Happy Birthday To Me ... And LOTS of Others You Know and Love (or Loathe)

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Normally, I wouldn't write about my own birthday - not even a milestone BD like this one - but let me tell you ... October 13 is the birthday of the stars! 

My most famous (or infamous) "birthday buddies" include ...

Glenn "Doc" Rivers, my Marquette cohort who went on to make a bit of a name for himself in basketball. Not only is the new Sixers coach one of my all-time favorite people in sports, but he also made my favorite basket ever when his heave from just inside half-court beat evil Notre Dame in 1981 (his freshman year, my junior year). Surprisingly, even though Glenn could jump out of the arena, he really sucked at volleyball in Charlie Nader's Team Sports class.

Jerry Rice, the best wide receiver any of us have ever seen.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose overrated "America's Team" has won all of 4 playoff games since winning Super Bowl XXX 2 1/2 decades ago. 

Borat alter ego Sacha Baron Cohen: "King of the castle!"

Baseball Hall of Famers Trevor Hoffman and Eddie Mathews, Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day, and future basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce.

Billy Bush, he of President Pussy-Grabber's Access Hollywood tape fame.

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, murdered in 2018 by the Saudi dictator (with the tacit approval of the U.S. president). Shameful.

Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan: "Why me?" (So unfair. She was a great skater, but she'll be remembered forever as Tonya Harding's victim.)

Tiffany Trump, or, as President Pandemic calls her, "Uh ... Who are you?"

A little bit country, Marie Osmond.

A lot of rock and roll, Paul Simon.

Caleb McGlaughlin -- Lucas of Stranger Things fame.

Kelly Preston, who had a memorable turn as Jerry Maguire's squeeze. (Sadly, she died earlier this year.)

Sammy Hagar, aka The Red Rocker!

The late great Lenny Bruce.

Hero or villain? With Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, it depends upon which side of the aisle one stands. At only 31, AOC has a lot of decades left to be loved and loathed.

But wait! There's more!

Actors Ashanti, Tisha Campbell, Lorraine Day, Melinda Dillon, Nipsey Russell, Kate Walsh, Matt Walsh, Cornel Wilde, Demond Wilson ... athletes/coaches Tim Brewster, Ryan Clark, Norris Cole, Brian Dawkins, George Frazier, Derek Harper, Del Harris, Brian Hoyer, Jermaine O'Neal, Lou Saban, Summer Sanders, Reggie Theus, Rube Waddell, Eddie Yost ... Politics' Ari Fleischer, Margaret Thatcher ... Musician John Ford Coley ... Sportscaster Tom Mees.

WOW!!

And lest I forget, my one-time Chicago sportswriting colleague, golf buddy and all-around great guy Phil Arvia - who loves to remind me that although we have the same birthday, he is WAAAAAAAAY (2 years) younger than I am.

And speaking of people younger than I am ...

That's a pretty large group these days.

Yes, today I turned ...

The Big 6-0!

Take away my aching back, tight hamstrings and bad vision, and I really don't feel that old. I mean, I'm still as immature as ever, and that's kind of a Fountain of Youth, right? I also golf every bit as well as I ever have!

I am the youngest of Rhoda and Jerry Nadel's 4 sons. By FAR the youngest! The baby!! I'll always be able to hold that over the heads of Al, Don and Lee - none of whom is even allowed to sing "When I'm 64" anymore.

I was 13 when I started high school, 17 when I started college and 21 when I entered the workforce in my chosen profession. (Journalism, silly. I only moonlighted as a Chippendale.)

I was a groovy, hip, happenin' dude.

When I was 24, I became the youngest full-time sportswriter in the AP, a distinction I held for about 5 more years. During that time, I was one of a handful of AP scribes dubbed "The Young Turks." (Mysteriously, Howard Ulman, who is 13 years older than I am, also was put in that group. Apparently, bribes work.)

On my 29th birthday, I noticed I was going bald. The Vikings had traded for Herschel Walker the day before and photographers took an overhead shot of the media throng around him. And there my head was: curly hair encircling a surprisingly large patch of skin. Yikes!

I was even young when I was put out to pasture - retired at 48 by the clowns at GateHouse Media, who couldn't afford to keep hundreds of their real employees but amazingly found hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonus money for all their pencil-dick managers. (Not that I'm bitter or anything.)

I was a little worried when I got the heave-ho, but retirement has turned out to be pretty darn sweet. 

I learned how to invest, which led to writing about investing, which led to my freelance gigs at Daily Trade Alert and Seeking Alpha and Dividends and Income. (I especially recommend clicking on that last one and looking at some articles to see  amazingly cute photos of my adorable grand-twins, Logan and Jack.)

I coach basketball, I referee, I umpire, I pretty much do whatever I want (within reason). 

Of course, all that is only possible because of my beautiful bride of 37+ years, Robbie. It's great to have a Sugar Mama, and I strongly recommend every man get one (or more).

And now that I've got Ben's littles toddling around - and, exciting, exciting, exciting! - another cutie any day now from Katie, I'll have no choice but to stay young.

You know, I'm already looking forward to the next 60 years. Heck, by the time I turn 120, COVID-19 might even have disappeared "like a miracle."

As my favorite rocker, Roger Clyne, likes to sing: 

Here's to life! 

Wishing health, happiness, peace and love to all of my family, friends ... and, yes, to my birthday buddies everywhere.

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Hello, 2020! ... Here's hoping the rest of the New Year can live up to my first week

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Just got back from a great (but too short!) trip to Chicago and Milwaukee.

So much fun with our adorable grand-twins Logan and Jack (aka "LoJack"), and of course their parents Ben and Sammi.

LoJack loves Grandma! (And vice versa!)

Grandpa hangin' with da boyz

As they close in on their 5-month birthdays, the boys have gotten so big. Fun little personalities. A lot of smiling, as Logan demonstrates ...

The boys even are showing an affinity for TV (uh-oh).

Saturday was a darn near perfect day ...

• Drove up from Chicago to Milwaukee with Robbie, Ben and Mickey (Ben's father-in-law) for the Marquette-Villanova game.
• Found a free parking spot on the street within 3 blocks of the arena. I loves me some free parking!
• Met Marquette buddies Tom and Jim at a local establishment before the game to share some great memories and laughs. Also shared some beverages, which in my case were New Glarus Moon Man and Spotted Cow.
• Watched our Warriors play very well in defeating the No. 10 team in the country.
• No trip to Milwaukee is complete without a dash to Leon's for amazing butter pecan frozen custard.
• Went to Ben's in-laws' place in the northern burbs to eat deep-dish pizza and to spend a few hours with family: Ben, Sammi, Mickey, his wife Linda, Sammi's sister Lauren, various dogs ...  and, of course, the stars of the show, Logan and Jack.
• Drove back to my son's place to tuck in LoJack.
• Watched the end of the Patriots' playoff loss to Tennessee. Bye-bye Brady!

Hard to beat that!

Rob took this artsy-fartsy photo of 3 old farts:
Tom, Mike and Jim

Mickey, Ben, Rob and Mike up in the Fiserv Forum nosebleed section

Marquette's All-American guard, Markus Howard,
takes it right into the teeth of Villanova's defense
(Photo credit: gomarquette.com)

Leon's butter pecan ... The best treat in the entire world!

Naturally, we were sad to say goodbye on Sunday. And when we got home, we had a ton of work staring at us, as we just had both bathrooms renovated and the entire downstairs painted. 

On Monday, it was back to practice with my Community House Cavs, who just returned from winter break. We'll take a 3-2 record into our first post-break game on Thursday, Jan. 9.

I hope everybody had as great a start to the New Year as I did.

Oh, and here's lookin' at you, kid!

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A New Assignment For Coach Nadel

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A couple of months ago, I received this text message from my basketball coach at Ardrey Kell High, Jeff Buseick:

Community House Middle School is looking for a girls coach. Do you know anyone that would be interested/good?

Community House is one of AK's feeder schools, and many of the best players I had the privilege of assistant-coaching during my two years at AK came from there. So it certainly was in Coach B's interest to get this filled with somebody he could trust.

I was thinking of my many coaching colleagues, and even called one to see if she knew anybody who might want to do it. And then I started thinking ...

Hmmm. I loved coaching that age group during my four wonderful years at Scholars Academy. And I want to be a head coach again. And I don't think I want to be a high school head coach because of the time commitment, especially with all the visits we have to make to our new grand-twins. ... I don't know about the "good" part, but darn right I'm interested!

I told Coach that and he thought it was a great idea. He sent out an email of recommendation, I set up an interview with the Community House AD for the next day, and the offer was waiting for me in my email inbox by the time I got home from the interview.

So I'm a middle school basketball coach again. This conference is a considerable step up from the one that housed Scholars Academy, so I knew it would be a challenge -- but a fun one.

Even though Community House is one of the largest middle schools in North Carolina, with nearly 1,800 students in grades 6-8, not all that many girls showed up for tryouts. (Only 7th and 8th graders are eligible to play.)

Our Cavaliers ended up with an 11-player roster that included 3 girls who were on last season's team (Jalayah, Meniya, Skyler) and 8 of various experience levels -- from some rec ball to having barely ever played (Alyssa, Avery, Emersyn, Emma, Chloe, Allie, Janita, Bryson).

Our season started last week and we were crushed in our opener by South Charlotte MS, whose outstanding point guard will almost certainly be a varsity starter in high school a year from now. We tried man, zone and box-and-1, and we never could corral her. Offensively, we committed too many turnovers and missed too many layups. The Cavs simply were out-played and out-coached. 

Oh, and the first points of my second go-round as a middle school coach were scored in the opponent's basket after some confusion following the jump ball. Yep, we made the layup ... and we were down 2-0.

Thankfully, one of the great things about sports is that you get a chance to play again soon. This past Monday, Dec. 9, we went to Quail Hollow MS and rolled to victory. 

Our energetic 4, Meniya, dominated defensively and on the boards; our do-everything wing, Jalayah, smoothly navigated around defenders, scoring and setting up teammates; our point guard, Skyler, ran the offense efficiently; everybody contributed; and 8 of our 11 players scored. It was rewarding to see the girls execute the things we had been working on in practice.

The boys coach snapped this photo of me in my CHMS polo during the Quail Hollow game. (My wife was like, "What? He couldn't have gotten any of the team in the photo? You look like some random bald guy standing in a gym.")

Then came Thursday, Dec. 12. We went to Crestdale MS and fell behind 20-5 midway through the second quarter. Skyler had 3 fouls. We couldn't make a shot. We were missing defensive assignments, leading to numerous layups by our opponent. 

Then a little life ... we finished the half with an 8-0 run that included Meniya's 3-pointer and much better defense. Down only 20-13, I told them at halftime that we were right in the game but needed to turn up our defensive intensity.

I started Meniya and Skyler in the second half even though each had 3 fouls. We outscored Crestdale 11-6 in the quarter to make it 26-24. It was a game now.

We finally caught them midway through the fourth quarter ... but both Meniya and Jalayah fouled out. Our role players, who had done well all game, really stepped up. Emersyn made a huge 17-footer, Chloe hit a free throw for our final point, and Emma grabbed the clinching rebound. 

Community House 35, Crestdale 34

Our bench exploded with excitement and I pumped my fist. After the handshake line, the girls went to the locker room to wait for me. I gave them a minute to let it sink in and then I burst through the door, clapping. The girls followed suit, clapping and hootin' and hollerin'. It was an incredible scene of exuberance that lasted a couple of minutes. You gotta love youth sports!

I told the girls how amazing that was: down 20-5 to a good team but battling back, never quitting, showing heart, showing skill, a complete team victory with so many contributing. I told them how proud I was of them, and that wasn't just coach-speak.

I left the locker room completely energized. It doesn't matter what level it is -- from Biddy Ball all the way to the WNBA or NBA --  a comeback like that feels awesome. 

Hey, here's an interesting aside ...

I got back to the bench to collect my things before the boys game would start, and the refs were talking to the scorer's table. It seemed the final score on the board (36-35) didn't match the one in the official book, which is always kept by the home team. I looked at the book my manager kept and noted the discrepancy: We still won, but it was actually 35-34. 

The refs signed off on it, and it was all good ... but can you imagine if they had determined that the game was tied, or that we had lost? I don't know what they would have done ... and I'm glad I didn't have to find out!!!!!!

Look, winning is not my main mission in this assignment. I want to give these kids a great basketball experience, help them improve as players, maybe even teach a life lesson or two along the way. I play every girl in every game -- all have made the commitment and all work hard in practice; they all deserve to play. I already have started 9 of our 11 players, and the other 2 will get a start soon.

Nevertheless, the scoreboard does have numbers on it, and at the end of the game one team's number will be at least 1 point higher than the other team's. So we might as well endeavor to be the team with the higher number, right?
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I know I hadn't posted on The Baldest Truth in several months. A lot going on. And when I had posted, it was all about "LoJack" -- my beautiful grand-twins, Logan and Jack.

I figure I shouldn't hit the button on this without showing a few of the latest pix of these 4-month-old wonderboys.

Happy Jack

Laughing Logan

LoJack at 4 months

Life is good, folks!!

Lovin' On LoJack Again

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Just got home from a Labor Day weekend trip to Chicago -- our second visit there since our grandsons Jack and Logan were born August 9.

Robbie and I can't get enough of Jack (left) and Logan!

The boys, who were born a few weeks early, have grown so much. Logan, who went home from the hospital first, is now topping 7 pounds; Jack, who was reunited with his younger (by about 20 seconds) brother on August 25 after he started eating better, is well over 5 pounds.

Jack (left) and Logan ... chillin' at home.

Robbie and I again stayed with Sammi's wonderful parents, Linda and Mickey Lipkin. In addition to giving us great conversation and fantastic room and board, they put on a heck of a family BBQ on Sunday. 

Chicago-style hot dogs, various accompaniments, cold beer, and an afternoon of fun with "LoJack." What could be better?

Grandmas Robbie and Linda love their little snuggle bunnies.

One other thing that made this trip to Chicago more special was that Aunt Katie flew in from Seattle and met her nephews for the first time.

Aunt Katie has her hands full with LoJack!

On Monday, our forever friends Darcia and Mike Brundidge stopped by Ben and Sammi's apartment for a meet and greet.

Darcia took turns holding Logan and Jack ... and each seemed so content in her arms that we called her "The Baby Whisperer."

Ben and Sammi could have used The Baby Whisperer the night before, as the boys had what was described as their most restless night. 

Ben said that whenever he would put Logan down to sleep, Jack would get going; and whenever he would finally calm Jack down and return him to his crib, Logan would start.

Welcome to fun with twins!

Is this Logan whispering his diabolical plan
to keep Mommy and Daddy awake?

All in all, though, life with LoJack has been great, and Robbie and I are very proud of how patient, loving and gentle a father Ben is.

It wasn't easy leaving our grandsons again -- and it got even more difficult after we said goodbye, as our flight was canceled due to storms elsewhere. What was supposed to be an easy, 2-hour, non-stop trip ended up being a nearly 8-hour excursion that took us to Columbus and Baltimore before we finally got back to Charlotte.

Still, it was all worth it, and we can't wait to get back soon to see Jack, Logan, Sammi, Ben and the rest of the Chicago crew.
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"LoJack" -- Together Again!!

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Sunday was a happy day for the Nadel and Lipkin families, as Jack was deemed strong enough to leave the hospital and join his twin brother Logan (and parents Sammi and Ben) at home.

Logan (left) and Jack are all smiles at home together!

Jack had not been eating enough, but that started to change on Friday -- the boys' 2-week birthday. Ben and Sammi excitedly called to let us know that Jack was gobbling up his milk and formula.

Jack and Logan see eye-to-eye on the whole "being together" thing!

And now that Jack is eating better and gaining some weight, the boys are starting to look more alike. In the side-by-side photos below, Jack's on the left. 

The above "LoJack" photos were not poses, either; they weren't even taken on the same day! Pretty cool.

Sammi and Ben report that the boys are a lot more alert and active than just a few days ago ... but they obviously still like their naps. That's great, because sleep is a time of major growth.

And here's the happy couple, relieved to no longer have to go back and forth to the hospital, and thrilled to have their entire family at home. (Ben's holding Logan; Sammi's feeding Jack.)

Of course, now this means double the fun -- and double the attention necessary. There will be occasions when the boys want to eat at the same time, need to be changed at the same time, etc.

Ben and Sammi are up to the task ... and when they do need a little help, Sammi's family is nearby. Her mom Linda and younger sister Lauren are pediatric RNs, and her older sister Genna is a pediatrician. And of course Ben's mom also is a pediatric RN, and we'll be going to Chicago often. 

LoJack will never be lacking the best of care, that's for sure!!

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Hey World ... Meet Jack & Logan Nadel!

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What's even more adorable than a cute baby boy? How about two cute baby boys!

On August 9, Jack Ezra Nadel and Logan Max Nadel entered the world. 

They weren't due until late August, but they were so excited about making their debuts that they demanded their release from Sammi a few weeks early. Thus marked the first of, oh, a bazillion times the boys get what they want from Sammi and Ben!

The twins were born via C-section. Jack emerged first -- a little guy at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. Seconds later, Logan entered the world, at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. 

The fact that Logan had grown so much bigger than Jack in Sammi's womb was one reason the doctors felt they needed to come out a few weeks early.

Lest anybody think that Smaller = Weaker, Jack wanted to make sure everybody knows that little guys are quicker to the punch!

At first, Logan had a little trouble breathing on his own, so he needed some outside help. 

Indeed, the first couple of days, Jack was, by all accounts, "doing better," and Sammi and Ben were thinking that the little guy might be the first to go home with them.

Within a few days, however, Logan was breathing well on his own and was eagerly slurping down all of his food ... while Jack needed to take in some nutrition through a nasal feeding tube.

Apparently, just the thought that he might get out of the hospital first made Logan smile.

The question I've gotten asked most since they were born is whether they are identical twins. Right now, it appears not; they were in different sacs when inside Sammi, and they definitely have some differences. 

Most noticeably -- besides Logan being obviously larger -- is that Jack has a cute little cleft in his chin ... just like Daddy and Grandpa do! (In both photos below, Jack and his cleft are on the left.)

As we have learned, though, small differences now can disappear over time -- and the only way to tell for sure is through a DNA test. Ben and Sammi say they will have one done.

On August 17, eight days after the boys were born, Robbie and I arrived in Chicago to meet our grandkids. I had booked flights in anticipation of a late-August birth ... but we didn't want to wait that long, so we made the 13-hour drive. It was worth it!!!

The day we got there, Sammi and Ben received the great news that Logan was strong enough to go home the next day.

We all went to the hospital on Sunday, August 18, and "loved on" both boys for several hours. Jack took his feeding well but still wasn't quite able to get all the nutrition he needed orally.

At about 5 p.m., Logan went through the process of getting checked out of the hospital, and then it was time for his first car ride -- See Video.

Once home, Daddy and Grandma couldn't get enough of Logan Max!

During our time in Chicago, Robbie and I stayed with Sammi's parents, Linda and Mickey. They were gracious hosts and, despite the potential for a wacky sitcom, we mostly spent our time talking about how lucky we all are to be parents of two amazing young adults, and grandparents to two gorgeous, healthy twin boys.

The only remotely "sitcommy" thing that happened during our stay was Cooper the dog deciding that one of my shoes tasted delicious.

Robbie and I had to begin our drive back to Charlotte on Monday afternoon, so we stopped by Sammi and Ben's apartment to say goodbye (for now) to Logan.

We will be returning to Chicago soon, and Aunt Katie will be making the trip from Seattle, so that will only add to the excitement.

In the meantime, we will be getting updates and photos from Ben and Sammi ... such as this one of Logan's first bath.

Hopefully, we soon will hear that Jack is eating all of his food and ready to rejoin his brother. They obviously belong together!

Can't wait to see Jack and Logan again!

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