Cup of Coffee

March 13, 2019: Turnabout

53 Comments

I get to peace out every now and then on the occasional short business trip, but the wife gets her revenge in with a few four day trips per year. I'm looking uphill at one now.

53 thoughts on “March 13, 2019: Turnabout”

  2. Went to see my dentist yesterday morning because of horrible toothache in my bottom front teeth. Turns out the teeth are sound, but that I've been grinding my teeth, which has created a whole bunch of nerve pain all of a sudden. He filed down (very slightly) the two teeth that are most affected. Still waiting on relief, as I've been living on acetaminophen for the last two days.

    2. Bruxism. My wife diagnosed mine many years ago, but I've not had an issue with it for quite some time now. There are mouth guards you can get for that, but I can't imagine trying to sleep with one in place.

      1. Yea, I am probably headed in the mouth guard direction. Right now, I just need the nerves to settle down.

      2. i grind my teeth when really stressed out, but recently had the unfortunate experience of waking myself up with the noise created by grinding and chomping. It was really, really loud and the force I was applying was disturbing. I have a guard, but will always have to go searching for where I threw it in the middle of the night.

        1. My brother-in-law grinds so loud that he has woken me up sometimes (same home, different room). Aquinas appears to have the same affliction, but has not woken me up yet at least.

      3. It's been years since I've done any teeth grinding, but every now and then I do jaw clenching, which might be easier on the teeth but still has discomfort waking up.

  4. Week 2 of the joints spring cribbage league. Nibbish and partner jump from 11th to 7th place by winning 2 of 3 matches with some bonus points for 2 skunks. Team zooomx jumps from 11th place to 8th place while winning 2 of 3 matches and one bonus skunk. We are in different leagues, and both our teams are defending their winter league championships! We represent WGOM well... at least in cribbage!

    Still have some room in a big 64 team tournament on Sunday March 24th if any one has a wild hair and wants to drive up and play. $50 per person (includes lunch) for a team of 2. First prize is $1200. Lots of other prizes. Proceeds benefit Knute Nelson Hospice. It is a memorial tournament for a player who passed away last summer. If anyone is interested, shoot me an email or a personal message on our book of face page. Pike and Pint Grill. I have a few comped hotel room certificates in my safe if anyone needs one.

    1. Do you play cutthroat (claim opponent's missed points) or [non-cutthroat (?)]?
      I take too long to play cutthroat, worried about the points I'm missing, going through all permutations of the cards, and then usually forgetting the flush that was the entire reason I kept those four cards.

      1. We do not have muggings (stealing points). I would say a fair amount of the players will tell you if you missed a point.

        1. Never enjoyed muggings. Reminds me of golf, where you get punished for not counting your score right, even though there's a zillion cameras and people who can do it for you.

            1. On Tuesday, both my team and the other team were in the last possible spot. Tied 120-120. I cut the other team a jack, and it was all over.

              I was lamenting the fact that I had a jack in my hand, and that the odds of cutting one seemed pretty low, and two other people noted that they also had jacks in their hand, so it was a 1/32 chance.

              Then we skunked them in the second game, and it didn't matter as much anymore.

              1. On Monday, I don't think we were more than 5 points ahead or behind the entire night. Ended up winning 2 of 3, but man it was tight. On my cribbage app this weekend, I was playing the computer and was 2 holes away from winning. The computer was 26 points out and pulled a 28 hand. 1/15,028 chance.

  5. I am already sucked in on the local baseball team. I try so hard not to get hopes up, but every year...

    I feel hope for our rotation. Berrios and Gibby should be solid. Odorizzi should be a serviceable #4. I think Perez (who is getting a lot of buzz) and Pineda both have a good shot of emerging as a solid #3. We have a few decent arms in the wings who can step in as ok #4 or 5.

    Buxton is on a mission and I feel this is a big bounce back year pending his health. Sano looks healthier, and I give it a 50/50 shot he comes back strong. Cronny, Cruzy, Marwinny will give us a more productive line up.

    Bullpen worries me, but it is so easy to add missing parts in the summer.

    Cleveland will be down a bit. If they fall below 92 wins, I think we have a chance. My over/under for the team is 89 wins. My ceiling is 94. The floor is scary with potential injuries always in play. I know this is optimistic, but dang it, I can't help it. <bracing for an onslaught of "what are you smoking!">

    1. I really am optimistic about them, too, although I can't articulate much for reasons why. Maybe it's just the irrational exuberance of spring training, but I feel like this could be a really good team.

      1. Forgot to mention: Kepler may very well break out. Rosario and Polanco have not reached their ceilings. Shoop, shoop da loop could bounce back. Lots of ifs, mays, and coulds but, but, but it could happen.

    4. Cronny, Cruzy, Marwinny

      *Extreme side-eye*

      I've long been of the opinion that the Twins are perennial balanced on a knife edge and it just doesn't take much for them to go from 100 losses to 90 wins.

  7. I cant believe how many drive without their headlight on when its foggy and or raining.

  8. Weather.com, the radar, and our local TV weathermen tell me that it's been snowing here for four hours now. Meanwhile, I keep looking outside and not seeing any snow. Clearly, the reality I'm living in is simply an illusion.

    2. It did finally start snowing around the middle of the afternoon. I don't think it's going to be the snowpocalypse they were predicting, but coupled with 30-40 mph winds (expected to increase) it is pretty nasty outside.

  10. Juan Centeno sighting!

    It's kind of amazing how many backup catchers are floating around who played for the Twins at one time or another.

    1. Just taking a quick look, we have Bobby Wilson (Detroit), Juan Graterol (Cincinnati), the above-referenced Centeno (Boston), John Ryan Murphy (Arizona), Chris Herrmann (Oakland), Drew Butera (Philadelphia), and Rene Rivera (San Francisco). There's also Kurt Suzuki (Washington), who wasn't a backup with the Twins, and Wilson Ramos (Mets). And had Chris Gimenez not gone into coaching, I don't doubt that someone would have at least brought him to spring training this year.

      1. So dads, if you can't teach your kid to be a left-handed pitcher, teach him to be a catcher. He might not play a lot, but he can be in the big leagues forever.

        1. I loved playing catcher. You’re involved in every play, are constantly thinking about pitch sequencing & the running game, and you got to block the plate back in my day. That said, I don’t know if I’d choose to play it now if I were to do it over again. I don’t think of injuries as badges of pride anymore, and you’re always getting a little banged up. It’s not football, but it’s the riskiest position on the field. I hope my kid’s a shortstop.

  11. It seems to me that it's about time to get some of our pitchers stretched out. I know we don't expect anybody to go nine, but I don't think anyone's even thrown four yet, and the regular season is only about two weeks away.

  12. I think we all know one of the answers to part A.
    Check out @tangotiger’s Tweet:

  13. So apparently Facebook and Instagram are now running on 8 hours of major problems. Of course it happens on a day where I have some cool things to post! Working on a burger challenge with local high school marketing class. 3 classes present 3 winning burger ideas. We tested and perfected them in our kitchen today and want to tell the world, but no can do. They are useful platforms for small business to get the word out, but part of me is kind of OK with them struggling right now.

    2. The problem is that they are very obviously sandwiches. I don't know if I can support someone who denies obvious facts like this.

      1. I don't know if I can support someone who denies obvious facts like this.

        If only this was the most glaring example of this these days.

        2. I believe Anderson Cooper and Tucker Carlson are both going to give their "hot take" on the debate on their shows tonight.

      2. Yes, Hot Dogs on buns, or any link sausage on a bun, are all sandwiches.
        Way clearer than tacos (the question there is if tortillas count as bread, Gyros are sandwiches, so... maybe?).

        1. Exactly. THIS is the question that we need to be asking, not all of this "obviously hot dogs are sandwiches, but how can we say they're not so we can debate it?" nonsense.

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