Update for future updates

 I know, I know...  Where is my quality baseball card content?

Short answer, it's late.

Things have been busy and a bit off since losing the fuzzball. On top of that, I think I may have overwhelmed myself. The truth is, I don't have the time to do an in depth log of every card I get and all of the cool people I meet. So...

Compromising with myself:

Instead of all of the craziness, I will be posting a weekly update on totals and at least a new card of the week. I think a toned down version will be good and more manageable. 

So, there is my short update. Nothing exciting. Yet.

Oh, I also changed the list of needs to my Hit List. This is the list of the big cards I'm hunting. By hunting, I mean I want to trade for them. Will still contemplate sales, but would prefer to trade.

Okay, more to follow. Hopefully Sunday, but we will see what curveballs come this weekend.

Stay safe,

Joe

The previous update and what followed after it was posted...

 So, the morning of September 1st, I reported that the dog was doing better and that my sinus infection was worse... 

By that afternoon, Doodle aka Kenzie aka Fuzzy Butt, was basically unable to breathe on her own. We were faced with a horrible decision. Our options were limited and when it came down to it, Doodle, my fuzzy best friend of 13 years, let us know very clearly that she couldn't do it anymore. 

It was with a heavy heart and many tears that we said goodbye to her. Her body tried to go out on it's own and the doctor reacted quickly. Rather than have her panic and gasping for air while her heart tried to quit, we were able to get her to lay down calmly...  I have seen that when the vet uses an injection it can take up to 3 minutes. Doodle let the injection take her in less than 30 seconds. 

She was tired and in pain and her little body couldn't do it anymore. I think she held on as long as she could for us.

She was the only constant in my life for the last 13 years and I miss her like crazy. Her urn is now home and I say hello to her every time I pass her--right on the dresser, near the bottom of our bed--her favorite spot to sleep.

Rest in Peace, little fuzzball. Mom will take care of you now.

A Late Update--but an update regardless.

 This Update:

So the dog is doing better and I am doing worse…  Sinus Infection on top of allergies. Fun times. Finally got some antibiotics from the VA. Day 1 of that was yesterday. 

Thursday, Stef and I celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary--by jumping out of a plane! Will let everyone know how that goes later this week. :D

Archives was released as was Fire and now Stadium Club. My LCS has Archives and Stadium Club, but retail anything has been MIA for a while. My wife did track down some Fire eventually. It’s probably my favorite Fire set to date.

Card Updates:

I will get a total number of cards added and places added later today.

Sets that were completed: 2 (1992 Topps Kids and 1978 Topps)

Highlights/Thoughts:

Normally I will post pics of some of the great cards I have received since the last update. This time, I want to specifically highlight one set and a few people who fought to make it happen.

I was born in 1977. The first card I ever received was a 1984 Topps Rick Cerone. So, obviously, my targets for collecting should be 1984 or 1977, both of which I have a decent chunk. (I think I’m closer to 77.) But, sometimes, things work differently.

As it happened, through trades and some good fortune on Letgo, I wound up within a few cards of 1978 Topps. So, I reached out to the community on Twitter. The response was swift and overwhelming. Within a week, I was suddenly one base card and an error away. While that error (which isn’t recognized by Beckett) is still out there, the last base card, a variation itself (the “a” variation), was found by someone who already had done so much to help this set.

A massive thank you to the following, who have all been involved at some point:

@andyt813 @tapintomac @delspacefranco @lsucks @jcouvy @MikeCordaro1 @JennyMiller521, all of the people on TCDB who traded 78’s with me and anyone I forgot on here. (My memory is not what it used to be.)

A special shout out to @ngtcollectibles (for facilitating the Sunday giveaway that finally shut the door on the set)

And finally, to @NamathSeaver—an extra large thank you. Not only did you send cards to help, but you found the last card and made it your mission to finish this set by Labor Day. Wills error or not, mission accomplished. Thank you, my friend!

This set is a testament to the hobby as a family coming together to finish a set. I will always know that 1978 Topps was built by the community and will always be thankful for that.

Shoutouts:

I’ve said before that half of the fun of the hobby is the new people and friends I make. This is extremely true in the case of the Card_Buzz (@Card_Buzz).  

On my top 2 list of hobby people I need to have a beer with, he has been an ear for hobby advice, a friend in life and one of the nicest people on Twitter. As a fellow Mattingly collector, we have traded cards back and forth while I continue to buy cards from him. He has also worked with me financially to ensure that I don’t lose out on cards I need for specific sets. (An earned trust, I ensure you.)

Just an overall good guy who is crazy good at packing cards. One day, we will break open a box while breaking open a beer.