Need to write more

Posted on April 12, 2024 by AverageAndy

I am having trouble writing things here. I have lots of thoughts and ideas but when I sit down to write my minds starts to wander, and nothing seems to flow. Thinking I need to change the surroundings of where I am writing from to allow me to better focus. This was something I had read about on speaker Jia Jiang (pronounced Jah Jahng)s Rejection Therapy blog

I have been following Jia since he posted his attempt at Rejection Therapy on You Tube. This led to his popular Ted Talk, and a best selling book. I always come back to him when I need some motivation and hopefully this will get my creative juices flowing

Have my Roto Baseball draft on Saturday. Same group of people for over 20 years. Due to scheduling conflicts we needed to move it back. Going to be very strange since the MLB season is almost 3 weeks old. Do you try to steal some early season stats by drafting somebody who is off to a great start, knowing they they will most likely cool down. Or do you go on the assumption that players will end up where they are projected even if they are off to a slow start.

Take some time to listen to music this weekend. There is a lot of good stuff (both old and new) that can get you into a good mood and brighten up your day

As far as Survivor, things should now start to get interesting, as the players need to start deciding between tribal or personal alliances. Tough to tell which is the best way to move forward. Depending on how much you really get along and trust the members of your original tribe. If you do think everybody will stay loyal, you have built in numbers. But if you feel that the tribe never really gelled to that extent, then better to move on now. And I still wonder how I would play things if I had a hidden immunity idol. Think the worst thing ever would be getting voted off / blind sided while having an idol. I think I would make people aware I had it, and force them to try and vote me off.

Have been listening to the “On Fire with Jeff Probst” podcast, and really like all the insight from Jeff,

This season, Probst is joined by former castaway and Survivor 45 winner Dee Valladares, and producer Jay Wolff who share insights from the player and fan perspectives on each episode.

#PEACE

AverageAndy

Posted in Baseball, Dalton Ross, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Mark Burnett, Music, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Earthquake / Seton Hall are NIT Champions

Posted on April 5, 2024 by AverageAndy

We had a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake this morning centered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. That’s about 7 miles from where I live. I actually felt it at work (about 30 miles away). Luckily there was no damage outside or inside of my house. I do have a shelf of collectables including a set of Burger King Star Wars Glasses that were given away as a promotion when the Star Wars Movies premiered.

I am glad to say that they are safe and did not get damaged during the earthquake.

Switching Gears — The Seton Hall Pirates played some inspired basketball after being left out of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and won the NIT Tournament by beating Indiana State 79-77 (They scored the last 9 points and held their breath as a last chance 3 pointer was just short). Was a big win for the team and its fans and for coach Shaheen Holloway He gave the team the option of playing in the NIT and they collectively decided to play and show that they should have been invited to the NCAA. Was fun to watch the early round games which were played on campus (Walsh Gym) instead of at the Prudential Center where they play most of their Big East Home Games. Winning the NIT will not replace the heartbreaking overtime loss to Michigan in the 1989 NCAA Title Game, but it still was great to see them win.

The Mets got a big HR by Pete Alonso and rallied for a 2 – 1 win over the Detroit Tigers for their 1st win of 2024. Hopefully this will provide a spark and help to get Lindor, Nimo and McNeil going after a horrendous homestand (they combined to go 3 for 60 — .050 average) to start the season. Things can only get better

#PEACE

AverageAndy

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Another week gone by

Posted on March 29, 2024 by AverageAndy

Its officially spring, as Major League Baseball (and my New York Mets) are playing real games. It will take a few days (due to rain outs as well as the early season scheduling) to get into the flow of things, but then is Mets baseball most days for the next 6 months. Going into this season with a positive outlook. The lineups should be able to score some runs, and with Edwin Diaz back, the bullpen should be able to close out games. Hopefully will be able to get to a few home games this year.

Here is the 2024 Mets Opening Day Lineup vs. Milwaukee (03/29/2024)

  • B. Nimmo LF
  • F. Lindor SS
  • P. Alonso 1B
  • J. McNeil 2B
  • S. Marte RF
  • D. Stewart DH
  • F. Alvarez C
  • B. Baty 3B
  • H. Bader CF

While listening to the WFAN morning show on my way to work, the mentioned a reference to the 1979 classic move “The Warriors” While I was remembering the classic scene of Luther (David Patrick Kelly) saying “Warriors, come out and Play”, the host of the show said they had heard the line before, but had never seen the movie and had no reference of the scene. I thought to myself, how can people not know the movie and the scene. I know the movie is 45 years old, but to me, it’s a major part of pop culture. Like if somebody has never heard of, or watched”Star Wars”. I then thought, “Am I just old?”, and “How do people know know these things?” After a little more time, I simply realized that not everybody can know everything and it is what it is.

And just to add some more to this, here is the cover of Twisted Sisters album “Come out and Play A solid album with some great songs. Actually saw them on tour (with Dokken) for this album at the old Specrum in Philadelphia

Switching gears, was glad to see a different tribe have to go to tribal council on Wednesdays Survivor. Yanu has already been to Tribal 3 times and lost 1/2 their tribe. It was time for other players to have to vote out one of their own. I always wonder if I would allow myself to get voted off if I had a idol or other advantage that would save me. It fascinates me that people can be so sure that they are not the target, and then get blindsided. I think if I had an idol, I might go the opposite way, and let everybody know I have it, and almost dare them to vote for me. At least it would mean Im safe another day. Especially before the merge. You never know how things will change when everybody gets together.

Hope everybody has the chance to be with family and / or friends and have a Happy Easter Sunday

More later

PEACE

AverageAndy

Posted in Adam Klein, Baseball, Christian Hubicki, Christine Hofbeck, Dalton Ross, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Cochran, Mark Burnett, Mike Gabler, NY Mets, Parvati Shallow, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, The Warriors, Twisted Sister | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Back to Business

Posted on March 22, 2024 by AverageAndy

After a tough stretch, it’s time to get back to writing about thing that interest and excite me

It was a fun run for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, making it to the finals of the Patriot League before coming up short against Colgate. It was an up and down season with some key injuries a lot of close games. Hopefully everything comes together in 2025

I am in a few NCAA Basketball Pools and hopefully I finally do well and maybe even pick the winner

Here is a rundown of some of the TV Shows I have been watching

  • CSI Vegas (CBS) — Still a good show and enjoying this season
  • Constellation (Apple TV) — Interesting but a bit to weird
  • Not Dead Yet (ABC) — A much needed comedy show that makes me laugh
  • The Ones That Lived (AMC) — The next chapter in the Walking Dead universe. Been watching from the beginning, and still enjoy most of the stories
  • Survivor / The Amazing Race (See below)

Here are some recent movies I have watched

  • Wonka (MAX) – Actually enjoyed it. Lots of subtle references to the original
  • American Fiction – Was very interesting and I enjoyed the story
  • Holdovers – Great job in capturing the essence of the time
  • What Happens Next — Just David Duchovny and Meg Ryan — Very good

Here are some of the books I have read lately

  • The Exchange (John Grisham’s sequel to “The Firm”. He did a really good job of continuing Mitch McDeers story
  • A Good Year (Peter Mayle) — Took it chile cleaning out my In-Laws house based on the cover and really enjoyed it
  • The Bad Weather Friend (Dean Koontz) — A bit different (not as scary) but a fun story to read
  • Holly (Stephen King) — Always enjoy reading his books.

As for Survivor 46, it’s been an interesting start to the season. There has been a little too much time spent on several contestants and their ineptness in the game. It appears that part of the New Era is to get away from casting people to fill stereotypical rolls and just cast a bunch of average people. This has its pros and cons. It’s great to try and get back to the roots of the game when the contestants were interested in the concept and adventure and not how to use Survivor as a springboard to other media opportunities. But with no protagonists or alph players, things become a bit stale and boring. While I think it’s great that somebody like Bhanu makes it on to the show, to spend almost 1/2 of each of the 1st four episodes watching him mumble and bumble around just got repetitive. Would much rather see players on the 2 other tribes scheming and strategizing about what they need to do do stay in the game. Seems like the show is now ready to really start after getting rid of playes (Jelinsky, Jess and Bhanu) who didn’t seem to realize they had no chance of winning and didn’t do anything to change that (Unlike Emily from last season, who realized she needed to change her attitude and strategy if she wanted to continue to play, and adjusted her game accordingly) We also lost Randen who was medically evacuated and quickly forgotten about.

I did see some people complaining to the point that they now want nothing to do with Survivor. To them I say calm down. Survivor is a hard game and it’s tough to really know how people will react once they are stranded on an island with a bunch of strangers. While this season has had its issues, the show is still fascinating to watch, and watching Bhanu break down makes me want to experience the show even more. How would a 57 year old man handle things. Would I be able to use everything I have learned and done in my life to my advantage, or would it just be to much of a challenge or change of lifestyle that I would break down.

#Jeff Probst / #Jesse Tannenbaum — Think about giving me a chance to play Survivor and see how I would do. I believe people would like and relate to me, and appreciate my journey from watching Season 1 Episode 1 to making it as a contestant

That’s it for now. It felt good writing this an I hope to continue writhing more often

#PEACE

Average Andy

Posted in Dalton Ross, Dean Koontz, Dean Koontz - The Bad Weather Friend, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Grisham, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Mark Burnett, Movies, Reality Shows, Sports, Stephen King, Survivor, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sad times

Posted on March 15, 2024 by AverageAndy

Got the sad news that my friend Kelly O’Connor passed away last Saturday after a few weeks in hospice. She was married to a longtime friend and they made a great team. Together they did lots of traveling and activities (biking, rock climbing, kayaking). Kelly also played Beach Volleyball. Kelly traveled for work, ending up in places like Panama and Denver, CO.

Diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, Kelly never complained and remained positive and upbeat through treatments until the end. Her husband Rob was a rock, caring for Kelly as things progressed. They loved each other and it is going to be terribly sad going forward.

Every year I try to get all my close friends together on the day before Thanksgiving to catch up on the year gone by. The crowd has gotten smaller the past few years, but Kelly and Rob were always there and it is very sad thinking of getting together this year without Kelly. We will definitely raise a glass and have a toast to Kelly and her life. She will be missed

RIP Kelly O’Connor

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Happy / Sad / Excited

Posted on March 1, 2024 by AverageAndy

Been a whirlwind of a week. Was invited to a long time friends wedding in St. Petes Beach, FLA. Was able to work things out, and my wife and I flew from NJ to FLA last Saturday. Another long time friend was also able to make it as well and it was great to see him and his wife. Rented a nice Air B&B and was able to spend some time on the beach (rented a cabana and beach chairs and was able to sit back and relax). The wedding was on Sunday. A super casual affair on the beach with the reception at a clubhouse overlooking the water. It was a run time, and both the Bride and Groom looked like they had a great time celebrating with friends and family.

But with every high, there is a low. We have other friends who live in St. Petersburg FLA. Unfortunately my friend was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and it has progressed to the point where she is now home and on hospice. Was very glad we got to see her and her husband and spend some quality time with them. It’s got to be really tough, but my friends husband is doing a incredible job of making sure his wife is comfortable and has everything she needs.

While we were visiting, it was nice to see family and friends stop by and give love and words of encouragement to both of them. Wishing them both the best as they go through the terrible time that cancer can bring.

Flew back to NJ on Tuesday, and was able to relax and have a quiet night. We did make a quick stop at the Roman Gourmet in Maplewood for pizza on the way home. Still family owned and operated, they have been making some of the best pizza for over 50 years. I grew up just a short walk away and try to stop by if I’m in the area. Never disappoints

Wednesday gave us the Series Premiere of Survivor 46. A fan since the beginning, I have never missed a season or an episode. It’s always interesting to see who sticks out to me as a charismatic and likeable player and who comes across as cold and unlikeable. I can usually get a read on a few of the contestants from their first couple of days on the Island. The 2 people who stood out to me were Jelinski and Jess. Jelinski was just clueless in how he though people viewed him. Jess just seemed like a fish out of water. That both were on the same tribe that lost every challenge was not surprising.

I was again able to avoid most social media coverage of the contestants until the Series Premier. After watching the premier, I then listened to On Fire with Jeff Prosts, the official Survivor PodCast, and then on Thursday morning, read Dalton Ross’s EW Survivor Recap

Interesting to see who starts to stand out as the season progresses. I also need to start work on my next addition video. When I told my wife I was going to work on another video, here replay was “I can’t wait to see you on The Golden Survivor”. I laughed and said “I know Im old, bud I don’t feel that old” There are still plenty of seasons for me to get cast on before reaching my golden years. One of these times, #JeffProbst, #JesseeTananbalum or others involved in casting will connect with my latest application video and give me a shot at becoming a contestant. Until then, I will continue to dream about being cast, and continue writing about Survivor on this blog

Remember, life is a gift, and is precious. Never take anything for granted and remember to find time to talk to family and friends. Also continue to dream

#PEACE

Average_Andy

Posted in Dalton Ross, Everyday, Family, Friends, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Mark Burnett, Reality Shows, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ups and Downs

Posted on February 19, 2024 by AverageAndy

Sorry for the delay. It’s been a strange few weeks. Been in a kind of a funk, but seem to be coming out of it. Lots of small things on my mind, so let get to it

It’s getting harder and harder to listen to sports radio. I can’t wait until baseball starts so at least there will be something new to talk about each day. Seems most of the talk now is just arguing based on speculation (Will Pete Alosno resign with the Mets, Can the Knicks win the Championship, Will Saquon Barkley resign with the Giants, …) Maybe it’s just me, but arguing over things that you have no control over just tiresome. As a Mets fan, if Pete Aloso is in the Mets lineup, I’ll be rooting for him, but if he is traded or becomes a free agent and signs somewhere else, then I’ll be rooting for whoever replaces him.

I have been watching and kind of enjoying “The Traitors”. I saw that some of my favorite reality show contestants (Parvati Shallow from Survivor, and Dan Gheesling from Big Brother) were part of Season 2, so I decide to take a look. But once they were both eliminated, I have kind of lost a interest. Will most likely watch to see who wins, but not that excited about any of the remaining players. As a side note, I actually saw Alan Cumming in Concert (Elsie Fest 2017 at the Central Park Summerstage). Also a big shout out to Dr. Will Kirby for showing up on “The Traitors” He is one of the best ever to play Big Brother (Winning Season 2).

I started watching “One Day” on Netflix, and am really enjoying it. Not quite what I was expecting. but they are doing a good job of showing how the lives of people change from year to year.

I did purchase a break spot of Topps 2024 Series One Cards (NY Mets) from Uncommon. Found them during a seards of On Line Breaker Sites, and liked there format and pricing. Didn’t get any big hits, but did see a could of nice pulls. Will post pictures of the NY Mets cards one they are shipped and received. Going to scale back this year on Topps Series 1. There are a lot of Non-Sports Cards I am keeping my eye on, and hope to pick up a few at the next Philly Non-Sports Show in May Its the 80th show and should be a lot of fun.

And just because

Posted in Baseball, Card Collecting, Dan Gheesling, Fun and Games, Non-Sports Cards, NY Giants, NY Mets, Parvati Shallow, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Reality Shows, Sports, The Traitors | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sad to hear

Posted on February 9, 2024 by AverageAndy

Was very sad to hear that a friend of ours, David St. Hill passed away suddenly last Friday. Got a text from my wife, and it took a minute for me to process the information. He was around the same age as me, and seemed in good heald and spirits when I last saw him over the Christmas holiday.

Dave was a great guy and I really enjoyed talking to him about baseball whenever we got together. He played low level ball, and was friends with several ex Major League players. He was also a well respected girls softball coach and inspired hundred of girls over the years to do there best. A great husband and father, we lost a good guy in Dave, and he will be missed

RIP Dave #PEACE

David St. Hill
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RIP Apollo Creed

Posted on February 5, 2024 by AverageAndy

Very sad to see that the great Carl Weathers passed away last week at the age of 76 He was known for playing Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies and more recently for his role in the hit “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian,”. Besides these, he stared in many classic films, including Force 10 from Navarone (which was a HBO staple back in the days) where he starred alongside such greats as Robert Shaw and a young Harrison Ford), Loved by everybody, I have not seen anybody say anything other than what great person he was. I followed him on Twitter, as he was always positive and upbeat (which the world needs more of these days) (@TheCarlWeathers). I will miss his positivity.

RIP Carl Weathers — #BePeace

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Another week gone by

Posted on January 26, 2024 by AverageAndy

Another week has flown buy and its hard to believe it’s almost February. The football season is down to 4 teams (Baltimore / Kansas City / Detroit and San Francisco), and pitchers and catchers report in just over 2 weeks (Mets report on February 19th). Crazy how fast things seem to go

If you get a chance, check out and subscribe to Mediocre Movie Majors on YouTube. Its my daughter and her partners channel where they review movies from the point of view of recent Film School Graduates. 

College Basketball is in full swing, and Seton Hall has had a couple of good wins that should help them secure a NCAA Tournament berth. Lehigh was picked to be one of the better teams in the Patriot League, been have been missing some key players due to injury and will need to pick things up if they want to make a run at the Patriot League Title

Working on adding more of my Star Trek Trading Cards to the Trading Card Data Base. Decided to use this site to keep track of all my Star Trek, Star Wars, and other non sport trading cards. Going to take a while, but hopefully I will be able to get a better Idea of what I have (Have some binders that I haven’t looked at in a while, and know they contain some pretty good auto cards. Will also be scanning the cards and uploading the images to the site (and will post some here as well).

Continuing to try and find more time to read, and hopefully can keep on track to read at least a book a month. Should be some down time before some of my favorite TV shows come back on after a delay due to the writers strike. Also Season 46 of Survivor premieres February 28, 2024, on CBS. Hoping there is a Rob Has a PodCast Watch Party in New York like last season. Was a lot of fun watching Survivor in a auditorium filled with Survivor Fans.

PEACE

AverageAndy

Posted in Books, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Mark Burnett, Mediocre Movie Majors, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment