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Yes, it's cold.

Yes, It's cold (Now get over it)

If I hear one more bellyaching remark, pathetic tweet or groaning plea about Wisconsin's cold winter, I'm going to apply for a concealed carry permit. It's is abundantly clear that it is cold. Oh, gee the planets rotating. Look it's light out almost every morning and afternoon now. I wonder if everyone feels the cold and other mindblowing certainties.
Jonny Carson said three variations of the same joke are enough. How cold is it Johnny? It was so cold you could freeze an egg on your sidewalk. It's so cold the penguins are building fires to stay warm. It's so cold an Eskimo rubbed noses with his wife and their noses shattered. Yeah, I know. I don't think those one-liners are particularly funny either.
This weather cycle we are in of extreme cold than voluminous snowfall then back to cold is probably due to a butterfly flapping its wings in some far off location at an inappropriate time. Who knows?
I for one could care less about the weather. Then again, I don't have to leave the house. In fact, I've been a shut-in for four months, but I don't want to drag that overcooked chestnut out of the fire.

Those of you who know me well realize I have a somewhat addictive personality. My battles with nicotine and alcohol are ancient tales. My overdeveloped fascination with golf is approaching legendary status. My new problem may be Dominoes. Yes, I'm becoming obsessed with the bones. It's enhanced by the possibility of playing with friends online, competing with the computer App and sitting at a table and going eyeball to eyeball with a human contestant. I have an online game going with Maria and Tom. (Tom actually started a game with me, but I think he got lost). Playing against the computer is almost like playing the slots or blackjack. It's extremely fast paced. You can play a number of games waiting for a traffic light to turn green.
I like the social game because it brings in the chance to argue about the rules, is the score being kept properly and is there an appropriate snack to serve during the contest. Oh yes. It's a great pastime to partake in sitting next to the fire on a cold winters day but I digress.

As some of you know I have been writing the Theater column and occasional pieces about restaurants for Appleton Monthly Magazine. When I began writing the theater column, I became immersed in the Fox Valley community and the academic theater world. I met people I would have never known if I wasn't interviewing them for my column.
As with many facets of community life, this field is populated by people who are neither seeking fame nor fortune. They would seriously be deluded if they thought community theater was going to produce either of them. They do it because they simply love what they are doing.
I can't tell you how inspiring it is to know and talk to this fascinating group of people. One of the downsides of my current health problem is that I have been forced to interview my subjects by phone. Frankly, I miss the eyeball to eyeball the interaction of a live session. I record all of my interviews. Reviewing them recently, I could tell when I was with my subject and when I was on the telephone.

So from my location next to the dead skunk in the middle of the road, this is Poppa Jeff saying, If someone tries to give you a wooden nickel take it. Some fool is collecting them and will pay you a fortune for it.

Comments

  1. Thank you for this funny newsy post, i, being a former partcipnt in the community theatre world agree, fascinating,yes, irritating to be sure and totally consuming. As are most of my interests, did you say addictive, hell yes! Love ya Man, warmly from Texas😘

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