Blue Border Binder Beauties #5 The Opening Day Blues

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Wherever you are right now, you're probably about 12 hours ahead of me. It's 4:11 AM CST on April 26th, 2014 for me, and I've got the insomnia. Every Tuesday night I drive home from Wichita on an old pre-interstate highway for about 30 miles before I pull into the driveway of my little house on the edge of town. This old highway doesn't get much traffic. It runs through a couple small towns, but otherwise it holds a steady 55 MPH, which is much more of my pace compared to the 75 MPH interstate that runs adjacent to it a few miles to the east. This gorgeous piece of road is the last bit of Americana in my life. I get to see quaint little homes, gorgeous sunsets, wheat fields farther than the eye can see, and abandoned gas stations from a time long gone. I love that little highway... or at least I did until last night.

While approaching one of the little towns on the highway, you have to make sure to drop it from 55 MPH to 30 MPH really quickly. This is no problem for me as I've done it hundreds of times. Shortly after I passed the 30 MPH sign last night (going 34-35 MPH) a cop pulled out of a dirt drive and started following me. After a couple blocks we came to a STOP sign where the limit drops to 20 MPH as we pass the town baseball diamond and park. The cop continued tailing me for another few blocks before... BLUE-RED-BLUE-RED-BLUE-RED-BLUE-RED!!!!!

I pulled over immediately, handed the officer my license and insurance and waited. He came back, shined the flashlight in my eyes and asked me why I was so nervous. Gee, I dunno officer, maybe because I'm being pulled over for no reason? Obviously he was hoping I was a drunk country boy that could nab him a fat DUI fine to fill out the monthly quota. He went back to his car and returned with a ticket stating that I had passed that 30 MPH sign SEVEN BLOCKS BEFORE going 43 MPH. Fine? $136.

I'm a big boy, I can handle a ticket. What I can't handle is a crooked small-town cop slapping me with a fine an infraction I didn't commit. He better hope he brings his "A" game to court on April 9th, because you can bet I'll be pleading Not Guilty. I can live with that $136 fine, the crappy part is that it's back to the 75 MPH interstate for me. I'll lose my last bit of Americana and that little town will have one less passerby every Tuesday night.

Nothing cures the blues like some Opening Day Blues!

Card #177

2014 Topps Opening Day 177 Nick Franklin

Did it Make the BBB?: Yes

Opposition in the Collection: 2013 Bowman #177 Anthony Rizzo, 2013 Topps Update US177 David Ortiz

Can it be Upgraded?: That'd be tough

What's to Love?: My scanner does this adorable thing where it refuses to fairly represent the cards I scan. 2014 Topps Opening Day Blue Parallels are a perfect example. Looking at this scan you'd say, "Hey, it's a Nick Franklin card with a dark blue border!" You'd be right and you'd be stoked, but if you could hold the card in your hand you'd say, "HEY! It's a Nick Franklin card printed on an awesome holofoil background with a super shiny blue border that refracts light!" You'd be right and you'd be super stoked. The only thing on this card that isn't shiny is Franklin's eye black. Seriously, that stuff's like a black hole that just sucks the light in.

Card #180

2014 Topps Opening Day 180 Alex Gordon

Did it Make the BBB?: Yes

Opposition in the Collection: 2014 Topps #180 Ben Revere

Can it be Upgraded?: No chance in hell

What's to Love?: You are looking at the early candidate for 2014 BBB of the Year. I recently opened 4 hobby boxes of Heritage and pulled all but about five base cards. Guess whose base card was excluded? Yep, Alex Gordon, aka the best baseball player ever. I never pull PC cards, so when this stunning gem appeared, my heart melted. Scroll up and look at Alex's face. You see that? That was also my face when I saw this card. Nothing more needs to be said.