down to 2900 steps.  Thursday bounced back up a bit, rising all the way up to 3400 steps.  Friday continued the upward climb, scoring 3500 steps.  Saturday was another step in the right direction, thanks to a pre-snowstorm trip to the local Jewel, accounting for 3800 steps.

Total steps: 24,366

Daily average: 3480.9

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An Empty Class

All eyes turned towards the small hamlet of Cooperstown, New York last Tuesday, as the votes were tallied and, for the first time since 2013, the 2021 Hall of Fame class was found to have no members.  Curt Schilling led all vote getters with 71.1% of the vote, 3.9% shy of the 75% required for induction.

Three others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Barry Bonds, who saw a slight increase up to 61.8%.  Roger Clemens was right behind him at 61.6% and, with only one more go around each, it seems unlikely that either will make it via the BBWAA.  Scott Rolen saw a big jump, rising to 52.9% and looks like he’s on track to eventually make it.

Omar Vizquel, who was on the upswing and looked to be on a good trajectory, dropped back down under 50% after allegations of spousal abuse popped up last year.

Mark Buehrle scored the highest amongst the newcomers, with 11%.  Torii Hunter and Tim Hudson are the other two newcomers who live to fight another day, surpassing the 5% cutoff.  Of the local contingent, former White Sox outfielder Andruw Jones jumped up to 33.9% while Manny Ramirez finished with the same 28.2% as last year.  Cub outcast Sammy Sosa garnered 17.0%, while his former teammates Aramis Ramirez and LaTroy Hawkins pulled in 1% and 0.5% respectively.  Former White Sox outfielder Nick Swisher got no votes, which seems about right.

Schilling, in an effort to prove that he is the garbage human being that he shows to the world on social media, released a letter after the vote was announced asking to no longer be considered for the Hall.  “I’ll defer to the veterans committee and men whose opinions actually matter and who are in a position to actually judge a player,” he wrote, denigrating the BBWAA and the entire election process.  Personally, I hope they leave him on the ballot and that nobody votes for him.

While there is no class of 2021, there will still be an election ceremony this summer, as the class of 2020, Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller, get their day in the sun, corona virus willing, on Sunday, July 25.

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Midseason Review – Thursdays

old-tv-set1We are on the back half of our look back at the offerings for the new fall season. Thursday night is traditionally the busiest night of the week for my television viewing habits, but not this year. Here’s what was on the slate for this season.

7:30

Connecting – The first pandemic-based comedy arrives on NBC.

I’m not entirely sure this ever aired.

8:00

Grey’s Anatomy – The medical drama enters its 17th season, picking up where the abbreviated 16th season left off.

Well, they’ve turned in 100% on COVID, which I guess makes sense for a medical drama.

9:00

Star Trek: Discovery – The first season of the CBS All Access show moves to CBS proper.

I tried watching the first episode and, having just gone through 7 seasons of DS9, I didn’t have it in me to start up another Star Trek series.

Now, for new entries that will be hitting the screen this winter:

Mr. Mayor – Ted Danson returns in this latest vehicle from Tina Fey.

The Chase – Sara Haines hosts this rebooted game show, featuring three of Jeopardy’s biggest winners.

Clarice – Yet another sequel to The Silence Of The Lambs that may be interesting.

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2020: The Year In Television

Last year was a bit disjointed when it comes to television shows.  The corona virus shut down most productions along with the rest of the world back in March, leaving the 2019-2020 season to end abruptly and causing the 2020-2021 season to roll out late, if at all.  On the other hand, it also caused me to be home full time since March, giving me plenty of time to catch up on streaming shows I may have missed or that were newly released.  Since we cover the network and cable shows that I watch elsewhere, let’s take a look at the 23 seasons of shows I streamed on various platforms this year.

Away Season 1 (Netflix)
Hillary Swank plays an astronaut who leaves her family behind on Earth to captain the first manned mission to Mars.

Blindspot Seasons 4 & 5 (Hulu)
I had fallen a bit behind on this NBC show that wrapped up last summer so I combined what episodes I still had on the DVR with Hulu to burn through the final two seasons.

Bosch Season 1 (Amazon Prime)
Based on the book series by Michael Connelly, I watched the first of six seasons last fall.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Part 3 (Netflix)
The latest installment of the darker interpretation of Archie Comics character is probably the only show I had watched pre-pandemic.

DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow Season 5 (Netflix)
I had only watched the first episode of the season pre-pandemic, which was the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover, as it aired, so I combined what was on my DVR with Netflix to burn through the season quickly.

Dead To Me Seasons 1 & 2 (Netflix)
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini get entwined in each other’s lives after killing each other’s husbands.

The Flash Season 6 (Netflix)
Like most of the DC shows, I hit pause after the Crisis crossover and before the season ended early, using my DVR and Netflix to catch up.

The Flight Attendant Season 1 (HBO Max)
Kaley Cuoco returns as a flight attendant with drinking issues who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

Lost In Space Season 1 (Netflix)
The remake of the 60s classic came out a few years back, but I never got to it until my December vacation.

Never Have I Ever Season 1 (Netflix)
A comedy about a high school aged Indian girl fighting against her traditional family while wanting to be a “normal” teen.

Ozark Season 3 (Netflix)
The latest installment of the money laundering family in Missouri and their dealings with the Mexican drug cartels. Continue reading →

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2020: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

Thanks to the corona virus inspired shelter-in-place order that kept everyone locked at home from mid-March through my annual long December vacation, I saw a big increase in movie watching, with my highest total since 2008.  I managed to watch 154 movies last year, easily surpassing the 100 movie plateau for the first time since 2011 and my third highest total of all time.  It’s amazing what I can accomplish when I am home all day and don’t need to bother with pesky things like a commute.  Or exercise.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I watched last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Sister Cities (2016)
Four sisters reunite following the somewhat suspicious passing of their mother.

Home Again (2017)
Reese Witherspoon takes on three boarders and finds her life change for the better.

It Chapter 2 (2019)
Now adults, the Losers Club returns to Derry to finish off Pennywise once and for all.

The Domestics (2018)
A young couple crosses a post-apocalyptic country looking for safety.

On The Basis Of Sex (2018)
A young Ruth Bader Ginsberg argues in front of the Supreme Court.

Colonia (2016)
A young woman searches for her kidnapped boyfriend.

Long Shot (2019)
A once-promising journalist hooks up, professionally and personally, with his former babysitter, who is running for president.

Overboard (2018)
The roles are reversed in this remake of the Kurt Russell/Goldie Hawn classic.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
Keanu Reeves returns for the third installment of this surprisingly entertaining series.

Midsommar (2019)
A group of college students heads to Sweden for a festival and some strange shit goes down. Continue reading →

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52 Books in 52 Weeks – 2021 Edition

A new year is once again upon us, and it is time to once again delude myself with the goal of reading a book a week for the entire year, totaling 52 books in 52 weeks.

In years past, I’ve had a low point of 8 books.  I’ve hit a high point of  31 books twice.  Last year, I finished with 24 books finished, less than half of my goal and a somewhat surprising disappointment, since I was basically locked in the house for 9 months due to the corona virus.

Since I have nothing but time again this year, at least until the vaccine starts to make its way to the general population, I’m going to give it another go.  I’ve got plenty of new books stocked up in the Kindle app on my iPad, not to mention one or two birthday and Christmas presents, so I’ve got a good pile to start with.  As a reminder, the rules I am using are:

  • You can count a book as read as long as you have completed the book in 2021 and at least 50% of that reading takes place in 2021
  • Any book counts as long as you’re not embarrassed to count it.
  • Poetry collections do indeed count.
  • Re-reading a book is okay as long as it isn’t done this year. (Reading Twilight twice in 2021 only counts as 1 read)
  • Audiobooks also count.

My first book of the year looks like it will be the high school memoirs of the musical group Tegan & Sara, which I’d hoped to sneak in under the wire in December.  With at least another 6 months of being stuck at home, 2021 should be another good year.

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And Never Brought To Mind

The hell year that was 2020 has finally come to an end.  While the world looks forward to vaccines and a (hopeful) return to normalcy without the impacts of the corona virus, we turn our gaze back to two trips to California, one in 2017 to see Angelina compete and again in 2018 to see Danny march in the Rose Parade.  Starting in the top left and moving clockwise, we have a picture of Danny in said parade on New Year’s Day 2019, Angelina and Michael posing in front of the Central Perk window at the Warner Bros. studio, Angelina warming up before her performance in Anaheim, Danny performing at the pre-parade Band Fest showcase at Pasadena City College, the entire family (minus Danny) outside Ms. Patty’s dance studio back on the back lot at Warner Bros.  studios, and, finally, Michael, Danny, and mom at Disneyland in 2017.