The blog now has accessories

A few weeks ago, my wife came home with this knick knack of an owl, pronounced that she loved it, and promptly stuck it on top of my card desk.

Now, she knows I'm a night owl, and has known it ever since she met me. She also knows that I run a blog called "Night Owl Cards". But I have no idea whether she placed it on my desk for that reason.

I could ask but, you know, we're both very, very busy people.

I prefer to think of it as a blog accessory, whether it is or not.

I like the idea of accessories. Every once in awhile, when I see that a blogger has made up a business card for their blog, I think "I wish I could get things together and make my own business card." It'd be a nice extension of the blog.

But I don't have to do that right now because I've got something more handy:

The blog now has its own mug.

This arrived from Baseball Dad. He and I think it's pretty appropriate. If you are hard of seeing it's an owl sitting on a base with a baseball next to him.

The reverse side even has Mr. Owl professing his love for his favorite team!

The mug/painting also has a title -- "Hoo's On First ..." by Will Bullas.

Look, you can even buy a used one -- ewwwww -- on Amazon. I'm a bit miffed that this wasn't made specially for me, but at least I didn't pay $19.95 for it! (I hope Baseball Dad didn't either).

As a night owl, I don't use mugs much. I'm not awake in the morning, which is the peak time for coffee zombies clutching their mugs. I don't even drink coffee. But I'm sure it's just as useful for other beverages and everyone else in the house has their own mug, so it's about time I have mine.

BD also stashed some stuff inside the mug.

2014 Topps Chipzah. That's my first red one there. I believe it gives me super powers. Besides flying and perfect vision in the dark, which I already possess.

A single Dodger card. And it's one I didn't have. How did he do that?

And a pack of this.

At some point, I lamented that the only decent Panini products never appear around me. The only thing Panini that I've been able to tolerate are Hometown Heroes -- easily their best product -- and Golden Age. But I've never seen Golden Age here.

Baseball Dad has better access to this stuff and sent me a pack of 2014 GA!

We're gonna open it right now.

Right after I get done chuckling while I picture a 9-year-old boy pulling a card of Patsy Cline.

So, this is a pack of six cards of old-timey baseball players, actors, famous destinations, horses, that kind of stuff. My goal is to open a pack of all '70s subjects. I get hazy on anything before the '50s. And Dodgers, I want some Dodgers. As usual there are bunch in this product.

And you're still waiting for me to open it.

OK, right now. For sure.

#45 - Fay Wray, Actor

Excellent start. It's not someone from the '70s, but the first time I ever saw King Kong was on a giant black-and-white console as a kid sometime during the '70s.

Fan Craze insert, #2 - Ty Cobb

These are 1 per 8 packs. Not a bad-looking card, considering how I don't like Panini's tactic of cutting off tops of heads.

#91 - Vivien Leigh, Actor, mini

It's 1930s STARLET MOJO!!!! First Wray, now Leigh. I believe I may have watched Gone With the Wind as a kid in the '70s, too.

#127 - Lee Majors, Actor

'70s! Here we go! No one has ever looked cooler running in slow motion in a jogging suit.

#83 - Jerry West, Guard

Ugh. Basketball. I won't shock you with my limited knowledge of Jerry West. Instead, let's address the card design.

I don't like it. It's ugly. Panini can't design worth crap. I know it's supposed to look old-timey on purpose but I can't collect a full set of anything that looks like this.

Also, just like every other Panini product I've opened, the backs are unreadable with their boring layout and tiny type.

#74 - Harvey Haddix, Pitcher

Yay! Baseball! Haddix did something that will never happen again, given the way pitchers are handled today. Can you imagine anyone being allowed to throw 12 innings, no-hitter or not?

That's the pack.

The subject matter to this set -- although I wished it was weighted more toward the latter half of last century -- is terrific, and helps save it from an ugly carnival design.

If the cards ever appeared in my neighborhood stores, I'd probably pick up some more packs.

Still, the most useful item in Baseball Dad's cardboard box of goodies was The Night Owl mug.

I can assure you it will be used during the games tonight.