Today On The Highway ...

I have to report an unexpected and extremely sad death in my "family." I decided to get my camera out this morning and just go out and shoot some pics. Nature ... rusty train trestles ... entrances to trailer parks ... really just anything that caught my eye.

So I was sailing down the four lane to get out of the city ... windows down and a homemade mix CD blaring at about 9 on the volume scale ... when it happened. At an off ramp, where the winds plummet through and around the concrete pillars and support structures, a megabreeze swept through my car and took the life of my all-time favorite Cleveland Indians cap.

I got that hat during a great game at Jacobs Field in 2006. I even got Grady Sizemore, the center fielder who got his start in Cleveland in 2004 when he was traded from the Expos, to Sharpie his signature on the side. And I went to a local T-shirt shop where they treated the hat with this chemical that would really help preserve the signature.

Without even thinking, I used the next emergency crossover to circle back but, with traffic and everything, I never found a body. This necessitates that services will be closed casket.

I loved that hat. I have about 20 ... college teams and pros ... football, baseball, basketball, and hockey ... but that hat was special. I swear I could wear that thing backwards and always look cool. And when I placed it on my head, I was 12 years old playing Little League for the first time. And then I think of how bad I suck at baseball and just think about the great times me an "Hattie" had.

POINT OF RANT: Remember to let your loved ones know you care ... I missed out on telling "Hattie" how I felt and now I'll never get the chance.