I Have No Clue

I’m just wondering, is there such a thing as a jinx?  Like for instance, have I somehow jinxed my right leg? Let me explain.

Back in 2013 I was at a Hallsted Family Reunion in a state park in West Virginia.  Lots of aunts and uncles and even more cousins.  One day 5 of us cousins took a walk across a trail heading down to a waterfall.  I was in the lead.  Trail was good until about half way we came to a section where the trail dropped about 5 feet.  No steps, no handrails, no way to get around it.  I sat down on my butt and tried to slide down to the trail.  WRONG.  I landed on both of my feet, but immediately I had a sharp pain in my right lower leg.  At first, I thought it was just a jar, but very quickly realized I couldn’t walk on it.  Severe pain!!!

Luckily two of my female cousins are nurses and they both guessed that I had somehow broken something down around my right ankle.  So, the two tallest members of our walk served as crutches to get me roadside, we stuck out our thumbs, a very nice gentleman stopped in his pick up, we sat on the tailgate until we got back to the lodge.  Talked to staff there and learned that the closest hospital was a drive into Maryland, so off we went, my cousin, Gayle (nurse) and my brother, Jim. 

At the hospital x-rays were taken and we learned that while the bone was not broken, there was a piece of bone, just above my ankle, that had splintered away from the main shaft of my lower leg.  Doctors informed me that it would be best of they booted it up, I go home to a local doctor and have the surgery that would be required.

So begins the tale of my jinxed right leg. 

Moving on, over the last several years I’ve been seeing a dermatologist.  Growing up in Florida before there was sun screen, my aging body has had several rounds of freezing sections of squamous cell and basil cell carcinoma all over my body, most of which has been on my right leg!! 

Then there was December 2023 when I was attacked by a dog who was hell bent on having me for lunch.  And of course, for the purposes of this story, it was my right leg, with which I am now left with a permanent gross scar.

Finally, I recently saw my dermatologist again, and just below the scar from the bone surgery is a tiny little spot that has been there for a long time.  I didn’t notice it for ages because it was so small and caused no problems.  It wasn’t sore, it didn’t itch, didn’t do anything to draw my attention.  When I finally noticed it, I kept forgetting to bring it to the attention of my doc.  Finally, when I remembered, she took one look and said, “Oh Sue, I don’t like the looks of that.” 

She took a biopsy and now I’ve learned that while it isn’t cancer, it is Pickers ______ (don’t remember the second word) and it could transform into skin cancer.  For now, we keep an eye on it. 

So!!!  What else????  This right leg does not deserve all this attention.  Did I jinx it???  I have no clue.

Grrrrrrrrr

Typically, I am a rather mild-mannered person.  I don’t have anything going on in my life where I am continually angry, nor do I have a short fuse.  You have to be horribly unaware to get under my skin easily.  I will admit that I don’t put up with bullshit very well.  Get in my face with bullshit and I will either turn away, recognizing the battle as not worth the effort, or come on to you like a Gattling Gun.

HOWEVER, one thing that does really get under my skin are Scams!!!

I’ve been incredibly lucky so far.  I’ve known a couple of folks who have gone through the maze of reasserting their ID.  One girl I worked with a few years back had her identity stolen and it took literally years for her to regain control of it. 

The few times I’ve been a victim have been mild.  Twice Target has called me and asked if I tried to make an on-line purchase of Target gift cards using my credit card.  No, never done that!!!  Thank you so much for alerting me and thereby closing out that card to render it useless to the scammer. 

I do actually love all the steps credit cards and banks, etc. have put in place to protect us from these scoundrels.  But, you do have to stay on top of your own inclinations that can get you into trouble.  Recently I was reminded.

Years ago, there was a women’s clothing store called Coldwater Creek.  I loved Coldwater Creek and shopped there often.  At Christmas the store was always on my wish list for any gift from there.  Over time they shut down their stores but are still online. 

And, adding to the story…. I learned long ago not to purchase anything online through Facebook.  Early on, whenever I did this, I was always disappointed at the quality of what I purchased.  But, recently I slipped.

I saw ads on Facebook for Coldwater Creek merchandise at astonishingly low prices.  The old adage of “Its to good to be true” should have come to mind….but it didn’t.  I selected about 5 items that totaled around $35.00.  That should have been another warning…..typically those 5 items would have been well over $300.  I placed my order, paid via my credit card, and was blissfully happy for about 45 seconds. 

Then it occurred to me to look at the comments section of the post.  Geeze, ole Pete!!!  Every comment was about how buyers had never received their merchandise.  Then I looked at the web address of the poster, and it was not an ‘https’ address for Coldwater. 

2 minutes later I was calling my credit card company cancelling the purchase, which so thankfully they did without question.  Once again, I had to close down that credit card and wait for 6 days for a new one.  After hanging up from that call I went to the Coldwater Creek website and found the exact same items that I had attempted to purchase for prices ranging from $55 - $80 each.

I wrote to CC and let them know that someone was misusing their name and logo.  It was interesting, within about 3 hours I received an email from them thanking me for the information. 

So, once again, I am reminded to be ever wary.  I know to be so….but it is so easy to slip up.

Grrrrrrrrr

For the Love of Baseball

 

Another grandson baseball season has come and gone and now I sit and wonder what to do with my evenings without them.  Sounds pathetic, doesn’t it?  But it isn’t because this is a grandmother just mourning the rapidly passing years of 3 grandsons approaching adulthood.  You see, I’m not sure how to maintain my love of baseball in the coming years without those grandson games.

My passion actually has a genetic element to it.  It goes back a couple of generations.  My grandfather, Harry Hallsted, was also a farm kid who grew up playing baseball on the farm, and then carried that passion forward into the Navy playing on his ship’s team which went on to become the 1911 Champions on the USS Franklin, Twin City League, their record being 48 wins, 9 losses. (Grandpa Hallsted is top row, far left.)

There was a tragic element to his story.  He married the love of his life.  When Marie Tullis was 7 months pregnant with their 7^th child she was watching the gang play from the front porch of their home.  Grandpa was batting balls to the older children when a foul tip hit Marie in the head.  The hospital was able to save the baby, but Marie died 3 days later.  Not sure he ever hit another ball.

Moving forward a generation my dad, Ted, and his brothers Harry, Bob and Dale were all baseball fans.  They played in different leagues.  Don’t know much about the brothers, but my earliest memories include playing around the fields as Dad pitched in church league games.  He was initially a huge Reds fan.  I clearly remember when we moved to Florida in 1957 how he would lie on their bed, his ear pressed to the radio, listening to the WLW broadcast of games as best he could…. there was a lot of static!  When the Rays came along, he did share his passion between the two teams, but anytime he came to Cincinnati for a visit and it was in season, we were at games. In 1970 he and I even went to the Reds – Orioles World Series game in Baltimore.  Reds lost, but it was a great time for the two of us!!!

Uncle Bob was one of the best.  When he was 100 years old, he wrote the Reds telling them he was their longest surviving fan, that he wanted to come to Cincinnati for a game, be recognized as such and requested multiple recognition items, ie free hotel stay, free admission to the game, transportation to and from the game, etc.  As it turned out, he fell getting out of the car, broke his hip and spent 3 months in Ohio recovering/rehab and never saw the game, obviously.

My brother, Jim, was a decent catcher.  I have fond memories of watching him catch, Dad pitch, and Mom play 2^nd base in our Pinellas Park, Florida church league.

So, back to the grandsons…. Alex is now 19 and moved away from baseball to working as an IT nerd.  At one time he almost always played center field.  He didn’t like it at first, he wanted to be anywhere in the infield, but when he realized he was there because he had the strongest arm of anyone on the team, he excelled. 

 

Eli is an excellent 1^st baseman and one hell of a hitter.  Put a fence out there in the field and his goal is to hit over it…and he does, quite often. 

Teddy plays left-handed catcher, pitcher and first baseman and is also a very strong hitter.  I would love to see him college recruited someday. 

As for me, I watch from the sidelines, usually along the first base line.  I’m not a screamer or go crazy when they are on the field, but my cup runeth over with joy watching them.  This week I even went to Eli’s last tournament game when no one else in the family went.  Eli had mandatory football practice.  I texted the family the results per inning and was greatly disappointed when his team lost. 

It meant no more games for this year.

PS – I now consider myself an OFFICIAL baseball grandma…my car got dinged by a foul ball earlier in the season!!!