Afternoon Drive

Instead of going to work today I am going to fun. Fun will be in the form of a trip to Wausau with three friends from college. We try to get together at least once a year. This year it will be twice.

We don't live that far away from each other. One in Minneapolis, one in Green Bay, one in Waukesha and me. It's hard for us all to be in the same place at the same time though. Most times it's one at time, sometimes two. Hardly ever all three.

I am looking forward to it.

Why is Peanut Butter so Good?

I will tell you why peanut butter is so good. Because we had to give chocolate a break every once in a while, that's why.

Even though peanut butter is good, I might also have to have some popcorn. What's the best popcorn? Food Club Butter Crazy popcorn.

Got clothes in the dryer. I will have to hang them up. Don't want to, have to. Have a can of Milwaukee's Best in the fridge. Don't have to, just might.

Eating

I crammed my face full of food yesterday. Lots of olives, pretzels and some bbq pork and maybe some chips and salsa. I guess that I don't feel too bad about it on account of there were a lot of vegetables in there. I am not much of a fruit eater. Vegetables I like though.

I need to get to bed at a decent hour tonight. Too late to sleep last night meant for a restless and early morning. That's not a good way to start the week.

I will be off for a long weekend this week. I will be in beautiful Wausau with some friends. We try to get together at least once a year. This will make it twice this year. We're pretty lucky, I'd say.

We'll try to go golfing, enjoy some good food, the fall color all that crap.

So I went to my Class Reunion

I hemmed and hawed and I even thought about not going at all. I knew there would likely be some goofy moments, but there were some great ones too. I learned something about a few people, and even more about myself. I was able to confront 15 year old weirdness and so what about that I guess, except it mostly had to do with myself.

I was also able to learn just as people were not right about me (maybe who I was, but not now), that I was wrong about a few folks myself. Why is it important? It is. It is important to know that people change, people get better, some folks stay the same, people have feelings. People remember. People forget.

I am glad that I went.

A funny and depressing story... how old do you think I am?

Today I had occasion to talk with a young man of perhaps 18 or 19, 20 at the high side of things.

I noted that the young man was wearing a baseball hat emblazened with the name of a band that is now on tour. Said band was also on the scene when I was in college. I commented about the band on the hat and about the current state of affairs of said band. He was shocked. Shocked that I knew about said band and the current state of affairs. I shrugged it off and proclaimed hipness.

Had occasion to talk with the young man again later on today and commented on another band that he had mentioned. Mind you, this band was also very cool and helped pave the way for the demise of hair metal (I like hair metal, don't misunderstand) when I was in college.

The young man asked me again, how did I know all of these things... I was feeling a sense of quiet confidence and satisfaction until the young man used whatever evidence he had to make this inquisitive assumption... "Do you have a son that is into the music?"

I was a deer in headlights, I didn't even realize what he said until I got into my car and stared straight ahead.

This incident, on its own, wouldn't bother me for more than 20 minutes. However, when joined with a 15 year high school reunion, the last strange days of Mr. Eddie Van Halen, a niece in 6th grade and my own home... all of the signs point to it, the road leads to it and there is no exit ramp... I am getting older.

Cary Grant

Does Cary Grant play the same character in every movie? It seem like he does. Maybe it isn't even a character. Maybe it is just Cary Grant. He seems the same whether he is in "North by Northwest," "The Philadelphia Story" or a movie with Doris Day. I like Cary Grant. I like Tony Curtis. I like Sean Connery.

It's a cold and nasty night here in Wisconsin. Summer is certainly over. I have on my socks and a long-sleeved t-shirt. I just have to remember to take a heavy coat with me on Wednesday.

Lots happening, during the day and during free time. My 15 Year High School Reunion is this Friday. I understand it will be a small group, but I do know that I will see some good old friends. Tried to get another to go, but hey, I'm no dentist. Dan won't be there as he is on call for work. I have a date in my friend Jenney though.

I Really Do Like Olives

Here are some things that I have learned about myself:

• I like olives. I didn't think that I liked olives. I like kalamata olives, giant sicilian style olives. I never thought that I would like olives, but here I am to tell you. I like olives.
• I can still play a little bit. Tonight an old friend from college came over and we worked on a few songs. We intend to meet again next week with six songs ready to go. I guess we will see where this goes. I am hoping that it might develop into a b-a-n-d.
• I would like to have a "wall" water fountain in our bedroom

Some things that I already knew:

• I am very blessed to have good friends and family and of course DB
• I am very blessed to have good friends so close by... sad that family is not very close... not very far... but not super close... but closer than most
• I am fortunate

Some things that I wish were different:

• That I was more organized
• That I spent more time with family and friends
• Barring more time spent, that I let my family and friends know more often how I feel about them

The Quest for Living Room Furniture

The Quest has ended... at least for now. We ordered some furniture yesterday. It should take about 4 to 6 weeks for it to arrive in Milwaukee and then it will be delivered here. So it might be here in time for Thanksgiving, we'll have to see.

Sometimes I can get a short-fused, especially in a major purchase situation. Things worked out the way that we expected them to. But I had to reel myself in. I was a little embarassed about how I acted. But if you say one thing and then it's another and it happens twice, you could see why I got a little hot. But like I say, they made it right, so I feel okay.

We were going to go golfing today, but then again we just bought furniture yesterday. Payments don't start until it arrives but we had to put quite a bit of money down. Maybe we should have gone. Maybe we could still go today, late in the afternoon when it is a bit cheaper.

So the lesson learned here is that some folks cannot worry about furniture, let alone furniture that they really, really want. We are able to right now. Not that we didn't take advantage of the free financing. We did. But then we will own it. Nice.

What's with Bob Dylan's Moustache?

If you have seen pictures of Bob Dylan recently, you will wonder the same thing. What is with Bob Dylan's moustache?

No one really appreciates "What's Happening."

As a society, we totally lack appreciation for "What's Happening." What a great show that was. Who didn't learn an important lesson when Rerun got in trouble for bootlegging that Doobie Brothers concert at their high school?

Who wouldn't try to bootleg a Doobie Brothers concert at their high school? Don't even tell me that you wouldn't try it. For free tickets and $50 you would and you know it.

What about "The Love Boat?" You know that every week you were able to take a little vacation in 90 minutes or whatever it was. You know that you lived vicariously through the cast; Isaac, Doc, Gopher, Captain Steubing and your cruise director, Julie. "The Love Boat" jumped the shark when Ted McGinley showed up though. Funny, he did that to every show he was on, but I hated "Married with Children" anyhow. Funny, he was on "Happy Days" and that's where we get the term "jump the shark."

I don't know if it happend before or after Ted McGinley, but something tells me he is behind it all.

Beat. Enough bags to fly to Europe.

My exhaustion is showing in my eyes... they feel hugely swollen... and I really do have tiny little eyes. Small little bitty eyes, a long neck, a tiny head and long toes. I am a mix of oddly proportioned extremities and body parts.

I wonder if my stomach is very big, what about my liver? (Lower dude... oh yeah, my liver, my liver).

It really is time for bed. Monday morning will come early on Monday morning. Earlier than usual with a great deal to accomplish.

Really looking forward to Tuesday I guess. Tell me why I don't like Mondays. I don't like Mondays.

Working hard or hardly working? Ha Ha.

Don't you just hate that one my friend? I can't stand that one. Anyone who has time to say that... well we know the asnwer.

I am enjoying a cup of coffee and browsing the web for a coffee table. It is kind of nice to relax just a bit. By this time next week I should be quite a bit more relaxed.

It is raining out. Fall is on its way. That's a good thing.

It's almost time to get ready for church and the day ahead. Hope the day isn't too long. Hope that I can do what I want to get done.

Maybe not so Ordinary

So maybe I am not so ordinary... a wink and a nod to my two friends who commented and to my Uncle Joe who soothed my soul while we were making plans for a Badger game. It was actually Uncle Joe who reminded me of my letter in Sports Illustrated.

Uncle Joe will probably be embarassed when he reads this. He is fairly humble. Well friend, let me tell you about Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe, let me tell you something. Here's a few memories.

I remember that Uncle Joe lived in South Bend, Indiana for a time. We went on a trip to see Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe seemed like a pretty darn well grown up Uncle Joe at the time. He probably wasn't. He probably had just graduated from college. I think I even remember a graduation party.

I remember that Uncle Joe once brought me his banjo to play while I was visiting my Grandma. I think that I wasn't feeling well. He knew that I thought it would be fun. How many unlces would just hand over their banjo to some kid?

I remember that I was with Uncle Joe the first time that I saw Bob Dylan. I was probably about 18 or 19. I have seen Bob Dylan twice since then.

I remember that Uncle Joe gave me his Paul Simon songbook.

I remember sitting at the ilsand in his kitchen eating pepperoni.

I remember that Uncle Joe said that he would walk me down the aisle when I married Dan.

October 18, 1999: An open letter to Chris Spielman

Seven years ago, I did do something unique. I had a letter published in Sports Illustrated. My letter had nothing to do with Kurt Warner, certainly he wrote a great story that year. I actually saw him play against the Cleveland Browns in St. Louis... it was a battle of 6 and 0 or 0 and 6.

But that really wasn't what it was about. The letter was about Chris Spielman. Chris Spielman was set to play for the Browns in 1999. He was coming back from time off with his wife while she was battling breast cancer. Spielman exhibited true heroism... the kind that you don't need to be an NFL football player for... the kind you don't need strong arms for... the kind that you need a strong heart for. After the time spent with his wife, they decided it was time for Chris to return to football. Football in Ohio, with the Cleveland Browns, who were also making a comeback. Only things didn't turn out as expected for Spielman. He was injured before the season began. The kind of injury that makes a guy that age retire.

Spielman dismissed the praise and said in a Sports Illustrated article that he felt bad for the folks who bought his jersey. I literally went on the web to purchase his jersey... knowing only what I had read. Something about his humilty touched me very deeply. I wrote as much to Sports Illustrated and it was published.

I have two Spielman jerseys actually, a home and an away.

I am Quite Ordinary

We all want to be considered special, unique maybe different from other people in one way or another. Today I think that I am quite ordinary.

• I have never been off of the continent
• I have never gone sky diving
• I have never closed a million dollar sales deal
• I cannot speak another language fluently

With that said, I will try to come up with four things that may set me a part from other folks.

• It's hard to come up with anything
• I am sure that I will in a few days
• If I don't think of anything, that's okay
• Maybe someone can tell me

With Hockey Season Fast Approaching

Maybe I can get excited about hockey this season. It is really only one month away. Badgers? Yes, I can. Milwaukee Admirals? Sure. NHL? I have to admit it is a bit harder for me since the no season season. Considering most of the guys that I have loved watching are now retired... It it is a bit more difficult.

I'd like to do another hockey road trip this year. We didn't get to a single Admirals game last season. We spent our hockey money on the Badgers. Good Move. Maybe we can plan for that instead of the Center Ice package.

Time to Huddle

Just like Brett Favre, it is time for me to get in the huddle. There is a lot happening in my daytime life. Pressures that I heap upon myself in one way or another.

Nothing though like the pressure that I am experiencing on my big toe on my left foot. The nail is cutting into the fleshy part. Ouch! That is pain, friends.

This picture was taken at the pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons. We were very fortunate to have tickets in the VERY front row. Thanks to Curly Sue we were in the best seats in the house.

It's a little bit before 7:00am now. I have to admit, it feels nice to be at home and knowing that I don't have to rush out the door too quickly this morning. I'd like to make a couple of cups of coffee but I don't want the grinder to wake Dan up. That's a reason why I would like one of those "coffee on demand" machines.

I'm feeling as though I am a little selfish right now. There hasn't been much time to do things for myself, so that leaves me little time to do things for others. Certainly I pray for the folks in my family every day, but I wonder if that's only between me and God. I wonder if the people that you pray for know that you pray for them. Sometimes I say things like "my thoughts are with you" or "I'll be praying for you." But do people really sense it or know it when you don't tell them? That's something I would like to know. I also would like to know if you meet everyone you've ever loved in heaven. What happens with the people that you weren't so keen on? What about the people that weren't so keen on you?

Back in the Blogging Groove

Well My Friend, I am back. I can't say how glad I am. We are finally live with DSL here in our home. I have been without personal internet access for two months.

11 years ago, I never thought I would even need e-mail, let alone the web. Now here I was jonesin' in a big way. I have loved that I could look anything up whenever I wanted. Now here we are. I almost even bought an ear piece for my cell phone today.

I'll be back with a more detailed update. Just wanted to let you know I was still here.