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Category: Indiana University Hoosier (I.U) Sports (Page 24 of 31)

Indiana University Hoosier athletics

Retirement is not without Hassles: Holiday Highlights #1167

December 21, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Day # 4,010 of my running streak was completed in the rain, after weeks of somehow escaping from the inevitable here in Portland. Tally, now our only schnauzer, wasn’t happy either going out in a downpour. It certainly speeds up her sniffing-around time as she looks forward to being wrapped in a towel afterwards. There was no warm towel waiting for me when I returned from doing my 3.1 mile daily duty. Only 8 days now until the 11-year mark. That milestone will hopefully be reached in the warmer weather of Florida. 

Tonight is the annual holiday dinner for our Portland clan. We joined the tradition five years ago in our move here for my wife’s job. I then spent two years working in local radio before my retirement pension kicked-in. My wife just joined me, so everyone at the dinner table will for the first time be gainfully unemployed. Her new freedom will give us much more flexibility in achieving our travel goals. Through June of next year, we already have scheduled at least a week per month away from home, including Orlando, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Bali, and San Francisco. We’ll continue to plan for future down-time between already-booked river cruises through Egypt and Russia, plus an ocean voyage from Barcelona to Oslo, Norway. 

As I dry out from my morning run, I’m watching my I.U. Hoosiers play in-state rival Notre Dame. It’s part of the Crossroads Classic that I’ve attended many times while living in Indianapolis. The second game of the annual double-header will be Purdue against Butler. The teams rotate each year, but Indiana and Purdue never play until their two traditional conference battles. Even though I.U. has only lost one game so far this season against weak opponents, it seems like they’ve badly struggled, especially considering the thorough beating by Wisconsin. They really have trouble scoring and will soon face a tough conference schedule that will certainly be challenging. Hopefully, the luck of the Irish will wait for another day. 

We’ll have overnight guests tonight since the restaurant is in walking distance and the wine will be flowing. With the limited confines of our retirement apartment, we’ll have to do some rearranging and inflating in order to accommodate. We hope to have more room in our next move that could be determined in the upcoming Florida trip. We’ll explore the Gulf Coast for property options that should include a dedicated guest room and an office. Right now, we don’t have that luxury, but have already had multiple visits by friends anxious to see Portland. 

Tomorrow night we’ll entertain my wife’s oldest daughter and her new husband. We’ve had two weddings this year, so there’s been extra gifts to buy. However, there will be no travel back to Indiana that has always been a holiday tradition. Our flight to Orlando on Christmas Day will start something new. We also just booked a flight to San Francisco to see my wife’s youngest daughter and husband. it will be the initial visit there since the wedding at the Presidio three months ago. All in all, there will be a lot of first-time holiday highlights this year!

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Water Cooler #1164

December 19, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s now been three years since I started this retirement blog. It’s helped me transition from a disciplined sales career into establishing a steady morning routine of running and writing that I’ve religiously stuck to these initial years. My goal was to run and write everyday and I now have 1,164 posts to show for it. I’ve written poems, eulogies, and random thoughts to express my emotions – it’s now my water cooler, as I share my day with others on the internet as I used to at the office or with my clients. I hope to continue it for many years to come. 

On the entertainment front, we just finished with The Crown and have one final episode of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to watch. I continue to follow Curse of Oak Island and Vikings, while my wife is into HGTV. I’m reading Criss-Cross by James Patterson, but my interaction with books has been limited to bed time. It’s difficult to get into a story when it’s consumed in bits and pieces, so I often lose track of who’s who or who done it. It will be good to sit on an airplane, “forced” to read for hours at a time.  While at home, I tend to be too easily distracted by other things because of my limited attention span. I’ll suddenly shift from T.V. to genealogy to blogging to collecting with too little focus on each interest. It’s definitely time to hit the road. 

With regard to sports, I did hear back from I.U. basketball legend Kent Benson in response to the jersey that I sent him. (See Post #1149). It had it in my sports memorabilia collection for years, but with his recent family medical issues, I thought it might serve a higher purpose. Fed Ex had trouble with the delivery address but went out of their way to find him – all part of the “Christmas Spirit.” It’s been 43 years since he wore it during the historic undefeated 1975-76 seasons and National Championship run. In his e-mail he expressed gratitude to receive it and was touched by the letter that I enclosed. I’m just glad it’s safely in his hands. 

Moving to other memorabilia, I lost out on a 1949 St. Louis Browns signed baseball that was up for auction on E-Bay.  My interest was the Sherman Lollar autograph (See Post #5). He caught for them and owner Bill Veeck between his Yankees and White Sox years behind the plate. I’ve added a couple of unique “Sherm” pieces to my collection recently, including a post card from his bowling lanes and a Trivial Pursuit card where he was the answer to a question. He was my player idol as a child, but obviously not the most recognizable name in sports. I’m always surprised when other collectors are interested in merchandise related to him. In the case of this particular baseball, there were two other signatures, and someone outbid me at the very last second. There are tricks that I’ll need to learn more about if I intend to effectively compete in this process. I now feel even luckier that I recently won the 1956 White Sox baseball on the Heritage Auction site. It sold for much less and not only featured the Lollar autograph but also White Sox Hall-of-Famer’s Larry Doby, Nellie Fox, and Luis Aparicio. 

Looking ahead, we’ve arranged several holiday get-togethers with friends before we head to Florida next week. While we’re enjoying the warmth, we’ll also coordinate with former co-workers, family, friends, and neighbors. My wife has arranged dinner with a friend she hasn’t seen in a good forty-years. It’s not as long apart as some of my recent fifty-year reunions, but she is more than four years younger. We’ll also look as some potential retirement properties along the way. That’s it from the water cooler today!

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Flashes of the Past #1158

December 14, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s a gray, rainy day here in Portland, a good one for another movie. It will be the third movie this week, taking full advantage of our annual Regal Unlimited passes and Trimet Hop cards to get there. It’s affordable retirement entertainment that shows our practical side – in total contrast to the unavoidable, excessive spending when traveling. I’m watching an early morning basketball game between Oregon and Michigan, while still shaking my head about last night’s I.U. ugly victory over Nebraska. It was with all the horror of a Friday the 13th thriller. I guess we could also blame it on the recent “Cold Moon.” Hopefully, the Ducks will play better than the Hoosiers.

Yesterday was eventful, as I shared lunch with a friend that I hadn’t seen in over 50 years, and most likely the longest time apart between conversations. I recognized him right away and enjoyed our conversation, although I think he was leery of my intentions. He told me that he’d been contacted by two other people from his past and they wanted to sell him something. I assured him that my motive was strictly friendship, but in researching the tragic death of his wife I now understand his paranoia. I took a picture of the two of us and posted it on my Facebook page, along with two other group sites including “I Grew Up in Elkhart, IN” and “Elkhart, IN Class of 69.” The response was incredible from people that I hadn’t heard from in years. My personal page only generated 54 reactions but the other two combined were well over 300 and seemingly going viral. I heard from other home-towners that either live or have family in this area, and those curious about our whereabouts all these years. Most were enthralled with the coincidence of both of us living here and finally getting together 50 years later.  

My friend did not remember the Playboy story about his mom cutting out the pictures, but said it sounded like something she would do. (See Post #1154). He was not into social media, so I will have to relay some of the questions and comments that people posted about the two of us. I hope to get back together with him after we get back from Florida. I have never gotten this much interaction on Facebook, so I’ll be busy following-up with all these “flashes of the past.” 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Friday the 13th #1157

December 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I’ve always felt that Friday the 13th was a lucky day.  As far back as I can remember, it’s never been a bad day, although most of my life it’s been a work day. At least, it was the last day of the work week and that always made it good. There are no significant events, birthdays or anniversaries noted on my phone for the day, so there’s nothing to celebrate or regret. I am meeting an old classmate for lunch today after at least 50 years apart and there’s an I.U. Basketball game this evening. There is much to look forward to on this Friday the 13th, especially since the “Leadership Meetings” are no longer a Friday fixture. Lately, they’ve simply been friendly get-togethers to watch a scheduled game.  

As it turns out, my fellow Elkhart High School graduate has lived in Portland for at least the last forty years. I’ll find out more at lunch, but potentially he could be an addition to our “Leadership” group. Two of the other members are also from Elkhart, so it’s amazing we’ve all migrated to Portland. We’re all now retired with many memories of our home town back in Indiana. In our phone conversation yesterday to set-up lunch, I did find out that he doesn’t get back to the area, including our recent 50th High School reunion. It will be interesting to see who we still have in common and where life has taken us all these years. Reconnecting is one of the great joys of retirement. I probably wouldn’t have found him if it weren’t for the skills that I’ve developed in my genealogy hobby. This was the result of my recent successful efforts to find my birth parents, as detailed in Diary of an Adoptee, a category within this blog. 

My writing includes all of my interests, with the ultimate goal of writing a book. It’s carefully divided into categories, including Poetry, Sports, Adoption, Pets, Retirement, Running, and Travel. My daily topic varies within these categories to accommodate my mood or where I am in the world. We’ve moved into a downtown Portland apartment to eventually allow us to travel more and find a permanent retirement home hopefully near a warm beach. Portland was the end of both of our careers and not where we want to spend the rest of our lives. Despite the pleasant memories we’ve made here and the friends we’ll leave behind, it’s not our retirement nirvana. We’ll start taking the next steps in a week or so with a trip to Florida. Today, Friday the 13th, is also the start of the Twelve Days of Christmas. It’s an exciting time of the year! Hopefully, every day is a lucky Friday the 13th for the rest of our lives.

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Dark Water #1154

December 10, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I got a call from Fed Ex yesterday about the address where I sent “The Jersey.” (See Post #1149). Former I.U. basketball center, Kent Benson, no longer lives there, but they did have his cell phone number and left a message that he had a package. I also went to my I.U. Alumni directory to see if there was any contact information provided, but he was not listed. I’m still hoping that his I.U. jersey eventually gets to him.

While searching through the directory, I stumbled upon a Jim “James” Fairchild that was my age and lives here in Portland. Thinking of the long-shot that he might have been a high school classmate, I did some on-line research and found evidence that he once lived in Elkhart, Indiana. With this confirmation, I immediately called the number that he included with his I.U. profile, but it was disconnected. My only option was to send snail-mail to the address that is probably also outdated. Finding both Kent and Jim are now in the hands of the postal service. 

I never had much contact with Kent, but I clearly remember going over to Jim’s house in Elkhart. He lived on East Jackson Blvd. that followed the St. Joe River. Homes situated on the river-side were some of the priciest in the city, while those on the other side were large but not as valuable. I guess you could say that he lived on the relatively wrong side of the street. His parents must have both worked because they were never there when I was at the house on afternoons after school. One thing that made Jim popular was that his mom allowed him to read Playboy magazine, material usually only found hidden in the woods or under the bed if you were lucky at that age. His mom would actually go through the publication and cut out all the pictures. The allure was to see if she had missed any. We would gather at his house on this mission. I would love to re-connect with Jim after 50 years to get “the rest of the story.”

During the course of my amateur detective work, my wife and I walked to the movies. The showing of “Dark Waters” gave me a lot more to think about than old acquaintances. It was kind of a shocking story, knowing that all this was going on without our knowledge. It portrayed lawyers as the “good guys,” going after the evil that industrial giant DuPont was spreading around the world through the use of Teflon. Most of the story took place in Parkersburg, West Virginia. It made me think of an attorney friend of mine in Austin that was once a client. She was from West Virginia like the real-life character Robert Bilott that actor Mark Ruffalo portrayed. I was anxious for her reaction to the movie, since most of our recent communication has simply been about Indiana and West Virginia basketball. Because she has not yet seen it, there’s no point in spoiling the plot for any readers.

On our mile-long walk back from the theater, my wife was lamenting about the Teflon pans that she used for cooking clean-up convenience, unaware that she was poisoning her family. It made us think about all the trust we place on manufacturers to provide us with safe products. It’s disturbing to discover the harm we do to our bodies through what we consume or breathe-in every day. It was even more alarming to see the effects of harmful chemicals in causing cancer and tragic birth defects in both humans and animals. It made me leery of what’s below the surface of dark water?

Old Sport Shorts: Cheese Curse #1152

December 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

In the words of Yogi Berra, “it’s like deja vu all over again,” as I.U. basketball stumbles in Madison for the 18th straight time. It then looked like an unforgettable day for Badger’s fans when they took a two touchdown lead over the Big, Bad, Buckeyes. Instead, they were just as discouraged as most Hoosier fans by the end of the evening. At least, Indiana did not play football yesterday!.

After the I.U. 80-64 victory over Florida State earlier this week, I felt the possibility that the Wisconsin curse could finally end. After all, even the Cubs finally succeeded. Despite my pessimistic mindset, I actually thought that I.U. basketball had finally turned the corner and was headed in the right direction. Instead, I think that yesterday’s 84-64 thrashing set the program back twenty years. 1998 was the last time that the Indiana team plane flew away from Madison with a victory. I was 48 years old and could still remember winning championships in the era of Bobby Knight. Now, it seems like a distant memory with little hope.

If there was another game today, I’m not sure I could watch. My mind echos with Cheesehead laughter that turned to giddiness in the first quarter of the BIG championship game. A 21-7 halftime lead made me think of the enthusiastic alumni buzz at the A Bar here in Portland where they gathered for the game. This in total contrast to the shock at Ladd’s, Buckeye headquarters. I’m sure hundreds were in attendance at each location, when the I.U. alumni association can barely get a hand-full of supporters for a game-watch anymore. I’m sure that after a few days of mourning, I’ll saddle-up for another Indiana television broadcast. I doubt, however, that I go out in public to watch it. 

Granted, I was not confidently decked-out in I.U. gear yesterday, touting my team colors with pride at Buffalo Wild Wings. I watched the game with two friends and knew that after the opening five minutes we were not prepared to compete, let alone overcome the “Cheese Curse.” Other I.U. alum gathered separately around the city, and probably stayed away from our occasional hang-out Ladd’s, thoroughly infested with Ohio State faithful. Gleeful Buckeyes  watched their team crush Penn State in basketball 106-74 and then win a 3rd straight BIG football title. Even in envious spite, it was hard for me to “Say Cheese,” considering the beating that my pathetic Hoosiers took earlier in the day. I was trying unsuccessfully to choose between two evils. 

As the Wisconsin round-ball lead over Indiana grew insurmountable, we turned our attention to the the L.S.U. vs Georgia S.E.C. title game. Both of my friends have deep Oregon roots and began bemoaning the Ducks late season loss to Arizona State. After this week’s huge, dominant Oregon victory over #5 ranked Utah, it was becoming apparent that Georgia would slip out of Playoff contention and their spot could have been taken by Oregon instead of Oklahoma. As it turns out Oregon plays Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Too bad it’s not the Cheese-It Bowl. The Ducks’ could of-would-have-should-have factor was just one more thing to infringe on our Wild Wings beer buzz. At least, the fan interest of my buddies extends beyond my sole Indiana focus. I often wish that I had gone to Grad school so I’d have a second team. Through the years, I’ve tried to adopt home town favorites like Illinois, Texas, Oregon, Oregon State, and even Purdue, but I’ve never gotten wrapped-up as a bonafide fan. It’s only I.U! I’ll have to loyally wait for our 19th attempt to break the dreaded “Cheese Curse.”

Old Sport Shorts: The Jersey #1149

December 5, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Years ago, a collector friend of mine gave me an authentic I.U. jersey that eventually my wife had framed. As was Bob Knight’s coaching philosophy back then, there was no individual player’s name on the jersey just INDIANA 54. It was this concept of team that earned his team the last undefeated season in college basketball history and the 1976 NCAA Championship. The “Gentle Giant,” Kent Benson wore that jersey at a time when players were not allowed to keep their uniforms so they could be passed along to the next season. There were two versions – a white with red letters for home games and a red with white trim road jersey. I was given the latter, proudly displayed in my office and home.

I often felt that Kent Benson should have “The Jersey.” After all, he earned it – not me. It was crudely pinned to my office wall gathering dust. A mutual friend tried to orchestrate an exchange, but it never happened. I once met Kent at an I.U. game against Illinois, but by then “The Jersey” was in a huge, elaborate $1000 frame. After all, he was a big guy that required “Omar the Tent-maker” to cover his 6’11” frame. He autographed my ticket stub and we briefly talked about the mutual friend. The frame was ultimately damaged in an Illinois home flood, and was next moved to Austin, Texas and hung in a stairwell where the damage was not noticeable. When we next moved to Portland, Oregon, I finally had a room dedicated to my sports memorabilia. “The Jersey” was displayed on the wall next to a rival #30 Purdue practice jersey signed by coach Gene Keady. 

Bob Knight and Gene Keady had a fierce relationship. In fact, Knight threw “The Chair” on what now is Keady Court in West Lafayette, Indiana. I ran the television station that produced and aired Keady’s weekly coaches show. It was obviously not appropriate to display the Kent Benson jersey in my office, so I bought the Black & Gold Purdue pull-over at a local fundraiser to show my support for the local team. It was tough to be an I.U. grad in enemy territory, trying to act like Purdue was my favorite. I attended many Old Oaken Bucket football games and basketball clashes biting my tongue. However, Coach Keady was such a classy guy that he earned my respect. I certainly knew him much better than “The General,” Bob Knight, who I only met at the Maui Classic as part of an alumni rally. 

My wife and I recently moved out of our Portland condo and into a downtown apartment. It required some major downsizing and there was certainly no space for “The Jersey.” I was honestly thinking of dismantling the cumbersome frame and retaining just the #54. Instead, the glass broke during the move, making the decision easy. I then put “The Jersey” in storage. It was just last week that I read an article about Kent Benson and his family struggles with cancer. Several fundraisers were being organized in his honor. I’ve decided to reunite him with #54 after all these years and wrote this letter to accompany my package:

Dear Kent:

Enclosed you will find your Indiana jersey #54 that I have had in my possession for many years. I’m an I.U. grad, Class of ’73, now living in Portland, Oregon. A friend of mine had access to all the jerseys once the school decided to buy new ones. They were apparently recycled from year-to-year and no one got to keep them. On a couple of occasions I tried to get this to you, but I kept moving further away. Also, my wife had it framed as a gift, making it more difficult to give up. You probably haven’t seen it for about 43 years, but just recently the pricey frame was damaged in our move. 

I’ve been reading about some of the fundraisers on your behalf, and thought this might cheer you up a bit through the Holidays. I also want to thank you for those great years of championship basketball. I didn’t realize at the time what a rare accomplishment I was experiencing. You’ve have always been a Hoosier Hero and “The Jersey” was proudly the centerpiece of my sports memorabilia collection. Whether you decide to keep it or offer it as part of a fundraiser, it’s now back in your hands where it should be. 

Best Regards,  

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Return to the Routine #1146

December 3, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s been a busy week of traveling and entertaining. We just finished a trip to the airport and returned a rental car. This immediately reduced the number of keys in my sagging pockets. I still have two other sets in my possession that allows access to our apartment and cars. We needed the extra space of an S.U.V. to haul passengers and wine boxes from vineyard to vineyard. It was great fun with good friends who are now on their way back to Tucson. We talked, toasted, and tasted for 6 days, spending two of those nights in a cozy McMinnville boutique hotel. They were with other friends for the prior 3 nights, so I’m sure they’re anxious to get home. However, three days later they are headed to Maui. We envy their travel schedule, and are always happy to hear the stories of their many adventures. 

The next time that we’ll see them will be four months from now in Phoenix for Spring Training. We bought tickets for the warm-weather version of the Crosstown Classic, as the Chicago White Sox battle the Cubs. We’ll combine that with a few more games, other friends, shopping, dining, and side-trips, then ride back with them to their Tucson home for a few more days of sunshine. I don’t think they were impressed with our chilly Portland weather, but at least the rain stayed away. By that time of year when we reunite, we’ll be glad to escape from the Portland gloom. We’ll also be in Florida and Las Vegas during this year’s rainy season. I will definitely not need large doses of Vitamin B or my Happy Lamp to get through the winter months next year. 

We hope to visit the Grand Canyon during our “too long” Vegas stay. A snafu in Marriott Vacation Club points made it necessary to use a week of lodging, when three days is more than enough in “Sin City.” It was where we were married 19 years ago and haven’t been back for a few years. Most of our travel there centered around business conventions, including the timing of our ceremony at the Bellagio. I wish we were staying in their luxurious accommodations, but instead we’re “slightly” off The Strip. On this stay, we’ll sacrifice convenience and comfort for practicality. It will probably not be the romantic experience that we shared on our wedding weekend. However, we always have a good time.

On a sad note, tonight will be our 15-year old schnauzer’s last meal. Tinker still has an appetite despite losing a lot of her mobility in recent days. (See Post #1145). She’ll be put to rest tomorrow after a long and happy life with our family. It will be a tough day of tears and memories.

Despite our concerns about leaving Tinker at home with failing health, it was still an enjoyable weekend in wine country. As a distraction, I was able to watch bits and pieces of I.U.’s Bucket Game football victory and a basketball win. It was also “Rivalry Week” for most conference opponents with lots of surprises. Unfortunately, I.U. Soccer was the victim of an upset in the Sweet 16, a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in double overtime to U.C.S.B. Tonight, the Hoosiers will play Florida State in basketball, their first real test of the season. It will be an evening version of our weekly “Leadership Meeting” at Buffalo Wild Wings as I get back together with my Portland friends. It also marks the return to my normal, boring retirement routine, after such a busy week of entertaining. 

Six days together,
Not one “Five-Peak” day.
Glad we were part of,
Your Portland stay.

Hydraulic parking,
Too many keys.
A lobby filled,
With Cheesy trees.

The cramped quarters,
Of big city living.
But near Urban Farmer,
To celebrate Friendsgiving.

Streetcar stop,
Just next door.
Homeless problem,
Hard to ignore.

We each bought Knives,
And saw Them “Out.”
Learned what McMinnville,
Was all about.

Diet Coke stops,
Along the way.
Visited wineries,
Like Ponzi and Shea.

To welcome us,
They held a parade.
We guzzled Pinot,
Like Kool-Aid.

Atticus weekend,
Twinkly lights.
Red Hills’ breakfasts,
Chilly nights.

They had beds,
With two sides.
And day reminders,
On elevator rides.

Sazerac, Absinthe,
And gourmet grub.
From the Driftwood bar,
To the Country Club.

Thaw-out in Maui,
We’ll see you come Spring.
Once you run out,
More wine we’ll bring.

Wild Turkey,
Spruce Goose.
Make Walla-Walla,
Next year’s excuse.

Retirement is not without Hassles: All Keyed Up #1144

December 1, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It was day #3990 of my running streak, as I wandered through the streets of McMinnville, Oregon. It’s been our home base for wine tasting these past two days and the gas alone propelled me along. I did mange to get out between rain showers in the near freezing temperatures. So far, we’ve tasted from eight different vintners plus dinner pairings, and plan on at least three more today as we make our way back to Portland. I was “key” on watching watch some I.U. soccer this morning as they play in the Sweet Sixteen, but there is no television coverage out here in the boonies. It will be another frustrating day of internet monitoring with a sporadic signal. I missed the thrilling end to yesterday’s Bucket game while we were traveling on a gravel road to our favorite vineyard. Our host was somehow able to get me the final score. It made my day.

During yesterday’s travel, we stopped to see the famous Spruce Goose that is actually made of birch and bought some custom cooking knives and a pearl Christmas Tree. My wife, the “Pearly Girl,” could not resist a little shopping along the way. We also have several cases of wine in the back of our rental SUV so we could easily accommodate the four of us, packages, and luggage. Neither of our convertibles would have worked for this particular trip. The dogs stayed at home with a sitter, her first trial with them in our new apartment. 

I haven’t felt burdened with keys these past few days. One of the biggest hassles of living in a secured building is that every door requires a key or key fob. I’m always digging in my pockets to find the right one and my pants sag from the weight. I’m ready for a stylish janitor’s key ring to wear on my belt. I passed along most of my heavy keys to the pet sitter in exchange for a plastic hotel room key card I can carry in my wallet, while the valet has my car keys. As a result, my pants are staying up much better on this trip. 

The new knives that we bought made me think of our plans to watch “Knives Out” tomorrow for Matinee Monday. Once again, we’ll walk to the theater. Our friends are getting a taste of big city living before they return to Tucson. I’m sure they feel somewhat trapped in our tiny apartment, knowing that they can’t get in and out without us. The trip to wine country has given us all a chance to spread out and breathe some cool mountain air. However, it’s just a bit too cool, especially for their much thinner blood from living in a considerably warmer climate. We hope that our next home will be near a hot, sunny beach. We’re “all keyed-up” to check-out the Florida Gulf Coast in a few weeks. 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Bucket Day #1143

November 30, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Bucket Day is off to a good start, with I.U. ahead 14-0 just after the first quarter of play. A victory is on my bucket list every year. I.U. basketball plays this afternoon, and I.U. soccer tomorrow, as our Wine Country Weekend continues with tastings in-between sporting events. Friends are visiting from sunny Tucson, struggling to stay warm in our near freezing temperatures. We booked an additional week with them for Spring Training in March. They leave for Maui next week to thaw-out from their Pacific Northwest experience. We want to eventually be like them with their envious travel plans all over the world. 

We are in tiny McMinnville, Oregon at the charming Atticus Hotel, as Purdue scores twice to narrow the score. We covered three vineyards yesterday, with an additional tasting back at the hotel and champagne upon check-in. As the score gets tighter, I will need another glass soon. We may take a break in drinking this afternoon to visit the Spruce Goose, Howard Hughes’ famous airplane at the nearby Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Herbert Hoover’s boyhood home is also in this area, if we need an additional educational experience this weekend. One can only drink so much Oregon Pinot Noir!

After breakfast and another Indiana touchdown, we are headed for our first winery of the new day, It’s 28-10, as the Hoosiers continue their quest to stop a two-year victory streak for the Boilermakers. Regardless of what happens today, Purdue will continue to dominate the overall series that stands at 74-41-6 before today’s rainy Bucket battle in West Lafayette. Purdue somehow hangs-in-there to make it 28-17. I will soon need a bucket of wine to calm my nerves. In the meantime, my wife continues to parade into the room with her many purchases from the local merchants. It is, after all, “Small Business Saturday,” and she’s certainly doing her part. 

Yesterday as we arrived at the hotel, we had to weave our way around the road-blocks set up for the annual Holiday Parade. The streets were crowded for the arrival of Santa Claus, so it was a challenge to get to the front door. As soon as it turned dark, the trees in the downtown area began to twinkle in holiday splendor. In the spirit of the season, favored Indiana continues to “gift” Purdue with three missed field goals and too dam* many silly defensive penalties. As is typical with Bucket games, the underdog always finds a way to stay in the game. It’s now 28-23 I.U. with nine minutes remaining. 

I was forced to leave before the game ended, and lost cellular service on the way to our first tasting. When I finally got an internet connection, the game was tied at 31 in overtime.  The Hoosiers eventually won in double overtime 44-41. Twenty-six years ago was last time I.U. had secured 8 victories and a winning conference record. Coach Tom Allen is undoubtedly hoarse from his high-energy cheer leading. I.U. basketball also won to move their record to 7-0, another standard that hadn’t been reached in years. I.U. soccer plays early tomorrow morning P.S.T., so the excitement of wine and sports will continue in McMinnville. Go Hoosiers!

 

 

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