2022 Topps

 This last week has been a whirlwind for me. The whole year has, in fact. I feel like I just haven’t been able to get into a routine because for the longest time, I would be off on Sunday, and have another day off in the week. Because of holidays, Covid, and weird schedules, I don’t think it has happened that way once this year. 

Last week was feeling like it might be normal. I was supposed to be off Tuesday and Friday, and I really just needed a day or two by myself to chill with. It seems like because of the 3 things I mentioned earlier, that I can’t buy an off day by myself this year. I have projects that I just would like to devote time to. Not going to lie, some of them are baseball card ones, but my garden is begging to get weeded and tended, and there is the recording music thing as well. 

I believe Tuesday, I was able to organize some of the 2021 Topps set that Johnny sent my way, and I had planned on Friday to finish it and perhaps do some recording. The next week (the one we are currently in), Karen had a spinal tap scheduled for Tuesday. The headaches have been getting really bad, and from scans in appeared like the tubing was intact but that the valve had moved. She wasn’t doing well on Friday so she stayed home. It was nice to have a day with her with Kyler at school, but I was also hoping to do the aforementioned things. 

Well, she got through the weekend, I was off Tuesday for the spinal tap and Friday as well. 

Long story short, the tap showed her pressure was high, her neurosurgeon would be on vacation the next week and the OR was overbooked due to being shut down earlier with the Covid outbreak, so they said surgery would probably be in a few weeks. 

We both went to work on Wednesday, and they called her at 2 PM telling that they had a cancellation, and she needed to be at Gainesville by 5 to get a Covid test and surgery would be Thursday. We both somehow got home, threw stuff in a suitcase, and somehow made it up there before 5. I told work I needed Thursday off as well as Friday, and after a little wheeling and dealing, they made it happen. During surgery, he found the valve was blocked and had blood in it, so he replaced it and it was flowing like a champ. It seems like it could fix everything, and as long as some of the side effects she has now go away, it could be the start of a normal life I hope. 

While all of this was happening 2022 Topps came out. I hoped to get a few packs, so while we were in Gainesville, we stopped at Target. Wednesday night we were shut out. Surgery got scheduled for like 2 so we could check in at like 1:30, so we had some free time, and Karen let me check out a card shop. I figured a card shop would have the new series. Nope. They did, however, have a few 25 cent boxes, one of which had a buttload of ‘75, ‘76, and ‘77 Topps cards. I didn’t see the price marked 

on the box, and I guessed 50 cents to a dollar per card, so I restrained myself. I got all of the Tigers they had, a few highlight cards, but left some in the box. There were probably a few sunset cards mixed in, as well as what I think might have been a Bill Madlock rookie (‘75). I was still happy with what I pulled. If my list is correct, I’m only 4 cards away from finishing the ‘75 Topps Tigers set. 

There were also a few random Tigers, favorite players and such in the boxes. 

The Manny Ramirez ‘92 Bowman was a little bit of a shocker for me. It probably is worth the 5 bucks listed on it, but I remember when that card, the Piazza rookie, the Gold Foil Frank Thomas, and Yoda Rivera rookie were like 50 bucks each. 

Those are the highlight cards, and I also found a Keith Hernandez rookie. I wouldn’t normally chase that card, but there was a Tiger on it, so the 8 bucks I spent on it was worth it. Along with a 30 Buck pack of pages, and the 60 bucks total I spent was worth it. 

After driving back today, I got Karen settled and unpacked everything, and Karen gave me permission to check out the card shop near our house. I called them and they had the ‘22s in, so let’s cut with the talk and see the goodies. 

The first ‘22 card was the Trout insert at the bottom right. Do all hobby packs have the inserts at the end of the pack now?  Both of mine did, and almost every pack I have ever opened has them in the middle. 

So I pulled the Franco rookie, got a Franco insert, and the Rays team card. Can’t beat that!  Also in the packs was a blue parallel, a Zimmerman sunset card, and no Brody Koerner’s, since he isn’t in Series 1. If everything goes well, we still might have a chance to go to that wedding and perhaps see him. 

There were some new cards in 50 cent boxes. I didn’t look too hard, but found a Brandon Inge rookie, a Glassnow parallel?, and an Alyssa Nakken rookie?, as well as some other guys I collect. A nice trip to my local shop. The owner also said that he’s going to organize the boxes by teams, which will help me out a ton. 

I just need to keep priorities straight, help Karen get through the next few weeks ok, and I think eventually, everything will get back into a routine. The vacation will shake it up a tad, but it will be a nice break from work. Perhaps baseball will go on strike for a month or so, kill out all of the flippers, and that will be back to normal, and everyone who wants a pack of 2022 Topps will get one.