Soccer Player Jade Gentile Makes Her Debut, NHL Draft Tongue Action & Buy A Richard Petty Race Car
The Consummation
• The other day I was sitting here at the Morning Screencaps HQ -- the back corner of our family room so I can monitor multiple rooms, multiple monitors, the dog, kids, etc. -- wondering what happened to Kurtis J., a loyal NW Ohio TNML member who would check in from time to time with incredible reports. I get that some people just fade on into the Internet sunset as life changes. I figured that's what happened.
And then I wake up to not only an email from Kurtis, but it's a 'Do Hard Things' super report that we're starting to see more and more of from readers as they channel their inner Indy Daryl and take on massive projects that require hundreds of hours to complete.
Kurtis writes:
I feel my grand home project over the last year has encapsulated the overall themes repeated often in TNML and Screencaps. I think any regular reader would identify those as Indy Daryl’s “Do Hard Things”, your buddy Diesel’s recently coined, “The Year of the Back Patio”, taking pride in ownership you hit on often, and the best of all being that we mow on Thursdays!
All of those culminate in the members of this distinguished clan having the time to enjoy the weekends and embracing the All-American values of God, Family and Country.
Almost a year ago I started my biggest home project with no experience in the area. We were having a pool put in our backyard and I wanted a resort style setting, but an odd landscape made maneuvering this project difficult.
While the pool company did their thing, I decided to build a two tiered retaining wall to offset the unusable slope in my backyard. I wanted something unique so I consulted with numerous knowledgeable friends and came up with a plan. 36 tons of foundation stone, 40 tons of backfill stone, 40 yards of topsoil, 10 tons of river rock and a bunch of smashed fingers and exhausted days later the project is done.
I attached some photos detailing the timeline, but also a photo of the minimal tools I used to complete the tasks. Some may say I have mistaken stupidity with “Doing Hard Things”, but each day I look outside I stand with my hands on my hips in pride and smile as I prepare to enjoy numerous years on my back patio enjoying the stripes I just laid on Thursday knowing the weekend is free!
What more needs to be said here -- that's simply awesome.
I've never met Kurtis. Never talked to him on the phone. But I can picture him standing there smiling while looking at his creation. And I have to imagine he has new ideas popping into his head as he stands there scanning the landscape.
Do I have a palm tree brought in just for the summer months?
I have an old high school baseball teammate down in Dayton who does just that. His landscape guy puts it in a safe space in the winter and drops it by the pool before Memorial Day.
How is the outdoor sound system? What about the outdoor TV setup for those blazing hot pool nights on Labor Day weekend when football cranks up?
Congrats to Kurtis. His Summer of the Patio is officially fired up and he has plenty of time left this season to enjoy it.
Before I forget, he needs to share some secrets on how he got that grass to grow in so quick. Just an impressive performance out of this guy. What a summer.
Let's take a look at course conditions for tomorrow's big golf event:
There's still time to come on over to Put-In-Bay on Lake Erie for the golf tourney...as long as you're not a lefty. I swear, I throw a golf tournament and there are more lefties than a 120-person super golf outing. SMH.
All joking aside, we have four states represented in tomorrow's tourney -- a new record. We have what should be a fun group, including new Screencaps faces who are making their debuts.
11 a.m. or so is go time. Don't be a stranger. You won't miss us out there on the No. 1 tee box across the street from the state park.
Are you triggered over the college football changing landscape?
• Mattew R. in Whitestown, Indiana writes:
A perspective from a Purdue fan (yes, we're out here). I'm still excited and looking forward to the upcoming season. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Los Angeles schools make a trip to West Lafayette on a dreary November day in the future - even though I think the B1G will make sure that doesn't happen.
Anyway, my concern is that due to Purdue's lack of popularity (we're number 3 in Indiana) and lack of success in athletics (2010 National Champs in Women's Golf!) is that Purdue will be asked to leave the conference. Heck Pat Forde (ugh) has already mentioned it, so I wonder if there's already some sort of deal with Notre Dame in works that they will join if Purdue is kicked out. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid. Keep up the good work.
Hi Joe, wanted to weigh in on college football conference realignment. As far as it not really being about school to the players I think that ship sailed years ago, Cardale Jones famously made his feelings on school well known.
I am disappointed that conferences are disappearing especially since I root for a Pac 12 team (Oregon Ducks). Oregon will probably be leaving for a new league soon as will several other Pac 12 schools. What happens to some of the rivalry games in the conference like the civil war game if Oregon State stays? Yes I am still calling it "civil war" even though the schools changed it for ridiculous reasons. The Big Ten has a lot of trophy games and some won't be played because of the number of schools in the conference.
To me, those are some of the things that make college football great. What will happen to the Rose Bowl at the end of the year if the Pac 12 is no more? Even though the CFP playoff has changed everyone's feelings about bowl season I still love watching the Rose Bowl every year even if the Ducks aren't in it. However, it is useless to get angry or upset over the changes because they are happening regardless of how I or any other fan feels.
I will still watch and love Saturdays in the fall because in the end it's the laundry most fans cheer for and all of our schools will have opponents for 11 or 12 Saturdays next year.
Hey Joe,
My love affair with college football began in the 1967 season listening to the legendary John Ward calling games on my transistor radio for the Vols. My dad and I would be doing Fall yard work (TNMLer in training) and enjoying a very successful Tennessee football season. That 1967 season gave me the first taste of a gut wrenching defeat in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma as we missed a game winning field goal as time expired.
The next season my Dad surprised me with tickets to my first game (attached) for my 11th birthday. I will never forget walking into 40,000 seat Neyland Stadium (way before the 100K+ behemoth that it is now). I was hooked and I’ve never let go. Sure, it’s changed, but I still hang on to the traditions and pageantry of the college game.
I always make sure that I have on my sunglasses when they sing the National Anthem in Neyland so my tears are hidden. I can still see my father, a WW II veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, singing along. Chest out, head held high and proud of his great state and nation.
I choke up…every…time.
Vols football and patriotism forged a lifelong bond between father and son as we attended many games together over the years. Dad passed away Dec. 1, 1998 (22 hours after my Mom passed). We missed celebrating the Vols 1998 National Championship together by 34 days. Bittersweet, indeed.
“Don’t blink,” people!
A Savannah Bananas game report
Went to the Bananas Game last night and it did not disappoint. It’s grown tremendously even since last season. I would recommend you getting down here next season to take in a game, you could write a 10,000 word column with this content. I sent a couple of photos, phone doesn’t really do it justice.
The entry gate, blessing a banana baby before the game, owner Jesse Cole running through the stands, T shirt cannon, players signing autographs in the stands during the game, mascot on the field.
I took a couple of videos too but I was having so much fun with my wife and sons that I made a point to keep my phone in my pocket for the majority of the evening.
And that should do it.
Let's go have fun this weekend. Let's have fun today. Let's work hard -- until lunch -- and then get rolling with another big summer weekend.
I'll have Saturday Screencaps Lite in the morning publishing as I'm sitting at the ferry across Lake Erie.
Take care.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com