A Baseball Game Going into Extra Innings

According to Sports Illustrated (on June 14th, 2013), there have been 110 extra inning games in the 2013 MLB season.

In 2011, there was a record set of 237 extra inning games.

As of September 25th, 2013, there were 239 extra inning games, breaking the previous record.

Part of the reason that the record was broken is that there are now more teams in the MLB than ever before. But no matter how you look at it, that's still a lot of games. With more than 30 games left in the season and post season, I wonder how many more extra inning games we will see this year.

And in case you were wondering, the longest game (inning wise) was on May 1st, 1920 between the Brooklyn Robins and the Boston Braves. That game was 26 innings long with the end score being a tie of 1-1.

And the longest game (time wise) that went into extra innings was the Chicago White Sox vs. the Milwaukee Brewers played on May 8th, 1984. Chicago won 7-6 and the game was 8 hours and 6 minutes long.

Headphones

OK, so I grew up in the 1980's. These were the only headphones that I remember from that time period:

And this is what they looked like if you accidentally tossed them in your bag with your stuff...

 I have also tried these:

They look like this on:

And I have to say, I hated them. Couldn't get used to the behind the head thing after so many years of over the head.

Another one I hate?
These:

They just don't fit in my ears. They hurt and they fall out.

My favorites are this type:

They fit snugly and securely, rarely EVER fall out and can be found in noise cancelling styles as well.

Although I do sometimes wear these for my job(s):

Always on my right ear. I don't know what to tell you, it just feels right.

And now for some fun headphones:

Owls

Gnome and Mushroom

Spiderman!

Wonder Woman!

Breakfast

Crayons! (Pick your favorite color!)

Cupcakes

Fast Food

My Little Pony

Stethoscope

And finally, possibly the most expensive headphones I'd most likely NEVER wear:

Swarovski crystal ear buds

Clam-Strewn Sandbars

So in my mind when I think of clam-strewn sandbars, my mind thinks of New England and baking clams on the beach (not that I've ever actually done that). And it sees images like this:

But my experience with beaches is more Georgia (where I was born and grew up) and Florida.
MY most fond memories of beaches look more like this:

More of the hauntingly and achingly beautiful.

But the most beautiful I ever remember the beach being was when I was about 12 or 13. I was generally ostracized by every group imaginable. Even the church choir with whom I was on a weekend tour. We did a performance in Panama City. And before we left the next morning, I took a quick, almost predawn, walk on the beach. I remember the wind blowing my hair, the smell of the salt water and utter emptiness of the beach at that time of morning. It looked more like this:

But mostly this one:

The sun was a little orange ball  just beginning to rise and I think it was the first time that I realized that the world was a whole lot bigger than the microcosm in which I lived.

Brass Decorated Cash Registers

Some beautiful examples of these timeless classics. One look at them and you are automatically transported back to a simpler time that I am actually too young to even remember.

I can appreciate the incredible works of art that they are.

Sweet Potato Souffle with Miniature Marshmallows and Raisins

This one sounds yummy. So, I went and looked up recipes. And they sounded yummy, too.

Most of the rest of the recipes were like what I grew up with, Southern style sweet potato casserole.

However, not many sweet potato souffle recipes called for raisins and marshmallows. Only one did that I could find in a reasonable amount of time.  I'm going to have to give it a try!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1950,150172-247198,00.html

Teakettles

OK, so growing up in the Deep South, and having a VERY proper grandmother, I grew up having "tea parties" with all my stuffed animals and dollies (I didn't have many friends as a kid.). So, I LOVE teapots. Especially whimsical ones like these:

My daughter loves these:

This is probably not surprising that my 4th great grandfather was Roswell Gleason and is accredited as bringing silver plating to the United States. He made such lovely tea pots as this:

Anyway, so once my daughter got old enough we got her tea sets: A pretty Disney princess one (plastic) and a nicer ceramic one in bright (but still pastel, sorry I don't know how else to describe them) colors. 

And what I envisioned was something like this:

Mommy and daughter having tea and a great time. 

I'm realistic, I wasn't expecting these:

 In all honesty, it never happened. What happened was more like this:

Not in such dramatic fashion, of course. It happened slowly, one cup and saucer at a time. Yes, even the plastic ones. (And let me tell you, they hurt when you step on them in the middle of the night and they will cut your foot open just as well as the ceramic ones will.)

I still have the hope that one day, she'll appreciate it, but right now, it's not going to happen. I hope that one day, before she's a teenager she'll want this:

And this:

But right now, I'd be happy if she'd just drink her cup of warm Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger with honey when she has a sore throat instead of leaving it on the dining room table.