I kissed me, fair mate, on the lips, hugged her and let her go. She's on her way back to the frozen tundra. Somewhere there is a job, a new home and access to family and old friends. She will summon me when she has all of this arranged
I'm staying here in Louisiana. I'm holding down the home front, taking care of the dog and starting to pack. We waited until the last minute for the launch of this voyage. Hey! We could have won the lottery.
It's winter here, only it ain't
I mowed the lawn today. January 14, 2016. I've watered some of our potted plants and the trees keep raining the leaves and seeds down on us. This is the longest fall season I've ever experienced. I'm not totally immune yet.
We did return to Wisconsin over the holiday. The gods would decide to hit the state with a monster storm the day we drove to Milwaukee. After that experience, I find it hard to thank those gods for anything.
Life Cycles
As many of you know I have not been the guy you once knew. I hobble around like a drunken old man. I lose my balance in a light breeze, or God's forbid I step on a small object. Mostly it's my fault for not doing my exercises and, the major problem, I became dependent on that damn cane. My MO is to just quit bad habits cold turkey. So I put the canes away and I'm trying to regain my stride.
While we visited in Appleton, we had the pleasure of having the whole Wisconsin clan for one evening. Violet, our thirteen-month-old grand-daughter, is learning to walk. Mostly she is grabbing people and furniture to hold herself upright while she learns her balance and gets the muscle memory she needs. I couldn't help but notice the similarity. In fact, if I took her for a walk across the room we would be competing for the chair back, table or relative to steady ourselves. I suspect, with a little work, we will both be better by the next time we meet. She will just do the growing up kid thing. I will be going to the physical therapist.
Football is over for me.
Last night I did something very uncharacteristic for me. I left the game before it was over. Let me elaborate. For years, I prided myself for not leaving the game before it was truly over, meaning the clock was all zero's. This started in the 1960's and continued on until last night.
I was watching the Packer v Cardinal Playoff game with my cajun friend and football fan extraordinaire Danny Chuavan. We were fat and happy from a meal prepared by his wife, Linda. During the game, we suffered through the high's and lows of my Packers fortunes. It was late the fourth quarter when Rodger's threw an incompletion on fourth and four, resulting in Arizona having the ball on our thirty-yard line with about two minutes left and the score 17 -13 Arizona's favor. I was mentally assured that Arizona would do no worse than kick a field goal to add to their score and probably run the clock out. I asked Danny to drive me home. Linda pleaded that I would miss something if I left. I told her that I was prepared to face the inevitability of our loss. Danny took me home.
I let Lucy out for her nightly stroll. I locked doors and turned out lights. I was sitting on my bed ready to slip into the cold sheets and wait out the time it took for my body to warm them up. My phone rang.
"Sorry if I'm bothering you, but I thought you ought to know. There's and official standing in the field waiting for a ruling from New York. The Packer's might have tied the game."
I got the TV set on in time to see the instant replay of the "Hail Mary" pass heaved by Rodgers, some sixty-five yards and stolen from two defensive backs by Janis for the touchdown. Apparently, the extra point had already been kicked, because the next thing I saw was the coin flip that didn't flip. Then wrapped in my quilt against the cool temperatures of our home, I watched the painful series of events that allowed the Cardinals to seize victory and move on.
I'm proud of my team. Yes, they lost, but they never gave up. I did.
From Camp Jeff, currently located on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain in The Bayous of Louisiana
I'm staying here in Louisiana. I'm holding down the home front, taking care of the dog and starting to pack. We waited until the last minute for the launch of this voyage. Hey! We could have won the lottery.
It's winter here, only it ain't
I mowed the lawn today. January 14, 2016. I've watered some of our potted plants and the trees keep raining the leaves and seeds down on us. This is the longest fall season I've ever experienced. I'm not totally immune yet.
We did return to Wisconsin over the holiday. The gods would decide to hit the state with a monster storm the day we drove to Milwaukee. After that experience, I find it hard to thank those gods for anything.
Life Cycles
As many of you know I have not been the guy you once knew. I hobble around like a drunken old man. I lose my balance in a light breeze, or God's forbid I step on a small object. Mostly it's my fault for not doing my exercises and, the major problem, I became dependent on that damn cane. My MO is to just quit bad habits cold turkey. So I put the canes away and I'm trying to regain my stride.
While we visited in Appleton, we had the pleasure of having the whole Wisconsin clan for one evening. Violet, our thirteen-month-old grand-daughter, is learning to walk. Mostly she is grabbing people and furniture to hold herself upright while she learns her balance and gets the muscle memory she needs. I couldn't help but notice the similarity. In fact, if I took her for a walk across the room we would be competing for the chair back, table or relative to steady ourselves. I suspect, with a little work, we will both be better by the next time we meet. She will just do the growing up kid thing. I will be going to the physical therapist.
Football is over for me.
Last night I did something very uncharacteristic for me. I left the game before it was over. Let me elaborate. For years, I prided myself for not leaving the game before it was truly over, meaning the clock was all zero's. This started in the 1960's and continued on until last night.
I was watching the Packer v Cardinal Playoff game with my cajun friend and football fan extraordinaire Danny Chuavan. We were fat and happy from a meal prepared by his wife, Linda. During the game, we suffered through the high's and lows of my Packers fortunes. It was late the fourth quarter when Rodger's threw an incompletion on fourth and four, resulting in Arizona having the ball on our thirty-yard line with about two minutes left and the score 17 -13 Arizona's favor. I was mentally assured that Arizona would do no worse than kick a field goal to add to their score and probably run the clock out. I asked Danny to drive me home. Linda pleaded that I would miss something if I left. I told her that I was prepared to face the inevitability of our loss. Danny took me home.
I let Lucy out for her nightly stroll. I locked doors and turned out lights. I was sitting on my bed ready to slip into the cold sheets and wait out the time it took for my body to warm them up. My phone rang.
"Sorry if I'm bothering you, but I thought you ought to know. There's and official standing in the field waiting for a ruling from New York. The Packer's might have tied the game."
I got the TV set on in time to see the instant replay of the "Hail Mary" pass heaved by Rodgers, some sixty-five yards and stolen from two defensive backs by Janis for the touchdown. Apparently, the extra point had already been kicked, because the next thing I saw was the coin flip that didn't flip. Then wrapped in my quilt against the cool temperatures of our home, I watched the painful series of events that allowed the Cardinals to seize victory and move on.
I'm proud of my team. Yes, they lost, but they never gave up. I did.
From Camp Jeff, currently located on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain in The Bayous of Louisiana
"I said RELAX,not GO TO BED" - Aaron Rodgers via Packers.com fb post 11/15
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