Thank You Boch!

source: KNBR

Today marked the end of the 2019 season for the San Francisco Giants and the last game in a managerial position for Bruce Bochy.

Found myself awed by the number of former players from the time Boch was hired as the Giants manager in 2007.

If you're a Giants fan and missed the live broadcast as I did, it's already available on YouTube.



Wish you well in retirement, Boch. We already miss you.

Channeling Riley Morrison - Lack of Color Options in Women's Bowling Shoes

Same pair of shoes
September 2019
AFTER

Women's Dexter SST 8
February 2018
BEFORE

In the left photo are the new bowling shoes I bought in February 2018 to replace my stolen ones (see February 4, 2018 entry). In the right photo, the same pair of shoes 19 months later. My last pair of SST 8's lasted about 2.5 years. The amount of bowling I do hasn't changed much in 5 years, so it disappoints me to see these shoes haven't held up as well.

The part of the shoe I wear out most is where my feet bend. I stand with my feet together which causes the shoes to rub against each other when I walk on the approach to bowl. This also causes the inner bottom part of the toe cap to come loose. I usually keep a small tube of glue handy to seal the piece back in.

Time for new shoes. I ordered a new pair last weekend. Although my current Dexter Bowling shoe style is still available, I wanted to upgrade to The 9's. I held off until now because the women's line only came in 3 colors:

• white/gray
• gray/pink/blue
• gray/pink/periwinkle

Ugh. I'll repeat what I wrote 2 years ago (see August 27, 2017 entry).
I DON'T DO WHITE SHOES. Pastel colored shoes look hideous on me.

source: Dexter Bowling

My frustration with lack of color choices isn't so different than Riley Morrison, who wrote to Steph Curry last year: 'My dad and I visited the Under Armour website and were disappointed to see there were no Curry 5's under the girls section. However, they did have them in the boy's (sic) section, even to customize.'

Then last month, Dexter finally released a women's The 9 in BLACK. Almost too much black. With some sparkly crap to boot. But not a deal breaker to keep me from buying them. I'd pay extra to have the option to customize colors in the SST 8 or The 9's. To give my new 9's a little bit more pop, I replaced the original black/white laces with the aqua/black ones that came with my recently retired SST 8's.

Women's Dexter The 9 - Black

View from top

While I may whine incessantly about the colors, I remain loyal to Dexter Bowling shoes because of the comfort and design. Like Riley's admiration for Steph, my favorite current PBA bowlers, Dom Barrett and Marshall Kent, are both on Team Dexter.

Which leads me to my next gripe. Why is Carolyn Dorin-Ballard the only female professional bowler on the Team Dexter website?

Business Blazer Flashback

source: Netflix, AMC
Kerry Bishé as Donna Clark
Halt and Catch Fire

Vitus and me, 1988

About 20 minutes ago, I completed Season 3 of AMC's Halt and Catch Fire on Netflix. In the closing scene which takes place in 1990, I couldn't stop fixating on Donna Emerson Clark's blazer (played by Kerry Bishé, left photo).

That's because I wore the exact same jacket in 1988 (right photo).

Kudos to the wardrobe folks on finding the blazer. 

Goodbye KFOG

source: San Jose Mercury News

At midnight, Friday, September 6, longtime San Francisco's FM station, KFOG, went off the air. It is now a simulcast with AM 680 KNBR Sports Radio.

I was a faithful 10+ year listener of KFOG's Morning Show featuring Dave Morey, Peter Finch, Irish Greg McQuaid and Renee Richards. It was clear how much they liked each other. Over the years, I knew their spouses/significant other's names and enjoyed hearing what they did in their free time off the air. Real conversation with real people playing a combination of classic rock and adult alternative music. In the afternoons and evenings I'd hear John Grappone, Rosalie Howarth, Bonnie Simmons and Big Rick Stewart. Last but not least, let's not forget another favorite, "you wonderful human being" Annalisa.

I loved 10@10, Peter Finch's Fogfiles, the live air appearances from music artists such as The Tragically Hip, Luce, Jake Shimabukuro, Toad the Wet Sprocket and so many more. My friend and former Sharper Image colleague Roger Bensinger once made an on-air appearance promoting some of the high-tech gadgets we were once known to sell.

Not long after Dave Morey announced his retirement, my listening days with the station came to end. What was previously an easy conversation between on-air personalities now sounded hollow and forced. So it came as no surprise to me that the station's days were numbered.

These days, it's a combination of NPR via KQED and downloaded music from my 10 year old CD's and phone app. I find most local music stations these days beyond annoying.