Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 46 of 68)

An old guy’s perspective on all sports

Retirement is not without Hassles: “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do!” #835

February 8, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Another week is coming to an end and warmer Arizona temperatures are thankfully in the forecast. Here in Portland there is talk of up to 14 inches of snow accumulation over the next week. Our pet sitter will have to navigate the neighborhood hills and use our crampons to safely walk the dogs. Phoenix will at least be in the 60’s for our “Valentine Getaway.” It starts with budget meetings for my wife and ends with friends in Tucson, but in the meantime we’ll get some alone time at a Marriott Vacation Club villa.

The next stop on our “Travelin’ Tour” will be Seattle for a baseball weekend with college friends. Our Indiana Hoosiers will face defending National Champion Oregon State in one of several college baseball match-ups at Safeco Field, home of the Mariners. Just after we get back from Arizona, Major League spring training will start along with several similar college pre-season tournaments. Last year I attended one in Surprise also featured Oregon State, so I’ll see my first game a few weeks later this year. Nonetheless, as Spring quickly approaches it’s time to “Play Ball.”

Indiana basketball did not fare well against hot-shooting Iowa last night, so my Alma Mater is once again not likely to make the post season. There was a brief breeze of hope with last week’s unexpected victory in East Lansing, but this home court loss puts an extra long nail in the coffin. It’s funny how the I.U. Alumni Association caught up with me last week in my temporarily insane condition and it resulted in the purchase of a digital directory to support the 200th anniversary of the school. Try getting that money out of me this week?

I got my Valentine’s cards out to the grandkids and wrote the traditional poem for my wife. We celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our first “date” tonight at the Outback bar that has become a regular dining favorite for ribs. “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” is what Elvis might serenade us with. He would have been 84 last month, while Frankie our aging cat (named after Sinatra) is 18 years old today. They once did a great duet of “Love Me Tender” (not the cat).

Mid-week “Date Night” was at Rosa Rosa, the new Paley restaurant downtown that proved to be disappointing. Tomorrow night’s movie will be Stan & Ollie. It may be a challenge getting there in the snow, since I’ve already bought the tickets. Maybe Uber to the rescue? My wife already plans to order a car to get her to the airport the next morning for her business meetings. I won’t fly out for another two days.

As you may have noticed, I continue to avoid specifying the days of the week. It’s been my experience in retirement that they are now all really the same, and there’s no need to use the typical Monday thru Sunday labels. Also, vacations and holidays no longer apply. It’s simply today, tomorrow, and the next day on the retirement calendar. By the way, this week’s 1,000 Places To See Before You Die calendar features India, Malta, and Tokyo that are on our yet-to-visit list, and Slovenia, The Bahamas, and Greece that we’ve already seen. As Elvis might sing to his Valentine, “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do!” Make that Travelin.’

Oh got a lot o’ living (travelin’) to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
Come on baby, to make a party takes two
Oh yes I’ve got a lot o’ living (travelin’) to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
And there’s no one who I’d rather do it with-a than you!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Family Matters #831

February 4, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been an eventful few days of February already, and that’s not because of Groundhog Day, the Superbowl, or the end of an I.U. basketball losing skid. This is not the stuff that matters! It’s family that really matters and a lot has happened of late.

My nine month old granddaughter is crawling, cooing, waving, and eating real food. She’s a doll, and I regret not being closer to my son and his family. We are 3,125 miles apart! It’s also not an easy flight with the 3 hour time difference, so I get to see them only rarely. On the other age extreme, we spend most of our family travel budget and my wife’s vacation time on quarterly trips back to Indiana. Her 97-year old mother is now requiring round-the-clock nursing, while most of her life savings are going to this expense. She could soon run out of money. This is something that every retiree and family member needs to worry about.

My wife’s youngest daughter sent us her new apartment address a few days ago. She and her anticipated fiance are moving from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, California so they’ll at least be in the same time zone as we are. This should allow us to see them more often. Her sister, the only relative who lives nearby in Portland, just showed us her new engagement ring yesterday, and will start a new job soon. Between my wife’s sister’s daughter, who got engaged over the holidays and my wife’s two great girls, we’re anticipating three wedding in the near future. It’s hard to keep up with all these family matters.

As you can see, there’s good news and bad news when it comes to my family matters. My only sister and I have already dealt with the passing of our parents. She bore most of this grave responsibility. We met for lunch over the holidays, but I didn’t get to see her two busy kids, my nephew and niece, as we too remain separated by 2,216 miles and only limited visiting time when we’re back in Indiana. She did bring along one of her five granddaughters. The best I can do is call her every Monday and keep track of the kids on Facebook. It would have been our mom’s 98th birthday today, born one day after dad. Our family matters are now simply about memories, and trying to get together whenever we can.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Overtime #830

February 4, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

My working wife is working extra hours this week. This means that I’ve been relinquished of any stressful cooking responsibilities tomorrow night. She’ll be dining out while I’ll be eating frozen dinners. I love a good chicken pot pie, and it’s just what I need in retirement – less responsibilities. I’m down to running, stretching, sleeping, writing, genealogy, banking/bills, maintenance, trash, personal hygiene, vacuuming, mail, dusting, kitty litter, laundry, dog walking, reading, and TV watching, with very little overtime. This week I’ll include tax and will preparation. Even I can handle that much of a “work” load!

Last night’s Super Bowl was boring, but the baked wings and iced football cookies were great. Congrats to Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots…again. I’m still riding high on the I.U. basketball victory at Michigan State. It made my weekend a 10. We went out to dinner Friday night and saw the movie The Favourite, another must on my wife’s Academy Awards list. It’s a bizarre production, but true in many ways. My wife also rented Roma, but I was busy in “Banister World.” It’s my own little soap opera, based on my true life story of adoption. In the process, I found a few more DNA matches on my massive Ancestry.com Tree.

This Friday marks the 20th anniversary of our first “date.” It’s also the 18th birthday of our cat Frankie, with blue eyes like Sinatra. Two causes for celebration before we head to Phoenix next week. There’s snow flurries in the forecast for this afternoon, so some Arizona heat will be a welcome relief. I have to get some sun before we spend a week on the Thailand coast of the Andaman Sea. It’s just six weeks away! I like my routine at home, but travel is what I really want in retirement. Plus, my wife needs a break from research projects and budget meetings that keep her working extra hours. It makes me feel guilty about being older and enjoying retirement.

Old Sport Shorts: Breslin or Bust #829

February 3, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

There are not too many things in life that I get more emotional about than I.U. Basketball. I know that sounds silly – it’s just a game! There are also not many places that have haunted me more than the Breslin Center – home of the Michigan State Spartans. It’s named after Jack Breslin, the former athlete and alumni leader who pushed for the facility. It was built in 1989 and was never kind to me when I visited. The court itself is the very floor that MSU won the 2000 Final Four at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. I.U. has been a consistent bust at Breslin, but before that time the Hoosiers held the slight edge, winning 17 times of the 33 games held in East Lansing since 1949.

Indiana lost in the inaugural year of the new building in 1990 by the score of 72-66, but rebounded for our first win the following year 62-56. The Hoosiers did not win again until 2013, 22 miserable years later 72-68! The reality of “000 for East Lansing,” reflected in my frustrations over that nightmarish time span when Sparty had his way with us. Oddly, with all the good basketball teams we fielded, the closest we came to victory was a one-point O.T. loss in 2011 by one of the least competitive Hoosier teams that I can remember. Only in Tom Crean’s first season as coach in 2008-09 can I recall a worst Big Ten record. That year, we traveled to the Maui Invitational only to be embarrassed by both Notre Dame and St. Joseph’s. Later that season, they lost at Breslin by 28 points, the beginning of what must be a record 10-game Big Ten losing streak to finish 1-17 in the conference. Thanks Iowa! With only 6 total victories that year, it was the least number of wins since 1915-1916.

In 2010, Indiana did not have to travel to Michigan State but still lost to them in Bloomington. It was in 2011 then that we somehow came so close to beating the 25th ranked Spartans at Breslin. We then defeated Minnesota at friendly Assembly Hall, but stumbled to a 9-game losing streak and finished last in the rugged Big Ten at 3-15 and 12-20 overall. Those were some might troublesome days of Hoosier Basketball.

This year has been just as bad. Our two dogs have to cover their ears with their paws as each televised game starts and I begin to rant. I can’t recall even winning an opening tip. Fortunately, many I.U. basketball games have been early starts out here on the West Coast so we can take advantage of Happy Hour at Buffalo Wild Wings and drown our sorrows. After seven straight BIG losses, there was little hope for victory at Breslin against the #6 Spartans. Last year we lost there by 28 points, matching the frustration of 2009. A few more losses and we would approach that team’s dubious ten game conference losing streak, as well.

I let out a childish scream at the TV when Senior leader Juan Morgan left the game with a shoulder injury. Really??? The dogs cowered – my wife turned her TV volume louder. More injuries – a damaged finger – a twisted ankle. We should have won in regulation, but instead it went to overtime. Only in 1983 had we won an overtime game in East Lansing and that was long before the daunting Breslin Center was ever built. It was now Breslin or Bust, with any hopes for salvaging the season on the line. More screams – more foul words – and then actual tears in victory. My hands were shaking. I couldn’t have been more proud of my hustling, scrappy, wounded team.

Even a Tom Brady Superbowl win today can’t ruin yesterday’s Hoosier high. Groundhog Day will be forever memorable after my poor shooting team somehow prevailed in the “shadow” of the Breslin Center. It could be said that if the Patriots win another trophy today then there will be even more weeks of harsh winter than the Groundhog has already predicted. In that time, maybe the Hoosiers can build a winning streak to offset their disastrous January and find their way into the postseason. I never thought that was even remotely possible, especially after losing at Rutgers just a few days ago. But, anything is possible – so go Rams!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Lazy Days #828

February 2, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been another glorious week of laziness. As a part-time couch potato, I watched the season finales of both Outlander and Vikings. When my wife got home from work we occupied our evenings with The Americans. Meanwhile, The Curse of Oak Island once again led to few discoveries, as it approaches the end of another season. I also watched I.U. lose their seventh straight Big Ten game on the big screen at Buffalo Wild Wings, just so you know I did leave the house. I then had our traditional “Leadership” lunch there on Friday.

While I wasn’t watching TV or sleeping, I dreamed of travel. Once again I referred to the 1000 Places to See Before You Die calendar, noting that I hadn’t yet been to Belgium (except the airport), the Galapagos Islands, Ethiopia, Turkey, or Bolivia. We have been to Naples (both Florida and Italy) to prevent a total destination shut-out this week. We do leave for Phoenix in another week, signaling the end of my lazy, homebody streak. There’s another potentially painful I.U. basketball game this afternoon before we take-in tonight’s feature film, The Favourite, using one of our many Fandango gift cards from Christmas. Last night’s dinner at nearby Bethany’s Table was another gift from my wife’s staff. Even this week’s “Date Night” was economical at Nek Won Korean Restaurant. Every dollar saved is a dollar to spend on travel.

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl and thinking ahead I tried to make plans to go to next year’s big game in Miami. This was a fruitless attempt to accomplish at least one joint bucket list goal. Even a year in advance, lodging is hard to come by. Tickets, on the other hand, we think we can buy though my wife’s work. I guess we’ll wait to secure the seats first and then look for an Airbnb. Travel to Florida will also give me a chance to see my son and his family for a few days. My wife, unfortunately, will need to get back for budget meetings. This year we’ll eat wings in the living room and watch the Tom Brady show unfold.

I did get my aging car serviced this week at Jiffy Lube, but there were mysterious issues in getting my emissions clearance for Oregon plates. I will still have to go to the dreaded DMV next week. I hope this does not mean expensive electronic repairs to my car or more discussions about a new one. It seems like a shame to invest in a different car when I drive so few miles every week. I only fill-up about once every month and a half. I also worked on Turbotax, trying to reduce my IRS payout in April. This is a pending expense concern along with medical bills, mother-in-law care, and perhaps a wedding.

The most constructive thing I do every day is my morning run. In defense of any perceived laziness, “The Streak” now stands at 3,668 consecutive days and counting. I also take the dogs out at least six times a day, so I do have important responsibilities. Our pups were happy this morning since the rain held off and we were able to get in a “Schnauzerthon.” However, snow is in the cards over the next few days and none of us will be happy with that possibility. Looking ahead, more laziness is in the forecast for next week, along with thoughts of what would have been both my mom and dad’s 98th birthdays. They were never lazy. I miss you!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Thy Will Be Done #823

January 29, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

One of the gravest responsibilities of retirement and life for that matter is preparing and maintaining a Last Will and Testament. Even those four words sound rather ominous as you think about laying out all of your dying wishes. The fact of the matter is that if you don’t leave a will then you dump that responsibility on your loved ones, or worse yet people that don’t care. I’ve prepared four different wills in my lifetime, working with both attorneys and even Legal Zoom. One of my wife’s recent employment benefits includes legal services, and we certainly want to take this opportunity to update our will in particular.

Our last legal paperwork was done in Texas, so this will be the Oregon version. My wife’s daughter lives here in Portland so it’s an easy decision to make her “Executor” or “Successor Trustee.” Where we end up next is always in question, so chances are we will be making future changes that might involve moving this role to one of our two other children. Our plan this time is to prepare a “Living Trust.” I’ve filled out all the forms and will take them to the attorney tomorrow. My wife and I will then work with him to determine our best strategy based on cost and effectiveness.

I tried to explain some of this back in Post #166, so like most people I’ve been procrastinating on this Last Will update for some time now. As I discovered, a living trust (inter-vivos” or “revocable” trust) is a written legal document through which your assets are placed into a trust for your benefit during your lifetime and then transferred to designated beneficiaries at your death by your chosen representative, called a “successor trustee.” It means faster distribution as the successor trustee pays your debts and distributes your assets. Also, If you become ill or incapacitated, the living trust is written so that your trustee can automatically begin making decisions, as opposed to a will, that without a durable power of attorney, the court will be in control of all related decisions, including appointing an overseer. We definitely want control of our assets and the means by which they are distributed.

The “Living Trust” seems to be the most hassle-free course of action. I mentioned this to my son on the phone today and he immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was all about my recent trip to the Emergency Room. That is not the case – I’ve simply been putting it off, and my wife’s recent legal insurance package essentially removes any cost concerns.

Preparing any will is not a pleasant process. This is why it’s too often avoided. Thoughts of leaving behind all the material goods that you’ve collected in a lifetime can be disturbing. All that you’ve worked for given away to others that probably don’t want them and certainly won’t appreciate them in the same way you did. After all, who wants a 1955 Sherm Lollar White Sox jersey other than me? Even my son is a die-hard Cubs fan. The Egyptians believed you could take them with you, but those were real treasures. (See Post #805). I’m also not a religious man, but I can’t help but think of the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

I highlighted the most important words, “Thy will be done.” After my meeting with my attorney tomorrow, I will have fulfilled this important passage. My Will will be done! Amen.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Wizard of Oz #817

January 23, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been proven that I have a big heart and a brain, but there’s little evidence of what caused last week’s dizzy spell. I was checked-out by the doctor yesterday afternoon and given the thumbs up to “carry on.” As a result, I left the safety of the treadmill and took to the streets again this morning to get my day started. There was a little bit of relief as my run took me past the spot where I staggered out into the road, unable to control the dizziness. That day, everything was spinning around me in the morning darkness. Today, I easily completed my 3.1 mile route. I did, however, take my phone along in case anything out of the ordinary happened. It didn’t!

As I followed the Yellow Brick Road through our neighborhood, I couldn’t help but think of The Wizard of Oz. It took a little bit of courage to take those first few strides on my own, so the Cowardly Lion would have been proud of me. Last week’s CAT Scan revealed that unlike the Scarecrow, I actually have a brain. One of the technicians joked that he would tell my wife. “Don’t forget to tell her I have a heart, too” I quipped. As it turned out, it’s actually a big heart because the tests showed my aorta to be enlarged. Take that Tin Man! It’s certainly something I’ll want to keep an “eye” on, but it’s also something I can’t “see.”

“There’s no place like home,” also came to mind, as I’ve settled into the retirement routine for the next month. Some warm weather in Phoenix and Thailand will be more than welcome once I begin to grow restless. I watched another episode of “The Curse of Oak Island,” as I did laundry this morning. Much like myself, they didn’t seem to accomplish much today. More digging without striking gold, as they continue to prolong their agonizing search for treasure. I’m admittedly hooked!

Indiana lost their 5th straight BIG Ten basketball game last night, surpassing last year’s 4-game skid and matching the frustration of the 2016-17 conference season. They lost 9 straight in the painful 2010-11 season. It has not been easy to be a fan in recent years, after experiencing so much success during the Bobby Knight era. However, even Bob has turned ugly. I’m a Hooooosier Loooooser (with 5 zeros). At least the Cheer-leading Squad won another National Championship!

It’s a good thing that I have a big heart, because I could say a lot worse things about I.U. basketball. I’m not sure that I have the “courage” to watch the next game and wish I had been born with the “brains” to have gotten a second degree for another college team to support. I definitely would have been better off in Kansas, along with Dorothy and Toto. We need the “Wizard of Westwood” because it’s certainly not “Miller Time.” (See Post #35). “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” (Post #513).

Old Sport Shorts: Lunar Loser #814

January 21, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

There was a full, blood-wolf moon, plus a lunar eclipse, so it was not going to be an ordinary weekend of sports. It started with an Indiana University Alumni Association game-watch at a local tavern featuring one of the most intense rivalries in college basketball. This was the 208th battle between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue had won a dominant 118 of these in-state basketball wars, including 51 of the first 62 games, but Indiana boasts 5 National Championships in 39 NCAA Tournament appearances. Make that 119 victories for the Boilers!

There was little doubt from the tip-off that Purdue was the better team. Indiana has been notorious for their slow starts this year, and this game was no exception. One beer was not going to be enough. It was also obvious that fellow alumni held little hope for the Hoosiers since only a few showed up to watch. Those in attendance had fond memories of a last second shot to beat Butler a month ago when the team appeared to come together, moved into the Top 25 nationally, and won their first three BIG Ten contests. However, injuries and poor shooting have prevailed, as we sadly watched their fourth straight conference loss in front of an exuberant Boilermaker fan base. Admittedly, I didn’t have a good feeling about the game and considered not even wearing any Indiana gear in case Purdue fans were also in the bar.

Even a crimson moon could not prevent the Hoosiers from shooting a pathetic 7-18 from the free throw line and 4-20 from behind the arc. While that could be blamed on “gravitational pull,” a Purdue “friend” pointed out that this was actually an improvement over last week’s loss to Nebraska when they shot a pitiful 2-14 at home! Indeed, the rare home loss was even more humiliating, especially to a football school. I just hope we get it together before the Boilers come calling next month in Bloomington. Indiana has already lost 4 straight battles with Purdue, meaning that last year’s team couldn’t hold home court advantage. There will be no Alumni game watch for no one to attend because it’s scheduled for a Tuesday night.

I was in atypical agreement with my Purdue friends on football this weekend, with the Superbowl on the line. Ex-Purdue quarterback Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints were an easy choice for us to make, while rooting against Tom Brady and his New England Patriots was a given. We were wrong on both counts! Brady was once again brilliant, and the Saints got screwed, as admitted by everyone involved. Both games went to overtime, but the Rams and Patriots prevailed. Most all of America will be rooting for the Rams in two weeks!

Yes, I was a Lunar Loser, going 0-3 this weekend with my favorites. However, I really only truly cared about one of these games. The round ball is my passion and I.U. is my team. I was hoping that the round, red moon would be a good omen. Instead, the Hoosier Nation was totally “eclipsed” by Boilermaker Black once again.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Coins and Cards #804

January 13, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

At a baseball card show yesterday, I found a unique addition to my collection. It combines my passion of coin collecting with the growing assemblage of baseball cards in my possession. I attribute my interest in both of these areas to my childhood neighbor, the late Robert P. Herzberg. Bob showed me my first 1909 S V.D.B. penny and flaunted his enviable stack of baseball cards bearing the likeness of Mickey Mantle, another Triple Crown winner. I still don’t have either one of these coveted memories of youth in my collection.

I had a crush on Bob’s little sister, who was in my kindergarten class. I also maintained a friendly relationship with his younger brother into adulthood. Bob, who was three years older, passed away at the age of 54 as a consequence of congestive heart failure. I still bear a scar in the center of my forehead thanks to a war game we were playing as kids. I was dodging rocks he was throwing at a playhouse in the park behind our house. He hit me square in the head as I carelessly looked out a window, requiring several stitches, and I remember him having to apologize to my parents and me. He brought a box of unopened baseball cards as a peace offering, so it was probably worth the pain.

I bought a unique 2003 Topps Ty Cobb baseball card at yesterday’s show, commemorating the Hall of Famer’s 1909 American League Triple Crown achievement (.377 batting average, 9 home runs, 107 RBI). His Detroit Tiger ball club lost the World Series to Honus Wagner and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Chicago Cubs also beat the Tigers in the previous two World Series, making him a “Triple Loser” in the game’s crowning moment. The card is die-cut to accommodate a 1909 Indian Head penny. I was immediately intrigued since 1909 was the last year of Indian Head production and the first year of the Lincoln cent. The change occurred to honor the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

Bob taught me long ago that the 1909 S VDB Lincoln version was the most valuable penny in any collection. Victor David Brenner, the coin’s designer included his initials between the wheat ear stalks on the back during its inaugural year, but the San Francisco (S) mint makes it particularly valuable because only 484,000 were made. Even as a young child, a penny worth $100 was mind-boggling and Bob actually owned one. Today, depending on condition, it would probably cost me at least $500 to buy one. I’ve looked through thousands of pennies since I was a kid and never found one. It was the closest thing to treasure hunting that I have ever experienced. In fact, anytime I see a penny on the ground or get one in change, I pick it up to check.

The Tyrus Raymond Cobb Currency Connection card brought back many childhood Bob memories about both baseball cards and pennies. Ty was a great ball player but a miserable human being. I would have never bought the card if it weren’t for the penny. I carefully examined it to see if it had the S mint-mark on the back below the wreath. The designer of that coin was James B. Longacre, whose “JBL” initials graced a number of U.S. coin designs of the late 19th century. To this date, Lincoln’s portrait still is identified with the penny, although the back of the coin changed to the Lincoln Memorial in 1959, designed by engraver Frank Gasparro to celebrate the 150th anniversary. On the front side, the VDB initials have appeared below Lincoln’s shoulder since 1918.

To honor the Lincoln bicentennial in 2009, 4 different designs by four different artists were introduced on the back of the penny and in 2010 it was again changed to represent the unity of the states. This “Union Shield” look was designed by Lyndall Bass. I would not anticipate another design change until 2059, 150 years after Ty Cobb won baseball’s Triple Crown and Lincoln’s first penny was minted.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Game Day #797

January 6, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I got up early this morning to take the dogs out and do my daily run. My wife and I were hoping to get to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry for the King Tut exhibit before it closes later this month. The pups were depressed that their much anticipated “Schnauzerthon” was preempted by rain and cold temperatures. They are often disappointed in the Portland weather at this time of year. They got a shorter walk than normal between rain drops, and we were off to pay homage to the King!

My wife was willing to compromise by leaving for the O.M.S.I. early so that I could watch Bears football and I.U. basketball in the afternoon. What we didn’t know was that it was $2 admission day pricing and the place more like a zoo than a museum. Parking was way out in the overflow lots and ticket lines were outrageous. We had some free passes for the exhibit but still had to redeem them for admission. When we finally got to the front of the line only a few times remained available to see the popular attraction. We elected to get tickets for next week instead rather than endure the long wait and crowded hallways. It also gave us time to go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast with assurance that I would not miss either game. The only problem was that they were both on T.V. at the same time.

I am hoping that the message that the dogs left when I got out of bed this morning did not apply to my teams’ chances. I was greeted with an unprecedented “poopsident” in the living room. I just wasn’t sure which schnauzer was guilty? Normally it’s Tinker the “Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” but she normally goes on the tile kitchen floor. This particular deposit was made on the dining room rug where younger sister Tally typically plays. She in turn has never gone indoors, but this looked suspicious! Perhaps the “Super Pooper” was being clever, trying to pass the blame? Tinker then proceeded to poop four more times once I got them outside, while Tally went only once. This could have been the result of Tink’s voracious appetite yesterday that included an entire raw carrot. She was supposed to share!

Input equals output! We attribute some of Tinker’s food cravings to the steroids that she’s currently taking. However, she was also never one to pass up a snack or meal at any time during her near 15-year lifespan. We adopted her at any early age after she had been abandoned in the woods and apparently forced to eat acorns. I guess after that particular diet everything tastes great? She always finishes her dinner and then immediately looks at Tally’s bowl for dessert. Tally unfortunately likes to savor her food but somehow they both weigh the same.

Game Day has finally started, and I am busy flipping back-and-forth from CBS to NBC to stay up with the action. I’m not overly optimistic with either of these two teams, but I also thrive on pessimism. Why set yourself up for disappointment? It could be the end of the Bears season with a loss today to the Eagles, but I.U. will have a lot of basketball to play before their year is complete. Both teams are down early as I gravely predicted. I just hope that neither team plays like what I found on the floor this morning!