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Retirement is not without Hassles: The Hill #188

July 25, 2017 / / 0 Comments

It’s day two of the bachelor life.  I slept a little later, did a hilly, four-mile run, and walked the dogs.  I’ll  try another two miles this afternoon, but my thighs feel like concrete, and I didn’t even come close to conquering the hill today.  I have managed to shed about ten pounds over the past two weeks, with longer runs on more challenging terrain.  I also have a two-day growth of beard, and have that youthful feeling of an athlete in training.  Unfortunately, I still can’t regain any of my former speed, so I’ll have to be satisfied with endurance.

I always imagined what it would be like to be an Olympian.  Your only job would be to train.  I’m not sure I’m ready to give a full 8-hour day to training, but I will commit a couple of hours each day.  There is a medal at steak here, and my team is counting on me to give it my all.  There’s only 31 days until race day, and I’d like to lose at least another five pounds.  I’ll need every advantage to combat the mileage, hills, and lack of sleep associated with the event.  I should be just taking it easy in my rocking chair, but instead trying to find that guy inside me who ran track in high school 50 years ago.  Insane but true!

I did hear back from the fellow “streaker” that I wrote to yesterday.  No, we don’t run naked in public, as Ray Stevens describes in the lyrics of his hit song, “The Streak.”  We simply run every day at least once.  She and her husband operate a local running store, and have had a lot of experience with the Hood to Coast relay.  I read their blog, and was invited to run with them any Saturday morning.  Oh, you mean “everyone else is home day.  (Post #66).  I also know it as “movie night,” “popcorn dinner night”, or “run with the dogs” day, since Saturday is no longer a part of my new retirement language.  Every day is the same now and that includes birthdays, holidays, weekends, and vacations.

Speaking of movie night and/or popcorn dinner night, we did go to see the new “Spider-Man:  Homecoming” movie.  I wasn’t particularly impressed.  I’m not a consistent fan of these comic book action movies, but I did like “Wonder Woman.”  We’ll probably go see “Dunkirk” next, especially after our recent trip to Normandy.  I’m also not a big war movie fan, but the historical significance in that time frame just before D-Day is appealing.

I made a bachelor’s lunch platter of mini-peanut butter sandwiches.  It’s various combinations with honey, banana, mayonnaise, and pickles on thin-sliced french bread.  I’m apparently channeling Elvis, Kinsey Millhone, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. while watching the Cubs play the White Sox on television.  These sandwiches are not exactly low on calories and hardly on any Olympic training table, but should give me enough energy to complete another two miles this afternoon, and another attempt at the hill.

I hope to get some sun this afternoon, read some more of Dennis Lehane’s novel, Prayers for Rain, and maybe pray for strength to get me up that hill that has challenged me since we moved into the neighborhood.  I’m originally from the Midwest, so I’m intimidated by steep hills.  It’s not Boston’s Heartbreak Hill or Hurricaine Point at Big Sur, but it is as tough as it gets in this hilly neighborhood.   Before I load into that van at 2 a.m. on August 25th to head to the starting line, I want that hellish hill to be just a routine part of my daily run.  Give me strength and some Advil!

Old Sport Shorts: Decatur Staleys #185

July 23, 2017 / / 0 Comments

As I was writing yesterday’s post #184, I realized that I had not yet told the story of the Decatur Staleys.  I lived in Decatur, Illinois in 2007 when the Chicago Bears played the Indianapolis Colts in Superbowl XLI.   A friend of mine worked for Tate & Lyle, a British sugar company founded in 1859.  In 1988, they acquired Decatur’s A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company and took steps to become the sole manufacturer of SPLENDA.  In a tour of the plant, I was shown a framed document that established the formation of the modern-day Chicago Bears under “Papa Bear” George Halas.

George Halas was a member of the 1918 Illinois Big Ten football championship team, and while at Great Lakes Naval Training Station was named MVP of the 1919 Rose Bowl.  As a great athlete, he also played for the New York Yankees in 1919 before a hip injury ended his baseball career, but went on to star for the Hammond Pros. After a year with the Pros, he moved to Decatur to work for the A.E. Staley Company, then a starch manufacturer, as a sales representative.  The company’s general superintendent, George Chamberlain, made the hire and A.E. Staley’s direction.  Chicago-born Halas also played outfield for the company sponsored baseball team and served as player/coach for the Staleys football team.  He personally selected the orange and navy blue uniform colors of the team, based on his University of Illinois alma-mater.

In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed consisting of eleven teams:  The Canton Bulldogs, Rock Island Independents, Muncie Flyers, Decatur Staleys, Massillon Tigers, Chicago Cardinals, Hammond Pros, Dayton Triangles, Cleveland Indians, Akron Pros, and Rochester Jeffersons.   Jim Thorpe was elected president and a $100 franchise fee was established but apparently never collected. The league formation might have been influenced by a letter from George Halas, expressing the need for organization and scheduling. The first Staley’s game against the Moline Tractors was set for October 3, 1920.

The Staleys finished that inaugural 1920 season in 2nd place at 10-1-2, their only loss to the Chicago (Racine) Cardinals 7-6.  They had a chance to win the championship in a season-ending game against the Akron Pros, but time ran out in a scoreless tie.  George Halas had relocated this game to Cubs Park in Chicago, attracting a record 12,000 fans, compared to the 3,000 typically drawn at Staley Park, and this led to a move of the team to Chicago in 1921.  They were called the Chicago Staleys during that first year of transition, out of respect for their roots.

The Chicago Staleys played the majority of the 1921 season at Wrigley Field, and were renamed the Bears by Halas following a historic championship season at 9-1-1,  The Great Depression had its economic impact on the company, and Eugene Staley had to dig deep to salvage the company and his teams.  His offer of the team franchise to Halas that I saw displayed on the wall of Tate & Lyle, included $5,000 to help cover expenses that first year. Other sources state that Halas paid Staley $100 for the rights to the team, but it was probably Staley’s money anyway and just a formality.  I liken it to paying someone to haul away your gallery of original Monet paintings.  To this day, “Staley the Bear” continues to be the Bears Mascot, perhaps the only remaining connection to the Staley name.

My personal opinion is that A.E. Staley should probably be known as “Papa Bear.”  He died in 1940, and his family in Decatur has restored his mansion to include a museum.  The Decatur corporate location  was originally an abandoned starch plant that was purchased and retooled in 1909.  It produced the famous American brand, Staley Starch, that now belongs to a British sugar giant.   The city of Decatur should have taken steps to establish the Football Hall of Fame before Canton, Ohio stole the thunder.  All that’s left in Decatur is a welcome sign that says, “Original home of the Chicago Bears.”  It’s interesting to note that most early football and baseball franchises started in small communities, but eventually migrated to the big cities to attract larger crowds. However, the Football Hall of Fame is still in Canton, while the Baseball Hall of Fame is in Cooperstown. I applaud these small towns for bucking the trend.   Go Bears!

 

 

 

 

 

Old Sport Shorts: Rolaids #184

July 22, 2017 / / 0 Comments

O.K., I was wrong, again!  The Cubs win streak did not get to 23.  It didn’t even get to 7!  The 1935 Cubs 21-game game streak didn’t happen until September, so there is still time for the 2017 squad to equal that record.  The 1935 Cubs managed to win seven straight games in the month of July, exceeding the 6-game current steak that just ended yesterday.  All was going well until the top of the 8th when the Cardinals suddenly erupted for 9 runs and an 11-4 victory.  The Cubs somehow outhit them and had two fewer errors, but “relief” pitching was hardly comforting.  It was a real momentum killer! (See Post #181)

The battle today against the arch-rival Cardinals had the right outcome, but the ending was equally disturbing.  It had a happy ending, but the Cubs pitching once again failed in the 8th, with John Lester giving up two solo home runs.  He had a one-hitter through 7, and maybe that extra inning of work was a mistake.  Who could blame Madden for sticking with him after yesterday’s relief debacle?  The Cubs rallied in the bottom of the 8th with 3 runs to take the lead, and Wade Davis finally shut down Yadier Molina, after back-to-back walks.  (See Post #174)  We were once again on the edge of our seats, getting out the Rolaids! (See Post #174).  Rolaids offered an annual “Relief Man Award” from 1976 to 2012.  Cubs winners included Bruce Sutter in 1981 & 1982 and Randy Myers in 1993.  “R-O-L-A-I-D-S spells relief.”

It was a similar scenario that we saw at the All-Star Game.  Wade Davis was on the mound with the game on the line, and Yadi was at the plate – this time with a bat.  The two things that were different : Yadi was not wearing his obnoxious, gold plated amour and Davis did not give up a game-deciding home run.  It started a streak of one for the Cubs, with the series-deciding game tomorrow night.  Jose Quintana will make his Wrigley Field debut for the Cubs after a sterling 12-strikeout performance in Baltimore.  Quintana was traded from the cross-town White Sox, so finding a new home won’t be a problem.  He may also get to face his old teammates next week.

The White Sox continue to struggle, losing their seventh straight game since the All-Star break.  The wrong kind of streak!  In the course of this disastrous run, they are beginning to build for the future.  Yoan Moncada, their brightest new star, tripled in yesterdays loss showing-off some of the power and speed he displayed in the minors. White Sox fans are excited to watch him play, with little else to look forward to this year.  Although, the team will probably quickly rebound, if only for the short-term, just in time for the Cubs series next week.  It’s why they play the game!

I always struggle with these Sox-Cubs games every year.  It’s like my conscience splits in half, with the 10-year old me rooting for the Sox, and the retired me pulling for the Cubs.  Normally, I would be content if they split the series, but the Cubs need to sweep to maintain any chance to win the Central Division.  Given the talent they have, the White Sox will have their chance in two more years.  I will say that if I had become the Cubs fan that my dad wanted me to be, I would have had to wait an additional 11 years for a World Series victory.  As luck would have it, I was running an NBC affiliate in Illinois during the 2005 World Championship season, and was able to attend both games in Chicago, featuring home runs by Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede, Paul Konerko, and Scott Podsednik.   Two great victories set the stage for the sweep in Houston.  I made the decision to become a White Sox fan in 1959, despite their World Series loss to the Dodgers.  I was able to tell my dad that I made the right choice 46 years later.  Unfortunately, he wouldn’t live long enough to see the Cubs win in 2016. (See Post #25).

I can’t imagine the mind-struggles I would have and the Rolaids I would need if the Sox and the Cubs played in the World Series.  It hasn’t happened since 1906, so don’t buy me a case yet!  I had the same problem when the Bears and the Colts met in Superbowl XLI.  I grew up a Baltimore Colts fan, following the aging Johnny Unitus.  It was his replacement, Earl Morrall, that eventually pulled out the victory in Superbowl V, following a rib injury to Unitus in the second quarter.  I was much more a baseball than football fan, with White Sox catcher Sherm Lollar a much bigger sports hero to me than Unitus,  (See Post #5).   Maybe my dad had the same influence when he convinced me to move my allegiance from the New York Yankees to a team closer to home?  For some unknown reason, I began to follow another Chicago team, the Bears, and temporarily abandoned the Colts.    When I moved my family to Indianapolis in the mid-80’s, the Colts moved there as well.  My job involved selling for the Colts radio network, and began to get to know the coaches and players quite well.

The teams you associate with in childhood always seem to win the battle of allegiance.  Even though I watched the Bears win the 1985 Superbowl, and was a huge fan of Dick Butkus, Walter Peyton, and Jim McMahon, I drifted back to the home-team Colts and Peyton Manning.  I was living in Decatur, Illinois, the original home of the Chicago Bears, when Superbowl XLI in February of 2007 happened.  I was miserable trying to decide who to support, electing not to attend in person.  The people in Illinois were for the Bears, and my friends back in Indiana were for the Colts.  I was like a ping-pong ball – talk about the need for Rolaids!

I’ll write more after tomorrow nights Cubs vs. Cardinals game.  In the meantime, hopefully the White Sox will get it together against the Kansas City Royals and stop the bleeding.  As you can see, there are a lot of emotions that come into play for me in the world of sports fan-hood.  It’s Young Me vs. Old Me, Cubs vs. White Sox, and Bears vs. Colts.  You need a program to follow-along, while I just need a couple of Rolaids!  “R-O-L-A-I-D-S spells relief.”

Old Sport Shorts: Cubs Streak #181

July 20, 2017 / / 0 Comments

The Cubs are streaking, with hopes on improving their dismal first half of the season.  They have the day off today, after winning their first 6 games since the All Star Break.  This has not happened to a Cubs team in 81 years.  If they can continue to emulate that 1935 team, they can get back to the World Series.  The 1935 Cubs finished the regular season with a 21-game winning streak, to match the 1880 record when the Cubs were known as the Chicago White Stockings.  Their cross-town American League rival then shortened that name to White Sox in 1901, and stole the 1906 World Series from the National League Cubs.  This despite the best winning record and winning percentage in modern baseball history to date  (116 games .763).  The two Chicago teams have not met in the season Finale since, and it’s not likely to happen this year.

The White Sox continue to struggle but have arguably the best stable of prospects in baseball.  I’m encouraged that in a couple of years this will transpose into victories where we might see a Cross-Town World Series once again.  The Cubs can equal their historic back-to-back World Series winning feat of 1907 and 1908, with the 2017 Championship.  That was not looking promising prior to and including the All-Star break.  The Cubs entered the break two games below .500, including a devastating six- game losing streak in their road trip to California.  (Posts #98 and #101).  Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo also struck out in the fashion department, sporting “Anchorman” leisure suits in a mis-played attempt to stay loose for the trip.  Schwarber was eventually sent down to the minors for some swing rehabilitation, while every Cub from last year’s All-Star team, including Rizzo, failed to get the necessary votes.  Only Coach Madden, his assistants, and Wade Davis traveled to Miami.  Cub frustration continued at the end of the All-Star game, as both Davis and Madden were credited for the National League loss.

After the California road disaster, the Cardinals series proved to be the necessary healing toxin.  With the current six-game win streak on the road, it’s the Cardinals once again that can make or break the Cubs season.  This rivalry was refueled in Miami, as golden-boy, Yadier Molina, seemed destined to win the MVP.  Instead, Davis made it possible for Robinson Cano to earn that distinction.  Cardinal fans were furious, conveniently forgetting about last year’s game where their man, Aledmys Diaz, killed a potential winning rally by hitting into an inning-ending double-play.  That cost the Cubs home field advantage for the Series, whereas the Davis pitch, that Yadi might have called, had no effect on the Cardinals team whatsoever.

The Cubs are currently only one game out of the Central Division lead and four games over .500.  It’s a great start to the second half of the season, especially if they can go on to sweep the Cardinals at Wrigley.  The Cubs did get immediate benefit out of their White Sox trade, bringing Jose Quintana to the starting rotation.  The move bolstered the White Sox future with the addition of two promising top prospects.  Also, the trade of Todd Frazier and David Robertson to the Yankees opened the door for Yoan Moncada to make his much anticipated White Sox debut.  In addition, more future prospects from the Yankees camp were added to the White Sox team of the future.  The bottom-feeding White Sox, stripped of their veterans, were predictably swept by the top-ranked Dodgers, and the streaking Cubs can make a powerful statement to the Cardinals, while taking another bite out of the Brewer lead in the Central.

As much as I hate the Damn Yankees, I have to give credit to Aaron Judge.  I’m trying really hard to tolerate him and his enthusiastic entourage of obnoxious, gavel-pounding Big Apple fans.    He was awesome to watch in the Home Run Derby, but I was glad that he didn’t win the MVP, as well.  Apparently he’s now joined the ranks of Kyle Schwarber in that roller coaster ride to greatness.  The “Mighty Schwarber” (Post #64) was humbled in his fall to the minors, but is now occasionally back in the Cubs line-up.  “The Judge” is apparently experiencing a similar Freshman slump, hitting a miserable .115 since the All-Star break.  Maybe he’ll get to play the White Sox again?  The Cubs get to play the Sox four times after the Cardinals come to town.  Will they have a 13-game winning streak after leaving Guaranteed Rate Field?  Maybe 17 straight after leaving Milwaukee?  Then they get a day off to think about 5 more consecutive victories at home against Arizona and Washington to surpass the 1935 Cubs.  In fact, I could see them in San Francisco on Monday, August 7th, going for their 23rd consecutive victory!  Dream on…..

Go…Cubs…Go

Retirement is not without Hassles: Another Day in a Routine Life #179

July 19, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I’ve settled back into my routine the last couple of days, as have the dogs.  Tinker was napping on the rug in the warm sunlight off the back deck, while Tally was asleep on the couch, content in the cool shade.  They are resting up from a busy day at the dog spa, sporting their stylish haircuts.  Tally played hard with the other dogs, while Tinker showed little interest in interaction.  Two very different dogs that are now my 8 to 5 co-workers, along with Frankie the cat that prefers the darkness of the bedroom.   I wonder if they know that it’s “Date Night” day.

While the dogs were getting groomed, my wife had some serious dental work yesterday, so we will dine-in tonight.  It will make the pups happy to have our company on a night that we’re typically out on the town.  I prepared a corn and tomato salsa to be served over a grilled flank steak.  I also joined my wife for a light lunch today at the Cornell Cafe Oaks located near her office.  I broke the news to her that we would be baby-sitting my grand kids our first night in San Francisco in a couple of weeks.  She was expecting something more romantic, but we settled on a Mary Poppins sing-along to keep her and them entertained.  I’m just glad to have some one-on-one time with them next month.  My son tends to be a bit possessive of his kids, but he’s also a good father.

I’ve been slowly increasing my mileage and speed in anticipation of the Hood to Coast relay.  I’m a potential last minute substitute on a team of 12 that will race 199 miles from Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood to the Seaside, Oregon beach.  Each team member will run about 17 miles over the course of two days.  Since it ends the day before my 66th birthday, I will most likely get to run a portion of the relay, as several of the regulars are nursing injuries.  It will be something to cross off my bucket list. Today was my 3,125th consecutive day (8.556 years) of running at least one mile a day.  I’ve easily averaged 2.5 miles a day over this time frame, with my current daily mileage exceeding 3.25.  In total, I’ve “easily” run over 7,800 miles since I started my present streak, more than enough to get to New York City and back.  As part of preparation for this relay, I’ve concentrated on steeper inclines the past few weeks, as the Hood to Coast route will be extremely hilly.

There was an abundance of good sports on TV this morning.  The Cubs won their 6th straight, a first for this season, and the first time since 1935 that the team has won six consecutive games following the All Star break.  The 1935 team fell short, losing to the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, but managed to win a hundred games, a Cubs feat that wasn’t accomplished again until last year – 81 years later.  They also achieved a 21-game winning streak late in the 1935 season to clinch the pennant, tying the franchise record set in 1880 when they were the Chicago White Stockings.  This year’s team will need a similar run to return to the World Series.   Later in the day, I also watched the debut of Chicago White Sox prospect, Yoan Moncada.  (Post #157).  I participated in a charity drawing in a recent visit to Guaranteed Rate Stadium in Chicago, formerly Comiskey Park, and received an autographed baseball from this Cuban phenom.  I’ve been following his progress in the Minor Leagues, anxious for him to get the promotion that happened yesterday.   He wears #10 – the same number as my White Sox childhood hero, Sherm Lollar.  It seemed almost prophetic that I randomly selected his baseball from a “mystery” stack of current and prospective players.

I also watched the Tour de France this morning, reminding me of my high school and college days on a bicycle.  My friends and I would do 50 and 100 mile rides on our non-geared bicycles, navigating a very flat Indiana terrain.  It was Stage 17 of the Tour today, and the route was through the scenic Alps.  It was mesmerizing to watch them cruise at 60 miles an hour along narrow, winding mountain roads.  I held my breath in anticipation of a life-threatening accident over the steep drop.  We didn’t have those bicycling concerns back in Indiana.  The truly painful part was watching them ascend to the peak, knowing the muscle strain and conditioning necessary to get there.

After these summer bike marathons, thee next stage of my bicycling career came entirely by accident.    Before the movie Breaking Away, the Little 500 at Indiana University got limited attention.  I had never heard of the event when I transferred to Indiana in 1971.  It was my only connection with the fraternity, since I had pledged at another college, and saw this as an opportunity to make some new friendships.  A two-week trip to Florida to train sealed the deal, but I had no idea what I was getting into.  It’s now the largest collegiate intramural sporting event, and part of the “World’s Greatest College Weekend.”  It’s been going on for 66 years, with the women’s race celebrating 29 years.  The event started the year I was born, and was founded by the son of an Indianapolis 500 winner, hence many of the similarities, including 33 four-person teams and 500 laps.  The race was originally run on a cinder track, and I have the scars to prove it.  The fact that there were no gears to shift made it a grueling experience that led to embarrassing hemorrhoids instead of the winner’s circle.

I’m no longer an athlete and don’t even own a bicycle.  I’m just a retired guy who has faint aspirations of running another marathon, contributing to the Hood to Coast relay team, hitting a home run, and maybe even winning a bicycle race.  I now live vicariously through the accomplishments of others in the sporting world, imagining that I was better at sports than I actually was.  As they say, “the older you get – the better you were.”   Sherm Lollar #10 will forever be my baseball hero and Lance Armstrong once dominated my cycling dreams, but turned out to be a grave disappointment.   I was reminded of this poem, although it’s a repeat from Post #120.   Even though tomorrow’s another day of my routine life, I don’t want to relive any portion of it.  I’m truly satisfied with what I’ve accomplished and content in simply watching the Super Hero of tomorrow take shape.  Right…Yoan Moncada?

Super Hero

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The older you get,

The faster time goes.

Anyone who’s been there,

And done that…knows.

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Many a decision,

Is made on the spot.

You just have to know,

When to take your shot.

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Don’t hesitate,

Bask in the sun.

Take it in now,

Have some fun.

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From the moment you’re born,

Until your last day.

Don’t let “I can’t,”

Get in your way.

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Time will fly by,

Middle age will pass.

Make some memories,

Get off your ass.

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Cause when you get older,

You’ll start to reminisce.

And you’ll be sorry,

For chances you miss.

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Just go out and do it,

Grab the brass ring.

Then you’ll never regret,

Having missed a thing.

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Sometimes success,

But often you’ll fail.

And you’ll try to recall,

Every detail.

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But if you miss out,

It won’t really matter.

Your memory fades,

As you grow fatter.

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The older you get,

The better you were.

Your flaws from the past,

Become a big blur.

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You were faster,

Sexier and stronger.

So Much Braver,

And lasted longer.

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A Bronze God

Our Super Hero.

When you really,

Were a big ZERO.

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So you stretch the truth,

Exaggerate a bit.

When you struck out,

It’s now a hit.

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The older you get,

The better you were.

You were the best,

You remember for sure.

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You made more money,

Drove fancier cars.

Where there was darkness,

You now see stars.

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You’ve seen the sights,

Even if not.

You don’t know it all,

But you know a lot.

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The older you get,

The better you were.

Did it happen like that?

You’re really not sure.

.

And that’s the beauty,

Of growing old.

No one can counter,

White lies that you’ve told.

,

Copyright May 2015 johnstonwrites.com

Old Sport Shorts: Yadi…Yadi…Yadi #174

July 12, 2017 / / 0 Comments

If you’re familiar with the Travelocity Gnome, who roams around the world searching for the perfect vacation spot, then you “might” appreciate this post.   The Gnome could appear in a colorful garden, on the mantle of a historic home, or just checking through airport security.  The are many variations of these strange Gnomes, often with beards and pointed heads.  Travelocity created a television campaign to promote their travel services and gave the common garden Gnome international popularity. Suddenly,  Gnomes and Elves were being kidnapped from quiet garden settings and front porches to be transported all over the world.   Photos cleverly capturing them in sometimes compromising positions are then mailed back to their owners along with a ransom note as a silly prank.  Months later, after a well documented adventure,  the unharmed Gnome mysteriously reappears in its original setting.  Gnome.  Sweet.  Home.

If you can relate to this Gnome phenomena, then you might understand this female friend of mine.  She loves to take pictures, making the most of her travel experiences.  As a school teacher, she uses her summer months to travel and take pictures.  She’s also a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, and her favorite player is Yadier Molina.  “Yadi” is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher.  He has been with the Cardinals exclusively for 13 years and in 8 of those years made the National League All-Star team.  He’s won 8 Golden Gloves, and in last night’s All Star Game appeared in a solid gold helmet and chest protector, looking like something out of a Star Wars movie.

Wherever my friend travels, she takes an 8″ version of “Yadi” with her.  Mini-Yadi lives in her purse and looks just like the Travelocity Gnome.  I think that adults that work regularly  with youngsters need to regularly express their “inner-child.”  Because of this, I’m sure her students absolutely love her “mischievous” side.  She enjoys posing “Yadi” in humorous situations, posting the pictures on Face Book.  In my limited travel experience with her, “Yadi” been threatened with a butcher’s cleaver at the Seattle fish market, buried in the sand on the Oregon Coast, and has battled giant lobsters in a Red Lobster holding tank.  Yadi is very brave, and maintains the same stoic look on his face no matter the circumstances. Yadi has somehow lost the very top of his pointed head, like Mt. St. Helen’s, but continues to play along.  What a sportsman!

I just spent three days with my son, Yadi, and my two friends watching baseball in the city of Miami.  She was with her fiancé, who I’ve known much longer, but even he doesn’t get as much attention as Yadi.  It’s Yadi this…Yadi that…Yadi…Yadi…Yadi.  I personally think that it should be kidnapped by a Cubs fan and painted blue.  I can see him hanging from a Championship Banner at Wrigley Field or thrown on to the field, like a opposing team homer run, by the Cub bleacher bums.  I can easily imagine some meaner pranks to pull on her poor, defenseless Yadi doll, but friendship is at stake!

We had lunch at Versailles, a popular Cuban restaurant.  ESPN happened to be doing a series of live broadcasts from there to capture some of the local, Miami flavor.  Eduardo Perez, a former Cardinals’ player and current sports analyst, was on the air, while his cameraman encouraged my friends to approach.  They were both dressed in Cardinals jersey of….you guessed it….Yadier Molina.  Perez had some fun with with them on national TV and posed with mini-Yadi for a photo.  Yadi…Yadi…Yadi.  I think you can begin to see where I’m going here!

We were sitting high up in the 200 level seats for last night’s game, and my friend actually believed the real Yadi waved at her during player introductions.  Maybe he did?  Granted, she was dressed in red with a crazy, straw Cardinals hat.  It was a premium giveaway at Busch Stadium during the Fourth of July series, and I didn’t see another one like it in the crowd.  Perhaps she did catch his eye.  I do know that Yadi has eagle-like vision behind the plate and an arm like a cannon.  Yadi then proceeded to hit a home run and her shrieks of joy rattled the rafters of Marlins Park.  I thought I saw mini-Yadi cover his ears, as I did.

My son, dressed in his wardrobe of Cubs jerseys, patiently tolerated the exploits of Mini-Yadi throughout the week.  I was used to it!  Also, for once, the Cubs and the Cardinals were on the same National League team.  There was temporary peace between rivals!  I had purposely worn neutral colors to avoid fueling any more boastful behavior from my Cardinal friends.  In fact, I was even hoping that Yadi would score the winning run.  We were all enjoying the festivities, and my son had even out-wrestled a couple of other fans for a treasured foul ball.  I had my picture taken with Southpaw, the Chicago White Sox mascot, and was hoping to get a glimpse of Sox legendary shortstop, Luis Aparicio, who was to throw out one of the opening pitches.  His poor health apparently prevented his presence during the ceremony.

Cardinal fans are bitter today because rival Cubs pitcher, Wade Davis, gave up a ninth-inning home run, sidetracking Yadi’s bid for the MVP and a Cardinal red Corvette.  At the end of the game, Yadi was left stranded on third base after Corey Seager of the Dodgers struck out.  I’m not sure if a Cubs pitcher can throw to a Cardinals catcher, so just maybe Yadi called for the wrong pitch?  On the other hand, Cubs fans thought that Yadi’s golden outfit was a bit obnoxious, perhaps befitting of Cardinals’ fans.  The rivalry is already back in full gear!  Mini-Yadi is probably still cheering for a Gnome Run.

Old Sport Shorts: Home Run Derby #158

June 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

For those of you that regularly read my retirement blog, which I realize is very few in number, I apologize.  I may have already lost you loyalists, as well, after this third consecutive post about baseball.   I try to distinguish between posts that are sports-oriented and those that are retirement-oriented by using the bold headline: “Old Sport Shorts.”  I came up with this title because I’m an old retiree, who enjoys sports, and tries to keep his posts very brief and engaging.   As further explanation, another word for briefs is shorts, and both undergarments are alternatives to a “jock.”  I don’t think that my posts are controversial enough that I need serious “protection.”  I do need “support” however, so thank you for sticking with me when I throw a curve-ball.  “Old Sport Shorts,” and “Creature Features” are both designed to be reader alternatives to “Retirement is not without Hassles, as  I continue with this on-going blog experiment.  Tomorrow will complete my first six months as an author who has found a new passion outside of the workforce.  Sports are part of that passion, so I can’t keep it out of my writing.

As an additional warning, I do plan to attend the MLB Legends, Home Run Derby, and All-Star Game next week in Miami.  I do promise to make up for this deviation in procedure very soon, but you just might learn a few things about the game through my sarcastic takes on those who play it.  Plus, baseball season is almost half-over and it doesn’t look like the post-season will include my two favorites.  I have to vent while I can!

The month of June is shaping up to be record-setting for home runs.  In fact, MLB hitters are on pace to hit nearly 500 more homers this season that ever before, including the so-called “steroids era,” according to an article I just read by Ted Berg for USA Today.  Yes, I not only write – I read, too.  I also got to personally witness, Aaron Judge of the Yankees hit his MLB-leading 27th homer of the year last night against the White Sox.  (See Post #157)  So, what’s the new drug that we will undoubtedly discover a few years from now, or are the balls just wound tighter than previous years?  Are the players wearing briefs, shorts, or jocks?  There’s so much intrigue in the game of baseball.

The Home Run Derby TV show of 1960 is a key memory of my childhood.  I got interested in baseball by collecting baseball cards, and joined a neighborhood Little League team, but initially followed the Yankee Slugger Mickey Mantle.  The 1959 World Series turned me into a White Sox fan, abandoning the Yankees for a team closer to home at my dad’s suggestion.  It was the first and last time I ever listened to him!  I was not aware  until recently that the black-and-white show was filmed at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles because the fence distances were symmetrical, favoring neither right or left-handed hitters.  It would have been on my recent retirement tour of Los Angeles (Post #41), but the stadium was demolished in 1969.  My interest in knowing more about the stadium was solely due to the fact that the architect of the park, Zachary Taylor Davis, previously designed both Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park, also important landmarks of my Chicago-vicinity childhood.

I watched Home Run Derby religiously, and played Wiffle Ball in the front yard of our one-story home.  The roof was the home-run target in games against the neighbor kids. The yellow bat and “holey” white ball were plastic to prevent window breakage.  The ball was originally invented by David N. Mullany to enable his young son to throw a curve-ball.  The curve is a pitchers remedy for the long-ball, with a strike-out in those days called a “whiff.”  You never see a curve-ball in Home Run Derby because the pitcher is chosen by the hitter to throw a pitch that is easy to hit over the fences.   The TV show was not renewed the next season, not because of poor viewership, but rather because the host of the show, Mark Scott, died unexpectedly of a heart-attack.  26 total episodes ran and helped inspire the modern-day Home Run Derby event that is part of MLB All-Star Weekend.  I will finally get a chance to see it live and in-person, probably my biggest motivation for going to the All-Star Game in Miami next week.

Rookie Aaron Judge is projected to hit 57 home runs this season.  Currently, he has 27, while Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers and George Springer of the Astros each have 24.  Logan Morrison of the Rays has 22, and Joey Votto of the Reds punched 21, along with Justin Smoak of the Blue Jays, Jay Bruce of the Mets, and Khris Davis of the Athletics.  There are 6 players tied at 20, including Scott Schebler of the Reds, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins, Joey Gallo of the the Rangers,  KC’s Mike Moustakas, and Milwaukee’s Eric Thames.  With regard to my “Chicago Land” favorites, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs has 18 to his credit and teammate Kris Bryant follows closely behind at 16, with Bryant out at least a week with an ankle injury.  Matt Davidson of the White Sox has 17.    These current standings are courtesy of Major League Baseball, as I’m certainly not counting myself.   Which of these sluggers will I see in Miami and who will lead at the end of this weekend going into the event?

The White Sox game today is currently delayed due to rain, so they are not losing to the “Damn Yankees.” (See Posts #156 and #157).  The Cubs rallied to defeat the Nationals this afternoon to tie that series and stop their bleeding.  John Jay was the hero with a two-run double that sparked a three-run ninth inning rally.  Rookie Jeimer Candelario, who replaced the injured Bryant, had his first home run as a Major Leaguer.  Cubs catcher Willson Contreras successfully threw out two attempted base stealers, an issue that got his back-up, Miguel Montero, demoted earlier this week.  The Cubs stayed above .500 with the victory!

I just got back in Portland with the dogs.  Hopefully, they will inspire a cute story for “Creature Features,” and my retirement routine gets back to normal tomorrow with the potential of getting back on track with “Retirement is not without Hassles.”  As I’ve mentioned in several posts, much of my writing is personal therapy for myself.  I’m concerned about the Cubs and I’m anxious to see my son and his family in Florida, as part of my All-Star adventure.  I appreciate your patience, as I continue to pursue my style of writing, and learn to better target your reading interests.  Each day I write, I simply hope to hit a Home Run!

Old Sport Shorts: That’s The Way The Ball Bounces #157

June 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I’ve spent a lot of time on sitting on planes with nothing but my computer to occupy retirement, and they continue to be constructive hours towards getting some words on a page.  I’ll continue in a baseball-mode from yesterday’s “Old Sport Shorts” post about the “Damn Yankees.”  Well, they did it again, easily whipping my White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. The beating was apparent in the Yankees first at bats, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  I hadn’t even had a hot dog yet, but was already beginning to lose my appetite.

I had a couple of martinis at “Harry Caray’s” restaurant before we hopped-on the Red Line for the ballpark.  Rain showers looked like they were going to delay the start of the game, and there was no batting practice since the tarp covered the infield as we arrived.  Good memories of being there for the 2005 World Series dominated my thoughts as we searched for our box seats.  I did not have a seat for the World Series back in 2005, but a “Press Pass” badge dangled from the lanyard around my neck.  The crew from my television station that I rode with to Chicago had just done a live shot for our Early News just outside the stadium.  There was a strong sense of optimism for a Sox victory that I sensed in the early-arriving crowd that overfilled the stands.  The ballpark was then called U.S. Cellular Field or “The Cell.”  It was originally called Comiskey Park, but major sponsorship has apparently lowered it’s status to just a field.  It’s difficult to adopt the new “Guaranteed Rate” name after knowing it so many years as simply Comiskey.  “The Cell” was kind of a nice compromise between a last name and a corporate identity.  Last night, there were a noticeable number of empty seats, characteristic of a team with the worst record in the American League.  It appeared as if there were more Yankee fans in the crowd, but I certainly expected higher attendance to see the best team in the American League and their rookie slugger, Aaron Judge.  As they used to say on the comedy TV show, Laugh-In, “Here Come de Judge!”

The White Sox did rally in the 5th inning to make it 3-2, so I ordered a hot dog to celebrate.  However, by the time I got to my second hot dog, and was in the process of loading it with mustard, I nearly missed “De Judge” hit a line-drive rocket into the left field stands, his MLB-leading 27th home run of the season. It left the field of play so fast that it was hard to spot, and I had to wait until this morning to see the replay.  The home team wisely does not like to flaunt the success of the opposition on the big screen!  The second hot dog was not as tasty as the first, during this evil Yankee surge to take an 8-2 lead.

My wife played games on her I-pad during most of the action, but did grow fond of the name, Melky Caberra, but left to use the facilities during the five-run Yankee outburst.  She heard the roar of the crowd, and knew she missed something when she finally returned to our seats.  I patiently explained that Aaron Judge just might be the next Babe Ruth, and she seemed impressed.  I had spent the day before, admiring a friend’s massive sports memorabilia collection in Indianapolis.  It’s truly much more impressive than the Smithsonian!  He has an autographed Babe Ruth bat and ball in one of the many trophy cases.  My wife has admired it on several occasions while we lived in Indy.  Albert Pujols had just recently been to visit it, and my friend let him take a swing, so he wanted his autographed ball placed in the same case, as close to the bat as possible.  My collector-friend has found a special item for my wife to give me for my birthday, and she was hoping that it was the Babe’s Bat.  If he would even sell it, it would not be in Trump’s gift budget, and besides she would have had to buy it from Albert Pujols!

I was hoping to see some White Sox “fireworks” last night, and witness the scoreboard explosion, but that was yet to happen with the score escalating to 10-2.  The Yankees had several homers, reminiscent of the game 57 years ago that my dad took me to see.  The newly installed “Monster” in 1960 was equally quiet that night, but Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris easily found the bleacher seats, while Manager Casey Stengel greeted them at the dugout steps with sparklers that he had brought to mock the flashy scoreboard.  The White Sox did homer in the bottom of the 9th last night to narrow the rout to 12-3, but we had left long before that brief moment of Sox success.   I suspect that only Yankee fans were left to see the consolation prize.

My wife got her Dippin’ Dots, a treat we had ordered at our first Yankees game together in NYC back in 1999.  We also stood on top of the Observation Deck of the World Trade Center that morning, something we will never get the chance to duplicate after the 911 attack the following year.  She was happy to exit the stadium early last night, with the game threatened by thundershowers and more Yankee home runs!  On the way out of Guaranteed Rate, after loss was surely guaranteed, I bought a “surprise” baseball for my modest sports collection of memorabilia.  There was definitely no guarantee of who’s signature would be on the ball I purchased, but it was for Sox charity.  After witnessing defeat-in-the-making and watching the giddy Yankee fans, I figured that the autograph would probably turn out be equally as worthless as the game itself.  In fact, when I opened the Chinese take-out box that concealed the surprise ball, I was not even familiar with the name!

The signature on the ball belonged to Yoan Moncada, a top prospect from Cuba that the White Sox acquired through the Red Sox as part of the Chris Sale trade.  Yoan is a minor league offensive sensation with exceptional speed that could be a future star when he’s brought up from Charlotte.  He’s apparently not much on defense, but wears the #10 White Sox jersey of arguably the best defensive catcher the game has ever seen.  (See Post #5:  Who Was That Masked Man?)  The surprise was then worth every penny of my donation, and gives me something to look forward to in August when they finally add him to the roster help “pick up the pieces” from a seemingly dismal White Sox season.

One additional magical moment happened at the ballpark last night.  I posted a picture of the famous “Monster” scoreboard on Facebook, and at the same time noticed that a long-lost business-friend had posted a similar photo at about the same time.  She was in the stands, and responded to my comments on being in the same place at the same time.  Shortly after, she graciously came down to our seats for a short reunion, having just spent some time with White Sox Hall-of-Famer, Frank Thomas.  It had been over a decade since my wife and I had worked with her on several syndication projects.  She had once given me an autographed copy of “M is for Murder,” from my author-heroine, Sue Grafton.  It had been personally signed, “M is for Mike.”  (See post #128)  Her visit, and sparkling personality, made my wife’s night at the ballpark special above and beyond the Dippin’ Dots, and allowed us to get her current contact information.  That’s the second re-connection I’ve made this year through Facebook. (See Post #15).

After a night of coincidences, for a brief moment I imagined that my surprise baseball could be signed by Frank Thomas.  I do have his autographed Hoosier brand bat in my collection at home.  Yoan Moncada will do nicely, though, especially because of the #10 that I wore in my mediocre days on the diamond, because of former White Sox, Sherm Lollar.  Ron Santo also wore #10 for the White Sox after coming over from the Cubs, so he bridges my connection with the two Chicago teams.  I admit being fickle, favoring the winner!  I also like the fact that the Chicago Cubs were once the Chicago White Stockings, so I can justify them in my mind as the same team.  Baseball history is important to me, as well, so the evolution of jersey #10 from past to future players is cool.  However, #10 should have been retired, and Sherm Lollar should be in the National Hall of Fame, not just in the White Sox Hall of Fame. (See Post #5).

The Yankees continued to score runs, long after we left the ballpark, had taken the Red Line back to our parked rental car, and then returned it to Hertz at O’Hare.   The “Damn Yankees” ultimately amassed 13 runs – only unlucky for the home team!  We finally arrived at the Airport Renaissance hotel, where during our last visit the Cubs won the World Series on November 2nd, as we watched from the bar with a group of strangers, all on the edge of our seats.

As part of that Chicago visit, we had gone to games 4 and 5 at Wrigley, watched game 6 with my wife’s mother back in Indiana, and thanks to the cancelled flight were able to watch the finale from Cleveland at the Airport Renaissance.  If it weren’t for the cancellation, I would have been stuck on the low-budget airline without Wi-Fi and would have missed the whole celebration.  It was result of a plan I put together just after home field for the World Series was determined by the All-Star Game.  I bought some cheap airline tickets from Portland to Chicago, but miscalculated the date of the return flight.  I chuckled to myself as I booked the trip in, knowing it would take a grandiose-kind-of-miracle for the Cubs to finally ever host World Series games.  My fear of also jinxing the possibility of this miracle, was then rationalized by purchasing tickets for the Bears game against the Vikings on Halloween, just in case.  My foolish notion was additionally fueled with the potential difficulty of securing tickets should everything somehow fall into place.

As it turned out, the Cubs won game 5 and the hapless Bears somehow beat the Vikings, so I got the best of both worlds.  I also went to Harry Caray’s, just as we did yesterday, but added the Billy Goat Tavern last year just to help break the curse. We were lucky on the return flight, just as we were lucky to run into our friend last night at the game.  Plus, all those memories of Cubs glory came flooding back, as I stood in the bar at the Renaissance this morning.  I then did the same victory run that I completed back in November, sadly acknowledging that the Cubs were in danger of losing the series to the Nats, but also sent both Montero and Schwarber down to the minors, and have lost Zobrist and now Bryant to injuries.  Plus, the White Sox were drubbed by the Yankees again last night, who may very well be the team to replace the Cubs as World Series Champions.  This morning’s run was indeed troublesome, but that’s the way the ball bounces!

Old Sport Shorts: My Kind Of Town #156

June 28, 2017 / / 0 Comments

My wife is working today in Chicago, so I’m doing my retirement thing here in “My Kind of Town.”  The nice thing about retirement is that it can be done from anywhere.  She did seem a bit jealous this morning, as she went one direction to make calls and I went the other for a Diet Coke.  However, I think that today will be considerably easier on her than the past few days of tending to the demands of her 95-year-old mother:  errands, closet cleaning, bank duties, dining, cemetery, wheelchair pushing, and the frustrating efforts to communicate.  We’re both glad to be away from the assisted-living environment that doesn’t exactly exude positive vibes.

Technically, it’s “Date Night,” so she’ll have yet another reason to want to get back home as soon as possible.  We’re going to a White Sox game tonight and  she’d undoubtedly rather “set her hair on fire” than watch baseball and eat hot-dogs.  Only I am looking forward to Date Night this week!  If she had her way, we’d probably be paying top dollar to see Hamilton, or at least go back to Joe’s Stone Crab for seafood and Sancerre.  That’s where we started this journey a few days ago to bring us back home to Indiana.  We did stop by to see the frozen-tongue of Flick stuck to the flagpole from the Christmas Story at the Indiana Welcome Center next door to our hotel.  It’s often the main highlight of these quarterly trips back to visit, if that gives you any idea of the level of excitement sometimes associated with this treks to the Hoosier State.   We’re in a different hotel room every night, up early every morning, and sluggish from our daily intake of fast food.  Not to mention, exhausted from long flights, traffic hassles associated with hours in a rental car, and conversations with her nearly deaf mother, often written on a dry-erase board.  I’m proud to say though that we had no major disagreements, other than where to turn.

My mother-in-law is a big sports fan, although apparently this wasn’t always the case.  It certainly didn’t rub off on her daughters!  We did take her parents to their very first Cubs game at Wrigley Field nearly 18 years ago.  Mark Grace was her favorite player at that time.  It’s probably because of her hearing issues that sports became the focal point of her television viewing after my father-in-law passed away.  She could easily follow games without dealing with closed captioning, and always tuned-in for Cubs games   It’s become a common bond between the two of us, and gives my wife a break during our visits.  We watched them play the Nationals the last couple nights, bemoaning their sluggish first half of the season.   We also were at Wrigley Field for last year’s World Series games 4 and 5, and watched game six from Cleveland with her at the assisted living home.  Honestly, if the Cubs were in town tonight we would have undoubtedly gone to Wrigley Field rather than Guaranteed Rate where the White Sox play.  However, since the Sox are playing the Yankees, the game will definitely bring back many memories. (See post #148: Summer baseball)

I haven’t seen the Yankees play in Chicago since 1960 when my dad took me to a game at original Comiskey Park.  I had just become a fan of the White Sox and their catcher, #10 Sherm Lollar, most likely because they had played in the World Series the previous year.  My had dad actually talked me out of being a Yankees fan that previous year in favor of a team closer to our Indiana home.  He hated the Yankees, but didn’t exactly have the White Sox in mind as my team of choice.  He was a Tigers and Cubs fan, and was hoping that I would follow suit.  Because of his efforts, I was a frustrated baseball fan for 46 years until the White Sox finally won it all.  I could have been an obnoxious Yankee fan, like so many others I’ve known through the years!

Original Comiskey Park and its exploding scoreboard named “The Monster” was right next door to where they built the new Comiskey Park – U.S. Cellular Field .  Just last year it was re-named Guaranteed Rate Field.  My White Sox finally won the World Series in 2005 in the new Comiskey Park, and I had the pleasure of attending a couple of those games. It was the last time I saw a game played there, even though we drive by it all the time on our route to and from Indiana.  Unfortunately, during the last dozen years, the team has been consistently “down,” and many White Sox fans, like myself,  are concerned about the Guaranteed Rate association with the stadium and their logo that consists of a giant red, downward pointed arrow.  Don’t  rub it in!

I return to the field tonight, after 12 years of enjoying season tickets with the Cubs, while struggling to maintain my childhood loyalty to the White Sox.  I’ve attended a couple of “Crosstown Classic” rivalry games at Wrigley in the meantime, so I didn’t totally forget about my allegance.  I’ve also worn my White Sox jersey to a several Mariner’s games up in Seattle, since moving to nearby Portland.  I’ve been to Yankee Stadiums, old and new, several times in the last few decades.  In fact, my wife and I went to see the Yankees and Cleveland play in 1999 in original Yankee Stadium.  We were just dating at the time, so we both made compromises.  Instead of hot dogs we tried Dippin’ Dots for the first time, and between innings some guy told us to “get a room.”   Six years later, as a married couple, we made a second compromise and went to see a Civic Theater presentation of “Damn Yankees,” with a show-stopping performance by the one-and-only Jerry Lewis.  That was probably the best trade-off we ever made between her love of Theater and mine of Baseball.

Ironically. before we started dating, my wife had access to tickets through one of her suppliers, and got me seats to take my ex-father-in-law to a Yankees game in Tampa at Tropicana in 1998.  He was one of those obnoxious Yankee fans, that I could have been just like if it weren’t for my dad.  I saw those “Damn Yankees” beat the Red Sox in 2009 at new Yankee stadium, and repeat the feat against the Rays in 2004 at the old stadium.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever watched them lose.  Hopefully, tonight will be the first time they go down in flames, and that my wife won’t set her hair on fire, instead of enjoying the game!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Squish The Fish #151

June 23, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Florida still ranks as one of our top retirement prospects.  My wife and I are still searching for that ideal “Golden Years” haven, (see post #138: Where to?) and have had several discussions recently about our future options.  It’s not surprising that we both feel a sense of comfort about the state of Florida and its warm beaches. Many Midwest families, where we both are originally from. vacation along the Gulf Coasts of Florida and Alabama every winter.  My grandparents had a retirement mobile home there, and my wife’s parents spent some of their winters at Gulf Shores, Alabama, just beyond the Florida border. My parents spent their retirement years in that same vicinity, along what is fondly referred to as the “Redneck Riviera.”  Likewise my son and his family chose the Florida Gulf and live there now, while his mother’s parents still joke about being some of the original settlers of the Gulf.

If we do end up there eventually, life will have gone full-circle.   As a kid growing up, my parents would pack up the station wagon with the four of us and spend at least one or two weeks in Florida every year crammed like sardines into my grandparents’ glorified trailer.  There were also a couple of times that we thankfully flew into Tampa, spending at least one night in a comfortable motel room rather than the hot metal box that my grandparents called their winter home.  The Florida vacation trend continued with my son, as we’d take our van to Disney World to see Mickey Mouse several times each year and pick up house plants for my ex-wife’s floral business on the way back.  At one time, she and I invested in a Siesta Key condominium with plans to spend more and more time in Florida.  Her parents, both remarried, were also owners in the same complex, and continue to spend at least half of their retirement time there.  Although Siesta Key is world-renowned for it’s crystal-clear water and white sandy beaches, I find the powdery sand, reminiscent of Al Pacino with a straw, sticky and annoying.  It’s drawn to you like a magnet and seems to rub those painful sun-burned spots on your body like sandpaper.  I prefer a grainier sand that’s more prevalent in northern Florida.

My son was particularly fascinated with Florida, specifically Miami.  The Miami Dolphins completed their perfect season two years before he was born, but the team’s popularity persisted throughout his childhood.   The Dolphins won a lot of games as he was growing up, but he never saw them win a Super Bowl.  I don’t think he ever took off his Dan Marino jersey.  He also became a fan of the Miami Hurricanes, Miami Vice, and Miami Beach, and was so excited when I took him to Miami for the first time.  I had business with Levitz Furniture based in Boca Raton.  It was back in the time when clients were actually receptive to meeting you face-to-face, as opposed to the impersonal Skype and e-mail encounters  in today’s business world.  I booked a room at the famous Fountainebleau on Miami Beach, expecting the ultimate in luxury suitable for any Mafioso head. Instead we got construction, including the signature fountain and swimming pool.  Even the beach was under excavation.  It was a noisy mess and a big disappointment.  I found an expensive women’s diamond wristwatch in the room that someone had carelessly left behind.  My first thought was no wonder they could justify the pricey room rates:  Get a dusty room and we’ll give you a free watch!

My current wife of sixteen years, who’s a definite keeper, is still passionate about her career that has taken us from Indiana, to Illinois, to Texas, and finally to Oregon.   Illinois, I should clarify, was definitely more my doing and ultimately my career downfall, but I enjoyed living there as a big fish in a small pond.  She is a beach-lover, and the only sand in Illinois is around Lake Michigan, so it would never have qualified as a retirement possibility.  We did a thoroughly check of  the Texas Gulf beaches and are still in the process of exploring the Oregon coast.  Texas was too hot and the water murky, and Oregon is too cold and windy.   Together we’ve visited Hilton Head, New York City, Savannah, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Virginia Beach, Tampa, Washington, and New Orleans, just to mention a few beach-front locations.  We’ve compared climates, water clarity, sand quality,  congestion, and prices.  Florida and California are the stand-outs.

I’m headed back to Florida in a few weeks.  One of our Portland disc-jockeys who moved here from Florida, constantly makes fun of the questionable mentality of its residents:  Flori-dah! is her take.  I think it’s just the heat!  Despite this concern, my son and I still plan to attend the M.L.B. All-Star baseball weekend in Miami.  He’ll get to spend a few more days in the city of his dreams, where we also experienced the inaugural game at Marlins Park a few years back.  I was never much of a Miami fan, as is typical with most father-son relationships.  I was hoping that his love of Miami would motivate him to attend college at “The U.”  Instead, he saved me a bunch of money on out-of-state tuition, and all I ever had to buy was that lucky #13 Marino jersey.  As a Chicago Bears fan, living in Indianapolis, home of the Colts, all I recall about the Miami Dolphins was being jealous of their winning ways: “Squish The Fish” was our cheer!

Florida was top-of-mind today for several reasons.  First, it is one of our top retirement choices, more specifically the Northern Florida panhandle, where the humidity isn’t as bad.  The beaches are great for walking, the water turquoise-blue and calm, and the temperatures more tolerable. Secondly, the Cubs are playing the Marlins again today in Miami, hoping for another win.  Finally, the University of Florida is the only other undefeated team in the College World Series, other than our Oregon State Beavers.   As an Oregon resident, I’ve been following the team all season, and plan to watch today as part of “Lunch Day.”  Maybe I should order fish?

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