Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 29 of 267)

Retirement is not without Hassles: 2023 Road Trip #2381

August 20, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

There have been a lot of road trips in my life, mostly due to transporting cars or pets. In this case, we felt it was more affordable to drive from Florida to Indiana rather than drive. After all, time is not really a factor in retirement, but living on a fixed income is becoming more of challenge. I still have plenty of Marriott Rewards Points that we’ll use in Louisville, Huntsville, and Tallahassee along the way. I’ll save some for Barcelona next spring.

This particular Road Trip will hardly have the appeal of a college movie, but every time I take the wheel for a long drive, memories of youthful journeys to Ft. Lauderdale, California, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan come to mind. I also can’t help but think of family station wagon vacations with my parents to Yellowstone and Florida, recalling stops at all the tourist traps along the way. There’s a sense of freedom behind the wheel that sparks the spirit of adventure.

In more recent years, my wife and I have done two separate cross-country drives from Oregon to Florida, one into Canada, and a third through the Midwest up to Mackinac Island. All were filled with touristy stuff. We also like to cover area tourist attractions on Thursdays with some shorter day trips. Last week we did the Venice Museum and the week prior, Solomon’s Castle. Yesterday, we drove down to Punta Gorda to Fisherman’s Village and an early dinner at Ginger Dim Sum. Longer road trip excursions have included Marco Island, Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cape Canaveral, Daytona, Vanderbilt Beach, Fort Myers, South Beach, Jupiter, Vero Beach, St. Augustine, Orlando, Jacksonville, Arcadia, Leesburg, Amelia Island, and The Keys.

This week’s Road Trip is to Indiana for a wedding, so I’ll be wearing a suit for the first time in years. I had intended to wear one, as required, at the Grand Hotel last year but the pants had fallen off the hanger, so I had to improvise. The last wedding that we attended was a month ago on the Oregon Coast but it was informal. I would have to go back four years ago in San Francisco to the time when I wore my gray pinstripe. For this particular occasion and variety’s sake, I packed a black one. I would hate to be seen wearing the same suit at all my relative’s weddings when pictures are gone through years from now. However, I do still have the tux that I wore to our wedding nearly 25-years ago, even though one of my first steps in retirement was to clear my closet of most business attire.

Hey, it’s time to get packing. The fantasy football draft is this afternoon and a cover band concert tonight. The first leg of tomorrow’s drive is 7.5 hours, meaning an early running start for my minimum mile and a long day in the car to get to the baseball game on time. We also have to drop Tally off at Schnauzerville. I’m not taking my laptop and therefore blogging will be delayed. Expect a recap in about 10-days. Road Trip 2023 is about to begin!

Old Sport Shorts: More Magic of 60 #2380

August 17, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Sadly, to put a heart-shattering, double exclamation mark on the 2022-23 season, the Hoosier women lost the BIG Tourney to Ohio State but won a NCAA Tourney first round game against Tennessee Tech, however, just like the men, lost to Miami “The U” to end the season. I would have to wait at least another year. The UConn men, on the other hand, would make a statement about how the “Magic of Sixty” applies to any championship team.

It was just announced that the 2023-24 Hoosiers will play the defending NCAA champion Huskies in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Gardens on November 19^th. Since both teams experienced major turnover in the off-season with the NBA draft and transfer portal moves, no one is really sure what to expect. UConn is projected in the Top 10 while Indiana barely makes the Top 25. Dan Hurley and Mike Woodson will match coaching wits for the first time in a battle that will likely boil down to defense.

After just five years at the helm, Hurley’s Huskies claimed the top prize and tied Indiana with five NCAA Championship banners (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, and 2023). The difference is that it took UConn only 24 years to get there as opposed to I.U.’s 47-year span. All of UConn’s titles have come well after the Hoosier’s last triumph in 1986 – 38 years ago.

In doing so, Coach Hurley took a page out of Coach Bob Knight’s book of defensive magic, leading his Huskies in the Final Four over the same Miami squad that had eliminated Coach Woodson’s Indiana in the second round. They, in fact, coincidentally held the Hurricanes to 59 points to get the chance to do the same 59-point defensive damage to San Diego in the Championship. Double the Magic to finish the season!

To get there, they had already held high-scoring Gonzaga to 53, Arkansas to 29-points at the half, St. Mary’s to a game total of only 55, and Iona to 24 in the second half. It’s that same Magic of Sixty (or two 30-point halves) that I’ve been preaching throughout this book. They apparently learned a lesson going into the NCAA Tourney when Marquette beat them for the Big East title because the Golden Eagles held the Huskies to just 30 in the second half, showing how defensive magic can work against them. Yes, UConn had their ups and downs throughout the season but went 17-1 when holding their opponent to 60-or less. The only loss was to Creighton 56-53, and that was countered earlier in the season with a 69-60 win over the same Blue Jays. Villanova, DePaul, and Oregon each only managed 59, Seton Hall 55, Butler 46, Iowa State 53, Delaware State 60, Boston University 57, and Stonehill 54 – all victims of the Magic of 60. If you get there first, you will likely win.

The game of basketball has changed since IU won their first title in 1940 over Kansas 60-42. Defenses are challenged even more with the shot clock, the 3-pointer, and other regulation shifts. However, as UConn just proved, THE MAGIC OF 60 STILL RULES!

(For Background See Post #1936)

Retirement is not without Hassles: Rainy Days and Monday #2379

August 14, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

This Carpenter’s song crossed my mind this morning, after all it was Monday and raining. I’m actually surprised that this theme hasn’t come to mind before in the course of doing this blog. “Singing in” and “Saving for” have been covered in the past. Rain was common in Portland, but while living here in Florida we’ve experienced many long draughts. This morning during my daily run, I had the pleasure of a light rain and overcast skies after months of excessive heat. For once, I didn’t feel like my shoes might melt to the pavement. In fact, the last temperature break I experienced was when we traveled back to Portland a month ago. Otherwise, it’s been hot and dry.

Mondays have lost their bad reputation in retirement. As just another day, they no longer get me down and the rain is welcome, so the lyrics of this popular classic no longer necessarily apply:

“Talkin’ to myself and feelin’ old
Sometimes I’d like to quit, nothin’ ever seems to fit

Hangin’ around
Nothin’ to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

What I’ve got, they used to call the blues
Nothin’ is really wrong, feelin’ like I don’t belong

Walkin’ around
Some kind of lonely clown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Funny, but it seems I always wind up here with you
Nice to know somebody loves me
Funny, but it seems that it’s the only thing to do
Run and find the one who loves me (the one who loves me)
What I feel has come and gone before

No need to talk it out (talk it out)
We know what it’s all about
Hangin’ around (hangin’ around)
Nothin’ to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Funny, but it seems that it’s the only thing to do (only thing to do)
Run and find the one who loves me
What I feel has come and gone before

No need to talk it out (talk it out)
We know what it’s all about
Hangin’ around (hangin’ around)
Nothin’ to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Hangin’ around (hangin’ around)
Nothin’ to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Songwriters: Paul H. Williams, Roger S. Nichols

For non-commercial use only.

Data from: Musixmatch

Retirement is not without Hassles: The Games People Play #2378

August 13, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

We finally got some rain last night, as thunderstorms swept through the area. Our lawn and garden got some necessary natural hydration, giving our water bill a bit of a break. It was apparently still too hot for the Philly Cheesesteak food truck, disappointing my taste buds. Imagine cooking in a tin can with temperatures near ninety degrees. We thawed out some chicken noodle soup instead and streamed more of Designated Survivor. “Netflix and Chill” – retirement style.

Earlier in the day, I watched Da’ Bears win a preseason game against the Titans. No big deal to most but a rare win in my book. Next Saturday they play the Colts. I’ve followed the White Sox to their doom this year and am trying not to jinx the Cubs by continuing to ignore their recent success. Although not an Angels fan, I seem to have paid too much attention to Shohei Ohtana and consequently have him in a slump. USA Women’s soccer was a disappointment and IU basketball recruiting seems to be at a standstill, although attracting national attention. I did see that Hoosier soccer waso optimistically preseason ranked at #2. Not much word on football, so better than getting my hopes up.

We’re two weeks away from the drive to Indianapolis, with some arrangements yet to be made. Our Louisville stop on the way there is somewhat contingent on getting together with some folks that we met on the Nile River Cruise. On the way back through Huntsville, we have to cement some plans with my half-sister and need to reserve a room in Tallahassee. Part of this excursion will be to celebrate my 72nd birthday.

I’ve just recently added the game of Monopoly GO to the list of silly games that I play on my phone. With all the time I waste with them, I hope they are at least keeping my mind sharp and dementia-free, as advertised. It all started with 7 Little Words many years ago, replacing crossword puzzles and Sudoku. I then added Solitaire, where animated fireworks were the only reward, upgrading recently to Solitaire Cash. I’ve yet to win any of the “thousands” that others are supposedly collecting. I occasionally use the $10 cash I earn every month by sharing my phone data with MobileXpression, but it hasn’t resulted in any big payouts. I also play Wordle every morning, with a current streak of 110, hoping to surpass the previous record of 119. Oh, the games people play!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Drizzle to Fizzle the Sizzle #2377

August 11, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I continue to struggle with my daily run, fighting temperatures and humidity that feel like 100-degrees. I can’t seem to get out any earlier than 8 a.m., missing many of the regulars that have already finished. My times have badly deteriorated, often stumbling at a ridiculously slow pace of over 18 minutes the final mile. I don’t know what to do after shorting the length to 2.1 miles since the beginning of the month. My weight has even dropped to 185 (10 pounds lost) after my wife cut back on buying cookies and other sweet snacks. I can barely stand up after finishing, feeling drained and light-headed. I get in the pool to cool off and strain to get my laps in, breathing hard at each turn. There is something wrong. I’m tired and beginning to feel my age.

I called my cardiologist yesterday but couldn’t get through. I’m supposed to see the surgeon about my aortic aneurysm, even though it has not grown in size. It’s been there for years, carefully monitored. Perhaps, it’s starting to cause fatigue and loss of balance, that has been plaguing me of late. If the recent scans had shown enlargement that would have immediately put me on the table. Oddly, my biggest concern is the interruption of “The Streak” that stands at 5,339 consecutive days as of this morning.

I sat in dark, air-conditioned overload, trying to get through yesterday’s Barbie movie, only to step outside in the grueling heat. I’m drinking lots of fluids in hope that it cools off soon! Not just here in Florida, all over the country we’re seeing record temperatures. Even Portland, Oregon where I ran last month in comfortable conditions is expected to be in the hundreds over the next few days. Fires are destroying beautiful Maui. We need some drizzle to fizzle the sizzle!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Triumph GT-6 #2376

August 9, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Let’s start with my dad. He was such a remarkable man, beginning with the fact that he was willing to include me and my sister Judy in his family. Adoption is not an easy process, having to undergo the scrutiny of background checks, supervision by the agency along the way, and not really knowing what you’re getting in raising someone else’s child. It takes strong, loving people to do this, and I’m not sure I would be willing to do it myself. Fortunately, we were able to have our son Adam naturally, naming him after the strong, handsome Bonanza character, Adam Cartwright of TV fame, played by Pernell Roberts.

My dad was friendly, successful, and lived a long healthy, life. I couldn’t possibly have been luckier to have been raised by a man like him. Yes, he had a temper, was impatient, and spent too much time at the office, traits that I too developed. I often wonder how different it would have been to live life with my biological father. I now know his daughters and grandchildren, so it would have been a very difficult upbringing. As I continue to explore this side of my DNA ancestry, I recently discovered that William Penn, founder of the state of Pennsylvania and grandfather of the Declaration of Independence signer was my 11th Great Grandfather. (See Post #2349). He is probably my most famous biological ancestor, but my dad is by far my greatest hero.

In retirement, most every day is now lazy. There is no alarm to start my day, just that daily run. I watch entirely too much TV, but as evidenced by the naming of my son, I was part of the first TV generation, and it eventually became my career. Going to a movie, is one of my favorite hobbies, so we hold annual passes to Regal Unlimited. I also enjoy going out to dinner, where doing dishes is not an option. Afternoon naps are becoming a habit. I like the comfort of air conditioning as opposed to the great outdoors and certainly don’t mind being alone. Once upon a time, traveling somewhere would have been part of a lazy day, but anymore it’s hard work. The ideal lazy day would be NO alarm, NO responsibilities and NO commitments.

My driving test was at the wheel of my dad’s 1964 1/2 Mustang convertible. I also drove his other vehicles, a Ford Galaxy and Country Squire Station Wagon until the summer before my junior year at I.U. when I bought a brand new, bright red, 1971 Triumph GT-6 and took it to Bloomington with me. This car was an exercise in futility. It looked good on the outside but was a problem under the hood. This taught me a valuable lesson about investing in reliable transportation. What looks good doesn’t necessarily run good! I often think of myself in old age as looking good on the outside but rusted out on the inside, the refrain to this poem/song that I wrote many years ago. (See Post #1811 – Poem).

Retirement is not without Hassles: Eight is the Date #2375

August 8, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s another hot August day – but not just any day. It is the 294th anniversary (24.5 years since 1999) of the first “date” with my current wife. It was actually more of a business meeting, since we worked together at WISH-TV, but it ultimately led to other things. We didn’t get married for another two years, but it was the beginning of our “love streak” of now 8,947 days (the running streak is only 5,336 days). I can’t help it – I like to count days!

It was not love at first sight since I had known her since working in Fort Wayne back in the mid-eighties. My first marriage was falling apart after 27-years, so I was vulnerable, and moved out on my own soon after. It’s impossible to explain the how’s and why’s these things happen, but in simple terms I fell in love again. I do not regret the circumstances. It’s what we like to call a re-do.

The meeting took place on an 8th at Eddy’s, a restaurant near Geist Reservoir in Indianapolis. It still exists today, and we’ve eaten there several times since. Every 8th of the month, we celebrate this union that led to marriage on 4/20/2001. In the course of our romance, there is our wedding anniversary, and then these monthly occasions that I like to call our “Eddiversary” or “Eightiversary.” (See Post #1768).

I crudely drew a series of three calendars that highlight the early days of our relationship. We had them framed to display privately on our master bathroom wall. This way I can create an anniversary out of essentially everything we did together. From that point on, I then kept a written diary of nearly every day together. It exists on my computer, so I continue to update it. Poems and other memories are kept both on the computer and in notebooks on my office shelves. There are also poems to her hidden in the gifted Limoges Boxes that make up her collection. In these many ways, my love for her is forever preserved.

Eight is the date,

When our love sparked.

Every month since,

Is carefully marked.

Calendars, Diaries,

And poems like this.

Last much longer,

Than a kiss.

It started at Eddy’s,

Grown every day since.

Like every great fortune,

It started with a cent.

Now it is priceless,

Memories preserved.

A life together,

That we both deserved.

We call it a re-do,

But it’s so much more.

A tribute to the woman,

That I adore.

An annual celebration,

Just wasn’t ample.

But daily reminders,

A better example.

The 8th is special,

Jan thru December.

Though Every single day,

Together, I remember.

Can’t say it enough,

That “I Love You.”

Happy Half Eddiversary,

Let’s start today anew!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Fantasize #2374

August 7, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I’ll spend this afternoon at the nearby Goodyear dealer, getting our Lexus ready for the long drive to Indianapolis in a few weeks. I can only hope that there are no major repairs necessary, but the tires definitely need to be rotated and balanced. Oil and other fluids should be fine. The car has just over 111,900 miles on it. I’m counting on 90,000 more. The next car we get will be an SUV with more passenger room, as we’re currently limited on traveling with no more than two of us, with maybe a little one or a dog in the back seat.

It’s another “Meatless Monday,” with peanut butter and jelly for lunch. Dinner will also be meat free – a big, fat sweet potato. Before a predictable evening of dining, a golf cart ride, garden care, and the Designated Survivor series on Netflix, I’ll probably continue reading the Violin Conspiracy while waiting for the car to be done. After that, I’ll finish watching
episode 1 of Season Two’s Winning Time on MAX. I’ve tried to cut back on buying new books, relying on some of my wife’s book club purchases, going to the library, or utilizing the huge clubhouse selection. The reality of living on a fixed income is starting to hit home. Discounts, coupons, freebees, dining at home, senior citizen specials, early birds, and sales are the new norm. I can’t begin to tell you how much money I’ve squandered by being careless and reckless with our savings.

To add to the daily excitement, Chair Yoga restarts after tomorrow’s run. I know my life doesn’t seem worth writing about right now, but you never know what’s ahead. Maybe I’ll win the MegaMillions 1.5 Billion prize. I would certainly then have plenty to say or more likely go silent, not giving anyone a hint as to my wealth. When in doubt, fantasize!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Lightening and Armadillos #2373

August 6, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

My neighbor suffered a lightening strike yesterday afternoon. I heard the massive boom just before our internet went down. It apparently fried his Comcast panel and affected garage door operation. He does have the FPL SurgeShield plan that we also had installed on our system. Maybe it saved him additional damage? This is the second time this year that we’ve lived on the right side of the street. He also had lanai damage along with the neighbors next to him during Hurricane Ian. I’m fortunate to have escaped both issues, while keeping my fingers crossed.

Last night when I took Tally out before bedtime, we had two small armadillos in our front yard. She, of course, went nuts with the barking and tried to go nose-to-nose. We chased them off because their digging can be damaging. One had started to burrow, once again across the street, around their air conditioning system. This is apparently common. I don’t know what it is about that side of the street, but obviously we live on the “Sunny Side of the Street.” (See Post #2159).

It’s been a hot Florida summer with limited rainfall. The area canals are proof, with water levels down several feet. Lawns are turning brown despite overworked irrigation systems. It was over 80-degrees when I started my run this morning, so a cool dip in our pool was a welcome reward. I was feeling fortunate to have escaped any storm damage that unfortunately produced little rainfall. I will be happy to spend the day indoors while thinking of my friends hiking in Banff. They won’t be dealing with heat but certainly altitude. I would rather deal with lightening and armadillos.

Old Sport Shorts: Ohtani #2372

August 5, 2023 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been over two months since I’ve written anything in this Old Sport Shorts category. Without I.U. basketball to get me riled up, there’s been little to report. I had all but given up on the Cubs and the White Sox have been cursed with injuries. I did do a Sports Card show a month ago and began to think about the increasing value of my Shohei Ohtani baseball card collection. Plus, my great niece is in Japan playing in the Pony League World Series – they lost the championship game to the Japanese girls – I watched via You Tube. They are baseball crazy over there!

Since I’m a lazy researcher, I often rely on Wikipedia for information. “Baseball was first introduced to Japan as a school sport in 1872 by American Horace Wilson, an English professor at the Kaisei Academy in Tokyo. It is currently Japan’s most popular participatory and spectator sport. Nippon Professional Baseball players such as Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Shigeo Nagashima and Sadaharu Oh are regarded as national stars, and their exceptional performances have boosted baseball’s popularity in the country.”

Shohei Ohtani has already proven to be one of the best baseball players of all time with Babe Ruth like statistics. I went to see him play in Anaheim back in April of 2018, his MLB rookie season. “He previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball’s (NPB). Following an injury-plagued 2019 and 2020, Ohtani would go on to have a 2021 season widely considered to be historic, as he became the first in the history of MLB with 10+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases as a hitter and 100+ strikeouts and 10+ pitching appearances as a pitcher in the same season while also holding at least a share of the major league lead in home runs in 14 starts. For his efforts, he was awarded the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player Award. He followed this in 2022 by becoming the first player in the modern era to qualify for both the hitting and pitching leaderboards in one season, reaching the thresholds of 3.1 plate appearances and one inning pitched per game with 586 at bats and 166 innings pitched.”

The 29-year-old Ohtani then went on to lead his Japanese team over the USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and currently tops the majors with 40 home runs, coupled with a .310 batting average, a 3.32 ERA, and 9 pitching victories. I have documented his career with Topps Now cards, accounting for most of his significant highlights. These cards are released for only a 24-hour period and currently sold for $10.69 including shipping and tax. I currently own about 93 of these cards (22 labeled RC – Rookie). He’s made three consecutive All-Star appearances, so I also have the starting player line-up cards for each of these years. The rarest of the collection is probably a parallel (alternative version #1 of 10 total printed) card of his 2-HR game 6/25/2021 against the Rays.

I will continue to collect these Ohtani highlight cards for the rest of this year, along with some Cubs and hot up-and-comers. Ohtani will probably be walked a lot down the stretch since Mike Trout is injured. For this reason, it will be tough for him to top Ruth’s HR mark. As the Angels continue to struggle, from a pitching standpoint, it will also be a challenge to earn wins without run support. Hopefully, once the season is over he’ll be traded to a contender. At that point, I will sell my card collection. As for the surprising Cubbies, they are currently only two games behind the Brewers, so I will continue to ignore them for fear of jinxing their chances.