Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 63 of 68)

An old guy’s perspective on all sports

Old Sport Shorts: What’s Next #221

August 17, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The Cubs couldn’t take out the lowly Reds and expand their Central Division lead. This sets off a loud alarm, as we head into the home stretch. Cubs hitting has been all-or-nothing, they haven’t dominated individual series, and relief pitching has been atrocious. Today, it was starting pitching, as John Lester gave up 7 earned runs in the second inning. It was part of a 9-run barrage, reminiscent of the Big Red Machine of years long passed. The Cubs were somehow able to rebound from this deficit only to give up more in relief. It was just like yesterday, when the inconsistent Cubbies jumped out to a five-run lead, lost it, and then regained it for victory. At least this series ended in a 2-2 split, with Joe Madden facing a fine for arguing a really bad call.

The only good news in the loss is that Red’s reliever, Drew Storen, got the victory, his fourth of the season. He is the son of a former co-worker that I’ve followed as he moved from Stanford University, to the Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and currently the Cincinnati Reds. It’s rare when you know a Major Leaguer, but he’s actually the second that I’ve encountered via friendship in this lifetime. The other was Scott Rolen, the son-in-law of a former boss. Both of my connections actually worked for the same television station in Indianapolis, as I did. Even more remarkably is the fact that Drew Storen and T.J. Yates, currently a back-up QB with the Buffalo Bills, grew up near each other in the Indianapolis area. Drew’s father liked to joke that his son “had the second-best arm in the neighborhood,” even though his fastball approached 100 miles an hour, 410 career strike-outs and 100 career saves. He just pitched an “immaculate inning” earlier this year – nine pitches for three strike-outs. Immaculate is not the word for Cub pitching this year.

Meanwhile on the South Side of Chicago, the White Sox have slipped below 20 games out of first place. Only Philadelphia has fewer wins and no losses. Rookie sensation Yoan Moncado hitting only .185 with two home runs – so much for the future. The Sox lost a tough one to the Dodgers, now 51 games over .500, last night on a walk-off, after leading most of the game. They did recently sweep the Houston Astros before their current four-game losing streak.

Hang in there, Cubs – only a month and a half left in the season before the Playoffs begin. It doesn’t look like St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh “want it” bad enough, as they can’t seem to gain any ground against the struggling Cubs. I’ll be in Chicago for the AL Division series, if they need me, and I’ll be in New York for the World Series. Maybe the Minor League All-Star Game won’t be my last hurrah this year! It’s been a good retirement year, especially if I extend it back to the 2016 World Series at Wrigley. Following that experience, it was spring training in Port Charlotte, Dodger Stadium, AT&T Park, Oregon State, Yankees at White Sox, and both the Minor and Major League All-Star Games. What’s next?

Retirement is not without Hassles: This Land #209

August 10, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The dogs were glad to see me unpacking my bags last night. I’m sure they were disappointed once they figured out that it was just me returning. Their favorite human is in Chicago the rest of this week, so that reunion will have to wait. I takes a while to get reorganized after being away, even though the dog-sitter did her best to keep things in order. Unpacking leads to laundry, and finding space for all the souvenirs you’ve collected. There was a pile of mail awaiting and plants to water. Fortunately, in retirement, there are no work-related messages, unhappy clients, or job-related emergencies.

I’m resting my feet today, after averaging over 21,000 steps a day in touring San Francisco. I have some heel pain, so I did the minimum one-mile run this morning and put an ice bag on my Achilles – to take the “ache” out of the word. All that’s left is “ills,” but more like ills-soothing chills. I’ll continue my training for Hood to Coast tomorrow, and try to stay off my feet as much as possible today. It will give me a chance to catch-up on my writing, that didn’t get a lot of attention while I was being a tourist. My son and his family should be on a plane back to Florida, so my grandfather duties are also officially on hold. It’s just me today – on ice!

It’s about 25,000 miles around the world, and I’m already more than half-way on my second orbit this year. We’ll take a short trip to Seattle in a couple of weeks to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and head back to Indiana in October and December. New York city should be the only other adventure before the New Year, completing the second orbit. We’ll have a new experience this weekend, without traveling far, to see Polo Noir, although it is Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers rather than men on horses that is the main attraction for me. I’m not exactly looking forward to replacing divots between chukkas, but the wine, beer, music, and company will be great. Admittedly, I have gone to a polo match before when one of my stations was a sponsor, and did a lot of business with Budweiser in the Midwest. Peter Busch, of the Anheuser-Busch family, was a key participant and financial supporter of the sport that tends to be more popular in Europe. His daughter, Tiffany, is a current star. It is, after all, “The Sport of Kings,” so it’s apropos that the “King of Beers” be closely involved. Budweiser typically sponsors everything, but In this case, it’s the Oregon craft beer brewer, Widmer Brothers, that has the pouring rights. Anheuser-Busch recently bought their competitor, Ten Barrel Brewing, so this Bud is not for you! How about a Hef instead? I’m still struggling on what to wear to the match.

Auto Racing, Baseball, and even Polo will have made this first retirement year memorable, with Soccer, Basketball, and Football yet to go. We have tickets for the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers, and the Portland Timbers and will get to games before the year is over, plus the PK80 College Basketball event here in Portland over Thanksgiving weekend. Music has been and will continue to be a big part of 2017. James Blunt, Ed Sheeren, Bruce Hornsby, Tom Petty, The Lumineers, Coldplay, Tadeschi Trucks, Lady Antibellum, Django All-Stars, Flo Rida, Pit Bull, Mick Fleetwood, and Z.Z. Topp will all be a part of the retirement celebration, along with the comedy of Louis C.K. I’m sure that others will be added before the year is over.

Woodie Guthrie can take pleasure in knowing that “This Land is Your Land” is now officially my retirement theme song. I’ve already had the pleasure to travel this year from “the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream waters.” I’ve seen “Golden Valleys,” “the Sparkling Sands of her Diamond Deserts,” “Wheat Fields Waving,” and “Fog Lifting.” There are many miles to go on the “Freedom Highway,” and “Nobody Living can ever stop me.” “This Land was made for you and Me.” The retirement tour is coming to a city near you, and T-Shirts will be on sale soon!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Martinis #208

August 9, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s the last day of being Grandpa J., as all of us leave San Francisco and return to normal lives. I will miss the kids and even some of their whining. When I get back to Portland, I’ll be totally on my own – a life of retirement, Uncrustables, and seclusion. My wife left for business meetings in Chicago this morning, as well. I’ll have two days to do laundry, clean the house, and resume my dog duties. It should be cooler than the 100 degree temperatures that I left behind last week, but hopefully warmer than it’s been in the City by the Bay.

The city was crowded this morning, as the workforce returned to their offices here in the Financial District. I felt fortunate to be beyond those 8 to 5 responsibilities, and instead enjoyed another day to fill of my own choosing. My flight isn’t until 5, and the rental car will finally be moved from its $62/day parking spot. Our plans got twisted a bit yesterday, and we ended up at the Children’s Creativity Museum, making an animated film with clay-molded characters. In fact, I still have clay under my fingernails this morning. I think we were all a bit burnt-out from the hectic nature of vacation travel, and the fog made the Golden Gate Bridge and any plans to photograph it disappear. My son and his family have been here four days longer, and got got use of the rental car to visit Yosemite Park, but beyond that it has just sat waiting for a clear day to drive over the bridge and into Sausalito. We’ll try again today!

Yesterday’s dining was limited to first names – Carl’s, Jr. and Roy’s. That’s about as wide of gastronomical spectrum as you can get – not-so-fast-food to fine dining. We never did get a table at French Laundry, a restaurant goal that still eludes us. I would never have taken the grand kids along, anyway! Roy’s has always been a favorite of mine, and it was just too close to pass up. Misoyaki butterfish, their delicious chocolate souffle, and a couple of martinis hit the spot. The kids were remarkably well-behaved, but in the background, the Cubs were a disappointment. I’m glad we picked the night before to go to the game, when they won.

It’s time to check-out, pay that $250 fee for rental car storage (what a waste!), and cram-in another day of sight-seeing. Hopefully, the fog will lift, or is that just the after effects of the martinis?

Retirement is not without Hassles: Heart City #207

August 8, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Another cool morning in San Francisco, and I’m enjoying some “my time.” My grand kids are probably in the pool, and my ambitious wife is out making sales calls. She’s off to Chicago tomorrow, while I finish my grandparent duties here in the city. The kids have won my heart, but I won’t see them again for awhile. Also, my wallet has really taken a beating, so it will be good to get home and regroup. We’ll get some Golden Gate pictures today, visit the Presidio (I should have brought along my lifetime senior pass), and maybe go to Muir Woods and/or Sausalito. My wife will join us for dinner tonight.

I just missed another re-connection at the ballpark last night. One of my former co-workers was apparently in the house, but unfortunately didn’t catch his message until this morning. This wasn’t the first time a Face Book connection happened through a post at the ballpark. (See Post #157). I’ll try to catch-up with him today. The Cubs won last night against the Giants – and I saw a first – an inside-the-ballpark home run by Javy Baez. Metallica sang take me out to the Ballpark- another unique experience. There were probably more Cubs fans in the crowd than Giants fans, so it was good to get the “W.”

As usual, we’ll be taking more home than we originally brought. This always accounts for about 10% of our travel budget, but in this case it was closer to 20%. We’ve bought baseball gear. a Limoges box, snow globes, Chinatown junk, jewelry, chocolate (most of that won’t be going home), and souvenirs. We’ll also be taking home a lot of dirty laundry. Major expenses included airfare for 5, rental car, gas, tips, taxis, Uber, two rooms for 5 nights, 6 game tickets, airport/valet parking, and dining for 6, plus admission, trolley, and tour bus tickets for all of us. All in all, it probably cost about 4 months of Social Security for one week of vacation. It is one of the most expensive cities to live-in or visit!

Only 17 days until the Hood to Coast, and I’ve continued to train every day. I’m averaging 4 -5 miles a day on the flat surfaces along the waterfront. When I get back to Portland, I’ll have to do another week of hills before starting to taper-off for race day. I did manage over 26,000 steps yesterday, including the 4.5-mile run, so my legs are tired. I doubt that I’m losing any weight, because ice cream stores keep getting in the way.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Grandpa #206

August 7, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Part of the joy of retirement is having the time to spend with family. I’ve enjoyed being with my grand kids in here San Francisco. They are a bit over two years apart in age, the oldest a boy 10 and the youngest a girl missing her two front teeth. He’s into computers and video games, while she wants everything she sees, and seeks the shiniest objects. My son and his wife went to a Green Day concert at the Oakland Coliseum, so my wife and I got babysitting duty. I think they were excited just to get some time on their own together, while my wife was not so excited to not have some time with just me. The compromises we make in life!

I decided to take the kids to see the classic movie, “Mary Poppins,” starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. It was a “sing-a-long,” so the words to all the songs were in subtitles at the bottom of the screen. I expected the theater would be filled with screaming kids and their parents. Not in San Francisco…and certainly not at the Castro Theater! As my grand daughter astutely mentioned on the way out,” It was mostly adults….and most of them were men!” I had to agree, since the restroom lines were uncharacteristically longer for the Men’s Room. We were all given a prop kit that consisted of a crown, popper, comb, glow-stick, and bubble-maker, and were left to our own to decide what to do with them. My wife, of course, had it all figured out, knew all the songs even without the subtitles, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. My grand daughter was right with her, wearing her crown, and trying to keep up with the songs, applause, and rhythm cues. My grandson and I watched the spectacle – not quite sure what to think. I thought Dick Van Dyke’s dance performances were amazing, and the glow-stick waving added a lot of pizzazz to the show. I had already promised my grandson some X-Box games if he would just go along with his sister. He patiently played with his bow-and-arrow made from balloons at the Rainforest Cafe, where we all dined before the show.

We then did all the touristy things together, including the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory, Sea Lion watching, the street performers along Pier 39, Boudin Bakery lunch, Dryer’s Grand Ice Cream (it was national Root Beer Float day), and Alioto’s for dinner. I spent a good chunk of my retirement savings on these adventures, with three more days to go. They had already been to Yosimite for a couple of days before we all met in San Francisco, so this has been quite an adventure for all of them. Tonight it’s the ballpark and the Giants against the Cubs. We’re all Cub fans, looking for a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious “W!”

My wife and I are enjoying some quiet time while the kids are with their parents at the pool this morning. I get easily exhausted being a grandparent, and don’t know how I ever succeeded as a parent? She has two girls of her own and has somehow eluded being a true grandmother, but does a great job helping me be a grandfather. She walked and I ran through the throng of people trying to get to work this morning. Our hotel is in the Financial District, and so there was a lot of dodging around subway-seekers, bicyclists, and cars, trying to make our way to the waterfront. It was vastly different from my typical morning jog, and to circle back on occasion to join my wife’s slower walk pace allowed me to get some decent training miles in before my grandfather duties start again. We’ll all go to In-N-Out Burger for lunch, a treat-repeat for me from my last trip to L.A. (See Post #41).

Old Sport Shorts: Minor Stars #203

August 2, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been an “All-Star” retirement year for me, so far. Never in my life have I attended one professional All-Star Baseball games, let alone two! The major league event in Miami was all about New York Yankees rookie sensation Aaron Judge and his home run power. Since that time, his batting average is hovering at .300 compared with .329 going into the break, but he still leads the regular season home run race with 34 to go along with a top .632 slugging percentage. All that, despite getting off to a relatively “slow” second half start. The American League won again, and Cubs pitcher Wade Davis let Robinson Cano’ steal the show. It was an exciting first All-Star Game and Home Run Derby for me.

As an encore, I also got to attend the Northwest League (NWL) versus Pioneer Baseball League (PBL) game in Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland). Although it was a “Minor” affair as opposed to a “Major,” I found it to be just as enjoyable. The temperature at Ron Tonkin Field, home of the Hops, was 102 degrees, as opposed to the air conditioned comfort of Marlins Park. I was not familiar with many of the participants, having not yet attended a Hillsboro Hops game. The only name that struck a connection for me was Craig Dedelow of the Great Falls Voyagers (PBL). I knew him from my alma mater, Indiana University, and as a recent 9th round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox. Just like the Futures game in Miami, it was a White Sox connection that drew me to the autograph table. (See post #179) Yoan Moncado was just promoted to the big league club and got his first major league home run the other night on a tough pitch by Jake Arrietta of Cubs. It will be a while, if it all, before Dedelow makes that jump to join college teammates, Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis. The other White Sox future that I met was Anthony Villa, Dedelow’s current teammate. Villa got a hit in the game in a pinch role, while Dedelow narrowly missed the finals of the Home Run Derby.

There were also a few future Cubs that I enjoyed chatting with at the autograph tables. Gastavo Polanco, Aramis Ademan, and Luis Aquino all represented the Eugene Emeralds (NWL). None of them was a factor in the actual game. The MVP was Luis Asuncion of the Tri-City Dust Devils (Padres PBL), his teammate Henry Henry (signed autograph as H2) was credited for the win, and his other teammate, Jose Galindo got the save. Seven Hops players made the squad, along with the entire coaching staff. The NWL winning runs came in the bottom of the 5th, after the PBL took an early 4 run lead in the 2nd inning. Daniel Jipping of the Boise Hawks (Colorado Rockies NWL) won the Home Run Derby, and the Northwest League (NWL) remains unbeaten in the All-Star Series games.

Next stop on the retirement tour is AT&T Park, where the Giants will host the Cubs in the opening game of a 3-game series. Hopefully, the Cubs can continue to roll, and maintain their lead over the Brewers. The Giants have the worst record in the National League, but the Cubs did manage to lose an entire series to the Padres, who were in that lowly position the last time the Cubs visited California. Please leave the “Anchorman” costumes back in Chicago!” (See Post #101)

Retirement is not without Hassles: San Francisco here I come #200

August 1, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

My son and his family leave for San Francisco later this afternoon. My wife and I will join them later this week. “San Francisco here we come!” I probably worry more about their travel than my own – I think this is just the parental instinct. They are renting a car and driving down to Yosemite Park, whereas we’ll focus strictly on the city. There is a tropical depression down in Florida in the area that they’re flying from and forest fires in California to worry about. If they can maneuver around these challenges, it will be a memorable family vacation.

Most of my family vacations were to Florida. My parents were maybe just a little more adventurous when they drove us through the Badlands and into Yellowstone Park. I have yet to recreate that excursion, but would definitely like to see Old Faithful and the mud pots again on one of our retirement journeys. I’ve not been to Yosemite, so my grand kids will see parts of the country that I’ve never experienced. In fact, I would have never gotten to many areas in California if it weren’t for a college road trip. As my dad once said of that trip: “Thank God there’s an Ocean.” If not, there would have been nothing to stop us from continuing our drive West. It was his car that got us there, and snow tires that brought us back. I’ll write more on this later.

My son and his wife are going to see the group Green Day at the Oakland Coliseum. It’s the same venue where I saw Led Zeppelin nearly 47 years ago. There’s something about going to a concert far from home that makes it even more special. We’ll watch the grand kids while they do this little side trip via BART. We’ll visit the sea lions, ride the trolleys, eat chowder out of bread bowls, dine at the Rainforest Cafe, sample some Ghiradelli chocolate, maybe see Alcatraz, watch the Cubs play the Giants, take the ferry to Sausalito, and stroll through Fisherman’s Wharf. All the touristy stuff! My wife and I are hoping for our own little side trip, including dinner at French Laundry, but the best I could do was the waiting list.

On their way back from Yosemite and Sequoia, my son hopes to visit Monterey and the scenic coast line. It’s one of my favorite areas of California to visit. We’ll definitely miss seeing Big Sur, Pebblebrook, Carmel by the Sea, the Lone Pine, and Highway 101 on this trip, but I hope they have the time to see some of these beautiful landmarks. I’ve dined at Clint Eastwood’s Boar’s Head restaurant in Carmel, had lunch by the 18th green on Pebblebrook, enjoyed a couple days at the Spa at Ventana, toured the Monterey Aquarium, and watched the Monterey Grand Prix. We’ll get back to California coast numerous times during our retirement years, but I’m sure the kids will enjoy the cliff-side views of the Pacific Ocean on this trip.

While they get a head start on the California Adventure, I will continue my training for the Hood to Coast relay here in Oregon. We have a team logistics meeting this afternoon, and in the next couple of days I plan to run some of the segments along the course. I did about 35 hilly miles last week and plan to match that again this week. I still have yet to conquer our hellish neighborhood hill, but have battled through most of the other smaller inclines. Hills will always be my biggest concern, having grown up in the flat-lands of the Midwest. I could practice on Filbert Street or 22nd Street in San Francisco, two of the steepest in the city, but I don’t want to “leave” my lungs and legs in San Francisco, along with my Heart.

Old Sport Shorts: On a roll #198

July 31, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

A 13-3 record since the All-Star break is an impressive start to baseball’s second season. The Cubs are on a roll worthy of a World Series Champion. 10 of these victories have been on the road with only 1 loss, and a six-game home stand lies ahead against the Diamondbacks then the Nats. However, both Arizona and Washington have better records than the Cubs, so they’ll need a home field advantage to win these two critical series, before they hit the road again. It’s been pitching that has given them the edge, with starters going 11-1 since the All-Star rest, and being stingy with only 5 total runs to the Division-rival Brewers in these last three games. The acquisition of pitcher Jose Quintana from the White Sox sparked this Cubs surge, but he’s also the only Cubs starter with a loss, as the Brewers beat him despite only four hits. This particular game was a frustrating loss to open the series, but the Cubs rebounded in the final two pitching duels to gain a 2.5 game lead in the Central.

On the South side of Chicago, the Pale Hose somehow managed to snap both the Cubs six-game winning streak and the Indians nine-game string, but these were the only 2 games that they’ve won since the All-Star break. They had been swept by the Mariners, Dodgers, and Royals to start the second half at 0-8, to finally upset the opposite trending Cubs in the first game of the Cross-Town. Overall, the Sox are now 2-13 since dumping Quintana, Robertson, and Frazier in favor of building for the future. They’ve already lost 62 games this season, with only Philadelphia, Washington, and Cincinnati having racked-up more Ls. At this “rate,” they’ll be “guaranteed” a new field sponsor soon. I still like their uniforms, though!

I plan to go to the Minor League All-Star game tomorrow night in Hillsboro. The home team, Hops, host the Pioneer League All-Stars against the Northwest League All-Stars. The players will use wooden bats for the Home Run Derby that precedes the actual game. The Eugene Emeralds are the Cubs affiliate in this Region, while the Great Falls Voyagers represent the White Sox. Pitchers, Tyler Johnson and J.B. Olson, first baseman, Anthony Villa, and outfielder Craig Dedelow are the future White Sox stars. Dedelow also went to Indiana University, my alma mater and should compete in the Home Run Derby competition along with Villa. Both have 9 home runs so far this season, one behind leader Luis Paz of Ogden. Cubs futures include pitcher Luis Aquino, catcher Gustavo Polanco, and shortstop Aramis Ademan, although none are likely to compete in the Derby. Here’s to the future!

Old Sport Shorts: Cub No Dub #196

July 29, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The Cubs, hoping to gain some momentum going into the All-Star break, had a chance to reduce the Brewers lead in the Central Division with a home win in a make-up game. Instead, they fell flat on their faces, losing 11-2. Cubs starter Mike Montgomery gave up seven runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings, and the team then went on to lose 2 out of 3 against the Pirates. Things continued to go downhill for the Cubs even during the All-Star Game as the only two Cubs representatives, Wade Davis and Manager Joe Madden, were credited for the National League loss in the 10th inning.

As the second half of the season began, the tables slowly started to turn. The Brewers won two of their first three against Philadelphia at home, and then lost seven to the surging Pirates in a home and away series, and two out of three in Philadelphia. The Cubs won six straight, including sweeps of Baltimore and Atlanta, and then took two out of three against the Cardinals and three out of four against the White Sox. Suddenly the Cubs had a 1 1/2 game lead on the Brewers in the Central and all the momentum, going head-to-head in Milwaukee. Surely, the tide had finally changed for the Cubs, and they could extend their lead. Once again, the Brewers prevailed and the Cubs offense sputtered.

I’m very frustrated with this loss, and with the Cubs inability to win opening games of series this year. The Cardinals somehow took game 1 at Wrigley, and the Cubbies should not have lost even one game against the White Sox, let alone this key opportunity in Milwaukee. They just don’t have it this year! Sure, they could come back and win the next two against the Brewers, but they seem to lack that killer instinct of a champion. Even Kyle Schwarber, who has been on a roll, couldn’t make contact with the tying run at third in last night’s game. The result – No Dub.

Dubs are wins, and the Cubs need to win the next two against the Brew Crew, and then go on and have at least a 10-game winning streak to take command of the Central. The Cardinals and Pirates are hanging in there, and it doesn’t look like there will be a Wild Card chance for any of these division rivals. The Central Division is weak, and it will take a dominant leader to have any hope for a World Championship. All these teams will be making trade moves in the next few months, with the Pirates and the reinstatement of Starling Marte making the most noise so far in the second half of the season. The Cubs and Pirates will meet again at the end of August, just before the home stretch. If you’ll remember the Pirates swept the Cubs at Wrigley to start the season, before the Marte 60-game suspension. He’s back! Is there anybody out there than can enhance the Cubs chances for a repeat? The drama continues….

Don’t be a Dud….Fly The Dub.

Retirement is not without Hassles: What day is it? #192

July 26, 2017 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Bachelorhood ends tonight. I’ve slowly made the adjustment today with plant watering, pet sitting, vacuuming, dusting, laundry, and dishes. I even made room in the garage for my wife’s car that has been in airport parking lot for the last 4 days. I’ve also showered and shaved for tonight’s reunion. When the alarm goes off tomorrow morning, I’m back to a normal routine, and will actually vacate the house by car for most of the afternoon, as I work in a lunch and happy hour with former co-workers. The first question they’ll ask me is “how are you enjoying retirement?” I’ll smile and ask them, “what day is it?” I think that regardless of age, most people have distant aspirations for retirement. I hope they are also prepared to face the aches and pains, bladder issues, appearance changes, and other hassles associated with aging. I feel that I’m an excellent example of something to look forward to, but maybe trying a little to hard to be young again.

A rocking chair is not my thing, but I have nodded off the last couple of days in the afternoon after the longer runs I’ve been doing in preparation for the Hood to Coast relay. I’m still obsessed with getting up the “hill from hell” and really haven’t made any progress the last couple days of training. My muscles are tired and strained, but I feel good about the effort. We have a team meeting next week, and I would like to go for a drive this weekend to check-out my sections of the race. As a result, the pups may get a trip to the coast or a trip to Timberline Lodge, depending on what direction we decide to go.

When I was training for the Detroit Marathon 38 years ago, I accumulated over 116 miles in one week. Scared to death that I would fail, I logged every mile in a diary, had a specific time goal, and sometimes ran three times a day. I’m not that guy anymore! I’m about 15 pound heavier, at least 4 minutes slower per mile, and all those years older. I can honestly say that I was seriously addicted to running back then, and it took a series of injuries to get me to stop pushing myself. I’m still motivated to run every day, but I don’t have that competitive edge that I had back then. I’m equally scared of this event, but it’s 17.4 miles over two days compared with 26.1 miles in one day. If I factor in a 50% loss of speed, I’ll actually be running for more hours, almost 3.5 hours as opposed to just over 3 hours for the marathon.

I did not run twice today, and spent some time with my feet up. I did some reading on the back deck, walked the dogs five times, watched a couple of documentaries, including the HBO series, “The Defiant Ones,” and enjoyed the Cubs vs. White Sox baseball game on ESPN. The two Chicago teams have one more game tomorrow evening to complete the Cross-Town rivalry series. We’ll be back at the ballpark in 11 days, as the Cubs face the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco. I’ve been by the park several times, but have never seen a game there. When I come back home, I’ll be a bachelor again, with my wife back in the Midwest. I guess we’ll leave our hearts in San Francisco, fly back separately, and reunite 4 days later. I’ll be really confused on what day it is by then!