Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 71 of 267)
We’re now down to the “Do or Done” portion of the 21-22 season. I would use the phrase, “Do or Die,” but that’s a bit radical for basketball. Four games remained before the BIG tournament and a win in the critical first road game against Ohio State might have sealed our ticket to the Big Dance. Instead, it made another mockery out of the “Rule of Sixty.”
I.U. had already beaten the Buckeyes in Bloomington, but the selection committee is looking for road victories. Only Nebraska and Maryland at the bottom of the conference were such accommodating victims. A win at Value City Arena might have turned some heads, but Ohio State was up by 5 at the half. I.U. was without point guard depth due to injuries to Trey Galloway, Khristian Lander, and Rob Phinisee injuries. Additionally, Xavier Johnson got into foul trouble, but Tamar Bates hit a triple with 5:09 remaining to make it 59-55. This was after the Buckeyes had gone up by 11 at the 13:32 mark. The Hoosiers went on a 20-5 run and looked like they might grab victory from the jaws of defeat. They passed the magical sixty level on a Race Thompson jumper with only 3:29 remaining, in command at 61-57. The lead stayed at four as just under a minute remained, but missed opportunities and free throws allowed E.J. Liddell to tie it at 63 on a dunk with :06 left. Trayce Jackson Davis had all but disappeared and the game was in the balance of poor outside shooting, or no shot at all as was the case when the game went to overtime.
In OT it was all Ohio State, as the Hoosiers only managed 6-points, while the Buckeyes sealed victory with 8 free throws at 80-69. If a game goes to overtime, the “Rule of 60” no longer applies, and it certainly didn’t get us a win in this one. Now, three straight victories over Maryland, Minnesota, and Rutgers are imperative. With five consecutive losses, it was DO or DONE, as far as NCAA hopes are concerned. Otherwise, it’s the NIT.
Maryland was the end of the losing streak, but it didn’t come easy. Once again, Lander, Galloway and Phinisee were out of action and it was all up to Xavier Johnson to lead the team from the point. The Hoosiers jumped out to a commanding 10-point bulge with 4:49 on the first half clock, but nearly squandered it by halftime. This inconsistent pattern continues to be a frustrating standard practice. “X” only managed four points before foul trouble put him on the bench. Fortunately, he got 20 more in the second half, including the magical sixtieth on a free throw with 6:53 to go and an 8-point lead. With good Hoosier defense, the Terrapins finally got to 60 with less than a minute remaining and lost 74-64. Next up are the struggling Golden Gophers.
Here is the wrap-up poem for our adventure to Key West – most of the details are found in the previous four posts (See #1956, #1957, #1958, and #1959):
Key West
High speed ferry,
Key West and back.
Marriott Beachside,
Bags to pack.
We’d had a better,
View of the sea.
If it weren’t for,
My missing ID.
Then we encountered,
A disagreeable zinger.
And my tongue got caught,
In the washer’s wringer.
Alonzo’s dinner,
Conch fritters.
Everywhere around,
Those Rooster critters.
One eventually,
Went after you.
Jumped on your back,
Cock A Doodle Doo.
Six-toed cats,
A manatee!
So much to see,
On the Key.
Southernmost Point,
Scarlet and Rhett.
Spanish Treasure.
Mallory Square Sunset.
Floating Tiki huts,
Boardwalk Moonlight.
Truman retreat,
Where’s the cockfight?
River taxis,
Shuttle stops.
Conch Express,
Flip flops.
Blue Heaven,
Oysters raw.
Shrimp Fettuccini,
La-Te-Da!
Toes in the sand,
Key Lime Pie.
Papa Hemingway,
What a Guy!
Margaritaville,
Duval Street.
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream,
For a late night treat.
Sloppy Joe’s,
More French fries.
Fancy yachts,
Seagull cries.
We’ll go back,
For what we missed.
And as for the argument,
We made up and kissed.
copyright 2022 johnstonwrites.com
In a blink, it’s 1959 and I’m eight years old. President Eisenhower and Nikita Khrushchev sat at a state dinner with their wives that year – could there be world peace? No – Russia is in the news still today, declaring war on the Ukraine. America is growing with the addition of both Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959. Plus, NASA announced the “Mercury Seven,” as the space race between the two rival countries begins to take form. We’re supposed to visit both Alaska and Russia later this year on a Viking Cruise from Vancouver to Tokyo. Will war somehow jeopardize this trip, as Covid and fires have claimed others?
I signed up for the Wellen Park St. Patrick’s Day 5k, another neighborhood race to further support our community. Tonight is Hippie Fest, a fundraiser for Relay for Life, an additional way to interact with my new neighbors. My wife’s youngest daughter and husband arrives tomorrow evening. We pick them up at the Tampa Airport after I finish my stint babysitting for my granddaughter. On Sunday, I’m headed to St. Petersburg for the Indy Car Grand Prix. It will then be a busy week of family dinners and entertaining guests.
Tonight is also another make or break game for the Indiana Hoosiers. They face Maryland hoping to break a five-game losing streak. Because of Hippie Fest, I won’t be forced to watch it but will keep an eye on the score. Maryland was the last team that they beat, so there’s little to gain and much to lose.
I’m back in the saddle – my home office chair – after 3 days in Key West. It was a nice break from the routine, but I’m always glad to be back in my own bed, running the familiar route, and writing at my desk. We spent yesterday wandering the Key West side streets and waiting patiently for breakfast at Blue Heaven. The town is all about Ernest Hemmingway and the places he frequented. There is the annual Papa look-alike contest every year at Sloppy Joe’s where he spent much of his leisure time, a whiskey named after his boat, Pilar, his polydactyly cats, and Blue Heaven where he refereed boxing matches.
We never got to Better Than Sex after too much rich food, key lime pie, and alcohol. We enjoyed Twos-day 2/22/22 and smiled at men in tutus celebrating tutu Tuesday. It was every bit as weird as Austin and Portland on any given day of the week. The sunsets were beautiful especially when you sat on a floating tiki hut. Music filled the air, in the vicinity of Jimmy Buffet’s recording studio where he once sang about Caroline Street and Margaritaville. It was also National Margarita Day, adding to the festivities on Duval Street, where his original restaurant sits. In three short days, we saw a manatee, lots of plastic sharks, parrots, pirates, six-toed cats, tarpons feeding, roosters, chickens, seagulls, flamingos, pelicans, dogs, jugglers, acrobats, and street musicians. My wife was attacked by a hungry gypsy chicken that jumped on her back out of nowhere.
I had my last margarita at the Boat House on the marina boardwalk just before our ferry back to Ft. Myers departed. The terminal was near Alonzo’s where we had dinner our first night. Most of the fellow passengers were still in full party mode on the way back, as we caught our last sunset from the deck. Once it was dark, I watched bits and pieces of the movie Ford vs. Ferrari, hoping for a nap that never happened. The hour-and-a-half drive into Venice got us home before midnight and back in the saddle again.
No problem getting in the door this morning (See Post #1956). Another short one-mile run, with plans again to do a lot of walking. We covered a great deal of ground yesterday, starting with a boat ride from behind our hotel to the Conch Train terminal. We then toured the Hemingway house and saw the six-toed cats, followed by lunch at La Te Da. After eating, we walked to the Southernmost point, took pictures of the giant buoy, went through the Butterfly Conservatory (Rhett & Scarlett their famous pink flamingos), and shared some key lime pie at the original bakery.
A second bumpy stint on the Conch Train took us to the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum and eventually to party central, two hundred packed Duval Street bars crammed together in several blocks. We chose Sloppy Joe’s for drinks and music. It was my wife’s favorite on her college trip to Key West, before making our way to the popular sunset party at Mallory Park. We finished the day walking to Ocean Grill & Bar for fettuccini, and to the Marriott Shuttle stop that brought us back full-circle to the hotel.
I ended the evening on a sour note, turning the TV on just in time to watch the IU basketball collapse against Ohio State. After five straight losses, it’s sadly become a familiar story. The women’s team had a similar fate down the stretch, while baseball lost their first three games of the season to Clemson. Consequently, I’ve seen no one touting Hoosier (Loser) gear down here in Key West.
We catch the ferry back to Ft. Myers tonight. We’ll check-out of the Marriott in an hour or so and take a boat to the terminal to drop our luggage. I would like to go to Blue Heaven to eat, but we’ll see where the day leaves us and what the boss has in mind. I’m just along for the ride!
I’m on the second day of my blogcation – down in Key West. I would call it a vacation, but those no longer exist in retirement. Instead, it’s a vacation from sitting at my writing desk every morning and instead utilizing my phone to make notes. As far as such daily routines, you can be assured that one thing never changes, except the view and the distance, when it comes to “The Streak.” This morning’s run took me along the waterfront, but there was a stiff breeze coming back. I had decided to do just the minimum mile in anticipation of a lot of walking this afternoon. We will cover all the Key West hot spots as discussed in yesterday’s yet to be published report. (See Post #1955). On Wednesday when we get home, I’ll file all four accounts of our journey.
I had one of those lost moments upon returning to our Marriott hotel an hour ago. All the buildings suddenly looked the same and I couldn’t get my room key card to work. I tried calling my wife, but she didn’t pick-up, so I then logically retraced my steps. I ended up in front of the same door and once again it failed to open. The electronic key had worked on the security gate and even the elevator but not on the outside door that granted access to two separate rooms, one of which should have been ours. I went to a similar door down the hall and at least got a flashing red light. Trying again, there was no red or green indication from our supposed entrance. As it turned out, the outside door was slightly ajar but stuck, so when I pushed harder it opened. Our door just inside thankfully worked fine.
For a moment there, I wasn’t sure what to do. I had no ID – just my phone – so I couldn’t easily go to the front desk for a replacement. At one point, I just sat down to gather my thoughts. I had already jogged and climbed up and down three flights of stairs several times trying to get oriented. When I finally used the familiar elevator route, I knew I was in the right place – not the Twilight Zone.
Up at 3:30 a.m. before the alarm went off, I was still a bit tipsy from last night’s wine pairing dinner. It was dark and lonely on the neighborhood streets during my run. Our pup was at Schnauzerville, so there was no warm-up walk, just the usual sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches to get me going. It was then an hour-and-a-half drive to Ft. Myers Beach to catch the Key West Express. We made one stop for an Egg McMuffin for early morning nourishment.
My wife is asleep in the seat directly across from me. We had arrived early to get a good spot, but I left my wallet it in the parked car, having failed to get it securely in my back pocket. It was a good thing they asked for ID before boarding otherwise I would not have had it for the trip. No credit cards, driver’s license, or cash.
It’s about a 3-hour cruise that should be simple enough, unless you’re Gilligan. It’s about 3 miles from our port to the Marriott Beachside. In the vicinity are the Hemingway Home, Harry Truman’s Little White House, Southernmost Point, the Butterfly Conservatory, and the Mel Fisher Museum, five of our target destinations. I would also like to have breakfast at Blue Heaven and maybe dessert at Better than Sex.
In 1954, Elvis Presley began his music career. Maybe my mom hummed a few of his songs to her growing son. His first hit single was “That’s All Right.” By 1955, “Heartbreak Hotel” would launch a string of hits that included “Hound Dog”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Love Me Tender”, Too Much”, “All Shook Up”, “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Don’t”, “Hard Headed Woman” and “A Big Hunk o’ Love”. I don’t recall Elvis being a big influence in our household. I don’t think we even had a record player. It’s interesting that when Elvis joined the Army in 1958 and was stationed in West Germany, the East German government was concerned that his music might actually lure their youth away from Communism.
The word “Communism” was causing panic with more and more by Americans, intensified when the Communist Party was outlawed in the U.S. back in 1954. The phenomenon known as the “Red Scare,” and it’s advocate, Senator Joe McCarthy, spread fear of Communist espionage, drawing on events like “the trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (1953), the trial of Alger Hiss, the Iron Curtain (1945–1992) around Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union’s first nuclear weapon test in 1949 (RDS-1)—surprised the American public, influencing popular opinion about U.S. National Security, which, in turn, was connected to the fear that the Soviet Union would hydrogen-bomb the United States.” I was just an innocent child when all of this was happening. Neighbors were starting to build bomb shelters.
We did not have a bomb shelter at our home but were stocked-up on supplies just in case. I was probably just graduating from a crib to a bed when all of this was going on. However, American lives were about to be changed in another way by the Germans, as the first electric drip brew coffeemaker was patented and named the Wi-go-mat after its inventor Gottlob Widmann. Fortunately, coffee became much more popular than Communism, but soon there would be other things to worry about.
