I now have a streak of 10 in Wordle, my latest word game challenge. It was just a matter of time before peer pressure drove me to try it. I barely solved this morning’s puzzle with a choice of three letters that could have each been correct. I FOUND the right one, a last second gasp similar to a game winning tourney shot. Speaking of basketball, I’ve still alive in the fantasy pool with Kansas – or will my small investment end up being “dust in the wind?” It’s been 35-years now since IU won the NCAA Championship in 1987 on Keith Smart’s buzzer beater. It’s also been twenty years since they reached the final game. Anymore, we’re just lucky to get into the Big Dance. It was also the year that Reagan and Gorbachev met in Washington.
We drove to Anna Marie Island and had lunch with Indy friends at the Beach House Restaurant. On the way there, a rock hit the windshield of my wife’s Lexus and cracked the glass. It’s just another hassle to deal with as I call the insurance company about my homeowners policy, as well. Mondays are probably a busy day in that business following a weekend of mishaps. In addition, I will call my sister about our plans to visit our cousins tomorrow in Bonita Springs. With a damaged car, a son who is now separated from his wife, and an unvaccinated sister, I’m not really in the mood for another drive. I do have to pick up my grandson this afternoon, also disrupting what might normally be “Matinee Monday,” It’s the last few days of our annual passes that will hopefully get renewed.
We did attend a rather pleasant concert last night with acoustic guitarist Cliff Erickson. It was a free show in our neighborhood events center. He was a good entertainer who got us old folks singing along to country and rock hits from the past, and ended with a couple original numbers. I took a call from my son in the middle of the show to make plans for a discussion about his future plans and to arrange a steak dinner with the grandkids tomorrow night. He also needs to help me hang three overhead light fixtures. Other than his marital ordeal, we have about three weeks of routine home life before we head to Singer Island. My wife is back to bridge club, while Tally spent the morning with her at the Dog Park. I’ll watch another episode of Winning Time this morning and a new season of Yellowstone starting tonight. Peace!
It’s Final Four Sunday and two of those last standing were determined yesterday evening – Duke and Villanova. Today, Kansas plays Miami and North Carolina faces Cinderella St. Peter’s. We’ll be on the road this morning, headed for Bradenton and lunch with Indianapolis friends. We last saw them in Portland several years ago, where we renewed our acquaintance. They are in Florida on a vacation that is about to end while we continue the retirement dream. Although, that dream is becoming a nightmare, as my son announced separation from his wife, disrupting the lives of my grandchildren. His wife has aspirations of completing medical school, so she has decided to move on. This was not totally a surprise, but we thought she would wait at least until the oldest graduated from high school, since she goes to school full time and has very little income. At least, her work was a stepping stone in the path of becoming an optometrist. This decision will put some pressure on grandparents like us to help in the transition.
It’s a big mystery as to how she will handle this all on her own. Her mother and father are both remarried and living in this area. They have taken on the bulk of the child care when necessary, while my wife and I fill in on occasion. Having lived so far away all these years, we are not the favored baby sitters. To complicate matters, my grandson lives part time with his mother in Sarasota where he is in his first year of high school. Her grandparents, who she just visited and perhaps conspired with, are in Chicago, one of her choices for schooling. The other option is Ohio State where she apparently has free housing. She has yet to be accepted for scholarships in either program. Originally, they were all going to move to Columbus together in a few years. With this in mind, my wife and I had the feeling that she was using him for both support and child care while she continued her classes. Once she had her own source of income as a doctor, then she would pull the plug on the marriage.
I’m heartbroken for my son who is in a bit of shock. He certainly can’t afford a lawyer that could fight to restrict her from taking the kids out of state. It is our understanding that Florida tends to favor the father in these matters, although my son has been restricted in the past from taking his son to another location by his former girlfriend and mother of his child. Fortunately, they have a good relationship now, so she will probably be somewhat helpful in this dilemma.
My son’s wife apparently does have access to an attorney. She threatened to leave him years ago while having an affair, but came to her senses financially. She is about 10-years younger, and wanted another baby, so my son took her back and gave her that wish. The youngest is currently going on four and her sister is about to be thirteen, while the son is fifteen. Their lives are now up in the air while she pursues her dream. I think it’s a bit selfish. A decision has to be made soon on their only asset, the house, that will need some repairs to be marketable. All of the bills are in his name, including two cars, one of which she’ll need to get to and from school and her part-time job at the eye clinic. It’s a Marital Mess!
Some people refer to p-mail as “materials such as letters and packages delivered by a postal system; conventional mail.” In this case, the “p” is for physical. We humans, of course, check our e-mail regularly for business and friendly correspondence. As a result, we’re constantly on our phones or computers to keep up with our clients, acquaintances, and collogues. However, how do animals communicate? They leave secret messages in the bushes and grass. Our schnauzer, Tally, gravitates to the same spots every morning to catch up with her network of neighborhood buddies. She sniffs and scratches away to check her p-mail.
These dog-to-dog communications might also be called pee mail, but just like humans they know exactly where to check for incoming notes to each other. There is a look of satisfaction on Tally’s face after she finally gets to the right spot and reads what is going on in her world. The decoding process is found in her nostrils, inaccessible to human interference. What goes on with dogs, stay with dogs, since they can only talk to each other. Then, they pretend they can’t understand what we are saying and ignore our commands. “Beware of the dog” takes on new meaning.
Yesterday, we took Tally to the dog beach. It was very windy so we prepared a covered area specifically for her with a towel, shade, and water. She was immediately restless and would wander off into the weeds where predictors like alligators might lurk. We would chase after her and lure her back to the shaded area with treats. The tall sea grass was obviously the site of the best smells were, despite the dangers, and where all the important messages were hidden. Every time we’d turn our backs to her or check our e-mail she was gone again, headed to the grassy post office where she could check her p-mail.
1984 was the tale written by George Orwell and the term “Big Brother” became a big deal, as the government controls every aspect of peoples’ lives. It was written 40-years prior, as now it is 40-years later and still relevant. The actual year “saw the launch of a number of movie franchises still going strong today, with Ghostbusters, The Terminator, and The Karate Kid all debuting in 1984.” All have seen recent recent releases including Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), the Karate Kid television series, Cobra Kai, and Ghostbusters Afterlife that we just recently saw at the theatre.
We did get back to the movies on “Matinee Monday” with the modern remake of Death of the Nile. It was very boring with accents difficult to make out but the scenery was magnificent as we look forward to our journey down the Nile next May. It started our week of following a normal busy routine with no houseguests to feed. We got another break this morning when we found out my wife’s brother is not coming today as expected, but rather in April. I also didn’t have to babysit this morning for the second day in a row, but may end up taking my granddaughter to a fairy and unicorn festival tomorrow. It was a busy week with a harpist that we went to see on Tuesday night after my Borrego Boyz “Leadership Luncheon,” another warranty inspection, a doctor’s appointment, dinner with some new Indiana friends, an afternoon at the dog beach with Tally, who will then need to visit the groomer, Sweet 16 Purdue basketball, and the 7th monthly “Meet the Neighbors” event on Saturday night. Sunday we drive up to the Tampa area for lunch with friends from Indianapolis followed by an evening guitar performance at the neighborhood community center.
Next week could be equally eventful with another “Matinee Monday,” cousins to visit down in Bonita Springs, a confrontation with my sister on immunization, the next installment of Yellowstone episodes, construction work, overhead lighting installation, the usual weekly Chiropractor appointment, air conditioning service, the Final Four games on TV, a Braves Spring Training game against the Rays, and last but not least, April Fool’s Day.
I was baby sitting for my nearly 4-year old granddaughter this morning, as will be the case tomorrow. I finally got to sit down at the keyboard late this afternoon, after a doctor’s appointment and several errands. With the rain and responsibilities, there was also no time for the usual 5k, but at least I got in the minimum mile, extending my streak to 4,834 consecutive days. As I drove around town, I also picked up our remaining light fixtures for the front entry and great room, so my son can get to work on the wiring. One was in a huge box that barely fit in my back seat with the convertible top down. The 2007 Solara served as a pick-up truck once again, as it approaches 150,000 miles.
The first mobile phones were introduced by Motorola in 1983. It’s hard to believe that we lived without them and the Internet all those years. I used a CB radio for communication back in my early days of radio. Pay phones also played an important role in keeping up with client demands. A bag phone soon followed before I got my first flip phone that I could carry on a regular basis. A Palm Pilot served as my organizer once I abandoned Daytimers. Nowadays, everything is on my phone and I’m never without it.
I’m watching the Cubs play the Angels on TV as Spring Training finally gets into full swing. I’ve already been to one game at the neighborhood Cool Today Stadium, the Spring Training headquarters for the World Champion Atlanta Braves. I have tickets for two more games against the Rays, with Grapefruit League activities extended thru April 5th. I just turned down tickets for the Yankees at Cardinals in August, and plan to go to Tampa in June for the Rays/White Sox series. We also made plans for Cactus League Spring Training in Phoenix next March that may be the next opportunity to see the Cubs live. I doubt that we get to Wrigley Field in 2022, let alone Chicago. I will keep an eye out if the boys plan another Cardinal baseball trip at some point during the season, but I’m sure that we will be exhausted from all our already planned cool travel activities.
Back in 1982, there were ten significant events that occurred, according to peoplehistory.com:
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Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking album “Thriller” was released
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The break-up of the AT&T monopoly was ordered
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Argentina invades the Falkland Islands / Malvinas
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The first episode of Late Night with David Letterman debuts on NBC
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The popular science fiction film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” debuts during June
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Disney Futuristic Park EPCOT ( Experimental Community Of Tomorrow )is opened
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Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide kill 7 in Chicago
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The Mary Rose, flagship of Henry VIII of England is raised in the Solent
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC is dedicated
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The First Commercial use of Genetic Engineering is Launched when human insulin produced by bacteria is marketed
These events intertwined with my life in many ways. I clearly remember taking my 8-year old son to the mall for an event celebrating the premiere of E.T. I was involved in setting up and promoting a related meet and greet with Drew Barrymore, who was the same age. He spent the morning with the family, and developed a bit of a crush over the future star. He was also a big fan of Michael Jackson so Thriller was a popular tune in our home – to the point of excessiveness. The Jackson Five and David Letterman were fellow Hoosiers. Also, our first family trip to Disney World was around this time, so I remember the giant Epcot ball that was being built at the entrance to the new park. In addition, I would eventually become an AT&T stock holder through the subsidiary that I worked for a few years later.
The Vietnam Memorial was an emotional, late-night experience for me as part of a business convention years later. It reminded me how lucky I was to have avoided that war, ending the young lives of several of my high school classmates. On a lighter note, I still curse the safety caps on medication and household supplies that make them a hassle to open. We can all thank the Tylenol incident of 1982 for additional safety seals on plastic bottles that often require getting the tool box out.
It’s now 40-years later since these impactful events happened. Late night hosts have changed many times over, while Letterman has gotten more involved in Indycar racing. AT&T is still the world’s largest telecommunications company despite government intervention. Despite Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, his music and siblings continue to be popular. Disney World has expanded to four parks and water features. Drew Barrymore, currently 47, has been in at least 63 movies, three of those with Adam Sandler. Once more, countries are still invading each other and more monuments have been torn down in this era of civil unrest rather than built. Furthermore, genetic engineering continues to be a subject far to complicated for me to even discuss and makes my brain ache. Please pass the Tylenol.
I got a text yesterday from a friend enjoying a getaway to the Florida Keys. It spelled out, “I’m paying the buttercup tax.” I immediately went to the internet, wondering what he meant and not wanting to appear ignorant. On-line, there was no real reference to the phrase other than the dainty yellow flower that is apparently poisonous, so I wrote him back for an explanation. “It’s the price of happiness,” he replied. “We love the Keys!” My wife and I had just visited Key West for the first time together. She had gone during her college years, but I had never been. Our cost of going there was minimal because we took the high speed ferry and stayed relatively free at the Marriott. I’m always happy at a Marriott, especially if it’s on a beach. I never once thought about taxes.
According to an N Business article by Deepthi Nair, “the global average of the price of happiness is $85,000 a year, according to Expensivity, which calculated the cost of happiness for 160 countries by combining data from Purdue University’s Happiness, income satiation and turning points around the world report, purchasing power ratios from the World Bank and cost-of-living figures in cities.”
“At $143,933 a year, the most expensive country to be happy is Bermuda, while the cheapest is Suriname in South America, where it costs just $6,799, the Expensivity study found.”
“In 2018, the Purdue University study, which is based on data from the Gallup World Poll of 1.7 million people, found that there is an ideal level of money that could make a person happy – and it varies around the world.”
As for buttercups, my only encounter is through the song, “Build Me Up Buttercup” by the Foundations:
Why do you build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup, baby
Just to let me down? (Let me down)
And mess me around
And then, worst of all (Worst of all)
You never call, baby
When you say you will (Say you will)
But I love you still
I need you (I need you)
More than anyone, darling
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup, don’t break my heart
[Verse 1]
“I’ll be over at ten”, you told me time and again
But you’re late, I wait around and then (Ba-dah-dah)
I went to the door, I can’t take any more
It’s not you, you let me down again (Hey, hey, hey)
[Pre-Chorus]
Baby, baby, try to find (Hey, hey, hey)
A little time and I’ll make you happy (Hey, hey, hey)
I’ll be home, I’ll be beside the phone waiting for you
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh.
So, I still ponder the mystery of a “buttercup tax,” after all this research. “Although there are variations, quite often the flower is said to represent joy, youth, purity, happiness and friendship.” In the song, the reference is to a girl – his “baby.”
“Despite safety concerns, buttercup is used for arthritis, nerve pain, blisters, ongoing (chronic) skin problems, and bronchitis.”
We moved to Florida because there is no state tax, but certainly taxes on everything else. Why not a buttercup tax?
We’ve reached the 1980s when John Lennon was shot and killed, and the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas was destroyed by fire. I was 29-years old, married for seven years, and with a 5-year old son. I was working at BJ Thompson Advertising in Mishawaka, Indiana on the Burger Chef account that was evolving into Hardee’s. Within a year, I would make a move to Ft. Wayne and back into the radio business with WMEE/WQHK. I remember a recruitment meeting at Doc Pierce’s Saloon with my soon to be boss who rode in on his motorcycle.
I spent the next four years of my life in Ft. Wayne before moving to Indianapolis in 1985. It’s really all a blur. Time has passed so quickly as I sit here writing 42-years later. I certainly wouldn’t want to go back and live it all again. It was hard work getting to this point of retirement, 5.25 years removed from the day-to-day work grind. Since that time, I’ve tried to write something each day – 1,980 posts over roughly 1,916 days. I’ve also run every day over this period of time, a streak I started 4,381 days ago.
It’s “Matinee Monday,” that might be interrupted with a home warranty inspection. With all our visiting guests, we haven’t seen a movie in six weeks. Our annual passes are about to expire, so we need to get there today and get them renewed. All the weekly traditions of movies, sunset picnics, and tourism have been disrupted with other plans. At least, the monthly Borrego Boyz luncheon is on for tomorrow and the Neighborhood get-together is scheduled for this Saturday. We have one last set of overnight visitors this week and then the calendar is clear until our Singer Island getaway in mid-April. In the meantime, we have two day-trips next week to see family and friends that are vacationing in Florida. Before we know it, we’ll settle back into our customary daily routine.
After nine days of entertaining guests, life is back to normal. I enjoyed seeing all my friends and showing off the Venice area, but I’m exhausted. Too much food and wine has me worried about stepping on the scale. Running with this extra weight only adds to this daily challenge, while swimming has been sporadic during this disruption of the routine. I’ve been to the ballpark, played pickle ball, been to a blues festival, ran a 5k race, went on an eco-tour, frequented numerous restaurants/bars, sunned on the beach, sampled wine, and sat in front of the TV watching tournament basketball. In the process, I’ve also celebrated an IU victory, suffered through a miserable season-ending loss, and went to a Beauty and the Beast performance. This morning I slept in a bit, struggled through my run, and got back to swimming a few laps.
It’s another day of round-ball action, as #3 Purdue battles #6 Texas for a spot in the Sweet 16 and a chance to spoil the Cinderella run of the St. Peter’s Peacocks. The Boilers knocked out Yale while the Longhorns overtook Virginia Tech. In other games of conference interest, Michigan upset Tennessee yesterday, while today’s slate for the other BIG survivors shows Illinois playing Houston, Ohio State meeting Villanova, Michigan State facing Duke, and Wisconsin tackling Iowa State. It’s a BIG day of basketball!
I’m back at the computer keyboard, banging out the highlights of the past week with friends. I missed a few events of the seventies in the process, with 1978 as the year smallpox was eradicated and 1979 was when the U.S.S.R. invaded Afghanistan, just like current Soviet aggression in the Ukraine. I hope we can soon see peace and the end of Covid, as they both continue to haunt my life with higher prices and social restrictions. Last night at the theatre, a group of neighbors were having a conversation during the intermission. They had all lowered their masks for the discussion, but the guy next to them complained to me when I did the same. It’s rare when a Florida venue has a mandatory mask policy, but this was done to protect the unvaccinated children and apparently was part of the actor contracts. Yet, they weren’t wearing masks on stage. This didn’t make sense to me, along with $4.09 for a gallon of gas, but clearly told me that things were definitely not back to normal!
Parker Stewart hit a three in the first minute of the St. Mary’s game to start the Indiana scoring. Sadly, these were the only points he would get all night, and to make matters worse more than two other shooters, Miller Kopp and Rob Phinisee, who both failed to score. Overall, the team showed their exhaustion and only put 53-points on the scoreboard. St. Mary’s went 10-21 from behind the arc and racked up 82-points in victory. This was Indiana’s worst NCAA tournament loss ever, eclipsing the 86-61 drubbing from St. John’s in 1999.
The “Party’s Pooped” on the Hoosiers, as they might have been better off not getting in the tournament at all. The first Mike Woodson season ends on a sour note and tired legs after five games in eight days. Talk of next year begins to slowly trickle into the conversation as players begin to contemplate the future. Will they come back or move on? What will happen with Kristian Lander who got very little playing time but scored the last bucket of the year? Will Trayce Jackson Davis turn pro? What about other players with remaining eligibility like Race Thompson, Rob Phinisee, Tamar Bates, and Anthony Leal? Will disappointing transfers like Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart find new homes or call it quits?
The NCAA tournament goes on without them. Marquette lost to North Carolina by 32, making the IU drubbing somehow look better. All the Saints won on St. Patrick’s Day, including the ultimate upset when #15 seed St. Peter’s beat #2 Kentucky. #5 Iowa who had last second luck against Indiana in the BIG Tourney failed to replicate this good fortune against #12 Richmond, bringing back painful memories of 1988 when the Spiders knocked off defending NCAA champ IU in the first round. Rutgers lost to #11 Notre Dame in one of the other play-in games, to give the Irish the opportunity to upend #6 Alabama and keep their St. Patrick’s Party going. Three of the nine BIG Ten teams had already bit the dust, as then finally the other 6 found a way to win their initial games, maintaining the league’s integrity. IU’s party was over!
