So I'm really bad at predicting sports outcomes. D1, the Marlins dietitian, asked how far into the playoffs I thought her team would go. I scoffed -- they'd be out of it very quickly -- probably lose 2 to the Cubs, and the still great season would be over. Ha. As if! Yesterday, the young team employed their great pitching, got 2 homers, and beat their opponents. They play today, and tomorrow, if necessary. I hope I'm proven wrong.
Meanwhile, the Heat seemed to finally realize their gig is up. They got blown out in the NBA Finals, which had a benefit to me -- I was able to turn off the game and go to sleep by the 3rd quarter, knowing the outcome. Back when they had the Big 3, the Finals kept us all up late for a long time. It seems, to my son in law Jonathan's great disappointment, that this one will end soon. Then again, even MAKING the Finals was impressive, exceptionally so.
My Canes are in the Top 10. We find out in 2 Saturdays if they're real or pretenders -- they play the best team in the nation, Clemson.
With local sports doing great, I observed that, other than the worldwide pandemic killing millions and disabling more, our nation on the brink of civil war, times are pretty good , lately.
Ah -- our nation. The infamous first debate has all of my friends, Trump haters all, even more dyspeptic. We'll vote for Biden, of course, but saw him for the cranky old man he is. Any sort of younger, more dynamic candidate would SO energize the Democratic party, and make this election a foregone conclusion. But a nearly 80 year old is the best we can come up with? My friend Norman apologized to his sons, on behalf of all of us late Boomers. He's dead on.
Closer to home, thankfully all is well. Wifey and I very much enjoyed the online Yom Kippur services from the historic Temple Adas Israel in D.C. In particular, a 29 year old Rabbi blew me away. Her sermon was about the 2 goats -- the Big Man instructed Aaron, the first high priest of our people, to sacrifice one, and allow the other to wander into the wilderness, having absorbed the sins of the people -- hence, the famous scapegoat.
The question was which goat got his throat slit, and which was allowed to live. The people drew lots to decide. The Rabbi took this to teach that, while we MUST observe all the mitzvot, and live righteous lives, we have to understand that sometimes our fate comes down to dumb luck.
This resonated with me. Even the most righteous person sometimes gets into the wrong car, destined to be hit head on by an out of control truck. Sometimes the most philanthropic gets the horrible medical diagnosis.
Life is unfair, as I have been telling the Ds since they were little, and would complain about a slight with "No Fair!!!" True, I would tell them -- but life can also often be exquisite.
Today I'm venturing off the reservation, as my mother would say when leaving her condo complex, Kings Point. I guess that's politically incorrect to say these days -- acknowledging that many Native Americans were put on reservations. But I am -- headed to the dentist for my first cleaning since the plague.
I kept canceling visits, but decided October would be the time to resume. The office called to vet me yesterday -- a series of Covid preventative questions.
After the appointment, I plan to come home and wake Wifey -- we're headed to D2's for the day so that Miriam can come to clean the house. Last time we decamped there, we watched 2 movies while D2 worked, and the enormous puppy Betsy enjoyed our company. I'm thinking a stop at Bagel Emporium on the way may be in order.
Tomorrow night, another Zoom happy hour, following Eric and Dana's Zoom shabbat. And Saturday we have a family day with the grandson and Anthony's Coal Fired pizza and wings -- more savoring the times together as much as we can.
Crazy times, these. Maybe the Marlins and Canes can keep bringing happiness...
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