Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Going Nowhere

The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year.

Today, due to reasons beyond my control, and I won't go into those or the details thereof here, I spent 5 hours on the road... and never got more than 4 miles from my residence.

I had hoped to go on another Thanksgiving Weekend vacation, but that was destined to not happen. Half the family couldn't go (again, for a reason I won't get into here, but it's not a long-term issue), and I, as usual, was broke.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are no closer to finding that one more starting pitcher they need far more than a new manager. As we've seen, almost anyone can manage the Yankees to a Pennant, as long as he doesn't use a pitch count, and has a general manager willing to spend the money to bring in the right players.

The Devils are better. But it's early in the season.

The Rutgers football team is back into pre-Greg Schiano stink mode.

The East Brunswick football team managed 2 wins this season. A 3rd, in the big rivalry game tomorrow, is incredibly unlikely.

And I'm still here. And "here" is not where I want to be.

I'd say, "Maybe next year." But, as we've seen, as the old song goes, "Tomorrow is promised to no one."

As was said by President John F. Kennedy, assassinated 54 years ago today, "We all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal."

*

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 1, tomorrow morning, at 10:00, at home at Jay Doyle Field, in the annual "Battle of Route 18" rivalry with Old Bridge. Beat The Scum!

Days until The Arsenal play again: 1, tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM our time, away to 1. FC Köln, at RheinEnergie Stadium in Cologne, Germany, in a UEFA Europa League Group Stage game. This past Saturday, Arsenal hosted North London arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and, "Two-nil, we beat The Scum, two-nil!"

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 3, this Saturday at 12:00 noon, home to Michigan State.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 17, on Saturday, December 9 at 7:00, against the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center in Newark. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center.

Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 39, on Sunday, December 31. Under 6 weeks.

Days until Phil Murphy is inaugurated as Governor of New Jersey: 55, on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. Under 8 weeks. Goodbye, Chris Christie, and stay out.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 67, on Sunday night, January 28, 2018, a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina (that's 1 country), at the StubHub Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. A little over 2 months. After that, no matches are scheduled. They were supposed to play at the World Cup in June 2018. Alas...

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 79, on February 9, 2018. A little over 11 weeks.

Days until the next North London Derby: 80, on Saturday, February 10, 2018, at Wembley Stadium in West London, where Spurs are playing their "home games" until the new stadium they're building on the site of White Hart Lane opens the following August. Two things could change this day-count: The game could be moved due to the British TV networks' demands, or Arsenal could be drawn to play Spurs in the FA Cup, which would be the weekend of January 6 (if it's in the 3rd Round) or that of January 27 (if it's in the 4th Round). The 4th Round would be the weekend of February 17, after the next scheduled Derby.

Days until the Red Bulls play again: Unknown, as the season came to an end with a Playoff defeat against Toronto FC this past Saturday. Usually, the Major League Soccer season begins on the 1st Sunday in March, which would be March 4, which would be 102 days from now. A little over 3 months.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": Unknown, although the season opener is rarely a derby, so it probably won't be against either New York City FC, the Philadelphia Union, D.C. United or the New England Revolution.

Days until Opening Day of the 2018 Major League Baseball season: 127on Thursday night, March 29, as the Yankees open away to the Toronto Blue Jays. A little over 4 months.

Days until the Yankees' 2018 home opener: 131, on Monday afternoon, April 2, against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 139, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Fenway Park.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 204, on June 14, 2018. Under 7 months. But the U.S. team won't be playing. At least now, Donald Trump doesn't have to choose, and can root for his favorite country, the host nation, Russia.

Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing most of these wonderful "prospects" that Yankee general manager Brian Cashman wanted: 283. A little over 9 months.

Days until the next Congressional election, when we can elect a Democratic Congress that can impeach and remove Donald Trump from the Presidency: 349on November 6, 2018. Exactly 1 year, or 12 months.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State game: 360, on Saturday, November 17, 2018, at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game (after tomorrow's): 365, on Thursday, November 22, 2018.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 413, on January 9, 2019. A little over a year, or a little over 13 months.

Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 562, on June 7, 2019, in France. A little over a year and a half, or a little over 18 months. The U.S. team, as 3-time and defending Champions, has, as usual, a better chance than the men's team would have had in 2018 anyway.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 778on January 8, 2020. A little over 2 years, or a little over 25 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 978on July 24, 2020. A little over 2 1/2 years, or a little over 32 months.

Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 1,080on November 3, 2020. Under 3 years, or under 36 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 1,158at noon on January 20, 2021. A little over 3 years, or a little under 38 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Days until the next World Cup for which the American team will be eligible is scheduled to kick off: 1,826, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. Exactly 5 years, or 60 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.

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