My wife is still asleep while I peck away at the keyboard. The dark rain clouds are conducive for snoozing, while Tally is in no hurry to go to the dog park, knowing that it would entail putting on her rain suit again. I already had her outside for a quick one earlier, so she’s content with a lazy Thursday morning. I fought the wind and rain to get my mile in this morning. It was great with the breeze at my back but a struggle running into it. One car braved the conditions that could have been a lot worse. Hurricane Nicole stuck the east coast last night and is making her way northwest. Fortunately, we are not in the path, so I’m sure our insurance agent, also named Nicole, is relieved. I already have a call into Nicole from Ian’s recent damage, but she is already apparently so busy that she’s yet to get back with me.
We have a busy social week coming up, including a party tomorrow night, “Meet the Neighbors” pitch-in on Saturday, Sunday brunch with recent acquaintances, “Matinee Monday,” and a Tuesday cocktail party. I’ll also have a chiropractor appointment, tooth cleaning, blood donation to make, and a much anticipated service call from the refrigerator repairman. I also planned to pick up my grandson from school this afternoon, but classes were cancelled in lieu of Nicole. I’m feeling lucky that the storm is nothing more than lots of rain and wind. I don’t thing it’s enough to bring down more trees, power lines, and roof tiles in our neighborhood.
I started watching Power of the Rings yesterday and joined my wife last evening for the season finale of Handmaid’s Tale. We then got through another episode of The Bear before I sat through the final half of the I.U. soccer victory over highly-touted Maryland. The Terps had stolen the regular season conference title from the Hoosiers on a last minute tying goal. “Revenge was a dish served just ten days later,” as I.U. now moves on to the BIG Championship game against Rutgers on Sunday. It’s a record-tying sixth straight year that they’ve advanced to the tourney title match. Hoosier basketball action against Bethune-Cookman is on my calendar for tonight, but tomorrow’s expected football massacre against Ohio State should probably best be ignored. Nonetheless, Go Big Red!
Another storm is headed our way over the next few days. Tropical Storm Nicole will make landfall on the Atlantic coast, cross the state, and then move up the Gulf Coast, hopefully skirting north of our area. Regardless, we will get some strong winds and rain that could cause further damage to the many unstable trees in our neighborhood. HOA workers have installed wood braces on the trunks hat survived Ian and there are still a few roofs that have yet to be fixed other than covered with blue tarps. Unlike most area neighborhoods, there are no longer massive piles of debris, a credit to our association’s diligent efforts.
This has been our first full year in Florida, and we’ve had more than our share of destructive weather. Yes, it’s warm and beautiful where we live, but danger continues to lurk – not just alligators. Insurance companies are backed-up on claims and financial relief is slow to materialize. It will take years to recover already, so another set-back would be catastrophic. We still have a refrigerator in need of repair and a homeowner’s assessment to pay. My son is waiting on his insurance claims regarding roof, vehicle, and water damage. He’s fortunate not to have an unsightly pile of limbs, siding, shingles, mangled grills, and twisted outdoor furniture like most of his neighbors.
I joined one of my fellow joggers on the route this morning. He’s training for a half-marathon and I struggle to keep up with his faster pace. All three of my miles ended up in the 14-minute range, still nothing more than a comparative crawl, but “fast” for me these days. He went on for an additional 7-miles this morning. For me, today marked 5,064 consecutive despite the long cruise and eyelid surgery. This incoming Tropical Depression could impose another challenge to “The Streak,” but I will certainly find a way to get my miles in one way or another. Streak On!
I felt like this morning that I was back on track after a good night’s sleep in my own bed. Time change has me back in the familiar routine of 9:45p and 7:15a dog outings, followed by a 5k run. The next steps will be adding back in the swimming and blogging aspects of a traditional Mike morning. This, of course, will all quickly change again with our trip to Kauai at the end of the month. I will continue this report after a quick trip to the Center for Sight and the removal of my eyelid stitches. I should then have time to cast my vote on this election day.
My stitches are the dissolvable kind, so they only got a trimming and I have to continue applying ointment for another 10-days. My regular glasses pretty much hide the bruising and stitch line that will eventually be disguised under the folds of my eyes. I did then have time to vote but it took about an hour due to the heavy turnout. Election officials were encouraged. Florida does not use digital ballots, so I felt like I was taking a college admission test in trying to fill within the lines. The finished ballot is then run through a scanner that I assume counts the vote. In Oregon, it was all done through the mail. Texas, Indiana, and Illinois where I did my voting through the years were all hand-marked paper. I undoubtedly set-back the state of Florida many decades with my lack of knowledge about the area politics. One guy exited by the waiting line with beard growth and claimed to be clean shaven when he arrived.
The extra time in line prevented me from saying farewell to my wife’s two remaining friends. They were off to Punta Gorda for lunch and then to the airport. It was apparently 34-years all four of them had gotten together as a group. I stayed clear as much as possible even though I had worked with all of them from time-to-time many years ago when they were on the agency side. We joked last night about a Coca-Cola negotiation that they put me through when I was with the Ft. Wayne radio station group. Management had forced me to raise the rates through the roof since we “owned” the teen market, their primary demo target, and they succeeded in making me quite uncomfortable, bringing in the client to literally plead with me. We had them over a barrel (of Coke). It was the first time that I met my future wife. We were both married to other people at the time. Oh, the Good Old Days. “Things go Better with Coke.”
Another Wordle streak bit the dust this morning as there were just too many letters that worked instead of the “L” in STALE. STATE, STAVE, STAKE, and STAGE were all unsuccessful, so a new streak will have to wait until tomorrow. Bu the way, I’m not worried about revealing the answer or spoiling someone else’s fun with this daily word game because it will be several days before this gets posted. I’m still at my son’s house and writing this on my phone to be copied and pasted later.
I’m still recovering from my eye surgery, and spent a lazy day yesterday watching TV. It was also a bit lonely with no one home, no dog to take care of, and a cat on my lap. When my son got off work, I ordered Taco Bell for both of us on my new app, and he picked it up on his way home. The app was solely the result of a Kyle Schwarber stolen base in game 1 of the World Series. (See Post #2186). However, it came in handy to efficiently feed both of us last night.
After a sedate 12-hours of watching my favorites like I.U. and Purdue be soundly crushed, Alabama lose in O.T, Illinois fall to the Spartans, and unwanted victories by Notre Dame and Ohio State, I turned to the World Series for more disappointment. Dusty Baker finally won a ring as a manager after falling short leading the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nats. Schwarber, in a losing Phillies effort, belted another homer, walked, and gunned down a runner at second “after further review.” It was getting late, but I was not the slightest bit tired.
I tossed and turned in my grandson’s bed for hours before I finally figured out what was wrong. I had inadvertently ordered a large Mountain Dew Blast instead of a caffeine-free Sierra Mist on the Taco Bell app and was seriously buzzed! I stared at the ceiling, read my book, and worried about silly things that will probably never happen. Finally, I dozed off restlessly and felt out of sorts when daylight rudely forced me out of bed. As a result, I shortened my run and exercise routine to play a losing game of Wordle. I’ll now spend another day with frustrating football and go to bed early in anticipation of another disruptive time change.
It may be a few days before this gets posted from my home office. Currently, I’m all alone at my son’s house while my wife entertains girlfriends at ours. I drove over here after dinner last night, went to bed shortly after, and ran a 5k this morning. My son is at work and the grandkids are at their mother’s. I’m watching the You Tube replay of the final I.U. basketball exhibition game against St. Francis before Saturday football starts. My stitched eyelids are itchy but the bruising and swelling is less noticeable.
The Hoosier soccer team won their first BIG tourney match against Penn State last night and will play #1 seed Maryland next week. The Terrapins won the National Championship over I.U. a few years ago in Santa Barbara with me in the stands. They are always a tough matchup especially come tournament time. The #16 Nittany Lions were equally formidable, falling 1-0 at Bill Armstrong Stadium. I.U. will now go on the road to Maryland, after failing to hold off a late tying score in the last match of the regular season. As a result, the #8 Terps got the top tourney seed and the unranked Hoosiers fell to 4th.
Without the responsibility of taking the dog out, I doubt if I see any more daylight today. My eyes are still a bit sensitive to the sun, so I’m content with a day in front of the TV, concluding with World Series game #6, perhaps the last of the season. I’ll also do some reading of Grisham’s The Boys from Biloxi, another reminder of hurricane devastation and the battle to collect insurance reimbursement. Massive piles of debris surround my son’s home. Ouch!
I got up this morning from my own bed and ran a full 5k, lumbering along like Frankenstein. The stitches come out on Tuesday, but the bruising is frightening. Oddly, there is very little pain but still some vision blurring and sensitivity to light. I continue to wear the Cheap Sunglasses to protect my eyes and hide the swelling. My wife is expecting her company today and will pick them up at the Sarasota airport. I’ll meet her other friend here at the house where we’ll all have dinner before I vacate the premises. While I’m at my son’s house for the next few days, it will give them time for bonding, shopping, drinking, swimming, and dining out. In other words, I’ve been booted!
Life also got a little less complicated after a call from my Portland friend this morning. We had tentative plans to get together with him and his fiancée in Mexico this March. It was an opportunity for my wife to meet his new wife to be before their wedding next July. However, it was getting complicated trying to coordinate with my son in Phoenix, Spring Training, our friends in Tucson, and ultimately get to Mexico. They have decided to consolidate their living arrangements with her moving to Portland to be with him. This is great news for them, and will give us a chance to get together somewhere on the West Coast, rather than deal with the hassles of Mexico. After all, in these Covid times, I’ve already recently had trouble with Canadian border officials.
With me off the hook for a car rental in Kauai and taking a simpler path to Phoenix, I can feel the relief of being my own travel agent. We also got all our excursions arranged and paid for our river cruise to Egypt in May. I’m still a bit travel weary after the Alaska cruise, so I’m in no hurry to hit the road again. For now, even though I’ve been kicked out for a few days, there’s no place like home.
Through swollen eyelids, I watched baseball history last night with a Houston Astros combined no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the second no-hitter in a World Series game, the first by Don Larsen of the Yankees in 1956, who was “perfect” against the Brooklyn Dodgers. That record will never be topped. Cristian Javier, Christian Vazquez, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly only gave up three base-on-balls, one was to Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, extending his post-season on-base streak to 11 straight games.
I can remember the buzz around the Don Larsen “Perfecta,” even though I was only 5-years old. I was already into collecting baseball cards at that age and had all the Yankee greats that year. The 1956 Mickey Mantle Topps card alone is now worth thousands of dollars but somehow it got lost or thrown out. Three years later I became a White Sox fan, so those Yankee cards apparently didn’t matter any more. Don Larsen is valued at about $80 and probably went up in value with the exposure from last night’s no-hit feat.
I spent my second straight night in a chair sitting up with ice-packs pressed against my black-and-blue eyes. It made it even tougher to watch Manager Dusty Baker pull Cristian Javier after 6 innings and nine strike outs, taking away his chance of solo heroics. Instead, he shared the honor with four other bullpen mates for a 5-0 victory, tying the series at 2 games each.
My eyelids are now thick lips with Frankenstein-like stitches. I joke that I got a special deal on surgery by waiting until the day after Halloween. I’m also not supposed to exercise, but I did get the minimum mile in both days to extend “The Streak” to 5,058 consecutive days. It was especially difficult the day after surgery as I waited until afternoon and the pain-killers to wear off before lacing up my running shoes. This morning was easier and tomorrow I could be back to normal, hiding behind my cheap sunglasses.
Sherman Lollar of the Chicago White Sox was the very first recipient of a Rawlings Gold Glove at the catcher position. In fact, in its inaugural presentation year of 1957, it was awarded to the best player regardless of league. In subsequent years it has been divided into American and National League position players. Lollar won the award three times while it was one of the few honors never bestowed on Yankee rival Yogi Berra.
“The 2022 winners were announced prior to Tuesday’s Game 3 of the World Series between the Astros and Phillies on “Baseball Tonight” on ESPN2, with a record 14 first-time recipients earning the honor for best defensive player at each position (the old mark was 11, recorded in both 2020 and 1958, the year the award was established to include both Leagues.” For the record, only nine were presented in 1957, the fewest of all.
National League 2022:
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies First: Christian Walker, D-Backs
Second: Brendan Rodgers, Rockies
Shortstop: Dansby Swanson, Braves
Third base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Left field: Ian Happ, Cubs (first Cub at that position)
Center field: Trent Grisham, Padres
Right field: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
Pitcher: Max Fried, Braves
Utility player: Brendan Donovan, Cardinals
American League 2022:
Catcher: Jose Trevino, Yankees
Trevino is the third player in Yankees history to win a Gold Glove Award at the catcher position, joining Thurman Munson (1973-75) and Elston Howard (1963-64). Trevino led all Major League catchers with 21 defensive runs saved, which was also tied for the third-most Defensive Runs Saved in baseball, regardless of position.
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Second base: Andrés Giménez, Guardians
Shortstop: Jeremy Peña, Astros
Third base: Ramón Urías, Orioles
Left field: Steven Kwan, Guardians
Center field: Myles Straw, Guardians
Right field: Kyle Tucker, Astros
Pitcher: Shane Bieber, Guardians
Utility player: D.J. LeMahieu, Yankees
In other baseball notes:
“A managerial search that included candidates such as Joe Espada, Ozzie Guillén and Ron Washington, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol’s candidacy flew a bit under the radar.” It appears that he will be the new White Sox manager for the 2023 season, replacing Tony La Russa at the helm.
I.U. alum Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies has now reached base in ten consecutive Playoff games with a first-inning walk. He was the first to cross the plate last night with Bryce Harper’s 2-run homer. “Schwarbs” then went on to hit a 2-run bomb in the bottom of the 5th, part of a 5-homer Phillies barrage that led to a 7-0 victory over the Astros in Game 3. He was already a “Taco Hero” after stealing a base in Game 1, but has yet to be a candidate for a Gold Glove.
It’s disconcerting when you find yourself reading only the obituaries (Remembered) in the Indiana University Alumni Magazine. I’m grateful that my name was not in there again. There are just too many people my age that are no longer and to see them all listed in pages of print is quite disturbing. My goal in anything is to at least be in the Top 20% and can only hope that applies to longevity. Every day I read about classmates, celebrities, and acquaintances that have unexpectedly passed at age 71 or younger.
I did find my name in the Top 10% of runners competing in the Nike NBA Challenge. As a result, I earned a Season NBA League Pass by participating on the Nike Run Club app – a reason to watch more TV sports. Trust me, it was not for speed, as I was quickly passed by a couple of other joggers this morning, leaving me with the feeling of standing still. That doesn’t happen too often in this community that tends to be 50-plus. However, we now have a neighbor with children because their home was affected by Ian and our grandmother neighbor has temporarily moved to South Carolina. It was not enough young blood to buy a bunch of Halloween candy.
I am currently hungry and thirsty, waiting for this afternoon’s eyelid surgery. Some experience pain with the procedure while others apparently do not. Nonetheless, they loaded me up on precautionary medication. This makes me a bit worried, while hopefully it won’t jeopardize my running streak that stands at 5,056 consecutive days. On the intellectual side, my Wordle streak is now at 33, far from the longest of 76, during the 230 daily games that I’ve played so far. I seem to have lost the swimming habit because the weather has been cooler, but I’ve continued my daily regimen of sit-ups, push-ups, and stretching.
My wife’s daughter now works for Nike, so therefore I’ve tried to show renewed allegiance despite the narrow cut of their sportswear. I once relied on a Nike Fit-Bit to keep pace and record my streak. Swoosh-wear seems designed for taller, slimmer athletes, and I have to be careful about what I buy. We saved a ton of money on Nike Dri-Fit gear with her employee discount, and she took us on an impressive tour of the campus that pays homage to stars like LeBron, Serena, and Pre. Now, she tells us that she can get a great deal on a rental car for our trip to Kauai, one of the priciest locations for rentals that I’ve found. Although I continue to run in Brooks brand shoes, most of my accessories are now Nike as opposed to Columbia. I’m quickly becoming more and more a Phil Knight fan! Just Do It, Again!
Our schnauzer Tally is wearing her “Trick or Treat” scarf and we have been invited to join the grandkids for early evening candy grabbing. It’s that time of year again as we go into the holiday home stretch …candy, turkey, elves…new year. We’ll spend two weeks in Kauai between Thanksgiving and Christmas and begin our final preparations for Arizona, Mexico and Egypt.
Today is “Trash Day,” “Meatless Monday,” and “Matinee Monday” all rolled into one. I got rid of a bunch of empty wine boxes from shipments over the past year that have accumulated in the garage. They were ideal for Alaska Airline flights where they shipped for free. We could take a case with us when we traveled from Portland, but are no longer frequent fliers with that airline out of Florida. I saved one box for our trip to Kauai, but we have an overnight stop in Seattle so it may not be as convenient.
We might have to stop at the Xfinity store this afternoon and that may interrupt any chance to also get to a movie. My wife’s viewing screen has turned to plaid and she may need a new phone. They aren’t taking on-line appointments, so we might have a long wait. Monday traditionally means a call to my sister, who has been less available due to substitute teaching opportunities. Most importantly, we definitely need to run by Taco Bell to pick up my free taco that may disrupt the “meatless” commitment that starts every week. With the surgery tomorrow, I will need to claim it today after my visit with the chiropractor. When all is said and done, my only hope is that I don’t have a Halloween with more tricks than treats.
