Thursday, March 28, 2024

Happy Opening Day 2024

 

(Photo: Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports)

I'm reaching into the Wayback Machine for this one. I've rerun this post from time to time and have been told this it was pretty good.

I remember being in a bit of an emotional state when I wrote it and I poured every ounce I had into it.

Baseball was my first love. I love all sports now but there was a time when I didn't know any better. It was baseball for me and nothing else.

It still ignites me even if the joy can be lessened by the surrounding noise.

First pitch is later today. With that, I present the post titled "Baseball" written on April 5, 2015.

*****

 From left: Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio,
Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. 


Check out that picture above. Look at them: Gehirg, Cronin, Dickey, DiMaggio, Gehringer, Foxx, Greenberg. Even non-baseball/sports fans know at least two of those names (Gehrig and Joe D., of course).

It was taken at the 1937 All-Star Game at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Look at that glorious NBC sign in the background. Incidentally, three radio networks broadcast that game (NBC, CBS, and Mutual).

You might not know that every one of those players is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yet they are. Those guys aren't scrubs. They're among the best to ever play the game of baseball. Naturally, I've written tons about The Iron Horse, and a few words about DiMaggio as well. Bill Dickey, by the way, is vastly overlooked.

For you non-fans, Jimmie Foxx was the loose model for Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own.

You probably know this, if you've read anything here, but I love this great game. My god, we've screwed it up incredibly over the years. The race issues were deplorable. The sport struggled with growth and competition from the NFL through the 70s (and it continues today). We've added playoff teams and dealt with drugs (steroids, greenies, cocaine, etc. Go on. Look it up.). We're worried about pace of play and bringing the inner city back.

We had Black Sox and a gambling Red (just put him in the Hall of Fame, please?).

We have the Babe. The one and only. The single greatest, most important athlete in the history of sports. Yes, I know, Jim Thorpe, Bo Jackson, and others might have been better true athletes, but given everything involved, there's Babe Ruth and everyone else.

We've sold our souls too many times. Baseball shouldn't open at night, but ESPN's money is too much to overlook.

Yet tomorrow, in the day, with the stands full and the records 0-0, the lines will be painted fresh. The grass will be gloriously green. I wish a band would play, and we could recreate some of the openings of seasons past, but a voice will intone the starting lineups, and they will gather on those freshly-painted baselines. The anthem will be sung. A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown. There might be a flyover or some other special effect.

Then, as there has been since 1869 (the generally agreed upon "first year" of Major League Baseball), a batter will step up to home plate. A pitcher - 60 feet, six inches away - will author a first pitch.

And there will be baseball. To me, for its history, grandeur, strategy - everything - it is the greatest game of them all.

Football is the national passion. Baseball is the National Pastime.

Give me 714. Give me .406. Sixty-one. Fifty-six. I wish we could have 1918 back, but time marches on. A fan knows what these numbers are.

Give me the billy goat. The Bambino. Curses real or imagined.

Give me those uniform numbers that we all know: four. Three. Seven. Five. Forty-two.

Give me The Mick. Jeet. Gabby. Dizzy. Daffy. Dazzy. Pudge. Yaz. Three-Finger. Blue Moon. Vida. Catfish. Bucky. Stan the Man.

Give me Willie, Mickey, and The Duke. Tinker to Evers to Chance.

Give me The Called Shot. The Homer in The Gloamin'. The Shot Heard Round the World. The Miracle of Coogan's Bluff. Those last two are the same thing.

Give me Ebbets Field. Forbes Field. Crosley Field. Now give me Camden Yards and Fenway and Wrigley. The Big A. Chavez Ravine.

Give me the corner of E. 161st Street and River Ave. The most famous address in sports history.

Give me the Royal Rooters and the Bleacher Creatures.

Give me 27 rings.

Give me those great quotes, from music to movies to TV and beyond.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game. "Luckiest Man."

“That's baseball, and it's my game. Y' know, you take your worries to the game, and you leave 'em there. You yell like crazy for your guys. It's good for your lungs, gives you a lift, and nobody calls the cops. Pretty girls, lots of 'em.”
―Humphrey Bogart

Give me Vincent Edward Scully. The man known as Vin. The man who learned at the side of Walter Lanier Barber, the Old Redhead himself sitting in the catbird seat, while the bases were FOB (full of Brooklyn).

Give me a Ballantine Blast. Tell me "It's Miller Time" or "This Bud's for you."

Give me Cooperstown (maybe in a little over a week from now).

I love this game. It energizes me. Engulfs me. Fills my heart, yet breaks it. It enraptured me for sure when I saw my first pro game in 1972 and a guy named Murcer doubled off another guy named Palmer. One is a hall of famer. The other doesn't need to be.

It made me cry when in 1996, my boyhood team won their first title in 18 years, and I couldn't share it with the one person I wanted to share it with.

Most of all, selfishly, give me a microphone so that I can broadcast it.

This is the beginning of my year. This is when I feel refreshed.

This is when I know that this horrible winter is over.

It's Opening Day.

Play ball.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Back to It

 

Brunswick warms up

Today was the first full day back in Connecticut after our vacation.

We had to return the rental car and then I had to call a lacrosse game.

Things got back to normal pretty fast. I had laundry done and folded by the end of last night. More to the point, I slept some but, as usual, not great. 

By late morning, Sean and I were on the road to return the car to Stamford. Usually prepared, I screwed up by not bringing my copy of the contract with Budget. Ultimately, it didn't hurt things but it sort of made me feel foolish.

Whatever. We departed and no extra charges were added. We had that car for 11 days and it was a pleasure.

With that done, we jumped on a train and came back to Greenwich. 

Once Sean found out we could take a train, he wanted to join me. Both train stations were within walking distance so it was a win.

With that done, I prepared to call my first game in a week and a half.

I felt rusty. It felt like I hadn't done a game in a month.

But I was back at Brunswick, calling lacrosse for the Bruins as they hosted Radnot High School from Pennsylvania.

Cool fact: Radnor's boys basketball coach is Tim Smallwood, who played both football and basketball and Greenwich. I broadcast his games, including the night he joined the 1,000-point club in basketball. My broadcast partner was his father. 

So Tim came to Cosby Field to watch the game and stopped up to say hello at halftime. We were going to try to have me call a Radnor basketball game this past season but we're going to get that done in the future.

Otherwise, like I said, I felt tired and caked in rust on the air. There are some sports I think I can seamlessly jump back into (hello, baseball) but lacrosse isn't one of them. I needed to find my groove and I don't know if I found it today but I will.

Oh, and Brunswick won the game 11-5. They're 2-0 on the year.

One thing I will tell you is that I already miss the road. That's unusual, as I tend to like a day or two (or sometimes more) before being ready to get back in the car.

Not this time. I'd go again if I could.

What sticks with me about the drive to and from Florida was how it was the culmination of something I've wanted to do for a very long time. It was something I honestly never thought I'd do because it's just easier to fly.

And, to be honest, those kinds of long drives can be seriously overwhelming. It's easy to have a moment in which you think you've bit off more than you can chew.

Yet? We did it. I had one patch of exhaustion through South Carolina last Tuesday and if you've ever done that drive I guarantee you understand. It's a lot of lowland and not too much to see.

Also, Sean seemed to really enjoy the drive. Look, I didn't create a sports fan but he enjoys working in the business and attending games. I also didn't create a traveler just like my dad and me but he enjoyed life on the road. 

Sean's not going to prepare and study guidebooks and websites and make notes and spreadsheets* and whatever else I do.

*I track times and mileages in a notebook and put them into a spreadsheet and I enjoy it, thank you very much.

But he was interested in doing that drive again. Also, he was intrigued by the idea of driving straight through.

I've done OK. That many days together can be tough but we survived.

Next year is at least worth discussing.

*****

Former Sen. Joseph Lieberman

I wade into this with trepidation but here goes. 

Joseph Lieberman, U.S. Senator from Connecticut and 2000 Vice Presidential nominee, died today at the age of 82.

I admired Lieberman, mostly because of his ability to bring people together. While he ran with Al Gore on the Democratic ticket in 2000, Lieberman was considered strongly by John McCain as his running mate in 2008, despite McCain being a Republican.

That was Lieberman and I admire that fiercely.

I suppose that's the larger point I want to make tonight.

We need more Joe Lieberman's (and I suppose John McCain's) because they were people who weren't hung up on parties and sides.

And I suppose that's all I have to say about that.

Lieberman was also always a great guest on Imus in the Morning. He gave good answers on topics and had a sense of humor.

Farewell, Senator, and thank you.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Baltimore (Heading Home, Part Two)

 

(Photo: Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images)

Most mornings, I look at one of my devices to get a sense of what's going on in the world.

This morning, the alarm went off at 5 a.m. and I sprung to action, heading into the bathroom at my niece's house to get ready to drive home.

When I returned to the bedroom that we used, Sean was sitting up and looking at his phone.

He went into the bathroom to get ready and I packed up. I folded sheets and the comforter that he used and made the bed I slept on look presentable. Then I folded up the air mattress that he used.

Then I looked at my phone. Kourtney (Kris's sister) had texted me. That's not entirely unusual since she's an early riser and heads to the gym. I figured she might be wishing me a safe drive home.

Yes, true. But there was more. She was checking on us as well.

A bridge had collapsed in Baltimore. A bridge that isn't normally part of my route but, still, I've been over it.

Grateful for the heads-up, my mind began to swirl. But, come on, collapse? What does that even mean? Did a portion of it collapse? A piece of concrete?

Then I looked online. Wow.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge -- opened in 1977 -- had been hit by a container ship.

It was gone.

Calmly, I began searching for more. Maybe WBAL -- Baltimore's news/talk radio station -- might have information.

It did but, at that point, I needed reporting. I didn't need talk about where the money for a new bridge would come from.

I told Sean and we were both horrified. Saddened. Shocked.

In the middle of all of that was the reality that we had to decide how to address driving near Baltimore on our way home from North Carolina.

Honestly, our driving inconvenience (if there was one) would be a small price to pay.

Petting a few cats and a dog, we ducked out of Kristy's as everyone in the house slept.

It was just after 6 a.m.

The important thing was to remind myself that we had all day and, at worst, until tomorrow to return the rental car. 

That's always the place I need to get to. That everything will be OK.

Still, the silicon chip inside my head was bordering on overload.


Do I head east towards Norfolk and run up the Delmarva? Do I head west and north through Gettysburg, PA? Do I clip West Virginia and use I-81? How do I avoid Baltimore?

In the meantime, both Waze and Google said the same thing: take the normal route. But that seemed silly.

So after having our last breakfast (at an empty Waffle House just to the north of Fayetteville), we began the drive up I-95.

By the way, the Waffle House really was empty. The waitress and cook were just sitting and talking when we walked in. Honestly, I felt a little guilty for making them work. But, in reality, they both couldn't have been any nicer, and the food was simply up to and beyond the usual standard.

But to the drive. We struggled to make time on 95, up to taking a break after crossing into Virginia. Then we hit typical DMV traffic between Fredericksburg and Springfield.

We moved along the Capital Beltway, crossing the Potomac into Maryland. For the most part, I was all about the bridge collapse, beginning with listening to CNN on SiriusXM before switching over to WTOP radio and, eventually, back to WBAL.

A note on CNN. Oof. I mean, I've done breaking news. It's not easy. You have to adjust and stay on your toes. But, again, oof. And, dammit, the journalism world weeps as one of the anchors turned into an almost-shouting exaggerator of a mess.

The speculation and the gloom-and-doom were just bad. I tried FOX and, for the record, that was only moderately better, but it was the audio of what Mr. Imus used to call "FOX and Fiends." 

Credit to the radio people at WTOP and WBAL for a much more measured and accurate approach. My faith in journalism was restored.

In the meantime, through the 200+ miles since Fayetteville, nothing had changed. The suggested route was to go through Baltimore. My alternate route -- U.S. 50 (secret I-595) to U.S. 301 to Delaware -- wouldn't be necessary.

We snagged lunch at a Wawa just off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. We took our time and then I took a deep breath.

I didn't know what we were getting into but it was time to find out.

By that time, reports were that six people were missing. That was far more important and I remained glued to the coverage.

Something else had come to light by this time. Thanks to a warning issued by the ship, officials were able to stop traffic from crossing the bridge before impact. Even at 1:28 a.m., the loss of life would have been far worse.

But, sadly, construction workers fixing potholes were still on the bridge. While two people were reported as found alive in the water, six remain missing as of this writing. At this point, they are presumed dead. Of the two people found alive, one had injuries while the other walked away unscathed and declined treatment. Still, the one who went to the hospital had been released later in the day, according to the New York Times.

The impacts on the economy and infrastructure were among the hot topics burning up the radio. One topic I had zero patience for was the conspiracy theories and I saw plenty of that, including among just a few of those in the road enthusiast community.

Nope. I don't have the bandwidth for that. 

As for the drive, I have no drama for you. Waze and Google were correct. Whether I picked the Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895) or the Fort McHenry Tunnel (Interstate 95) I would have been fine. We breezed through the Harbor Tunnel but there was an eerie feeling in the air.

Maybe it was just me.

I seriously can not imagine the horror for those workers on the bridge. According to the New York Times, they were migrants trying to support their families.

They were out for what should have been a typical job. 

The ramifications are just so tragic.


We got home just before 5 p.m. In fact, after our lunch at Wawa south of Baltimore, we didn't stop again. We were heading towards nearly five hours without a stop but we were both OK with that decision.

We've been home almost three hours and The Cat is back to his normal self while two loads of laundry are rolling around. And, for the first time in nearly 10 days, I'm in a room of my own, alone in my thoughts, while Sean has some privacy in his room.

After a night of sleep, we'll return the car and I'll get ready to call lacrosse at Brunswick.

It's time to climb right back on the wheel of real life.

Many thanks to everyone who texted to make sure we were safe this morning, especially concerned about what happened in Baltimore. It serves as a great reminder of what a wonderful collection of love and support we have.

And, well, after a break, I'll be ready to hit the road again.

Monday, March 25, 2024

Heading Home, Part One

 

All hail the mighty beaver!

Greetings from Stedman, North Carolina.

This is exactly where we were one week ago, heading south.

Today, we're heading north.

Tomorrow, the final 600 miles will speed by and we'll be back in Greenwich.

Back to life. Back to reality.

We got an early start out of Florida this morning and crossed into Georgia at 9:19 a.m.

I tried my best to savor every moment of the drive, just as I've tried to savor as much of the trip as possible.

We cruised through Georgia and were soon into South Carolina.

Probably our favorite town name (koo-saw-HATCH-ee)

Stops were kept to a minimum. After breakfast just a few minutes from Kris and Lori's, we went until I put gas in the car. We didn't stop again until 49 miles into Georgia. Then we went three hours until we pulled off at Buc-ee's in Florence, SC, where Sean and I both grabbed brisket sandwiches.

They were outstanding. We bow to our beaver overlord.

We were at my niece's by 3 p.m. and are now winding down, knowing an early alarm and a long road home await in the morning.

The emotions will be strong. I want to get home and there's no doubt about that. But there's the "end of vacation blues" that comes with the grind of those final miles. There will be traffic for sure. It was heavy today but it never stopped. Tomorrow I'm sure we'll hit some stops if we go anywhere near Washington, D.C.

Still, we'll try to continue to savor.

We know we're going to hit the ground running come Wednesday. I'll dive back into broadcasting games, with Brunswick lacrosse in action. Baseball and more will follow as the week goes along.

But it's important to live life. That's what I keep taking from these experiences. It's simply too short.

So I'm trying. I really am.

We've already begun talking about next year. Because, believe me, it's so tempting to go jump in the car and drive the final approximately nine hours.

I mentioned that in passing to Sean and he told me I was nuts.

That being said, we both talked about trying to do the whole drive in one shot next year. Will we? Who knows?

Let's get home first.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

A Final Drive Down the Fairway

 

The view across the Anclote River from
Capt. Jack's in Tarpon Springs

Today was our last full day in Florida.

We went down swinging, even if that swing was with a golf club.

Oh, we had breakfast and it was magnificent. But we also had tickets to the Valspar Championship golf tournament final round. It's played on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club.

As we drove towards Palm Harbor, I pulled into Trinity Memorial Gadens to visit the grave of George M. Steinbrenner. The Yankees owner is interred in a mausoleum just inside the main gate. We quickly paid our respects and moved on to Innisbrook. 

The Boss

Originally a club, my grandparents (and the great-grandparents of Kris and Sean) were charter members. That meant we frequently visited the club for Sunday brunch when we were in Florida.

And brunch was magnificent. It had to be as we were required to dress in our best for the appearance, while virtually everyone else was in tennis and golf attire.

A nearby golf pro shop was about the only other place of interest for the teenager of the 80s could be interested once brunch was consumed and talk turned to multiple cups of coffee. But, in that pro shop, my interest in golf was piqued.

That, and I could see some of the golf course from the windows of the restaurant.

And so being able to return to Innisbrook for the first time since 1986 was quite special. So much of it looked different but the vibe was the same. 

But this time I was walking on the golf course as opposed to being that 17-year-old looking from the windows of the clubhouse.


The course, needless to say, is rather large, and the action can be somewhat mundane for the non-golf fan (I give you Sean). We all enjoyed watching Xander Schauffele drain a long putt for par on the 12th hole. 

Kris's dad (my cousin Ron) worked his magic to get us into an arena where he was watching the fourth hole. We enjoyed refreshments and a slice of pizza before resuming our walk.

But if you've ever been to a golf tournament you know it can be a long day of walking, watching, standing, and maybe sitting. 

There are certainly corporate things to gaze at, though many require special tickets. We did get pictures taken with the Snake Pit statue and, for the first time in my 55 years of visiting Florida, I spotted an alligator.




Before leaving, we looked at the merchandise but nothing really spoke to me. If anything, I wanted something that reflected the resort as opposed to either the tournament or the golf course. I'm hoping we'll come back when the tournament isn't on for that kind of stuff. I know I had an Innisbrook shirt many years ago.

Instead, the three of us packed up and took the shuttle back to the car to head to dinner in Tarpon Springs, where we sat on an open tiki bar overlooking the Anclote River with the sponge docks across the way.

It felt like the right way to begin to wrap up this wonderful adventure.

Back at our home away from home, Sean and I took a last walk around the grounds before joining Kris and Lori to talk (and pick on me). We both talked about what this trip meant to each other. Sure, I'm ready to return to Connecticut because I miss a few things there (including that silly cat) but this region of Florida means so much to me.

And I can never explain it properly.

It's nostalgic. It absolutely is. To that end, I drove by my grandparents' house in Holiday and realized just how much things had changed. The house is the same, no question, but it needs some TLC. The whole neighborhood does.

But, still, there's enormous nostalgia here. There's also family here. Family that I'm close to.

There are so many things that make me happy here. I didn't even get to Howard Park in Tarpon Springs but it's OK. We ran out of time. But that's just one of the many things that tickles me. The Sponge Docks and John's Pass and going to sporting events and walking around Tampa and driving out to Orlando.

In truth, I don't need to explain why this region produces such joy for me. You either get it or you don't.

Alas, my alarm will go off tomorrow morning and we'll pull ourselves together. We'll say our goodbyes and hit the road.

Then North Carolina awaits.

Then The Cat awaits.

Then reality strikes again.

Today was a cherished finish to a cherished trip.

Thank you, Florida.

Until next time.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

The Disney Conundrum

 

I felt like I lost money driving under this sign

There are times that I feel I've failed as a father.

My child, for instance, has never been to Walt Disney World.

Until today, that is.

Now, hold on. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We didn't go into any of the parks. We didn't step on one ride or have churros in the shape of mouse ears.

We elected to only go to Disney Springs, the shopping, eating, and entertainment complex.

And "we" was the father/son combo.

Now, understand that I was never one to "keep up with the Jones" if you will. I didn't care what the other families did or any kind of economic pressure.

In fact, it was economic pressure of another kind that kept us from going to Disney World, or Florida for that matter. I couldn't afford it.

Sadly, it just never happened.

I will say that Sean also never pushed to go to Disney World.

But, until today, he had never been.

We talked a lot about going for a day this year. Ultimately, he decided that the ticket price was too steep.

I mean, a ticket to any one park was $180 today? So, if you're doing the math, Dad gets to drop $381 (with taxes) for two tickets.

Ultimately, the theme parks were ruled out for this trip.

Side note: Amusement parks should have a "visitor only" option that allows a guest to come in and not go on any rides but just guests to visit. I'm still going to visit the gift shops and restaurants. I mean, common sense isn't common.

But I thought Disney Springs would give Sean a chance to get to Orlando and catch a sense of the Disney buzz.

I was right.

We scuffled through traffic out Interstate 4 and grabbed parking (shockingly free). 


In truth, Disney took very little of our money. Intrigued by the Coca-Cola Store, we went to their rooftop beverage bar where I had a glass bottle of Coke. Sean, not a carbonated drinker, fetched a grape drink from their fountain.

An inexpensive T-shirt later, we moved on.

We mostly walked around, visiting the two Star Wars stores (I do NOT need Star Wars mouse ears) and the large World of Disney store (Sean declined to wear mouse ears for his father).

We strolled through some other stores as I regaled him with stories of visits when I came with my family as far back as 1971.


We watched vintage amphicars take guests on a 20-minute tour ($125, thank you very much) and a performer move around on a mobile piano. I admired her talent and gusto. It takes a special kind of person to grind like that, hoping for whatever opportunity comes from moving a moving piano at Disney Springs.

Most of all, it had a feeling of Disney World without being in the theme parks.

Look, I have very mixed feelings when it comes to Disney. On the one hand, their greed (yes, I know it's a business) borders on astounding. The feel-good that came from being a kid at Walt's utopia in the 70s is largely gone when seen through a jaded eye.

On the other hand, watch a little kid (or become a little kid) and it all crystallizes. I felt something in my heart with each glance of Mickey Mouse -- returning to being a child, when I had (and still have in my attic) a stuffed Mickey.

Heck, I still have a Mickey Mouse watch that I bought years ago. It just sits in a box.

So when I saw a Walt Disney World T-shirt with a classic Mickey Mouse on it, I smiled.

Then I decided I didn't want it for $34. Besides, it's not going anywhere.

As we left Disney Springs, I drove a bit of the grounds to see if Sean could get more of a feeling.

You bet I got my picture taken with the Coca-Cola 
Polar Bear! 

If anything, it was more nostalgic for me, remembering visiting when I was a kid.

Or remembering playing on the Fantasia mini golf course.

Sean, never one to voice what he's feeling, laid mostly low on the topic.

But back with Kris and Lori, we grabbed dinner and ice cream before coming home.

"So did today give you your fill of Disney or do you want to go back?" I asked.

"Oh, I definitely want to go back," he said.

Save your money, Sean. We can go next year.

Though jaded, you'll never forget it.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Rainy Day

 

Taken in Ocala on Tuesday

Florida is a state that, generally speaking, you visit because you want to be outdoors.

That doesn't mean there aren't good shopping options and museums and other things that will get one inside, but the amusement parks and beaches are all in nature.

So when the weather turns ugly, the options change a bit.

Today was supposed to be a wall of rain. We had heard it would be one to two inches of precipitation but that didn't quite materialize.

As I write (after 8 p.m.) the rain has kicked back in but, otherwise, the storm turned and we didn't get the expected amount. I had some heavy rain during the overnight but that seemed to be the worst of it.

So, with the threat of rain, that meant adjusting. The beach wasn't realistic of course. The theme parks weren't either and, besides, they're pretty expensive.

None of the indoor options were working.

So we spent a chunk of the day around our home away from home.

Eventually, we went into downtown Tampa to walk around.

In truth, I've never known much about Tampa itself. Oh, sure, I know Steinbrenner Field and Raymond James Stadium and things like that but I really didn't know the downtown area at all.

I've always heard about Ybor City, but that's more of a restaurant/bar area and the three of us weren't looking for that.

So we opted to stay closer to the home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Amalie Arena.

We found parking and took off on the Tampa Riverwalk before finishing at Sparkman Wharf, which has some shopping and dining options.

However, we had dinner plans so we took note of everything and committed to coming back one day.

Admittedly, I'm not good at being inactive on vacation unless I have to. Thus I was happy to get out and take the walk before returning to meet up with family for dinner.

After dinner, we treated ourselves to some ice cream and are now beginning to settle down.

We have two full days remaining here in Florida before our scheduled departure on Monday morning.

*****

(Screenshot from video posted on social media)

Despite the love of travel, the real world carries on. With that said, I wanted to share a note of support to Catherine, Princess of Wales. Princess Kate hasn't been seen in some time and there was the thing with a picture that was apparently edited.

To be honest, I hadn't been paying close attention.

But today she posted a video to announce that she has been battling cancer and while the video is upbeat in that she "is well and getting stronger every day." To that, I say bravo but I also hope it is true.

I'm no expert when it comes to the Royal Family but I have a healthy regard and respect for them. Princess Kate has always struck me as extremely likable. Regardless of likability, she is a mother and a wife and worthy of respect and compassion. Also, she is only 42 years old though cancer pays little attention to such things.

But what I'm trying to say is that I hope for a speedy recovery for her. I know there is the scrutiny of her subjects, social media, and the press. I think she handles all of it with grace, much in the same way her mother-in-law once did.

Speedy recovery, your Royal Highness.