Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 53 of 68)

An old guy’s perspective on all sports

Diary of an Adoptee: Father’s Day #564

June 14, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I have been a father for 43-years and a grandfather for twelve. I have two step-daughters that honor me every year, along with three grandchildren. There have also been two fathers, only one of which I’ve known and loved, and another that gave me life. I remember both of my grandfathers fondly as I was growing up, and just recently there are “grand-strangers” that have sprouted branches on my new or “second family tree.”

I have written of my “second family,” that decided not to get to know me, but allowed me life. I could have been aborted rather than adopted, so for that family decision I’m forever grateful. Somehow, I don’t feel that I would have been better off staying with my birth mother, but I also feel that I missed something. I missed getting to know her and her family and that natural blood connection that most people experience with family.

Trust me, I got anything and everything that I needed from my first family, including great love and abundant opportunity. What I didn’t get was a family that looked or sounded like me. I can’t really even speak about other characteristics or a common demeanor that might have been missing, as most people take for granted.

I have a few pictures of my birth mother, her sisters, and parents. I’ve even had a conversation with a cousin, where she recognized familiarity in my voice. I don’t quite understand this yet, but it gives me hope that I will find more connections with these people who share my DNA. I will continue this quest despite the fact that the woman I’m 100% certain is my birth mother is unwilling or unable to admit any connection.

What I don’t know (and may never) is the identity of my birth father. I know that he was of Irish decent with dark features like mine, a few inches taller, and enjoyed sports like I do. He was supposedly a Marine when I was born, so a veteran like my adopted father, who served in the Army as a medic in WWII. I guess I’m lucky to have had two legitimate fathers, when most people I know just have one. There is, however, only one man that I would ever call “Dad.”

For several years I haven’t had anyone to call on Father’s Day or even send a card. Even the last few years my dad was alive, he tragically couldn’t always remember who I was. I honestly don’t know if my birth father even knew that I existed or how long he may have lived. He could have died as a soldier, or never spoken again to my birth mother. She was presumably carted off in secrecy to the big city to give birth, leaving me only with the name Jerry Lee.

Once again, I’m positive that I’ve found my 85-year old birth mother after all these years, but she is denying any relationship, perhaps out of embarrassment. Only she knows the true identity of the father. It’s really all I want for Father’s Day this year, but I’m sure I’ll get something Cubs-related instead.

Happy Father’s Day to my one and only Dad. May he rest in peace, along with my grandfathers, and the great grand-strangers I never knew. Thank you for accepting me as your only son, and for making me the man I am today. You are my teacher, mentor, life- model, and hero. Sorry you didn’t live long enough to see your Cubs win the World Series or the birth of Nora Grace. Just know that you are loved every day.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Hoosier Corn #560

June 11, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The corn is waist-high already in Indiana as a result of an abnormally wet May. The Mnemonic rhyme was always, “knee-high by the 4th of July,” so growth is well ahead of schedule this year. “Hoosierisms” like this were a big part of growing up in the only state with a basketball hoop in every driveway and on the side of any barn. “Them apples,”” warshing machine, “ and “crick” are only found in the Hoosier dictionary. I guess you could also refer to our wacky language as “Indiana Corn.”

I grew up by the Michigan border in the very northern part of the state where fish were not “feesh” and I didn’t trudge through 2-feet of snow to get to “keendergartin,” however “further” south a Hoosier twang is endearingly prominent. I did drink pop as opposed to soda, but the brand Ski was somehow not popular “in my neck of the woods.” Squirt was one of my favorites. Notre Dame was “down the road aways, while I.U was “pert-near” to Kentucky. Only northern Hoosiers know about Volcano Pizza, Nelson’s Golden Glow Chicken, and Lookwell Dairy. Tenderloins are truly ”the size of your head.”

Movies like Hoosiers and Breaking Away are authentic portrayals of Indiana culture. We went to the license branch rather than the BMV, and had a hamburger sandwich or chili soup for supper. TV dinners were my favorite meal, served on a TV tray. I ate Quaker Oats for breakfast only because it came in a cylindrical container that could be “recycled” into a basketball hoop. All I had to do was fashion some aluminum foil into the shape of a ball, remove the bottom of the container and secure it to the basement wall. It was time for some “Hoosier Hysteria.” 3…2…1…swish!

The single-class high school basketball tournament is always my favorite memory of growing up in Indiana. The championship game was always in the state capital of Indianapolis every March – known to even hicks as “Indy,” “Naptown” or “india-no-place, even though it was a popular big-city destination. The sectionals, regionals, and semi-states were held in massive gyms throughout the state such as North Side Gym, The Anderson Wigwam, and The Muncie Fieldhouse. Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse was typically the host site of the championship, but the Hoosierdome, Market Square Arena, and, Conseco Fieldhouse (now Banker’s Life) have been used to accommodate larger crowds. Since the elimination of the one-class tournament, crowds are no longer an issue and large gyms are dying. Basketball is still king (and queen) in Indiana – Go Pacers and Fever, sorry Colts and Indians.

Yes, Mr. Hoover, there is a Hoosier Dam, but it’s not in Indiana but rather Chatham County North Carolina. Maybe it was built by Hoosier’s strong, reliable men, who were responsible for building the canals in Metamora, Indiana and gave Indiana University it’s unique nickname, synonymous with champions? (Also see Hoosier’s Nest.”) Speaking of which, only a Purdue Boilermaker fan, even though they’re still a Hoosier, would ever say, “Those Damn Hoosiers!” I always try to practice “Hoosier Hospitality” when I refer to a Boilermaker. As such a good sport, I deserve to win the Hoosier Lottery!

I married a Hoosier Mama, had a Hoosier baby, but never lived in a “Little Pink House,” as fellow-Hoosier John Cougar Mellencamp describes his hometown. I honestly also don’t know who my Hoosier Daddy is yet? (See Diary of an Adoptee). Finally, no one would even know where Indiana is on a map if it weren’t for the Indy 500. It’s given our state capital world-wide recognition. Every year in May, just prior to Memorial Day you’ll hear the familiar strains of “Back Home Again in Indiana,” followed by the words, “Ladies and Gentlemen…start your engines!” I’m surprised that the winner doesn’t have corn on the cob, warshed down with that traditional swig of milk.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Arches #559

June 10, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

A glimpse of The Arch, veal marsala at Charlie Gitto’s downtown, a morning run to Washington University, and KSHE on the radio. These were the highlights of our overnight stopover in St. Louis. Since the Marriott Grand only serves Pepsi products, I had to go to McDonald’s for my Diet Coke favorite. Five hours of driving later, we arrived at our Indiana destination for dinner with my wife’s mother.

Along the way, we saw the modern new Mississippi River bridge, known informally as the “Stan Span” after Cardinal great Stan Musial, Effingham’s Giant Cross, the familiar Indy skyline, Gas City whose name always makes me giggle, endless cornfields, and the remains of the elephant barn that once served as the winter headquarters for the Barnum & Bailey circus. We did some reminiscing about our time together in Indianapolis and Central Illinois. We’ll make a stop in Decatur, Illinois on the way back, following several Hoosier nights in Rochester, Kokomo, and Indy. “Wander Indiana” was once the poorly thought-out state tourism slogan that implied aimlessness. My wife’s valuable vacation time will be spent “wandering,” as she kindly attends to the needs of her 96-year old mother.

As my wife currently “wanders” along down the flat, rough Hoosier highways, I’m writing and monitoring a couple of baseball scores. We’ll finish this trip at Busch Stadium back in St. Louis, my reward for helping her cope between the Assisted Living facility to restaurants, medical centers, the cemetery, hairdressers, and her sister’s house. I will go home disappointed if the Cubs lose to the evil Cardinals, but will act like I didn’t really care if they do.

I will enjoy drinking excessive amounts of wine with my brother-in-law, meeting his first grandson who is also his namesake, and getting together with old friends throughout the week. It will of course be hot and humid, a good reminder not to bitch so much about the cool, cleansing Portland rain. Then again, what would I have to write about when in homebody mode? After all, I’ve used the words “rain” or “gray” in at least half of my blog posts to describe the days in Portland.

Old Sport Shorts: Winning ways #558

June 10, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The Cubs are on a roll, 12 games over 500 and winning again today over the Pirates. They are only a half-game behind the division-leading Brewers and face them next prior to the Cardinals. This next week of baseball will determine the Central Division standings going into the All-Star break.

The Cubs have been winning in card-worthy fashion, as Topps Now has issued commemorative baseball cards, highlighting game-winning performances by Jason Heyward and Ian Happ. Heyward hit a walk-off grand slam against the Phillies and Happ made three diving catches to beat the Pirates yesterday. These will “Now” be in my collection, especially since the Angels’ rookie-sensation, Shohei Ohtani is on the DL and won’t be dominating card production for a few weeks.

Even the White Sox beat former teammate Chris Sale and the Red Sox 1-0 yesterday. It’s rare when both Chicago teams, my favorites, win on the same day. Oregon State also beat Minnesota in yesterday’s Super Regional to put the finishing touches on a great day of winning baseball.

Retirement is not without Hasssles: Family Ties #557

June 9, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

“And they’re off!” Appropriate words on the day when Justified wins the Triple Crown. Instead, they signify the beginning of another adventure as we travel back home again to Indiana. This time, however, we fly into St. Louis instead of Chicago O’Hare or Indianapolis. We’ll spend the night there and drive through Illinois tomorrow, arriving in the Hoosier state in time for dinner with my wife’s mother.

We already went through the “you’re on vacation while it’s just another day for me” discussion, as my wife gets a well-deserved week off from work. She got through last week by dreaming of the Viking Ultimate World Cruise. We can only hope that this incentive lasts four more years until she joins me in retirement.

I’m sure she would rather be traveling elsewhere – say Bali. These quarterly visits to her home town eat up most of her vacation time at considerable expense. Only my sister, her kids, and grandchildren are left for me to visit, but mostly we stay in touch by phone. There just isn’t enough time to cover all our bases in the state, so I try to get with them for Christmas each year. They are celebrating the high school graduation of my nephew’s step-daughter this weekend. They are all growing up fast.

The Midwest tour will include a trip to my 96-year old mother-in-law’s doctor, a visit with my newborn great nephew, a couple of nights with my brother & sister-in-law, lunches & dinners with friends, some research on my birth mother’s family, and a Cubs vs. Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.

Our pets are home with a house sitter. Tinker our 100-year old schnauzer a.k.a “the poopingist pup on the planet,” was left pouting on the rug in my office as we tried to sneak our luggage out to the car. Tally, her younger sister, will like the attention and exercise she’ll get in our absence. Her eye is healing thanks to steroids, and we’re thankful that the biopsy proved benign. Otherwise, she might have become a Pirate dog sporting an eye-patch. AARRRRR….

It’s Father’s Day tomorrow, and I will probably hear from my son who lives in Florida. He’s busy with a new baby that I won’t see until our next trip to Illinois in two months. Hopefully, she won’t be graduating from high school in a blink of an eye. We’ll all meet at Wrigley Field, a sacred spot for my son and I. We took my grandson there when he was a baby, and my granddaughter a few years later. My son’s wife is from Chicago so they happen to be visiting for their annual vacation.

Keeping up with family is our greatest challenge. Only my wife’s eldest daughter lives nearby in Portland, while her youngest daughter is in D.C. I’m stopping over to meet my granddaughter in Chicago on the way to shake hands with a man who may soon become my (step) son-in-law. We’ll all have dinner in DC before they come to Portland for a wedding. It’s all part of the engagement process, or at least we hope.

So, we’re off for another “Planes, Trains, and Automobile” experience. “Back Home Again in Indiana,” where my wife and I met and had our children. Now, everyone is spread out all over the country, and we look for opportunities to get together as a family. It’s hard to believe that I’m actually trying to add a birth mother and other potential dna-based cousins to an already overwhelming puzzle of relatives. I don’t even have time to stay in touch with the Indiana cousins from the parents who adopted me 66 years ago, except through Facebook. Oh, the family ties that bind me!

Old Sport Shorts: Strike Outs #549

June 3, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Before the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, winning 8 of the last games would have been remarkable. However, now it’s not enough. They are second in the NL Central and ten games over 500. The Brewers have won four more games to lead the Division and only Boston has more victories with 40 so far this season. The Cubs are 8-1 against the Brewers, 3-3 versus the Pirates, 3-2 playing the Reds, and 1-4 against the Cardinals, so there inter-division record now stands at 15-10. I’m off to see the Cubs vs. Cards rivalry next week at Busch Stadium, and hoping for better success.

One of the big issues for the Cubs has been strike outs, particularly in key scoring situations. Yesterday, the Cubbies struck-out 24 times, a season high. It was a 14-inning game, but if you think about it that’s 8 full innings of nothing but strike outs. Jacob deGrom of the Mets recorded 13 of those K’s in 7 innings of work. Kerry Wood of the Cubs, Roger Clemens with the Red Sox, and Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals hold the Major League record with 20 strikeouts each in a standard nine-inning game. (See Post #522). Charlie Sweeney of the Providence Grays was the first professional player to achieve the 18 K level back in 1884, a mark that’s now held by twenty different pitchers. Five pitchers – Steve Carlton, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver are the only members of the 3,000 strike out club. Kerry Wood only got to slightly more than half of this Hall of Fame mark in 14 seasons with the Cubs, Yankees, and Indians.

The 24 strike outs in one game tied a Cubs record from back in 2003 against the Brewers, but that took 17 innings to “accomplish.” This time, they were able to only do it in 14! Of course, my struggling White Sox beat that dubious record last year against the Yankees with 26 in 18 innings. This ties the all-time team total for both leagues. To make matters worse, in 2017, the Cubs combined with the Yankees for 48 strikeouts in 18 long innings of play. That’s some great pitching, poor hitting, or both. The remarkable thing about the Cubs game is that despite the 24 strike outs, they somehow still managed to win 7-1 after scoring 6 runs in the top of the 14th.

The IU Baseball team got hammered by Texas A&M two days ago in the NCAA Regional Tournament in Austin, Texas by striking out 15 times, proving once again that you can’t win if you don’t hit the ball. On the other hand, Oregon State, playing in their own Regional struck out 9 against Northwestern State and 6 against LSU to win both games handily. Indiana did win an elimination game against Texas Southern for another chance to beat the Aggies this afternoon.

Jon Lester gave up only 2 hits today in seven innings to lead the Cubs to their first 4-game road-sweep of the season versus the Mets. I did not watch the game for fear that I might jinx them. I did, however, monitor the 9th inning of the Cards vs. Pirates, as Michael Wacha failed to complete a no-hitter, As soon as I tuned in, the Pirates got a base hit. My friends urge me not to watch games on TV, since our teams tend to lose when I do, so it feels good to have put the whammy on the evil Cardinals. In another game I didn’t watch, baseball’s worst team, the Chicago White Sox, are about to upset the Brewers and perhaps win that series, helping the crosstown Cubs in the standings. Plus, I’m still reluctantly tuned into the IU collegiate game against A&M, but the ESPN network did not switch to the game until after the Hoosiers had already scored 6. Surprisingly, they did hit a 3-run homer before my very eyes to make it a 9-run first, but have since given back 5 of those runs, letting the Aggies back in it. I should switch to something else before the Hoosiers strike-out.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Best Day Ever #536

May 21, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I put another couple of Broadway Playbills in my wife’s notebook collection, and displayed the show tickets from last week in my glass wall box. Each colorful booklet lists the cast and their resumes, as well as the the song list next to all the ads. With SpongeBob SquarePants, the song “Best Day Ever” was performed with these lyrics:

“Mr. Sun came up and he smiled at me,
Said it’s gonna be a good one just wait
And see.
Jumped outta bed, and I ran outside,
Feeling so extra ecstatified,
It’s the best day ever (best day ever)
It’s the best day ever (best day ever).”

“I’m so busy got nothing to do,
Spent the last two hours just tying my shoe,
Every flower, every grain of sand,
Is reaching out to shake my hand,
It’s the best day ever (best day ever)
It’s the best day ever (best day ever)”

I didn’t exactly “jump” out of bed this morning, even after going to bed early. I was feeling the chills of another cold coming on accompanied with a scratchy throat and a fever. I had gained five pounds when I stepped on the scale, and had lung congestion problems that added to my morning run misery. The pilot on the hot water heater blew out, so there was limited hot water, and I had a dental appointment to make. By the time I arrived, my blood pressure was high, after fighting the downtown traffic. There were also other errands to run, and our schnauzer Tinker had another ear infection that required a trip to the veterinarian for medication. Vet.Pet.Debt. To make matters worse, my good friend called to tell me that the Cubs vs. Cardinals game that we have tickets for next month was moved from an afternoon game to an evening game. We have a 7 p.m. flight out of St. Louis, so we’ll need to make other arrangements. It was NOT the “Best Ever Day” of retirement to say the least!

There have been plenty of great retirement days, so there’s little need for sympathy. However, with all our recent plane travel, while crammed next to sickly passengers, my immune system has been hard at work. I could feel the soreness in my throat during yesterday’s “fun run,” and surely the excess of wine at the Paul Simon concert the night before didn’t help the cause either. I needed “a bridge over troubled water,” and a glass or two of wine tonight, in conjunction with our “Meatless Monday” morel mushroom dinner, just might soothe the pain. I’m sure tomorrow will be better since “I’m busy with nothing to do.” I’m clearly ecstatified! It may very well be the “Best Retirement Day Ever!”

Old Sport Shorts: Beavers #535

May 20, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I’m bored with sports because my teams are either not playing or not winning. Today on television I watched my newly adopted team, the Oregon State Beavers, lose a tough college baseball game at USC. The “Beavs” had easily won the first two of the series, that I didn’t watch. In fact, I’m beginning to feel that there’s a connection. I’ve seen them win in person twice this year so watching on TV seems to be the problem. The same applies for the Cubs and White Sox but considering that the Sox are the worst team in baseball so far this season, it probably wouldn’t matter if I saw them on TV or in person – they would still lose. Come to think of it, I also watched them lose on TV to the Dodgers in the 1959 World Series, so this viewing curse dates back to childhood. The Cubs did at least just win 3 out of 4 games against the lowly Reds to ease some of my pain but had to contain myself not to turn each of these games on.

The Beaver game today was particularly disappointing because they had not been shut out for nearly two full seasons. Also, with a win, they would have moved up to the #1 spot in the polls after a winning streak. They could only muster five hits, matching a season-low, and gave up 8-runs after limiting the Trojans to just 2 total in the previous two games. Oregon State has yet to claim a sweep at USC in the history of the program. I feel bad for watching the game on TV and costing them a key victory.

As a result of these recent sports woes, I want to either go back in time or jump ahead. It’s intriguing to think about what’s ahead and rewarding to go back and revisit the past. I’ve had some great moments through the years and have tried to log them all. Here’s my top 10 moments of being there:

IU wins NCAA in New Orleans over Syracuse in 1987 on Keith Smart’s bucket (3/31/87)
IU upsets #1 and once-beaten UNLV in 1986 New Orleans Final Four (3/28/87) w/Bill
Cubs win game 5 of World Series over Indians (10/30/16) with my wife
Sammy Sosa hits home runs 61 and 62 with Adam and Dad at Wrigley Field (9/13/98)
White Sox win game one of 2005 World Series at Cellular One (10/22/05) with WAND crew
Pancho Carter’s Indy Car Pit Crew Elkhart Lake 1986
Indy Qualifying Picture 1986
Indianapolis Indians AAA Classic celebration on field with Randy Johnson and team 1988
Chopper into Indy 500 and Private plane to Bloomington for IU game
Finishing Detroit Marathon (10/14/79)

Retirement is not without Hassles: Homebody Heaven #530

May 16, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I could be described as a wordsmith, putting words together to make a statement. I enjoy word games, word puzzles, rhyming words, and finding the right word. It’s a craft where some people make a living, others just enjoy it, and still others are lucky enough to benefit from both. For now, I’m strictly in the category of enjoyment.

In last night’s Broadway presentation of Evan Hansen, the lead character is advised to write a letter to himself. It gets him in major trouble. I write a letter to myself every day in the same therapeutic manner. So for, I’ve gotten little feedback, except from my wife. It hasn’t jeopardized any relationships or friendships, but perhaps it could. I guess I’m living on the edge of danger. As I put words together every day, occasionally I will find some that compliment each other. For example, sometimes I’m seen as a “homebody,” where life is comfortable and safe. We travel a lot, so coming home can often be a relief. I used the alliteration “Homebody Heaven” in yesterday’s blog (See Post #529). I then frequently do searches to see if others have copyrighted or coined these phrases. Sure enough, there is a shopping website homebodyheaven.com and another that uses the variation Home Bodys. I want to make sure they get credit for their creativity, so I’ve included links. They express a similar bond about enjoying your time at home, and more specifically buying items to beautify your home.

I’m returning from five days in New York City, and wrote about some of my experiences. On the flight home I got restless watching video, and needed to write for awhile. I’m a bit A.D.H.D., an explanation of why I frequently waver between excessive travel to the other extreme of “homebody heaven.” Also, while I’m home I can’t stay still for long or focus on any one thing. I will go for a run, walk the dogs, clean, occasionally cook, read, watch a documentary, fold clothes, write lists or diaries, watch a movie, surf the web, play a game, shop online, watch sports, or play with financial spreadsheets. Many times, I’ll try to do all of these at once. To me, life is all about variety, and the real reason why I never get really good at anything……….

You see, I’m now back after another diversion, ready to write another paragraph. Has the mail come yet? Are the Cubs playing? How much of my retirement savings did I spend on this last adventure? Will the funds hold out? Did I book that flight, hotel, rental car for our next adventure? What else? My mind is always busy…even if I’m not. Likewise, my blog is divided into many different categories, so I can bounce around between travel, sports, running, pets, and retirement. There’s even some subcategories to further keep me from maintaining focus.

Should I be embarrassed that I have a lot of down time at this stage of my life? Should I be looking for more constructive ways to spend my time? There can be a lot of guilt in being comfortably retired. I wish there was a way for everyone to join me in “Homebody Heaven.” Stay tuned for the next episode, or go to the website and do some shopping from and for your home.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Grandpa J. #527

May 14, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I was devouring my last bite of porterhouse steak at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn when I got the photo of my new baby granddaughter, Nora Grace. She is a 6 pound, 11 ounce, 19 3/4 inch bundle of cuteness. After the bacon appetizer, beers, fried potatoes, rolls, and cheesecake, I did what every retiree does to celebrate – took a nap. It can be exhausting being a grandfather thousands of miles away, so once I recovered from the delivery process, I immediately sat down to spread the news. Nora joins Gavyn and Maddux, the day after Mother’s Day, as my three little amigos. I felt guilty last night going to Gavyn’s favorite, SpongeBob SquarePants, at the Palace Theatre without him. After all, I wouldn’t even know the character if it weren’t for him. To help make up for my disloyalty, I bought him a t-shirt that says, “Best Day Ever,” knowing that today would be that day, with the planned birth of his new sister Nora. We also went to the M&M‘s store and splurged on gifts for all the kids that I’ll send along with a couple of new outfits for the baby.

I’m sure she’ll call me Grandpa J., just like the other two kids, because like any Modern Family they have several addressed by that grand title. I’m the only one that shares her last name of Johnston (J). Grace was my mother’s mother, and my son Adam’s favorite grandma, although I suppose she could have been named after Mark Grace, former Cubs’ great. I acknowledge this because Maddux is named after Cubs’ Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, since Cubs team loyalty runs in our family. Gavyn, on the other hand, probably wishes he would have been named after his hero SpongeBob SquarePants. He’s not a big baseball fan, although does have his name immortalized on a brick at Wrigley Field with his father and I – “Three Generations.” (See Post #511.)

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the SpongeBob SquarePants show, despite my concerns about its juvenile content. However, it seems to have fit my level of maturity perfectly, as many of these other recent Broadway productions have gone well over my head. The music was from Aerosmith, John Legend, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and Lady Antebellum, to name a few. The Lady Antebellum song added further guilt since I had recently taken the kids to the Daytona 500 and we watched the pre-race concert by the group. It was Maddux’s first concert ever, so another memorable grandfather experience. I have also earned the title of “Disney Grandpa” (See Post #385), since the Orlando Airport is the most convenient way to visit them. As a result, we typically meet at Walt Disney World, where they are all annual pass holders. I’ll be looking forward to our first trip there with Nora Grace in several years. Hopefully, she’ll be braver than Gavyn and taller than Maddux in future visits. Maddux was always too short to ride the roller-coasters, and older brother Gavyn was afraid of the dark on their very first visits to the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney is a much better baby sitter than I am, and as the kids have gotten older they seem to have never lost their love of the park. I know I certainly haven’t!

I’m on my own tonight, as my wife enjoys the Fox television “upfront,” where they launch new shows and discuss network programming strategy for the upcoming season. There’s a party in Central Park that I’m not invited to attend. I did catch her earlier trying to sneak a man into our room. As it turned out, they had gone to lunch at The Bacon Bar and had leftovers that needed refrigeration. Since I couldn’t join them for dinner, they felt that I might enjoy a later snack, so they stopped by unexpectedly. I was supposed to be still at lunch, so it was quite a surprise to all of us when I heard the door open. I appreciated their thoughtfulness, and will remember that logical excuse the next time I invite a woman to our room. I’m of course teasing, because I know both of them. The leftovers will have to go untouched until we get another room for my stomach. The 23 year-old son of a friend’s that I took to lunch could really pack it in, and old, Grandpa J. tried to stay step-for-step with him. I just might need my old family friend Speedy Alka-Seltzer…plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is! (See Post #201).