Good Day Today, With Moderate Physical Training

 Well, I'm midway through today's evening, having passed up on early rising.  I was a bit restrained with my running/walking training but managed some Martinus Evans-level "slow AF" brief runs back and forth across my backyard, along with a few minutes of running-in-place.  I'm brewing a pot of flavored decaf coffee, and then I'd like to get through a few minutes more of ipf and/or rock-running.  I still feel like I'm encountering an undue amount of resistance to my workouts, bu I'm sticking to the late Jesse Jackson's immortal quote: "Keep hope alive!" Earlier during the afternoon while Melissa was having her teeth cleaned, I lied down in the back and listened to the entire Sufjan Stevens album (from 2006) titled The Avalanche..my favorite tracks from it are The Henney Buggy Band and Pittsfield and the title song.After 9:30, I'm shutting things down in the front of the house and watching baseball with the sound lowered...and the air conditioning on while I bundle up and hide under a blanket. Getting up early tomorrow morning may well be a "hit" for me, for I could well do some more exercising and writing. Hope you all had a wonderful day as it is now winding down, and that tomorrow carries with it many blessings and things to be grateful for...Sweet dreams!...

Some Perspective About My Past in 1971

 It's Friday morning on what used to be a typical weekday.  55 years ago I would have been showing up in the ninth grade at Nova in Davie as the weather outside was transitioning to a stench of chronic Everglades fire smog.  Lobo's debut hit Me and You and a Dog Named Boo was getting its radio overplay...soon I would tire of hearing it.  I was fourteen and a half, thoroughly tired of having to go to school for  a year. After school I temporarily stood up to a bully leaving the bus one afternoon and go t a little beat down in a fist fight)The esxperience taught me what contemptible ghouls the unwelcome onlookers were who were staring at me in a circle.  The next morning I received some sympathy from busstop classmates for what I went through, and that creep Arnone laid off me, never to be a friend. Later that summer during the early 10th grade I would return to school more serious in my studies.  On prime time sitcom television, some new series like All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore were starting their runs...my family became good fans.That fall "my" Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, were good enough to make it to the Super Bowl...which they convincingly lost to Dallas. Overall, I was not a happy camper and tended to slip into daydreaming for much of my high school class time.  At home, my father would overdose me with talk of his dog racing betting strategies and philosophies. Still, I appreciated his efforts at weightlifting to the point of getting good at the bench press, pull-up, and standing press (I could lift up my own weight from the ground).   Growing up during this period was a confirmation of me not having an easy life. In my home neighborhood, my neighbors were raucous and out of control, loudly playing music deep into the night.  

Gators Out, MRI In, World May or May Not Change

 I was watching the TV-20 evening news yesterday and substitute anchor Robert Bradfield was in Tampa standing outside the sports arena building, where he boasted his expectation that the uf Gators men's team would beat Iowa by 23 points in their Round Two ncaa tourney game.  Turns out uf's season is now over after losing a 73-72 squeaker to the Hawkeyes. Today I have my MRI procedure scheduled at UF Health.  Nothing personally ambitious planned for today..just exercise some and rest. And tend to avoid the television news and commentary, that would be nice.  I stayed in bed until after six, got up and brewed coffee and ran in place on the rug.  Well, I'm not going to change the world substantially by my actions today, just a little bit here and there...

Showed Up at Depot Parkrun, Walked a Lap

 Last night my sleep quality was relatively poor, and I woke up early today...and tired.  After exercising in the living room a few minutes, I waited until after six when Melissa woke up.  She drove us down to Depot Park, a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville.  The temperature was comfortably cool in the upper fifties this morning when the 5k race started at 7:30.  I was prepared to walk it smoother than before, although my speed was slower and I resisted going into a light jog at any point.  The last time I tried this it was a difficult trudge, so I feel I did much better this week.  My goal for future Parkrun ventures should be to walk enough to get a completed effort and get it posted online.  Now it's mid-afternoon and we're waiting for our Publix home delivery...I still have some more exercise, reading and study to come.  Speaking of sleep, I'm looking forward to more rest and relaxation today.  I'm tired of the news, especially that of this war against Iran.  Our friend Ethel stopped by and prayed with us a little earlier...bless her!  In pro golf, The Players Championship Tournament is now in its 3rd round today, and I'm enjoying following it on TV.  Tonight will be the Oscars on TV, with Conan O'Brien doing the presiding. There will be no resetting the clock ahead tonight, since we're already into Daylight Savings Time. Well, it's the birthday for no one I personally know, just NBA star Stephen Curry (at 38).  God bless you all... 

Choosing One's Response

 A few days ago, near the start of he '26 Winter Olympics, I was dismayed to hear on the news about Trump going on a "you're a loser" angry rant against an athlete who simply answered a politically-oriented question.  This president always has an open line to contact me and discuss anything he wants, and if the highly improbable were to happen and someone shoved a mike and camera before me with a highly charged question, that's how i'd reply.  You see, I can't always control what happens to me, but more likely I have the option of being able to choose how to respond. And it's within my chosen responses that I have the opportunity for personal growth, and perhaps being able to take a positive step to help this sadly progressively degrading world we live in...

Merry Christmas from Me with a Minimal Appetite

 Merry Christmas, everyone! Today we greeted this holiday and visited our good friends, who live on the western outskirts of Gainesville. The food was wonderful and so was the company.  I had a very small appetite and filled up quickly, wanting to take a nap on their couch.  We went back home and I rested, skipping the exercise routine I had planned.  Later on I watchd, while resting, a couple of NBA games and some Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime channel.  Well, time to get a decent night's sleep. Happy holidays...

Clemson-Louisville Football Game on Eve of Parkrun

 Seeing that tomorrow morning is Depot Parkrun  5K here in Gainesville and that, anticipating participating in it with Melissa, I usually suffer through a night of insomnia, I settled down this evening in front of the old boob tube to watch Clemson, a recently rare underdog, try to keep up with Louisville in ACC football.  Dabo Sweeney has done well to keep this rebuilding Tigers team playing together as a unit, while the Cardinals, while very talented, tend to make a lot of mistakes.  After their placekicker missed an easy extra point and kicked two makeable field goal attempts wildly to the side, Clemson somehow managed to squeak out a 20-19 road win.  Sweeney was beside himself in ecstasy as if he had just won the national championship again,   But I was tired and just muted the sound and listened to some Amazon Music.  Come tomorrow morning, I predict it to be cold in the forties when the race begins at 7:30, but to quickly warm up as the sun rises...

Skipping Today's Parkrun 5K

Last night my sleep was fitful, with my FitBit watch registering the experience at a "poor" 53.  Had Melissa and I arisen at the same general, normally-early time and concurred on attending this morning's Depot Parkrun 5K...just a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville...we'd have suited up and walked the event's four laps, getting our barcodes scanned and finishing (walking) times posted online...to view them click HERE.  To be sure, I was already outspokenly confident that I could easily cover the 3.1 miles...it was just a matter of "how fast".  Well, we skipped it and enjoyed breakfast together at home.  Later I checked the posted results, noting how similar they were to previous trends even with today's much cooler temperatures in the forties.  We just came back from our neighborhood walk: 2 laps totaling 1.4 miles in 26:23 (not that I was racing).  Earlier today a registered nurse doing physical therapy visited our home and we sorted out the facts of my ongoing condition.  Hopefully, by early Saturday morning on the 8th, Melissa and I will be ready to resume our weekly Parkrun adventures.  In the meantime, I'm stuck with overhyped college football games on TV: I don't care who wins or loses, but I'm sick and tired of the loud, overemotional hype and stupid commercials presented in hip-hop.  This evening, baseball's World Series finishes with the deciding Game Seven between the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.  I have nothing at stake with the outcome, so whatever. Later on this coming week, my scalp's staples should be removed, allowing for a tighter sealing of my skin on my head.  My appetite's good, digestion seems to be working, and I'm very happy to NOT be expected anytime soon at work. I would just like to enter a phase in my life in which I can establish some regular routines without "special events" imposing themselves on me and interrupting my initiative and actions. Oh, one other thing.  The Democrats in my Gainesville area installed a ballot initiative for voters to decide on whether the local public utility should be locally-run instead of by the dictator-DeSantis-controlled state government.  The fascists sued to keep it off the ballot (they don't want my vote to count for anything), but this Tuesday we can go down and vote on the measure, for all the good that will do if it passes.  When I walk into the voting room, I expect to be thoroughly scrutinized and harassed by hostile, partisan poll workers...

Recovering from Grave Brain Surgery: Life is Fragile

 No expectations.

I am retired, with a memory of colleagues who passed on soon after they finished their careers...one died while still employed and looking ahead to retirement.  Physically, I am in very good condition and have a lot of cardiovascular endurance.  Unfortunately, I have cancer.  Brain cancer.  And it seems to be terminal.  It wasn't diagnosed until exactly a week ago when Melissa drove me to the UF Health emergency room, where they did the ct-scan on my head that showed the golfball-size tumor.  Without ever going home, I was medically transported to the Shands Neurosurgery building off SW Archer Road.  The brain surgery was performed early Friday afternoon there by Dr. Koch and his able team.  The tumor's analysis confirmed its malignancy and aggressive nature. After experiencing an absolutely unncessary psychologically traumatic night in their intensive care unit under the control of bullying RN Antonio, I was deemed recovered enough to (gratefully) transfer to a "normal" med-surgical floor, where I stayed another night before being discharged yesterday.  I'm at home, now, very well-cared for by my sweet Melissa, and am sitting in the dining room typing on this Google Chromebook.  My plan is to take each day as it comes, speak frankly with love, and enjoy the life I have left coming to me.  It's fragile, way too fragile for my tastes!  So, I'm happy that the Dolphins, Dodgers, Buccaneers and Mississippi Rebels all won...but it would have been okay had they lost.  In my present life, my priority is to maintain myself in a positive mental attitude and to encourage recovery while minimizing my head pain without seeking any chemical dependence.  Peace is a wonderful thing, and I'm grateful that Melissa is here with me providing it..

Fatigue and Headaches Dampening Activity for Today

Yesterday, Sunday, was marked by raininess in my area.  I had entertained the notion of taking a brisk walk through the neighborhood, but felt sleepy early on and had a headache...probably stemming from the hormone injection I took a few weeks ago.  After finally awakening and walking about, I found the television choices to be too limited for my tastes: the channel selector blocked my ability to pick good, old Harry Potter features.  And the NFL football wasn't very attractive, either, with only the Dallas/Washington game offering any real enjoyment.  In the evening, that Toronto/Seattle playoff game wasn't very interesting, and it looked as if the Blue Jays were going to extend their series to a seventh and final game.  I'm sitting here a little past five in the morning with my K-cup of coffee and another headache after some fitful attempts at sleep last night...hope today brings more activity and better feelings.  The oncologist said that my hormone and radiation treatments could very well cause fatigue, but that I should intentionally be active in the face of the urge to avoid any physical exertion.  Looks as if I'll be doing some uncomfortable exercises (glad I mowed the yard Saturday)...

While I Follow the Major League Baseball Playoffs on TV

 During the last few days I've been following the Major League Baseball postseason playoffs. Teams will win and teams will lose...my main focus is how each game unwinds, from an inning-to-inning perspective as the pitchers try to throw pitches that the hitting side cannot swing around. Right now it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers, with their cast of ace starting pitchers headlined by lefty Blake Snell, are on the doorsteps of the World Series as they are only a victory away from sweeping into elimination the Milwaukee Brewers.  Whenever a Dodger hitter manages to get a double and he's standing happy on second base, he'll go into a celebratory routine of waving his arms and hands over his head while lightly swaying his hips from side to side. The whole act seems kind of dorky to me, but it also looks cute and helps me to want to root for this team to succeed. invariably, during a game I'll find myself pulling for one side to prevail.  It's when they're in the field that I sometimes find myself frustrated if "my' pitcher finds himself incapable of keeping his pitches within the strike zone. It's that lack of pitching placement control that makes me want to change the channel.  My team will either win or lose...I have no stake in the outcome, material or not.  But I have little patience for a player who seems bent on forfeiting his chances that he obviously had trained long and hard to optimize. And batters at this elevated level seem to be more savvy about avoiding swinging at pitches that tend to curve out of the strike zone.  An effective pitcher will test the limits to which he can place his pitches without being called for a ball, and challenging the batter to hit a pitch within the strike zone is definitely on the table as a viable strategy. You don't just stand there on the mound and load up the bases...    

Talking Current Local Weather and Sports

 Here in northern Florida following our return from the recent cruise, the weather has mellowed a bit, with temperatures colder and the air dryer and more comfortable.  No recent rain either, and none is forecast for the near future.  My main issue has been avoiding intense sun glare.  Doesn't look like we'll be seeing any clouds providing the desired shade.  My recent overnight headaches have subsided considerably, temporarily or not.  I am seeking to return to a regular pattern of exercise while being more careful about what I eat.  Maybe a little later on I'll take a neighborhood walk, and then I'll see what's on TV regarding the baseball playoffs.  I have my preferences as to who wins them, but it's also all right, win or lose, if the games are played well.  I'll be happy whether Seattle, Toronto, Milwaukee or the Los Angeles Dodgers end up advancing to the World Series...they all had great 2025 seasons.  As for "my" local Florida Gators football team, struggling with a 2-4 record so far, they play their homecoming contest this Saturday against Mississippi State, a team they should be able to defeat with a strong performance.  Maybe the Gators will end up the regular season bowl-eligible.  In any event, it looks like head coach Billy Napier's final season at the helm.  Good...I don't expect UF to win the national title every year, but I do expect a higher level of play from them than I usually see.  Maybe next year we'll get a better coach...  

Napier Finally on the Hot Seat

University of Florida head football coach Billy Napier, ever since he's been at the helm, has presided over a team that has under-performed to fans' typically ambitious expectations.  So the question each season is: how long will he go before he's described as being on the "hot seat"?  I've jokingly been entertaining this notion for 2025, a year that the Gators have been hyped as being a breakthrough season that could even propel them to the college football playoffs at the end.  They had a couple of "soft" home games to start off the season.  On August 30th they played Long Island University and performed well for that level of competition, winning 55-0.  Their opponent this past Saturday, South Florida, had opened their own season with a surprising walloping of Boise State, 34-7, so I wasn't very sure about how they'd do against UF.  As it turned out, Florida was a disorganized, undisciplined mess, unprepared for this game, a close contest ultimately decided because one of their childish, unsportsmanlike and entitled players decided to spit at an opposing player at a crucial moment, resulting in an 18-16 loss to the Bulls.  After it was over, I had no trouble at all finding references to Napier now being on the hot seat.  The question was, would he do like he did last year and say something snide about his critics?  I haven't heard anything of this sort yet...let's see how the Gators do on the road this Saturday in Baton Rouge against #3 Louisiana State.  If he survives that contest, then Napier will "get to" travel down-state to face #5 Miami the following week: oh joy...

Football Just Not One of My Interests

Are you getting excited about the upcoming football season? I'm not. One reason rests in the fact that in my nearly 69 years of existence on this Earth, I have never, ever played a single down of tackle football. Sure, I've played flag football at school and touch football on informal occasions, but the sport that people get so riled up about is something I've never been an active part of. I watch my local news program and revel in the fact that the head sports announcer almost exclusively covers either University of Florida sports or high school athletics...and football regularly gets the heavy emphasis. I despise the coaches I had in both high school physical education class and that one time I was on the track team. In these settings there is a martial, military spirit about minors...albeit adolescent ones...having to snap to attention for their coach like he's some kind of boot camp drill sergeant: disgusting.  I see some of these power-sick individuals on the sidelines going off loudly against players who, God help them, actually make mistakes and wonder why everyone doesn't just turn off the TV or go home in protest to this kind of abuse.  And they actually make statues of star players and stage them outside home fields, as if these people were larger than life.  No one covers with enthusiasm when kids do well in math class at school, and I suppose that makes sense...but I never see any coverage either of local running races, at that's definitely a part of sports..  But football? You can have it. The other day there was a season-opening game between Iowa State and Kansas State...I couldn't care less who won.  But then the officials called a delay of game penalty on the Iowa State defense and their head coach literally went berserk on the sidelines, jumping up and down and screaming at the referees.  That dude should have been sacked on the spot...

Enjoyed Watching Golf's US Open This Past Weekend

I enjoyed watching the US Open in Golf this past weekend, taking place at the Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  It's a very difficult, more traditional course that rewards straight tee shots into the fairway and punishes those who, for the sake of driving distance, shank the ball off toward the left or right into the five-plus inch tall grasses of the rough.  I've seen tournament after tournament in which a golfer sends a tee shot off to the side and has little trouble getting back in line on the course...not with Oakmont! There you have to take each shot on its own individual merits and focus on it...no such thing here as entering a groove state.  J.J. Spaun, who a few weeks ago very nearly won the Players Championship (played at nearby-to-me Ponte Vedra Beach), had what it took to shrug off whatever happened in the previous hole and just focus on what immediately lay ahead of him.  Other tourney leaders like Sam Burns and Adam Scott, on the other hand, lost their composure during the tournament's final holes...especially Burns, who never did recover from his anger at being denied "relief" by the golf officials after his tee shot landed in wet grass on the edge of the fairway on a late hole. Never having played a round of golf in my life...beyond so-called "miniature golf"...I noticed that this sport really does test and showcase the players' mental state according to their level of focus as well as their emotional reactions when shots don't go as they wished.  Spaun was, as they say "cool as a cucumber", all the way to his final, long birdie shot on the last hole when he finally let loose in joy.  Good for him, and good for me...good weekend entertainment...

Enjoying Watching 2025's US Open in Golf...at Oakmont, Pennsylvania

I've been watching some of the US Open, which began today and will run through Sunday.  It's one of professional golf's four Grand Slam events, and the course changes location from year to year.  In 2025 it is being held at the Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania...near Pittsburgh.  The course has a reputation as being very difficult...and the over-par scores in the first round are reflecting this.  There's no telling who will pull out ahead at the end, but for now J.J. Spaun, the runner-up at this year's Players Championship, has played consistently well enough to pull out to an early lead.  Established stars like Scottie Scheffler, Roy McIlroy and Bryson Dechambeau, on the other hand, are having early trouble driving, wedging and putting their ways  through a course that has been intentionally crafted to frustrate the best efforts of the world's most skillful golfers.  Not that I'm planning to stay glued to the TV for the next few days, but this tournament promises to be very entertaining...

Enjoy Watching PGA Championship and Preakness This Weekend

This weekend I enjoyed following two annual major American sporting events: the PGA Championship tournament and the Preakness Stakes.  The former is one of professional golf's four annual grand slam events...this year it was held at Charlotte, North Carolina.  And the latter is three-year-old thoroughbred horse racing's Second Jewel in their elite Triple Crown series, held at Pimlico race track in Baltimore, Maryland.  Not a regular follower of horse racing, I am one of those temporary fans who get interested only during special events.  A couple of weeks ago I successfully picked Sovereignty to win the Kentucky Derby (the First Jewel) and was looking forward to support him again for yesterday's Preakness.  But alas, as is often the case in recent years, the horse's trainer decided against entering him for the race.  That left heavy favorite Journalism, which I supported while also rooting for trainer Bob Baffert's entry, Goal Oriented.  Goal Oriented did well enough, finishing fourth, but the race's closing stretch run was very exciting, featuring Journalism breaking out of being tightly boxed in to chase down and just barely pass longshot Gosger at the finish.  With the PGA Championship, it was nice to see the world's "number one" golfer, Scottie Scheffler, return to last year's form and win it by six strokes.  I've tried to get myself interested in the basketball and hockey playoffs, but to no avail...the only other sport that attracts my viewing interest nowadays is tennis...  

Scheffler Wins First '25 Golf Tournament with Outstanding Score

It looks as if professional golfer Scottie Scheffler is back on track with his game, after having to recover from a hand injury late last year following a spectacular season that saw him win several tournaments and even the Olympic gold medal.  He shot a mind-numbing 31 under par in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson Classic, held in McKinney, Texas, a few miles from Scheffler's home town of Dallas, winning by eight strokes.  I can see from watching some of the action there this week that weather plays an enormous role in how the golfers play...apparently those treacherous winds I've witnessed in previous tournaments were much tamer with this one.  Scheffler seemed to have his game together in all of its aspects...good for him!  Of course, other than fellow Texan Jordan Spieth and a handful of other notables, there was a general lack of big names entered in this tournament...I wonder how Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas would have done here.  Well, I guess it's on to the next week, wherever they happen to be playing...

Watched Today's Kentucky Derby, Hype and All

Earlier today I watched...as has generally been my pattern...the drawn-out, hyped coverage of this year's version of the Kentucky Derby, the first of the Triple Crown of American three-year-old thoroughbred horse racing.  Taking place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, it is full of tradition with all the flowers, ornate clothes and hats...and of course all that Kentucky booze.  Before the race, Journalism was the listed betting favorite, and different analysts and celebrities weighed in on which horse they picked to win the race, composed of twenty horse/jockey combos crammed onto a slick, muddy track on this rainy day.  As for me, a few days ago I picked Sovereignty out of the lineup because I liked the name and the horse wasn't an extreme long shot.  I also looked to see what trainer Bob Baffert had entered in the race...I'm something of a fan of his and was dismayed at his suspension for the past few years for a violation in an earlier race.  The only horse of his was Citizen Bull, so I kept an eye on that one.  The race itself went well, although everyone in it was thoroughly muddied at the end.  As it turned out, Baffert's entry, drawing the undesired pole position, started out strong in the lead but faded to finished 15th.  And Journalism and Sovereignty, training pals from their horse farm in nearby (to me) Ocala, fought it out for the win at the very end, with "my" horse pulling away.  It was a satisfying race to watch and, you know, I didn't need to wager a single dime on it in order to enjoy it all.  Now on to the second jewel in the Triple Crown, Baltimore's Preakness at Pimlico, in a couple of weeks.  Usually the Kentucky Derby winner runs in the Preakness, but that isn't always the case as the trainer has to ascertain the horse's condition... 

Easter Celebrated with Family

I hope all of you who celebrate Easter have enjoyed this holiday today.  You have to be something of an astronomer to determine, on your own, on which date this honoring of Jesus' resurrection falls within each calendar year.  The formula is: Easter (as celebrated in the West, not in the Eastern Orthodox churches) lies on the first Sunday following the first full moon following the first day of spring...for some reason it goes that way, maybe you can enlighten me on why.  Melissa and I spent it at home, with various folks in our family stopping by to enjoy lunch with us...what a blessing.  Later on in the day I watched the conclusion of the ongoing PGA golf tournament, the Heritage Classic held in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Justin Thomas held on in sudden death to win his first tourney in some years...good for him, I guess.  I'm not a golfer...the irony is that were I one, I probably wouldn't have any interest in rooting for one over another in these tournaments.  After all, I'm a runner and I absolutely could not care less about the premier runners in the world or this country...or even in my own home town of Gainesville, for that matter.  That's another thing that maybe you can enlighten me on why...