Thanksgiving 2021

It is that time of year for me to say Thanks! to everyone who made 2021 special. It was the start of a return to normalcy. Grateful to spend time with people I missed during the pandemic. First, great news for the Cleveland State Vikings mens basketball team who were Horizon League champions and participated in March Madness. Left, I posed with the trophy and Coach Dennis Gates. Rollover the image to see my card- board cutout which represented me at their home games since no fans were allowed in the arena. I was thankful that I got back on the road, taking a baseball trip through the south. I did stop at Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo, MS where there is a statue of young Elvis. Rollover to see the dressed up Terminal Tower for the NFL Draft held here in Cleveland.

Above left, great friends from our BIS days, Rusty (center) and Pat attend an Akron RubberDucks playoff game. Rollover to see rockin' Beale Street in Memphis which I was thankful to visit. Above, great friend Mike came up to visit. First time we saw each other since covid. Above right, it was great attending an Indians Opening Day although crowds were still limited then due to covid restrictions. Thankful I got to have lunch inside at Barnes and Noble with my good friend Courtney after a year sitting outside for lunch. Rollover her image to see Cleveland State basketball is back live, with cheerleaders, too. Below left, thankful to attend an Indians game with my good buddy Chris after restrictions on the number of fans were eliminated. Rollover that image to see women's professional tennis here just across the Cuyahoga River from my apartment. Extremely thankful for the covid vaccine and being able to go out and celebrate at Dive Bar with super fabulous server, Valerie, two weeks after my second shot. Rollover to see friends, L and Dom, when the CSU rec center opened for basketball again. Especially thankful that all the players there returned safe from covid. Also extremely thankful that Baseball Info Solutions needed my services at Lake County Captains games at Classic Park where I can see the Indians/Guardians future players and players like Bobby Bradley on rehab assignments. Rollover to see the 119th stadium where I have seen professional baseball, AutoZone Park in Memphis, home to the AAA Redbirds.

      Above is Rickwood Field in 
Birmingham, the oldest base-
ball stadium still in use,
built in 1910 which I was 
thankful to visit as well as 
the rollover image of Regions 
Field, the beautiful home of 
the AA Birmingham Barons, the 
120th stadium where I have 
seen professional baseball. 
   Thankful that documentary 
film maker, Evelyn Pollard,
asked me to participate in 
her film about the 1945 World 
Champion Cleveland Buckeyes. 
Rollover to see the Southern
Negro League Museum in 
Birmingham that I was 
thankful to visit.
    Always thankful for the
fabulous Hooters servers I
meet traveling with the
Roaming Hooters T-Shirt. Here 
I am with fabulous Hooters
server, Brooklyn, of the down-
town Indianpolis Hooters, who
was signature 252 on the
world's most famous traveling
t-shirt.
    Below, thankful to get out
to live theater, especially to
see Mystery Science Theater
3000. Also, thankful to travel
to Helena, Arkansas and see
posters of the Union forces,
who occupied Helena throughout
the Civil War and the freed
slaves that followed the 
soldiers.

Thankful to travel the Blues Highway, Highway 61 along the Mississippi River as appears in the neat Memphis artwork. With no overseas Christmas trip, the most interesting Christmas tree was the Jack Daniels barrel tree in Cleveland's Flats. Had the privilege to meet Rockey the Rockin' Redbird, Memphis Redbirds mascot. A lesson learned from the covid shutdown, basketball with masks is better than no basketball. Thankful for restaurants like the Blue and White in Tunica, MS, a great place for breakfast. Thankful again for the NFL draft set up along the shores of Lake Erie. Rollover those images to see the bridge over the mighty Mississippi River connecting to Helena, Arkansas and the Civil War battlefield there.