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.
A huge gator crossed my path this morning on day #4800 of my consecutive running streak. He was big, fat, and prehistoric looking as he slowly ambled by, headed for the pond across the street while stopping traffic. it was one of the largest that I’ve seen since moving here and I took a wide berth around him through the parking lot. At least it provided a distraction from the misery of putting one foot in front of the other. The weather was warm without much wind. It always seems like I’m running into a stiff breeze – never at my back.
In 1953, Jonas Salk announced his polio vaccine and fortunately it did not become as controversial as Covid is in current times. Mass immunization of children began in 1954 and the results have been miraculous: “Polio was eliminated from the United States in 1979 and from the Western Hemisphere in 1991.” If only skeptical Americans would get behind these shots, Covid could see a similar fate. Unfortunately, states like Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Louisiana, Idaho, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana are under 54% fully vaccinated. Florida is at 65.7%, according to this CDC data tracker. Oregon recorded 68.4%, while the top state is Rhode Island at 80.2%.
I’m hanging a few pictures and still organizing shelves today in my home office. In these times of retirement, the home office is the only office. There are no corporate alligators or clients with sharp teeth, so I can just wave them by when they cross my path. The cameras were out to record this spectacle on four feet that was nearly 14-feet long with a fat belly. He almost looked too obese to be up for a chase – but beware of any gator crossing.
We’ve now officially passed the post number of the year I was born – 1951. From this point on, I will relate both historical and personal perspectives in my daily ramblings as we move towards the Twenty-First century and beyond. Eisenhower was elected President in 1952 over Adlai Stevenson, ending a string of Democratic Party wins dating back to 1932 and the term of President Harry S. Truman. As I came kicking and screaming into the world, America was changing. My adopted parents had settled into a bungalow in Elkhart, Indiana where they were required to provide me my own room. Social services personnel were required to check on my well being. Obviously, I was being raised as a spoiled brat, while my parents were undoubtedly scared that they agency might take me back. Knowing the kind of people they were, there was no need to be paranoid, while I was the beneficiary of this coddling.
I’m starting to get things positioned in my new office cabinets. Lots of stuff was stored in the closets and our garage that now have a home on these shelves. It has accent lights that change color and glass storage enclosures at the top, similar to what I had back in our Portland home. I have notebooks full of baseball cards, sports memorabilia, binders filled with poems, personal documents, pictures, and documents to situate. Some of these can be hidden behind cabinet doors. All my autographed books can now be properly displayed, along with signed baseball, footballs, and basketballs. The racing helmet, cash register, and ukulele will also soon have prominent places of honor. Plus, my wife’s piano music, photos, Broadway playbills, and other keepsakes will finally have a suitable home. It’s time to get organized!
Wisconsin has always been a tough match-up, even at Assembly Hall, and so far this season five of the previous seven Hoosier conference victories had been due to holding their opposition to 60-points or less. Sixty usually rules, but rules are made to be broken and it finally happened to this Mike Woodson coached team. The Cream and Crimson got to sixty first at the 6:13 mark, but it took almost eight minutes to get there after building a lead of seven points, 50-43. This ten-point span from 50 to 60 often determines the outcome of the game and usually a struggle for fans like me to watch. It’s what I call “ugly time” when the offense struggles and the defense sputters. This game was no exception, as the #15 Badgers crawled back to tie the game at 56 on more Brad Davidson free throws.
Even though the Hoosiers then responded with the four points they needed to hit the magic goal of 60, Wisconsin had packed the middle, forcing IU to make outside shots. I was not comfortable despite a 65-61 lead on a Parker Stewart trey. It seemed like the Badgers had the momentum, as Johnny Davis took total control of the game, defying the “Rule of 60.” The IU lead was gone at the one-minute mark after he hit two jumpers and was fouled, making four free throws down the stretch. He accounted for the final thirteen-points of the 74-69 outcome. Wisconsin prevailed for the 23th time in the last 26 games, despite 30-points, 8-rebounds, and 6-assists from Trayce Jackson Davis. It means four straight BIG losses for the Hoosiers and sadly familiar shaky prospects of making the NCAA Tournament. Rules are made to be broken and Johnny Davis broke our backs.
We had a nice Valentine’s dinner at Rosebuds last night, along with the company of my brother-in-law and wife’s sister. It was not as interesting as our visit to Snook Haven in the afternoon while the wives napped in the sunshine. I was surprised at how busy they were on a chilly Monday. Groups dined at picnic tables while listening to Steve Arvey sing and play guitar. There were no boat tours on the Myakka River happening or motorcycle activity that surely a bar of this nature attracts off the nearby highway. Yet, it was a good people watching crowd – some danced or sang along. Spanish moss hung from the trees, reminding me of a Bayou setting.
Fifty years ago today I was in New Orleans for the start of Mardi Gras. This year the date is February 16th – tomorrow. I’ve long lost track of the college roommate that accompanied me on the drive from the Bloomington campus. He was from Boonville, Indiana and a fast talker. I hooked up with a woman that would become my first wife and the mother of my son. We don’t communicate any more during my new marriage of soon to be 21 years. However, my son lives nearby and this morning I’m babysitting for my granddaughter for a few hours.
Instead of New Orleans, we’re headed to another party city this weekend – Key West. A high speed ferry runs from Ft. Myers to our Marriott resort. We’re looking forward to seeing the nightlife, Hemmingway home, Butterfly Conservatory, and Hoosier-born Mel Fisher Museum that houses some of the treasures found in the 1622 wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
My home office is under construction, so I’m writing this on my phone at my son’s home. New cabinets and shelves are being installed around my sole office window, and I’m glad to be away from the dust and noise. Once my duties are done here, I will stop on my way back home for a carwash, Diet Coke, and a haircut. It will be nice to once again have the house to ourselves, despite enjoying the company.
The 2021-22 season started with a lot of hope centered around a new coach, Mike Woodson, along with expectations of a top tier finish in the conference and a NCAA tournament bid. The campaign started when Hoosiers old and new combined for a 79-66 victory over Serbia’s BC Mega in the first Bahamas exhibition game held in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis Paradise Island
The next day, double-doubles from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson along with a team-high 13 points from Xavier Johnson paced the Hoosiers to a 64-53 victory in the finale. The Hoosiers were off to a good start, using some of that Bobby Knight defensive magic of years gone by.
The much anticipated regular season began in Bloomington on November 9th as a disturbing pattern began to develop against Eastern Michigan. In that critical phase between the fifty-point mark and magical sixty, the offense got stuck on 56 with 7:21 to go and a 14-point bulge, again on 58 with 5:40 remaining, and finally on 59, deteriorating to a only a single point before IU finally got over the 60 hump at the 2:14 mark on a Race Thompson layup to eventually seal the 68-62 final margin.
The defense remained stingy in the next match-up against Northern Illinois, allowing only 49 points. However, against a more formidable St. John’s they quickly got to 56 at 11:05 but soon stalled, taking until 7:35 to get over that 60-hurdle, and winning by only 2-points 76-74.
I-U-D continued to prevail in the next two games as Louisiana scored only 44 and Jackson State 35. Then the offense finally came alive against Marshall at home, stretching the lead to 61-48 with the clock at 14:36 and pulling away for a convincing 90-79 victory. The “Rule of 60” under Woodson got its first real test at Syracuse in a 2-OT 112-110 loss. At 10:38 in regulation, the Orange got to 60 first on a Symir Torrence jumper to take a two-point edge. The teams nearly got to 60 for a second time in this thriller.
In the first BIG conference battle, the Hoosiers held Nebraska to 55 for an opening triumph by 13, but only managed 59 against Wisconsin. The Hoosiers were hoping to put an end to the Madison misery and built the first half lead to an impressive 22. They even held a 51-41 lead with 12:05 remaining but let the Badgers claim 60 first at 1:18 on their way to another win at 64-59. Missing 7 of 13 free throws was a big contributing factor, as Wisconsin extended a home winning streak over the Hoosiers that stretched back to the previous century.
Winning got back on track as I.U. next held Merrimack to 49, Notre Dame to 56, and Northern Kentucky to 61, as the Hoosiers surpassed 60 with 11:16 yet to go in this 18-point victory to make it three-straight wins. However, they failed to get to the magic mark against Penn State in a 61-58 loss and only got to 51 against Ohio State’s 67 for two-straight conference losses and the first fail at Assembly Hall. They responded against Minnesota with some 73-60 magic.
Victory was looking promising at Iowa since the Hoosiers had the lead 57-55 at 10:49, but the Hawkeyes scored the next 6, passed 60 first, and never looked back while dominating down the stretch 83-74. The first conference road victory then happened at Nebraska 61-55, as our road warriors surpassed 60 at 10:05, and finished 78-71.
The most important win by far was the 68-65 upset of #4 ranked Purdue, snapping a 9-game losing streak against the Boilers. The “Rule of 60” bent but did not break as the Hoosiers took 61-58 leads at 7:34 and 63-60 at 4:31. Purdue threatened with a 65-63 edge at 1:11, but a Rob Phinisee 3-pointer at :18 proved to be the winner.
Just when we thought momentum was finally on our side, Michigan came to town and soundly prevailed 80-62, but the Hoosier defense bounced back with stellar performances against Penn State, giving up only 57 and then just 55 versus Maryland. The tide quickly turned when Illinois held us to 57 in our third home loss, and we only scored 51 at Northwestern with an injured Phinisee coupled with the Woodson surprise suspension of five additional players.
Tournament hopes began to fade as Michigan State easily topped the Hoosiers to make it three straight February set-backs. In two of those we never even hit 60-points and the Spartans finally allowed 61 at the :03 second mark, while reaching 60 themselves with 7:37 yet to play and holding a comfortable 9-point lead.
So far this season, five of the seven IU conference victories have been due to holding their opposition to 60-points or less. Wisconsin is next at Assembly Hall- will the “Rule of 60” apply in victory or will the Badgers get there first as they did in Madison? Sixty Rules!
The Soviet Union exploded its own atomic bomb in 1949 and this shocked the U.S. because now both nations could destroy each other. The expectation that this weapon technology would remain our exclusive property was inconceivable. It was also the modern beginnings of a rivalry between the two world superpowers that would escalate into the Cuban Missile Crisis a dozen years later. The race to the moon would come next, as the early years of my life made me both hate and fear the Russians.
I’m glad the number of these posts are moving towards the years I can begin to remember. As I look back upon the events that began to have an immediate impact on my life, it’s certainly more impactful than those that occurred prior to my birth in 1951. And now, seventy years later, I begin to reflect back on my childhood, education, career, and retirement.
Today, I’m appreciating the “Me Time” that I’ve grown accustomed to enjoying. We’ve had house guests these past few days and while I enjoy the company, it’s been a distraction from the daily routine. We’ve had to find things to keep them busy while also entertaining their friends. In the process, they’ve had to live in unfamiliar surroundings and work around our existing appointments. Bottom line is it can be stressful and I miss my time alone. This morning on my run, I felt the exhilarating freedom of just me and the road, with no outside interference. Pure Me Time!
