Night Owl Cards

Every self-help outlet churns out the same list of mood lifters to their perpetually down-in-the-dumps readers. It often goes something like this: Exercise Sleep Get outdoors, particularly in the sun Talk to a friend Eat healthy foods There is a whole sub-category of mood lifters such as music, movies, pets, shopping and travel, too. But not once do I see anything in any self-help list that mentions baseball cards. Baseball cards have boosted my mood more times than I can count. I'm currently in need of a mood-boost given my family situation and work situation (co-worker is on vacation, meaning I'm working six straight days). I've tried posting every single day this week in hopes of writing myself out of my mood. It hasn't quite worked, so I thought I'd go for the big guns: a selection of cards sent by Nick of Dime Boxes . Anyone with that many flea markets and card shows at his disposal should do a fine job of lifting a fellow card-collector'...

Another of John's wonderful card packages from the U.K. arrived this week with an accompanying note that began: "Hope you don't mind, but I have built another pile of Dodgers cards, so I decided to send them out." Mind? Do I mind? Hardly. To illustrate, here are some of the things that I DO mind: 1. The fact that it's going to get down to 20 degrees below zero here before this night is over. 2. The phrase "all-new." As in: an "ALL-NEW episode" of whatever television show it is that I'm not going to watch. It's either new or it's a rerun. There is no "partially new." 3. Local television sports broadcasters who try to impersonate Chris Berman. News flash! Chris Berman is nobody you want to be. 4. Four-way stop signs. 5. Grape-flavored anything. I was forced to take grape-flavored medicine for any cold I had as a kid. It's ruined me on grape forever. 6. Short-prints. I think I might have mentioned that o...