Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

As always in the Nero Wolfe series, meals play a part in Rex Stout's Murder by Book. It's fun to see what gourmand Wolfe and his personal chef, Fritz, have on the menu. Our hero and narrator, Archie Goodwin, loved dinner. Unfortunately, it didn't love him back.

If you like Anglo-Saxon, I belched. If you fancy Latin, I eructed. No matter which, I had known that Wolfe and Inspector Cramer would have to put up with it that evening, because that is always a part of my reaction to sauerkraut. I don’t glory in it or go for a record, but neither do I fight it back. I want to be liked just for myself. 

 

I love you just for yourself, Archie. Thanks for teaching me "eructed."

I'm not taking it well

I'd been happy. Really happy. The Yankees clinched their play-off berth. My beloved Anthony Rizzo hit the tie-breaking double in the 10th inning. Corks were popped. Then the Yankees went on to win the AL East, which is not only prestigious, it earned them a bye in the first round. Rizz is 35 years old, which sounds young to me but makes him an MLB senior citizen. I was happy he'd get the time off to rejuvenate. All he had to do was get through the last three games.

Three games that were, in terms of the standings, completely meaningless. After all, the Yankees have locked first place.

And guess what happened. He got hit by a pitch in a game that didn't really matter damn. Two fingers of his right hand are fractured. Amazingly, he may still play. First, he's a leftie. Then there's this: the breaks are at the base and, if he can stand the pain, the actions of a standard gameday won't further damage his hand. Whether or not he will play is still up for debate. The stakes of these upcoming games could not be higher. The Yankees just naturally must choose the best player for every position.

So all this leaves me nauseous. The Yankees simply must win the World Series. Anthony Rizzo needs a second ring so he can retire a World Champion. 

For him to miss the World Series and end his career with an injury in a game that didn't even matter would be so tragic, it's positively Shakespearean.

The Cubs were no help. These last games have been meaningless for them, too, but for a different reason: My guys have been eliminated from post-season play. Some of my favorites -- Kyle Hendricks, Nico Hoerner, Mike Tauchman -- likely won't be back next year. It made me too sad to watch those games.

So I am without baseball. And I'm desolate without baseball

Sunday was my boss Ceecee's last day at the card shop. I wasn't scheduled to work, but I stopped by anyway with some chocolate cupcakes. In a box tied with a ribbon, because for Ceecee, presentation is all important. I'm happy I made her happy because she's been so kind to me. But I am sad because I will miss her and am unsure about my what future holds when the store is under new management.

Enter Mike Cutter. Thank goodness for the Law & Order marathon on We-TV. The later seasons were featured Sunday so I got to crush on Linus Roache as ADA Mike Cutter. I not only like his hair -- it's very good hair -- I like his character. He's a passionate prosecutor. He feels a kinship to both the victims and to the police who bring him the cases. While I'm crushing on him, he's obviously crushing on his Assistant DA, Connie Rubirosa, but he won't act on it because it wouldn't be right or professional. Plus it fascinates me that he's a Brit playing a lifelong New Yorker. I've never heard a hint of incongruity in Cutter's accent. Meryl Streep, eat your heart out.