Crossed Fingers

Last night was so much fun!!!  Eli, our middle grandson of three, plays on the Bethel-Tate High School football team.  I’ve never been a big fan of football, I really don’t know most of the rules or the calls, but when you have a grandson playing you buckle up and go along for the ride. 

So, Bethel-Tate made it into the regional playoffs and last night was the first game against Blanchester.  When we played Blan in regular season they stomped us 60-32 (or something) and it was a horrible night.  As the game got rolling, I asked Josh, my step-son, if he had much hope for this game.  His response was, “Well, Blan stomped us, Williamsburg beat Blan and we beat Williamsburg….so who knows!!”

It was a Wonderful Game!!!!  Our boys played great and I love sitting with Josh because he is surrounded by his buds who know the game well and all kinds of shit goes on in the stands around us.  It was so much fun.  Final score, Bethel Tate 35, Blanchester 20!!!  Woo, hoo!!!!!

I have a 45-minute drive home when I go to these games so I have time to reflect.  The memory that comes up most often was of my own high school football experience.  Dixie Hollins High School of St. Petersburg, Florida had a really good team, but I never got to go to games because Friday night was my night to work in the family grocery store, no excuses, I ran the cash register on Friday nights until the store closed, 8 PM.  Even when I got my first car in 12^th grade, it was hard for me to get to the game in time to see anything.  During my drives home now, I reminisce on what I missed.  But I think, that’s okay, I’m making up for it now. 

So last night was great!!!  Eli played most of the game, both offense and defense, he did a great job and the team did a great job.  And the fun event of the evening was Teddy, our youngest grandson.  Teddy is the team’s ball boy, the kid that retrieves the ball whenever it goes out of bounds, throws the ball to the Umps when they need a new ball, and catches the ball when it comes flying through the goal posts.  Last night Teddy was catching so many balls, that people in the stands started noticing and cheering for him.  He really should get paid for his work!!!

Next Friday night our team visits Valley View High School, the number 1 seed in this playoff.  We’ll be there, and I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Tip of the Hat to Mother Nature

WOW!!!!!  Do we have a gorgeous day today in southwest Ohio!!!  Clear blue skies, 54 F, no wind, and breathtaking colors!!!!  I could easily say this is my favorite time of year…. but I have a problem with that. 

You see, I could say that for all four of the seasons.  Within a few weeks we will be officially in Winter, and when we have our first snowfall, and the temps drop down to the 20’s and we see our occasional blue sky (typically in winter we have grey skies) I will again say, “WOW!!! Do we have a gorgeous day today in southwest Ohio!!”

And so on and so forth through Spring and Summer. 

However, this love for all four seasons has been a problem for me through the years.  Started out when the family moved to Florida in 1957.  I missed the seasons soooo much.  I remember having dreams of making snow angles down there.  There were no color changes in the Fall, and summer was just hot and sticky…forever!!!!

Then when I moved to Alaska, I got a little too much winter!!  I loved the snow and all the activities we did throughout the winter, but by the second winter, 4 months of long nights and very short days got old.  On top of that -40 is a little tough on the air-cooled engine of a VW…. just think no interior heat, a frozen accelerator cable, and 4 flat tires due to aluminum tire rims and tubeless tires (think about it).

After that it was Guam and while the temps were lovely, even though we were only 10 degrees north of the equator, and being on a small island provided a nice tropical breeze … but it was soooo boring.  No season change at all, except when a 200+ mph typhoon came through and knocked everything down. 

So, I am eternally grateful that the path of my life brought me back to Ohio.  I get four gorgeous seasons that I enjoy completely.  I love the color changes, the time changes, watching the corn and soybeans pop up in the Spring and then watching the harvests in the Fall. 

Sometimes you just end up right where you are supposed to be. 

Special Surprises

 

Had a really special surprise recently.  I participate in a Univ. of Cincinnati program named OLLI.  OLLI is a curriculum for people over the age of 55.  Very cool.  You pay $90/semester, get to choose as many of their courses as you can fit into your schedule and have a fun time learning all kinds of things.

One of my favorite courses, which I have taken several times is A Reader’s Life.  This is kind of a revolving book report.  At the beginning of the semester the students select 8 weeks’ worth of genres and then each week take turns reporting on books you have read from that genre.  It’s a neat way to learn about books you may never have heard of.

So, on September 18 a new semester started and as usual a few new faces showed up in the class.  The class had just started when about 6-7 minutes late an elderly gentleman wandered in.  He stood near the door for a few seconds I guess trying to figure out if he was in the right room.  The moderator welcomed him and then asked his name. 

I didn’t recognize him at first, but as soon as he spoke, I recognized his voice.  It was a dear friend from eons ago, Bob Shanklin.  Bob had certainly aged, but there he was, standing in our class.  As he walked by to take a seat, I grabbed his hand and said “Hi”.  I could tell he did not recognize me; I wouldn’t expect him to, but when he heard my name, he said, “Oh my God!” 

At the end of the class, I went back to where he was sitting to visit for a minute or two.  He is now 92 years old, very feeble, with multiple health issues.  He couldn’t stay long as he was teaching a class in 15 minutes, but he suggested we have lunch soon. That was the last time I saw him in the class, he has not returned.

But still, I grin whenever I think about that encounter.  Bob and I were both very active in the local Sierra Club many, many years ago.  I got to know him best when he helped organize the “Morning Glory Bike Ride” a fund-raising event for the club.  The ride started at 4 am, wound through downtown Cincinnati and ended up back down by the river at sunrise.  Then breakfast was served. 

He is a terrific man, married, kids, an insurance agent (back then) and very committed to helping the environment.  He is definitely one of the good guys.  Hope I see him again soon, so we can set that lunch date.