Clinton, South Carolina, Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 12:07 p.m.

Another year has come and gone. Fate chose mine to pass on the eighth day of April, which left me a week off a fool from the get-go.

(The above was quite possibly the first time I have ever typed the word “get-go” without it being a quotation of someone else. I can’t explain. Maybe it’s age.)

A Facebook friend is a modern version of the term “friendly acquaintance,” or, “people I don’t know who like me for some reason.” Nearly half of them wished me happy birthday in some way. This is why people claim they hate Facebook but keep right on giving away their privacy day after day, now and forever, world without end, amen, amen.

That plus casseroles.

Other than the annual Facebook Flood, which I appreciated, it was a Monday like every other Monday, only no local sports because it rained. I didn’t feel any different than I did Sunday or I do today. The Commission of Public Works meeting was enjoyable because the news was good and I like the commissioners.

I took a picture of a cone.

Before the meeting, I stopped by the Palmetto Fine Food joint and had the steak fingers plate special. Then, it occurred to me that I hadn’t really done anything to celebrate, so after the meeting, I went through the Chick-Fil- drive-through and had a key lime shake, which was perfect.

I can’t remember the last time I had a birthday cake. Maybe a cupcake in a race-track media room. It’s because years become less important as they pile up. Superman couldn’t blow out my candles.

While editing and describing the CPW meeting, I switched back and forth between the NCAA basketball championship game and the Atlanta Braves vs. the Colorado Rockies.

I defend my right to root for teams for trivial reasons. I wanted Texas Tech to win because I have been to Lubbock but not to Charlottesville, but I didn’t mind the Cavaliers winning because I have a friend who teaches there. UVA needed overtime. Colbert started late. I watched Kimmel till TV finally made me sleepy.

Meanwhile, I hope the additional patience of another year will help me abide the Boston Red Sox’ start. They look superficially like the same players who won the World Series. Amazing things have happened, such as two Gold Glove outfielders inexplicably letting a ball fall between them that either could have caught. All 11 games have been on the road: four in Seattle, four in Oakland, three in Phoenix. The Red Sox have lost eight of them and enter today’s long-awaited Fenway opener a mere 105 victories shy of last year’s regular-season total.

It’s early. It’s early. Thank God Almighty, it’s early.

Most of today’s local sporting events are likely to be rained out, too, which is part of the reason I’m writing this blog and part of the reason why I might just be able to give the Blue Jays and the Red Sox some attention.

If you become a patron of mine, you’re supporting writing like this as well as my mostly NASCAR blogs at montedutton.com. If you’ve got a few bucks a month to spare, click here.

Another way I cobble out a living is with my books, a wide variety of which is available for sale here.

 

The new novel, my eighth, is called Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Lightning in a Bottle is now available in an audio version, narrated by Jay Harper.