Patsy might call me crazy.......

I know I post too much, but at this point in life I don't care. As suspicioned, more money has come in on Cincy and they are now favored. However, I've transitioned from "OH NO" to "Heck yeah!" Not all that long ago it was "We can't beat the Astros, they beat THE YANKEES. Take me home, country road, to the place I belong....in my living room watching the Mets and the Bluejays (or Astros)"

We beat the Astros, dang.

The Bluejays.... no way. Kings of the AL East, the biggest, baddest of the big money league, market. They got that Bautista guy me no likey. Remember? He caught the last out of an inning, little kids were enamored with hope for him to toss them the ball, he faked a throw to them, tucked it in his glove and ran into the dugout. GRRRRRR.

We beat 'em.

The Mets. Beat the Dodgers, swept the Cubs, aye yai yai.

We know the rest.

That was the last time a KC team was in the post season I felt "No way Jose" (pun maybe intended)

Until now.

Ya know, I kinda like it.

How dadgum cool would it be if they (Cincy) flexed their muscles, said "Who dey"... and....

52 and 3/4's players Showed 'em', pun perhaps intended again.

Chris? Frank...Derrick.. George.. Carlos.. Khalen? Did you see how Joe Burrow mocked Patrick? GRRRRRRRRR. 

I mean, I really hate when someone starts a sentence with "I mean", BUT, I mean how fun would this be.............................

As underdogs..........

Patrick ???? playing ???? every ???? down ????with ???? question ???? ouch, should Andy take him out? Sub in a 37 year old guy?  There's no hope!

Wait. How dang good would that be if we/He DID beat them?

I'm OK now. I'm ready for rope-a-dope. I really think a victory (in doubt) will be way more fun than 'we should.'

Pretty interesting (to me anyways) article below.

Or Chad.  Either will be awesome.

Love, Victurd

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/top-10-gutsiest-in-game-performances-by-injured-athletes/

What's impo'tant to you?

Recently, up popped a thing asking "What would you change about your wedding?"  My brain immediately went into smartass mode, but thankfully I hadn't had a beer or three, I didn't want to come across as bitter (sore loser?) so I behaved, didn't. One guy said he often runs the video backwards, so they walk in reverse up the aisle, kiss, say their vows and he finally gets to the good part where he's at his bachelor party. I guess this will be like that - "What's impo'tant to you?", in rewind style.........

To me? I thought you'd never ask..........

Birth........  Mom, sleep, mom, and s'more sleep....

Toddler.... Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Genes, Tom Terrific and "Mom? I can't find Teddy, I can't sleep without Teddy!"

A bit older.... training wheels.. mom, of course dad.. a payback to my beloved older sister.. grandma and grandpa ..... and a new roll of caps.

"Humor me" the blog writer person wrote,"... as we age here, think along wit' me in each respective age with "What's impo'tant to you?"

Nine-ish, ten-ish... mom/dad... ok darnit, big sister too... Andy, Ope, Barn, my bike (freedom), the 9, count 'em, 9 siblings that lived next door, thus enabling countless, and I do mean countless hours of whiffle ball... not to mention skateboarding, sledding, Red Rover and Kick The Can. Impo'tant, heck to the yeah...

Somewhere between that and "I got my driver's license":... a little dab of Brylcreem... Eddie Wally and the Beav'... Moe, Larry and Curly (our beginning of rebellion?)..  wearing any shirt that DID NOT have a fruit loop.  square patches for the jean knees, screws and electrical tape for wooden ball bats. Hey, can you believe that one girl actually wears a bra?  Toothpicks and cinnamon oil... surfer shirts... a good supply of those plastic adapter thingies for 45 records... Goofus, Gallant, Highlights... 'Coc', you had to be from Liberty/What were we thinking?.... mom, dad, sister, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. Tonettes, nevermind, I sucked.

FROSH... being scared shirtless... what's that hair.. he ain't got no hair.. and WHY does Coach stand outside the shower to check our names off? Clean gym clothes. the guy alphabetically next to us in our gym class lineup who FINALLY washed his gym clothes.  girls. the Plaza Theater, girls, that first kiss, should I rewind again from here?  Anything, everything (Municipal Stadium, Sam's Parking, Green bats, the rabbit, the Lincoln High bleachers, Arthur Bryants, Charlie O) about Charlie Finley and the KC A's.

SOPH/JR. ... "SHOTGUN!...I CALLED IT FIRST!"..  Parallel parking, ugh... sports... School dances..I'll go but do I have to dance? Does The Plaza III have cheeseburgers? Can someone show me how to put these damn cufflinks on? YOU CUSSED! Yeah, we do that now... Sock hops, cars, buddies with cars, anything besides the school bus. Did you see ____? She ain't wearin' a bra? (all, close to being men, are pigs.) Did I mention Playboy? Penthouse? Oui?... anything baseball-wise BESIDES Charley Finley and the A's.

SENIOR... You mean, after this I gotta do something?  Draft lottery number. sports..English Leather .. Proms, Kings, Queens... Superlatives... I dunno, you going to college?  Yeah? Where? but, but, but, we're an item, we can't go to schools 300 miles from each other!  Goodbyes.... reflections... memories, good friends made. We didn't know, but some were lifelong, some, we'd never see again.

JUST AFTER... You mean, I don't get an allowance any more? Wasn't it Maynard G Krebs that said "WORK!!"  Some entered a lifetime (almost) life and the W2.

Some, (draft lottery #236) to college. Time between classes. Late night/all night studying. Some, faternities, sororities, maybe an 'ok' one day paycheck. Some, nose to grindstone, wonderful paying job, beep-beep, outta my way, I'm retiring in Cabo at fitty-five. Some found college not impo'tant, dropped into the W-2 world fo'er. I'm a simpleton and maybe too proud of that, impo'tant for me in college, FUN, and man did I have that.

After the after: I do's and done dids. Well, let's chase each other 'round the room tonight, and play the games we played on our wedding night. Friends. BBQ'S, couples that were friends. Hey, they've got kids, maybe we should. Uh oh. We just bought diapers MONDAY!... 3am, crying, "your turn." Mom, dad, I know it's been awhile since we ve come to visit, we've got friends going to the Lake this weekend, can we maybe drop sunny boy off Friday after work and come grab him Sunday night? Hey, that bike we bought sonny? The ones on the floor were already assembled at WallyWorld, this one's a box? The hell? (Maybe not high on the list of impo'tant, we'd be remiss to not mention from this era: tummy aches, potty training oopsies, diaper rash, acetaminophen, gallons of pedialyte, rubber duckies, poopy diapers "your turn" and, projectile vomiting.)

SOON. Hey, we're going to the Lake this weekend, join us?  Gee, that'd be wonderful but we've gotta ball tournament in Des Moines, wifey ain't feeling great so she and Susie are staying home. Few and far between: We/me moments, and theys impo'tant in this era.

DRUM ROLL..... Honey, listen...(crickets).. Sonny boy married, on his own, Susie off to college until Christmas...Well, let's chase each other 'round the room tonight, and play the games we played on our wedding night... Not tonight, I've got Bunko.. yoga... wine club.. book club...we just did two nights ago...

A bit later... Our parents are failing, it's important we be there for them... Life and the hard lesson of emptiness.

House. Yard. Garden. IRA. IRA? How is the IRA? I don't have one, I thought you started one? Oh shit. (By this age, we're practiced at profanity). The long and winding road 'tween now and Social Security, Medicare, retirement. Impo'tant: Loved ones. Savings and no touchy. Regular bowel movements, well, they are. Exercise. Reliable car(s). Church. Communication. Happiness. Friends.

Closing in on today. Worry/care/concern about aches, pains, spots, dizziness, yada... Need a knee? Hip? Arthritis? Cancer? Heart? What is the date? Dementia?

HIGHLY, HIGHLY IMPO'TANT: looking back, SO much good, fun, love had. Worries about things outta our control? Gone, like grasshoppers on the windshield at 35mph.

And even maybe a bit later...Grab bars... Coffee... The wonderful ability to text, not call.. Caller ID. Friends. Appreciation. Emotions come a little easier, and that's ok, there's Kleenex for that.

All in all...........

Life is like a Steinway in a concert hall.

It's grand, if you play it right.

That's impo'tant 

Love, Victurd

At the end of the day.....

EB, the (mostly beloved) Offensive Coordinator (we think) of the Kansas City Chiefs, almost always closes a press conference using "at the end of the day" in summation, usually it's "if we want this, we gotta do this to get it (get there)."

Usually, I love me some 'end of the day'. At this age (old) it may be a little easier for gravity to take hold as the body flops from upright to supine. The brain, seeking summation of the day, 'prints' the end of the day daily report. If the day has been yummy, oft times our peepers don't make it through the 'report' so, we'll smile over it with a cup of coffee the next morning, the Good Lord willing.

If, at the end of the day, events, ongoings, health concern, family woe/worries have been upsetting - we do just that, we sit up, and who knows when the peepers will close.

Getting there in life ain't like sitting behind the wheel of a Tesla. Come what may can and does happen and we attempt our best to respond accordingly..

So, insteada sheep or woes, I vote we lay in retrospect and count the blessings.  

I ain't, I ain't, I ain't no preacher, but I do utilize this blog to remind me how I should do it, and to not beat myself up if that ain't exactly how it goes - I am human, hear me snore.

Victor, start early in the day and grabya a gunny sack to collect the good stuff from the day. Stuff like nifty smiles your eyeballs have seen.. slip a thank you note in the sack if you had a healthy bowel movement - hey don't laugh (or take that for grunted, so to speak) it matters.

Make a list, check it twice, of all your interactions, any/everyone you communicated with (at the end of the day, be thankful and, as you view the list, have pen/paper withya to make a list of "oops, missed him/her, I'll make a point to somehow touch them tomorrow, the Good Lord willing." 

In that gunny sack, don't forget to put the tail wags, kitty purrs, stuff that made you laugh, how good that shower/bath felt to start the day anew.

Take a moment, at the end of the day - to have memory of those whose days have ended. We can kinda keep em around that way.

Ugly is just that, ugly, and it comes in all shapes and forms.  Affliction, personal pain, the pain a friend, loved one is going through. Financial woes, loved ones going the wrong direction. Divorce. Death.

At the end of the day much is out of our control.

In Cincinnati, a young man lays. Perspective (at the end of the day). Won/loss,  Point spreads,Wild card standings, turnovers, takeaways., "we shoulda (punted/gone for it) on 4th down", "we need a new head coach, coordinator, quarterback, punter, kicker, announcer, stadium...........that all don't matter.

We can add prayer to the gunny sack, to our end of the day summation.

May we all somehow make it through crisis - by keeping our gunny sacks full, and by accentuating the good, at the end of the day.

Love, Victurd

70

How old are you? Me? 70.

When I was born, FDR, A.A. Milne and Virginia Wolf were 70. I was too young to know anything.

When I was 10, Oliver Hardy, J. Paul Getty, Mary Pickford, Basil Rathbone and Pearl Buck were 70.  I think we probably rudely ingored them. All they did was sit in lawn chairs at ballgames, took naps and most assuredly never had sex, whatever that was.

When I was 20, Ray Kroc, Aunt Bea, Bobby Jones, Granny (Beverly Hillbillies) and Larry Fine were 70. I thought 70 year olds leaned a little bit, had a lifetime of sun, stood in the dugout leaning on the rail and spat tabacky.

When I was 30, Gene Kelly, Julia Child, Perry Como, Danny Thomas, Lady Bird, Karl Malden and Tonto were 70. I enjoyed 70 year olds then, quite a few years for them to have grown on me.

When I was 40, Betty White, Doris Day, Redd Foxx, Jack Klugman, Carl Reiner, Bea Arthur and Norman Lear were 70. 70 year olds were brilliant, our friend's parents, our schoolteachers, anyone who'd been on Carson a dozen or more times.

When I was 50, Johnny Cash, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Dawson, Roy Scheider, Petula Clark, Debbie Reynolds and Omar Sharif were 70. Legends. Still able  to get big roles. The first group of 70 yr olds too young to serve in WWII. Admired them, their worth.

When I was 60, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford, Carole King, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson were 70. Again, admired, hell, in some cases they were our mad crush. They stood up to age well. Perhaps our classmates older siblings.

Now I'm 70, all I see are younger people. I hop on the motorzed cart at WallyWorld, turn left at the Pharmacy, right at toys and by gosh I ain't takin' my foot off the gas until I see someone older than me! Excuse me ma'am, what year did you graduate? jk.

Our friends, of course, are 70. We take frequent naps, and we remember sex. Now, if we watch TV or catch a Netflix episode and we have a crush, we're "creepy." OK, I give in, no more crushes,  push ups, laps run, jumping jacks, and we should probably stay away from spicy foods, or at least be near the bathroom if we do. 

There ain't no more library cards, cars that still run that had 8 track players. The hell is USB, that funny looking Q-something square we're supposed to scan, WHAT? You DON'T take CASH? The hell, I WANT MY MOMMY!

We lean a little now, closer to (VICTOR SHHH!)...OK. 

There are less of us. Yearly, monthly and even weekly of late. That rapidity will escalate from here on out.

Sure, that's sad, but I kinda like how, over the years, the more and more 70 yr olds became revered. Adored even. Admired. Why hell, we can puff our chests out, gals put on your greatest support bra, guys, pull yer bellies in if possible.

The ride ain't over. Oft we are asked wouldya do it all over, if so, what wouldya do different?

I wouldn't wanna do it all over. Oh sure, mistakes I've made a few                 thousand.

What I would do is not be in such a hurry to be old enough to play little league...drive....vote....be 21.... run thru the molasses of Monday thru Friday...age 65...

I'd go slower. Aside from getting me used to '70 slow', I'da paid more attention. Hugged a little tighter, longer...................and chased all them damn crushes when it wasn't creepy!

Love, Victurd 

ImPo'tent, so to speak......

An opED, but no, not that.

Old dog, new tricks? Nah, not really. Moreso, awakening, again I guess you could say....

Much, on social media upsets.  I still, occasionally, show my hiney.  Thankfully, I spilt Coke (ok dangit, beer) on the keyboard of my laptop, and my B and N no longer function.  (Using 'onscreen keyboard' one-letter at a time for this which makes blogging virtually impossible, YW), and, showing my hiney in retort, less frequent, TYVM Victor, YW.

Silent Night. I'm VERY slowly learning from wise folks who NEVER EVER show their hiney here. I wish I could name names, I shouldn't, just know, we all have friends who fit that mold, we LOVE them, and we so admire you, your wisdom.

Christmas is kinda like a selfie where ya got those barely visible, transparent images reflecting that literally make life rewarding.

Objects like family.. Oh, we (and they, I'm sure) may occasionally think 'What?'... 'Why?' and every once in awhile 'Are you serious? Crazy?' - but, by golly there ain't no better hug, no better smile, no better audible "I love you!", no better comfort, relaxation.

Friends, in that reflection. What would, could we do without friends? I'm finding, the longer you've known someone, the more times ya just simply smile at one another not really saying anything (whenya silently really are.)  Friends are the spices, herbs, desserts to the meal of life. 

Pets. Pets lend the loyalty of that missing loved one. They serve in the role of friend, loved one. They are attentive when many in life may not be.

Coworkers. Sure your hand may be forced, but the next thing ya know they jump on that reflextion of friend, loved one, and even sometimes relative!

The reflection of those once there. Now, an empty chair? Oh contrare, you are wth us in every way but the physical. TV shows, songs on the radio, the resemblance we see/hear in those who came after. You're there in the picture on the wall, the ornament on the tree, the aroma from the kitchen on the recipe you handed down. We 'see' you there, in our prayer, and we speak to you in our dreams.

We need you Christmas, but you knew that.

The jingles, the bells, the travels, the perils. The wrapping, the waiting, the hark, the herald, and of course the carols.

Red, green, bright lights, , turkey, mashed pataters, pecan pie to die for. The whole Christmas spread, a sight for sore eyes...yes please, I'll have another, who cares about the belly, the thighs.

On Dasher, on Prancer, on Ralphie, on Clark. Family love, yes even you cousin Eddie, pass the green beans, where's the confetti?

Sure Mr. Grinch, Ebenezer too... Rudolph, the Elves, can't forget, the Mrs...and that jolly guy, of course Mr Claus....

All, great reason for thanks and a pause...

Merry Christmas everyone, it's a most, wonderful time, of the year....

Love, Victurd

Kid stuff.......

Imagine if you will - in your office at work - 27 'workers' walking in all at once... bebopping (that's fancy for bouncing up and down as they walk)... smiling...  all.... 54 eyeballs gazed upon you, all in somewhat of a row - all thinking, "I'm really happy, I wonder how this 'boss' is gonna make me happier.?"

I never realized how lucky I was.

Forty pounds ago and thirty-plus years ago I taught Elementary PE.  I never, at least until maybe now, realized how lucky I was.

Tweren't because of me - it was because of them.

Kids teach, yeah they do.

They give you their all. You ever manage people?  You ever have a workforce full of folks that put 100% of their trust in you?  You are their everything, and in that moment, their only thing.  I think that's called loyalty.  (Remember, they teach.)

We, those entrusted to stand at the head of the class - ain't gots no idea what's gone on in their day. Single parent?  Being raised by Grandma?  Lost a parent?  Wearing the same outfit they had on yesterday?  Did they get breakfast?  Was their electricity, gas, recently turned off?  Did their jacket match the temperature? (Were they even wearing one?)

All those unknowns, yet, there they were, 27 of 'em, already to have decided "I'm going to have a happy, smiley, day."

I left education for all the wrong reasons. (Imagine if you will, walking away from that scenario to go load suitcases on airplanes for $15K more per year.)  Of course teachers need to be paid more - but this ain't about that.

This is about us being in good hands for tomorrow.  Sure, we hear about the Johnnys and Julies that are 30-something, living in their folk's basement playing video games (again and again.) For every one of those - there are a kajillion well behaved, well meaning, GOOD HEARTED little ones pointed in the right direction.

We adults - we have our "It can't be Monday already"... Our "Hump Day" (thankfully we're halfway there)... our TGIF...  our "IT'S THE WEEKEND!"...   Our, "are we there yet are we there yet" (Retirement age.)  A perty ugly cycle with the main theme of "oh woe is me."

Not kiddos.

Breaktime at work.  Ya ever see old farts breakneck out the door to run, scream, yell, bebop, whoop, hop, jump, tag, chase, suck up everything in life good there is to suckup?  Me neither.  Recess is like that though.

Then, we go home and we adult.  Literally, placing children in the backseat.  We are the ones making the bucks, thus, we, by nature, get all busy purchasing the rewards for ourselves.  Not all, of course, but most.  Children, feel slighted?  Nope, they still got that smile on their face.  Their look of loyalty, devotion, unending love.

A dozen donuts in a box on an office table.  Of course I'm grabbing one. If they ain't looking, I'm gonna grab another.  Back to recess.  Recess duty in fact. Recess duty is where you find the child, the child that very very rarely gets to walk into QT with mom or dad and buy a bag of Skittles.  When they do though, the next day at recess, they tap you on the shoulder, say your name and proudly hand you the mostly melted last three Skittles that were in the bag they'd been saving for you.  Children teach.

This past year I've been able to witness a little man, he's 6 I think. His father was killed in an accident when he was still in his mom's belly. For me, that would be akin to a 'get out of jail card free' if I chose to live in a crappy mood every day.  I'd be 'ok' to walk around asking "Why me?" whenever I wanna.  If anyone has 'earned' the right to lead a bitter life - it is he.  Except, he's remarkable.  You cannot, willnot wipe the smile of life off his face.

I've observed, in the last few years, children attending their 7th school district in three years.  If that were me, I probably wouldn't talk to anyone at school for ten years for fear of one day assuredly 'losing them', ie, moving on again. Not the kids I saw. They adapt.  They are remarkable.  They teach.

A very close friend shares "my kids are really well educated, well intended, but, my 8 year old granddaughter is 'the adult' in their family."

Children, are they perfect?  Of course not, they're HUMAN, but... what wonderful little humans they are!

Bend 'em, shape 'em, still, they come outta the wash unscathed.  Undaunted.  Happy.  Loyal. Loving.  Giving.

I am pretty sure it was Andy Williams who once said "It's the most wonderful time of the year."

It is said be kind, be nice, we never know what a fellow adult is going thru. Same with kiddos.

Of course this ain't a lecture - it's more to remind ourselves to try to match their unbridled enthusiasm, smile for smile, mile for mile.  Children are simply incredible human beings, we owe it to them for us to attempt to be so as well - and it's just a guess, but also a pretty safe bet, we'd be much better off for it too.

I love the picture of the puppy running thru the gate and it's entitled "Live life like they left the gate open."

In our case, maybe they left the door open and we can all "Live the day like they left the gate open and it's recess time!"

Merry Christmas and Happy Bebopping - it's the most wondeful time of the year...

Love, Victurd

Life has learnt me.....

Not everyone will like you.

Not everyone will dislike you.

Never hold your pizza box like school books (vertically).

Boogers happen.  All they are is dust in the wind.

Pavlov should never be allowed to rescue or foster, ding.

Some like it hot, some like it cold.  The lucky ones find cause for smile in either.

Sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at suppertime, then, sit on a wall, have a great fall, they'll never be able to put you back together again.

To double your money, fold it in half. (Thanks Granny.)

We ALL will get an itchy itchy rash, cry help, I've fallen and I can't get up, step on a nail, a Lego, a snail [barefoot], your dog's tail, the gas, others (with intent), others (without intent.) in gum, dog poop,

Some people smell......... really good.  Really bad.  Like smoke. Like alcohol.  Like a rat.

The longer one is alive, the quicker we are to 'turn the channel' on something, someone, we don't like.

Blood IS thicker than water, but it too will freeze, boil, say stupid stuff, but also give reason to look forward to the day, the week, the month, the year, life.

Life can be whittled down to a shoe store.  We will never be able to see the view from all of the shoes within. Time will happen when you need steel toe shoes but ain't got 'em on.  Time will happen where you do things that your really know better than to do, and even if you're wearing sneakers, people will find out.  It's hard to find a good fit.  We all get measured.  Some are narrower, wider, longer, shorter than others.  Like poo poo, all feet will eventually stink.

It takes leather balls to play rugby. (That was for you JC, may you RIP.)

Pretending and make believe doesn't end with childhood. Everyone occasionally fakes it, yes, even us men. (Most, occasionally have a dirty mind.)

It's a different day and age.  Jeans now resemble Demolition Derby's. Usedta be, once a year, Marcel would come take your picture. Kids nowadays can't do anything without being on camera. Phones.  Ring doorbells. Security cameras. Facetime. Zoom.  GoPros, you name it, they snap it. They even Snap your chats.

Usedta be just when Lizzie Borden came around. Now, everyone gets hacked.

You 'SOMEBODY'?  Valedictorian?  PERFECT ACT Score?  Come see us when your time is coming and tell us you never ever forgot your UserID/password.

Interest is interesting. Love interest. Simple interest. Compound interest. Disinterest, datinterest. Of life, of people, of situation, Arte Johnson (Wolfgang) perhaps summed it up best, "Verry interesting."

Do something that someone doesn't agree with, some will say "That's it, never again will you get a chance with me." Most, I believe, will give a second chance. Grandparents and Wordle players give a minimum of six.

We'll probably never acquire all we want, but we're blessed in having what we need.

Relationships.  Wow, that's a blog for another day.  Some get it just right like Goldilocks.  There are 'stories' like Cinderella/Prince Charming, George/Gracie, Jimmy/Rosalynn, Jimmy/Mrs. Calabash, Ellen/Portia, Goldie/Kurt, John/Yoko, Johnny/June, Oprah/Stedman, Fred/Ethel, Barney/Betty, Fred/Wilma....even some we know.  You know who they are.  They're lucky, BUT, they work at it, deserve it.  Some of us, get it right, for awhile. Enjoy 'while' you got it.  

Even though it's said it's 'like riding a bike', in real life, one day we won't be able to. Sadly, everything ends.

Life's a gas.  Everyone farts. Pass it on.

Love, Victurd