Thanksgiving 2020

It is that time of year for me to say Thanks! to everyone who made 2020 special for me. It was and still is a challenging year for all of us. There were still many things to be thankful for, especially before the coronavirus. My Christmas trip took me to Europe where I started the trip in Zurich with its Christmas tree decorated with Swarovski crystals. I saw Harvy, HC Slovan Bratislava Eagles mascot. I was thankful that I finally got my book of law stories published and that I played basketball after I turned 68.

Thankful that I got to spend an evening with Isabella and Claudia Bö in St. Pölten. Thankful for the neat couple in Bratislava and their coffee shop/laundromat. Thankful I got to see great friends, Jackie and Mike, at the retirement party for the original world's most famous traveling T-Shirt. Thankful for other tourists overseas like this young Korean woman who shared suggestions for things to see in Zurich. Thankful for the beautiful Europe scenes including Old Town Nuremberg, above right, and the Island in the Mur River in Graz at night and the castle in Bratislava overlooking the city it once protected. Also below left, a scenic view of the Limmat River in Zurich as well as another view of Old Town Nuremberg. I did get to visit another baseball stadium, 118 now overall. Impact Field is the home of the Chicago Dogs of the American Association of independent baseball teams. One of their mascots, Ketchup, entertains the fans. I'm thankful I was at the Prague Hooters where a server signed a T-Shirt for a fan. Speaking of Prague, here is an image of a Russian tank in Prague during Soviet control of the country at a presentation at the National Museum. Also as poignant, the Nazi Party Rally grounds in Nuremburg.

      Above is a photo of the social 
distancing at Impact Field, also
a photo of a choir in Zurich 
singing Christmas carols on a
Christmas tree stage. 
   Thankful for my visit to Zurich 
Hooters who posted on their 
Instagram account about the 
"Wonderful visit of the most
famous Hooters T-shirt."
   Not so thankful for the German
language only instructions at a
Nuremberg laundromat. Who knew
washing machines had one hour
wash cycles?
    Always thankful for the young
people I play basketball with but
sick about the fact that one,
Francisco Juarez Jr., died 
tragically.  This picture is from
his memorial service.
	Finally, the original
Roaming Hooters T-Shirt 
retired with 251 signatures of
Hooters servers and calendar
girls from Hooters throughout
eight countries.  Thankful for
the retirement party at the
Richmond, KY Hooters.
    One of the last signatures
is Eva of the Graz Hooters.
Don't worry, there are now five
more Roaming Hooters T-Shirts.

Thankful for the Baseball Heritage Museum here in Cleveland for letting me participate in presentations like the one I did on the Cleveland Buckeyes. Also thankful for Hooters servers like the one in Merrilville who covered up as part of coronavirus protocal. Sadly, baseball stadiums were closed and this is as much of Cleveland Indians baseball that I got to watch. I am thankful for people like Lindsey Marti who made masks which I needed when courthouses reopened. Thankful for reconnecting with high school friends at our annual Fat Tuesday dinner. Thankful for seeing memorials like the one in Bratislava honoring local uprisings against the Nazi's in World War II. Finally, this will be remembered as the year of the Zoom. Thankful for my college buddies who put together this weekly meeting.