I’ve been expecting a run by the White Sox all season long. It’s hard to believe that with the lineup of stars that they have, they’re still in third place and have failed to outscore their opponents going into the last month of the season. There have been some teases like early last month when they won five straight games and moved into contention, only to fall apart once again. It’s been a consistent story of injuries, bad base running, poor defense and a lack of clutch hitting. Tony La Russa, the aging manager, has justifiably been under fire and has finally succumb to health issues. Miguel Cairo has taken over at the end of losing 10 of their last 12 games in August and falling once again below the .500 mark.
The temporary change in management has proven effective with 4-straight wins, including last night’s 13-0 rout over the Twins. A no-hit effort by Dylan Cease was broken up in the ninth inning. The White Sox are now only 2-games out of first and a game behind the Twins, but this is where the wheels fell off in August. I’ve never felt such frustration for a baseball team than I have this season. In any other division, they would be entirely out of the pennant race. I refuse to get my hopes up and once again dashed, but fortunately there’s only a few weeks left in the season. They need to somehow maintain this hot streak and get Tim Anderson and Luis Roberts back in the lineup. May luck finally be on our side in September!
Speaking of frustration, Indiana football failed to win a Big Ten game last year. They finally ended that painful draught with a 23-20 victory over Illinois this week, even though it was an ugly win. The team got some breaks for once and can build on the momentum. Missouri quarterback transfer and new Hoosier Hero, Connor Bazelak, led the come-from-behind winning effort with the clock running out. In the case of the Hoosiers and White Sox this year, it’s better to be lucky than good.
Fifty-two years ago, September 2, 1970, I went to see Led Zeppelin at the Oakland Coliseum. It was a memorable concert with mounds of empty glass bottles and the smell of marijuana lingering in the air. Apparently, Van Morrison and Seatrain were supposed to open but they were both no-shows. It seemed like we arrived late anyway, having spotted a poster for the show that night at the Fillmore. My friend Alan and I ran up and down hills to the car parked near Fisherman’s Wharf without enough money to ride the trolley back. Our cash stash was in the glove compartment of the car so we hastily drove to the venue and paid for our tickets – about $3.50 each at the very top of the arena.
It was Led Zeppelin’s 6th concert tour of North America. According to Wikipedia, the set list was as follows:
- “Immigrant Song” (Page, Plant)
- “Heartbreaker” (Bonham, Page, Plant)
- “Dazed and Confused” (Page)
- “Bring It On Home” (Page, Plant, Dixon)
- “That’s the Way” (Page, Plant)
- “Bron-Yr-Aur” (Page)
- “Since I’ve Been Loving You” (Page, Plant, Jones)
- “Organ Solo”/”Thank You” (Page, Plant)
- “What Is and What Should Never Be” (Page, Plant)
- “Moby Dick” (Page, Jones, Bonham)
- “Whole Lotta Love” (Bonham, Dixon, Jones, Page, Plant)
Encore:
I have a bootleg album of the event but the recording is horrible. The “Blueberry Hill” encore is what I remember most and was the subject of an unpublished novel I once wrote called “Thank God There’s An Ocean.” (See Post #295). I do vaguely remember a projection screen so we could actually see the tiny figures that played on the distant stage. Concert promoters called it “Concert Closeup.” Like everyone else, we rushed towards the stage for the encore. It was my very first concert experience and A Whole Lotta Love!
Property values continue to increase in our area, so I’m pleased with our home investment. It was a great location already with the beach nearby, Spring Training facility, resort amenities, and a small shopping center close by. Venice and Port Charlotte are the closest cities, with Sarasota just 45-minutes away. Wellen Park, next door, is the new up-and-coming community with a lake, golf course, dining, and shopping. They also just announced construction of a Costco and a new hospital just a mile from our new home. The possibilities are never ending, but in the process property taxes are also escalating. Fortunately, I was just able to file our Homestead exemption that will give us some protection over these increases.
We continue to make improvements to our home including a much-anticipated outdoor kitchen. Our builder should be soon returning from Italy and get this project underway. The garage is overflowing with the building materials and appliances that make up this new addition to the lanai. It will be great to get the new kitchen operational and at the same time clear out the cluttered garage. We’re hoping to get it all done in time for the holidays – maybe a Thanksgiving turkey on the rotisserie between travel adventures.
We ordered our Covid e-tests for clearance into Canada to jump on our cruise ship. It’s a computer monitored testing system required within three days of crossing the border as part of the Arrive Canada app. More tests will be necessary once we get to the ship, so we’re naturally nervous about the consequences of testing positive. This could absolutely disrupt our travel plans even though we’ve been vaccinated, double-boosted, and already affected by the troublesome virus.
Tonight is the first official “Date Night” since we’ve settled back into the home routine. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 2-weeks since we returned from our 4,000-mile drive. In that time, I’ve had a birthday night in Tampa and finally saw Santana/EWF in concert. This morning’s run was #4,996 – only four days away from the 5,000 milestone. Then, it will be on to the completion of a full fourteen years as the New Year approaches. It’s one day at a time with no finish line.
A busy morning of running, swimming, mulching, washing, raking, dusting, and blowing. We were also able to prepare a final resting ground for our two beloved pets, Tinker and Frankie. They’ve been in a box throughout our move from Portland to Florida, and although neither of them ever lived here, we wanted them to be close by, looking over the pond and shaded with two big palm trees. After all this busy work, I was finally able to sit down at the computer.
We have visitors this Labor Day weekend – my wife’s niece and her boyfriend. I got them some Voodoo Ranger beer – their favorite. It’s their second stay at our new home, as they now make the frequent visitor’s list, although it’s only for one night. After they leave, we’ll repack some of the lanai items to secure the pool area for any potential hurricane activity while we’ve gone for four weeks. It’s now been a year-and-a-half since we moved in and storm damage has been limited to a ripped screen, Hopefully, we’ll continue to have a quiet storm season.
Snowbird neighbors will begin to return this weekend and so will the traffic. We’re fourteen days from departure to Portland and 21-days from setting sail to Alaska. Another break from the routine is therefore just around the corner. We’ll soon be subject to the stress of travel deadlines but at least there won’t be the hassle of packing and unpacking. This is the nicest benefit of traveling by cruise ship – the same bed is waiting for us every night. In this case, twenty-four nights aboard ship on our route from Vancouver to Alaska to Hawaii. Flying through Portland on the way there will also give us the opportunity to reunite with friends and family. We’re getting ready!
The month of August comes to an end with my total running mileage standing at only 84 after 31 days. This accounts for seven days of travel when my morning runs were shortened to just over a mile by the need to proceed to the next stop. It’s the absolute monthly minimum to achieve 1000 miles a year. I will face the same situation is September trying to get miles in on the boat deck or treadmills of the ship that will take us to Alaska and Hawaii. I will also experience some very cold mornings and will need to pack gloves, a hat, and insulated pants. “The Streak” has now reached 4,994 consecutive days and counting.
As I approach the 14-year mark of running every day, I marvel at how I have kept on going despite the daily struggle of simply taking that first step. I’m sore and tired while the last thing I want to do every morning is sweat and strain. Yet, I’ve somehow managed to keep “The Streak” alive. It has become a necessary evil in keeping off weight, lowering my blood pressure, and getting me going every day. For motivation, I keep referring to the quote, “You don’t stop running when you get old, you get old when you stop running.” I continue to chug along at an embarrassingly slow pace for this very reason.
I was reminded that I will miss the annual Tomahawk 5k at the neighborhood Braves stadium this December because of our trip to Kauai. They are also organizing a “Howl at the Moon” 5k that I will miss at the end of September due to the Alaska cruise (I probably wouldn’t do it anyway because it starts at midnight). There is also a half-marathon in the works, but I’ve resigned myself to a maximum of 5k, although this is clearly a sign of getting old. My legs are already jelly-like in getting through the third mile, let alone a 10k or half. Staying healthy to continue is my sole priority, so why risk it?
It’s a quiet Tuesday and I got soaked running in the rain. It felt great though to be drenched in something other than sweat. Only one other runner passed by along with a few of the regular walkers. When I got home, I spread some more “stolen” mulch, as the HOA continues to tempt me with a couple of skids that they don’t apparently have immediate use for in the neighborhood. Normally, in order to avoid theft, they bring it in when they need it, otherwise it mysteriously disappears. Many of us are still disappointed that they initially spread such a thin layer around our landscaping and therefore feel entitled to self remedy the situation. Guilty!
Our pool umbrella arrived, giving us now a little bit of shade in the shallow end. Most of our decorative items for the lanai area are still in the garage from our last trip. Since we’ll be gone again in a few weeks, we haven’t bothered to put them back in place in the event of a hurricane. The area around the pool is pretty barren with company coming this weekend, so I would expect that a few items like chairs and cushions will be put back in place only to be once moved back into dry storage once they leave. We head North to Alaska in only 18 days.
I’m always glad to have a quiet day at home now that the running and swimming duties are done. It will be a Hulu kind of day between watching Sons of Anarchy and Legacy on that streaming service. My wife and I are being nickeled and dimed by the very medium that supported our careers. There was a certain sense of pride in selling the advertising that allowed viewers to watch TV, despite the annoyance they felt. Now I’m paying Xfinity for cable services, along with Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount, HBO, Peacock, AMC, Apple, and Hulu. I think that it’s ironic when at least 15% of my monthly television pension goes to what was once my competition. In retirement, I’m now a TV junkie, glued to it hours every day – guilty!
This past week has been filled with joyous occasions, including my 71st birthday, the engagement of a good friend, a long overdue Santana/EWF concert, and a good report from the eye doctor on my wife’s retina concerns. We also got back to basics today with both “Matinee Monday” and “Meatless Monday.” The peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and cheese pizza for dinner were great, but the movie called “The Invitation” turned out to be a bad vampire flick. I might end the day with some more mulch stealing.
My wife has a neighborhood girls get together tomorrow, while the Borrego Boyz are getting back together for a “Leadership Luncheon” next week now that there’s a break in summer travel. I, of course, will not be available for next month’s meeting because we’ll be in Alaska/Hawaii. Nonetheless, familiarity has returned to our lives here in our resort community called Islandwalk. My son, grandson, and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings yesterday afternoon after getting back from Tampa for the annual NFL Fantasy Draft, and the grand daughters will join us for dinner at the house tomorrow night. Togetherness with family, friends, and travel have always been our primary goal in life.
Finance discussions are on hold because of all the travel expenses we’re shelling out for the cruise and Kauai. It’s what we thought would be the final hurrah for our retirement funds with the exception of Egypt/London next year. However, when Viking was forced to cancel two legs of our Alaska excursion (Russia and then Japan), they offered a major bonus to prevent us from cancelling. It’s an opportunity for another future ocean cruise and we’re looking at Spain to Africa to South America in 2024. After that, we’ll probably have to focus on Marriott Vacation Resorts to satisfy our travel bugs as retirement savings quickly disappear.
It all makes me think that we probably should have waited a few more years to retire, but I’m not sure I would give up what we’ve experienced these past six years. At the age of 71, my energy levels are falling as fast as my retirement funds and by seventy-five I think I’ll be ready to stick close to home. I’ll have seen all fifty states by then and covered at least Five of the Seven Continents. Australia was cancelled due to Covid and neither of us have a desire to see Antarctica. Under the circumstances, I’d be happy with Five!
Birthday celebration #71 has passed and the concert that seemingly never was to be finally happened. The empty parking lot we pulled up to last year 365 days too early was muddy and packed. A heavy rain was falling and we were going to be late. Fortunately, we had VIP Parking and found a front row spot. A double rainbow filled the sky as we waited to get through the security gates. By the time we got to our seats, barely covered by the canvas roof, Earth, Wind, and Fire took the stage, an hour past the scheduled start. It was at last time to “Boogie Down.”
The night air was muggy and the rain gushed one more time. We raised an umbrella as graceless old-timers tried to dance in front of us. As usual, the seats were only as good as the people around us, but we could clearly see the distant stage if we stood. The showers lingered and our clothes were damp but the band played on – familiar tunes that sounded great despite only 3 original band members.
Before the show, we went to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, packed on a Saturday afternoon. I hoped to hit a birthday jackpot, but the only luck we had was getting a great table in the Council Oaks Steak and Seafood lounge despite my failure to make reservations. Birthday Luck, even after the poker machine losses. Plus, dinner took longer than expected, cutting my expected losses in half. A Win!
As I looked back on dinner and drank my “Liquid Death” water in the seats awaiting Santana, I savored for just a minute my life’s good fortune. Santana was, of course magical, entertaining us until just before midnight and finishing with “Smooth” as we made our way back to the car. I was anticipating at least an hour of bumper car action getting out, but 10 minutes later I was back at the Marriott Town Suites singing “it’s a hot one” in my Birthday Suit.
Another candle on the cake means the likelihood of a fire. I’ve got the extinguisher ready. Today we head for Tampa and another attempt to party with Carlos Santana and Earth, Wind, & Fire. Last year, if you’ll remember, we drove to the concert gate only to be told we were a year early. Instead, we went to the casino without a lucky outcome, thinking that another year was a long time to wait. Suddenly, it’s here and the only threat is rain.
Another day of life, of course, is a win, but I can’t say that I’ve been very lucky of late when it comes to money or sports. IU soccer lost last night to Clemson, while the Cubs and White Sox are almost a joke. Now, it’s time for football season where the Hoosiers are picked once again to finish near the bottom. The slot machines have not been kind to me either, even though I go out of my way to avoid them. I’m prepared to lose my birthday money tonight, thinking that there’s always a chance for a jackpot.
We’ve been lucky on our car travels, driving thousands of miles cross-country these past few years without delays, accidents, or mechanical problems. I’m thankful for that. However, cancellations have twice thwarted plans for spring training, along with delays like tonight’s Santana concert. Fire ruined our plans for Tahoe last fall, coupled with Covid cancellations for St. Kitts, Bali and Kauai with Marriott and three Viking cruises. Plans have changed several times on our upcoming Alaska, and we’ve hoping there won’t be other issues.
We’ve been lucky with health, family, and friends, so I can’t complain too much. However, I would like to hear the sound of coins falling in the slot machine tonight and feel the euphoria of being a winner. It hasn’t happened for a long time, so I feel like I’m due after investing thousands in these machines. Let’s hear it for a long overdue birthday jackpot!
Our departure package from Viking Ocean Cruises arrived today, just another step in getting to Alaska – 25 days to go. “North to Alaska,” our rally cry. Luggage tags and instructions came in the mail, with the challenge of packing for one of the coldest and warmest states in our nation – Alaska to Hawaii. Alaska is a first for us, but we’ve both been to Hawaii many times, although never by boat. We’ll see all the islands from a different perspective. Excursions have yet to be set, considering the elimination of Japan and the addition of Hawaii.
I have a list of items we need at Ace Hardware and a haircut appointment before I pick up my grandson from school this afternoon. I will be another quiet day without Date Night since we’re headed to Tampa tomorrow for my 71st birthday celebration. We’ll drop Tally off at Schnauzerville, have dinner at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, lose a few bucks in the slot machines, and head for the Santana/Earth, Wind, & Fire concert. I need to be back first thing on Sunday morning for the Fantasy draft at Buffalo Wild Wings.
My cousin, and two former workmates are celebrating birthdays on the same day as mine. I’m by far the oldest, as Birthday Bear joins the party. At least, many of the band members are now in their mid-seventies but still going strong. I guess you could say that today is Birthday Eve!
