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Sunday, October 10, 2021

Back from the dead

Ok, it hasn't be that long since my last post, but in that time, I dealt with a health scare that had me pretty damn stressed out. It was a mental rollercoaster and at its lowest dips, I was convinced I was dying-- no joke.

I felt something not-right brewing down in my tuchus, but turns out it wasn't a mass or anything-- nope, I've just got a beat-up disc by my tailbone. Won't kill me, but might be a little pain in the butt from here on out. That's a relief, but yeah, I was sweating it pretty hard in the days leading up to the doctor visit. Thinking about stuff like what I would want to spend my last good days doing (you know, like trying to think of the best way to distribute my card collection to my hobby buds, lol.) Thinking about what I was going to miss (favorite albums, movies, and video games to experience one last time). And finding morbid relief by thinking about what I was glad to be getting away from ("No more work! Woo!" "Also can hold off scheduling that dentist appointment.")

It's funny in hindsight, but that was a rough stretch of days. I'm also realizing that I'm right at the halfway point to the age my grandfather was when he passed, which has always seemed to me like my default life expectancy. It kind of all added up to a midlife crisis thing, I guess. I'm trying to take it as wake-up call to "live my best life" or whatever.

I don't really have a good segue into cards, but now let's check out some recent additions to my collection.


First is a big trade with Sports Card Collectors. He pulled this nice Tatis patch card and we were able to hash out a deal involving it coming over to my collection. Pretty sure it's my first Tatis relic, so let's count it as a finished trifecta since I've already got his auto and rookie card (though I'm embarrassed to admit I don't own his standard Topps rookie).


And a few bonus cards of the Pride of the Padres kindly thrown in.


I still love me Juan Soto something fierce. Was glad I could work this pair into our deal.

Thanks for the trade, SCC! 

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Next up is one of those beautiful moments that us cardbloggers wish for when a random email comes in saying, "Really enjoy your blog posts! I have cards that you need, just need to know where to send them." And that's just what Paul M. in California said.


Though I completed 1971 Topps a few years back, I still have lots of upgrading I'd like to do to my set. This lot from Paul isn't exactly "pack fresh", but still lots of useful upgrades for me here.


And additions for my Charlie Hustle and Ironman PCs. Funny enough, it's the 1984 Donruss Ripken that I'm really pining for so I can close the book on that set. But hey, these other early Cals are cool too.

Thanks again, Paul! Very nice of you.

-  -  -  - --o

The rest of the cards in this post are eBay/Sportlots pickups from the past month or so.


Lea Thompson is a longtime celebrity crush of mine. Got inspired to grab a "rookie card" of hers, though I've never seen Jaws 3-D.



After checking off Manny and Chipper here, I'm down to an even 200 cards left in my 2004 Chrome black refractor setbuild. Kinda doubt I'll ever reach that goal, but I love these damn things too much to pull the plug.


Shiny, 90s mailday last Friday. Thanks to Mario for the tip on those early superfractor-like refractors (1996 Bowman Best Atomic Refractors). Pretty neat. And Kevin Maas is one of those PCs that I-- or the kid in me from '90/'91 who still believes he's the next Yankee great-- love adding to.

That'll do it for today. Thanks for reading!

15 comments:

  1. Glad you're ok. I can relate to those kinds of morbid thoughts, they are kind of entertaining sometimes! Beautiful cards, as always too.

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  2. I hear you with the health scare. I had one a few years ago, doctors had me 100% convinced I had some sort of terrible cancer. Blood work was consistently abnormal...but I made them take it one more time the night before I was scheduled for a spinal tap. Luckily for me, my numbers had somehow improved and, long story short, I no longer had to have the spinal tap and eventually they attributed my numbers to some sort of unknown virus. But yeah, it's certainly natural to have those thoughts about "the end" and what you are going to do. I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.

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  3. Wish you the best Gavin, hopefully your health continues to get better and better.
    Also dang, it's really jarring to see Kevin Maas in chrome form, to me he embodies the part of the 90's that was still just before chrome cards came into being.

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  4. It's hell to get old. Wait til your 50, every time you turn around it seems like there's some new health issue. A year ago, just before covid hit, I started to deal with numbness in my legs and feet and hands out of the blue. After stressing out about it for months, I went to the doctor, he was mystified, went to another one, he did some tests, I had a cat scan for the first time in my life (that was no fun) and was informed: you're old and you have back issues.

    That was it.

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  5. Saw Jaws 3D at the movies...not good. Don't remember Thompson but I think it featured My Cocaine.

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    1. I was mistaken, he wasn't in it.

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  6. Scary stuff. Glad to hear everything is ok.

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  7. Welcome to the club. I'm with you on Lea as well.

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  8. Great to hear you enjoyed the cards and thanks again for the trade.

    Also glad to hear that everything is okay.

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  9. Glad to hear you're okay. I get the scare thing; last year I found myself literally on the brink. The difference is that nobody told me the doctors only gave me 40% chance of making it until afterward, so I didn't face those same thoughts you were dealing with. I've been haunted by the "what ifs" since then, though. I hope you continue to be well.

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  10. Glad you're doing OK, relatively speaking.

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  11. Glad you're doing OK. Kelly Ann Bukowski - named after Charles Bukowski?

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  12. I briefly thought the same thing when I passed my first (and only one that I've noticed so far) kidney stone. Took a trip to the doctor's office and then to the ER. Four hours later they gave me some pain meds and everything was fine. Turns out I have a "horseshoe" kidney, which means nothing except mine aren't two separate organs, but one big one connected in the back.

    Another vote for Lea T here too.

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  13. It's funny how you immediately think your dying as soon as you get a new pain, and all I think every time a new ache or pain shows up is "Great! Another one!".

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  14. Belated well wishes...glad you avoided any major problems. Didn't know Lea was in Jaws 3D...not enough to make me watch it though. Still attractive to this day!

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