When I ride my bike by a home in a nearby neighborhood, there is always a guy in Chicago Cubs shirt sitting on the porch. To be honest, he sort of gives me the creeps with his Grim Reaper smile.
He’s apparently really old — even older than I am. Actually, he is a skeleton who may be patiently waiting for Halloween. Or waiting to find out if the Cubs are going to “trick or treat” us at the end of this season.
I kept wondering if the homeowners were making a statement that the Cubs are going to die off like this guy. If that is the case, he probably should be in a Cardinals or White Sox outfit — ha, ha.
It bugged me enough that I finally stopped earlier this week and knocked on the door. The skeleton didn’t move but one of the owners did answer.
“I have to ask,” I said, “are you predicting the Cubs’ doom with this guy?”
“No, no, not at all. My wife is a big Cub fan, “ the pleasant fellow replied. “And we both work for the South Bend Cubs so we root for the Chicago Cubs, too.”
Well, that was a relief. So now I give a half-hearted wave at the guy on the porch when I pedal by. But he still gives me the creeps — even in Cubs clothing.
I’m thinking I might egg him from my bike if the Cubs don’t make the playoffs — while riding as fast as I can, of course.
And now on to other matters:
— I love those new and very elegant “Welcome to Roseland” signs with the flashing advertisements. Now maybe our favorite little village can spend some time on the weeds along Indiana 933.
— I couldn’t help asking the women decked out in “Barbie” pink while heading into the movie theater if they were going to see “Oppenheimer.” One laughed; the other looked at me like I was cuckoo.
I still can’t think of the guy’s name who played the title role but mark my words that both he and Robert Downey Jr. — who played some jealous scientist — will win Oscars for their roles. Yeah, that’s from “Oppenheimer,” not “Barbie.”
— And while we’re on movies, take my word for it that you can get some curious looks when walking into the theater’s restroom while humming the theme song from “Mission Impossible.”
— Doesn’t it seem like a 120-floor skyscraper could be built faster than it is taking to finish off Douglas Road between Ironwood and Indiana 23. I can’t help but think of the poor people who live on that stretch and how they have already had half of their front yards taken away.
— Now that college athletes can make money on their good looks through the NIL rights (name, image and likeness) wouldn’t new Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman be a shoo-in for peddling men’s hair grooming products? And maybe beard trimming equipment, too? My wife says he is a handsome, handsome man.
— School may be in session all over the place and football is already here, but the recent hot spell kind of says that August still belongs to summer even though the earlier and earlier activities seem to want to claim our eighth month for the fall.
— And, boy, does the traffic pick up when school is back in session, right? Just try making a left-hand turn onto a busy road during the morning rush hour.
— How’s this for a pretty cool personalized license plate on a vintage Ford Mustang: LUVMYPNY.
I had a Mustang in college that was rear-ended, not once but twice, by other college students while it sat in the same parking spot. The campus police gave me good advice: Park somewhere else.
Contact Bill at [email protected]