Play Ball

March 21, 2026

I knew the Lake Pleasant campground where we chose to stay was several miles north of the Surprise baseball stadium. When we approached the campground, we saw signs saying the road was closed ahead. Since we did not know another route to the site, we kept driving and hoped for the best. It turned out we got within a mile (1.6 km) of the entrance when we were routed to the south. I asked one of the construction workers as we slowly passed how to get there and was told to take the road to 303 West, then Grand North to 74 East and come back in from the other side. While this sounded simple enough, I did not realize this meant taking an 80-mile (128.7 km) detour. By the time we arrived I was more than a little upset that the camp had failed to mention this small detail. I also wondered what this would mean for driving to Surprise for the three games we had purchased. When I googled the location of the stadium from our campsite, I found that while it was farther than I expected, it was only about 5 miles (8 km) more than without the detour (down to Surprise then up to the campground). The next day we made allowances for the distance and arrived in time to be seated along the first base line before the start of the game. After the traditional “first pitch” by some unknown local celebrity we heard the umpire cry, “Play Ball”.

When I went online, I found in the US, “play ball” generally means “play baseball,” though the usage is often heard in connection with football, basketball, and other sports. The phrase, or various versions, were in use hundreds of years before baseball was invented. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the expression simply referred to a game played with a ball. Concerning baseball, the Dickson Baseball Dictionary (3rd ed.) defines “play ball!” as “the command issued by the plate umpire to start a game or to resume action but it is sometimes abbreviated to a simple order of ‘play!’” Dickson quotes from the Boston Globe (May 13, 1886) the first use in newsprint: “McKeever held a long discussion with Pitcher Harmon about signs. The crowd got impatient; one man yelled ‘Get a telephone!’ while the umpire ordered them to ‘play ball.’” The phrase caught on and showed up a few years later in in James Maitland’s, The American Slang Dictionary (1891): “Play ball (Am.), go on with what you are about.” Dickson says, “play ball” has a special meaning to baseball fans and is the “emblematic phrase for the start of any baseball game.”

We were able to see the Royals play three games in Surprise. Tuesday night they played the Dodgers in a packed house. The temperature at “Play Ball” was 99F (37C). We left with a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning and heard they ended up losing 12-4. The next night it was 102F (39C) at the start. The Royals share the field with the Texas Rangers and were considered the away team on that night. They lost 10-2. On Thursday they played the Angels and the temperature at the start was 106F (41C). While the desert has a “dry heat”, it was still hot every night. The worst part was the World Baseball Classic wrapped up last weekend and most of the players we came to see were not suited up. The Royals had 14 players in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, with 10 of them on the 40-man US roster, causing some to name this the “Royal Baseball Classic”. The final saw Venezuela beat the US 3-2 with a 9th inning double. I guess that made us 0-4 for the weekend. Check my bucket list.

THOUGHTS: While the emblematic phrase may be “play ball”, the official umpires rule book states the game is to be started when the umpire points to the pitcher and says, “play”. Despite this rule, most fans (like me) still hold out for and can even hear the traditional shout. I have found in most things our traditions tend to overrule our rules, at least in our minds. What one believes can be more important than the facts. However, there are times when we should try and go with the facts. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Installed

February 13, 2026

The weather is finally warming (and staying so) enough for me to feel comfortable enough to de-winterize the RV. This is my first season for this, so it made me a little nervous as I am not the mechanically inclined sort. I had researched the process several weeks ago and the videos all said how easy it was. When I woke up this morning all I could think about was I needed to get this done. I procrastinated for another half-hour in bed and then decided to start. I let the kids out for their morning constitutional, got my coffee, and went back to my office to restudy how it is done. I watched 4 different YouTube videos claiming to be my year-make-model RV and while they were the same steps, they all showed slightly different versions of where the valves and settings were. I finally felt comfortable enough to make the attempt and checked on the weather. I saw the outside temps were in the mid-50’sF (mid-10’sC) but were expected to be around 70F (21C) this afternoon. When I walked outside it felt a little cool and I decided to wait for my attempt at de-winterization. I blogged in November that we purchased a 50-inch 4K QLED Smart TV (streaming and Bluetooth ready) so I figured this might be a good time for me to get it installed.

I had moved the TV from the garage into the RV several days ago and told Melissa the box made it look like it would not fit. She assured me she had used the dimensions I had given her for the TV and measured them against the size of the overhead where it was going to be installed. When I took the TV out of the box, sure enough it was more than able to fit in the overhead area. I did notice the screws we were told to buy to hang the TV were the wrong size. Also, when I held the TV up to the bracket the screw holes on the TV did not match up with the bracket holes. They were off by 3 inches (7.5 cm). I spent the next hour trying to figure out how to drill new holes in the bracket to make them line up. Just as I was prepared to go to the hardware store and buy a metal bit for my drill (I only had masonry and wood bits) I realized I would need to remove the bracket to get enough leverage to punch through the metal. That put me on a different line of thought. If I had to remove the bracket anyway, why not just reposition it 3 inches lower on the wall?

While this sounded easy, the cabinet the bracket was screwed into was not low enough to give me the 3 inches I needed. No problem. I could cut out a wooden extension, screw it to the cabinet to give me the required length, and then screw the bracket into the wall and extension. While this would leave screw holes in the wall, I figured I could cover them with putty, and they would be behind the TV bracket anyway. I cut a 6 x 10-inch (15 x 25-cm) piece of leftover 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) plywood and checked it against the cabinet I was going to attach it to (“measure twice, saw once”). Now I went to the hardware store and bought the screws along with antique white spray paint to (kind of) match the extension to the existing cabinets. I applied two coats to each side of the plywood, letting it dry between coats, and then screwed the extension on the cabinet. By this time Melissa had returned from her appointment, and she was able to help me get the bracket and larger TV installed. Another simple job that I had taken all day to complete. I still need to de-winterize the RV.

THOUGHTS: One of the better parts of being retired is I have a lot of time to work on projects like getting the TV installed. It is a good thing too, because it always takes me twice as long as it should. My younger brother and brother-in-law are both mechanically inclined and are constantly working on fix-it-up projects around the house and office. Unfortunately, I take after my dad. He grew up on a farm and was able to do minor repairs, but he left the real projects to the pros. Most humans should take a similar approach toward life in general. When we disregard the information from “the pros” and go with “it’s possible” we get into trouble. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Locator

February 11, 2026

Yesterday began as a normal day. I drove into town to visit some friends and then decided to do some shopping. We are preparing for a trip in our RV and I needed dog food. While the little man will eat anything you put in front of him (he loves the crunch of carrots), our big girl is sort of picky about what she eats (no carrots!). The store has a quality brand that is much cheaper than either the pet store we used to shop at or even online. I have also started using their phone app that allows me to scan my purchases and skip the register Since I was picking up several items (the alure of the box store) I placed my phone in the baskets to easily scan my items. When I was done, I swiped the payment, put my phone back in the cart, and proceeded to the exit gate. The woman at the door waved me through and I walked out to the parking lot. That was where the trouble began. I had forgotten where I had parked in the large lot. I walked up and down several rows of cars and did not see my Jeep anywhere (come on, I know you have done this). The vehicle does have a locator attachment geared to my phone, but it was not specific enough to pinpoint other than the right lot.

When I went online, I found Locator tags (or Bluetooth trackers) are small battery-powered devices that attach to personal items (keys, wallets, luggage, pets) to track their location. Tracking can be done using smartphone apps via Bluetooth or from wider crowdsourced networks (e.g., Apple Find My, Android’s Find My Device). Leading options are equipped with features like sound alerts, last-known location mapping, and, in some cases, precision finding. AirTags use the extensive Apple network, while Tile relies on the Life360 network, and Samsung trackers use the SmartThings Find network. Certain models (AirTag and SmartTag2) use Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to guide you directly to the item with on-screen arrows. Many locator tags can play a loud sound to help locate items and will send alerts if the item is left behind.

Since the locator tag for my app was not specific, I started clicking the “open” button on my car keys to see if the taillights appeared anywhere close. They were not. In desperation, I finally hit the panic button. The alarm went off and indicated the car was in the opposite direction to where I had been searching. I moved toward this section of the lot and hit the alarm again. There was my vehicle, right where I had left it. I stowed on items in the Jeep, put up my cart, and proceeded to my next shopping destination. As I exited that store, I happened to check my pants for my phone. It was not there. I franticly search the car. It was not there. I realized I had left my phone in the basket at the box store. I hurried back and saw the carts had been taken back inside the store. I asked the two young men standing outside if they had seen my phone. They had not but suggested I check at the customer service inside. I approached the service desk and asked if anyone had turned in a phone. The woman asked me what color it was and after handing me the phone asked me to open it (to make sure it was mine). The phone opened and she told me to “have a nice day”. I finally could.

THOUGHTS: After my two mishaps yesterday, I was grateful for having locator apps on my belongings. I use them on my car keys, my luggage, my phone, and my vehicles (sort of), as well as several personal items. I admit I got tags after losing my key fob at the lake while walking the kids. One US$350 mistake more than makes up for the price (4 for US$20) of the locators. While I have yet to again lose anything, my peace of mind is worth the cost. I have even shared the locators with melissa so she can help find things. The irony of losing my phone was I needed a phone to call to track the locator tags. Lucky for me the one who found my phone was a good Samaritan and turned it in. It reminded me to also do the same and gave me hope for humanity. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Christmas Pickle

December 05, 2025

After a nearly two-hour bus ride our tour arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle today. The castle is a 19th-century palace on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps in the south of Germany above the incorporated village of Hohenschwangau and the narrow gorge of the Pöllat stream. Since 2025, the castle has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, “The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria”. According to Guinness World Records, it is the tallest castle in the world at 213 feet (65 meters). Walt Disney used this castle as a model for Disneyland. When we arrived on site there was snow on the ground and the castle was shrouded in fog. The walk to the castle began with a 30-degree incline that took me 30 minutes to navigate. After a brief rest we began the last 15 minutes of the walk that shifted to a 45-degree incline. When our appointed 5-minute entry slot arrived we began a 25-minute tour that took us to the top (fourth) floor. Although the trip was tiring, it was well worthwhile. As our tour continued to Oberammergau our guide told us of one of the Christmas traditions celebrated by her family while growing up, the hiding of the Christmas Pickle.

When I went online, I found Christmas pickle (Weihnachtsgurke) is a game of hiding a pickle shaped Christmas ornament among the branches of the tree. While supposedly a centuries-old German Christmas tradition, most Germans have never heard of it, but it is beloved by many families in the US and UK. After decorating their tree on Christmas Eve, the parents hide a pickle ornament among the branches. The first child to find the pickle on Christmas Day receives an extra present or good fortune for the coming year. In some stories, the pickle-hiding game is a centuries-old German tradition that has been passed down through generations. In others, a captured German-American soldier was saved from starvation on Christmas Eve during the Civil War by eating a pickle. Other people believe the tradition is related to St Nicholas resurrecting three boys who had been murdered and hidden in a barrel of pickles. Anyone familiar with traditional German Christmas will see some flaws in the story. Germany celebrates the arrival of St. Nicholas on December 6 rather than Christmas Eve and children open their presents on December 24, not Christmas Day. The biggest problem is that few in Germany have ever heard of it. A December 2016 survey by YouGov found only 7% of Germans had heard of Weihnachtsgurke, and only 6% of families practice the custom.

Our guide pointed out a souvenir store where we could buy a Christmas Pickle. I toured the other shops before deciding to get a Christmas Pickle for my son and his family as a nice way of sharing a German tradition as we are of German descent. When I asked the cashier where I could find a Christmas Pickle, her response was, “Was is pickle, I do not know this word.” I broke out the translator on my phone and typed in my request, which was displayed on my screen in German. “Ah, gerken!” Then she showed me a wooden pickle for 24 Euro. She saw the look on my face and told me to wait while she found a cheaper version upstairs. While I waited, I Goggled “Christmas pickle” and found this was not a German tradition, but an American tradition that has only recently spread to Germany. When I shared this information with the clerk, she told me she only keeps the Christmas pickle for tourists. I did not buy a Christmas pickle for my son and his family.

THOUGHTS: When my guide asked if I found a Christmas pickle I just laughed and said I had. I knew nothing would be gained by telling her what I had learned. I have found that traditions come from all sorts of origins, and the origin is not as important as the joint celebration it brings to a family or community. Sometimes it is better to just keep your traditions alive (no matter where they come from) to bind us together in a shared belief. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.