THROWBACK THURSDAY

From my Mexico days, I have this picture in my files slugged "Skinny Bruce". I think it was taken in Puerto Vallarta during the 1980's. It may have been posed to compare my eyeglasses with the ones on that sun visor in the background.

This one I know was taken in Puerto Vallarta and possibly on the same trip, considering my "outfit". The other guy is my good baseball buddy, Steve, who flew down from Phoenix to spend a couple of days with me.

As one of my nephews back in North Dakota once said when I was visiting them and showing pictures of our Mexico adventures, "It seems like everyone down there has facial hair!"

(I still do but Steve's long-time beard has been removed.)

A BALL GAME SURPRISE

My baseball buddy Steve invited me to Phoenix last week for a Diamondbacks baseball game. I hadn't been to the old ball park for quite awhile so it was a treat. But we were both in for a surprise.

Midway through the game I was nudged and then handed a gift.

While we were watching the baseball game, a caricaturist who signs his name "Roger Pops" was watching me!

Apparently he does this at baseball games, unobtrusively sketching people at the ball games, then putting the finished product in a mylar cover and giving it to the subject.

You can just barely see his hands at work here down at the end of our row, beyond the fellow keeping score.

I took a photo of him later but to my great disappointment accidentally deleted it when I got home.

During the period between innings at the games the cameras scan the stands looking for something to put on the Jumbotron screen. With Steve and I holding up the picture next to my head and mugging and waving, one of the cameramen spotted us and there we were for our 15 minutes (more like a few seconds) of fame on the big screen for every one else in the stadium to see.  It was a kick.

Thanks Roger and thanks Steve!

ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIER!

In a feeble attempt at humor Saturday, I said a walk in the park always relaxed me, even in Washington, D.C., and showed this picture.

I started thinking about that and about what people would think: there he is in the nation's capital, right outside of Congress, and he's lying down on the job!

So, I decided to take back my dignity and show you that I wasn't always such a goof-off. In fact, I had been working so hard I was just a bit tired.

So there. Your true hero back on his feet in front of the Capitol (and in front of legendary photographer and friend Steve Torbeck) doing my job like any self-respecting news reporter. I have no idea what fool's mission had taken us to the District of Columbia but suffice it to say we had a good time.

Oh and, by the way, you might have noticed the two spellings of a word that sounds alike. I checked (Googled) it. Capital, with a second a is the correct spelling of the city in which the capitol, with an o, is located.

Told you I worked hard.