The consummate chronicler of our running escapades of so many years ago recently informed me that on June 21,1980, I ran the Westchester Half Marathon in just under one hour and thirty-one minutes (does 1:30:52 sound better?). By the most-accurate account, I finished with our friend Warren with whom the report was shared.

Well, Uraguay advanced to the knockout round of 16 in the World Cup.  That's the good news.     The bad news is that their star player was guilty for at least the second time of actually biting an opponent.  Yes that's right , Luis Suarez one of their star players (what appears to be essentially out of nowhere) bit an Italian player in the shoulder.    

Do you have it? We do in our house. Of course, we had soccer fever even before this year’s World Cup, as both my step-daughter and step-son are soccer players. Watching the U.S. play on the world stage has, so far, been incredible. Watching the U.S. finally beat Ghana, as a result of a goal scored by a sub was amazing.

Over the years I have become much more of an optimist.  It has become much easier to see the cup as half full instead of half empty.  This may be as a result of retraining my brain, or maturing, or maybe not really caring about what I used to think was important and now I realize is not.  

I injured my right hand about three weeks ago which effectively stopped my exercise regimen and golf for awhile. I've had to learn how to do a lot of things lefty which is quite a challenge. When I reach for something like a cup of tea I automaticaly use my right but have stop myself.   Now that I'm using my left hand, I'm actually feeling different. I guess it's that left brain, right brain thing.  

Last week we had our semi annual Lefty Lunch (where, for once, we could sit and eat comfortably anywhere at the table) at the Friars Club. At the Lefty (handedness, not politics) Lunch we commiserated re being the last unrecognized downtrodden minority.I, for one, am passionate about having being left off the waves of our Nation's affirmative actions. It just stinks, always being unconsidered and forgotten. For example, too many lefties were abused in their early school days due to their use of their south paw.

Earlier this week, Fred shared an entry in his diary with me. It's from June 17, 1980 and reads as follows: “drove Benj to his parents' home in New Hyde Park and his dad is a pleasant eccentric little immigrant man with an accent who said I didn't look "Klein" (small) and offered me a half finished beer. His face showed concern when Benj told him of his boss's job loss."