It all started with a busy morning of making last minute preparations for the drive to Maine and back. We dropped the dogs off at Schnauzerville, picked up the Nissan Rogue rental SUV, and packed for 19-days on the road. Our first leg was essentially a straight shot up I-75 to Atlanta. My wife’s niece was home for the 2024 Olympics after years of coordinating all the torch runs, so we were able to stay with her for the night and watch the events on TV.
It was the first road trip when I didn’t even bother to pack my running gear, replaced with a cold pack and heating pad. Hopefully, I can do some walking and gym visits along the way while still battling a sciatica issue in my left leg. I took along three last days of steroid medication, but beyond that was expecting pain and frustration. Lunch was at Freddy’s in Ocala, before I took over the wheel, just another pound added to my already overworked, under-exercised and growing frame. Fortunately, traffic was not an issue even in the typical rough construction spots like Sarasota and Tampa. I was pleased with the rental upgrade, offering plenty of room for hanging clothes and survival supplies like water and Diet Coke. A chocolate shake was my Freddy’s splurge on top of the cheeseburger and fries. My wife’s app got her a free burger.
Our first Georgia stop was a rest area, followed by a brisket sandwich at Buc-ee’s – no road trip is complete anymore without a stop to visit “The Beaver.” That put us just a little over an hour from our overnight stop for manicotti, Buc-ee nuggets, and the Olympics. Vodka, wine, ice cream, and Limoncello made for a restless night’s sleep with an upset tummy. I got up for a walk before we made our way to the next Buc-ee’s for breakfast kolaches.
Shohei Ohtani joined the 30-30 Club, despite a recent draught that has hopefully only temporarily dropped him out of the Triple Crown race. In Chicago related sports, the Cubs took the series from the Cardinals to at least rise from the cellar to face the Twins and White Sox, while bed-ridden Steve McMichael was honored by the HOF and the Bears won a rain-shortened game over the Texans in Canton. Former Cubs World Series hero, Kyle Schwarber, now a Philly, hit his 41st career leadoff homer, and the 10th of this season in a 6-0 victory over the trade-depleted Marlins. Alfonso Soriano’s 13 in 2003 as a Yankee is the record he is chasing. Schwarbs and Ohtani faced each other in LA, both in a DH role.
Schwarber homered once in game two and three times in game 3 to boost his season total to 27 (11 lead-off shots) while Ohtani homered in the opener (#34).
Currently tied for seventh on the single season leadoff homer list, Schwarber joined Soriano as the only players with multiple seasons of 10-plus leadoff homers and is not done yet. If Schwarber can get to 3 more home runs from the top of the batting order at any point this season, he will be the first player since at least 1974 to have three consecutive such years. In addition, he’s the first Phillies player since Jayson Werth in 2008 with 3 homers and 7 RBIs in a game. He ties a career high and delivers his first ever 4-4 game. He is batting 364 over the last 15 games.
Ohtani and the Dodgers are slumping, as the surging Diamondbacks and Padres, both with 9 wins in their last 10 games, have closed the gap to two games — the smallest margin since late April. Ohtani’s batting average has slipped to .294 after the Brewers series and from .316 since the All-Star break. He and his teammates travel to St. Louis and Busch Stadium for Players Weekend where he has yet to have a career homer.
Gavin Sheets matched a career high with four hits and drove in four runs, Korey Lee and Brooks Baldwin homered and the Chicago White Sox gave interim manager Grady Sizemore his first win, pounding the New York Yankees 12-2. This was of course after losing 24 of 25.
The Little League World Series is underway, and as we passed through New Jersey, I couldn’t help but think of 1998 when Toms River, New Jersey, defeated Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan in the championship game of the 52nd Little League World Series. The title game was punctuated by a standout performance by future White Sox and 2015 MLB Home Run Derby champion Todd Frazier, who went 4-for-4 with a lead-off home run, and was also the winning pitcher. He retired from baseball in 2022.
As a final note or two, TruTV has agreed to broadcast five Savannah Banana games. I’ve set my record function in hope of catching some of the action. After all, tickets are both expensive and hard to get. Plus, Da Bears are now 3-0 in the preseason. It could be a good year.
July marked the end of the MLB trade deadline, so I was keeping an eye on the wire while we traveled. The Cubs picked up a reliever, Nate Pearson, and All-Star Isaac Paredes in exchange for popular Christopher Morel. The White Sox, after 14-straight losses and only 27-wins in 108-games had yet to make a move until the last few days… pitcher Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the Cards, along with Michael Kopech to the Dodgers in a 3-way swap, while the Cubs dealt Mark Leiter, Jr. to the Yanks for futures. The Sox got more prospects in exchange but nothing to rescue this pitiful season.
As the trade deadline loomed, Pham was back with the Cards, former teammate Paul DeJong, also with the Pale Sox, went to the Mets, and Jorge Soler was reunited with the Braves. Danny Jansen of the Blue Jays, sent to the Red Sox, could end up playing for both teams in the same suspended game. This has yet to happen in the 121-year history of the MLB. Injury-prone Eloy Jimenez is moving his medical baggage to Baltimore.
The chump White Sox lost their franchise record 15th, no 16th, no 17th, no 18th, no 19th, no 20th, no 21st straight game, swept by the Mariners, Royals, Twins, and A’s, dubiously besting Baltimore’s 1988 swoon. It beat their previous mark of 14 set less than two months ago, another of the Top-40 all-time losing streaks in MLB history (tied at #38). It’s been that kind of year! They matched the 1988 Orioles with 21 consecutive losses after becoming the seventh team in MLB history to lose 20 games in a row. They join the company that includes:
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1961 Philadelphia Phillies, 23 games
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2024 Chicago White Sox. 21 games
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1988 Baltimore Orioles, 21 games
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1969 Montreal Expos, 20 games
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1943 Philadelphia Athletics, 20 games
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1916 Philadelphia Athletics, 20 games
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1906 Boston Americans, 20 games
The pain and embarrassment finally ended on the threshold of the 1961 Phillies record with a 5-1 win over the A’s. Jonathan Cannon gave up one run over six innings to stave his personal drought while helping the White Sox to their first victory since early July. One straight win! Never mind, “One Straight Loss” thanks to the A’s, followed immediately by the firing of Manager Pedro Grifol, just in time to play the Cubs, another two losses and perhaps the beginning of another record slump by the chumps.
My thigh feels like it’s on fire this morning and my stomach uneasy. Taking both dogs out was a painful chore. The doctor prescribed another round of steroids that I will pick up today, hoping that it will give me at least a few days of relief like the first batch. I feel like I’m being penalized for all those mornings when I could get moving with relative ease. I even slept on the heating pad last night and reapplied the cold pack on my way out the door, both with minimal effectiveness. Sitting down to write is the only normal part of my mornings these days.
Yesterday, we went to the beach, sitting in the back yard of 32-Gasparillo Island billionaires. We were with friends who shared a fried chicken picnic lunch. It was a great day, but moving in and out of the water was a chore for me. I spent a half-hour on the phone with the doctor, confirming the need for an additional prescription. I’m concerned about the upcoming long drive to Maine and being without my chiropractor for three weeks. Floating in the salty water should have taken the strain off my back and legs, but fighting the current and getting back to my beach chair was exhausting. I stumbled trying to get back on my feet, feeling like a Weeble-Wobble. I’m more than frustrated with this recovery process.
Tonight, we go to the Englewood Moose for dinner and tomorrow evening we celebrate my son’s belated 50th at Pinchers. Monday morning we hit the road in our rental car with an overnight stay in Atlanta. Tuesday we’ll arrive in Indiana. As this Friday morning wears on, I should get back enough flexibility in my leg to go to the gym. Fortunately, the pain slowly subsides as I sit upright and let the cold pack numb my thigh. My wife is headed to the beach again, a luxury thanks to where we live, although I hadn’t been there for six long months until yesterday.
The Olympic Opening Ceremonies are tonight from Paris. I’m, of course, not eligible to participate again due to steroid ingestions these past two weeks, but I wish my fellow Americans good luck. It will be good to have some fresh TV to watch, having caught up on all our current series including The Land of Women, Presumed Innocent, and House of the Dragon. Some of these finales will be put on hold until we get back home in three weeks. See you on the Road!
Getting ready for a long blog blackout. Three weeks without my computer on the road to Maine. The less packing at each stop the better – at least ten different beds along the way – only two Marriott Hotels. Lots of stories to tell when I get back. I’m getting all my home banking squared away in preparation for the journey. It will be at least 3,500 miles of driving, but I’ll return with the glory of having visited all 50 states.
The dogs will go to “Schnauzerville,” their home away from home. However, when my wife goes to visit her daughter in Oakland this November, we’ve decided to divide and conquer. I will stay home, weary of traveling, to take care of the pups. They’ll be disappointed with “Mom” gone. Thankfully, this will be the extent of this year’s holiday travel for both of us since both of her girls will be here in January. Our next adventure will likely be the Florida Keys in February or March. We’ll get our discount tickets for the high-speed ferry in December.
Most everything is booked in the Caribbean next year, after looking into potential Marriott Vacation Club opportunities. We’ll need to get a head start on 2026 for Costa Rica or St. John’s. Next year should be quiet on the travel front, with the priorities being substitute teaching for my wife and a potential part-time job for me. Above all, I need to stay away from medical care! We need to take advantage of all the amenities we have here at Islandwalk, for once. After all, we do live in paradise – there’s no need to travel thousands of miles for sunshine, palm trees, and sandy beaches. I’m prepared for a long staycation, no packing and unpacking, as we think about our 25th anniversary and a potential trip to China.
I’ve just taken my last steroid tablet with mixed results regarding its purpose in relieving my leg pain. There have been moments when I’ve felt like I could conquer the world, followed by cramps and discomfort in my calf muscle. I feel like I’m making progress one hour, followed by despair the next. I will soon have a follow-up with the prescribing physician to determine the next steps. The big question remains: Will there be anger in the withdrawal stages – ‘Roid Rage?
I honestly don’t feel very well – a bit light-headed and achy, but unrelated to my visit to the Urologist yesterday, other than it just added to my seemingly endless medical woes. I’m now trying the drug Finasteride to relieve an enlarged prostrate with the side benefit of keeping my hair from falling out. Fortunately, that’s one problem I’ve never had, but certainly my bladder issues need help, substituting one pill for another.
When we return from travel, I will need an MRI for my continuing sciatica problems, alongside back-to-back appointments with the cardiologist, urologist, optician, chiropractor, and neurologist. What more could possibly go wrong? It’s been a heart-stoppin’, pill-poppin’, leg-hoppin’, eye-droppin’ medical rollercoaster that I would like to get off. Tylenol, vitamins, baby Aspirin, statins, blood pressure, steroid, prostrate, heartburn, and allergy pill bottles now fill my medicine cabinet. Routine blood pressure checks and three kinds of eye drops keep me busy. At least, I’m not on anti-depressants, even though my entertainment dollars are spent on co-pays. Sadly, too many of us old farts can relate to this retirement regimen!
I still find time to go to the gym, but even that is less satisfying than running used to be. Chair Yoga is only once a week and walking still limited to the treadmill. I ride the bike, but don’t go anywhere. There are fifteen bags of mulch to put down, but I can’t seem to find the strength or energy. I’ve fallen but can’t get up – even sit-ups and push-ups are no longer a habit. I’d be sorry for myself, but too many of my peers are in worst shape. However, I feel every bit like the father of a fifty-year-old! Will ‘Roid Rage be next?
As we head back to Indiana in a week, I’ve prepared this poem for a group of eight media friends celebrating their 70th birthdays:
Six Ad Chicks and Two Dicks
As we enter old age,
We honor six Ad Chicks,
And a couple of sales pimps,
Known as the “Two Dicks.”
We forgot a few,
I have no doubt.
But like so many buys,
Some were just left out.
We party at the Mousetrap,
This family of Media friends.
And will blow out the candles,
Before the evening ends.
England, Kaiser, Albrecht,
Reilly, Flora, and Roman Chicks,
You all don’t look your age,
Warner, Harbin Birthday Dicks.
Septuagenarians unite,
No, I didn’t say SEX.
Back then, it was calls,
Not e-mails and texts.
“The client has needs,”
Numbers to crunch.
Settling our differences,
Over a cocktail lunch.
Agencies and Media,
Never on level ground.
One rounds up,
The other down.
Arbitron ratings,
Were still a thing.
Stuck at our desks,
Ring, phone, ring.
It wasn’t as though,
We could take it along.
Plugged in the wall,
The cord not so long.
The phone was your friend,
Or the nagging enemy.
What’s my share?
Came the desperate plea.
Billboards and print,
Added so many choices,
Does the client prefer,
Pictures or Voices?
Let the Buyer Beware,
And the Seller prepared.
Or those promised spots,
May not get aired.
Your insert or display ad,
Might not be placed.
Then a disgruntled buyer,
Had to be Faced.
Being Queens,
And dealing with Jokers.
It often led,
To heavy smokers.
There once was no cable,
Podcasts or streams.
We all had comp tickets,
To follow our teams.
Events and concerts,
Payola galore.
Trips made the bad buys,
Hard to ignore.
Another powerpoint,
Stacks of Media kits.
But If you agree,
I’ll get you in the Pits.
And in retirement,
There’s no front row seats.
Back Stage passes,
Or fancy suites.
So glad we got together,
Before more of us departs.
And those who couldn’t make it,
Are forever in our hearts.
Happy Birthday to you….
I won’t be eligible for this year’s Olympics again, this time due to steroid use. I doubt that I could hit 70-home runs or break a world record in the 100-meter dash, but I sure feel better. Finally, after months of chiropractic treatment, trying to relieve a pinched sciatica nerve near my spine, I can move again. The doctor hooked me up with an accident injury specialist who prescribed a week’s worth of Methylprednisolone tablets. I’m half-way through the dosage and was able to walk comfortably, at a fast pace, last evening. Even my wife, who typically is two steps ahead, commented that I needed to slow down.
I’m still a bit stiff and sore in the morning, sitting on an ice bag as I write this. The pain my hip and leg are not debilitating like previous days. After warming up, I feel great – full of energy – full of steroids. I honestly hope that after the 7-day period, I’m not hooked and that it continues to heal naturally. I had a little trouble working with a doctor whose card reads, Florida Injury?” but the chiropractor, who I do trust, can’t prescribe drugs. I can now comfortably continue the rehab from my open-heart surgery, six months ago without pain.
I have been going to the gym every day, but I’m limited on what I can do. I initially thought that I would simply be replacing the daily runs with long walks. However, I would get cramps and Charlie Horses. Medication changes helped some. I next tried the pool to take the pressure off my back, along with the stationary bike, rowing machine, weight machines, and treadmill where I could hold on to the side rails. Last night, with the support aid of Tally’s dog stroller we walked Fosse. For the first time, I felt like I didn’t need to hold on tight.
My attitude and patience suddenly improved. I spent the day sorting baseball cards and could actually bend over and lift the heavy binders without pain. The question remains: Is it actually healing or just numb from the steroids? Will I be back to normal once the drugs wear off? Or, will I seek the dark back alleys in search of a steroid dealer?
Paydays always make for a beautiful day in the neighborhood. I like it when there’s money coming in instead of out. However, it quickly goes back out to bills with little left over – the current cycle of life. My son’s 50th is quickly coming up and our drive to Maine – more money going out! It’s my brother-in-law’s birthday today but we rarely exchange gifts, but I will see him next week or so as we make our way through Indiana – “Back Home Again.” I’m on a tenderloin quest, with that being my suggestion when I lunch together with my half-siblings, as well, in Columbus, Indiana. It will be the first time that I meet Kristi, who was not present at our initial gathering in Scipio. Four remaining Bannister sisters.
My wife has her tap class today, while I go to the chiropractor for my third visit this week. She’s active and I’m currently not, maybe the result of our 4-plus differences in age? I’m particularly sore first thing in the morning, but still manage to get to the gym. I’m sitting on an ice pack as I write this. I may take it with me on the long drive ahead. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get in some walking on our adventure north, despite the fact that it’s uncomfortable. Treatments don’t seem to be working.
The dogs are headed to the park, as is the morning ritual. Fosse spent the night in “good bed,” rather than the cage. There were no accidents, so it looks like she quickly learned her lesson. She’s a smart dog, but I struggled trying to get her to do her business last night before bedtime. My wife takes her on a long walk – maybe a bit too soon before her last outing. “Ham Time” did not seem to inspire her, as Tally waited impatiently for her reward while her sister continued to doddle. It’s usually the other way around, the slower Tally lollygagging and dillydallying along. Doddle, dillydallying, and lollygagging – three words you don’t see very often in the same paragraph.
Two more chair yoga classes and I’m on my way to Maine, as I continue to struggle with my left leg. I’m getting just as tired of writing about it as limping on it. Yesterday, I made two trips to the chiropractor seeking relief. It loosens up as the day “stretches on” with the worst time being that first outing with the dogs. However, I look across the street at my neighbor leaning on his cane and realize that it could be worse. Everyone has their aches and pains, so mine aren’t unique – just frustrating.
Speaking of pains, our puppy, Fosse, is now a chewing machine. This morning, she went after another TV accessory but settled on destroying a plastic pen. The feisty little thing, three pounds heavier in just the last month, recently tried eating the remote for our living room TV to the extent where I had to replace it. I can’t even set something down for a second within her reach. Plus, her territory has extended to climbing up on my office chair to get at things on my desk. I have to carefully put everything away or she immediately takes possession. Tally went through this stage years ago, and the corners of our coffee table still bear the scars of her teeth. We called her the “Talligator.” Fosse’s new nickname is often now just a string of expletives!
One big positive in my life is eyesight improvement. As my vision continues to get better after cataract surgery a few weeks ago, I may not even need glasses. This was certainly a higher-priced option, but I elected for the standard procedure. At this point, there seems to be very little difference in clarity with or without my spectacles. Next month, with my follow-up exam, I’ll know for sure, but I’m certainly encouraged by the progress. “I can see clearly now,” the tune Johnny Nash used to croon.
