E.O.M. MEANDERINGS

We returned to our home on Sanibel Island, Florda yesterday after having spent five days with our youngest daughter and family in Indialantic FL (near Melbourne) on the east coast. We wanted to miss the potential hurricane, especially the possible power outages, in view of my wife's rehabilitating from surgery. It turned out they had more rain there than in Sanibel, and the only power outages were few and brief in Sanibel. Florida dodged the bullet, but I feel sorry for those poor Cajun folk in the flooded parishes of Louisiana.

The Republicans got lucky as well in Tampa for their convention. As predicted, the hot air from Tampa was worse on Florida than the tropical storm. Next week the hot air flow will be from Charlotte, and I don't really expect any real substantive statements from there. I hope I'm wrong...

Right now I'm enjoying the blasts in tennis from Flushing Meadows as the U.S. Open moves along. All the big guns are trained and ready: Federer, Djokovic and Murray look tough as ever, but some young surprises are making names for themselves, like Bob Johnson, Jack Sock and the eighteen-year-old lady Brit, Laura Robson, who has knocked off two former champions (Kim Clijsters and Li Na). The old guard passes and the new arises, as happens in every sport. I'm sorry to see Andy Roddick retire, but he is doing the right thing as he has lost the appetite and the edge to his game, so it's time to hang it up. When competing becomes joyless and a chore, it's time to go.

I am enjoying the  showing of my beloved Cincinnati Reds, now eight games ahead in their division and, for the moment, with the best record in baseball. Can they keep it up? September separates the men from the boys.

Can't wait to see Alabams vs. Michigan: wow, what an opener! College football is upon us. Hooray! And the pros aren't far behind. Then my wife can get mad at me on Sunday afternoons!