Welcome back

I may not blog quite as frequently as I did a year or two ago, but there are still a lot of things about blogging that I like. One of those things is the feeling of camaraderie, that club-membership vibe, that I don't feel in other social-media settings, like Twitter or forums.

Blogging is much more intimate and conversational than those other outlets, meaning you get to know about your fellow fanatics a little more than through other avenues.

So when one of your fellow members stops blogging for awhile and then returns, that always brings a smile to my face. The more cynical person might say I'm smiling because the blogger's return validates my reason for blogging -- or I just want another trade partner. Maybe.

But I'd like to think that I simply like having another viewpoint in the hobby to read.

And another trade partner. Yeah, that thing, too.

Recently, Roy-Z from Plain Gray Swatch came back to the blogs. It turns out he was away -- psssshh -- getting his Masters degree.

Roy-Z doesn't live far from me. In fact, I was almost able to meet my first card blogger in person two weeks ago at the card show. We missed each other by a couple of hours.

But we were able to accomplish the next-best thing -- a trade!

Here is some of what I received in the mail that traveled up Route 81.

A star-spangled Raul Mondesi. I am eternally grateful for any mid-90s Fleer Ultra cards because I need so many. But when it comes time to enter Mondesi cards into my database I start to groan. There are so many cards of Mondesi, as well as Shawn Green and Adrian Beltre, that it gets very tedious. But thanks! heh.

Any package with a Nomo card that I need is an instant success. Getting close to 400 unique Nomo Dodger cards. Help me get there.

Every Pee Wee Reese card that I see only reminds me of the 1956 Pee Wee card, which means I must be very close to acquiring it. What a great day that will be.

Some sort of contest card from Topps that I've never seen before. Equating the Dodgers with a World Series in 2007 amuses me. But there they are celebrating -- Ramon Martinez, Rafael Furcal, Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier and Luis Gonzalez. Yeah, that's a World Series in the making.

I got excited because I thought I could add this mini to my A&G Frankenset. But it turns out it's the regular-back Ethier. I have only the A&G back Ethier.

Yes, there is part of me that still recognizes back variations.

I am so weak.

Ugh. There are still Kevin Brown cards that I need. I am shocked by this. And appalled. ... and grateful. Don't forget grateful.

Ah yes. This beauty.

I actually have this card already. I may hold onto a second one, but I think I have someone in mind for this card. Every Kershaw card is useful.

By the way, I won a gold refractor serial numbered Kershaw card yesterday. You'll see it soon. It made passing out Halloween candy a semi-tolerable experience.

Thanks for the cards, Roy-Z.

And welcome back.