Doing Well

I have had some strange troubles lately with my blogger page access, so I apologize for not posting an update here on my status sooner.  Blogger is part of Google, and a program called Google Analytics has been coming up when I have tried to enter blogger in the last two weeks or so, but I think I may have finally figured out what was going on and addressed it, successfully hopefully.  For those I told that this would be a source of information concerning my current and recent life, I promise to try to provide more material in the coming weeks and months when there is reason for publicity.

After over five weeks of being in Denver, things are pretty good.  I have been working in the warehouse for my entire time here, and I could not ask for a better turn of events and situation.  I really am blessed to have had a guardian angel watching out for me and facilitating my presence with this employer sight unseen.  I have worked hard since beginning there and hope I have made a positive impression.  After many months of frustration and failure it has been a wonderful positive to return to work and feel productive as well as have a creative outlet somewhat.  It is also nice to throw away without hesitation all the email relating to employment services like Careerbuilder, Monster, Indeed, Jobing, and all the others I tried totally unsuccessfully to obtain employment in the last several months and more.

Housing remains an unsolved issue, but an action may be forthcoming within a few days of this writing (it is WED 25 AUG evening as I write this).  I have been staying at the ACTS Food Bank since I got here, but I may have enough money set aside to line up an apartment in the next few to several days.  Cost is a challenge as many places ask for a deposit matching the monthly rent, which is impossible to find for an amount less than about $550 or so.  There are some options which may be more favorable, but I have to wait a few more days to try to act on them.  Hopefully I can find a place that will allow me to make a partial payment on the deposit if it is that steep, or a place where the deposit is quite a bit less.  Another critical issue is location and everything associated with that.  I want to be somewhere secure where I feel safe and not imperiled, both personally and for my possessions.  I also would like a  place that is largely quiet and peaceful without a lot of noise and rowdy people nearby.  I believe I can successfully address those issues based on my existing knowledge of the city and suburbs.  While there are absolutes and sure bets, hopefully my judgment will prove to be positive without hassles and concerns in the short and long term.  Finally the timing of all this has to be coordinated with my storage room.  It comes due again in one week and I was hoping not to pay on it again, but that may not be able to be avoided due to the possible timing of events and actions.  Paying it will take some pressure off, but I may not have the full flexibility to make a decision that would be in my best interests concerning a place to live.  I have already planned to leave the shelter next TUE or WED, and hopefully it will be into a place of my own, but the possibility of temporarily going to a  motel is also there.  Hopefully I won't have to go that route, but I am prepared to do so.  

More on these matters in the next few to several days.

My health is good, although I have run out of one of my prescriptions and the other three will probably run out in the next two weeks.  One of the great benefits of my employment is the physical nature of it.  I have been doing a lot of lifting and hoisting, getting alot of upper body and even leg exercise in by lifting boxes filled with filters into stacks that I can make over 15' in height.  My body has been largely positive with all this working out, and I have not had much pain, soreness, or discomfort.  I am decent shape so it is nice not to have to go through any physical adjustment to this employment like I did when I went to Radio Shack, The Wrangler, and even Anderson News back in the 90s.  I have been perspiring buckets of sweat and hopefully there is a positive in doing that.  I have not done much walking other than through the warehouse on a daily basis, but hopefully I can get back to that once I settle in and when the weather starts to slowly cool in the coming month.

I have gotten cellular telephone service again, which is wonderful to be able to connect to those people in my life near and far on the spur of the moment.  I have already experienced some great personal rewards in having some conversations with some of those, and anticipate more in the coming weeks and beyond.

I have some other personal observations about myself and my circumstances to add, but I will do that at a future point.  

In conclusion for today, things are markedly better for me, much more than I could have anticipated when I think back to where I was in July and in prior months.  While there is still a ways to go and concerns are always present, nothing stands at the moment as an significant obstacle or impediment.  Everyone has challenges and problems, and mine are largely paltry relative to those that others face daily and in the short and long term.  I will be fine, and I have a great deal of optimism for the time ahead in the coming months and beyond.  Considering where I was and where I thought I could be, things are going good, and getting better.

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Twitter Posts Now Linked to Blogger

I have put an application/gadget for Twitter on the blog.  It is located on the right side of the page, almost near the top.  I am going to put tweets down on as a regular basis as possible; and at some point in the next few months, I will make avail of my next cell phone to do that as well.  Although tweets are rather limited and lack much detail, they can be done quickly and make use of the blog when writing a post is either inconvenient or unnecessary.  I recommend everyone to get a twitter account and when one does, please inform me so I can put a link to your tweets here on the blog as well as on my own twitter account, which is ColoradoJL.

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2020 Major League Baseball Season Outlook

It is finally here:  one of the best reasons for being alive, baseball season.  The season is already underway this evening as I pen this column.  We probably won't see a champion crowned until after Halloween, which is almost seven months from now.

There is a greater level of parity this season than in past seasons.  Almost 80 % of all the clubs have a possibility of playing in the postseason, but as normal, much has to go right for most of those clubs to achieve that objective, including much going wrong for the big guys.

Pitching will take another small step forward and ahead of the offense, while some clubs may actually make greater use of smallball and base running to add to their offense.  Fundamentals on defense should also see some improvement this season as poor execution and simple mistakes have been increasingly evident in recent seasons, making clubs pay greater attention to this side of the ballgame.

Here are my projections.

American League

East:
1) Boston:  They seem to have all the pieces of the puzzle in place and the key will be staying healthy.  A slight edge over NY and TB due to their pitching.  The Sox offense is among the best in the game
2) New York:  They are not missing much, but many key veterans are a year older.  The outfield needs to show it can do the job.  They are due to slip a notch.  The Bombers will hit with their usual ferocity and consistency for the most part through the season, but the pitching could have questions at a number of junctures.
3) Tampa Bay:  A great starting lineup, but questions exist with the strength and durability of the pitching.  This club could go all the way if most of the potential is realized and health issues are minimized.
4) Baltimore: The most improved club in the division, but the starting pitching still is clearly a couple of notches behind the three contenders.  The Oriole offense should be one of the better ones in the AL.
5) Toronto:  The Jays will be down, but will not probably not fall as far as many are imagining.  If healthy, the Toronto pitching is capable of helping keep the club largely competitive.  Optimism concerning the offense is not as upbeat.

Central:
1) Minnesota:  The loss of Nathan will hurt, but the other forces in the offense and pitching will be enough to take the division, and possibly more, in the inaugural season in the exciting new outdoor stadium.
2) Chicago:  The pitching promises to be superb, but not so for the offense.  Guillen also is a negative as he costs his club victories with his attitude and behavior.  The White Sox, however, have enough to be considered a dark horse for the AL pennant.
3) Detroit:  A shaky offense will cost the Tigers despite a pretty good pitching staff.  Look for a hangover after blowing the division lead late last season, costing them what seemed to be a certain postseason berth.
4) Kansas City:  A lot of questions here with a roster definitively unexciting outside of the starting pitching.  Royals could surpass 75 victories or near 100 losses again.  They will not contend.
5) Cleveland:  Much like KC, lots of questions.  Indians pitching could be a disaster, and the offense has yet to show much overall promise.  Indians will likely be among the AL's worst clubs.

West:
1) Texas:  In what will be the sport's most contested race, the Rangers seems to have the most and best pieces in place to outlast the other three clubs.  A good offense, and a better than normal pitching staff should be enough, barely.
2) Anaheim:  The three-time defending AL West champs have lost a lot of key players in the last two years, and it may finally catch up with them.  Anaheim has decent pitching, but an offense that may struggle more often than not.  They will barely miss out in being part of the postseason.
3) Seattle:  The Mariners have a great pitching staff, but the offense has a lot of holes.  This disadvantage will result in them being close but no cigar or pennant.  Next to Pujols, Suzuki is the best player in the game, but the Mariners lack anyone else that can be described as exceptional in the rest of their anticipated lineup (Griffey is a mere shadow of what he was).
4) Oakland:  Perhaps the most improved club in the AL.  The Athletics will struggle somewhat offensively, but their pitching is good enough to keep them competitive and in the AL West race deep into the season.

National League:

West:
1) Colorado:  The key is the health of the pitching staff and the consistency of the offense.  Have those two go largely right and the Rockies will claim their first NL West pennant in September.
2) Los Angeles:  The Dodgers have a pretty good team but there are some issues concerning chemistry, consistency, and intangibles.  This is a club that could very well underachieve.
3) Arizona:  If Webb is able to go, the Diamondbacks' prospects improve markedly, making them a contender.  The Arizona offense must show more than what is being expected though.
4) San Francisco:  The game's worst offense will be the undoing of the Giants in spite of a sterling pitching staff that has still yet to reach its potential and show consistency all season.
5) San Diego:  The Padres will also be better than what many are forecasting.  Nonetheless, they are doomed to finish in the NL West basement with the pitching staff they have.

Central:
1) St Louis:  If the Cards stay healthy, they should take the division again without much difficulty.  St Louis is always better collectively than the sum of their parts under La Russa and Duncan.  Having Pujols is a huge plus that no other club comes close to having.
2) Cincinnati:  The Reds are a darkhorse to claim the NL Pennant, but much has to go right, particularly with the health and consistency of their pitching.  The offense should be improved.
3) Chicago:  Make it 103 years without a World Series title.  Chicago is the opposite of St Louis.  They are not as good as the sum of their parts would indicate, particularly with their pitching.
4) Milwaukee:  The Brewers' offense will be a presence all season, but the pitching leaves much to be desired.  Still, the potential to exceed expectations is realistic given the Milwaukee roster.
5) Houston:  This is an old club with major pitching deficiencies.  The Astros could be around .500, but they are more likely to have less than 70 victories.
6) Pittsburgh:  An 18th consecutive losing season is a sure thing, but the Pirates are headed in the right direction with a good personnel strategy in place.  Last place is still going to be their home though.

East:
1) Philadelphia:  This is the best team on paper in MLB, and a third consecutive trip to the World Series looks likely, a first for an NL club since St Louis from 1942-44.  Pitching health and consistency would seem to be the only concern about the Phillies.
2) Atlanta:  The Braves will be improved and could challenge the Phillies more than what is being imagined.  The Braves' offense needs to step it up, and the pitching perform as it is capable of.  Another NL dark horse to take the pennant.
3) Florida:  The Marlins are another team that is better collectively than the sum of their parts.  They probably lack enough pitching to stay with PHIL, but Florida has the offense to stay competitive through the season.
4) New York:  Baseball's most dysfunctional and chemistry deficient club.  The Mets will have their moments, but not as many as they need to or should have.  They will stay on the periphery of contention for most of the season, but in the end it will be another losing season as manager Manuel is fired at some point during the season.
5) Washington:  The Nationals have hit bottom but its a long way back up.  Lots of holes and shortcomings throughout the roster, but they will be decidedly better than they were in '09.  70 victories is not out of the question,

Postseason:

Red Sox over the Twins
Rangers over the Yankees
Twins over the Red Sox

Rockies over the Braves
Phillies over the Cardinals
Phillies over the Rockies

Phillies over the Twins to win the 2010 World Series.

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