3 Days With an Empty Mailbox

All is back to normal at the Troll household. I spent Sunday watching The Rays and Marlins battle it out in South Florida. The Rays had beaten up the Fish the last two contests, scoring better than 10 runs each game, but today they were facing Josh Johnson, who amazes me for 2 reasons. First, he is an extremely dominant starter; and second, that the Yankees haven’t found a way to send a “player to be named later” to Miami in exchange for him.
I hustled around the house tidying up, while watching the game and awaiting the return of Mrs. Troll.
Johnson was at the top of his game and he left with a lead in the 7th. Jason Bartlett responded with a homer in the 8th and at the end of 9 it was all tied up. It was great to see the Marlins still had some fight left in them. The game went into “free ball” and that lasted until Ross Gload delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th. I prefer a win, but it was the best baseball I had seen all weekend. Good show Marlins…The hit, coincidentally came at the exact same time as our friend Robert pulled in the driveway, my wife in tow…
Tonight, the Rays are making the trip to Cleveland. Second baseman, Akinora Iwamora, will remain in Florida to get his injured knee checked out, but Joe Maddon (and his 3 year contract extension) will captain the rest of the crew against the Indians.
David Price will get the call on the hill for the Rays, making his 1st start of the year. The lefty from Vandy was stellar in October last year, but wasn’t quite ready for the show out of spring training. Ready or not, you are in the big leagues now, Mr. Price. (don't even worry about the many collectors who have thousands of dollars invested in your cards, just don't become another Brien Taylor!)
Today is Memorial Day and both the Misses and I are off of work, given a full day to remember and appreciate those who fell while defending our country at war. I have not lost a family member to combat, I am lucky like that, but I am never shy to thank a Vet.
We are not the only members of the work force to get the day off. The post office is shut today. Whereas I get 6 paid holidays per year at my job, postal employees are rewarded with 11 free days a year!!!
Couple that with the 52 Sundays they have off each year and all the Saturdays that my carrier forgets to bring us any mail (like this Sat) and that’s a pretty easy year.
I’m not trying to pick on the loyal men and women who brave sleet and snow (and the Floriduh sun) to bring me my letters and packages, I don’t hate them, I love the mail!
I just hate the days when I know there is no hope of getting mail. My day revolves around the mail. I go to the Post Office on my lunch break to check our box and I go back right after to work to ship out our mail. Between e-bay, trading cards, trading records, trading zines, buying, selling, shipping, friends, relatives and Netflix; my life revolves around the US Mail. A day without the mail is a day without the hope of something cool and unexpected ending up in the little box that is nailed to the side of our house!
Without the mail, there is little hope of an actual baseball card related post, either. I will say that the “super collector” plan is off to a very slow start. My (e) mail box is full of outbid notices on cool Jason Bartlett cards. Apparently, I am not the only JB super collector. I am determined to blow 15 bucks bargain hunting for Rays cards, one way or another. I’ll keep y’all posted!

As I side note, I already anticipate major problems getting out of bed of Tuesday morning, but the hope of a full mail/post office box will keep me energized!

Go Rays!!!