Good Bye George

He wasn't much of a walker.   His health didn't allow him to touch the world that way.    Instead, he found the internet and social media.   He commented almost daily on his life, Pittsburgh sports, and his family.   He virtually walked through the lives of those he touched.

He wasn't much of a walker.   His health didn't allow him to touch the world that way.   Instead he opened up his heart to children and grand children.   He filled gaps that had been left behind by those less caring.   He emotionally walked through the lives of those he adopted as his own.

On Sunday George walked off to his final place of peace.   Someone will need to cheer a little louder for the Pens to fill this gap he left behind.   Love you, Paula, David, Melissa, and Heidi.

I've written too many of these lately.

Horizoncasting

Almost everyone is fascinated by weather.   We dedicate entire TV channels to it.   Forecasting the weather is important to folks.   "Shhh! The weather is coming on."   I like to use the horizon as a forecaster.   Very unscientific and probably not that reliable, but it somehow makes me feel like Jeremiah Johnson.

In my world, if the sun is slow to shine but there are stars in the west, it is going to be a decent day.   If there are a few stars in the sky but totally black in the west it is going to rain sometime today.   If there are no stars anywhere and the sun is slow, rain is eminent.   If there is any thunder or lightening anywhere, the dogs and I turn and head for home. 

The direction of the wind gives me an idea of how much different the day's temperature will be from the current temperature; north wind colder, south wind warmer. Wind from the east means I will not like the day's weather. Substitute snow for rain and that's pretty much all I need to know to get dressed for the day.

I don't get to see my favorite horizon show very often but it is always amazing. An hour before dawn and a fast approaching rain storm is on the way. Lightening through the clouds provides a colorful fireworks display in the west while stars shine brightly and serene in the east. On these rare days, I am again reminded why I live in the country...so that I can make referrences to obscure mountain men.

Goodbye Mrs. Linn

Once, in downtown Chicago, I walked for what seemed like hours. I had spent too many innings at Wrigley Field and a cab dropped off myself and my friend, Tri-Limb, at the wrong hotel.   Almost everyone I know has a story about being with him.   Most of the stories begin with spending too many innings at a ball park.   The stories end with, "...and then he..."

I was lost with Tri-Limb and my strategy was to call back to Iowa to get directions.   Needless to say, we walked a lot.

Tri-Limb loses stuff.   The Commissioner says if you follow Tri-Limb around all day you can get rich off the money that he drops.   He once lost his car at a 7-11.   Hell, he even lost his arm.

Today is a much more somber.   Our good friend lost his mother.   She battled for an amazing stretch.   We never met but she meant a lot to my friend and so she meant a lot to me.

She has found peace.   So will your family and you and I will walk again in Wrigleyville.

Walking in Chicago (a second look)

In Chicago I use public transportation.   I don't live in Chicago, so I am not great at catching all the right trains and subways in a fluid motion.   However, this allows me to do one of my favorite things...walk.  Walking in Chicago is always interesting.   A sometimes a welcome change from the wild of rural Iowa.   The Second City is fast, diverse and unpredictable.   However, somethings are very predictable.

Since about 2006, you can predict that on every block you will encounter a panhandler if not two.    I never know which of my personalities will surface when confronted by someone begging.   Sometimes I want them to be invisible and I make no eye contact.   People in poverty are often invisible.  

Sometimes I place loose change and dollar bills in every cup I see, only to realize that I will never have enough loose change to make a dent in the requests.   I would much rather drop a ten spot by the guy sleeping in a doorway.

My friend The Commissioner would first give them a philosophy lesson.  Bullwinkle would have a discussion about lunch and ignore them.   Tri Limb would give them a cigarette.   Bean Counter would ignore them but not on purpose; he just wouldn't notice.   My two usual walking partners would steal their last scrap of food and skedaddle.

I never know on which side of me Caring Kim should walk.   I was taught old school that the woman should walk away from the curb, however this places her closer to the panhandlers; which makes her uncomfortable, but has saved her from more than one puddle drenching.

It seems that everywhere I walk in this windy city I pass a Dunkin Donut.   When I wake up early and go for a long exercise walk I see the most DD's.   By the end of this health walk I possibly could consume many more calories than I have burned.   There are two curiosities with Dunkin Donut shops.   They don't have a bathroom I can use and they don't supply their day-or-two-old pastries to the guy sleeping in the doorway.

Walking in rural Iowa is better.  My bathroom is the side of the road and if a guy is laying under a tree someone will give him a ride and a 3 course meal. 

Good Bye Uncle Paulie (I liked ths before)

My memories of all my relatives are stuck in time as if I was 12 years old.   As I remember them they were always delightful.   That's how I remember Uncle Paulie.   Every Italian family has an Uncle  Paulie.   You may remember this from Rocky and The Godfather.   Our Paulie actually looked a little more German than Italian.

I remember that he was generous.   While I was saving nickels for a Lionel train he would always add a few and tease me about how I was breaking him.  His wife disapproved.    (Who saves nickels?)

I remember he was a dancer.   I was always excited about going to family weddings because I would get to watch my Uncle Paulie dance with all the ladies.   His wife disapproved.

I remember he enjoyed a cocktail or two.   The cocktails made him happy and he was fun when he was happy.   He actually never stopped at two.   His wife disapproved.   We all drink for a reason.

Uncle Paulie passed on.   He is dancing through the pearly gates with a highball in one hand and throwing nickels to the kids with the other.   No word on his wife's approval.

No Icons

I have had two heroes for most of my life.   Roberto Clemente and Joe Paterno.   This week, like many, I'm thinking of Mr. Paterno.   I became part of the "Paterno Family" by playing football for Joe's brother, George Paterno.   This has been a hard week for me.   But there is something to take away.

This week I learned.   I learned that 10 000 good actions are erased by one inaction.   I learned that when a friend goes south the best you can do for yourself and the friend is bottom them out.   This week, after hearing all the horrible things that have been said about Joe Paterno, I learned that there are no icons.   I learned a lot of stuff from Joe over the years.   These were his last lessons. 

There are no icons.   In the end, all humans are just that, human.   And humans are flawed...even the old and wise.

Lazy

Cold weather makes me lazy.    Cold and wind seem good reasons at 4:30 AM to stay in a warm house.   By 8:00 AM I'm kicking myself for not getting out and walking.   At 5:30 PM my dogs are kicking me for not getting out and walking.   All that kicking and yet I'm lazy.

Sometimes I have false starts.   I get all dressed in my finest warm clothes and my flashing lights.   I hook up my dogs and head outside.   I make it partially down the lane and I turn around.   It's too cold for the dogs, it's too cold for me, I forgot I better get to work early today...false start and the kicking begins.

I find my motivation with mind games.   I'm driving a dogsled across Alaska.   I'm leading a search party into the frozen waste land.   I've landed on a unknown planet and must walk to where Captain Kirk will rendezvous.  

A bit crazy but it's better than all that kicking.