Sports in our lives. 2-on-1 06/29/2018

Ramana suggested this week's topic - Sports in our lives. You might say he lobbed me a softball this week. Be sure to check his take on the subject here.

I am what is jokingly referred to as a jock gone to seed. Older, slower, fatter than in my halcyon days. Now some of that is due to the abuse I heaped upon myself all these years - those Xs in front of the L on my frame compounded the wear and tear to the point that I now get around on what I laughingly call stereo walking sticks - aka crutches. My knees are shot and I simply refuse to have them replaced - I have friends who have almost died due to that surgery although my brother has had both of his replaced and thinks I should go ahead and have the surgery. No thanks.

From the time I was very young, all I ever wanted was to be a baseball player.   I loved to play baseball and anyone who has seen the movie The Sandlot knows what my life was like. I managed to keep that dream up through high school -that's me my senior year glaring at an imaginary hitter from the mound. It is also somewhat clear from the photo that it is body by football at 6'2' and 270 or so. I also wrestled so I was a three-sport jock. That certainly kept me busy and off the streets - all good for a shy guy like me.

For the record, I still miss pitching - LOL - some dreams never die. I became a two-sport jock in college - shoulder injuries and reality set in - no more baseball, but I did enjoy 25 years or so of softball, dabbled in golf, tennis and played very aggressive handball and racquetball well into my forties.

On New Years Eve in 1968 I went to a party at my friend Anne Amundson's house and my life was changed forever as I met my future wife Lynn. You can read about that  meeting, our life together and her struggle with HD here.

Lynn was a gymnast at BYU back then - these images are of her working on the balance beam in her backyard in Oakland, California. Not shown is the cement patio under the beam - and people called me crazy.

 During the summer of '69 when she came home from school we began dating in earnest. Our early dates could be as simple as just playing catch as she was also a softball player. We attended softball games, both spent the summer working for the Oakland Recreation Department and developed a relationship that would last for 46 years, until her death. We raised two kids - I coached them in soccer, softball and baseball. Sport was always part of our lives. We also did a bit of white-water rafting and for a few years went skiing regularly.

These days I am relegated to the status of a fan. I enjoy watching baseball, football and hockey but honestly I am not what you can call an avid fan - unless my San Jose Sharks are in the Stanley Cup playoffs or TCU (Texas Christian University) - my fave college football team - is on TV.

I was never much of a jogger and I literally ran my last lap the day of my last football practice. Again - mine is not a body built for jogging. Although I love the mountains, hiking is not on my bucket list. It is not lost on me that perhaps if I'd had a different attitude maybe I would not have so many Xs in front of that L on my buffalo petite frame if I had been a runner. Clearly, 12 oz. curls (the weight of a can of beer) were not sufficient.

That's it for my take on this weeks 2-on-1 topic. Check back next week for another round of 2-on-1 where my good friend Ramana in Pune India and I tackle the same topic.

What is/was your favorite weekend getaway spot? 2-on-1 06/22/2018

It has been a long while since I had a weekend getaway spot - way back to the pre-Texas days.  Lynn and I used to spend Labor Day weekend in Monterey/Carmel. It was our goto spot. It was a quick, beautiful drive from our EastBay home and a trip we very much looked forward to.


The weekend always started on Friday evening, occasionally Friday afternoon if we could coordinate an early getaway from work. We lived dangerously - we never made motel reservations as finding a place to stay was part of the adventure. We'd secure a place to stay and then head over to the Del Monte shopping center and Marie Callender's Restaurant for dinner and drinks.

Not only did Marie Callenders have great food, they poured a mean Long Island Ice Tea, a fave of mine. Lynn was fond of their fettuccine alfredo and I loved their pot roast, stews and other things. After dinner, we'd head back to the motel and get a good nights rest and be ready for the Saturday fun.

Sunday we would have Sunday Brunch at one of several places and then we'd act like tourists and just drive around and check out the amazing scenery on the Monterey Penninsula.

  

Saturday morning we'd grab some breakfast and plan our day. We'd either head off to Carmel to hit up some of our favorite shops. Carmel was full of boutique type shops and there were enough books shops and music stores to keep me occupied while Lynn hit up gift shops, clothing shops and anything else that struck her fancy. If we did not go to Carmel we'd head off to Monterey and Cannery Row for a day of shopping and a visit to the Aquarium that David Packard of Hewlett Packard fame built so his daughter Julie would have a job. (She was the Director when the Aquarium opened).Packard, incidentally, was born in my home-town - Pueblo, Colorado.

A full day of shopping or wandering through the aquarium petting rays and whatnot typically left us worn out so we'd head back to our motel. We'd typically grab a light  dinner at some little seafood shack or fast-food joint and retire for the evening.

Sunday we would enjoy Sunday brunch at one of several places and then typically take a drive around the Monterey Penninsula enjoying the spectacular scenery.

Monday morning would see us heading back home at a leisurely pace, always stopping at a place called The Giant Artichoke in Castroville to stock up on bags of fried artichoke hearts.  Then it was back on the road headed for home.Be sure to see what Ramana has to say by clicking here

Do you have a code that you live by? 2-on-1 06/15/2018

This week's topic is my suggestion- Do you have a code that you live by?

There's a great line in the tune above - you, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by.. The current tribalism on display daily made me wonder just what exactly is it driving this madness that makes hypocrites out of so many evangelicals? What spurs the pure hatred of the far right and left?

Contrary to the desire of evangelicals, the USA is not a Christian country - it is a country founded on Christian principles. Most people born here are raised and hear some variation of the 10 commandments daily. Those rules - that code - is Jewish, offered allegedly to Moses by God some 350 years before Christ appeared on the scene. My code is not surprisingly taken from those 10 things, though some might argue there were originally more than 10.

My personal code is drawn from those  

1. Respect your mother and father
2. Treat others the way you want to be treated
3. Don't lie
4. Don't covet your neighbor's wife or his stuff
5. Be nice
6. Family first
7. Try to learn something new every day
8. Always do your best, but winning at any cost is not an option
9. Admit when you are wrong
10. I will not change who I am for any person

Admittedly in these tribal times on occasion, some of those parts of the code can be difficult to live up to. I admit to having a substantial temper that I work very hard to suppress - but at times it does rear its ugly head. I can honestly say that when that happens it is very rare that something good happens.

Over the years I have been exposed to many different "codes" from many different sources, including religions and other philosophical sources. These days, Ayn Rand's morality of selfishness is evident in the daily activities on of our  (in the USA) government, as led by POTUS 45. Her Objectivism - parts of which have always been championed by conservatives, are more popular than ever and so it is against that backdrop that my meager little code tries to get me through each day.

You can boil my code down to work hard, treat others fairly, be yourself, tell the truth, learn something every day and be who you are.

To see what my blogging partner has to say, go here Ramana.

There is nothing new, except what has been forgotten -2-on-1 06/08/2018

Ramana suggested this week's topic, "There is nothing new, except what has been forgotten" - Marie Antoinette. It is a sister quote, if you will, to "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" by George Santayana in 1863. Then there is the more common "there is nothing new under the sun". So, everything that is is as it has always been.

How many times have you eaten a bowl of ice cream too fast and ended up with that classic brain-freeze headache? How about a hangover the next morning after a few too many Margaritas (or the adult beverage you prefer).

There are, of course, several more serious examples that validate our weekly topic. If we are to ever progress as a culture, we must study the past so we do not repeat its mistakes. That notion and a widely held belief by many here that our political system and government are allegedly corrupt and broken led to the election of POTUS 45, our current embarrassment who has caused an employment boom in fact-checking as he lies so much. Alas, Mr. Drain the Swamp has simply deepened the swamp and restocked it with a fresh batch of so-called born again sycophants and crooks like Rick Perry (former) and Scott Pruitt (latter).  Sometimes, perhaps, what we view as bad is not really bad, or we make an even bigger mistake in our attempt to fix the perceived problem.  

Is life really simple? Do we really overcomplicate things? Would we really be better off living simpler lives? My friend Tammy would certainly agree - she is something of a minimalist. In my case, I am well aware of the beauty of the simpler things in life but circumstances in which I exist require much more than the basics, though many people do forget that sometimes simpler is better. In this country, the prevailing attitude is to make each day better than the one before. Companies can never be satisfied with their level of profitability - it must always be increased. We live in a world wherein satisfaction can only come from growth and getting bigger and better - or so says the daily marketing and advertising we are bombarded with.  We sure do keep big Pharma busy providing us with stress meds and of course there is the drug problem.

Perhaps we have forgotten.

That's my quick shack-take on this week's topic. Be sure to stop by Ramana's blog to see what he has to say. 

Is Amazon.com overrated or is it really useful? 2-on-1 06/01/2018

This week's topic - Is Amazon.com overrated or is it really useful? was my suggestion. I have been an avid Amazon customer for many years. Last week I was looking for a USB 3.0/Ethernet adapter and so I decided  to check out Amazon's offerings as well as what else the Web has to offer.

Amazon is rather unique in their attitude and business strategy. They re in it for the long haul so they constantly play a long game. Immediate profitability is not critical to Amazon as long as they grow their market share. Toward the end of my career at RadioShack I worked for RadioShack.com. The VP in charge of .com was a fellow named Dave Goyne. I recall several conversations with Dave regarding Amazon and their rapid growth. His comments were always that Amazon was a benign company - never profitable and not a threat to the multi-billion dollar RadioShack. Dave had no vision and at the end of his time we were very far behind companies like Amazon in web development. I hope he is enjoying his retirement - he wanted to farm nuts (I do not recall what kind - Almonds and Pecans both stick in my mind). The Shack is no more save for a few independent dealers and a web presence that is ludicrous at best. Thousands upon thousands of people lost their livelihood due to the bad decisions made by Goyne and the rest of senior management.  Jeff Bezos - the Amazon CEO is now arguably the wealthiest man in the world. Not bad for a guy that started the business selling books online. He and Amazon changed the publishing industry.

Amazon now is the clear leader in online sales. They are developing a robust brand of their own products like Fire tablets, cabless, Echo, Prime and more. Prime offers video streaming like Netflix with a growing list of original material, free 2-day shipping and more. For a nominal fee of $12.99 Kindle owners can read an unlimited number of books - last year I read 78 under the Kindle Unlimited plan.You may not find the latest best-sellers but there is a vast array of excellent stuff available.

I realize this is starting to sound like a commercial for Amazon but all is not sunshine lollipops and rainbows.  Amazon grew its business by offering the best prices. That automatically generated competition from other online companies. Then they created Amazon Prime and offered free 2-day shipping as well as video streaming to compete with Netflix all for a flat annual fee (that price just went up BTW). They wisely offer some program material that is original which adds subscribers and allows Amazon to do add-on sales.

POTUS 45 has spent a considerable amount of time claiming Amazon is responsible for the US Postal Service losing billions of dollars; not collecting sales taxes on items sold; forcing thousands of "mom and pop: stores to close.  It will come as no surprise that those things are simply lies. Trump despises Bezos for one simple reason - Bezos owns the Washington Post. Amazon collects sales tax on products sold, they do NOT collect sales tax om sales made by Amazon associate companies. The USPS negotiates shipping rates for large commercial customers and Amazon pays the same as others. That contract is renegotiated periodically. Lastly, the chief small business killer in this country is Walmart - not Amazon.
 because of the depth and breadth of their selections. They are developing same day deliveries, 1-hour grocery deliveries and are one of the most innovative companies in the country, 

The bottom line - to me - is that Amazon is easily the most convenient online business to use when shopping online. I may not always buy there but they usually get my first look.

To see what Ramana thinks, click here.

Imperfections 2-on-1 #20

Imperfections are this weeks topic, suggested by Ramana. Imperfections - those faults, blemishes or otherwise unwanted characteristics that, depending upon your outlook, make us unique or prevent us from being perfect. I am most often in the former group - it is our imperfections that make us who we are - and make plastic surgeons rich.

As we age I suppose it is normal to wonder who that old person that we see in the mirror each morning is that stares back at us. In our hearts, most of us still feel like that enthusiastic youngster that was full of hope for life, not that oldster who has realized that life is what happens while we are busy making other plans. Life is about evolution - we grow into adulthood through our experiences and life lessons - each lesson leaving its mark on us, shaping our attitudes and actions. 

Can that woman that stares back at the once 17-year old beauty still be a beauty? Absolutely - and often more so than that youngster with the perfect complexion and the perfect smile. For example, I'd much rather see Helen Mirren than Jennifer Laurence on screen. I have a friend that complains about the extra 40 pounds or so she carries around these days as well as the wrinkles that she thinks detract from her looks. Trust me when I say this woman is DDG - drop-dead gorgeous. She is a life lived, and yet still in progress and as far as I am concerned has miles of smiles yet to travel - along with a few speed bumps along the way as that is the way of life - lots of curves, twists, turns and speed limit changes.

Then there is that white-haired, goateed fellow that stares back at me each morning.
Through a quirky memory that often leaves 50-year old memories imprinted in my mind like the pages read in a book by a genius with an eidetic memory (no I am not a genius - I just have a great memory) I cannot help but think - in spite of recent events -  Jimmy Buffet got it right when he sang " yesterdays over my shoulder but i can't look back for too long - there's just too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can't go wrong".

What about our institutions? Cam imperfect people create perfect institutions? It would seem we here in the USA currently have a president hell bent on destroying our institutions of government to further enrich himself and his family. One can only hope the checks and balances built into the system created 240 years ago are strong enough to prevent that from happening. POTUS 45 is certainly creative in his efforts to create an alternative reality by simply screaming everything he does not like in the media is simply fake news and declares the media - with a glaring exception is the enemy of the people. The question becomes will his narcissistic imperfections convince enough people he is correct to inflict permanent damage on what is - on paper - the best political system devised by imperfect people?

Be sure to see what Ramana has to say on imperfections.

Not all those who wander are lost. 2-on-1 #19

This week's 2-on-1 blog is dedicated to all those restless souls who are not meant to be tied to a traditional lifestyle and yearn to wander, not looking for anything specifically but - like sharks - must move or die. Everyone knows someone like this.

`

I went to high school with a guy born to run - his name is Randy, I have known Randy since grade school and little league baseball. Randy is a musician -a superior bass player - and lives in Kauai but is prone to take annual trips to Asia and other places. He is now in the middle of solo sailing trip through Asia and headed to London, Not a bad jaunt and it is not his first within the last 12 months. You go Randy.

So why are these people born to run?

Dunno for  sure why but there seems to be a common thread in my experience - musicians seem to be afflicted with the traveling gene. But even though they travel they have roots. I think we are conditioned to have a home base = whether they want to go back to it or not.

Back in 1967 as I was preparing to graduate from high school several of my friends and I were bitten by the wanderlust bug, When asked about our post HS plqns the replies were almost universally the same - I am gonna Route 66 it for a while. The response was greatly aided by our near universal affinity to a popular TV show back then - Route 66. It was a show about a couple of 20 somethings traveling the country in a corvette, experiencing life and love literally on the road of life.

I confess occasionally I wonder how different my life would have been if I had actually taken that trip. Somehow I doubt I'd be living in a home with wheels in North Carolina if I had.

For whatever reason, some people are just happier when on the road. Maybe they had some emotional trauma, maybe they simply like to travel. The reason is irrelevant. These are folks that are not lost,  they are doing the thing that makes them happy.

Back in my Pueblo days (up to 10 years old) we lived a couple of blocks away from a hobo encampment. To get there I had to cross a couple of streets and sneak through my friend Bud Rossi's back yard, hop his fence and go down about 50 feet to the path that ram along the railroad tracks and lead directly to the camp. Now these were the tail end of the halcyon days when hoboes rode the rails regularly. Although my grandma and step grandfather warned me not to hang out there, how could I not? These guys were bigger than life and friendly as all heck. I had my first taste of slumgullion - a hobo stew. It was wonderful but I gave myself away when I asked my grandma what was in it. Busted. But she checked with Mode, my step grandpa and three or four days later she made it for me. I remember potatoes, onions, stewed tomatoes and chunks of beef. It was wonderful. I wish I'd been old enough to ask those guys why they rode the rails. They would likely have said looking for work but I suspect a few just liked being on the road.

I think it is clear by now that some people simply cannot remail in place, no matter where they are. They are simply restless souls that for whatever reason keep on moving much like gypsies, nomads or other types of vagabonds.

That's my quick shack-take on the topic I chose for this weeks 2-on-1 post. Be sure to visit Ramana.to see what he has to say.