Author: mikeljohnston1 (Page 79 of 269)
I’m going to take a couple days off from writing as we head for Orlando. Of course, the running will continue but the swimming will depend on the resort pool where we’re staying and the time restraints we’ll have getting back and forth to Disney World. My wife’s daughter and her husband are on their way from Portland, but now flying into Orlando rather than Tampa. It was the first of many challenges we’ll certainly face getting through the Christmas holiday. We’ll check in to our suite tonight, get our park tickets, and put together a plan for the next two days. Before we get there, we’ll pick up the rental car, drop Tally off at Schnauzerville, and make the drive to get them at the airport. They actually get in an hour sooner if all goes smoothly.
As we look back on the year 1897, Thomas Edison was back in the spotlight, having been granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor of the movie projector. We were at the movie theater yesterday for the new Spiderman: No way Home, then came home to open presents. I tried out my new Bose system – disguised as hearing aids. They will take some getting used to!
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope that I hear better in 2022. Surprisingly, they are in the process of replacing our lanai screen that ripped in the high winds the other morning. It was my understanding, even yesterday, that it was going to take months to replace. It looks like the holiday spirit is with me, saving me lots of money and frustration. Ho…Ho…Holiday Cheer!
The opening ceremonies of the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first modern Olympic Games, were held on April 6th in Athens, Greece. The 2022 Winter Games this February are already diluted by the decision of the NHL not to participate. The USA hockey roster will be filled with amateurs and outside leagues. Watching the games, was always a bucket list goal that’s getting more and more likely to never happen. Plus, it could be years before we feel comfortable even traveling through China. The next U.S. site is Los Angeles in 2027, perhaps my last chance to check this off my list, although it’s no longer a burning desire. As a consolation prize, I was at least fortunate to see the Track and Field trials in Eugene last year,
Crowds, lines, and traffic congestion are no longer tolerable. Even concerts and ball games are becoming a hassle. Cancellations, rescheduling, and security, plus safety and health protocols are taking the fun out of events and travel. So many of our plans have been changed over the last two years, but we keep trying to schedule ahead. This year we’ve laid out plans for the Keys, Singer Island, Indianapolis, the Grand Hotel, Cleveland, Canton, Asheville, Hilton Head, Portland, Alaska, Russia, Japan, and Kauai. I also plan to go to the St. Pete Grand Prix, Spring Training games, and the Oregon Coast -another year of Atlantic-to-Pacific adventures, plus the ocean cruise. There is also more of Florida to see.
When you start an adventure, there’s never a guarantee that you’ll get to all the destinations. One of our biggest disappointments was the rough waters that prevented us from getting into Olympia, Greece to see the ruins of the original Olympics site. Weather, Fires, and Covid have disrupted many of our travels. In a sense, we’ve been lucky to go anywhere, but Bali, Kaui, Tahoe, Egypt, Australia, Germany, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Finland, and Norway have been some of the casualties. There may not be time or money to replace these losses, but we’ll give it an Olympic effort.
Tornado force winds this morning stopped me in my tracks during the daily run, but that was the least of my concerns. The screens in our lanai ripped and came unattached from the frames, not to mention some broken pots and knick-knacks. This all happened while I was in the pool, causing me to cut my swim short. We’ll now have the hassle of dealing with the warranty people, supplier, and insurance company. It’s a shame that it happened when we’re expecting holiday company. I would also hate to experience hurricane gusts on this apparently fragile structure.
We’ll have a big mess to contend with once we get back from Disney World this weekend. The pool will fill with leaves and other debris. In reality, it’s so insignificant compared to the lives lost and damages throughout the Midwest a few weeks ago. It’s a relatively minor set-back for us in trying to get our new Florida home in order. Our neighbors home is in the middle of lanai construction, so perhaps they escaped similar damage, although our main screen is “Clearview” that extends across the entire back of the pool with no obstructions. The lack of support around this large surface undoubtedly contributed to the issue. This was not a worry back in 1895.
In May of 1895, “the first motor race in Italy is held. It runs on a course from Turin to Asti and back, a total of 93 km (58 mi). Five entrants start the event; only three complete it. It is won by Simone Federman in a four-seat Daimler Omnibus, at an average speed of 15.5 km/h (9.6 mph).” The first Indianapolis 500 was 16 years later in 1911 won by Ray Harroun. My neighbor was able to score some tickets to the February Indy Car Grand Prix through the streets of St. Petersburg, so racing continues to follow me where ever we go. In Austin, it was their inaugural Formula One event, while in Portland the Grand Prix returned to the International Raceway after missing more than ten years.
So what’s next in the way of retirement hassles for us here in the Sunshine State? “The Answer My Friend is Blowing in the Wind.”
“How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly
Before they’re forever banned?”
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Sadly, I have not written a poem in awhile, one of my favorite things to do. One is tucked inside every Limoges box gift I give my wife. This means I haven’t been very attentive to her growing collection that has been part of our relationship since the beginning. In going back through my notes, it’s been since late October that I did my last rhyme for a sports post, after our trip to Pittsburgh. A Halloween Limoges box was lost in the mail, so I stepped up for Christmas with a pricy Disney collectable of Minnie Mouse shopping.
I felt it appropriate for our upcoming trip to Disney World with my wife’s daughter, who we haven’t seen since April and our move here to Florida. Her husband has never been to an amusement park, let alone the Disney experience. My wife is getting me, at my request, hearing aids – so ears for everyone this Christmas!
Ears for Everyone
A Disney World,
Family Reunion.
Christmas cheer,
And Florida sun.
Megan & Mitch,
Will “Be our Guests.”
Star Wars rides,
Our ultimate quest.
The Animal Kingdom,
Is our first stop.
Avatar Flight,
Then Everest’s top.
Epcot fireworks,
After Il Mulino.
Too bad we missed,
Tahoe and Reno.
Fires and Covid,
Have thwarted travel.
Let’s hope this trip,
Doesn’t come unraveled.
Disney Limoges,
Seemed appropriate.
Minnie Mouse ears,
The perfect fit.
On Christmas Day,
The Falcon awaits.
Once we conquer,
The lines and gates.
Haunted Mansion,
Tower of Terror.
It’s A Small World,
If you dare!
The Castle will explode,
When our days are done.
Let’s hope any hassles,
Are outweighed by fun.
Then the holiday finale,
On our new lanai.
Unwrapping gifts,
With my Grand Guys.
No dishes at Debsie’s
Just yours and mine.
We may even break out,
The Homer wine.
Only Miranda and Ben,
Are missing this feast.
Eventually, they’ll get here,
But Kauai, at least.
My 23rd Christmas,
Of Loving beautiful you.
And I’m excited,
I’m getting ears, too!
Copyright 2021 johnstonwrites.com
I run every day now under the guidance of the Nike Run Club app. I’ve used it on-and-off for several years to measure distance and time. A female voice gives me that information in mile increments through my ear buds, so I never need to look at the screen while running. In the past, I’ve also utilized a Nike watch, but in retirement have found little use for a wrist timepiece since my phone is always with me. Plus, it’s one less electronic piece to break down and replace. However, I still need to rely on the runeveryday.com website to keep track of my current 4,739 day streak, since the app tends to shut-down or reset unexpectedly. As a result, I’ve lost all my data from this year and in a sense have started over collecting awards for my mileage. It currently only shows 52.4 miles with 18 runs and a 3-week streak, having started over in early December when it rudely logged me out of the app.
I used to get annoyed with these system flaws and called Nike to have them retrieve my lost numbers. Anymore, there is little interest. I run the same distance every day at the same fastest slowest pace, so I can figure it out if need be. I would just assume forget about my lack of speed. I did earn a Gold Badge today for a 50-mile month, something I accomplish every month and a trophy for a “Just Do It Sunday 5k,” as is the case nearly every day. I then scoff at their daily recorded pep-talk messages about “owning the road.” With the exception of their verbal updates at one-mile, the half-way point, three-miles, and Congratulatory finish, music blasts in my ears. It serves the purpose of keeping me company.
Today was post number 1893. When I look at what happened that year in history, times were quite eventful according to Wikipedia. “The 1893 World’s Fair, also known as the World’s Columbian Exposition, opens to the public in Chicago, Illinois. The first U.S. commemorative postage stamps and Coins are issued for the Exposition. May 5 – Panic of 1893: A crash on the New York Stock Exchange starts a depression.” I did not report on 1892 as part of yesterday’s post because little of significance happened except the Presidential election of Grover Cleveland. It all made me think of the book “The Devil in White City” by Erik Larsen. “Murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America,” all part of the “Gay Nineties.” Nike (Blue Ribbon Sports) didn’t start until 1964 and the “Just Do It” slogan in 1991.
“Just Do It” was part of Nike’s first dedicated women’s campaign and linked women playing sports with a new kind of female empowerment. Oddly, in Doug Pray’s 2009 documentary about advertising, Art & Copy, he confesses that the idea for the line was sparked by the last words of convicted serial killer Gary Gilmore, who said “Let’s do it!” to the firing squad before his execution. My personal motto of “Let’s Get This Over With,” is right in line with this philosophy. Just Do It…Dammit!
Yesterday’s post about the 1891 Great Train Robbery was admittedly short, stealing some material from Wikipedia. I had babysitting duties for my 3-year old granddaughter, so my routine was out of whack. I also got my hair cut for any potential Christmas photos. We then decided to transform Friday into Matinee Monday, after several weeks where everything has been out of sorts (See Post #1883). Sharks vs. Jets – West Side Story – was our movie choice. Tonight is the “Meet The Neighbors” Secret Santa Exchange, the sixth neighborhood get together we’ve had since moving to Florida last April. My wife has taken charge of these events, while I print the invitations. Admittedly, it’s been a great way to acquaint ourselves with those around us, especially for me, since I don’t do the social scene of the dog park, bridge, book club, tap classes, and water aerobics that fill my wife’s busy days.
After my run and swim every day, I’m more likely to be at my desk on the computer or fighting it out with Tally for a spot on our favorite chair. The TV is usually on some silly show like Curse of Oak Island, Pawn Stars, documentary, or sports talk. Today, I’ll monitor the Venice Vikings high school football championship game and watch the Boilers and Hoosiers play in the final Crossroads Classic against Butler and Notre Dame respectively. My grand daughters also have their dance/tumbling recital this afternoon that we will be attending. Many might find my days to be dull and boring!
We did do Date Night last evening at the newly remodeled Tarpon Point restaurant just down the road from our addition. We sat on their deck overlooking the Myakka River in close proximity to the alligators, while swatting mosquitos. There was a full moon overhead, peaking through the palm trees, to add to the tropical atmosphere. We then came home and watched a few more episodes of the Netflix series Maid, a story about domestic violence that tends to be a bit depressing. I also started the Ken Follett spy novel called Never. Always a dull moment in retirement.
1891 was the year of the great train robbery by the Dalton Gang (Southern Pacific #17). It was a fiasco, and should have been an ominous sign to quit the thievery business. “While Bill kept any passengers from interfering by shooting over their heads, Bob and Grat forced the engineer to show them the location of the cash-carrying express car. When the engineer tried to slip away, one of the brothers shot him in the stomach. Finding the express car on their own, Bob and Grat demanded that the guard inside open the heavy door. The guard refused and began firing down on them from a small spy hole. Thwarted, the brothers finally gave up and rode away.”
“They then returned to Oklahoma, reunited with youngest brother Emmett Dalton, and began robbing in earnest. A year later, the gang botched another robbery, boldly attempting to hit two Coffeyville, Kansas, banks at the same time. Townspeople caught them in the act and killed Bob, Grat, and two of their gang members. Emmett was seriously wounded and served 14 years in prison.” It ultimately serves to prove that crime does not always pay.
As we approach the Twentieth Century, at least through my blog post numbers, I now enter the decade known as the “Gay Nineties.” Gay had a different meaning back then, although the word evoked an overall tinge of promiscuity. It was also known as the “Mauve Decade,” because of the prominence of that color in fashion trends. In the United Kingdom, the label “Naughty Nineties” is favored. Despite these seemingly carefree terms, the period was “marked by an economic crisis, which greatly worsened when the Panic of 1893 set off a widespread economic depression in the United States that lasted until 1896.”
Speaking of gay times, during yesterday’s Borrego Boyz luncheon the ferry trip from Fort Myers to Key West was discussed. We have already purchased discount tickets, as I begin to hear more and more about the lifestyle there. It’s kind of a festive combination of Bourbon Street and P-Town that I’m looking forward to experiencing. The 3-hour cruise down there only adds to the appeal of going. I have great memories of bars in New Orleans and on the Cape, but even those won’t probably rival the rooftop clothing optional bar appropriately called Garden of Eden. One of the guys in the lunch group was going to check it out this weekend. Hopefully, I’ll get the full scoop before we plan our Key West adventure after the holidays.
Leadership luncheons like this are always good for a laugh, as well as useful information. We’re planning to have one once a month, taking advantage of all the Gulf-side lunch spots here in paradise. I miss the weekly Buffalo Wild Wing get-togethers we had in Portland. The guys are coming to visit in March, unless Spring Training is cancelled due to the owner’s strike. Covid, fires, and potentially this strike have ruined many a good time over the past year-and-a-half. I remember in April of last year being in San Francisco and having our scheduled tour of Alcatraz spoiled by the evil virus. Yesterday, my intrigue to see the place was heightened by a History channel documentary on the escape by the Anglin brothers. Proof of their escape has now been recently verified through a photo taken in Brazil long after they were presumed dead. I find the whole story to be fascinating, just like the Garden of Eden.
The Borrego Boyz ride again today, the equivalent of my Portland Leadership luncheons. Several guys from my new Florida neighborhood have been getting together once a month and today is the day. We’ll drive together to a restaurant and solve some of the world, community, and block issues. My wife does a similar thing every morning at the Dog Park while Tally plays with her furry friends. She’s also planning to join her girlfriends for a golf cart tour to judge the Christmas lights. We will also visit the Ringling Museum in Sarasota in a few days to see their Christmas displays as we try to get in the spirit without snow.
I certainly don’t miss the snow but it was usually a childhood reminder that Christmas would be here soon after the first flakes would fall. Having lived in Austin and Portland for the past 13 years with only an occasional dusting of snow, we’re well past wishing for a “White Christmas.” I’d much rather have a warm, sunny Christmas that will be celebrated this year at Disneyworld. My son and his family will join us for gift unwrapping here at the house after we’re done with two days of cavorting with “The Mouse.” We’ve been to Disney many times with them over the past few years, but will wait another year or so before taking the youngest granddaughter. They also have many other family obligations during the holidays.
As a history note, “89ers” is a term that’s “applied specifically to persons who participated in the Land Run of April 22, 1889, into the Unassigned Lands.” It’s also the nickname for several sports franchises, including the former Oklahoma City minor league baseball squad and Maine’s AAA Hockey team. The Indigenous populations were pushed from their homelands to various reservations and designated lands throughout the nation, paving the way for the Land Run, that began first in Oklahoma. It’s another ugly wart on American history connected with genocide and greed.
The 89ers Song Lyrics:
“And we stand here together
Together forever
And I might say hello
Everybody singing woooaooh
Hear the song
About your boy
About the 89ers boy
He does so many things
And we don’t know what it brings
But he always tries so hard”