Mount Diablo

a nice drive & hike (more later)

World Series Champions

It was amazing watching the Red Sox win their 4th World Series title while I was in California with Cooper & Sawyer. Games began at 5 o'clock, and I got to watch them with my nephews. Not to mention all the great player moments, including clutch home runs, and the  David Price/Joe Kelly/Chris Sale pitching masterpiece in the series-clinching Game 5. What a run...

Also, we carved our Jack O'lanterns for Halloween!

Go West Young Man

Hayden is picking me up at 7:45 am, and my flight is scheduled to leave at 10:47 am (weather permitting)...

Final Day Off...

...until my California trip!

Today:

• I slept in until 8:45, then had cereal, coffee & raspberry Zingers for breakfast, with a documentary about the planet Mercury.
• I did dishes.
• Thankfully, my new debit card arrived!
• J & Stacie had a flight-changing stopover in Stockholm.
• I took out the trash.
• I had tuna sandwiches, apple juice and Pringles for lunch. Then it was Sunday's Patriots game on the NFL Network and a wikistorm (Mercury and other elements, poisoning, China, etc...).
• I read more of "Harry Potter" 5.
• I went to Dad & Ma's for dinner (roast beef, gravy & Syrian bread), and to watch the Red Sox win Game 1 of the World Series 8-4. Nice 3-run shot, Nunez!

Great Day Off

A checklist of my pretty decent day off:

• I slept in until nearly 11:00 am, but when I got up, I made scrambled eggs, and had them with a toasted bagel w/butter, fresh broccoli, orange juice, and coffee, while I watched "A Million Little Things".
• I did dishes (twice: sink; and pots & pans).
• I shaved my head and cleaned the bathroom sink (simultaneously).
• I called Workman's Comp and left another message.
• I did laundry (sheets & shirts).
• I watched sports tv and had fried chicken for a late lunch/early dinner.
• Went to Dad & Ma's to give her her birthday gifts (pear soap and a mouse & pumpkins figurine). Cousin Michael is here from Florida until Tuesday so we got to hang out for a few minutes. Ma sent me off with a couple of big pears, some roast beef and a bag of Syrian bread. Plus $100 to goof around with on my California trip!
• On the way home I got a few Mega Millions tickets since the jackpot is close to one billion dollars!
• I ordered a Lisa Jewell novel ("I Found You") from Amazon to read on the plane to California.
• The Raptors beat the Celtics (booo!).
• I had my first beer in a month (back pain meds), and it was glorious! A Metacomet IPA.

World Series Bound

The Red Sox just punched their ticket to the World Series by beating the Astros 4-1 tonight in Game 5 of the ALCS! David Price pitched 6 shut out innings, and J. D. Martinez's solo shot in the 3rd inning, and Raphael Devers' 3-run blast in the 6th sealed the deal.

Now we just have to wait to see who wins the Dodgers/Brewers series, currently at 3/2, to see who we will beat.

World Series Schedule:

1. Tuesday 10/23 @ Fenway
2. Wednesday 10/24 @ Fenway
3. Friday 10/26 @ TBD
4. Saturday 10/27 @ TBD
5. Sunday 10/28 @ TBD (if necessary)
6. Tuesday 10/30 @ Fenway (if necessary)
7. Wednesday 10/31 @ Fenway (if necessary)

Games in bold italics = me in California...

Downpour Day Off

I was so tired after my 3-day return to work (and my jackass manager taking Columbus Day off, leaving me alone for seven hours on my first day back after 2 weeks prone) that I slept until 11:00 am today. At least the grey rainy day passed by slowly anyway...

My Washburn University shirt arrived! And it's fantastic. Classy & classic all in one. It'll get its first wearing in California in a few weeks.

Around 3:30 I ran out in the driving rain to fill my gas tank, pick up my doctor's note for work (no trucks or heavy lifting for 30 days), and do a small foodshop (dairy, chicken, cereal, etc...).

The rest of the day was a combination of online games, tv and "Clash of Clans". It's 11:00 pm now and I am going to try to play catch-up on Inktober.

Did one - Day 8: STAR

And last but not least, I snagged Chillhop Essentials - Fall 2018 from Bandcamp. So even if my iPod fritzes out, I can stream it on my cell phone when I am in California...

Miscellaneous

I had my follow up visit at the doctor at 1:30. I can go back to work on Monday, but no heavy lifting (or truck unloading) for one month. Sweet, I was going stir crazy with all of the inactivity and crappy weather...

On the way home I stopped at Michaels to use my $25 gift card that I received from Dad & Ma for Christmas. I got the following:

1. Artist's Loft - 8½" x 11" 75 lb paper hardcover sketchbook (110 pages).
2. Strathmore - 5½" x 8½" 60 lb paper spiral bound sketchbook (130 pages).
3. Pigma - 3-pack of black Micron art pens (.005/.02/.08).

Late lunch was 2 Dunkin Donuts sausage/egg/cheese/plain bagels. Haven't had one of those in ages! They were sooo good.

I did some drawing, and like a dummy, at 11:00 pm I ordered pizza...

Inktober

I began a new drawing challenge today: Inktober. Created in 2009 by Jake Parker as a way to stimulate creativity, promote consistency, and hone skills with freehand inking, Inktober is a 31-day daily challenge with an official list of prompts.

I will be using the official Prompt List, but if I find myself uninspired on any given day, rather than skip that day, I will choose from any number of unofficial lists.

The official one:

My work will be posted on my Instagram, and also at my drawing blog, Balsa Wood Tree House.