I’m not talking about the Wisconsin Travel Federation, I’m doing a real WTF?!!!

One of the goals I set for myself last year was to read some of the books on the Time-Life list of the 100 Best English Novels.  Now I’ll have to admit that any list that doesn’t include “The World According to Garp” is suspect but hey, they didn’t ask my opinion.

Anyway, I figured I was reading way too much brain candy and it wouldn’t hurt to throw in some bona fide stuff here so I decided to read 5 that I’d never read and re-read 5 others.  So far I’ve re-read “Catcher in the Rye” which wasn’t as great as I remembered and then added “Mrs. Dalloway” (gave it a B+) and just finished “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway.

I say I “finished” Hemingway’s book but just barely.  And it’s a true “WTF?” as far as I’m concerned.  What is the big deal about that book?  I’m either too dumb to appreciate something that really smart people see in it or something.  I thought it was boring, boring, boring.

Oh well – another one marked off my list!

And today I started re-reading “Animal Farm” – I suspect Orwell’s satire is going to seem very appropriate to today’s political atmosphere.

Last fall I attended my high school reunion which my class diligently holds every five years.  In the course of the evening, several of us mentioned that we really needed to get together more often and made it a goal to get it done.

In the meantime, some of the key players in this group have dealt with serious health problems and one is also a caregiver for her mother who is a spry 101.

Friends Barbara, Carolyn, Sally and I had a weekend planned in August but then had to cancel.  We’ve since emailed back and forth with dates that are open and it turns out we are a very busy group of women!  I did get to see Carolyn briefly last month when she was in Springfield for a convention and that just whet my appetite to make this connection happen.

Since Barbara and Carolyn are in Columbia and are both retired, we finally decided that meeting for lunch at the Lake of the Ozarks was the ideal solution.  Sadly Sally is in Chicago and still gainfully employed so was not able to join us.

Carolyn, me and Barbara - lifelong friends since pre-school

We met Thursday for a little shopping and then found a great little tea room with yummy food where they let us sit and visit for a few hours after lunch.  I had brought along a photo of our pre-school class and we had fun trying to remember who the heck some of these little girls were.  That year our classes were held in the basement of the home of a local physician, Rutledge Gish and the photo shows 8-9 little girls, all in dresses with big grins.

I know somewhere I have another photo of us from the next year when the class was held at the Court Street Methodist Church.  I do remember our teacher was Marie Latta and that’s about all I can recall!  I’m sure Carolyn could fill us in with lots of stories as she seems to be the group historian.

After pre-school we all attended kindergarten together (Fulton only had one class – it wasn’t mandatory as it is now) – then Carolyn and I went to the same elementary school through 3rd or 4th grade when they moved to another district.  Barbara and I never attended elementary together but we all were in the elementary band for 5th and 6th grade (Carolyn on the flute, Barbara and I on clarinet) and then we merged for junior high and high school.

Barbara and I always attended the same church, First Christian Church of Fulton, and the three of us were also Girl Scouts with Barbara and I attending the Girl Scout National Roundup in Button Bay, VT the summer before our senior year of high school.

After high school graduation, we scattered – each of us going in a different direction although Barbara became an RN and Carolyn a teacher which was what each of them always wanted to be.  I have no idea what I wanted to be at that time – I started college as a math major, switched to business admin but never in my wildest dreams, did I conjure up the idea of being a hospital Budget Bitch!!!

I can picture Carolyn with a class of first-graders – reading them stories, helping them learn their group social skills and providing large doses of hugs at just the right time.  I’m betting she’s one of those teachers the kids never forget and they tell their own kids and grandkids about her in glowing terms.

There never seemed to be a doubt that Barbara would be a nurse and for years she was a school nurse in Columbia.  My mental photo of Barbara is someone who never got a bit flustered and was always there to provide calm, quiet assurance to the kids while making sure they learned all about infection control and preventative procedures.

But what we did in our pesky day jobs was not at the forefront of conversation a few days ago.  We caught each other up on our families and of course, the grandkids and then the chat turned to lots of “do you remember…?” and “whatever happened to….?”.  I’ll admit I was a bit slow on the uptake with answers because not living in central Missouri, I’ve been more out of touch with our classmates – plus Barbara and Carolyn both married their high school sweethearts. 

One thing was certain – we all agreed that we are very blessed to have reconnected at this phase of our life and can trace our friendship back to those days as little girls happily going off to pre-school – holding hands, singing songs, playing games and probably getting into a bit of mischief.  We are also thankful for growing up in a small town where we learned old-fashioned values and felt safe and secure in loving families.

We also know that our luncheon a few days ago was just the start of many more in the future – and hopefully next time we’ll have Sally with us and maybe some other friends from our class.

I’ve mentioned before the Girl Scout song of “make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.”  Those words were brought home to me again this week through Barbara and Carolyn.

Another month, another evening of fabulous friendships and scintillating conversation.  We dined at Nonna’s and Vickie came prepared with typewritten notes which she shared with me to insure correctness in my reporting!

• Robin and Vickie had lunch together today at the True North event – and dinner again tonight.
• The True North speaker was an organizational expert – Robin wanted to ask her how you deal with unorganized people if you are the organized one at your office.
• I lunched at the Lake of the Ozarks with two friends I’ve known since we were pre-schoolers.  We decided last year at our high school reunion that we need to gather more often and we’re off to a great start.
• I’m going to guest lecture for an MSU class in a couple of weeks.  The professor is our mutual friend, Linda, and Vickie has talked to them in the past about the transition from college life to a professional atmosphere.  My topic will be on the importance of community engagement.
• I disengaged from one community board today – realized I’ll miss 5 of the next 6 board meetings due to our travel plans so felt it was one appropriate to allow someone else an opportunity to serve.
• Vickie attended the Economic Impact Conference put on by the Chamber of Commerce recently.  She learned that for communities of our size (MSA of 400K), we are 92% white and rank 2nd in the USA behind an even whiter town in Maine.  We also have 20% of our population living below the poverty line but are a very charitable community with high support for non-profits.
• Robin said her co-workers in other offices outside of Missouri have a negative perception of the Ozarks – they must have watched too much of the “Beverly Hillbillies”!
• Our prediction on the upcoming sales tax vote – 2 of us think it will fail and one is uncertain.  Only Robin can vote since Vickie and I live outside the city limits.  Per Robin, the uninformed voters will win the votes.
• Vickie recently heard our mayor state that with a local newspaper like we have, why would anyone want to run for public office.  He even said he wasn’t the best man for the job but he was the best one who ran.
• Vickie attended a presentation yesterday by Lost and Found which provides grief support for kids and their families.  They used to provide free support in the workplace but found they weren’t fully appreciated – which proves that no one gives value to “free” any longer.
• Hannah recently went to her first Homecoming – she and 5 girlfriends went out to dinner and then to the dance.  Vickie said that when Hannah came out in her dress, Chaz said “Oh Hannah, you’re stunning” – then he turned to Vickie and said “Oh shit”.  That’s one dad who had better get ready for an onslaught of suitors when she’s allowed to date.
• Per Hannah the dance had lots of inappropriate behavior – guys groping girls, plenty of vertical sex/dancing and underwear on the dance floor – all while the chaperones watched.
• Robin got an iPhone complete with a red case.  Now she needs to know all the cool apps to put on it.
• Vickie’s new favorite TLC show is “King of Crowns” about a guy who coaches beauty pageant contestants.  She calls it “Gowns and Crowns.”
• Robin’s new favorite song is “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.
• Per Vickie, the Wisconsin Travel Federation is changing their name so they aren’t known as “WTF” – we voted they should keep the old name – they might draw more tourists.
• Vickie heard that the Wonders of Wildlife plans are still conceptual and no work has started – and there is no way they will re-open in 2010.
• We all get to vote in the school bond issue – 2 predict it will pass and one of us is uncertain since it’s on the same ballot as the sales tax.
• Vickie informed us she was missing “Survivor” just for us – but we ARE more important.
• Vickie and Robin took Hannah to Apple Butter Days in Mt. Vernon recently.  They bought lunch from the Mt. Vernon Rotary Club booth and checked out all the “snickers” (Hannah’s name for cute boys).
• Robin’s new dog, Hank, has food allergies and has to eat a prescription dog food for a month – at $35 per small bag.
• Vickie’s dog, Gus, has a bladder infection and now wears doggie diapers at night.  She claims he drips like an 80 year-old man without pants – not sure how she knows that but she does!
• Vickie wants to win the Cupcake Car which you can see at this link  http://contests.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=contests&cdn=hobbies&tm=5&gps=56_186_992_589&f=00&tt=11&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.littledebbiecupcakes.com/
• She also likes the Cupcake Car in the Niemann Marcus Christmas catalog http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/sitelets/christmasbook/fantasy.jhtml?cid=CBF10_O4428&icid=NMCDpage48&r=cat24050744&rdesc=The%20Christmas%20Book&rparams=xpage%3D48
• Per Vickie, it’s impossible to say “Cupcake Car” or “Dilly Bar” without smiling.  Try it!

That’s it for our tricks and treats.  Next month is DiGiacinto’s as we wind down our Year of Italian Dining.

If you were in grade school when Truman or Eisenhower was president then there’s a good chance that you spent Saturday afternoons at the local movie theatre watching westerns.  The cowboys ruled the black and white screen – Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Rex Allen, Hopalong Cassidy and The Lone Ranger – along with their human, canine and equine sidekicks.

There was never any doubt where my loyalty lay.  I was a Roy Rogers fan from the git-go and dreamed of having a golden Palomino named Trigger and that my dalmatian, Sparky, would change at my command into a German Shepherd named Bullet.  And of course I would grow up to be as beautiful as Dale Evans.

Missed on every one of those!

The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum has been a Branson attraction since the mid-90s but sadly, it will be closing in early December – a victim of the tough economic times.  Apparently the monthly lease or mortgage payments are $30,000 according to one employee of the museum and she told us the memorabilia will be sold to pay off the debts.

We’ve talked for years of touring this museum and decided we’d better take advantage of the opportunity today since we were in Branson anyway.  When we bought our tickets I asked if there was a senior discount and I had to laugh when the lady told me, “No there’s not – the only ones who come to visit are seniors!”

She was right, judging from the others who were there.

The museum was very well done and reflected the all-American values that Roy and Dale imparted to early Baby Boomers – God, family, honesty, loyalty – and of course, the bad guys always lost to prove that crime doesn’t pay.

Our brief sojourn south also included some great time with dear friends and an opportunity to green up the Branson economy.  The reason for this mini-vacation was to see the lakeside home of friends Sally and Tom and to also get together with mutual friend Bev for dinner.  We gathered at Sally and Tom’s late yesterday afternoon and lost no time in getting some adult beverages and appetizers so we could sit on their deck and enjoy the fabulous view of the lake along with the fall foliage.

We had planned to eat at the Bleu Olive in Branson but decided we didn’t want to drive that far so opted instead for the dining room at Big Cedar.  Burl had never eaten there and it had been a long time since I had.  I remembered the decor was upscale mountain lodge and the food was good.

Well the decor hadn’t changed – but the food was only so-so.  Since we’d already had appetizers we opted for the bar menu and I chose a plate of sliders with sweet potato friends and a spinach salad.  The sliders were way overcooked (think hockey pucks), the buns were dry, the chips were cold and tasteless – but the salad rocked!  Seems like all of us got something in our order that was “off” so we already know that next time, we will be driving to the Bleu Olive even if we have to hire a designated driver to bring us home.

We spent the night with Tom and Sally and were greeted by a beautiful sunny morning on the lake while we enjoyed our coffee on the deck.  I’ve known Sally since our days at Drury and Tom and Burl have lots in common so the conversation never lagged – in fact, the time went by way too quickly but we needed to get a few things accomplished and they needed to be back in Springfield to pick up a granddaughter after school.

We headed to the outlet mall to make a return to the Gap and a couple of hours later, I had made a dent in birthday and Christmas shopping for a couple of darling grandkids. 

Time for lunch and what better thing to enjoy after a late breakfast than an ice cream cone while sitting in the sun!  Works for me.

Then off to see Roy and Dale and head back to our own ranch where Mulligan’s tail was non-stop for at least ten minutes.  Who needs Bullet anyway?

Happy Trails To You – until we meet again!  (If you can hum that tune, you really are OLD!)

Branson seems to be a magnet for Geezer Groups – both performers and audiences – so it’s no surprise that Bill Haley’s Original Comets have been performing this season at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre.

A few months ago, I bought four tickets to this show at a charity auction so today we took in the matinee  performance along with our friends Ron and Barb.  Andy’s theatre is very nice and not huge which was a good thing today because the crowd was sparse – maybe 150 max – but still rockin’ and rollin’.

Marshall Lytle on bass and Joe Ambrose on sax

Only three of the performers were ever true Comets – Marshall Lytle, Dick Richards and Joe Ambrose – but they have added a piano player and guitarist to round out the group.

Marshall Lytle was the spokesman for the group and introduced Joe Ambrose as the “baby” at age 75!  Marshall is 76 and Dick Richards on drums clocked in at 85.  All of them were fantastic musicians but Dick Richards’ drum solo that went on for several minutes was my favorite.  How the guy had the energy to play was beyond me.

The talked about their time with Bill Haley starting in the early 50’s but what they didn’t mention (per Wickipedia) was that in 1955, they left over a salary dispute and formed their own group called the Jodimars.  Never heard of them.  Apparently this group is one of about six that has branded themselves as Original Comets.  Oh well, it sells tickets in Branson and they seem to love the place – they’ve bought homes and settled in for the long haul.

After the show they gathered in the lobby to greet their fans while they also sold and autographed Comets merchandise.  I certainly didn’t need or want a t-shirt or CD but it was fun to see them interact with the fans, many of whom were eager to part with some bucks for these guys.

Here’s hoping I’m having half as much fun as they are having when/if I’m ever 85.

Next month we’re heading to Phoenix to watch son Mike participate in his 4th Ironman competition.  At age 39, he’s in the toughest age group and hopes to break the 10-hour mark as well as qualify for the BIG Ironman in Hawaii. 

Mike started training several months ago and follows a rigid schedule for his swimming, biking and running – a schedule that exhausts me just thinking about it but he’s also a third year resident in Family Med.  Not like he has tons of free time or anything!

When we made our plans for the trip we knew we would stay for several days and enjoy Thanksgiving with our west coast kids.  Mike immediately suggested that we do the Thanksgiving Day Triathlon together!

Huh?

He plans to do an Ironman and 4 days later, a triathlon?

Yep!  According to Mike, he’ll be ready for the activity plus it’s just a “little” event – at least for him.  And great family bonding time too – he’ll probably be done with the whole event before I’m on my bike!

So – I signed up for it and now I am committed.  A two-mile run, a ten-mile bike ride and a 400-yard swim.

Some days it sounds doable, other days I know I have lost my ever-lovin’ mind.  Today I’m somewhere in between those thoughts.

The bike ride is the least of my worries – that’s my sport of choice and even though I haven’t been on it since the MS150, riding 10 miles will not be a problem.  And I’ll have a few days in Phoenix prior to the event when I can do some practice rides.

Running is not a favorite pastime of mine.  I wish it were because it’s a great way to get in exercise in a short amount of time but it’s boring even with my iPod.  The most I’ve ever run was an 8K for an event in Chicago a few years ago and after that, a funky knee forced me to abandon my Olympic running career.

However – the triathlon was a perfect opportunity to get new running shoes so now I lace them up and I’m running.  This week I’ve progressed to 1.5 miles and my time is improving although I run each lap pretty steady…..and SLOW.  I’ve considered entering the Bass Pro 5K in a couple of weeks for the group running experience – think I’ll wait and see what the weather forecast is closer to the event.

And then there’s swimming……….

I used to swim – in fact, I planned my divorce in the pool of my old fitness center where I would swim a mile every day on a regular basis.  No one notices tears in the pool, your eyes are expected to look bloodshot and you also have plenty of time to think.  Worked for me!

After not swimming for fitness for a couple of decades, the reality of how tough swimming is has hit me smack in the face!  Whew!  But after a week I’m up to 900 yards which is slightly over .5 miles and I did that without stopping in 22+ minutes.  Now Michael Phelps is in no danger of me breaking any of his records but for an old lady, I’m just happy I can do it and still breathe when I climb out of the pool.

Knowing I’ll have to do these events back-to-back (run-bike-swim in this event), I quickly changed today and did my 1.5 mile run and then a .5 mile walk to cool down.

And I wonder why I’m exhausted tonight.

I may be older – not sure about the “wiser” part.

While out running errands this morning, I was approached in a parking lot by a reporter and photographer from KOLR10/KSFX News.  The reporter explained they were doing a story on consumer credit and were interviewing people to get their views on credit cards along with their reaction to credit card companies raising interest rates and minimum monthly payments.

I agreed quickly before stopping to think how great I looked – sweats, hair tucked under a ball cap, no makeup except for a swipe of lipstick – but hey, they didn’t stop me for my good looks, just my opinion!

Of course I can’t remember what I said verbatim but it was something to the effect that both credit card companies and credit card users have been at fault in creating many of the current problems.  Irresponsibility on all fronts needs to be replaced with personal responsibility and if someone can’t afford something, they shouldn’t buy it.

Emphasis on that Personal Responsibility.

The reporter told me she was pretty sure they will use my clip on the 6 a.m. news tomorrow because so far I was a minority opinion.  Guess they had encountered several whiney butts who weren’t raised with the Personal Responsibility mantra.

I didn’t bother to tell her where they could find sympathy.

According to my mother-in-law, it’s in the dictionary between sh*t and syphilis!!!

For several weeks we’ve been planning to attend Colorama which is a motorcycle rally held annually in northern Arkansas by the GoldWing Touring Association.  Arkansas is one of our favorite places for riding because of the awesome curvy roads and great scenery and the rally was being held at a lodge south of Harrison with great, rustic facilities (and yes, you really can use those two words together!).

Our plans were to go down with two other couples and have lunch yesterday at the College of the Ozarks en route.  The guys were going to ride their bikes and the ladies were going to drive down so we could visit and not arrive with helmet hair.

However – after almost 5 inches of rain in 36 hours mixed with chilly weather, the other two couples nixed their plans and I opted to drive myself because I didn’t think even my heated clothing would keep me comfortable.

Burl left yesterday before noon and I agreed to drive down mid-afternoon with all our gear so he didn’t have to pull the trailer.

But – plans are always made to be changed!

I hadn’t really felt great since Thursday evening as evidenced by the fact that we went to a great party with awesome food and drink and all I had was  bottled water.  Now when I don’t eat and I’m not even hungry, I know something is wrong!  But I figured I’d take advantage of the effects on my weight and just enjoy it since I really didn’t feel that bad.

Yesterday morning I had a little breakfast – still not hungry – and then went to the gym where I ran a mile and tried to attend my regular Friday morning weight-lifting class.  Jeez!  I felt like a 90-pound weakling!  I was exhausted halfway through the class but hung in there doing what I could.

I wasn’t a bit hungry for lunch – in fact, couldn’t even think of anything that sounded good to eat but I packed up and was on the road by 2:30 for the easy drive to Harrison.  By time I arrived, I was wiped – very lethargic and just feeling generally rotten.  Burl took one look at me and knew I didn’t feel good at all.

He asked if I wanted to spend the night and come home this morning or drive on back last evening.  I knew then that I just wanted to be in my own bed!  So – I gave him his dop kit and a change of clothes, got back in the car and drove back to Sprinburg!

Knowing I really did need to eat something, I opted for WonTon Soup and steamed rice at my favorite Chinese drive-through.  By 9:00 I was snuggled under the covers and fast asleep.  For someone who loves to get in bed and read/snooze until midnight, that was a huge behavior change.

This morning I’m feeling better and the slight fever I had last night is gone.  Still not hungry but certainly not too energetic and the idea of going to the gym is not even on my mental radar.

With the sun shining brightly I’m wishing I was either on the back of the motorcycle enjoying a great fall day or with Robin and Vickie at the first-ever Women of Substance outing to the Mt. Vernon Apple Butter Days but alas, doing nothing is the only thing that appeals to me right now.

Tammy and Steve have promised home-made chicken soup later and hopefully I’ll be hungry when it arrives.

In the meantime, I’ve learned how to use the TV remote and am watching HGTV in between naps and licks from Mulligan.

And I’m enjoying the fact that the scales gave me good news for the first time in a long time this morning.  That will change when I start eating again!

Too bad I can’t rally the energy to go weigh at Weight Watchers – I’d be legal on my lifetime weight today!!!

PS Mulligan just reminded me I’m not really home alone – he’s here taking care of me. 

When we traveled to Tlaquepaque Mexico last March we met so many wonderful new friends and also got to experience their culture through music, dance and art.  This weekend the Springfield Sister Cities organization is hosting Artsfiesta! featuring the female mariachi band from Tlaquepaque.  If you’re in town this evening (10-9-09) you can catch their performance at Founder’s Park from 6-9.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

The group, along with several others, were scheduled to be here last May but an outbreak of swine flu in Mexico cancelled their plans.  Even though the swine flu is still a threat, they were able to get travel visas from Mexico so this show is ON!

Last night we were invited to a party to honor the band members as well as others in the official delegation.  Three of those in town are Rotarians we had met last winter so it was fun to reconnect with them and learn of service projects they have completed or are in progress.

Burl and Theresa show their talent with tequila shots!

The party also afforded an opportunity for Burl and our friend, Theresa, to show off their skill with tequila shots.  Our trip to Mexico was the impetus for this talent and they practiced daily while we were there.  In fact, Burl got so proficient that he even managed to down the lime slice along with the tequila!  Theresa must have been missing her drinking companion since we weren’t at the party long before she appeared with a couple of shots for them.  I think they were both saddened to learn it wasn’t the 20-year old tequila we had one night while in Tlaquepaque!

Another fun part of the evening was the entertainment provided by The Garbonzos. 

This eclectic musical ensemble set the stage for an evening of fun and it was especially entertaining to see the members of the female mariachi band following behind them and singing along to “Wooly Booly.”  Music definitely knows no language barriers!

One of the highlights of the evening was getting to see the studios of friends Russ and Pam who are both artists.  Russ specializes in large metal sculptures like K-Man in Jordan Valley Park while Pam is a fiber artists who makes phenomenal quilts.  They both are collectors of all sorts of vintage stuff – table top fans, clothing, mannequins just to name a few of my favorites.

Since I’m a total left-brain person, I always admire creativity although I can never quite wrap my mind around how those right-brain people think!

I worked my inaugural shift as a CoxHealth Ambassador a couple of days ago and had a blast!  The Ambassadors program is a new arm of volunteering for Cox and is linked to Guest Services so I worked with my friend Debbie who is the director and a couple of her staff members.  As their guinea pig, I helped them troubleshoot items for our Ambassador orientation as well as identify where we need to station these volunteers.

After almost 4 hours I knew this program will be a success.  It’s amazing to see how many patients and visitors need assistance when they hit the doors to the hospital – especially since we recently moved Urgent Care and the signage is confusing.

We have our kick-off meeting next week and I hope to see lots of fellow retirees who want to come back to our old stomping grounds and serve those who need us.

As with most volunteer jobs, I feel like I was the one who gained the most – I got plenty of exercise walking people to where they needed to go, got my free lunch, received a free flu shot and had an opportunity to visit with so many of my former co-workers.

And I got a great looking purple polo shirt………….sure beats the teal lab coats that the other volunteers wear!