Day: October 2, 2019

Being back in the fantasy game has been a mixed bag of experiences. In the family league I have finally risen to the #1 spot, which worries me because it is tough to stay on top given the way the league tends to either front or backload team schedules. I’ll be needing some trades/waivers should things start to turn there. In the other league–the money league–things are not going as well. I am 2-2 and haven’t been scoring nearly as high as the other players. That puts me in 6th place and playoff bound, but at the very bottom of that wildcard look. It isn’t stressful or anything and is actually kind of fun, but I don’t have any answers on how to improve there. I’m streaming as discussed, and that helps but will it be enough to push me up the rankings?

In the money league teams 4-6 are all 2-2. I face the 5th ranked Fantasy Baller this week in a game the optimizer figures say I should win by 10. For the record: the optimizer is never right. At least not about the margin or point outcome. The top 2 teams in that league are undefeated and the #3 is 3-1. They are scoring a clean 30 points above me each week, which leaves me feeling like I have little chance to clean up my act. Of course, I was victimized by the injury bug, so maybe I will get at least 1 starter back in time to matter.

In the family league I am the Last G Standing. Both in name and spirit. I’m in 1st at 3-1 and the loss came on a day where I scored the 2nd highest points. I’ve scored the highest points twice. I expect that trend to continue this week, but the schedule suggests it may not. I have Lamar Jackson at Pit along with Chubb at SF and Gordon (who I plucked off waivers last week) hopefully getting minutes against a really bad Denver run defense. Still, he is not in football shape and they are at altitude, so I may have to bench him this week.

For the most part the failure to soar has been on me in this latter league. As such I need to step up. It feels good to know these kids haven’t surpassed me at quite everything yet.

Some Quick Picks:

1. BAL over DEN
2. NO over TB
3. CLE over SF
4. SEA over LA
5. NE over WASH
6. NY over MIN (you know I had to)
7. AZ over CIN
8. IND over KC (this game is gonna be CRAZY)

It occurs to me that I have been on this planet for 44 years and, given my racial makeup, I might not have that much time left. A recent study conducted in Philly discovered that 40% of black men studied had hypertension. Only one in three of those were obese. This led to a surprisingly low life expectancy of 69. I’ve watched many black men in and just outside of my circle of known associates pass away in the last decade and that should’ve been the warning sign for me. It wasn’t. In fact it was a deep cleaning at the dentist that informed me that I was suffering from Stage 2 hypertension and, truth be told, close to cardiac arrest.

Let me repeat that. I am a 44 yr old man on the edge of a heart attack. That is something I do not understand. I know far heavier people and less healthy people than myself and while they suffer from issues none seem on the verge of stroke or heart attacks. If the numbers are to be taken at face value, I’m really not going to make it much longer unless I get this stuff under control. Sadly, that will mean changes in my life I don’t want to and have not presently made.

It is supposed to mean the end of coffee. I’m not there yet. I know it raises my BP, which is deep in the red of Stage 2 already (or perhaps because of the coffee…). I don’t want that part of my life to go away. I truly enjoy the caffeine rush and the energy that comes from it. I have made that a part of my daily life and wish to continue in that way.

I am ready to fix the rest. I am back in the gym. I am trying to eat right. I am taking a number of herbal supplements. I am trying everything available in order to create a situation where I don’t die. I just hope it is not too late.

So that is my something blue. There is a real possibility that I leave this mortal coil without ever marrying my true love; without seeing a single birth kid graduate; without writing a truly great story.

I must find a way to avoid that premature ending.