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I don't have some grand opening statement today

It was crazy hot here Wednesday and it pretty much left my brain scrambled to the point where all I wanted to do was sit on the basement couch and watch the Stanley Cup Finals, which ended up being great TV and should produce a solid rating for ABC/Disney compared to anything NBC ever did with the NHL.

Before retreating to the cave, I did have an interesting conversation with my retired father-in-law at his house on how his former employer, a nuclear power plant, has pretty much backed up a Brinks truck in an attempt to get him to come back as a consultant to help put out fires. Not literal fires, you get my point.

He's nearly 70 and spent years trying to prepare fellow employees for his eventual departure. Then he left in 2020 as COVID was ramping up and they started calling as if he hadn't gone anywhere. The calls just keep coming. And they haven't stopped over two years later.

He would tell me that one of the hardest things to do at that power plant was to keep a young engineer who was right out of college. It takes years to acquire the knowledge to handle the job and then the young engineers would leave for cushy jobs in the auto industry.

The nuclear power plant work was too stressful for the young guns just out of school.

I guess the lesson this morning is that if you have a son or daughter with the mental fortitude and the brain for it, there are nuclear power plants that are more than willing to pay them massive money. My father-in-law is more than willing to let them take the reins and the calls. He has a stump table in his garage that needs to be refinished.


Perspective from Bob O.

• Wednesday was a big day because we heard from Bob O. in White Bead, OK. Bob is one of those elders that I enjoy hearing from because he's one of those old-timers (badge of honor) who has seen a few things. I asked Bob about this whole travel ball thing.

Bob writes:

My sons all participated with their local teams. I don’t think I had ever even heard of travel teams until about 1994. Baseball wasn’t their primary interest, however.  When my oldest boy was about 12, middle one about 8, we started participating in summer track.

All three of them said it was probably the best thing we did to promote competitiveness and confidence. As far as I know, they didn’t miss any baseball due to track meets.  I have a granddaughter that is a really good softball player. She plays on a travel team.

Her parents do not let it conflict with the school team. They feel like it’s one more thing she should do in order to be able to play on the next level. As you know, Oklahoma has great softball. The D-1’s,D-2’s, NAIA and Junior College teams in our state are competitive nationally. We would like for her to be able to pursue softball with an in state program if possible, but we’re not just tuned into the D-1’s.  Fortunately, all my grandkids are pretty sharp and make good grades.

I think they will all be able to be gainfully employed when their playing days are over. That’s the whole point. Right?


So true, Bob.

I don't know when it's going to happen, but one of these days I need to get to White Bead, OK to sit on the porch and ask Bob O. questions while Blitz the Wonder Dog chases tennis balls. I know Peter King's off stroking his ego by writing 5,000 words about what he had for dinner with Roger Goodell.

Meanwhile, the real people of this country are the Bobs out there who keep this machine churning.

Give me hanging out with Bob 10 out of 10 times.


On signs and other things on the mind of a Screencaps vet

• Beau in Toledo was in a writing mood last night. And when Beau puts ink to paper, you know it's going to be a good one, especially when he files at 11:48 ET.

Beau writes:

Hey Joe!

I felt compelled to write in regarding our Neighboring Ottawa Co's Brethren Harve D's pic on a fun street sign and decided i'd chime in about the fact that us "suburban folk" have a somewhat similar sense of humor.           

Here is just a sample of a few I've collected from, um, shall we say, flea markets... yeah, flea markets... *that's* it!. (Rector?!? damn near killed'er!)     

The #FarLeft sign is personal artwork with the help of Springfield Armory (springfield-armory.com) and their .40 XD.   :)     

Also... Eric B. and the storm damage that was done to His Pops' facility...that sucks, but no one from #THEMidwest are shocked about vastly under-reported neighbors grabbin' some gloves to help clean up and rebuild.   That's Just How We Roll.  Thanks for the Tonn's Honey | Beehive Originals | Ohio Honey Wholesaler and Retailer (tonnshoney.com) name drop though!  Yup, gonna look for it in the 419!

Something tells me that Bob O, in White Bead, Ok. knows a thing or 9 about that kind of Culture... Tipping a Beer to Him now!.

*We Gotta(Mow) stick Together*

(awwww Heck, that could be the "B-Sde" of the "Mow Like a Champion Today" Shirt!)

As far as Matt S in Madison... Bro... #TheYard is *ALWAYS* a work in progress... Our Work is never "really" finished... Enjoy the Process, but never shall You deny #FamTime or #GarageBeers in your endeavors.(that kinda sounded like an unwritten rule of baseball as i typed it).

Gonna try to get at least one of 3 mows in for #TNML, but if Commish allows it, i'd prefer to invoke a "weather cancellation" and let the grass just rest, because Earth’s Magnetic Field Decaying at an Alarming Rate – CEH (crev.info)  n' stuff,

Keep those #MowLines #Nice&Tight !!

Signs, signs and more signs

• Scott in southwest Georgia writes:

The email from Harvey D with the road sign got me thinking about an intersection here in SW Georgia. 

Real place:

There are also two towns along GA-262  Hopeful, GA and Climax, GA.  You can literally be on the road from Hopeful to Climax.

I wonder what else is out there in the back roads of America?   Maybe Screencaps readers can share funny places in their corner of America?

Keep up the good work and Go Dawgs!!!


I think it was last summer when I used Chicken Bristle Rd. in Screencaps as some reference point near my hometown and it took like an hour before a reader who grew up near that road who was amazed to see it mentioned.

The story behind this road is that my dad worked for the Montgomery County (OH) Engineers Department and the boss in charge of this area would get on the radio to call out that he'd be out on "Chicken Brisket road" taking care of something and it stuck. It'll forever be Chicken Brisket road to me.


Storms

Jordan in Ohio writes:

I just wanted to chime in with Eric B's thoughts about community we have in rural Ohio. By the way, I think I have some Tonns honey on the shelf in my little store. One of my friends put on our community chat that his family was going to be out of power for the rest of the week and had no generator, by the time I saw the message a half hour later and messaged him he was already on his way to pick up a generator that someone else was loaning him.

Think about it, 3/4 of my electric co-op is out of power and this guy had a generator loaned to him inside of 30 minutes. Speaking of generators, I'm feeling about 10 ft tall today because my tween age daughter was actually impressed last night when she saw that we were ready for the power outage. I think my girls might be reconsidering the worth of my penchant for preparedness. Anyway, I'm just happy that I can still go to work and the only real damage at my house was the tin shed that I put together from a kit last year.

Hopefully I can salvage the roof metal and put it on a little pole structure later this summer. I needed something to build in the yard this year anyway.


The power outage thing has been serious business from here in NW Ohio/SE Michigan all the way down to my hometown in Brookville, OH where the local grocery store lost it's fresh food. The local ice cream store lost its products. The bowling alley here in NW OH where I like to play Keno and suck down a couple of Busch Lights with my buddies lost all of its food.

It's been quite a week for people who then had to deal with 100-plus-degree heat. Hang in there, folks.


Transition to Hollywood Mickelson

• Matt M. writes:

They must have had the same PR man.

Do you see it? Or is it just me?


It's not just you, Matt. This is entertainment 101. If you're going to go to the dark side, you have to play the role and Phil is doing an incredible job. That said, the blue checkmark losers have had their 15 minutes in the spotlight playing gotcha and saving all the world's ills. They'll soon move on to the next crusade and Phil will be able to shave.

Until then he's Hollywood Mickelson. It fits.


Billy Strings

• Rob in NC writes:

Joe..scorching down here in the Piedmont of NC. I'm sitting out laying nasties on my yard til we get some rain and even the daily t-storms are hiding. Still mowing customers tho, but In honor of members laying them down tomorrow I'm sending out this Larry Sparks cover by Billy Strings and in honor of limited edition Busch Lattes of course. Keep on keeping on appreciate this. Rob NC ….be up in Killington VT this weekend with my HS boys playing 36 looking fwd to the cool


Billy Strings played just outside Dayton, OH last night and you would've thought it was the biggest concert in the history of the city based on how many of my old friends and family were in attendance at that show.

By the way, Killington, VT for golf doesn't sound bad. Send photos.


I have to run to do a walkabout in the garden before the morning Zoom calls crank up.

Don't forget the U.S. Open started this morning. Good luck finding coverage on the NBC family of networks. Get familiar with USA Network on your cable box.

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com

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Joe Kinsey is the Senior Director of Content of OutKick and the editor of the Morning Screencaps column that examines a variety of stories taking place in real America. Kinsey is also the founder of OutKick’s Thursday Night Mowing League, America’s largest virtual mowing league. Kinsey graduated from University of Toledo.