Night Owl Cards

Although attending The National is not an annual tradition in this collector's journey, receiving cards from The National often is. I've been fortunate in that way, that's what blogging does, it connects you to collectors everywhere and some of them are lucky enough that The National sets up a short drive from where they live. I was the recipient of what I believe are two different sets of packages that came from the recent National in Chicago. I've separated them into two different blog posts, just because each are so wonderful. The first one that I know for a fact is from The National (because he mentioned it in a note in the package) is from Nick of Dime Boxes . He's sent me National cards in the past, a few times, because they keep staging that thing in his backyard. Nick and I have been around long enough to know what each other likes. We are somewhat the same kind of collector, although I'm a lot more preoccupied with sets than ...

  I completed the Dodgers team set for 1955 Bowman, aka, "the TV set," a couple days ago. Charlie Neal was the last card I needed. I don't remember the 1950s, but I do remember the old, wood-panel TV sets. Both sets of grandparents had one and every time I mention watching Mets and Yankees games at my grandmother's house in Owego, NY, it was on the monstrous wood-panel model.   I tried looking for a picture of it in my mom's old photo albums that I've inherited, but didn't have any luck. I recall my mom having a dim view of the television, so maybe that's why. However, I did find a picture of the wood-panel TV set that was at our house for awhile. I think my parents got it as a hand-me-down from my other grandmother, the one who is holding me in the picture above, back in 1966, with that TV in the background. I remember it sitting in the basement and, appropriately, watching old Godzilla movies on it on Saturdays. A few years later, getting into card c...

  I've been thinking a lot about how much waiting we're all doing these days, and, in particular, what that's doing to my patience. I've always considered myself a patient person and others do, too. But with how much waiting I've been doing for the last year, I'm wondering if my patience is gradually wearing thin. Obviously, there is a lot of waiting for the big things, waiting for a vaccine, waiting to eat in a restaurant, waiting to go out in public without a mask, waiting to shop, attend events, celebrate achievements and milestones as we once did.   Then there is the sheer amount of waiting FOR EVERYTHING that I never expected before the pandemic hit. Inordinate wait times for things like the mail, an update from a lawyer, a medical appointment, etc. I'm noticing that I'm getting more impatient. Common occurrences like computer delays at work make me more anxious than usual, and I think it's because there is waiting all the time .   It reminds me...