Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 77 of 269)
USC and Baylor, the only undefeated teams of the early 2021-22 basketball season, both fell this week. This preserves the multi-decade streak of the 1975-76 Indiana University Hoosiers, the last college basketball team to finish the regular season and tournament unblemished at 32-0. It’s now been 46 years since this unbeatable perfection has been tied. “Five teams have finished the regular season undefeated since 1976 — with the most recent being Wichita State in 2014, Kentucky in 2015 and Gonzaga in 2021. Two of those teams — 1991 UNLV and 2015 Kentucky lost in the Final Four.” UCLA is the only other university to have achieved this level of NCAA greatness – 1967 (30-0), 1972 (30-0) and 1973 (30-0). The record lives on, at least another year.
After two straight BIG home victories, the Hoosiers seem to be back in winning form this season and competitive in the conference at 2-2. After their recent performances, many expect them to finish in the Top 5, while the top half would get them in the Big Dance for the first time since 2016. They still have to prove they can win on the road to earn an evasive NCAA tourney bid (their 40th in history), and they have to break Purdue’s recent domination that now stands at an embarrassing 9-straight dating back to 2016. That sole Hoosier victory was in Bloomington, stopping another 3-game Boiler winning streak. It’s hardly the perfection that I once experienced watching them lose only one game in two full years just after I graduated.
Coach Mike Woodson, not to be confused with fellow Hoosier (Martinsville and Purdue) John Wooden, has produced a remarkable start in restoring the “Glory of Old IU.” Woodson has legendary status as a player, but far from achieving that level as a coach, and probably never to be associated in the same sentence with names like Knight and Wooden. Right now, all we can say is that he’s a few letters from being Wooden. Also, as we all know, it was Coach Wooden that directed those great UCLA undefeated teams.
Wikipedia sources tell me that “1916 witnessed two of the most decisive battles of World War One – at Verdun and the Somme. 1916 is seen as the year when the armies of Britain, France and Germany were bled to death. January 1st: Riots in Austria-Hungary forced down the price of grain and flour as set by the government.”
From a coin collecting standpoint, “the 1916-D Mercury dime actually had lower mintage than the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent by a large margin (See Post #1909). It’s now worth anywhere from $1000 to $2,600. The reasons for the low 1916-D mintage are unknown. While there was interest and some saving, it was not the sort of hoarding which would be seen in later years with the 1931-S Lincoln cent or 1950-D Jefferson nickel.”
Later this morning, I’m headed to my second acupuncture session, hoping to further reduce some of the inflammation in my hip muscles. The last few days I’ve felt pretty good with stiffness at a minimum, but running continues to be difficult. There is little pain but my muscles feel depleted and my pace even more sluggish than usual. I ordered a Vitamin D supplement after reading that this might be part of the issue. Today was #4,763, as I continue to approach the 5,000 mark that should happen on September 6th. It will be the week after my 71st birthday and the illusive Santana/Earth, Wind, & Fire concert. I did get my 70+ Ski Club patch in the mail today, but the Florida weather isn’t exactly conducive for snow skiing. All in all, it’s just another badge of old age.
“1914 saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrillo Princip. It also saw the first airline to provide scheduled regular commercial passenger services with heavier-than-air aircraft, with the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line.”
As Wikipedia went on to point out: “The St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line (SPT Airboat Line) was the first scheduled airline using a fixed wing aircraft. The airline provided service between St. Petersburg, Florida and neighboring Tampa across Tampa Bay a distance of about 23 miles. It was in service from January to May 1914.”
The route that this flight covered is now drivable over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the modern link between Tampa and St. Petersburg. We drove it last weekend to get to Comic Com. It goes right past Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays beat the White Sox last season. “On May 9, 1980, Harbor Pilot John Lerro was guiding the ship MV Summit Venture under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge when storm winds pushed the vessel into the southern span. A chunk of the span came down. Vehicles fell into the water- a truck, five cars and a Greyhound bus. Thirty-five people died,“ once again according to Wikipedia. I can’t help think about it every time I cross.
As the war raged on in 1915, “the second year of the First World War, included the first German Zeppelin raid on England, the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Loos. The first German Zeppelin raid on the east coast of England; Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn are both bombed.”
Speaking of a different kind of war, I watched the Paramount Plus adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand, reminiscent of our current battle with Covid. King happens to live in this part of Florida, at least part of the time and is just as vulnerable as the rest of us. Fortunately, Coronavirus isn’t as deadly as Captain Trips, the fictional illness that he created.
We had lunch at Brown’s Food Factory, another mobile restaurant that visits our resort community on occasion. Today, it was a spicy breaded tenderloin that pleasantly didn’t include a long wait in line. We’re still looking for something to match the Indiana tenderloins that we enjoyed at places like the State Fair, Murphy’s Steakhouse, and The Mug & Bun. The closest we’ve found so far is nearby Darrell’s Restaurant.
Georgia is the new NCAA National Champion in football, a status that had eluded them since 1960, sixty-two-years ago. They gained revenge over an Alabama team that had beaten them for the SEC crown a month or so ago. Maybe 2022 will also be the year of the White Sox, as we once again cross the Skyline Bridge to watch them play?
Back in the late 1990s, when I first bought Limoges porcelain boxes, they were primarily found at exclusive gift shops, typically locked in glass cabinets. Most of these trinkets were priced around $300, but I was drawn to the hidden hinged-compartment that allowed me to include a ring, gem, or poem and make the offering even more special. My marriage proposal was even delivered inside of one. (See Post #146). I quickly learned the the French words “Peint Main” meant hand painted, so each box is a unique piece of art. They became my gift of choice and over the past twenty years I’ve purchased hundreds. Each contains a customized poem.
My wife and I have traveled to the city of Limoges and often search for them in stores or on-line. The internet has certainly made them easier to find since outlets like Macys, Bloomingdales, and Gumps no longer stock them. The prices have also become more affordable, especially on Ebay. On the internet, my go-to source for many years has been Groundstrike Collectables, based in Austin. I once had lunch with the owner, Sam, whose ex-wife is a competitor in the business. Then there is Phyllis, who owns Gaslight Collectables in San Francisco that we visit on occasion. Anymore, it’s challenging to find unique Limoges Boxes that we don’t already own or have seen many times before without an interest in buying.
Disney once had licensed their characters to Artoria, one of the French ceramic manufacturers, but that relationship has since discontinued. They still tend to be in high demand and the most valuable in our collection. Some command price tags in the thousands. Nearly twenty years ago while shopping at Disney World we foolishly passed on buying a couple of pieces while browsing and found them gone when we returned, never to be seen again. We did however purchase Djali, Esmerelda’s pet goat in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. To this day we’re convinced that it was mismarked at only $85 (should have been at least $285). We snatched it up and consider that price to be THE bargain standard for any currently available hinged-box on the market.
Our collection features travel souvenirs, holiday themed pieces, garden knick-knacks, and cartoon characters – to include a few broad categories. My wife spotted one last week at an local antique show and paid the Djali price. Then, we found another on Ebay for half a Djali. Both finds have been added to the collection, accompanied by this hidden poem:
Limoges for Less
Back in the day,
Djali was THE bargain.
A cheap Disney box,
Authentic “Peint Main.”
Now easier to find,
With the internet.
Discount French porcelain,
Without going in debt.
Two such “deals,”
Were found this week.
Without an occasion,
Or reason to seek.
At an antique show,
Bottled scents.
For eighty-five bucks,
The purchase made sense.
A Mixer on-line,
Was then your desire.
For a mere forty-five,
We became buyers.
We got these djollies,
At a third of the price.
They weren’t free,
But should suffice.
Copyright 2022 johnstonwrites.com
Ten straight days without alcohol is an impressive start to the New Year, although I can’t say the same about sugary sweets. Any consumption restraint on my part is a sobering thought. I am expecting a Flaviar whiskey delivery today, but it will stay in the box for at least a few more weeks until this streak is broken. My running streak now stands at 4,761 days and counting.
As far as the year 1913: “February 1 – New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, having been rebuilt, reopens as the world’s largest train station. February 3 – The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect income taxes. February 4 – Rosa Parks is born.”
Today is “Matinee Monday” with plans to see the The King’s Man. It will remind me of a tough day in my marriage many years ago when I was banned from the house. I spent two nights sleeping in the Starbuck’s parking lot near our neighborhood, not knowing where to go, and two more in the car in the underground lot of my office building, thinking my sentence would surely soon end. I showered at the office, after completing my run each morning, and went to my desk like nothing was different from any other day even though I was embarrassed. I retreated to the movie theatre on Saturday for a nap and watched three movies in a row, including the first King’s Man: The Secret Service and Fifty Shades of Grey. I must have slept through the third because I can’t remember what it was. After that, I went to a downtown Marriott hotel to complete my full week of homelessness. Thankfully, there have been no other marital issues since that time nearly 7 years ago.
My wife and I finished episode four of 1883 last night and another couple Peaky Blinders’ shows before realizing there was no water. It turned out to be a city issue that affected several neighborhoods and was restored an hour later. IU won its second straight BIG match-up against Minnesota yesterday, in the midst of the NFL final games that determined the Playoff picture. The Colts were eliminated and the Bears lost again, but this did not detract from the euphoria of watching winning basketball. Now, if the Hoosiers could just pick up a road victory, my overall perspective on life would be glowing. My mood tends to still be strangely dictated by what happens on the basketball court – so I’m feeling good today.
