I start this morning with a couple of memorable happenings from the year 1888, as reported by Wikipedia: “March 11 – The “Great Blizzard of 1888″ begins along the East Coast of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400. … May 1 – Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is established by the United States Congress. May 5 – The International Association of Machinists is founded in Atlanta, Georgia.”
First of all, it’s good to remind myself how lucky we are to be in a warm weather state. Even in Oregon, we would get a little touch of winter, with the necessity to wear crampons while walking the dogs. I grew up in Indiana with blizzard nightmares and dreams of a White Christmas. In Austin, icy winds would often freeze any precipitation on the towering fly-overs, bringing traffic to a halt. With sunny skies and flat ground, Florida traffic is still often at a standstill but it’s not because of ice and snow. We left our snow shovel back in Portland and our snowblower in Illinois many years ago. I now have no mowing, shoveling, or gardening responsibilities in retirement. Killer storms are now limited to hurricanes not “Great Blizzards” and tornados.
The Indians, thought of as “savages” regardless of their tribal association, were relocated to some of the most remote areas possible, including Ft. Belnap, near the Canadian border in Montana. “Out of sight – out of mind” was the thinking, using their original homes for “White Man” commerce and settlement. We were the real savages. It’s an embarrassing part of our American heritage as we continue to erase the “disrespectful” references to Indians, Braves, Tomahawks, etc. from the world of sports. Indian revenge is now limited to casinos, hoping to earn back all their stolen resources and eventually reclaiming their rightful property. I personally feel that the Indian references in competitive sports are a complimentary tribute to their bravery, while maintaining top of mind awareness of their heritage.
The final reference to 1888 was the founding of the International Association of Machinists. I was a member of their racing team back in the mid-1970s. It was a unique arrangement where IAM members were owners, each contributing a dollar of their union dues to the racing operation. My job was to help supplement those funds with team sponsorships through BRG Sports Marketing. Explorer Vans was one of my clients, joining Hardees, Otter Pops, Schaefer Beer, Playboy, and other companies with logos on the race cars driven by Josele Garza, Scott Atchison, Roger Mears, Kevin Cogen, and Pancho Carter. At the Milwaukee race track I even got to be part of the pit crew. Those were indeed memorable times!
In 1887 the Grand Hotel opened in Mackinac, Michigan. It will celebrate its 134th anniversary in July of 2021. We will arrive shortly after the candles are lit, following our drive up from Florida into Indianapolis and into Michigan. It’s Road Trip 2022! Looking back through recent years, 2021 was the second Portland to Venice cross-country drive interrupted by a kidney stone. 2020 was Glacier National Park and the initial southern haul to Venice via Tucson, Marfa, and Austin. 2019’s car adventures were to Vancouver, BC and Walla Walla. Going back to 2018, we drove to Crater Lake and Bend, while in 2017, my first year of retirement most all of our travel was by plane, train, or cruise ship – not automobile.
The Grand Hotel is best known for having the world’s largest porch, some 660 feet (200 m) in length, overlooking a vast Tea Garden and the resort-scale Esther Williams swimming pool. The only other notable porch in my memory is the wrap-around veranda at French Lick Springs that was loaded with rocking chairs. I remember sitting there and thinking about the gangster days when classic, luxury automobiles dropped off guests on the circular driveway. I’m hoping for an equally memorable vision when I relax on the massive Grand Hotel porch that I’ve heard so much about. Often the greatest excitement about traveling somewhere new is the anticipation and research that goes into the visit. We’re still 236 days away!
What to do in the meantime? Well, there’s Disneyworld, daughter, friends, and brother visits; a day trip up to see my sister and her new place in Leesburg; Spring Training, movies, and TV; two weeks in Singer Island; beach-nics, blogs to write, and touristy sights to see. The time will pass by quickly on the new Trivia calendar that we received from our financial/broker advisor. Last year it was “Word of the Day,” that wasn’t quite as well received in comparison to previous travel/nature versions. Every year my 401k gets a little lighter to the point where eventually we won’t be on their mailing list any longer.
The point is well taken that our home is still filled with ancient relics like wall/desk calendars, file cabinets, DVD’s, cassette & VHS tapes, calculators, etc. Even the written word is somewhat antiquated. We watched Yellowstone last night with one last episode remaining, followed by the highly anticipated prequel 1883. I forgot to mention this in blog post #1883. A spin-off of Tiger King called Doc Antle is also now available. should I get desperate. “Matinee Monday” has been replaced with bridge club this afternoon, so I may not have anything better to do. Plus, to add to my sports frustration, the Bears lost again to the Packers and in the process gave up enough points to the wrong players to soundly knock our Fantasy Team out of the playoffs. Maybe I’ll get out of this sports funk by the time we get to the Grand Hotel?
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886, while 20 African Americans were massacred in Carrolton, Mississippi and riots broke out in Seattle over anti-Chinese sentiments. Nothing seems to have changed since the Civil War, extending into the present day. Statues are being torn down – it’s a good thing that Lady Liberty is on an island. Deadly tornados ripped through the Midwest yesterday with little bias over who was affected. I was home most of the day, feeling a bit under the weather, but this morning’s run and the accompanying sweat seems to have flushed the troublesome bug out. I wish it was that easy with racial bias!
We salvaged a couple of pool lounge chairs from a distant neighbor, saving the expense planned for next year. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. We simply now need to buy some new cushions and our outdoor furniture needs will be mostly complete. It’s difficult to get new stuff anyway with shipping backed up for months. This will serve our needs until something better comes along, a practical find for my wife. With a sunny forecast, I intend to watch today’s IU game on the lanai and perhaps take another dip in the pool.
I suffered another heartbreaking loss yesterday, to add to my sports frustration. The Portland Timbers lost the MLS Championship to NYC in a shootout, after a dramatic come from behind tying goal in regulation. IU, Timbers, Bears, White Sox, Cubs, Colts, Pacers, Trailblazers, Ducks, Illini, Beavers, and Longhorns – my long list of losers that I’ve adopted in our many moves from state to state. Little luck in recent years cheering for these favorites. Maybe Next Year?
In the year 1885, American inventor LaMarcus Adna Thompson patents a roller coaster. Life has been one ever since. My son-in-law has never been on one or to an amusement park for that matter. That’s why we’re taking him to Disneyworld for Christmas. It will be worth the price of admission to watch him relive a childhood that apparently he never had. Granted, there are few such parks in the Northwest where he grew up, His thrills have been found on mountaintops – climbing, skiing, and hiking. My amusement park adventures date back to local carnivals in my hometown and a “daring” mini-coaster ride on what I think they called the Mad Mouse? Mostly, it was a merry-go-round, a bunch of carnie games, Tilt-A-Wheel, House of Mirrors maze, and a Haunted House, as I recall. I first went to Disneyworld as a young adult just after it opened 50 years ago.
I started today feeling a bit puny and only ran the minimum mile. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, including my sluggish pace. We went out to dinner last night at Luna, a local restaurant owned in part by Alabama football Hall-of-Famer Marty Lyons, who went on to play for the New York Jets. Afterwards, we sat under the stars on a park bench and listened to a group play a set of one-hit wonders. It was a great “Date Night.” I only had a couple glasses of wine, so I don’t think that it had an influence on my condition this morning. Without much energy, I’m sitting here watching the Netflix series, Outer Banks, thinking that it’s really nothing more than a childhood flashback of The Hardy Boys.
This afternoon the Portland Timbers meet New York for the MLS soccer crown. It will be played on the Portland pitch, a first time advantage for the home team. I still have the scarf from the 2015 Championship, six-years ago, framed in my office. It could happen again today, a bright spot in what has been a tough few years for all my teams, as I vented about in yesterday’s post. (See Post #1884). My Portland friends are getting together for a special “Leadership Luncheon” to enjoy the game, reminiscent of the watch party in the Skype Studio where I saw victory all those years ago. Go Timbers!
I try to start each day with a little history lesson in conjunction with the number of my blog post. In this case, I take you back to the year 1884: “May 17 – Alaska becomes a United States territory. June 13 – LaMarcus Adna Thompson opens “Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway”, one of the earliest roller coasters, at Coney Island, New York City. August 5 – The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty is laid on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor.” I also forgot to mention in yesterday’s ramblings that the Brooklyn Bridge was built in 1883.
I hope to get to Alaska in 2022, leaving only Maine on my 50-state bucket list of visitation. The cruise we are taking will make four stops in the vast territory that has now been part of the United States for 137-years and officially became the 49th state in January of 1959, 62-years ago. We then cross just south of the Bering Strait at Dutch Harbor into Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, ending in Toyko, Japan. According to the Viking Cruise site, only 284-days to go until launch in Vancouver, B.C. It will be a memorable way to see the high seas.
Continuing with yesterday’s rant, I am a bitter man about sports. This is nothing new, stemming from years of envy of other fans while my teams always seemed to fall short. I’m tired of losing to Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin – not to mention every other BIG program. Purdue finally achieved #1 status for the first time in history, but I felt resentful. After IU basketball lost at Wisconsin for the 19th straight time, I also felt hopeless. There should be little satisfaction in knowing the the Boilers lost last night on a last second shot by Rutgers – their claim to #1 short lived. Yet, it brought a certain sense of relief, but only because I don’t know any obnoxious Rutgers’ fans. It puts Baylor in the driver’s seat with a chance for back-to-back titles.
In recent years, I’ve seen IU lose to Maryland for the NCAA soccer crown. I’ve watched the endless streak of victories by Purdue over IU in basketball. I’ve been through a winless conference season by IU in football, after silly expectations of a potential championship. Even the bucket went back to West Lafayette. I’ve witnessed the string of coaches that have come and gone at my Alma Mater after failing to be competitive. In the process, other schools have surpassed us in prominence and this has led to great anguish and disappointment.
We’re in the middle of an unusual week, with most of our routines out of sorts. There was no “Matinee Monday” or “Sunset Tuesday.” “Tourist Thursday” happened on Tuesday, so maybe a movie is in order for today. There are no real rules in retirement, so we’re free to be flexible with our days, but it’s helpful to maintain our themes so we know what day of the week it is. For my wife, bridge is now happening on Mondays, with tap on Wednesdays and Fridays. There’s been a hiatus on water aerobics due to her rib injury and pool accessibility. The cabinet guy is coming tomorrow (Friday) to discuss our office shelves, outdoor kitchen, and custom closet additions. Never a dull moment.
We’ll probably establish a new routine once the holidays are over and we’ve returned from Disneyworld. I’m already losing my enthusiasm for IU basketball after their 19th consecutive loss in Madison last night. Things looked so promising in the first half. My wife doesn’t understand why I get so wrapped up in this game played by kids – none of which has ever seen IU win an away game against Wisconsin in their lifetimes. I fear that “Game Days” on Thursdays and Saturdays will be filled with disappointment, as they have been for years now. Maybe she’s right? I’ve lost any contact with the school other than televised sports over the past 20 years, so why do I continue this troubled allegiance? I haven’t even visited the campus in five years and don’t personally know any of these kids that I rely on for a winner’s high via association. I felt it slip away in the second half of the silly game I was watching last night.
Why does it matter so much if IU wins or loses? Why does it affect me emotionally after all these years? I enjoyed the years we were winning but lately it’s led to despair. I need to get out of sports rather than be out of sorts!
As has become a recent tradition here on my site, I start with a little history lesson about the year of 1882, keeping pace with my blog post numbers. According to Wikipedia: “On, August 3 – The U.S. Congress passes the 1882 Immigration Act. August 5 – Standard Oil of New Jersey is established. September 4 – Thomas Edison starts the U.S.’s first commercial electrical power plant, lighting one square mile of lower Manhattan.” Thomas Edison has become a frequent source of innovative ideas in this era, some developed in his winter home in nearby Ft. Myers, Florida. He would continue churning out patents for the next 48 years before his death in 1931.
I bought our tickets for the ferry (Key West Express) from Fort Myers to Key West, as we make plans for traveling there in first quarter of 2022. We need to earn a few more Marriott points before booking our lodging for a few nights. We’ll then use the Vacation Club to celebrate our 21st anniversary on Florida’s Singer Island. Marriott stays will also be part of our summer drive to Mackinac’s Grand Hotel, with overnight stops in Petoskey, Cleveland, Canton, and Hilton Head, with more yet to schedule. We’ll end the year at Marriott’s Kaui Lagoons – Kalanipu’u to celebrate an early Christmas.
We had a WISH-TV reunion yesterday with two other couples at the Streamsong Golf Resort in Central Florida. It’s a unique location on 16,000 acres, hiding decades of strip mining activity. Streamsong was developed by The Mosaic Company, “the world’s leading producer and marketer of phosphate-based crop nutrients…” There is some ecological controversy surrounding the company, but at least they’ve created a beautiful, world-class site for golfers featuring some of the top courses on the globe. We had lunch and enjoyed each other’s company, leaving our clubs behind.
We’ll update our landscaping plan with a Zoom call this afternoon before suffering through what will likely be a disappointing evening of IU basketball at Wisconsin. After 18 straight losses in Madison, it’s hard to be optimistic, even through this year’s team has proven to be improved. IU’s 13-point opening BIG victory over Nebraska was overshadowed by a Michigan rout of the same team last night 102-67. Other IU opponents, after close games with us, also experienced decisive losses to ranked teams. Syracuse lost by 14 to Villanova, while Kansas clubbed St. John’s 95-75. This is a strong indication that the team is far from Top 25 status and still simply of average BIG talent. We’ll know more tonight! Ugh!
The year was 1881 and on July 2 the President of the United States, James Garfield, is shot by a disgruntled office-seeker. “Garfield is one of just four presidents killed in office, and the sites of the other three attacks are rightly treated as a having major historic importance: Ford’s Theatre in Washington, Dealey Plaza in Dallas, and William McKinley’s assassination site in Buffalo, New York.” Yesterday, I watched a Netflix documentary on the assassination of JFK. There was little more revealed about the possibility of more than one person involved even after the sealed files were finally released 50 years from the shooting. However, there was additional fodder pointing at a conspiracy between the Russians and Cubans. Let’s hope that history doesn’t repeat itself.
We’re meeting some former business acquaintances today for lunch about an hour north of where we now live in Florida. Two of them I haven’t seen in twenty years, so it’s a long overdue reunion. We continue to make reconnection a retirement priority, and have several more meetings like this planned for after the first of the year. Included are an old boss from the radio business, a former brother-in-law, a college roommate, two cousins, and a half-sister. They all live part-time down here or planning vacations in this area. At least once a month since moving here we’ve gotten together with long lost friends and relatives that were too far away to see on the West Coast.
We got together with neighbors the other night to watch the golf cart Christmas parade that seems to be a “Red Neck” holiday tradition. The addition is all lit up for the season and we have our Secret Santa Exchange planned for next week’s “Meet The Neighbors” event. Friends have dropped off sweet, baked treats and cards are arriving daily. All of us on the block attended last weekend’s performance of “Land of the Greedy Mouse,” a comedy about a Disneyworld heist. We’ll be at the scene of that crime on Christmas day when family arrives from Portland. Ho…ho…ho!
Looking at the year 1880, “the first commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings occurred. Steel frame construction of “sky-scrapers” happened for the first time. February 16, 1880: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers was founded in New York City. Construction began on the Panama Canal by the French.”
Records became a big part of my life as a teenager. My grandfather had the first phonograph that I ever listed to back then. It was a long cabinet with speakers at each end that he made himself. As I remember, artists like Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, and the Big Band performers, plus the Music Man musical were part of his small vinyl collection. It wasn’t until later in high school that I owned my own stereo but we had a small record player for 45s like “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” The radio was always on Chicago’s WLS in the basement and I kept up on the “Top 40” through flyers that we would get at Jack’s Record Shop. I didn’t buy a lot of records but the store was a hang out for my classmates.
I didn’t go to the dances until college but I liked to sing along to the car radio. The Beatles were just starting to come on the scene and I especially enjoyed their harmony on songs like Help! The Beach Boys were always a favorite for the same reason, along with Jan & Dean. My tastes began to change as a handful of STEREO records began to hit the market. I began to buy albums by Led Zeppelin, Cream, and The Doors. I was also fascinated by the Beatles as they began to experiment with albums like the Magical Mystery Tour and the music began to move from one speaker to another. Then, of course, cassettes, 8-Tracks, and CDs produced a cleaner sound since you no longer were concerned with needle scratches. These innovations allowed listening to recordings in the car rather than simply relying on the radio.
After college, vinyl records suddenly began to take a back seat when it came to buying music, but have seen a recent resurgence. The thing I always liked about albums were the designs and the detailed information on the band and lyrics provided. You learned more about the music and the artists than just listening to their songs. There was no room for this information, or too small to read, on or in the plastic cases that accompanied the format that you bought. Fortunately, the internet now provides all this background on the tunes we hear, but it is still the preferable experience when you can read the album cover while you listen. Unique albums made the music collectable, so it’s good that recording has taken a step back in time. I don’t currently own a turntable but many of my friends still do.
Once again, a Thomas Edison invention, the phonograph, is the highlight of the year 1878, while in 1879 he first demonstrated incandescent lighting to the public. Also of interest, “milk was sold in bottles for the first time and infielder William White plays in one game for the Providence Grays and in conjecture becomes the first African American to play MLB.”
Race results have been compiled from yesterday’s Tomahawk 5k and I finished 143rd overall out of 400 participants. My time of 42:24 put me 6th in the M 70-74 division out of 8 finishers. One woman out of 14 of the same age group had a slightly better time than mine by 8 seconds to top her division. She was also two years older to give her even more credit. I ran this morning with the #2 finisher in the M 60-64 division to stretch my personal streak to 4,725 consecutive days. “Run…Forrest…Run.”
It’s “Football Sunday” with hopes of breaking my Fantasy team’s losing streak. Da Bears have experienced a similar streak of misfortune that will probably continue this afternoon against the winningest team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals. Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, and Cincinnati firmly cemented their spots in the College Football Playoffs last evening. The Portland Timbers are hosting the MLS Cup with a chance to claim their first title since 2015 but Oregon State fell short in their quest to make the College Soccer Cup. It will be Washington, who knocked off IU, Clemson, ND, and Georgetown. Three of the four matches went to penalty kicks to determine a winner, while only Washington scored more than one goal in a 2-0 victory over St. Louis, bidding for their record 11th National title.
IU Basketball ended their sad streak of 6 consecutive BIG losses dating back to February with a much needed win over Nebraska yesterday afternoon. They play Wisconsin on Wednesday in Madison where the Hoosiers face a streak of eighteen straight losses dating back to 1998 when the Kohl Center first opened. The Badgers are fresh off a Maui (Las Vegas) Invitational Championship and a 13-point victory over Marquette. Wisconsin’s only loss this season was a 2-point setback #12 Houston in the Maui opener for both teams. Since 2002, the Badgers are 28-6 over IU. Prior to that they were 49-90 all-time. It’s not likely that this horrible losing streak will end this season, especially considering Indiana’s performance against Syracuse in its only road game so far. The odds are heavily against us!
