Golf ! What a pain. Just thinking about this year and next and wondering why I don't try something I can do. For the most part I guess the two trips to Florida, one to Myrtle Beech, one to Phoenix, two to Indianapolis, one to Las Vegas and a couple of in-state treks pretty much sums up the year in travels and golf was involved in each. Myrtle Beach was the most memorable seeing that two of the four days and nights were spent in the bathroom with food poisoning. At least that was one trip that I didn't gain weight on!
The best outing was nephew Tim's 50'th birthday weekend in Spring Green, WI. He brought several of his friends from IL up for the weekend of partying and golf in that order. No one was too disappointed when we got rained out on the last couple of holes. Audrey and Jim, E. Ruth, and Kathleen and I did our best to keep up with the "younger set", but age or maybe judgement forced us to vacate.
In July brother Dick came up for a few days to advise Wid and help me attack the rust on our old cars. We had a regular "redneck body shop" in my driveway for three weeks! The results were successful for the most part. I got a bad batch of paint but the rust is covered. When Dick wasn't in the body shop he was on the computer and helped me convert from Windows 98 to Vista and from dial-up to Charter internet. It was certainly a great visit from my standpoint. Thanks big brother!
August brought hot weather and cool kids. Grace and Nico came for a visit while Ben and Zaidee took a little R & R after graduation. It was fun and informative for grandpa doc! Kathleen's grandaughter and mother were here so we took the kids to Noah's Ark waterpark. Nico shyed away from several areas so Kathleen found a place to park in the island surrounded by the "Lazy River". Seemed calm enough. As Nico and I crossed the bridge to join them, he balked and wouldn't advance because it was "boring". Well, you can imagine my reaction! After abducting him into the area things settled down and he had a blast. It was only when it was time to leave and again Nico balked at passing an area with a huge bucket that tipped and drenched everyone, that the genius in me I realized his objection to the area to be " IT'S POURING!!". Live and learn --- and maybe get a hearing aid! Grace of course hardly slowed down all day, especially with four year old Murphy in tow.
The next day Grace, Nico and I had a fishing trip. They both caught a fish and I got to bait and remove the hooks. We were at Hannah's and the neighbors grandaughter Grace witnessed the ordeal and gave lots of advise, because her grandpa had been a great fisherman. Best part of the trip for me was when we came home and fixed dinner. Everyone joined the "clean plate club" including Wid and Ruth who came by to help. I have a very special picture documenting the event.
Later in August we got together with an old vet school buddy, Tom Riggs and wife Carol. Their son Peter got married in Janesville and was nice enough to think of Kathleen and I. My kids and their's saw a lot of one another growing up. It was quite a nice wedding and dance and reunion with the vet school classmates.
Dick and Linda came again in October and we participated in the Great Chili Cook-off and the local meat market. Lot of work, expense and ,I guess, fun but with very little real reward. The corporate entries brought quite a following! We thought we had a catchy theme. I was Doc's NAPS chili (i.e. not all patients survived). There was much speculation about what the ingredients were. Some even speculated "roadkill" by some of the props we brought.
As a matter of fact, I've added another nickname to Wid. Roadkill. On his various hiking trips this fall he has come upon a couple of prise ringnecked pheasants that had recently lost battles with passing vehichles. We've had some nice dinners that any forager would be proud of and accompanied by a special tree fungus he calls "chicken of the woods" we might survive the economic downturn.
Well enough of this, I'm supposed to be packing for a month in Phoenix. Kathleen and I fly out tomorrow and neither will miss what appears to be another record winter for snow. We've had over 16 inches in the first ten days of December. I bet there will be golf!
The best outing was nephew Tim's 50'th birthday weekend in Spring Green, WI. He brought several of his friends from IL up for the weekend of partying and golf in that order. No one was too disappointed when we got rained out on the last couple of holes. Audrey and Jim, E. Ruth, and Kathleen and I did our best to keep up with the "younger set", but age or maybe judgement forced us to vacate.
In July brother Dick came up for a few days to advise Wid and help me attack the rust on our old cars. We had a regular "redneck body shop" in my driveway for three weeks! The results were successful for the most part. I got a bad batch of paint but the rust is covered. When Dick wasn't in the body shop he was on the computer and helped me convert from Windows 98 to Vista and from dial-up to Charter internet. It was certainly a great visit from my standpoint. Thanks big brother!
August brought hot weather and cool kids. Grace and Nico came for a visit while Ben and Zaidee took a little R & R after graduation. It was fun and informative for grandpa doc! Kathleen's grandaughter and mother were here so we took the kids to Noah's Ark waterpark. Nico shyed away from several areas so Kathleen found a place to park in the island surrounded by the "Lazy River". Seemed calm enough. As Nico and I crossed the bridge to join them, he balked and wouldn't advance because it was "boring". Well, you can imagine my reaction! After abducting him into the area things settled down and he had a blast. It was only when it was time to leave and again Nico balked at passing an area with a huge bucket that tipped and drenched everyone, that the genius in me I realized his objection to the area to be " IT'S POURING!!". Live and learn --- and maybe get a hearing aid! Grace of course hardly slowed down all day, especially with four year old Murphy in tow.
The next day Grace, Nico and I had a fishing trip. They both caught a fish and I got to bait and remove the hooks. We were at Hannah's and the neighbors grandaughter Grace witnessed the ordeal and gave lots of advise, because her grandpa had been a great fisherman. Best part of the trip for me was when we came home and fixed dinner. Everyone joined the "clean plate club" including Wid and Ruth who came by to help. I have a very special picture documenting the event.
Later in August we got together with an old vet school buddy, Tom Riggs and wife Carol. Their son Peter got married in Janesville and was nice enough to think of Kathleen and I. My kids and their's saw a lot of one another growing up. It was quite a nice wedding and dance and reunion with the vet school classmates.
Dick and Linda came again in October and we participated in the Great Chili Cook-off and the local meat market. Lot of work, expense and ,I guess, fun but with very little real reward. The corporate entries brought quite a following! We thought we had a catchy theme. I was Doc's NAPS chili (i.e. not all patients survived). There was much speculation about what the ingredients were. Some even speculated "roadkill" by some of the props we brought.
As a matter of fact, I've added another nickname to Wid. Roadkill. On his various hiking trips this fall he has come upon a couple of prise ringnecked pheasants that had recently lost battles with passing vehichles. We've had some nice dinners that any forager would be proud of and accompanied by a special tree fungus he calls "chicken of the woods" we might survive the economic downturn.
Well enough of this, I'm supposed to be packing for a month in Phoenix. Kathleen and I fly out tomorrow and neither will miss what appears to be another record winter for snow. We've had over 16 inches in the first ten days of December. I bet there will be golf!
A late addition (by Ben): Doc & friend Rick Martin took a flight in Rick's WWII "Stearman" aircraft this year. Now I'm not sure of all the details (which Dad will be able to clarify since this is a "blog" this year :) ), but Dad and Rick have assembled one if not more planes over the years, and this may have been the "maiden voyage" in the "Stearman." I'll let Doc update this where appropriate.
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