Our two pups are off to “Camp Schnauzerville,” while we do a long weekend at the Keys. I’m up bright and early but they are not around today for the first outing of the day. I’m missing the interaction, while the quiet is deafening. “Schnauzerville” is where Fosse was born – her mom and dad live there and the place where Tally has stayed since we moved to Florida. It’s an invaluable dog sitting and grooming service at an affordable price, although the place is “racist” – only allowing Schnauzers. Unlike most dogs, Fosse’s dad is a swimmer, and she has been in the water and encouraged to paddle, although we would prefer that she stay out of our pool. Fortunately, she needs the confidence of her daring father, so with the exception of an occasional slip, she skirts the pool. Both dogs do enjoy sitting in the sun on the lanai and will lazily join me while I read in the afternoons.
One of the endearing things about pairing an older schnauzer with a puppy is the learning process – old dogs teach new dogs new behavior tricks. For example, when the mature pup barks, the student chimes in. One of my favorites, however, is the need to redecorate when we leave them alone to “watch each other.” They move rugs from room to room, scatter their toys in a frenzy, and relocate their beds and bowls. When we come home, the kitchen runner is in the living room, despite its rubber backing. When my wife slides it back in place, they both jump on for a joy ride. It’s like two dogs on a toboggan. I’m not sure where Fosse learned her bad habit of destroying TV remotes – I can’t afford to leave them out, after losing at least five while others are held together with tape.
We’ll pick them up on Monday morning, after the long weekend, groomed, bathed, and worn out from playing with the other boarders, in Fosse’s case, brothers, sisters, cousins, and parents. Although there are some gray and white varieties, most are black. They love their own kind, and I’m enjoying them together – Tally is 15 and Fosse 1. They live to eat, constantly scavenging for crumbs, or planning their next redecorating project.
I lead a rather boring life these days. Nothing seems to excite or inspire any more. I’m not very mobile, still limping on my left leg, so getting around isn’t easy. The dogs tend to determine my daily routine. Out at seven, unless I set an alarm, then every couple hours with last call at ten. I plan to walk a mile this morning, despite the discomfort, and this is the extent of my daily exercise these days. The big question remains: will the nerves in my leg return to normal? So far, after surgery there has been little change. I try to remain patient but it’s frustrating.
Pain no longer keeps me awake at night, but my bladder still does. I got up at least four times last night. My other issue is unsteady hands. My neurologist has increased the dosage of Primidone to curb the tremors, but it’s still difficult to hit the right keys when I write. Plus, it makes me sleepy in the afternoon. I couldn’t stop yawning at a friend’s house yesterday after lunch. Diet Coke still gives me a boost but also makes me shake. It’s another futile battle!
Ten years ago, I didn’t have any of these problems, but those times are hard to remember. I also didn’t appreciate my good health – I took it for granted. Little did I know what loomed ahead. I know I’m not alone, but there are still those who seem to defy age. I always thought that I would be that guy! Believe me, even a year can make a difference. I was still running and writing at age 72. Now, I’m 73 and struggling. I hope I can turn this trend around and begin to enjoy life again.
The game against UCLA was an absolute nightmare, and the Hoosiers fell short again. I went to sleep with a bad feeling in my gut and woke up like I had been tortured. Was this season payback for all those seasons of success back in the Bob Knight era? I just can’t watch anymore and gave up long before the team did. They somehow had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Mackenzie Mgbako’s shot missed the mark, just like so many attempts throughout the game by his teammates – 25 of 62 (40.3%) and 7-29 from three (24.1%). Statistically, it would have taken three more shots for it to have gone in, so I shouldn’t have been surprised or upset. After all, he had just missed a wide-open lay-up that would have tied it.
The Bruins got to sixty first, but their physical play nearly cost them in the end. It was 60-52 on a Skyy Clark three with 8:09 to play, but an inadvertent punch to the jaw of Anthony Leal at 1:18 led to two free throws by Luke Goode, narrowing the margin to 70-65 and a 72-68 final score. Another disappointing home loss for the Hoosiers, their uncharacteristic fourth, and another devastating blow to any post-season hopes.
UCLA led by as many as 13 in the first half and always seemed to make a clutch three to keep the Hoosiers at bay. Mgbako tweaked his ankle and did not return until after the break. Luke Goode turned in a strong second half and finished with 16, while Malik Reneau had just three free throws in the first half and Oumar Ballo managed just a layup and two free throws. Ballo finished with 9, Mgbako 14, and Reneau 14. The Bruins dominated 35-25 at halftime over the stagnant Hoosier offense.
It’s been a over a year since my Open-Heart Surgery, so this is a poetic Valentine tribute to my wife, delivered through a Nora Fleming ceramic plate topper:
From the Heart
Our 26th Valentine,
It started with a Pez.
Listen to my heart,
“I Love You,“ it says.
I can’t imagine your thoughts,
Seeing my heart exposed.
It was a scary moment,
That only you will know.
But now a year has passed,
And I’m on the mend.
To my special Valentine,
Gratitude I send.
You’ve nursed me all along,
While I had little to give.
I need you by my side,
As long as we both live.
“Miss Denise,”
My “Sweetie Pie.”
Your heart is gold,
While I’m a tired guy.
Can’t wait to heal,
And cuddle with you.
It won’ be long,
Loving is past due.
Your Valentine gift,
Though not a Limoges.
Not even a Pez,
A NORA No-moges.
This chocolate-covered,
Ceramic, Strawberry treat.
Our Eddiversary sweet,
But, in this case, not to eat.
Sorry, there isn’t more,
I bought a Valentwin.
But it can be exchanged,
When you take it back in.
A gift that keeps on giving,
Like my heart that ticks anew.
It’s filled with love for you,
And everything you do.
Love, MikeL
Valentine 2025
It was expected that the Hoosiers would drop their sixth straight game, given the fact that it was in hostile territory against a conference leader. However, Coach Mike Woodson had one more magic trick up his sleeve – a zone defense that stifled the mighty Spartans.
Malik Renea scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, while Oumar Ballo added 14 and Luke Goode 10 overall to help Indiana beat No. 11 Michigan State 71-67, leaving Tom Izzo “on the brink” of breaking Bob Knight’s Big Ten wins record. The Hoosiers are now 15-10, 6-8 in the Big Ten, with their first Quad 1 victory of the season. Woodson is stepping down after the season and this win gives the Hoosiers a little more cushion to have some kind of a postseason, even if it’s only a Big Ten Tournament appearance.
The Spartans (19-5, 10-3) lost for the third time in four games and dropped to third in the standings behind Michigan and Purdue. Izzo remains at 353 Big Ten wins, matching the mark Knight set at Indiana while winning three NCAA titles. Michigan State’s Jaden Akins scored 14 points and Jase Richardson had 13, while IU’s Myles Rice had 10 points, including two free throws with 30 seconds left to put the Hoosiers ahead by four points. Anthony Leal sealed the victory with two more free throws in the closing seconds. The Hoosiers got to sixty first, 61-52, with 3:14 remaining.
Ancient history had Indiana as the preseason pick to finish second in the Big Ten, ranked as high as No. 14 in the AP Top 25 in late November. The Hoosiers showed some of that potential, coming back from a double-digit deficit early in the game to lead at halftime and for the entire second half. Down goes Sparty!
I’m back into Storyworth, editing the life story of a neighbor that I wrote last year. I’m feeding him one chapter at a time so he can add any necessary corrections. This will help fill my down time as my nerves continue to heal. Soon, I’ll be able to get back in the pool and begin to gain some strength and stability. I get tired easily and can feel an annoying pinch in the back of my left leg. I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever get back to normal?
We’re going to see the Johnny Rawls Blues Band on Saturday night in downtown Venice. They are playing in the gazebo where I first watched them perform a couple of years ago. I had been monitoring their tour calendar, hoping for a return visit. We’ll have a day-late Valentine’s dinner before the outdoor show at a favorite BBQ spot, Gold Rush. I’m also going to Braves batting practice on Wednesday morning, as baseball begins Spring Training exercises. An active week for me!
My wife heads to school this morning, despite a bout of laryngitis. She also has tap class tonight, so I have double dog duty at the park. I also have a Chair Yoga class this morning and will transport a couple of neighbors in the golf cart. Lunch and dinner will be on my own. No doctor appointments today after visits with the Urologist and Chiropractor yesterday. Likely, I’ll spend some time in the sun this afternoon on the lanai, listening to another Jack Reacher book-on-tape or watching another Harlan Coben movie adaptation on the new big screen. No Blues for me today!
I’m back to a normal routine, as I continue to write my daily post. There is a hole in my lower back, now exposed after the bandage fell off. The sutures will come out in a few days and there is little pain and only hints of the burning sensation that kept me up at night. I’ve slept peacefully since the surgery but still find myself limping, as the nerves continue to heal. Day-to-day progress is hard to measure but any discomfort has moved from my upper thigh to the back of my leg, similar to a hamstring injury. I hobbled down the street to a birthday party two nights ago and to and from a Super Bowl Party last night. In both cases, I confined myself to a chair once I got there.
My muscles are very weak, and it will probably be weeks before I get back to the gym. I’m very confident that the cyst they removed in surgery was the cause of my sciatica, dating back to nearly a year ago. I’ve suffered through physical therapy, steroid injections, and failed painkillers. Natural healing, followed by exercise will eventually get me back to normal. I’ve done my share of whining and feeling sorry for myself, but at least I now have a solution. I feel for those who suffer from ailments that seem to have no specific cause.
The Super Bowl was meaningless to me and I.U. basketball is as good as dead, so my passion for sports has disappeared. I watched some golf yesterday that looks so easy with these pros. Pickleball and tennis have little appeal, even when I’m healthy. Movies, books on tape, and documentaries occupy most of my idol time.
My poor wife is frustrated because of my recent snoring habit, certainly a biproduct of the pain killers I’ve been taking. I’ve eased myself off everything but Advil, so maybe now she can get some rest after taking care of me all day. I’m on the road to recovery!
Dusty May, once an I.U. basketball student manager in Bloomington, returned to town and showed why he should be the next Hoosier coach, or is it too late? Mike Woodson did not get the rebound he was hoping for and watched the rival Wolverines get to sixty-points first and ultimately win the game. Another ugly ending in Assembly Hall where home court should prevail.
I.U. was down by as much as 18-points with 1:07 remaining in the first half, 43-25 on a Tre Donaldson layup. The Hoosiers stalled the Michigan effort to surpass sixty, getting within one 53-52 at the nine-minute mark, then tying the score at 59 before the Wolverines took the lead for good, 61-59 on a Vladislav Goldin dunk with 3:05 remaining. It was a classic study in how important the sixty score can be in college basketball. It’s the mark of good defense and the magical standard for an I.U. victory for decades now. Get there first and win!
If the Hoosiers had somehow prevented the Goldin dunk, would the game have ended differently? Would “the magic of 60” have prevailed? Instead, Coach Mike Woodson once again hangs his head in defeat and the Hoosiers sadly find themselves in danger of not even making the cut for the BIG Ten tourney, let alone the Big Dance. Where was Mackenzie Mgbako in the first half, scoring all 15 of his points after the break? Oumar Ballo was on the bench for half the game and Anthony Leal should have shot more threes. He had a hot hand, including a last-second shot that meaninglessly went in from three-quarters court, unless you were betting the spread.
I.U. now begins the difficult search for a new head coach. Had circumstances been different, it would have been Dusty May. Instead, we’ve gone through seven men in the 25-years since Bob Knight was fired: Mike Davis, Kelvin Sampson, Dan Dakich, Tom Crean, Archie Miller, and Mike Woodson. It now looks like the Woodson era that ends with “retirement” will not have a magical finish after being “Dusted” by the Wolverines.
It was just after another frustrating loss to Nebraska that I could no longer watch I.U. basketball, let alone write about it. There was no Hoosier magic to keep my interest. Wins against Chattanooga and Winthrop were meaningless. Even a streak of Big Ten wins against Rutgers, Penn State, and U.S.C. could not restore my enthusiasm, somehow knowing that the team was headed for disaster. Iowa and Illinois proved my point, while Ohio State gave a glimpse of hope with an ugly overtime victory in Columbus. Then things really started to fall apart with losses to Northwestern, Maryland, and Purdue, all games that were winnable with good coaching and execution in the end. Instead, the fans turned on Mike
Woodson, demanding a leadership change. Boos replaced the cheers at Assembly Hall!
The Hoosiers stood a dismal 5-7 in conference play, but Coach Woodson is a Hoosier court legend. Removing him required surgical precision and so retirement was the agreed upon decision. He would continue to lead the team for the rest of the season, starting with Michigan and their coach Dusty May, his potential replacement. Brad Stevens, unlikely to leave the Celtics, is also on the short list, along with Chris Beard. In the meantime, Mike Woodson still has a slim chance to rescue his coaching reputation and the talented team he leads. Can the Hoosiers rise from the ashes?
It’s been since December 23rd, 46 days since I’ve written anything. It’s the longest stretch of inactivity since I started this blog. It’s good exercise for my fingers, although my tremors make it difficult to hit the right keys and can make writing quite difficult. I should probably use a voice function but fingers on keys feel good – more rewarding. My entries get little recognition, so this is all about personal therapy.
Sciatica pain has kept me from doing this blog. Sitting can be uncomfortable and being in pain does not provide much motivation for doing things. Netflix and books on tape keep me entertained, as I work on my tan, but also lead to many unproductive naps. Going to the gym has been limited to the stationary bike, more sitting on my butt. I’ve continued with chair yoga despite the limitations of my flexibility and lack of balance. I feel flabby and uncomfortable in my skin.
Yesterday, I finally got some relief. The surgeon removed a cyst that was choking my sciatic nerve. It apparently was a difficult procedure, but I obviously feel much better, as evidenced by my return to the keyboard. I hope to get back on track but need to find more interesting topics other than pain management that has consumed my mind for months. No one really wants to read about others misfortune, since we all regularly experience pain in different ways. At least, mine can be fixed. I promise to be more positive in the future, once I can comfortably walk again. Right now, I’m like a staggering, peg-legged pirate on an unsteady plank.
I’m lucky that I sought a second opinion. I was initially referred to a pain management doctor. The first steroid injection seemed to help, but the second and third seemed to aggravate the sciatic nerve. It was like I had a constant knot in my thigh, coupled with the burning sensations down my left leg. Nighttime was particularly difficult finding a comfortable position. Lying down seemed to aggravate these nerves even more and it felt like acid was dripping down my left leg; it was literally on fire! After this surgery, I didn’t have those uncomfortable sensations last night, an indication that the sciatic nerve is already healing. I can only hope this continues. When the pain management doctor suggested an insert called “The Minuteman,” I asked around for others that had gone through this or knew someone who had? After little feedback, I consulted a neurosurgeon that had done spinal work on several neighbors.
There were more delays getting in to see him, and the pain persisted, as it has for the last year. “The Minuteman,” would have been an expensive, unnecessary surgery, since the cyst issue would not have been resolved and eliminated. For the first time, I feel like I’m on the way to recovery and made a good choice looking for another option.
Our poor, 15-year-old schnauzer Tally also feels the discomfort of arthritis, and I can clearly relate. When they took away the Advil a week prior to surgery, I could feel every aching joint in my body. Tally and I were on a similar path, and I wish we could help her more. Her one-year-old sister Fosse continues to be the Energizer Bunny and the envy of both of us. Tally also had an upset stomach this morning and ignored her treats, a rare occurrence. Finally, she ate enough grass to puke on our rug. Actually, it was a welcome sight to watch her then collapse in relief and eventually head to her bed, despite the cleanup. She’ll rest, like me, this afternoon. The next step for me is to have my lower back sutures taken out next week, as I really feel like I’m all stitched up and ready to scream, “I’m Back.”
