With the Daylight Savings time shift, my morning run was not in total darkness, as had been the case during the past several weeks. I fought off the congestion and the cold, damp temperatures to complete day 3235 (8.857 years) of my running streak. I did spend two mornings on the treadmill this past week, trying to avoid the winter chill, and only ran the minimum mile at 4 a.m. on Saturday before the trip to Seattle for a baseball card show.
I had overlooked the Spanish-American War in what I’m now calling my “Retirement Study of War.” The Ken Burns documentary about the Roosevelt family reminded me of Colonel Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, and their heroic role in the “Siege of Santiago,” that eventually led to Spain’s surrender to the United States and Cuba’s independence. TR’s “war hero” status vaulted him into the Vice-Presidency, and soon made him the youngest President in history following McKinley’s assassination. However, the liberation of Cuba would come back to bite us in the future, as Communism began to spread throughout the world. It was just another reminder of U.S. history studies that I have forgotten through the years, but am relearning in my first year of retirement.
One Roosevelt led to another, as the two cousins representing opposing Political Parties controlled the Oval Office for a combined total of two decades. Neither of them lived to be as old as I am now, having died at age 60 and 63 respectively. Theodore, both young and popular, busted up monopolies, built the Panama Canal, and restored our natural resources. It was even more of a “family affair” once cousin Eleanor agreed to marry Franklin. FDR died during his record fourth term in office, leading America through the Great Depression, Prohibition, and World War II. His legacy includes the “New Deal” that focused on Relief, Recovery, and Reform.
I used our Columbia Employee store invitation yesterday to upgrade my retirement uniform. (See Post #150). I bought new jeans, new long-sleeve tops, and even a few reversible collared shirts that will give me a more “dressed-up” look, even if they’re just a step up from wearing pajamas. They also have snaps rather than buttons to aid the loss of dexterity in my fingers. Even though the shirts are flannel, As a Midwesterner, I still wasn’t ready for the plaid “lumberjack look” of the Northwest, so I settled on boring solid colors. I also bought another water-proof jacket for running, taking advantage of new technology in fabrics and design. I remembered the words of a friend, “the older we get, the more technology we need.”
The “Houston Strong” inspiration from the World Champion Astros obviously played a role in the Houston Dynamos upset of the Portland Timbers in the playoffs. I.U., my alma mater, continued their undefeated soccer season with a victory over Penn State this morning, and will face Ohio State on Friday, so I still have a reason to follow soccer at least until college basketball season gets interesting. Both Indiana and Oregon have already lost their way in football. On a more hopeful note, the Portland Trailblazers show some promise early in the season. Baseball is four months away!
I’ve eaten massive quantities of chocolate over the past week, justifying my “chocoholic” addiction with the “feed a cold” maxim. Years ago the claim was “starve a cold,” however, it’s been proven the body needs energy to fight off those nasty germs. Either way, there was a big bowl of candy bars left over from Halloween, and someone had to eat them. It’s been hard to walk by that bowl without stopping!
