Summer in December

We were only 6 hours into the first official day of winter when a Winter Storm Warning went into effect this morning.  A wintry mix has been falling since before dawn.  Prompted by the north wind, ice-covered branches are now doing a crackling dance in the darkness outside our home.  So far, the darkness has stayed OUTSIDE our home.  But, as Glen Campbell used to sing when he was a pseudo-Wichita lineman, "if it snows that stretch down south won't ever stand the strain." 

Snow is forecast for tonight.

Even though Old Man Winter wasted no time flexing his muscles, I did find three things today that gave me hope that Spring will come again:

1.  After today, the daylight starts lasting ever so slightly longer each day;

2.  A seed catalog arrived in the mailbox with tantalizing pictures of flowers and vegetables and fruit and berries; and

3.  A documentary on the Beach Boys current "Summer in December" concert tour was on TV.  2013 is the Beach Boys 50th anniversary as a group.   I recorded the concert on AXS TV earlier this month during a "free preview" weekend.  I also recorded Skyfall, the latest James Bond flick.  At the end of Skyfall in the credits it was noted that 50 years had elapsed since 007 first appeared on the scene.  It seems the Energizer bunny is not the only thing that keeps on going and going and going.  I know how James Bond keeps going - five different actors have played the movie role:  Sean Connery (seven movies) (my favorite), George Lazenby (who?)(one movie) , Roger Moore (seven movies) , Timothy Dalton (2 movies), Pierce Brosnan (four movies), and Daniel Craig (two movies so far).

But how do the Beach Boys do it?  I can't say for sure, but the "Summer in December" TV special was sponsored in part by Ageless Male Testosterone treatment. 

When I went with my wife and friends to see Liverpool Legends, a group that impersonates the Beatles, the song they performed that I found most ironic was "When I'm 64".  The Beach Boys song that once resonated with me but doesn't now is "Wouldn't it be nice it we were older? (Then we wouldn't have to wait so long)."  Short answer in 1966 - YES!  Short answer in 2013 - NOOOOOOOO!!!  If the Beach Boys want a hit song today they should write a sequel called "Wouldn't it be nice if we were younger? (Then you wouldn't have to wait until my ageless male kicks in)."

The crowd at the concert spanned the generations, from adolescent cuties to people my age who grew up with the Beach Boys.  On many of the songs, Baby Boomers were inspired to get up and bust a move.  The saying "Dance like no one is watching" may look good on a wall plaque, but I'm guessing some of those adolescent cuties may require therapy to get the image of their grandparents shaking a tailfeather to "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" out of their heads. 

Though it may have been "Summer in December" on AXS TV, the weather around here wasn't cooperating.  "Anyone know how to get ice off of a satellite receiver?" asked a Facebook friend.  Helpful suggestions followed.  My favorite was "Have another beer and maybe a way to deliver a stream of body temperature liquid onto it will come to you".   Our satellite receiver is attached to our deck so that MIGHT work.  If my Facebook friend's is on his ice-covered roof, however, he might soon be paraphrasing Beach Boys songs, like "I'll have no FUN, FUN, FUN cause the ambulance is hauling me away" or "Help me up, Rhonda!"

It's snowing now. 

Better post this before an ice and snow covered limb brings down both our power line and our internet.

Happy First Day of Winter! (Hurry Spring!!)

Young Dogs, Old Men, and No Water in the Pipes

 

 



My friend Tom and I took advantage of a rare 65 degree December day yesterday to go biking on the Katy Trail.  It was all sunshine and tailwinds from Jefferson City to the Hartsburg trail head.  There we met two ladies who had arrived ahead of us.  One was contentedly sitting in the sun.  The other was slightly distraught.  The restrooms at the Hartsburg trail head were closed for plumbing repairs.  I’m sure it was her consternation as she contemplated riding her bike back to Jefferson City, the better part of an hour, while “holding it” that brought a frown to her face.

She is one of several women I have met on the trail who have bemoaned the fact that restrooms are an hour apart on the Katy Trail.  Funny, but I have never met a guy who thought there should be more restrooms on the heavily wooded trail. 

After the women headed back east, Tom & I were relaxing in the sun when a large black dog arrived on the scene.  Underneath the currently non-functioning drinking fountain was a pan normally full of water for passing pets.  It was empty.  Not one to let a setback discourage him, the friendly mutt approached us.  Tom fetched his water bottle and sprayed a stream into the dog’s mouth which he happily lapped up.  Occasionally, the dog’s tongue actually lapped against the spout on Tom’s water bottle.  The dog seemed unconcerned.  I think he could sense that Tom was the type of guy who had had all his shots.

His thirst quenched, the dog was then ready for some fun.  He left for a few moments and came back dragging a large branch.  It was time to play fetch.  Since a branch is a somewhat unwieldy thing to throw, Tom broke off a two-foot length and hurled it across the parking lot.  The dog was after it like a flash, retrieved it, and laid it at Tom’s feet, ready for another throw.  Each time Tom tried to throw it a little further and each time the dog arrived almost in time to catch it before it hit the ground.  The game ended when Tom jokingly (I think) announced that he thought he had torn his rotator cuff.  Satisfied, the dog headed back to wherever he called home and we mounted our bikes for the ride back to the truck.  What was a tailwind on our trip TO Hartsburg when we were fresh was a headwind on our way BACK when we were tired. 

A few miles from Jefferson City we passed the ladies we had met at Hartsburg.  I didn’t ask, but I imagine the one was still “holding it”.  I have a helpful suggestion – How about a GoGirl? Also known as a “F.U.D.” (female urination device), a GoGirl (http://www.go-girl.com/) allows a woman to pee standing up, thus opening up a whole new range of restroom opportunities.  Theoretically, a woman would never again ride a bike into a forest and emerge on the other side still needing to go.

Yeah, I know . . . my wife wouldn’t try it either when we drove the Oregon Trail and actual restrooms were miles and miles out of the way.

But it might just make a nice stocking stuffer for anyone stumped about what to get your wife/girlfriend/significant other for Christmas. 

I think I’ll buy one for all three.

They even come in camo.