A PERFECT DAY

Yesterday was the perfect day. Nothing terribly momentous happened, but the day was filled with so many small but beautiful moments.

I started off the day with a run through the Arboretum. My watch did not sync my podcasts correctly, so I listed to an old Wilco mix. The foliage, the rushing river, and the neighborhood scenery were familiar and so comforting. 

Afterwards, Nicholas and I biked down to the racquet club, where Cate was working. We played tennis, and it was remarkable to see how much better he has gotten. If we had been keeping score, there is not doubt that he would have won! I gave him some tips on his backhand, and he made nice progress after changing up his form. I recommended he get a lesson. I think he has the makings of a great player!

In the afternoon, I spent some time at work trying to clear my head and think about how best to navigate the decision about the move. I was able to clearly see the pluses and minuses of moving forward and what I would be giving up.

I grilled turmeric chicken, and we had a lovely Middle Eastern dinner. Afterwards, we made s'mores, which were delightful! We watched the Copa America Final match with Brazil prevailing in penalties. 

I was able to connect with my old friend, Chap, who has been an incredible source of support and strength as I have faced head on what this move means for my life. I am so grateful to have such amazing friends.

As I lay my head on the pillow, I was able to appreciate just how good I have it. I was able to see all the small positives that added up to a day that felt perfect. I will hang on to this perspective and try to remember how there are so many perfect days - if only we can appreciate them.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

The National Championships for youth soccer only come around once per year. This year was our third trip there, and the third time must have been a charm because Cate's Michigan Tigers 08 Girls Team finaly came away victorious!

It has been six years since Cate joined this club after our move to Ann Arbor. The first year, she was on their second team, but she quickly established herself and was promoted to the first team. Since that time, she has grown incredibly as a player and leader on the field. She plays central midfielder, which is like the quarterback of the team, and she is responsible for controlling play, starting attacks, and helping with defense. It is one of the hardest positions on the field, but she always excels in this position.

At Nationals, we swept the group stage without conceding a single goal. In the semi-final, we played our old nemesis, Plymouth Reign, who had knocked us out of Regionals in Kansas City one month earlier and who also beat us in the State Cup last Fall. Our girls had extra motivation for this match, and we took a 1-0 lead. Plymoith equalized, and the game headed in to extra time. In the second period, with just a few minutes left, Cate heaved a thunderbolt from near midfield. It clanged off the crossbar, and the keeper could not handle it. A teammate slammed the ball home for what would be the game-winning goal. The girls exploded in excitemnt at the game's conclusion, and a number of us parents embraced on the sidelines. They had slayed the dragon.

The final was much more comfortable as Tigers beat Ambassadors from Ohio 3-0. Cate was named "Player of the Match," as best player in the tournament for her age group. They even got some love from local media in a numbers of articles!

I am so proud of Cate and this team! It was a dream come true for Cate, and I am so glad I was able to witness it up close. 

This trip will go down as one of the most special of our 16 year soccer odyssey with Cate. Congrats, champions!

MEMORIES FROM THE MOUNTAINS

Dr. King famously talked about climbing to the mountaintop. Surely, he knew that the journey to the top with loved ones was much more important than the final destination. I can appreciate that sentiment after a wonderful week with our friends the Tais in Black Butte in central Oregon!

Kathleen has known the Tais for 30 years since medical school, and I first met them at their wedding when Kathleen and I were dating in the early 2000s during our time in Dallas. In Portland, we became even closer, as did our kids. In fact, whenever we get together, I always remark on how the kids seem much more like cousins than mere friends. Our trip to Black Butte, like our trips together with them there over the years, was no exception, even though their daughter was away for her job with the Peace Corps.

We took part in a variety of outdoor activities, including walks, pickleball, swimming, and scaling Black Butte. 

There were great meals thanks to Cindy and her son Noah, and fun television and board games, including a marathon match of "Catan." News flash, Noah won!

Sisters is the town nearest the resort, and we spent a few hours there, including a recent tradition ot getting pedicures, and a trip to the local coffeehouse, Sisters Coffee, which is always a treat! 

I look forward to seeing the Tais again and making it back to Black Butte! What amazing people and what amazing shared memories we have made there together!

A FRIENDLY PATTERN IN PDX

After Kansas City, we headed to the Pacific Northwest for some truly deserved R&R! We had a limited amount of time there, but we managed to fit in a few meetings with old friends and visits to some of our favorite places.

We stayed in the Northwest neighborhood. It's proximity to Forest Park allowed for a few runs on the Leif Erickson trail. Some of our favorite food places were nearby, so we got to take in biscuit sandwiches and amazing ice cream!

The Rose Garden was in full bloom, and we were fortunate to see and smell some beautiful blooms!

I am not sure when we will be back in PDX - or its amazing, refurbished airport. 

However, I look forward to touching down again soon and seeing the iconic PDX carpet. It turns out home has its own distinct pattern!

I LIKE IKE

During our KC trip, we had a free day and decided to drive halfway across the state to visit Salina, the hometown of President Dwight David Eisenhower and the site of his presidential library.

I knew Ike was a war hero and served as a transitional figure between the FDR/Truman administrations and the young John F. Kennedy. However, Ike was a truly remarkable leader who never forgot his humble origins and the heartland that he came from.

His sense of decency, globalism, empathy, and leadership is unrecognizable in today's Republican party, and we should be so lucky as to have another national Republican official like him one day. I will not hold my breath!

More than anything, Ike was someone who always put his country and its success above his own aspirations. We could all stand to be a little more like Ike!

ROCKCHALK JAYHAWK

Springfield, Massachusetts is the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, but Lawrence, Kansas, where basketball's founder James Naismith worked and coached, might just be the game's unofficial home. That would make Allen Fieldhouse there at the University of Kansas (KU) the game's chapel!

During our recent trip to Kansas City, we decided to pay a visit and take in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics at KU and see the rest of the town. There was so much to see, and we came away much more knowledgeable about the origins of the game and Naismith's and KU's impact on it. 

The team's name is the Jayhawks, and its mascot is a cute little bird named Big Jay. Needless to say, Nicholas had to get a shirt!

We also learned the origins of the team's chant, "Rockchalk Jayhawk!" The chant started off as, "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk!" Later, it evolved into the rockchalk version, supposedly because of the chalk rock, or limestone, where the campus is located. 

We took in the main drag called Massachusetts Street, which was filled with restaurants and shops, including a fun candy shop called Squishington's that had my favorite treats, inlcuding Charleston Chews and Bazooka!

It was a lovely day trip, and who knows, maybe Nicholas will be back there to cover a game someday!

KC, BABY!

Kansas City is near the center of the country. Fittingly, we have visited at the midpoint of the year the past several years due to Cate's soccer. This year was no exception, but we managed to fit in a variety of new activities.

Of course, we had to stop for barbecue. This year, we went to Joe's and took in ribs and burnt ends!

Last year, we saw a Copa America match in the men's stadium. However, this year, we saw an NWSL women's soccer match at CPKC Stadium, the first soccer-specific women's stadium. The host and league-leading Kansas City Current defeated Angel City in an exciting match!

Finally, we took in some history at the World War I Museum near downtown. It was incredibly informative, and I learned so much about the "War to End All Wars."

I am not sure when we will be back, but I always love visiting this town. Here's to KC, baby, which also happens to be the Current's fan chant!

A MASTERSTROKE IN MILAN

Like life, soccer is full of ups and downs. Last night, the Greenhills Gryphons evinced that saying on their way to the 2025 District Championship!

The Gryphons started off strong with a goal within the first five minutes. Soon thereafter, their opponent, Milan High School, countered with a goal of their own after the Gryphons' goalie bobbled a weak shot on target. From there, the game became a tight affair with few scoring opportunities. Despite the lack of additional goals, there was still plenty of excitement - mainly due to hard fouls committed by the Milan players, most of which went unpunished without yellow cards.

Time and again their players came in hard on our players, often knocking them to the ground after clattering into them. The referee had completely lost control and seemed quite unfazed by the violent level of play on the pitch. Similarly, the Milan parents were unbothered by their team's tactics. On spectator, presumably a father of a Milan player, echoed the same refrain every time one of their players victimized our girls, saying, "It's called soccer!" Needless to say, I was infuriated by that attitude and phrase.

The game went to extra time. Immediately after the kickoff, a Milan player rammed into Cate, who was defenseless and without the ball, sending her to the ground. There she lay for several minutes, though it  seemed like an eternity. I was so worried that it might be a ligament or a joint injury. Fortunately, Cate was able to walk off on her own power after sustaining what turned out to be a quad contusion. Within a few minutes, Cate was back on the pitch but visibly limping.

As the first period of extra time was winding down, the Gryphons won a corner. The ball was delivered expertly, and Cate rose up to meet it with her head, scoring what would turn out to be the game winner! Somehow, I had decided to film this play, and you can enjoy it for yourself below! Even more surprisingly, after the goal, I bit my tongue and did not utter the oft-repeated line, from the Milan supporters, "It's called soccer!"

Greenhills were able to run out the clock in the second period of extra time and seal the victory. Afterwards, we all basked in the golden hour of pre-dusk, late Spring, soaking up the win!

I could not be more proud of these young ladies, especially our Cate. She was a fearless leader all game long. I cannot wait to see what this team does in Regionals next week!

A MEMORABLE MEMORIAL DAY

It has been slow-going the last few years making friends outside work and finding a community here in Ann Arbor. In part, this is explained by the pandemic, but it is also a function of many people having existing, established friend groups at this stage of life. Undaunted, we have spent a lot of quality time together as a family, but sharing experiences with other people often makes things more memorable. That is why we were so happy to spend Memorial Day Sunday with the family of one of Cate's closest friends from school, whose older brother is also one of Nicholas' friends from the same school, at their lake cottage nearby Ann Arbor. 

There was great food and conversation and time spent on the water. Kathleen and I kayaked. However, the kids were the true adventurers, partaking in inner tubing behind the powerboat. Somehow, they hung on for dear life for several minutes! They were even brave enough to get back on the saddle and try it again after their first time out! 

Simply put, it was a Memorial Day to remember!

COME ON YOU MIGHTY OAKS!

We have always been major supporters of the local soccer teams where we lived, especially in Portland. This weekend, we attended our first match for Ann Arbor's United Soccer League semi-pro team, Ann Arbor Football Club (FC). The team's mascot is the Mighty Oaks, and their saying or motto is "Come On You Mighty Oaks," or COYMO for short. 

It was a beautiful Memorial Day weekend night in Ann Arbor with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s. The atmosphere was vibrant in the football stadium where Pioneer High School plays it games with adults and children in attendance.

We met up with one of Cate's friends from soccer and enjoyed the Mighty Oaks 2-1 victory, including a sensational free kick by the home team!

Nicholas is writing feature articles for the team this summer and doing player profiles, so I will look forward to learning more about the team and its exploits. Until then, COYMO!

MY WORD THAT GIRL'S A STAR

Cate has been on an absolute terror these past few weeks on the Greenhills Soccer team. In the last three games alone, she has scored seven goals, including two occasions when she was the team's only scorer. Notably, nearly all of these goals were scored from shots taken outside the box, i.e., at least 18 yards from goal. That is a remarkable achievement over such a short stretch and something that few footballers at any level can claim, even Lionel Messi! 

As the team continues their playoff run next week, I look forward to seeing the magic that Cate will weave. She is truly one in a million!

BYLINE

Making one's way in the world has always been hard for people starting out in a new career. However, these are especially challenging times. That is why we were so thrilled that Nicholas landed an internship this summer with the MLive media group and the local paper "Ann Arbor News." You can find a link to all his work for that publication here.

He started work on Monday and by the next day, he had been dispatched to nearby Ypslanti to cover a local news story about a camp for students with disabilities at a local university. In the past week, he has knocked out three more articles, ranging form an award-winning local vegan bakery, the Taste of Ann Arbor food festival, and the Peony Garden in the U-M Arboretum. 

The articles are detailed and insightful and are written with a caring voice designed to inform the readership about their community. I cannot wait to read more of his work this summer and beyond!

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WORK HARD FOR THEM!

Last year at the time time, Nicholas did not have an positive responses to his internship inquires. He was quite sad, but he quickly got over it and focused on making some money working at the Racquet Club down the road. 

He returned to campus ready to hit the ground running last fall. He was bear writer for the track and field team, then the women's basketball team. More recently, he has been assigned to the flagship team on campus, men's lacrosse while successfully competing for an assistant sports editor position. He is three for three on being named to the Dean's list, and he is beginning to cultivate relationships with professors and fellow student alike. All in all, he is thriving and making the most of what Syracuse and Newhouse have to offer.

Because of that, I was so happy for him to hear that he had been offered a paid internship at our local paper, the Ann Arbor News, a publication of the MLive media group. He will be working in news this summer. On the side, he will be helping the local soccer club, AFC Ann Arbor with public relations and game recaps and player profiles.

It is so wonderful to see this hard-working, curious driven young man hit his stride. I could not be more proud. Keep reaching for the stars, son!

A CARTOON A DAY KEEPS THE SADNESS AWAY

I have always loved comics and cartoons. For the past 25 years, I have been a Newyorker subscriber. Their cartoons are some of the best, and I know receive them in my Instagram feed.

This year, I have gotten in the habit of sharing them with friends and family - especially the lighthearted ones or those that capture the cringe-inducing things coming out of Washington. Invariably, sharing these elicits a chuckle in me and the recipients. It is one of the highlights of my day.

Enjoy this recent Easter funny!

WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING

I recently read Haruki Murakami's memoir, "What I talk about when I talk about running." It is hard to believe that I had not read this sooner since I love running and Murakami's novels including, "Norwegian Wood, " "Sputnik Sweetheart, " and "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki" among others. Perhaps you saw the movie, "Drive My Car," based on one of his short stories? That film, which was about grief, loss, and human connection - despite all types of barriers, including language - blew me away.

Similarly, "What I think about..." was a magical book. Yes, it was about Murakmai's love of running and how he took up that pastime in his early 30s, some 30 years ago. However, it is more about a way of living resolutely. It is a reminder that there is great value in putting one foot in front of the other and never giving up. That he has run at least one marathon per year for the past 30 years is a testament and that he continues to write so well are the best expression of that philosophy.

I was reminded of my own marathon experience from New York some 21 years ago. I had trained hard for that day and was attempting to use my race time to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I needed to run 3:10:59 in order to qualify. I got off to an amazing start, running the first half in 1:38. However, my quads gave out after the halfway point. For the last nine or so miles, I had to use my shins and calves to push off the ground to propel me forward. I never considered quitting and finally crossed the finish line in a time of 3:46, well off my goal. 

Afterwards, I was plagued by pain in my shins anytime I ran. I was later diagnosed with chronic compartment syndrome and underwent fasciotomies on both legs. Afterwards, I could not run without pain for over two years, which was one of the hardest times in my life. Ultimately, my legs healed, and I decided to try running again when we moved to Portland. I settled for shorter distances and incorporated cross-training. The 5K - rather than the marathon - became my go-to race. 

Eventually, I set my sites on another goal that seemed similarly aspirational to my Boston qualifying time - a sub 20 minute 5K. In 2015, some 11 years after New York, I reached that goal finishing in 19:25 - a pace of 6:17 per mile and good enough for 26th overall!

I continue to run at least 5K per day, though I am doing less races these days. My favorite route is a loop through Gallup Park at dawn each morning well before the sun comes up, and I have been running this route since the pandemic - in rain, sleet, and snow (but not ice). Sometimes Cate joins me, which makes the run even more special. My daily run is as close as I come to zen each day.

At the end of each run, I gaze up the sky and raise my outstretched arms. I am not thanking anyone, in particular. Rather, I am reveling in the fact that I am still able to do the thing I love at the age of 51 and despite a lot of miles on these tires. That is what I talk about when I talk about running!

GO 'HILLS!

We are in the midst of high school soccer season, and it has been a delight to watch Cate play again!

Unlike with her club team, Cate plays farther back as a defensive midfielder. Despite this, she is very involved with the attack and has created some wonderful scoring opportunities for her teammates. Additionally, she has gotten in on the action and scored some amazing goals that fall into the category of rockets!

Here are two recent examples from the last week. Enjoy!

THE WHITE LOTUS

Season three of "The White Lotus" concluded last week. I had greatly enjoyed the last two seasons, but this one was particularly special. As usual, there were several groups of tourists who descended on a spectacular resort destination. Like past season, lives were lost, but the real drama was in the interactions of the guests with each other and with the resort staff and other locals. If the first season was about class, the second season was about status. This most reason season was about finding some measure of peace, which is so timely given the world we find ourselves in.

"The White Lotus" is not a world I recognize, but that does not prevent the show from winning you over and creating moments of real magic. 

If you have not seen the first two seasons, I suggest starting there. I cannot wait to see where the show's creator Mike White takes us next!

ABUNDANCE

One of my favorite podcasters and writers, Ezra Klein, and another favorite writer, Derek Thompson, have teamed up to write a very timely book that offers an antidote, or at least another path forward, versus Trump's and DOGE's burn it all down. Klein offers a defense of his vision in this podcast.

Rather than austerity and destruction, they advocate for abundance and growth. It is an inspiring vision for the future, and the offer many examples of government, Democratic and Republican alike, standing in the way of the future we need and the society we all imagine. It is a lack of will, structure, and implementation that stands in our way, and these authors provide some exceptional examples of how we have cut through these obstacles to deliver game-changing results. These examples include Operation Warp Speed and the COVID vaccines, the repair to the I-95 bridge in Pennsylvania that only took 12 days, and mass production of penicillin.

I particularly enjoyed their thoughts on possible reforms to the scientific enterprise, including the grant funding process.

I am not sure anyone in this administration will pick up this book, but you should!

THE PITT

The show, "E.R." first aired when I began medical school in 1994. It has always been one of my favorite shows because it captured the excitement of working in a fast-paced, high-stress environment. It was not until I completed my residency rotation in the E.R. in Parkland that I truly appreciated how accurate the show's depiction of emergency medicine was. 

One the characters with whom I identified the most was a young, earnest medical student, John Carter, played by Noah Wylie. I cannot recall what happened to Carter when the show concluded. However, one can imagine that he might have grown up to be an E.R. attending.

The new show, "The Pitt," on Max stars Noah Wylie exactly twenty years later. Wylie is no longer Carter but rather a veteran E.R. attending named Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch. The show's 15 episodes take place over the course of a very eventful 15 hour shift. There is a memorable cast of characters, and we see many of the highs and lows of working in American medicine and living in American society today.

The episodes were released one at a time, and I could not wait to watch the next one. Last night, I watched the final episode of the first season, which was a barnburner. Simply put, "the Pitt" is the most accurate and compelling medical show I have ever seen. It can be graphic and heart-breaking but also life-affirming. Just like life.

LIKE YESTERDAY!

We recently went on spring break. We were able to kill two birds with one stone on the trip by visiting colleges Cate is interested in for soccer and seeing old friends. 

We started off on the east coast and stayed with our friends Eddie and Liz from residenct, who have been living in Philadelphia for the past decade or so. They were wonderful hosts, showing us the city and keeping us entertained. We saw some of the tourist sites like the Liberty Bell and also checked out the wonderful Barnes Foundation collection of art. The latter was one of the greatest collections of art under one roof that I have ever seen.

Cate had a nice visit to Swarthmore, which we had seen with Nicholas three years prior, and we all came away very impressed by the students and the school.

Dave Donohue was one of my best friends in medical school, and he has been back in his howetown of Wilmington for the past 20 years. He and his family kindly hosted us, and we enjoyed our time together on several runs, playing pickleball, and just catching up. 

On our way to our next stop, Pittsburgh, we stopped off in the Longwood Gardens between Wilmington and Philadelphia. The grounds and the flowers were absolutely beautiful!

In Pittsburgh, we caught up with my former mentor from fellowship, Jim Herman, while Cate had a nice visit at Carnegie-Mellon. 

That night, we headed to Cleveland, the last stop on our trip. We saw our friends from fellowship in Baltimore, Hetty and Craig and explored the city. While she was doing a soccer camp at Case Western Reserve University, Kathleen and I took in some sites in Cleveland, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It was a fun week packed with new places but also old friends. I was reminded at each stop how fortunate I am to have made such amazing friends over the years and how medicine has taken me and my friends  all over. 

Cate has indicated an interest in biology and possibly medicine. We will see if she follows through on that. If she does, I hope she makes the same sort of connections that last a lifetime like we have. There is something so special about feeling like it was just yesterday when you saw certain people, even though it has been several years. Until next time!