Soccer Player Ana Maria Markovic Is A Star, Kirk Herbstreit Has A Blood Clot & JR Smith Makes Honor Roll
Now, I know you guys hate Facebook, but it's now an option for the TNML community
I know, I know, I know...you HATE social media, you're not on social media and you would like to murder all social media apps so the world wouldn't have access to social media apps. That's why I put out my email so long ago for readers who wanted a form of communication with Screencaps.
For those of you out there who might want to communicate with members on Facebook, here is an opportunity. OutKick Marketing Director & T-shirt Manager Olivia hammered out a new account for the league and it's time to see what happens.
Perhaps you have a neighbor that would like to be involved. Or a family member. And let's say they actually use Facebook. Give them the heads up. We'll have some fun over there for people who typically don't have fun on the Internet.
https://www.facebook.com/outkicktnml
You might just run into some TNML members on there you've been looking to connect with.
Advice
• I think we received an advice message from a new emailer, Scott S., who writes:
In the prime of our youth when wiffleball was the number one priority, our neighborhood had a house with the perfect wiffleball field. Their house was left-field wall (our green monster) and a fence for right field. Their front yard was immaculate, any TNML member would be proud to call their own. The backyard had the worn base paths, batter boxes, and pitchers mound. Far from the perfect front yard.
I remember asking the mother of the house if this wiffleball field bothered her and her advice stuck with me throughout my five kids. She said, “All you kids will be off to high school sports and college in 5-8 years, then we will have time to fix the dirt patches in the back yard . But now I want to enjoy watching you guys have fun”.
Our yard was also the wiffleball, soccer, and football field for our kids and their friends. Now that they are out of the house, our backyard is nice and waiting for grandkids to come and play.
Great topic. I look forward to seeing more advice that was given!
####
Keep the advice emails coming. We're going to turn this into our Screencaps Reading Series for those of you heading to the beaches, the resorts and the pools. It's time for guys to have reading material they actually want to read on vacation.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
Speaking of advice
I received a call last night from a friend who is about to embark on a life change that will include leaving the immediate area and ending side projects that he'd accumulated. He's not married, no kids, no girlfriend yet he's nervous because it's leaving his comfort zone that had been built up to a level where he was comfortable and made some money.
My words of encouragement were something along the lines of what do you have to lose? No kids to support. No wife to rip his head off if the move backfires. No debts. I'm pro-risk taking under these circumstances. Sign me up.
I remember the day I quit my 9-to-5 job to make the Internet my career. It was the first time in my adult life that I was leaving behind the comfort of the known for the unknown. My parents were worried. I had a mortgage and a marriage that wasn't yet one year old.
But, I am of the belief that there come crossroads when you have to bet on yourself and your own work ethic. I'm a firm believer that this type of person -- a psychologist probably has a clinical name for this person -- will figure it out or adapt to continue pushing forward.
My friend will be just fine. It's just another scary moment in life that sends jolts through us in a good way.
On Reid's pool dilemma -- with updates on top of updates!
• Reid S. is officially counting down the days with his beautiful lawn before heavy equipment tears it up as they put in a pool at the neighbor's house.
Reid, who adds that he has been paid in full for use of his yard, writes:
Pool construction starts in 6 days (May 2nd), Here is what the lawn currently looks like.
####
UPDATE...as I was typing this post, Reid sent me a breaking news report:
The neighbors ran into a septic issue of some sort with the county inspector, They are needing to add a reserve septic tank which will delay the pool work until late May which gives me about 3 more weeks to enjoy my yard!
• Jon H. thinks Booker T. Washington could be a candidate for a role as TNML emeritus:
From Notre Dame magazine, autumn 2021:
“As a teenager (Booker T. Washington) went to work for a wealthy white woman, Viola Ruffner. His first task was to cut the lawn.
At first, Washington was terrible at it. Struggling on his hands and knees with a small scythe, he mangled the grass. She made him cut it again. ‘Many times,’ he later wrote, ‘when tired and hot with trying to put this yard in order, I was heartsick and discouraged and almost determined to run away and go home to my mother.‘ Instead he kept trying and eventually beheld the lawn in its beautiful order. ‘When I saw and realized that all this was a creation of my own hands, my whole nature began to change. I felt a self-respect, an encouragement, and a satisfaction that I had never before enjoyed or thought possible. Above all else, I had acquired a new confidence in my ability actually to do things and to do them well.‘"
It sounds like Bill H. is taking a shot at TNML and those of us who enjoy Yacht Rock
• Bill H. writes:
Tell Beau from Toledo to make sure that his dad doesn't toss his flag when moving from OH to NC. Pops will find almost as many liberals in NC as there from whence he came depending on where he lands; Asheville or Raleigh. Tell Daddio to break out his OMB flag, too. OMB isn't Orange Man Bad, its Old Man Bad. He will either be shunned by his liberal neighbors or have the Welcome Wagon stop by from the like-minded.
Come On, El Kabong!... about the day of mowing! I can guaran-damn-tee you that those Saturday mowing MEN don't plug into yacht rock, have tee times or basement man cave bars...and the only stripes they care about are the stars and stripes. Just gettin the job done when the gettin is good. That's 80-90% of the country, sucker.
####
It's good to have a member of the anti-TNML club because all great mowing leagues need villains who take shots at membership. It rallies the base. All great mowing leagues were built via the tears of the haters!!!!! Thanks, Bill!
Mike T. & Cindy T.'s flagstone
• Cindy T. slid into the email inbox Monday to let me know they used a "Mesquite" flagstone for their firepit project.
Books that should be on your radar, according to a Screencaps reader
• Jeremy P. in Alpharetta, GA writes:
I was really excited to see this topic today in your column. I am an avid reader and have some suggestions. In no particular order:
The Black Tide Rising series by John Ringo
The Last Centurion by John Ringo
Troy Rising series by John Ringo
The Council Wars series by John Ringo
Here is a link to see the order of the books in the series https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/john-ringo/
Monster Hunters International series by Larry Correia
The Forgotten Warrior Saga by Larry Corriea https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/larry-correia/
The James Reese books by Jack Carr (will soon be an Amazon Prime TV series)
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/jack-carr/
That's enough to last anyone months. Most of these have a lot of military/action themes for those who like that genre. I hope some of your readers will try them out!
####
And with that, let's get the day rolling. I'm not going to lie, this whole thing where my wife has gone back to the office this week has my mornings all out of whack even after starting Screencaps at 6 a.m. I'm back on school drop-off duty and now I need to adapt.
Do the kids have their bags? Will they remember to give the teacher the envelope with money? Water bottles? Which coat day is it? Do I have Screencaps close enough to being done to get the kids off and then get back for a Zoom meeting?
Little did I realize how much of a learning curve it would be after a two-year layoff with this duty.
Anyway, have a great day across this amazing country and we'll do it all again -- and better -- tomorrow morning.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com