Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 47 of 269)
I was looking ahead to our travel schedules over the next year, thinking that I really just want to stay home. I’m not looking forward to the flight tomorrow that takes us to Seattle for a quick overnight and then on to Kauai. I’ll be exhausted when I get there, dreading a similar flight home. My wife, however, will be thrilled visiting with her two daughters on this trip that has been delayed multiple times. I also started looking into flights to Vegas, back to Indianapolis and Portland for weddings, our Egyptian River Cruise, and a long drive to Maine. I’m worn out just thinking about it. Travel does not seem to hold the same appeal that it did during the working days, when a break was always welcome. Now, it seems like we overdo it.
We also have several guests lined up for visits to the house. A daughter here in January, multiple friends coming in February, and others yet to commit. We also have obligations to get together with my sister and hometown friends that will arrive in Florida after the first of the year. I’m then meeting a group of former work constituents for golf in early February, a game that I hate. It makes my head spin to think about all these get-togethers, but I always enjoy seeing old friends.
Today is my last day of withdrawal for awhile, as I do laundry, watch TV, and pack for Kauai. My wife has a number of errands to run. I wish I had her energy. My son will pick us up tomorrow afternoon and drive us to the airport. Then, the next few weeks will be nothing but a blur.
After the Alaska/Hawaii adventure, we’ve finally gotten back into the retirement routine, just in time to leave again. We had dinner guests last night and afterwards watched another episode of Yellowstone. I was monitoring the I.U. soccer revenge match against Marshall, the team that stole their NCAA Championship away last year. We already have achieved eight titles, but that is never enough, as the Hoosiers once again make it into the Elite Eight. They play UNC Greensboro this Saturday for a Final Four bid. It almost makes up for a miserable performance in the Old Oaken Bucket game, another loss to Purdue. The Boilers were fueled by a potential trip to the BIG Championship game in Indianapolis, as the Western Division winner, a first for the program. Their accomplishment here was partially attributed to the schedulers that left both Ohio State and Michigan off their list of opponents this year.
Purdue had a huge weekend of success on the basketball court as well, crowned as the PK Tourney Champions out in Portland. Decisive victories over Gonzaga and Duke moved them to #5 in the polls, overshadowing a Hoosier move into the Top 10, a lofty position they haven’t held in years. It also means that the Boilers are now the BIG favorites for conference dominance. I.U. was the preseason choice, so both schools are getting plenty of attention in the press. The Hoosiers face struggling North Carolina two days from now after the Tarheels dropped dramatically from #1 to #19 with back-to-back losses. I.U. was hoping to take down another top-rated team in Bloomington, but instead they are now the betting favorite.
With the recent Purdue success, I’m reminded of the Joe Berry Carroll teams under George King that went to the finals of the 1979 NIT and 1980 Final Four. The big guy this year is Zach Edey at a towering 7’4.” He was named the MVP at the PK Tourney and will be a force in the BIG 10. It’s great that both P.U. and I.U. are good this year and there will be no conflict until they meet head-to-head where I always pull for the Hoosiers, my alma mater.
There was no time to write this morning after my 5k run due to a stops at Home Depot, Wawa, and the chiropractor. We were then able to officially make it “Matinee Monday” with the movie, The Fabelman’s. Our other typical weekly kickoff tradition, “Meatless Monday” was met with a ham salad sandwich violation since we had so much left over from Thanksgiving. We will not honor either of these routines over the next few weeks in Hawaii. It will also be difficult to keep up with writing this daily blog and getting in my daily run, with all the time changes, island family activities, and overnight stopovers in Seattle. By the time we get back to Florida, we’ll once again be fighting jet lag and the challenge of getting back to what we see as retirement “normalcy.”
With my wife sick on the couch as a reaction to her third booster, I couldn’t help but think about the notion of whether or not these shots are really worth it? She was sicker from the reaction than she was from when we both came down with Covid. My only aftereffects from this shot was a sore arm.
After yesterday’s Turkey and Tequila poem, I apparently had Tequila on the mind and wrote another to pass away the time on a quiet afternoon:
Shot Crazy
A shot for this,
A pill for that.
We’re nothing more,
Than a lab rat.
A prick here,
A Band-Aid there.
The flu bug,
The Covid scare.
How about shingles?
Pneumonia yet?
How about your dog,
Have you seen the vet?
The common cold,
Can’t help you there.
And we don’t have a cure,
For losing your hair.
May I have another?
Are they two-for-one?
After this next booster,
Am I finally done?
Did you have a reaction?
We’ve got nothing for that,
And we don’t have a remedy,
For fighting fat.
Immunization,
Has swept our nation.
We’re all hooked,
On Vaccination!
Don’t make me bend over,
Not in the butt.
The need for a needle,
Has us all in a rut!
If there’s a shot,
To heal ya.
Forget the others,
Make mine Tequila.
Copyright 2022 blog.johnstonwrites.com
I got my third Covid booster yesterday. It follows last month’s flu shot while the pharmacist also asked about pneumonia and shingles shots. All I ever wanted was a shot of Tequila. Years ago, a group of friends would get together around Thanksgiving for what we called “Turkey & Tequila.” One of them recently commented that “it sounded like a potential Kenny Chesney song.” I don’t write songs but I do dabble with poetry, so I responded with this:
Turkey & Tequila
When Thanksgiving comes,
Guests don’t want Sangria.
Nothing’s better with turkey,
Than a bottle of tequila.
The turkey’s meant,
To fill ya’.
While Tequila’s buzz,
Will thrill ya’.
Turkey and Tequila,
A combo like no other.
But never served,
By my mother.
So, pass the gravy,
Salt and limes.
And get ready,
For good times.
Give me a leg,
You prefer the thigh.
How does Anejo,
Go with pumpkin’ pie?
But don’t go choke,
On that turkey bone.
Wash it on down,
With a shot of Patron.
Have no regrets,
Now will ya’?
Don’t drink so much,
It kills ya’.
Blue Agave’s,
Known to heal ya’.
And when distilled,
You have Tequila!
If the alcohol don’t,
The worm will keel ya’.
That’s the reason,
It’s called “Te-kill-YA.”
I’ll have seconds,
What a meal (yum)!
Let’s give thanks,
For Turkey & Tequila.
Copyright 2022 johnstonwrites.com
The 2022 Cream & Crimson were off to a undefeated (4-0) campaign start going into the game against Little Rock. The real early season tests, however, for the Hoosiers loomed ahead, between the holidays, with #1 North Carolina coming to Bloomington for the ACC-BIG Ten Challenge, #11 Arizona meeting them in Las Vegas, and #3 Kansas hosting at Allen Fieldhouse. Any sane fan would be satisfied with one victory in those three pre-conference match-ups. Then, it was on to the BIG, with the first game at Iowa after the New Year. WOW!
Little Rock exposed our shooting problems. The Hoosiers were 1-8 from beyond the arc in the first half. Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, and Trayce Jackson-Davis did not dress, while Malik Reneau and Race Thompson spent time in the locker room for injury treatment. Race played the second half in a headband to cover the bandage near his temple. Miller Kopp hit three straight threes after the break, Race Thompson had two athletic dunks coupled with four free-throws, and Xavier Johnson hit another two freebies at 12:09 to reach the magic sixty goal with a 15-point bulge. Little Rock responded to cut the margin to seven, but Jordan Geronimo’s three stopped their momentum and Xavier Johnson soon added another. At that point, the Hoosiers were 6-17 from deep, showing improvement for a 17-point lead. The “X-Man” with ten assists and Geronimo’s fifth block pushed the lead to 21.
It was the 5th consecutive game over eighty, but I.U. had twelve sloppy turnovers in the 87-68 victory.
As an encore, I.U. finished off the Hoosier Tip-Off Classic with its sixth consecutive 80-point-plus outpouring to start the season, topping Jackson State 90-51 in Bloomington. It was another tune-up performance in preparation for #1 North Carolina to end the month of November. With a few nagging injuries hampering our big men, Sophomore guard Tamar Bates led all scorers with 22-points including four 3-pointers. The defense held the Tigers to well under the magic number of 60, while the offense got there with 12:40 remaining on a Trayce Jackson-Davis dunk. The Hoosiers shot 57.6% from the floor, 45.5% from three-point range, and 75% from the free throw line, with ten turnovers. Bring on the Tarheels!
I received my Fall edition of the USRSA Registry newsletter, dedicated to streak runners like myself around the world. My streak now stands at 5,079 consecutive days. There are now 4,125 runners who have completed at least a full year of running every day, as more and more enthusiasts join the organization. I can remember when there were less than a thousand of us. I also used to be ranked #203 on the overall list but now have dropped to #230. Apparently, others have been doing this for years without awareness of the website www.runeveryday.com, otherwise I would only be moving up not down. I shouldn’t be passed unless I stop, but the whole process is self-monitoring. I once had aspirations of getting into the Top 200 but now it means that more than 10% of the top “streakers” would have to quit running. More likely, it would be death or injury that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
I’m content to be in the top 5.5% of this growing group. It’s better than my normal race performance that is typically in the top 20%. For me, it’s not a race anymore but a matter of perseverance. At the age of 71, my pace continues to slow, but nearly 50% of those listed in the Top 100 are also over 70. Their streaks extend to over 50-years, having started in their 20’s. I did not begin until a few years before my sixtieth birthday, being unaware of the challenge. My goal was to get to 1,000 by the time I reached sixty, but have obviously continued the quest to this day.
There are many days that I wish that I was not committed to this challenge. There is no finish line and it can be inconvenient when traveling. It’s often hard to believe that I’ve stuck with it for nearly 14-years, and can only imagine the pressure to perform by those in the Top 10. No one will probably notice when I eventually fall off the list, especially knowing that there are undoubtedly others out there that have yet to reveal themselves or never will.
I sputter along day after day, taking it one day at a time like any other addiction. I try to get in about 90 miles a week but it takes longer and longer to get in my 5k a day goal. Occasionally, I’ll drop back to the minimum mile when time is particularly tight. I’m glad I’m not alone out there, even though it seems lonely and even painful at times. Streakers Unite!
Ever since I can remember, Thanksgiving always starts with a run. There were even a few “Turkey Trots” through the years, but the most memorable run was on Isla Mujeres where I actually saw a live turkey chained to a grill, awaiting his fate. This Mexican destination was my only international Thanksgiving Day run, but I’ve also done pre-turkey jogs in many states including Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Oregon, Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, and South Carolina.
I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving in many unique ways including a Florida beach-nic, gourmet dinner at Urban Farmer in Portland, a Green Pastures brunch in Austin with the peacocks, Autumn in New Orleans after the French Quarter parade, and Turkey & Tequila with good friends. Then, there was that scary Thanksgiving afternoon we had to call an ambulance and spent the evening at the Hospital.
On the lighter side, I’ve spent tropical “Turkey Days” in Maui twice for the basketball Classic, while we once enjoyed an icy one in Bend, Oregon near Mount Bachelor with the dogs stuck in the car. My wife’s brother took us on a boat ride in South Carolina before serving us fresh fish that he prepared for their celebration. His wife, who prefers being called an “out-law” rather than “in-law,” always bakes the best snickerdoodle cookies.
I’ve sampled a fried turkey in Indiana, helped prepare a bird on our Austin rotisserie for my grandkids, and once grilled one on a Weber while digging a septic tank in Michigan on a muddy, rainy holiday. This year we bought a Heavenly Ham to feed the grandkids, at their request, rather than use our new outdoor kitchen.
Sports have always been a part of Thanksgiving. I remember going to Frankfort, Indiana as a kid to eat with my cousins. The conversation centered around the upcoming Old Oaken Bucket rivalry since there were both Purdue and I.U. grads around the table. The women cooked and the men watched NFL football on TV. In Austin, we attended a Longhorn vs. Aggies game on Thanksgiving night, in Indianapolis we went to several Pacers games, and in Portland it was tickets to the Phil Knight PK Classic.
I’ve kept a diary over the past 20-plus years, so I know exactly what we’ve done or where we’ve gone every November. Details are sketchy before that time. The home of my wife’s sister in Indianapolis was typically our Thanksgiving Day destination, after often driving their mother from Rochester to join us all. It became more complicated once we moved away from the state. My first Thanksgiving with them, I happened to notice that my place at the table was identified with a hand-made name tag that had been previously used by my wife’s ex-husband. My name was loosely glued over his. I thought it was funny but they were a bit embarrassed. Probably, the saddest Thanksgiving of all was done by Zoom in 2020 when we couldn’t get together due to Covid. As I watch the Macy’s parade, a Turkey Day tradition along with the Alice’s Restaurant music track, the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles movie, and WKRP’s famous Turkey drop promotion, I reflect on and am thankful for all of my Thanksgiving memories!
I was feeling excessive stiffness and soreness on this morning’s run despite my visit to the chiropractor earlier this week. This challenge never gets easier, particularly after 5,078 consecutive days and a recent 71st birthday. I did get out the morning of Hurricane Nicole for a rainy mile or so, but fortunately we were in Alaska when damaging Ian arrived. There are no excuses, including recent eye lid surgery, in order to keep “The Streak” alive. I’m still somewhere in the low 200s on the USRSA active list, far behind those that continue their incredible routines after more than fifty-years.
We did see the movie, The Menu, on Monday and picked up our Honey Baked Ham for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving meal. We’re now expecting seven, including my son’s estranged wife and their three kids. The grandkids were also treated to pizza last night. I was glad to hear that my son got some initial compensation for his Ian damage from his employer and insurance company. It will help him fix some roof damage that we were able to fortunately avoid. Additional checks should be forthcoming, along with an appeal decision from FEMA. I’m sure the whole family was also disappointed when I announced that our trip to Spring Training in Phoenix has been cancelled. They were hoping to visit the Grand Canyon and Albuquerque on the drive there.
I’ll, of course, try to make it up to them, as we decided to meet our Arizona friends in Las Vegas instead. Originally, I had secured a three-bedroom condo in Phoenix for a week, preceded by a side trip to Mexico, and followed by some time at their home in Marana. All of those plans were derailed, so we settled for three-days together in Vegas. I reserved a two-bedroom, two-bath condo at the Marriott Vacation Club, a property that we toured on our last visit a few years ago. Sorry, kids, but you got left out this time.
My son likes to take his kids to a Cubs game in a new stadium every year. Last year, it was PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where we joined them all. Spring Training in Arizona was his goal this year, but it seemed silly to go cross-country for the Arizona Cactus League when the Florida Grapefruit version is just a mile away in our neighborhood. It’s just that the Cubs don’t play here, but they’re expected to have another disappointing season with a bunch of players we’re not familiar with any more. No more Haywood, Schwarber, Rizzo, Bryant, Contreras, or Baez, who have all been traded. This on top of the fact that my son’s marriage is unofficially over, the kids are split between two homes depending on the week, his home needs repair, and he really can’t afford to take a vacation. His stubborn self would claim that he needs a break from all this chaos but I think his money is better spent elsewhere and the kids need to be in school. Their lives are disrupted enough, just like the Cubs! Staycation!
I tossed and turned last night, with budgets on my mind. Cost of living continues to escalate and there seems no end to our home projects and appetite for travel. It may be time to find another source of income other than Social Security, pension payments, and our quickly diminishing retirement savings. I’m also getting a bit restless when it comes to constructive projects. With all this in mind, I decided to take a look at the Jobs2Careers website and update my resume. Making a few bucks on writing might be a more fulfilling way to spend my time, although I’m limited on what I can earn. Let’s see what develops over the next few months?
Dear Recruiter:
I have the urge and passion to write after six full years of retirement. It’s time to get off the couch and get back to business, tired of reading books and watching T.V. shows that I could probably better script.
I’m seeking a part-time position, working from home, crafting e-mail marketing, advertising copy, annual reports, or other forms of creative communication. My resume is attached that involves 40-years of television, radio, and newspaper experience. My wife and I travel extensively, so I’m looking for flexibility with any employment opportunities.
Since leaving the business world for the beach, I’ve been writing a blog with over two thousand posts to keep myself sharp, blog.johnstonwrites.com. It’s a daily morning discipline that also involves an exercise regimen and running streak of well over 5,000 consecutive days. My background is sales and marketing, but a vocal cord strain prevents me from doing public speaking, despite a Distinguished Toastmaster achievement, or extensive phone work.
My blog focuses on retirement hassles, adoption, sports, pets, travel and humorous poetry. I’ve also written several unpublished novels. This all demonstrates my love of writing that should be beneficial to any employer. Please consider my skills for upcoming openings. Thank you for any consiration.
Best Regards,
Mike Johnston