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It is that time of year for me to say Thanks! to everyone who made 2017 special for me. It was another year of adventure, meeting a new family member and a Cleveland Indians World Series. To the left is my niece Nancy. She and her husband Mark gave birth to Jacob. You can see that reading to children is a good idea especially when it's my book. While visiting Nancy, Jacob and Mark, I also went to see minor league baseball in the hot and dry High Desert of California and met Roy Hinojos who works for the same baseball scouting service I do. My nephew Shannon and his girlfriend, Natalie, pose in front of the Christmas Story house located here in Cleveland before we went to see his Royals get beat by the American League champion Cleveland Indians.

Thankful that I got to see Edinburgh's Christmas Mart on Christmas Eve and see the Christmas trees lit up in the shopping plaza and the Castle and Art Museum that lit up after the 3:30 pm sunset. On Christmas Day I was happy I explored the Leith part of Edinburgh. Thankful that I was able to visit the Cavern Club in Liverpool where their favorite sons, the Beatles, were from. Got to take the ferry across the Mersey River and see the Lambananas that are throughout the city. Thankful to see the Liverpool memorial for the United Kingdom's soldiers who died in World War I with each poppy representing a soldier who lost their lilfe in the War. Liverpool also has a friendly coffee server at the coffee shop where everything is free and you pay for the time your are in the shop.

Thankful the Indians made the World Series for their 6th time in their 116 years of existence, also happy the city keeps fixing itself up with their new signs. Thankful to visit four new baseball stadiums at West Michigan, Rancho Cucamonga, High Desert and Philadelphia. Mascots, Wooly Bully in High Desert and Crash the River Rascal in West Michigan were very welcoming. Thankful for World Series buddies Courtney and Erin who I ran into during the World Series. Thankful to see former Indian pitcher Bartolo Colon pitch in Philadelphia for the Mets and then visit the Liberty Bell

    Thankful I got to visit the
picturesque Venice, California
with its murals and canals.
    Especially thankful to be 
teaching at Virginia Marti College
and celebrating its 50th 
anniversary in black tie and having
my picture taken with one of the
many neat students there, my
friend Roxie.
     Happy to attend Slider's 25th
birthday party and remembered
that I was actually at his first
appearance 25 years ago.  I'm also
happy to meet former Clevelanders
like Patrick who is posing with
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
mascot, Aftershock.

      Finally, my alter ego, the world
famous Roaming Hooters T-Shirt, is
thankful for the opportunity to 
meet fabulous server Meghan at
Lansing Hooters and calendar
girl Michaela at King of Prussia
Hooters and to be recognized as
Hooters of Toledo's best customer
ever!