Category: Chicago Cubs (Page 6 of 26)
Cubbies
It was day #4,530 of the consecutive running streak, with some of the painful stiffness and soreness finally leaving my muscles. It could be the comfortable king size bed that is back in our possession, the visits to the chiropractor, or the extra stretching I’ve been doing. It was as good of a morning that I’ve had in months, after a well-deserved rest from unpacking last night. Instead, I watched 50-year old Phil Mickelson win the PGA Championship, Scott Dixon win the pole at Indy, the White Sox blow another game against the Yankees, and the Cubs eek out a series victory over the Cards. Most of my TV viewing of late has been sports oriented, despite the fact that I’m already missing the early start times of the West Coast.
We’re scheduled for Disney World (my son-in-law has never been) over Christmas week and Tahoe in September. This will be additional time with my wife’s daughters and their husbands this year. We’ll see all of them in San Francisco and Portland in a few weeks, as we start to crank up the travel schedule. My wife is also looking to visit friends in conjunction with a couple nights planned for Florida’s Singer Island in the next few months. Soon, we’ll use our Viking credits to rebook Egypt and other exotic spots that were cancelled during the pandemic.
I’m picking up my grandson from golf practice this afternoon -my grandfatherly duty to start the week. He spends every other week with his mother up in Sarasota, about a half-hour north – so it’s constant back and forth for schoolwork, activities, and family obligations. I’m just trying to help. Tonight, I’ll be back in front of the TV to watch the White Sox and Cardinals. In this case, the Sox can help the Cubs before they eventually meet head-to-head later in the season. I’m also watching Skinwalker Ranch on the History Channel, but I’m not really enthralled with the alien story line. Even in all that time without furniture we’ve had a plethora of TV sets. However, with all the activities in the area it is not my primary go-to entertainment as it was in Portland. Happy Monday (Trash Day)!
It’s day five of unpleasant unpacking, with more than 30 boxes still sitting in the garage. Fortunately, one of our cars has been in the shop all this time for repairs. The Lexus is patiently waiting in the driveway for the space to open up. I borrowed my son’s massive SUV last night to haul boxes and packing materials to the dumpsters. He also installed our living room TV and hung a few brackets, hooks, and racks. He’s been handy to have in the neighborhood.
The Cubs and Sox both lost yesterday, as I also watched the first day of Indy 500 qualifications. These were rare moments of relaxation, as stiff and sore muscles continue to cause discomfort. At least the chilly pool water gives them temporary relief. All the boxes are now open but only digging down will reveal their true contents. The descriptions written on each one have proven to be both vague and deceptive. I’m guessing we have at least three more days of sorting through everything before we get to the actual picture hanging process. That will take another week.
We are taking a travel break in mid-June to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We’ll fly into Oakland for a few days and then head to Portland. This will give her a chance to visit with both daughters. I’m still not sure if we’ll get tickets to the Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon that was one of my original intents of the trip. We’ve held tickets for two years now, following the rescheduling of the event, but with limited seating capacity they started the process over again. We still haven’t been notified of the results – do we have tickets or not?
The state of Oregon still seems to be in a different world when it comes to Covid planning. First, it was the unavailability of vaccines, followed by indecisiveness regarding occupancy rates, and now mask usage protocol when it comes to those already vaccinated. Their ultra conservative approach does not seem to be generating results any different than those states that are fully open and functioning. I’m glad to be out of there, but am looking forward to the upcoming visit with family and friends.
I spent the noon hour with my youngest granddaughter playing in the lanai pool. It took awhile to coax her in the water but eventually she wanted to ride on the inflatable unicorn. It was one of those endearing Granddad moments that I’ve missed all those years living so many miles apart. It was one of several bonding moments over the last few weeks of living in Florida. So far, it’s been all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.
We’re down to under 50 boxes yet to unpack, maybe half-way done after 3 days of work. We deserve a few breaks now and then after forty-days and forty-nights of waiting for our possessions to arrive. Now that they’re here, it’s been box after box from morning to night, with a late night visit to the dumpsters for disposal of cardboard and packing materials. I caught another neighbor last night trying to be equally stealthy with a carload of crap. While my wife acts like it’s Christmas with each box she opens, I’m lugging in each one then being the trashman, painstakingly smoothing out the packaging, breaking down the containers, eliminating any potentially incriminating evidence that might be written on the sides, and hauling them out to the various construction sites once it gets dark. I’m spreading the wealth out to as many as six disposal containers to avoid over-filling or creating unwelcome attention from our association.
There’s another granddaughter birthday yet to celebrate in May, the opening of the Indy 500 festivities that I’ll again observe from afar, Memorial Weekend in a brand new home (I’ve already found the flag), and baseball series featuring the Yankees/White Sox and Cubs/Cards. I’ll also pick up our repaired car next week that will be mostly dent-free and with a shiny new coat of red paint. It deserved a cosmetic facelift after getting all of us safely to Florida, through kidney stones, mountains, high temperatures, and 3,500 miles of highway travel. Soon, the reorganizing will be over and the painful relocation from coast-to-coast compete. I’m visualizing a future of strictly rainbows and unicorns!
I was having another great sports evening, watching the Cubs, White Sox, and IU Soccer, but in the end it was spoiled. A goal with time running out in overtime gave Marshall University its first ever NCAA soccer title. It derailed what could have been a 9th championship for the soccer Hoosiers and sent me to bed shaking my head. IU was seemingly outmatched during the entire game and barely held on to get to overtime. Where did these guys come from? They took out #1 seed Clemson, perennial favorite Georgetown, the home town Tar Heels, and storied Indiana to sweep through the tournament. Another unforeseen ending to an already strange Covid disrupted season.
Marshall has survived one of the greatest tragedies in sports history. The movie “We Are Marshall” depicts the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 75 people: 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, along with five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters, and a crew of five. They’ve since achieved two NCAA Division 1-AA championships in football, but this is their first NCAA title outside of that sport – a long time in the making. It’s well deserved, even at the expense of my Alma Mater.
Just like Marshall – “We’ll Be Back,” and eventually get our 9th. The Herd may very well develop into a national powerhouse in the sport with few seniors on their squad. Despite the Hoosier loss, there were several positive recruiting stories in both basketball and football yesterday, as a legitimate 7-footer and several football studs entered the university athletic programs through the portal. Plus, both the White Sox and Cubs won last night, with Oregon State product Nick Madrigal, the Pale Hose second baseman, getting his first Major League homerun, while the Cubbies felt the temporary pain of former teammate Kyle Schwarber’s (IU/Cubs/Nats) dinger. These Chicago victories were worthy of sweet dreams in lieu of the “We Are Marshall” nightmare.
I continue to resort to the same headlines – in this case “Keep On Truckin'” – for the third time. I try to be clever, but there seems to be a reoccurring theme as the number of posts continue to add up. This will be the third time that I’ve used it, but in this case it actually refers to trucking rather than the music of the Grateful Dead or the Doo-Dah Man (Post #760 and Post#1603). The truck with our stuff should arrive within a week, the first sign that last night was going to be a good one. The good news phone call came when I was sipping on some Broken Barrel Whiskey as the red hot White Sox were losing the first game of a double header. They often say that good and bad news comes in threes, so after the dispatcher called with the report that our loaded truck would arrive in Tampa on Wednesday, it set off a wave of good fortune that continued through the rest of the night.
Whether or not it continues today I will soon find out. My run was painfully stiff, as soreness continues to rack my body. I’ve been doing exercises to offset the arthritis in my lower back, including the purchase of a body and back massage tool that resembles the hook of a shepherd’s staff at each end. It’s designed to reach those sore muscles and help them relax, recommended by my chiropractor. Today’s results were not encouraging. I go back again on Monday. However, with any sport or exercise there are always good and bad days. After 4,521 consecutive days of running, I should know as well as anyone. Regardless, last night was a great night of watching sports and the buzz was still there when I woke up this morning.
It started with a Cubs victory, as their relief pitching continues to be strong. They’ve needed it since 9 or their last 11 games have been decided by one or two runs. They’ve won six of those for a May record of 8-3, putting them four games behind the first place Cardinals. However, the offense continues to struggle with a run differential of minus 5, compared with the Cards at +26. They play next weekend in St. Louis, the first head-to-head of the young season.
I then turned over to IU soccer and watched the Hoosiers advance to the NCAA Championship in search of their 9th National Title. They edged out a tough Pittsburgh squad who dominated possession time but couldn’t score. The Panthers attempted twice as many shots but the Hoosier defenders prevailed. The Cream & Crimson, ranked #2, will face #10 Marshall in the Monday night finale.
At the same time the soccer game ended, the White Sox won the second game of the Kansas City doubleheader, going 8-2 in their last ten to keep pace with the Indians. The slugging Sox are +64 in run differential this season and just as exciting on the bases. Billy Hamilton has show some speed and promise, filling in for a number of serious injuries that have plagued stars like Jimenez, Robert, and now Abreu, So far, aging Tony La Russa has pushed the right buttons, although criticized for not knowing the newly established rules of doubleheader games. The Sox have so much depth that it doesn’t appear that there will be a La Russa-Pujols reunion in Chicago. I’m particularly impressed with rookie Yermin Mercedes and Oregon State product Nick Madrigal. The Sox are now referred to as the best team in baseball. Hopefully, that will continue.
To summarize the good news, our long delayed stuff is within reach and sports are going my way. The Indy 500 is on the horizon and my wife gets her second vaccine shot today. Both granddaughters celebrate birthdays this month. The future indeed looks sunny and bright here in our new Florida home. Go Sox, Cubs, and IU – and Keep On Truckin’.
About a year ago, 325 posts in the past, I wrote about Fry Day. (See #1344). We had started our Florida search for our forever home, but spent too much time in the car eating McDonald’s French fries. It had a much different meaning than today when we’re headed to the beach with our Fry Chairs, expecting to roast in the sun and surf. The search is over, construction complete, and we’ve moved in. The only thing missing at this point is our furniture, now two full weeks past due and still stuck in a Portland warehouse. We feel helpless in trying to rescue our possessions since numerous phone calls and conversations have been fruitless.
Today we get a visit from the couple who inspired our retirement home decision. They were friends from our time in Decatur, Illinois but have since moved to Tucson, Arizona. They built a home in a Del Webb residential development that appealed to my wife and I. We have since followed their advise on looking for a resort community that fits our needs. The main difference is that their backyard is filled with cacti and succulents while ours is primarily water and a screened-in lanai. We also wanted to be near the ocean, so Venice became our #1 choice. These friends are traveling cross-country with children in Texas and the Carolinas, so they will stop in to check-out our new home. Sadly, it is like an empty tomb, without rugs, carpeting, artwork, and furniture. Not much to show-off!
We’ll return to Fins tonight for a sunset dinner after French Fries at the ballpark last night. Yesterday, I took the grandkids to the rooftop Tiki Bar to watch the Cubs play on the big screen. Unlike the night before, the struggling Cubbies were able to score some runs and eventually beat the Braves. The sunset was once again beautiful, but the kids a bit rowdy. I hope I can get used to it. Today, it will be the peaceful beach and bright sun. We’ll steer clear of McDonald’s, park our chairs with a Gulf view, and soak in some rays on a Friday Fry Day!
We go back to school today – Pool School – where we learn all about taking care of our new swimming pool. Hopefully, they can set up the fountain to run when we want and properly hook-up the underwater light. The pool also gets converted from chlorine to salt this afternoon. We’ll probably start with a maintenance program until we get the feel for its care. At some point, we’ll probably end up installing a heater, but I’m content with the temperature for my morning laps. I’ve gotten in it every day since we’ve moved in, slowly putting a dent in its cost-per-use.
There’s a lot to learn about our new house, as we’re gradually trained on the use of associated appliances, electronics, and mechanics. We know all about smoke alarms and got our new central vacuum accessories yesterday. We’re ordering rugs and furniture to reduce the hollow echo, as we continue to wait for our lonely furniture that sits in the Portland warehouse. No word from North American Van Lines despite several calls this week. They supposedly continue to refund us $100/day penalty that now amounts to over $1000. Plantation shutters and lanai blinds have been ordered for much needed privacy from the close-by neighbors. I’ve met the people on both sides now, but those across the street seem much friendlier.
New home celebrations continue, as we get settled. Two pictures have been hung on the wall and we own a new ladder. Today is my wife’s eldest daughter turns 40. My son and his wife presented us with a wall hanging of “Happy Together” in honor of our 20th anniversary last week. Two of their three kids have birthdays in May, as we soon flip to our second Florida month. Last night we went to the neighborhood ballpark for dinner, where the sunset was much more entertaining than the game. The Braves, now our home team, drubbed the struggling Cubs 10-0. They took them to school – not Pool School.
Spring is nearly here – pitchers and catchers reported this week. Spring Training games begin at the end of February, so just a few weeks away. The Dodgers are picked to repeat, while the White Sox are in the favorites mix for once. The Cubs are picked behind the Cardinals and expected to have a mediocre year. As basketball heads to Selection Sunday, I.U. can take another step towards a spot in the 64-team field with a victory over Michigan State this morning. It’s another 9 a.m. start on the West Coast, far too early to get my blood pressure up. The match-up will likely be frustrating, with the Hoosiers unable to string multiple BIG victories together. Five games left until the BIG Tourney, after adding another this week, and I.U. needs at least two of them to go their way.
At least there’s some excitement to look forward to watching, regardless of the outcome. It was hard when the pandemic reared its ugly head a year ago and there was no I.U. basketball for me to rant about. In fact, the only basketball was TBT, the first of the sporting events to play all tournament games in one quarantined location. MLS Soccer was next, then the NBA, and now the NCAA, all in venues around the state of Indiana. Baseball will probably continue to be regionalized and fans limited until the vaccine finally gets the viral spread under control. My age group is eligible in a few weeks.
I.U. looked strong to start the game for once, but Michigan State caught on fire to reverse a 13-point deficit. I.U. then rallied for a rare 4-point halftime lead. It looks like another close BIG battle that will come down to the wire. There were a few brief moments when I foolishly thought it would be a blowout, but the Hoosiers could not hit an outside shot and too many bunnies. Dunk the ball dammit! We’re also 2-10 from three, but fortunately they aren’t shooting much better. The Spartans stole a couple of Indiana All-Stars from under our nose, so hopefully this won’t come back to haunt us down the stretch. I’m on the edge of my seat!
P.S. 78-71 I.U. loss!
