New Book Series, and My Reactions to Streaming MLB Channel at Start of Season

 Now that I finished reading Joshua Khan's dark fantasy novel Shadow Magic and began Martinus Evan's SlowAF Run Club after updating my public library registration, I have been looking for new books to read.  D.J. MacHale is the author of the young adult Pendragon fantasy series, and I got the first installment, titled The Merchant of Death, which is now on my Chromebook.  So far I'm enjoying reading it and can somewhat relate to the personality and life circumstances of its chief protagonist Robert "Bobby" Pendragon, who is starting out at the start of high school enjoying more popularity than I could ever muster in this so-called real world.  His uncle soon intervenes and Bobby finds himself whisked away on a motorcycle, fearing that he might never return. I liked the characters and could relate to the story's modern, suburban American setting.  I'm looking forward to many more hours of enjoyable reading here.  Regarding TV, I've been watching our subscribed MLB Channel and generally enjoying the live game coverage.  It does annoy me how much the announcers tend to criticize the newly-implemented ABS challenge system that makes the umpires' balls and strikes calls more equitable.  When I first click on a game, I have to get past a little disorientation as I try to find out who's playing, who's at bat, what inning it is, how many outs are leftin the inning, who's at bat and pitching, who-if anyone- is on which base-the superimposed strike zone, and the short countdown timer that seems to rush the pitcher into quickly letting go of the ball.  Since the challenge system has become less subjective, to me it shouldn't upset a batter, manager or pitcher whenever they strike out walk a batter.  That part of the game I like. As for the teams and blackouts, in Florida "my two" cities, Tampa Bay and Miami, have all their games visually blocked, but I can hear their audio coverage.  When I signed up for comprehensive live baseball coverage on MLB Channel this spring/summer, my aim was to get to know each team in a more complete way, including who their players are and what they are like.  I think this is likely to happen the more I watch, and it is a very good sign.  I also dig "being" at the 28 assorted ball parks spread over America and Canada...it "kind of like" feels like tourism, especially when the cameras focus on the crowds.  Today, it being Thursday, the available MLB games are limited, so I'll get my schedule set and enjoy what's coming up...

Baseball, Early Rising, Reading, Media Junkie, Gratitude, Exercise

 Yesterday evening I enjoyed watching the MLB premium channel for the regular lineup of contests, minus those being visually blocked for including Florida teams like Tampa Bay and Miami.  It's fun to follow the flow of an inning, with the pitcher scrambling to get in his throws before the timer expires.  My favorite action involves fly balls that compel fielders to chase the dropping ball, sometimes resulting in collisions and comedic falls.  So far I've been impressed with the pitching and general play of the Texas Rangers,  especially with regard to attaining and maintaining middle-and-late inning leads against Baltimore.  Philadelphia provided some late-game excitement against Washington when centerfielder Brandon Marsh bravely chased down and caught a deep fly ball that came close to escaping the ball park...that play ended the game.  Today I'll be checking out the schedule to see what's available. This morning I, too, bravely rose out of bed to run 10 minutes in-place and brew a pot of coffee.  There's still that Shadow Magic novel by Joshua Khan I have as a reading project.  The narrative still seems uninteresting to me...the gloomy Gehenna setting is something that I would like to thoroughly avoid, and I simply cannot relate in any fashion to the characters.  Still, this is a good habit I'm working on. And speaking of the news, I expect our presidential media whore to monopolize TV coverage while he continues his prima Donna life's mission to transform my already-humble existence into a reality TV episode.  Let's just see if I can't stay at home and live a peaceful, grateful life away from the manipulation while watching my eating and hydration.  And making progress with my fitness efforts would be quite fine, too.  So how about sitting placidly outside and/or watching YouTube self-improvement channels... 

Fresh New Day Lies Ahead, Possibility for new Routines

 I fell asleep on the narrow living room couch last night and woke up around 1 AM, feeling itchy and irritated.  By after three I was procrastinating getting up, but just before four I finally arose, and after running in place on the rug for 8 minutes, here I am on this chilly morning! Yesterday I had a pretty eventless chemotherapy infusion session at the UF Health Davis Cancer Pavilion, taking care now to avoid excessive eating. Spending a lot of money to do Dunin' Donut mobile app order seems to be taken off the table, too. We're expecting some good company to visit  us tomorrow.  I'll see if I can't put in a solid block of reading Khan's monstrosity novel Shadow Magic for today, March 18th.  Maybe all the unlikable characters (and I don't like any of them) will get wiped out and I'll be spared the anxiety of a suspenseful plot development.  Averaging about 20 pages of reading per day should keep me on pace to finish the book by month's end, and that is very possible considering how quickly I tore through the first four Harry Potter books at Books-a-Million 25 years ago.  And how about all those Stephen King/Richard Bachman novels? Of course, I tended to like those stories, and King has always been a master at character development.  Melissa has expressed expectation of me finlly getting my updated voter registration card in the mail today (or soon)...let's see if this can happen without me having to come out of retirement.  Yes, I'm tired of Trump on any level, and may the Iran ordeal settle down.  Our president seems to be content settling into Netanyahu's errand boy role, and the USA might get sucked into an expanded conflict against Hezbollah on "Bibi's" behalf.  Well, let's just see what today will bring: hopefully more and better sleep...

Early A.M. about Awards, War, ''allies", Exercise, Day Ahead

 One of the funniest commercials I've seen lately has a man standing behind a loud microphone on a lit-up stage, in front of a large audience, demonstrating his prowess at being able to access files online, only he seems completely unable to key in the proper password.  He awkwardly glances around, chuckles and grins as the AI-on-duty repeatedly notifies him of his failures, to the consternation of those standing around who will ultimately decide his public-relations career fate. Very funny...and a little sad. Yesterday evening Entertainment Tonight was obsessing on the previous evening's Academy Awards, and how Michael Jordan won best actor for the movie Sinners and ate an In-and-Out hamburger holding his trophy in the left hand. I am determined to stay away from celebrities and their overhyped shows that merit avoidance.  Yesterday I worked on reading a few more pages in Joshua Khan's tedious, depressing juvenile fantasy novel Shadow Magic.  I can't wait to be done with it, to say the least.  This afternoon I have an appointment for some chemotherapy infusion at the UF Health Davis Cancer Pavilion, preceded by a blood lab draw, urine sample and IV line.  Looks like Trump is trying to get other countries to pitch in and help the USA with the Straits of Hormuz, and they're coldly snubbing him in response.  Today it will stay cool outside with nighttime temperatures to dip solidly into the thirties.  May all go well with my family, especially Melissa, Amy, Anita and Keith, regarding their health and feelings.  I'll be returning to bed soon, hopefully to get some good sleep.  I'm not sure what to make of this prolific bombing campaign instigated by the current commander-in-chief, but I think that those countries that are turning their backs on us will have something to answer for what I'm inclined to believe is a wartime betrayal of America and our soldiers.  I think that many of them are rooting for us to lose, so that they can later smugly claim they "told us so".  Well, I at least am confident that I did right in changing my party affiliation.   The late Jim Rohn, in one of his podcasts, made a big deal about urging listeners to spring up out of bed hours before sunrise with purposeful behavior.  I did so this morning, running in place for 8 minutes after I started brewing coffee.  Now I'm finishing this blog article.  Soon it'll be back to bed and loudly growling, snorting and barking Peewee Daisy, with whom I plan to be exceedingly sweet and gentle...