Prayers, baseball and a gut feeling

This week I have health updates, a Braves baseball update and a little local news.

 

Locally 

The bakery in New Richland is for sale/has been for sale. Nancy Jane and company plan to retire when they sell.

 

As long as I have been alive, New Richland has had a bakery. During my youth my family traded newspaper advertising for donuts. I have sampled everything they have at Nancy Janes. There is nothing I didn’t like. I hope someone picks up and continues the successful business. 

 

Trappers Lanes was for sale. I don’t know if they still are. As with the bakery, I have a long history with this business, too: I spent many an hour bowling on Friday evenings. And more than one birthday was spent there. Kids in town today don’t bowl like they used to. 

 

Express Lube in Waseca sold to Valvoline. When I arrived there a few months ago for an oil change, I was completely taken by surprise and–to be frank–a sense of betrayal. I wrote about former owner Wayne just shy of the business’s 25th anniversary about five or so years ago. He warned me of “chain” oil change companies. Every oil change my vehicles have needed outside of doing my own have been done by Wayne or Mark at the Express Lube–over a dozen years of seeing them, four or more times a year. They saved me countless dollars in repairs. My final time visiting there under Wayne’s ownership, the staff showed me a sensor that had gone out. I stopped at O'Reilly's Auto parts in town and used their tools to swap it out that same day. 

 

No, they didn’t betray anyone. I have had good experiences under the new Valvoline ownership  since they opened.

 

It is not the same, but it is good, fair, quality service. I want to thank Wayne and Mark and the rest of the crew for making my oil changing experiences something I could look forward to and feel comfortable about rather than avoid and put off. Wayne worked really hard and I hope he enjoys retirement, if that is what he is doing. 

 

Braves

I attended my only Waseca Braves game of the year a couple weeks back. The boys won 5-1 and punched their tickets to the state tournament where they were ousted in a close contest 4-2. 

 

I really wanted to see Kelvin Nelson pitch, which he did the game prior. But my body and schedule did not comply. 

 

I toughed out that night and was really glad I did. 

 

I spent the entire length of the game talking with the guys. It’s been a few seasons since I wore a uniform, but I still know plenty of the crew. The group is really something special. 

During the game I felt at ease, little stress. I was confident we would win. Something I hadn’t felt during the Braves’ season-ending games each of the last four seasons, all of which I attended.

 

I cannot say the same of manager Blake Nelson. 

 

Nerves and a little stress were glowing off of him.

 

In a good way, though; his passion showed he cares, a lot. 

 

I almost wrote it in my article covering the event that three prayers were said during the game, including one out loud.

 

I don’t know if it was Tink or Blake who said the short prayer requesting a Braves win. But right afterwards–this was in the 7th inning or right before we scored a few insurance runs–I made the comment that I said a prayer the previous inning; for 44-year old designated hitter Ryan Wangen to get a hit. He is a very kind man, with a good heart and a strong baseball mind. That may have been the only prayer I have ever had answered in a sporting contest because Wangen got a single on the very next pitch. That brought a smile to my face. 

 

The Braves winning, that also made me smile.

 

Health update 

I have been attending physical therapy at a,new (to me), place in Mankato, the Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic. The appointments I have there actually feel  like what I expected physical therapy to be. 

 

Between them, Jay Bulfer at Growing Roots Chiropractic and also Michelle at Swanson Acupuncture, I am making some progress. This past week I have only needed Tylenol for pain and even managed to sleep a few hours in my bed opposed to just my chair. I am moving better and feeling better. They really allow me to push myself and work on my body in Mankato. It is a workout. And I like that; I pray the progress continues. 

 

In addition I saw a specialist for my side/gastrointestinal pains. She ordered five different tests, one of which is 8 tests for food intolerances and also bacterial tests to see what’s wrong. She, the doctor, mentioned that antibiotics could be used to help if the problem is a certain bacterial imbalance. But she also said antibiotics can cause problems. I then mentioned I had just finished the first and only round of antibiotics I had ever been on before all of these issues started 3 ½ years ago. Who knows what’s wrong with my gut This doctor was left speechless. Thankfully, though, she ordered tests I didn’t even know exist to help diagnose whatever causes my pain. We both agreed simply managing pain and symptoms is not a good way to live.

 

Cribbage

In cribbage this week, Dad got the best of me, winning 20-15 with about four skunks to my three. Counting last week's score of 22-20, our updated scores for the year follow:

 

Eli 166 wins, 16 skunks, Dad 144 wins, 26 skunks.

 

Lifetime

Dad 557, 87 skunks, Eli 503 wins, 55 skunks, 1 double skunk.