Thursday Bantering: Lockout Blues

This lockout is really making life rough on those of us who are supposed to write about baseball. And it isn’t going to end soon:

So it is going to drag on through January at very least, but I doubt we are going to get a normal spring training. Though the term ‘normal’ doesn’t really exist anymore. It is almost time to start taking bets on how many regular-season games will be lost.

We are down to things like Gregory Polanco signing to play in Japan that actually ranks as news. Polanco was signed to a minor league contract by the Blue Jays, at the end of August. We had some thoughts that he would be a useful utility infielder type. But then utility infielders are about five for a dollar.

Beyond that....there isn’t much. And Covid is ripping through the NHL, so there isn’t much of that for a distraction. I see a news report that 18 Calgary Flames are in Covid protocol. I was hoping life would be getting back to relative normal in the new year, but no such luck.

Of course, my premier is relaxing guidelines for Christmas, because it worked so well when he did that this summer.

Let’s have a question, tell us what you are doing to get through the winter.

I’ve been working to get into better shape, actually have my weight down to a number I’ve been trying to get to for years, but every time I get close something happens, a holiday, a worldwide pandemic and I lose the thread. But this time I made it. Now I’m looking just to improve general conditioning. I have a long-range goal of getting into shape to do a half marathon.

And I’m playing tennis and squash a couple of times a week. I do have a sore elbow, but I have a couple of weeks off the sports, I’m thinking it will improve.

Tell us what your plans to get through this winter.