Be Hip to This

March 2020, after the 1st replacement,

just as COVID shut everything down

A personal note: This morning, barring a massive bureaucratic screwup, a year and a half after I finally got my right hip replaced (35 years after I was told it would be necessary, but they usually don't do it on people under 50 years old), I will get my left hip replaced (3 years after I was told that putting my weight on that leg to favor the bad hip had made replacing that one necessary).

Based on the previous experience, in a little over 2 months, I should be able to walk unaided, and with far less pain than I have now.

There is, of course, the possibility that something could go horribly wrong. But this is one of the safest surgeries there is, and, having gone through it once before, I can vouch for this.

I'm reminded of the words of basketball legend Bill Walton, who knows all too well: "Minor surgery is what they do to somebody else."

Nevertheless, I'm 99 percent sure I'll be back. Probably not tomorrow, maybe not the next day. At any rate, I have postdated some blog posts as part of my "Scores On This Historic Day" series. But if I go, say, a week without posting anything other than those, that's when you should start to worry.

But I don't think you'll have to worry about me. Not for that reason, anyway.

I just...

(Don't say it, Mike, don't say it, don't say it... )

I just wanted you to be hip to what was going on.

(He said it... )

*

Days until the next game of the U.S. National Soccer Team: 1, tomorrow night at 9:30 PM Eastern Time, against the Caribbean island nation of Martinique, at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, home of MLS team Sporting Kansas City, in the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the continental tournament for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. (This past Sunday, the U.S. won their opening game, beating Haiti 1-0; Argentina beat Brazil in the Final of South America's version, the Copa America; and Italy beat England in the Final of the COVID-delayed Euro 2020.)

Days until the next Yankees series against the Boston Red Sox begins: 2, on Thursday night, at Yankee Stadium II.

Days until the next Arsenal game: 3, on Saturday, 9:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time, away to Rangers F.C. at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. This is an exhibition game, what soccer fans call a "friendly," the 2nd of 2 they were set to play in Scotland. Yesterday, they played away to Hibernian, at Easter Road, in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, and lost, 2-1. Just an exhibition game...

It's been announced that, with the lifting of restrictions, Arsenal are coming to America, to compete in a tournament at the Citrus Bowl (a.k.a. Camping World Stadium) in Orlando, called the Florida Cup. On Sunday, July 25, they will play Internazionale Milano, a.k.a. Inter, in a doubleheader whose other game features Everton of Liverpool against Millonarios of Bogota, Colombia. On the following Wednesday, they will play one of the teams in the other Sunday game.

Days until the next New York Red Bulls game: 3, on Saturday night, at 7:00 PM, against Inter Miami.

Days until the Red Bulls again play a nearby rival: 11, on Sunday night, July 25, against Washington-based D.C. United, at Red Bull Arena.

Days until the COVID-delayed 2020 Olympics open in Tokyo, Japan: 9, on Friday, July 23. A little over a week.

Days until the 2021-22 Premier League season starts: 31, on Saturday, August 14. Arsenal open the season away to newly-promoted West London team Brentford.

Days until the next Rutgers University football game: 50, on Thursday, September 2, at 6:30 PM, home to Temple University. A little over 7 weeks.

Days until the next East Brunswick High School football game: 51, on Friday, September 3, at 7:00 PM, home to arch-rival Old Bridge. 

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge football game: See the previous answer.

Days until the next North London Derby: 73, on Saturday, September 25, at the Emirates Stadium. TV programming may move the date and time of the game.

Days until the New Jersey Devils again play a local rival: Unknown. The regular season is over, and they didn't make the Playoffs. Under normal circumstances, the next regular season would open on the 1st Thursday or the 1st Friday in October, and the Devils 1st game might be against either the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders or the Philadelphia Flyers. But with COVID still being in play, the 2021-22 season could start on time, but cannot yet be presumed to do so. If it does start on the 1st Thursday in October, that's October 7, and that's 85 days. Under 3 months.

Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey and Mayor of New York City: 111, on Tuesday, November 2. Under 4 months.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 129, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 20, at 12:00 noon, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. A little over 4 months.

Days until the 1st Baseball Hall of Fame election for which Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz will be eligible, and we will know for sure whether steroid use keeps a player out, or if it's only perception that does: 195, on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Under 7 months.

Days until the next Winter Olympics open in Beijing, China: 205, on Friday, February 4, 2022. Under 7 months.

Days until the next elections for Congress and for Governor of most States, including New York and Pennsylvania: 482, on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Under a year and a half, or under 16 months.

Days until the next World Cup opens: 495, on Friday, November 21, 2022, in Doha, Qatar. Under a year and a half, or under 17 months.

Days until the next Women's World Cup opens: 726, on Friday, July 10, 2023, jointly held in the neighboring nations of Australia and New Zealand. A little under 2 years, or a little under 24 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 1,2100, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Under 3 1/2 years, or under 40 months.