5 Things On My Mind: Blues reenter the playoffs, winter sticks around, and 'The Life of Chuck' promises wonder
Isn't coffee just the best?
The winter of 2024-25 is listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger, aka Dutch, in sticking around for a few extra weeks. I’m okay with it. A year ago, Crescent Plumbing Supply was moving from an old building that could have doubled as a printing press or bomb shelter into a new one, and the temperatures were hot. We’re talking about how “milk was a bad choice” and how it's hot. That was closer to normal than what the Midwest feels now, the sweet 40s as the sun rises today.
Before I ship my ass up to University City for another eight-hour grind, let’s talk about a few things I know, including where to find some good Cards content and how to access your mind on a Wednesday morning.
#5 I love you, coffee
One of the good things about the staying power of the cooler weather is the ability to appreciate coffee. I’m the guy who puts down two cups before most people rise, a fact that I am proud of as the lifting gets going and the moving gets tough. Separating a 90-degree elbow from a 45-degree elbow copper fitting may not require enough Java to power NASA’s break room think study, but I need the goods. When the temps rise, I can’t keep putting them down without feeling that a hot grenade is being thrown in the throat.
I take ONE stevia in my coffee, and no cream or extra bullshit. Sugar doesn’t do the dirty water justice, but one tiny packet of plant extract sweetness gives my 50-cent cup of Great Value Breakfast Blend all the legs it needs. What can I live without? My family, of course. Next on the list is coffee.
#4 The Blues go marching into the playoffs again
St. Louis will appreciate the postseason for the first time in two seasons, or since 2022. With an invitation waiting in the wings, the Blues didn’t waste time establishing themselves as a threat heading into the next phase of the season. Instead of going home with an honorable record, they will face off against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Please don’t worry about the chances. The Jets are formidable and play a physical game, but they’ve proved nothing in the playoffs. That includes their Vezina Cup-caliber goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Until you win postseason games, you’re a t-shirt of the week. The Jets know how deadly the Blues can be this time of year. Ask them about 2019. To me, it’s a toss-up and an exciting one. The analysts all admitted this matchup favored the Blues the most.
I’ll take Jordan Binnington on the big stage versus any goaltender, whether it’s Hellebuyck or the ghost of Patrick Roy’s robot.
#3 Good pitching still stops good hitting
After getting the best of a few quality arms in the past week, Hunter Brown minced the Cardinals’ bats last night at Busch Stadium. A snoozy 2-0 defeat followed a thrilling 8-3 victory. Over the past ten games, the Cardinals have shut out or been shut out a handful of times. Erick Fedde did his best to keep the game in hand, but a Cardinal wasn’t allowed past third base.
Greene had a rough 2023 but improved dramatically in 2024, so he is no chump who just shut down the Birds. This is how it will play out this summer, where the Cardinals can be daredevils for a few games and then run into a brick wall. Are they an 81-81 team? I’d say more wins than losses, but the bet wouldn’t be over 83-84 wins right now due to the inconsistency shown on the mound or at the plate.
As Joe Pesci told a sad Robert De Niro in The Irishman, it’s what it is. The team is an exciting group that doesn’t seem to quit. I hope that leads to more fans in the stands, because the Phillies and Astros games were stuffed with many empty red seats. Sorry, excuse makers, but there was no bad weather on the horizon this time.
#2 YouTube on the horizon
Yesterday evening, I recorded a short podcast on my phone, only to find out it wouldn’t upload. The eight-minute clip was posted to my 2,700 friends on Facebook, keeping it from being lost. The difficulty in processing speed and where I record has caused a headshake or two over the past few weeks so that I will make a change. The podcasts will be recorded on my YouTube channel, which is set up and active with 15-20 episodes over the past three years.
While they will originate there, the link will be embedded in the following blog post. The content will be in two spots, but I don’t mind as I stretch my podcast legs and see where it goes. Hosting it on YouTube also makes having a guest or two join me easier. I hope the maestro, Bernie Miklasz, will join me to discuss sports, movies, and good food. He has nicknamed me the Southside Buffa Zone for all the food tips being handed out. He’s The Man to me.
It’ll be fun to record there and easily drop a link into a post with 250-300 words. Doc Holliday’s hypocrisy only went so far, and that’s the tale of my video abilities. I hope you’ll enjoy the content.
#1 A Stephen King/Mike Flanagan movie joint
Enter The Life of Chuck, a new movie arriving this summer. It’s proof that having Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker himself, narrate a trailer is good seasoning for getting one hyped up for an upcoming movie. Tom Hiddleston stars as the title character, who takes the moviegoer through three parts of a person’s life: childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. Adapted from one of King’s short stories by Flanagan, who brought another of the author’s books to the big screen in Doctor Sleep, recent Oscar Best Picture winner, NEON, presents the movie as an entity straight from the filmmaker’s heart and soul. The wondrous feel from the trailer reminds me of Tim Burton’s Big Fish.
It’s definitely on the lighter side of King’s writings, which bodes well for casual film fans and Flanagan’s fans who crave something outside the horror genre. Hamill plays the wise grandmother of the central character, and Mia Sara has her first role in 13 years as Chuck’s beloved grandmother. Please don’t sleep on Chiwetel Ejiofor as a school teacher who experiences his epiphany in the film, which presents its plot as a way to think of one’s life as a unique universe of moments and memories.
Early reviews from trusted minds such as Courtney Howard of Variety and Fresh Fiction hail it as a game-changer, which only excites me because we need more genuine movies that don’t just feel good for a couple of weeks. Hiddleston showcases his versatility, and King reminds people he’s much more than a guy with scary stories.
What these Swedish Fish are reminding me of right now is that they’re the same as chips at a Mexican restaurant. A handful is never enough, and they’re the reason I’ll never look like Jason Statham. The discipline only goes so far.
One last thing before I let you go and head back to the warehouse: Listen to your gut when it tells you to do or not do something. Scientists can break this down better years from now, but the voice in our heads (or stomachs) isn’t working against us. It’s working in our best interests and not even on the payroll.
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