Point Made

Getting Settled, Or What Will Pass For It. by Jeff Jordan My studio apartment. How do I describe it? I think it's best portrayed as a very nice sized bedroom with a galley kitchen and a small bathroom attached. Let's just say, I never far from a wall to lean on if I should lose my balance. Speaking of balance, mine is returning slowly. Regular readers know that my left leg was inactive for many months because of multiple surgeries. As a result, I'm trying to strengthen that leg and regain my balance. Currently, I'm using a cane when I'm in my apartment. (Okay, and the walls also.) However, when I venture out on my trips about the town, I'm using a crutch under my right shoulder. Some days I'm walking a mile or more. It's a ten-minute walk to the grocery store and the streetcar stop. It's crazy how fast my strength is returning with the need to walk lending its benefits. So moving in. First, all props to Sean Brownson. This guy not only drove t...

I Need A Lyft And An Uber. By Jeff Jordan If you read this article linked below, you get a lot of information about the financial and operational side of what has become known as the ride-sharing business. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/04/uber-ride-share-lyft-ipo-earnings Then there is the story where the rubber meets the road.  Sorry I couldn't resist. First, There Are The Customers. In an autocentric area like the Fox Valley, I do not think enough people know enough about ride-sharing to understand the difference it makes in many peoples lives. If you've never used the service, let me put you through the process. You need a smartphone. Go to an App Store (Apple or Google) and download the Uber or Lyft App. (I have both) You have to establish a profile and give them credit or debit card information. When you open the app, you define where you want to go. The system finds an available driver. GPS tells the driver where you are. The App will g...

On The Road Again by Jeff Jordan For the fifth time in five years, I'm wrapping fragile things in bubble wrap, packing boxes and renting a truck. This time it just me so the load will be smaller. I've had my application for an apartment accepted. The Lakeside Apartment #214 1114 N. Marshall St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 My move in date is on August 17. However, I am moving to Milwaukee this week. I will be staying with friends in Milwaukee, then I will then return to The Valley on August 15 - 17 for packing the truck and moving to the apartment. All of this is painful in more ways than one. However, after three years of adjusting to moving back to The Fox Valley, I have put down some roots. Yes, some of it was reviving old relationships, but some of my new activities and involved new people. I enjoyed meeting the people involved in regional theater while I was writing my column for Appleton Monthy Magazine (AMM). This group of hiding-in-plain-sight people does a high-c...

I took piano lessons when I was in second grade. I was taught by a nun at Most Holy Trinty in St Louis Park, MN. I remember being reluctant to practice, and reading music was akin to Mandarin to me. One of my neighbors and playmates was Philip Teslow. Philip learned to play the piano, and I understand he could make a living doing it as an adult. The lesson here, Practice makes perfect. https://www.facebook.com/phil.teslow When I began my series of midlife crises, I thought I would learn how to play the guitar. Again the discipline of practice and the inability to read music lead to a mediocre result. I can't remember what happened to my guitar. I'm sure I gave it to someone .After my father's death, I had the task of going through his 'things.' One of the things I found was a harmonica. It was a Horner Tremelo in the key of G. It had an excellent sound, but it had a wood comb, which can be hard on your lips or tongue depending on your technique. I guess that the la...

Effective Deception Disorder, Thinking We’ll Get Better At Playing Golf & Other Day Dreams. By Jeff Jordan Professional Golf Legend, Jack Nicklaus and I are close to the same age. He is wise enough to realize that he can’t play competitively anymore, so he rests on his laurels, which by almost anyone’s standards, are considerable. He still holds the record for winning the most major tournaments. His golf course designs are played all over the world. He and his wife are major sponsors of charity in their community and beyond. On my side f the ledger, I still struggle to break 100 on the golf course. I mow my own lawn. I belong to AARP. My effective deception disorder exhibits itself in the following ways. I still think, in the deepest depths of my mind, that my game is going to get better, I can get someone else to cut my grass for no compensation and I’m going to win the lottery. Letting go of the dreams of our youth can be difficult. We know we’re getting olde...

Growing Old Brings Wisdom, I Believe I Know Stuff. Therefore I Do. By Jeff Jordan As a person who graduated from college and celebrated his 59th birthday in the same year, I have a unique perspective on knowledge acquisition. Going into the classroom in your later years can be frightening. I came to the decision to finish my degree in a strange way. I was separated from my second wife. My career as an industrial sales-person was going okay. But I had an itch. I consulted with a career counselor at our local technical school. After testing, it appeared that I had missed the opportunity to challenge my talents in the field of communications, on-air news, acting, and other stuff a fifty-year-old white guy wouldn't suddenly to do. Eventually, I did the next logical thing (Sarcasm Here). I enrolled in a certification course to become a paralegal. It was only after completing over half the course, one of the lawyers teaching the class advised me that parale...

I've Made A Decision Since Maria and are splitting up I have to relocate. Right now I have my old stand by buddies in the notorious Royal Older of Toads (ROT). My membership in the Expansion Band (2nd chair Harmonica) is still good. I write my theater and restaurant column for Appleton Monthly Magazine. My gym buddies, John and Jannet, are waiting for me to able to join them again. My budget for an apartment is adequate for the Fox Valley. Transportation is a major problem since I no longer drive. Bus service is reasonably priced and the system is pretty good, but the frequency is not good. Crossing town with a transfer to another bus so I can make it to a Doctor's appointment is over an hour one way. The same trip in an Uber is 10-12 minutes. ($14.00 one way) I'm sure before the season is over I will be able to use my bike. Bike lanes are getting better, but they're a lot of gaps. Then winter interrupts the bliss of the wind in my hair and the bugs on my teeth Bo...