Today's thoughts

Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 50 of 269)

Retirement is not without Hassles: Woe is Me #2187

It was warm enough this morning for a post-run swim, followed by a little reading in the sun. I just started the new Grisham novel, Boys of Biloxi just after finishing James Patterson’s Blow Back. A Patricia Cornwell recent release awaits. My Kindle stopped working, so I’ve been using the phone app. Football is my TV plan for this afternoon after finally getting through Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. It was hard to stomach. In the evenings, we’ve started Five Days at Memorial, a reminder of what we just missed in being out of town for Hurricane Ian. Will the Bears game against the Cowboys be of equal horror with these two series?

We did get to the main community pool yesterday to watch our neighbors perform on guitars and also have lunch at the Dog Friendly food cart. The Florida weather has been so beautiful these past few weeks, but reminders of storm damage are everywhere.  Last night, we made the 45-minute drive down to badly damaged Punta Gorda for dinner. Very few lights were working and the restaurant we were seeking was closed. We ended up at Los Mariachis in Port Charlotte, but the much touted mariachi band didn’t show up. A careless waiter then tried to dump a tray of food into my lap – not even our food. It was all over the floor at my feet but no one bothered to clean it up. An apology might have been nice. Not our best choice for Date Night.

I struggled once again to get out of bed this morning. It’s been well over a week since we returned home, but all those time changes took their toll on my internal clock. I’ve been groggy, unstable on my feet, and sleep challenged. Travel was really tough on me this time, but it was the first time we’d been away for more than a month. It’s already taken weeks to recover, plus now I’m faced with eyelid surgery and another time change. To make matters worse, I’m being kicked out of my own bed and house to accommodate my wife’s girl friend get together next weekend. Woe is me!

 

Old Sport Shorts: Taco Prize #2186

Steal a base…Steal a taco. It’s a Taco Bell promotion and I.U. alum Kyle Schwarber, as a result, is a World Series hero. Schwarber at 6′ 229 lbs. is a slugger not a speedster by any stretch of the imagination. Going from base-to-base with a piano on his back is one description, but who needs to be fast when you can take your time rounding the bases after celebrating another over-the-fence moon shot like Game 1 of the NLCS against Yu Darvish, another former Cub, and the San Diego Padres. Coincidentally, the Topps card of this achievement just arrived in the mail this morning. Hopefully, they will produce another to commemorate the stolen base, although it didn’t really figure in the 6-5 extra innings win. The real hero of the game was J.T. Realmuto with his 10th inning homer that sealed the victory.

Through the years, Mookie Betts, Cameron Maybin, Lorenzo Cain, Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor (Indians), Angel Pagan, Jason Bartlett (Rays), Jacoby Ellsbury, Ozzie Albies, and now Kyle Schwarber have  all “secured Taco Bell goodness for everyone who wants to indulge.” In the ten years that the campaign has existed, “teams whose player secures the first stolen base of the World Series are 8-2.” Only the Rays and Indians fell short. 

In last night’s Series opener, Schwarber reached first base on an infield single off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu in the top of the seventh and the score tied 5-5. While still nursing a knee injury, he then stole second to move into scoring position with only one out. The successful swipe means a free Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco for anyone that downloads the app. I will, of course, claim my Taco prize!

 

Note: Schwarber World Series heroics date back to 2016 and the Cubs. (See Post #119)

Old Sport Shorts: World Series #2185

Tonight is game one of the World Series that practically everyone in the world can watch on TV if they want. However, that wasn’t the case up until September 30, 1947 when three networks shared the broadcast of the very first World Series featuring the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers. NBC televised games 1 and 5, CBS games 3 and 4, and DuMont games, 2,6, & 7. It was the first racially integrated series with Jackie Robinson going 7-27 and getting his first hit in game 2 to tie the score. Although it was televised, games were only seen on a small number of Eastern markets with stations connected via coaxial cable.

Sherm Lollar started game 3 at catcher for the Yankees wearing #29. He was a right-handed hitter and went 2-3 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. When the Dodgers brought in right-hander Ralph Branca in the 7th, manager Bucky Harris sent Lollar to the bench in favor of lefty Yogi Berra, who then proceeded to hit the very first pinch-hit home run in World Series history. The Dodgers still won 9-8, claiming their first victory in the series. Incidentally, four years later, Branca, pitching for the New York Giants, made unwelcome history again by giving up the 1951 Bobby Thomson “Shot heard round the world.”

Lollar did not play again until game 6 when he shared the catching duties with Aaron Robinson, the game 5 starter with Berra in right field. Sherm had another single and scored another run, going 3-4 in the series overall and earning his first World Series ring. His Yankees won it all in Game 7, but Robinson did the catching and Berra played right field. Neither of them had a hit. It’s the only time, so far, that the New York Yankees have won a Game 7 at home. In my collection, I have a piece of Sherm Lollar’s uniform from that series. He was traded to the St. Louis Browns in 1949 and finished his career with the Chicago White Sox starting in 1952.

Lollar’s next World Series was in 1959 with the Sox, losing to the Dodgers. He went 5-22 in that series. In 1966, he was a coach with the World Champion Baltimore Orioles. 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Mean Mother Nature #2184

Storm-related damages are the “out” for insurance and warranty coverage. Apparently, our Kitchenaid warranty will not pay for repairs, so we’ve not only lost all our food but also responsible for covering the damage. I guess this is the reality stage of any tragedy. First, you’re just glad to be alive and thankful that the damages we’re more extensive. Then, the next stage hits where you’re fighting the insurance companies to honor their commitments. This only leads to anger and disappointment when ultimately you’re writing big checks to cover your losses, while your insurance rates go up.

The bottom line is that I’ll be paying for the refrigerator, roof tile work, inspection, and landscaping losses, plus a HOA assessment. There’s not enough to cover the deductible on my homeowners policy so it’s just more unexpected costs eating away at my retirement nest egg. Should I be angry or just be grateful that it wasn’t more?

This is why I’m not a nature lover – it can be cruel and dangerous. The same sky that produces those beautiful sunrises and sunsets can turn against you at any moment. It can grow dark and destructive without much warning. Hurricanes are the price we pay to live in Florida, while the Midwest had tornadoes, and the West Coast earthquakes. You simply can’t hide from Mean Mother Nature!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Happy Halloween #2183

I’m waiting this morning for the refrigerator repairman, hopeful we can get power restored soon. I shortened my run to just over the minimum mile to meet him at the house. Whatever the damage, it’s nothing compared to the horrors that surround us thanks to hurricane Ian. Pieces of screen, siding, roof tiles, tarps, and tree limbs litter the neighborhood. We’re not sure what caused the issue with our kitchen  refrigerator, but a power surge is suspected. I’ll know for sure in the next hour or so, additionally hoping that it’s something simple or overlooked and not Halloween spooks!

My wife and Tally are at the dog park, as is their daily custom. I have a chiropractor appointment later, but the rest of the day will probably be spent in my office chair writing or watching TV. I am, however, getting restless with all this down time, searching for a more constructive way to spend my days. If I could just move some of the discipline that it takes to run every day into other areas of my life. However, the morning exercise seems to sap my strength rather than motivate me to do more as it did in the past. 

The grandkids were here last night for sloppy joe’s. They only stayed about an hour-and-a-half. I hadn’t seen most of them in over a month but we still had little to talk about. My granddaughter’s school finally reopened from storm damage after nearly three weeks. She’ll need to make those days up later in the year. We chatted about Halloween costumes but I was not familiar with the characters that they chose, especially my grandson who will dress like a creature of his own design. We sent them off with Halloween cards holding cash for candy of their choosing. My wish is simply no tricks from the refrigerator repair guy or the warranty company. Happy Halloween!

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Just Relax #2182

While my wife has a busy day of appointments and errands, I don’t have much going on until the grandkids arrive for dinner. I’m watching my recording of last night’s Bear game, still stunned about the outcome. I did not expect the Bears to win in New England. Now, if only they could beat the Packers. It’s the first sports victory that I’ve enjoyed in months, as I bask in the glory. Could this be the start of great Fall? I’m certainly not counting on any more I.U. football victories, but basketball could be fun again. 

I have some Halloween cards for the grands, but there are very few kids in our neighborhood to expect much in the way of trick-or-treating. The Hallo-wine event on Friday night at the Clubhouse will be the extent of our activities to end the month of October. Thanksgiving and Christmas this year will also probably be uneventful considering the trip to Kauai in between. We’ll also organize a mid-November “Meet the Neighbors” get-together and maybe host some dinner parties before the new year.

Yesterday’s movie, “Ticket to Paradise,” will never be a classic. The Bali scenery sure makes you want to go there. It was one of our cancelled destinations this year. We still need to make our March plans for Mexico and Arizona but I’m not very motivated to organize all this travel, let alone spend the money, after all our recent time away from home. It’s good to just relax!

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Cheese Steaks #2181

Clean-up and repairs continue in our neighborhood from the damage left behind by Ian. We’re still waiting on the refrigerator repair person to get our unit going again. In the meantime, we’ve used the new outdoor kitchen and refrigeration drawers to our advantage. Today is “Matinee Monday,” so we’re off to another movie despite all the damage down in that area. The mall parking lot, where the cinema is located in Port Charlotte, is being used as a temporary Civil Defense post. Tuesday night we’ll have the grandkids back for dinner, as we try to reestablish normalcy. Friday night is a Hallo-wine event here in the neighborhood.

It looks like my son and I finally won a Fantasy Football game after three straight losses, while the Bad News Bears hope to do the same on Monday Night Football against the Patriots. The best news of all is that I.U. football gets the week off, so I won’t have to deal with that frustration. The World Series starts this Friday night following a long break due to the fact that the Phillies and the Astros made quick work in their respective Championship Series. I’m gaining new respect for Philadelphia star Bryce Harper after his game-winner, while teammate Kyle Schwarber continues to hit well. Schwarber, who I’ve followed for years with I.U., the Cubs, Nationals, and now Phillies, is probably now my current Major League favorite, so I hope he earns another ring. It doesn’t necessarily make me a life-long Philadelphia fan. However, I also like their cheese steaks!

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Tip-off Time #2180

It feels like I’m rapidly peeling pages off the desk calendar. Is it that the days are passing so quickly or have I just not been home to keep it up to date? Today is Oct. 23 and the calendar reads September 14th, so I’ll have to digest a month’s worth of trivia in a short period of time. I did not know that an average ear of corn has 800 kernels or that the world’s largest coffee cups holds just over 6,000 gallons. In fact, as I ripped off those 39 days, there were only seven questions that I answered correctly. I hope that next year our financial broker sends an easier version or better yet something with pictures rather than questions. I will, however, start tomorrow with a winner!

It will soon be November and another time change, my sixth in the last 35 days. It’s now been over a week since we’ve been home and my internal clock is still screwed up. Thankfully, as of this morning, everything in our home is now back it’s pre-storm  place. One plant pot was broken as a helpful neighbor tried to hurriedly rush it inside, and it slipped from her hands. All else faired well in the high winds and flooding. We went down to nearby, storm ravaged, Englewood again last evening for “Date Night” at Snook’s Bayside. Most of their outside dining spots on Lemon Bay were blocked off with yellow crime scene tape, but their chowder was still good and the rock band played on. 

It’s Football Sunday, but my fortunes have not been good on the playing field this year. Both Purdue and I.U. lost yesterday but thankfully college basketball is only a week away, with undoubtedly new frustrations. The Hoosiers are probably a bit overrated, considering that it is essentially the same poor shooting team as last year. For once, we finally made the tournament but got embarrassed by Saint Mary’s. Can we take it a step further this year? It’s long awaited tip-off time!

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Nightmare #2179

After yesterday’s reunion with Tom, a former business colleague, and his friend Jim, I have a new neighborhood mystery to solve. Coincidentally, when they drove into the Islandwalk edition, there was a hint of recognition, and as it turned out, the other person they intended to visit yesterday is a neighbor of ours. Granted, we’re a big edition with about 2500 homes, but nonetheless this was still against all odds. In fact, it developed into a twist of fate, as I discovered that the husband of their high school classmate, Jon, graduated from I.U., worked in Indianapolis for the same radio station as me, and went on to become a market competitor in television sales. All of these folks were in their mid-seventies, so only about 4-years older than me but I didn’t recognize the name. We must have been like passing ships in the ever changing media world, but undoubtedly have a lot of people in common. 

Jon happened to be out of town when we talked to his wife, Jane, their Lafayette Central Catholic classmate, but the home they live in is naturally very similar to ours. They currently also have a second property in Carmel, Indiana, whereas my wife and I  once lived in Zionsville, all of us with Hoosier roots. I’m looking forward to meeting Jon as soon as he gets back in town, because I’m betting that he also once dealt with my media buyer wife. Networking, like this with other people is the best way to make new friends. I’m also curious to know if Jon knows other Hoosiers in the neighborhood. I’m already aware of one that runs the whiskey club, another who worked for an Indianapolis stock brokerage firm, and a former professor who is active in my wife’s bridge club. We tried to organize an Indy 500 watch party last year when other Hoosier friends were in town but couldn’t get a big enough group together. We’ll try again next May. 

Before we stopped by Jon and Jane’s house, Tom, Jim, and I drove down to Englewood for lunch at the Lock & Key. It was one of the few places open after the fury of hurricane Ian. The area is nothing more than a dumping zone for debris and tree limbs that are piled along the side of the beach road. The damage was extensive and Stump Pass State Park was closed to traffic. I once again felt lucky that we settled into a home that wasn’t right on the Gulf, as what once might have been a dream. Sadly, beach-front property in Southwest Florida is now a terrible nightmare!

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Refrigeration #2178

I’m getting together with another former work colleague this morning, on what is an absolutely beautiful Florida day. The temperature is 69 degrees with blue skies. We’re meeting at the house for a beer before we head over to Englewood for lunch. As a snowbird from Lafayette, Indiana, he hosts a couple of annual golf tournaments for his buddies, but age has taken its toll. Apparently, there were only two other friends that made it down for this one. He’s about four years older than I am. I hired him at WLFI-TV as my General Sales Manager after he had left the station to form his own advertising agency. As an “outsider” in the market, I needed a hometown wing man to dispel of rumors that the station was no longer serving local interests after its sale to the company that employed me for many years. 

One of his friends that came down is interested in moving to Englewood where my grandparents settled for half of the year. We’re going there to look at storm damage and potential real estate opportunities. I’ll enjoy meeting his friends and sharing stories of the past. I’ve seen his Facebook posts for several years now, but probably haven’t been face-to-face with him in twenty years. We’ll try to narrow that down when he arrives. I get to show off our new outdoor kitchen and the refrigerated beer drawers that go with it. The grill portion has served us both in Portland and by the pool here in Venice, but on a cart. It has now secure in a permanent stone enclosure with the gas burner at its side. I was surprised that everything worked, even the electric rotisserie, after being moved from place to place. Last night, pork chops were are first meal on the new setup.

The only bad news about today was that the refrigerator repairman moved our appointment to next week. It’s the only other storm-related damage that needs to be addressed. Warranties are always questionable, so I’m leery of the builder’s promise, considering that it might have been fried in a power surge. No one was home to witness that but the faint smell of spoiled food is disguised with the odor of bleach and other cleaning fluids. The change in dates does free me up for this trip to Englewood, but I would still like to get this issue resolved, even though we still have two other sources of refrigeration.

 

 

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 johnstonwrites.com

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑