Vikings (knock on wood)
The only thing that makes Minnesota Vikings fans more angsty than losing, is when they’re going well, and right now they’re the darlings of the NFL. Before I go any further, please get knocking on the oak furniture or get outside and knock on a tree. Make a friend with a woodpecker. The neighbors will understand.
The Vikings are 3-0 after blasting the Houston Texans, the good team from Texas. But, the next time Sam Darnold throws three interceptions, fans will assemble dressed in black to call for third-stringer Brett Rypien to start.
But there’s still so much bitterness even though we’re undefeated! Fans are experiencing schadenfreude whenever formerly beloved Kirk Cousins loses a game with Atlanta (1-2). Some are mad because he’s a smart negotiator with a sharp agent and gets paid a lot. Others feel he should have shown loyalty and stayed in Minnesota. Wait until they find out there’s no crying in baseball.
I hate (Twins) baseball berry, berry much
Speaking of such… the Twins are rumbling, bumbling, stumbling to an “I can’t look” season end. Everything Manager Rocco Baldelli touches seems to turn to pewter. Every call from the bullpen seems to be a suicide mission. Spielberg should direct them.
Maybe other clubs have the same issue, but the Twins could have meetings in the infirmary because that’s where most of them are. I’m not sure if they need a new manager or an exorcism.
Gus is slowing down and smartening up
Well, as he approaches his tenth birthday, Gus the Wonder Pug is thickening up and slowing down, although our leggy boy still has a waist. He no longer has Squirrel the World’s Grumpiest Cat to hang with. We lost him last summer at 19. We think. You see, India always tracked his age on a chart on the inside of a kitchen cabinet and confused the categories. Squirrel might have been 19 rabies shots old.
Without his buddy, out of boredom, Gus goes outside much more often. Which means he’s getting me in shape. If I’m sure it’s not time again, he’ll walk away dejectedly from the deck door and stand at the top of the stairs which means if he really does have go, I’m going to end up with a dookie in the entry. Dog Poop Poker. He wins more bluffs than he loses.
A soft landing
The stock market hit new highs last week after The Fed lowered the interest rate by half a point, an indication of increasing confidence in the economy. We’ve been hearing whispers of a recession for years after the COVID crisis, but that seems much less likely. For young adults, that’s great news.
I remember at the end of 1980, the Federal Fund Rate was 20%. A 30-year mortgage was nearly 13%. I was making something like $2.10 an hour at K-Mart.
My kids, 23 and 28 have borne the brunt of some rocky economic times. The cost of college and housing is challenging, and even though wages are rising, younger Americans are still catching up. So, the rate cut is a promising signal. And for the critics who launched in easier times, don’t judge if you see Gen Z splurging on a coffee, or—heavens—a Big Mac.
© Tony Bender, 2024
