Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 32 of 269)
After several silly delays, including a first officer that got locked out of the jetway while trying to join the crew on our plane, we arrived in Portland about 2a (5a at home). We still had to get our luggage, find the Enterprise Rental desk, and drive to my stepdaughter’s new home. Needless to say, I got to bed about the same time I normally wake up, with very little sleep.
By 9a I was doing the daily run, choosing a middle school track over the hilly roads surrounding it. However, the temperature was much cooler, so I went a little further at a pace that was nearly a minute faster. When I returned to the house, my clothes were not uncomfortably soaked in sweat. I was home again in Portland.
Today, I’ll see some familiar sights, starting with a friendly lunch at the Lake Oswego Grill. The temps have been hot here, as well, considering that this athletic dude did his annual bike ride from Seattle to Portland and couldn’t finish, consumed by 90-degree heat. After lunch, I’ll swing by Plaza Cleaners for a pair of pants apparently left behind two-years ago in our move to Florida. Dinner will be at Ling’s Garden, the Asian restaurant that we frequented while living in our Portland apartment and dealing with Covid.
I made arrangements to visit a former co-worker’s home on Sunday after a wedding weekend that starts tomorrow. There will be many long-lost faces in attendance, with probably a few surprises. We’re staying at the Tillamook Shilo Inn, a rare deviation from our Marriott lodging. Tillamook is of course famous for its Cheese and right down the road is Netart’s Bay, known for its oysters and the home of my about to be married buddy of 55 years.
I wrote this poem for his wedding toast, taking into account our friendship extending from hometown Elkhart (“City with a heart”) to I.U. and finally into Oregon. I’m making fun of his R.V., likely built in our our Hoosier backyard, and the trip we took together to Italy with ex-wives:
Wedding Roast
Rog and I go back 55 years,
From the city with a Heart.
Blazers and Hoosiers,
Choir was our start.
We could have had,
Mobile home careers.
But Roger chose,
Instead to steer.
It’s often parked,
In his driveway.
Overlooking,
Netarts Bay.
But when traffic is slow,
We often say:
Must be a “Rog,”
Blocking the way.
We’ve traveled abroad,
Back in the day.
With other women,
Let’s just say.
You showed me,
The Amalfi Coast.
So I offer you,
This silly roast.
We once saw the Pope,
Mowing his lawn.
He had his shirt off,
Showing Holy brawn.
In an Italian rental,
Speaking of scares.
You nearly guided me,
Down a set of stairs.
But enough about us,
Let’s talk about them.
Roger and Christina,
Together again.
40 years ago,
They dated two years.
But missed 38 more,
Due to commitment fears.
Destiny has intervened,
So FEAR NOT.
They now get a second shot,
And have tied Love’s knot.
No more glitches,
Two point Oh.
We’re all delighted,
As you two know.
Here’s to the Millers,
Or did she make you Hoell?
With this latest version,
Your lives grew full. (Or whole)
We wish you the best,
And don’t come knockin’
Especially when,
That “Rog” is rockin’.
If up to me,
I’d end right there.
But Denise insists,
There’s more to share.
To Roger and Christina,
A toast to 2.0.
May you spend your golden years,
Basking in love’s glow.
Copyright johnstonwrites.com
To be continued…..;…
I’ve decided not to take my computer with me to Portland, so if I write anything over the next week it will be on my phone and later added to this blog. The metrics officially show that no one is really reading this, so it remains just a personal therapeutic release. I still enjoy writing but there is simply no urgency. There is a wedding poem that I have yet to post, and I’ve promised a retirement poem to another friend. This will give me something to do on the long flight tomorrow. I’m fighting a lack of motivation as a result of the suffocating heat. A light rain this morning helped get me through another day of running. A change of pace will be welcome.
The evening golf cart rides have been a welcome change to the daily routine. I’m grateful just to be healthy after hearing that a neighborhood friend just took a fall and is wearing a back brace. This could happen to anyone at any time. She simply tripped over a dog toy and landed wrong. My son recently tested positive for Covid, not much of a way to celebrate a birthday. He still plans to go to Universal Studios this weekend, taking advantage of our Marriott Vacation Club accommodations in Orlando. By the way, I just learned that Marriott has added the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas to their Luxury Collection. It’s where we were married. Perhaps we can return there as part of our upcoming 25th anniversary celebration.
Our American flight from Fort Myers to Portland leaves tomorrow evening at 5p, putting us in our Enterprise rental car at about 11p (2a here). We’ll stay at my son-in-law’s new home, return to some of our favorite dining spots, and head to Tillamook, Netarts, and Oceanside for two days of wedding festivities. I hope to work in a visit to a good friend’s home under construction, but my wife wants to spend as much time as possible with her daughter, so logistics will be a challenge. We’ll be gone for eight days, with Tally staying at a neighbor’s house rather than the usual Schnauzerville accommodations. It will be a welcome change of pace for all of us.
I was never one to seek out or stalk celebrities. I respect their privacy and often don’t even notice when they pass by. In most cases, It usually takes someone to say, “Hey, there’s so and so or isn’t that….” I’m not one for autographs or photographs, so those famous are relatively safe around me. However, being in the media business most of my life, I’ve had many close encounters despite my shyness and reserved nature. With all this in mind, let’s do a little name dropping!
I would say that one of my first celebrity encounters was with my dad and his friend who took me to lunch with a Philadelphia Phillies baseball catcher by the name of Jim Coker. Oddly enough, a guy I met the other day at a baseball card show asked me to buy one of his cards. He didn’t know the player but liked the looks of it. Honestly, I was reluctant to let it go, but had another in my collection. As I write this, I’m surrounded in my office by autographs and photos of mostly sports celebrities, but also a few favorite authors, like Dennis Lehane who wrote Shutter Island that I met at a book signing at Powell’s in Portland. Unlike this particular instance, most of my personalized signatures I didn’t personally ask for myself. Instead, I’ve gotten them as gifts through the years.
I have had my share of personal encounters with athletes, having worked closely with the Purdue Boilermakers, Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts. My favorite teams are from Indiana University but only I.U. basketball’s Steve Alford, Mike Davis, and Kent Benson have autographed something for me. I met Coach Bob Knight at the Maui Classic and spent some time talking with him at a political fundraiser down in Austin. Purdue’s Coach Gene Keady, who will soon be a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was a regular at my Lafayette TV station, WLFI, for the production of his weekly coaches show, as was football’s Joe Tiller, so there were always players available to meet. Most of them I honestly don’t remember or even made an effort to approach except for Drew Brees. After all, I was a Hoosier fan at heart and they were the frenemy but important to my business. Same was true when I talked with Coach Bruce Weber at the University of Illinois and met one of his earlier predecessors, Lou Henson, in our WISH-TV suite.
As for the Colts and Pacers, I attended many a media day and took clients to training camps for many years. Peyton Manning and Billy Brooks were my favorites, although I also met Jeff George at the station and did commercial shoots with most all of them including the most recent coach and former player, Jeff Saturday. Pacers’ legend Reggie Miller was a regular at our gym, Peak Performance. My favorite pro team is the Bears, and I was fortunate to meet Dick Butkus after his playing career was over. He was on a committee with me in Decatur to promote extension of Illinois Highway 51, his jersey number at Illinois and Chicago. I also shook the meaty hand of Mike Ditka at an Illinois Broadcasters event. The Bears were originally founded as the Decatur Staleys.
I never met Michael Jackson or saw his signature moonwalk live, but I did serve on the board of Imagination Station in Lafayette alongside Purdue Astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to actually walk on the moon to this date. I’m also not much of a foodie but did enjoy taking a cooking class at Marshall Fields in Chicago with Rick Bayless, founder of Frontera restaurant. We have his autographed cookbook.
My television career put me face to face with several Network on-air talents like David Letterman, Jane Pauley, Dan Rather, and Tom Brokaw, not to mention working with many local TV celebrities. Letterman’s fame spread to the racetrack where I also met 4-time winner A,J. Foyt, rode in a 2-seater with Mario Andretti, rubbed elbows with owner and Hollywood idol Paul Newman, met the great Roger Penske, and was teammates with Pancho Carter, Roberto Guerrero, and Kevin Cogan, among others. I once spent a sleepless night on the motel balcony next to Bobby Rahal just outside the Michigan International Speedway. I also went jet skiing with the entire Unser family on a race weekend. One of my Indy highlights was being transported by helicopter to and from the track with my WISH-TV guests, cellular tycoons Craig and Wendy McCaw. We watched the race from the Hullman Suite.
Racing took me all over the country to sites like Long Beach, Monterey, Portland, Mid-Ohio, Texas Motor Speedway, Elkhart Lake, Milwaukee, and nearby Raceway Park in Indy for the U.S. National Drags where I met female speed legend, Shirley “Cha-Cha” Muldowney. Other fast women that I chatted with at racetracks were Lyn St. James and Danica Patrick. Throughout this time, I was lucky to have worked with the Derek Daly family, whose son Conor carries on their speed legacy. They introduced me to many of the big-time players in the sport at their home and in their trackside suites. Last but not least, I was able to treat my family to a day at the Daytona 500 where we encountered Clint Bowyer in the pit area. I asked him for an autograph for the grandkids not knowing who he was but recently recognized him as a FOX commentator for this year’s race. I was eventually gifted with the autographed ticket in a shadow box of his racing highlights.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was where I spent most of the month of May every year. I have a rather unique “Thanks for the Mousepitality” framed poster that hangs on the wall to remind me of when Disney came to the Speedway as my guest. They parked their performance semi next to our WISH-TV studios because they couldn’t get into the track, while the Indianapolis Star accused us of “Whoring with the Mouse.” I did several meet-and-greets with the characters and live performances around town, discovering that Mickey was really a girl, Minnie was a smoker, and all three of them, including Pluto, were Teamsters. It all culminated with the live unveiling of the 1992 Cadillac Allente pace car.
The annual Indianapolis 500 ball was a great opportunity to meet the stars, and we usually had a prime table. Next to us one year were very approachable Morgan Freeman and Patrick Dempsey. Other major sporting events in Indy like the Final Four also gave me the chance to meet Ray Romano, Kevin Costner, and Conan O’Brien. I also got a chance to talk to Mohammad Ali in a concession line. In 1997, the USA Track and Field Championships came to Indianapolis, and I was able to meet and get autographs from eventual Olympic champions Michael Johnson and Gail Devers. I still have the framed, signed poster in my collection. In 1991, Indianapolis also hosted the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel where John Daly was the surprising victor. I had media credentials and watched the celebration, just as I had in 1988 at Bush Stadium (now Victory Field) when the Indianapolis Indians won it all behind the pitching of Randy Johnson.
Annual CBS & NBC meetings in Las Vegas or New York put me in front of Hollywood’s finest such as Ruppert Boneham from Survivor and Mariska Hargity of Law & Order. The Who played the CSI theme “Don’t Get Fooled Again” and then joined us for the cocktail party where I got to exchange a few words. While in the Big Apple I also went to Martha Stewart’s studio to meet her and watch her cooking show with guest star S. Epatha Merkerson of Law & Order fame. While at the Broadway show, Hairspray, I got into a conversation at intermission with Henry Winkler, “The Fonz.” One evening while walking back to our hotel from meetings, I spotted Murder She Wrote star Angela Lansbury checking out of the Parker hotel. Our hotel, The Rihga Royal was directly across the street from the Robert Morris talent agency where vocalists like Alicia Keyes, John Popper, and Olivia Newton John often frequented.
One of my most memorable Radio promotions took place in Ft. Wayne, Indiana with the movie E.T. My son and I spent the day with Drew Barrymore, since they were both about the same young age. I also took him backstage to meet Gene Simmons and KISS before a concert and interacted with Jon Anderson of YES for a live radio interview on WMEE. I helped organize a Summer Concert Tour and spent many performances with the artists on stage and behind the scenes, but none were apparently as memorable as these.
Contestant searches were a big part of my promotional responsibilities in TV. The two biggest were Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. I spent a lot of time with Alex Trebek, Pat Sajek, and Vanna White. Ray Charles and the Pepsi girls once visited our studios for a commercial shoot for “You Got the Right One, Baby!” We created some :04 second IDs for on-air use. Back in my radio days, I spent the day with Bob “In the Butt” Eubanks doing store appearances for The Dating Game.
When I was a kid, attending Indiana Junior Basketball Camp, I first met Meadowlark Lemon as a celebrity counselor. While in sales at WMEE, I played in an exhibition game against his Harlem Globetrotters where I also met “Curley” Neal and Marques Haynes. Another basketball idol of mine, George McGinnis, came to a party at my Bloomington apartment with two other Hoosier teammates Joby Wright and Ed Daniels. I then met Larry Bird at a golf outing, one of many that I was invited to play. Michigan State basketball coaches, Judd Heathcoat and Tom Izzo, were part of a pep rally I attended in East Lansing, wearing red I.U. gear that they were quick to tease me about. Current Alabama football coach, Nick Saban, was also a quick conversation at that Spartan event before he guided his team to a comeback M.S.U. overtime victory over my Hoosiers. It was just part of my O for East Lansing bad fortune throughout the years.
With regard to the movies, Matt Damon and crew came to our WAND TV studios during filming of The Informant. They borrowed some equipment for the shoot. Sean Connery, James Bond, I met in the lobby of London’s Grosvenor Hotel during the BBC broadcast of the British Academy Awards. The movie Blue Chips premiered in Bloomington, so I was introduced to Nick Nolte at the red carpet showing. I said hello to American Pie’s Eugene Levy on the Wailea walking path while in Maui and to Matthew McConaughey in a U.T. football suite while in Austin. David Schwimmer of Friends dined next to me in a Bellagio restaurant, and I couldn’t resist the urge to say hello under the influence of good wine. Jim Belushi tried to cut in the security line in front of me in Las Vegas but didn’t recognize him in his Cubs hat until he sat next to us on the tram.
I spent some time in Austin as a cast extra in three television productions and would often speak and dine with the main cast members The first was Friday Night Lights with Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, and Buddy Garrity. I had several different roles including a member of the school board, as a customer at an auto dealership, and in the crowd as a Panthers fan. The second filming was Revolution where they aged my borrowed clothing with mud and dirt. Finally, I was in a couple scenes of Grimm with Bitsie Tulloch. Most of my many hours of minimum wage pay were spent just patiently waiting and many scenes were cut, but it was a fun experience of being close to stardom.
I’ve already mentioned several musical encounters, as there have been many random sightings throughout my career. John Cougar Mellencamp I’ve spoken to at I.U. basketball games. John McKay of Steppenwolf was on plane with me from Las Vegas. Country artist, Jason Aldean, was part of a John Deer tractor giveaway that I set up in Portland while with Alpha Media. B.B. King, with his trusty guitar Lucille, I reached out to at the VIP door of the Cincy coliseum after a show. Mick Fleetwood – I acknowledged at his Maui restaurant, Fleetwood’s on Front Street along with his dinner guests Z.Z. Topp. Grace Slick answered questions live as part of her artwork display in an Austin store. Her biggest regret: Not doing Jimi Hendrix! Alice Cooper – I met in the early 70s while playing at a Ft. Lauderdale motel venue as Vince Furnier. Many years later I watched him do his syndicated radio show in the Alpha Radio studios. Mary Travers of Peter, Paul, & Mary asked me where the bathrooms were at our WISH-TV offices.
Back to baseball, Scott Rolen is the son-in-law of my WISH-TV boss and soon to be a Hall of Fame inductee in Cooperstown. Ryne Sandburg of the Cubs once accidently kicked over my friend’s beer at Wrigley Field and signed his empty cup. Two former Dodger managers have crossed my path after meeting recently deceased Tommy Lasorda in a Dodger Stadium suite and sitting with Walter Alston’s family behind the dugout at Wrigley. My friend, his nephew, introduced me after the game. Another former Cub, shortstop Don Kessinger joined me and his agency buddy for lunch in Indy. Lastly on the baseball front, I met with legendary fireballer Nolen Ryan, not as a player but as owner of R Bank and The Roundrock Express in Austin.
Final encounters worth mentioning include Illinois Senators Barak Obama and John McCain at the Capital Building in D.C. while on a Decatur Chamber of Conference trip. Donald Trump tried to beat me to an empty phone booth in a Boston hotel. He was the speaker at a business conference long before cell phones, The Apprentice, and being elected President. I somehow recognized his name on the badge of colorful ribbons he was wearing and offered to let him go first. JFK, Jr. spoke as a representative of George Magazine at a San Diego Ad Club convention. I got to meet him at the reception following, fighting off all the adoring women who were obviously anxious to get close. Lance Armstrong was a frequent Austin sighting that I shook hands with at a Livestrong Cancer fundraiser. A friendly Heavyweight Champion, George Foreman, was holding court in the Watergate Hotel during one of my many visits to the city. Raymond Floyd had breakfast with me during the Grand Opening of his Redtail Golf Course in Fort Wayne.
In retirement, I miss the access to free tickets, suite seats, backstage passes, celebrity golf outings, credentials, fundraisers, and press favoritism. There are no more company paid conventions, business trips, fine dining experiences, or reasons to meet the rich and famous. I felt some sense of celebrity just being in the media business, but now all that’s left are great memories that I’m happy to share. I felt the need to write down all that I can remember because soon they will be forever forgotten.
.
I’m feeling a bit burnt out, both with running and writing. What was once a strict daily discipline has now become a tiresome chore. I’ve consequently cut back on my mileage and my postings as I struggle with maintaining these important retirement routines. Yet here I am at 5,311 consecutive days of running and 2,362 posts. I remember in Austin when I first started the streak while working, I was doing a daily 2-mile course that often extended to the treadmill. I had increased to 5k or 3.1 miles after retirement with more time on my hands, but now the Florida heat is taking its toll. I’ve added Chair yoga for flexibility and swimming some laps to the daily regimen of push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching. I definitely want to get to the 15-year mark before considering other changes, including surgery that could put an end to the streak. I’m fearful that I wouldn’t start another streak after this one ends and might end up retiring from running.
With all the traveling we’ve been doing this year our goal of seeing all the area sights has taken a back seat. Tourist Thursday was back on track yesterday afternoon with a journey to Arcadia. We visited a true tourist trap in buying tickets to Solomon’s Castle, just recently under 7-feet of water. As the brochure states, “the home, galleries, and workshop of internationally renowned artist Howard Solomon are open to the public. Decorated with more than 80 interpretive stained-glass windows and countless metal sculptures, the castle is a day-long delight.” The whimsical tour delivered by a neighbor lady scripted in the artist’s words complete with puns is worth the price of admission. Everything is made from recycled materials including the exterior panels of the castle constructed with aluminum newspaper printing plates. Next up: The world’s largest ball of twine -just kidding.
We’ve seen the amazing Ringling Brothers miniature circus (See Post #1779) also crafted by a local artisan, but this is even more mind-blowing, especially knowing that he started carving at age 4 and never stopped. He built the castle, boat in the moat, lighthouse, and restaurants on the property. Then, we stopped downtown at several antique stores and finished the day with Tally’s golf cart ride around the neighborhood and into our shared garden.
The Friday follow-up to this adventure has already proven to be another retirement whirlwind of activity. I ran while my wife went to tap classes and then proceeded to reset some sunken pavers around our pool. I had tried unsuccessfully the other day, scraping up my fingers badly. However, a borrowed rubber mallet proved to be the solution. I was covered with sand and sweat so the pool laps afterwards felt especially refreshing. The doorbell than rang with the crew that installed our dining room cabinet countertop and again with the A/C repairman. We also took the opportunity to book a Punta Gorda sunset cruise out of Fisherman’s Village (Tourist Thursday on a Friday) with a buy-one-get-one coupon and made arrangements for a flight to Oakland for Christmas with my wife’s daughter. Next Thursday we will be in our former home of Portland, Oregon (as tourists) with her other daughter and at a wedding on the coast.
Allow me to answer a few silly questions that have been posed to me through Storyworth, as I continue to write my life story. As I’ve admitted many times, my favorite drink is Diet Coke, although I’ve tried to cut down on caffeine to relieve some of my shakiness. When I’m feeling rebellious, I’ll buy a can of Sugar Free Monster, and I’m still partial to an Arby’s Jamocha Shake, but rarely stop for one anymore. I’ve never liked beer so I haven’t gotten caught up in the whole Budweiser transgender scandal, although some of my conservative neighbors recently questioned my purchase of a Michelob Ultra. I think I’ll just stick with Coors Light to avoid any future political nonsense, but I will go on record with a rare personal observation. I think that it’s ironic that Americans have now made Modelo (Mexican) and Yuengling (Chinese) the top selling beers rather than face their ridiculous homophobic fears, putting Americans out of work. Tito’s is my Vodka of choice, so lately I’ve been drinking it in a mix with cranberry juice, lime, and tonic water. I need it to deal with our unfriendly, biased world.
The other day one of my neighbors oddly asked if our dog Tally liked coffee. Their pups apparently beg for it. We don’t drink coffee at home but are prepared for company with a Keurig, so Tally has never picked up the habit. Admittedly, when I was working, I would stop at the Starbucks in our building for a decaf mocha latte. I also drink sugar free, orange Gatorade, most any flavor of sparkling water, and red wine.
I’ve also been asked what famous people I’ve met. This would include Peyton Manning, Ray Romano, Morgan Freeman, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bob Knight, Gene Keady, Lou Henson, Walter Alston, Tommy Lasorda, Ryne Sandburg, Reggie Miller, Nick Saban, Gene Simmons, George McGinnis, Craig McCaw, John McKay, Jason Aldean, David Schwimmer, Scott Rolen, Henry Winkler, BB King, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Dennis Lehane, Matt Damon, Meadowlark Lemon, Barak Obama, Drew Brees, Shirley Muldowny, Lyn St. James, Patrick Dempsey, Lance Armstrong, Matthew McConaughey, Paul Newman, Mariska Hargitay, S. Epatha Merkerson, Rick Bayless, Larry Bird, JFK Jr., Jane Pauley, Jeff Saturday, Tom Brokaw, Kevin Costner, Mohammad Ali, Alicia Keys, Billy Brooks, Jeff George, Rupert Boneham (Survivor), Dan Rather, The Who, Nick Nolte, Bob Eubanks, Alex Trebek, Vanna White, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Bobby Rahal, ZZ Topp, Mick Fleetwood, Pat Sajak, Grace Slick, Jon Anderson, Sean Connery, Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, Olivia Newton John, Buddy Garrity, Bitsie Tulloch (Grimm), Drew Barrymore, Ray Charles, Donald Trump, Senator John McCain, Danica Patrick, Alice Cooper, Dick Butkus, Angela Lansbury, Joe Tiller, John Popper, Mary Travers, Michael Johnson, Gail Devers, Martha Stewart, Mickey Mouse, George Foreman, Raymond Floyd, Gene Cernan, Don Kessinger, Eugene Levy, Mike Ditka, Jim Belushi, and Nolen Ryan, to name a few that I can remember.
How do I want to be remembered? Well, I never made it into anyone’s Hall of Fame, but please don’t forget my smile, curly hair, sense of humor, running streak, silly poems, love of baseball & I.U., Toastmaster skills, and generosity. I wrote this many years ago as a final testament:
My Last Breath
As I close my eyes,
Take a final blink.
I want it to be,
A playful wink.
Like I know something,
No one else does.
I don’t know why?
Just because!
I’ll have a last laugh,
Put a smile on my face.
Make every effort,
To go out with grace.
I’ll take my secret,
To the grave.
And with final breath,
Pretend to act brave.
Like it’s no big deal,
To leave forever.
And all earthly ties,
To suddenly sever.
Into the unknown,
I’ll boldly venture.
And face the start,
Of this next adventure.
All I’ve accomplished,
The love I’ve felt.
I’m satisfied with,
The hand I’ve been dealt.
I have no regrets,
I’ll exit with style.
I take my first steps.
And leave you a smile.
And no, thankfully, I’ve yet to be saved or rescued.
In retirement, the days of the week quickly lose their identity, blending together and distinguished only by the sunrise and sunset. There is no longer a need to set an alarm and little concern about scheduling conflicts. For me, now, every day is just Runday, the only commitment that I really need to accomplish. The sun gets me out of bed, usually just before seven until time change screws that up. I like to hit the pavement before it gets too hot, even though most days it’s nearly 80 degrees by the time I get the dog duties and push-ups completed. By the time I get to the half-mile marker I’m already sweating profusely, and at the finish line my t-shirt is soaked.
It will be good to get back to the cooler Oregon temperatures in a few weeks. I might then have enough energy to do some longer runs. So far, this summer has been draining on my 71-year-old body. Apparently, the Sahara sands that typically drift over this area not only filter the intensity of the sun’s rays but also give us the striking sunsets that people flock to the beaches to watch. We were there last night for the show from Englewood Beach, but the clouds got in the way. Fortunately, the Fourth of July from Venice Beach was clear just a few days ago.
I’m proud to report that my running streak now sits at 5,305 days without fail. Despite the soreness in my hip muscles and the lack of motivation, I somehow manage to fulfill this daily commitment to myself. December 28th will mark fifteen consecutive years, but still a long way off. By then, I will have been to two more weddings, at least two more baseball games, celebrated another birthday, hopefully will have avoided another hurricane, and joyfully will have witnessed many more sunsets from the beach. I’m counting down the Rundays until this next milestone.
For the working man, the Fourth of July is a welcome holiday and in most cases a few days off with the long weekend. For us retired folks, it’s just another day with crowds at our favorite haunts. I just completed my 5,299th consecutive day of running, another hot, sweaty affair. Temperatures remain hot and the 5k route drains the life out of me, even with an earlier start. It was time to make a change and shorten to a 2-mile distance. I established a new route, hoping to take some of the strain about maintaining “The Streak.” Besides, it may be in jeopardy pending two potential surgeries. I would at least like to make it to the 15-year mark and finally move from the “Experienced” to “Well-Versed” category of the USRSA.
I noticed how much more energy I had yesterday after doing a 1-mile minimum. I had slept in a bit and struggled to get going, especially with a sore hip. I had already adjusted my path to the to the on-coming traffic lane. The slope of the pavement put more pressure on my left leg and relieved the discomfort of my right. It would be a few more days before I could get back to the chiropractor for an adjustment. However, the smoother asphalt surface also seemed hotter than the concrete paths. Today, the two-mile course seemed like a necessary compromise, followed by a refreshing swim. I think this will be the distance going forward, with the exception of really early mornings where the minimum mile will have to suffice.
We planted our garden yesterday, starting with some flowers until the weather cools down. Maybe at that point, I can resume the 5k routine. Our new evening plans will now include a golf cart ride with Tally and a stop at the garden for watering and weeding. Both Tally and I need a refreshing change from being sunset couch potatoes. Perhaps we’ll even see the sun go down rather than the glow of the TV screen. For variety, we also went to neighboring Wellen Park last night for a picnic dinner, rock band performance, and boat parade. Tuesday night will end the long holiday weekend for all but us retirees with a fireworks show at the stadium. For me, it’s just another Holiday – NOT.
I started going to Siesta Key in the 1970s with the McClure family – Phil and Marge owned a condo at the Jamaica Royale on Midnight Pass Road. Phil claimed to be one of the earliest settlers on the island, liking himself to the Mayflower party. Every 4th of July the entire family would make their way to Florida for a reunion. T-shirts would be printed with a McTheme, games organized, and tans compared. Non-family members would also join in the fun, adding their creative touches to the festivities. Wimbledon was on TV, powerboat races offshore, and the Summer Olympics were a factor every four years. Restaurants like Phillippi Creek, Hooter’s, Captain Kirk’s, and The Oyster Bar hosted our frequent dinners out. Big Olaf’s was the traditional ice cream stop.
At that time, the Surf & Racquet Club (we called it the Sex and Racquet Club) was probably the tallest building on the island, located next door to our complex. Most all these places still exist today but the traffic has the island at a standstill and as a result we avoid going there. The white sand beaches keep Siesta Key highly ranked in even the worldwide popularity polls.
I once envisioned Siesta Key as my retirement spot and consequently bought a condo at the Jamaica Royale, just down the row from Phil and Marge. As fortunes changed through the years, I find myself just 22-miles south, finally living that Florida dream. Coincidentally, it’s right between where my grandparents wintered in Englewood and the McClure settlement. Phil and Marge have since passed and we’re not right on the beach but close enough to get there when we want. My son is also nearby, settling in this area long before I ever did. As a result, any 4th of July family reunions remain in Florida.