HELLO MR. CHIPS ! V. 2

I accompanied my oldest grandson today as he registered at a large state university for the Fall term. My mind went back 64 years ago when I registered as a Freshmen at Purdue University. Here are some observations from today:

1. Entering freshmen today look like kindergartners, not college students. I am certain my classmates in 1959 looked much more mature! (Yeah, right.)

2. Some, key word some, of the girls were dressed more for the beach than college registration. In 1959 these same girls would probably be arrested.

3. Today's entering freshmen look like walking ads for cell phones and computers. In 1959 I used a telephone for the first time.

4. The parents today had the same look as my Dad had in 1959. Where did the time go?

5. Students today had the same sense of wonder and excitement as I experienced in 1959. Most of the good things that have happened to me in 64 plus years had their genesis from those wonderful years I spent at Purdue. I pray my grandson will have the same experience.

6. Many of the students came with Mom/Dad.  In some cases the parent , who looked young, could pass for a brother/sister of their entering student. This brought home again the fact-----I'm old!

I would be remiss if I did not mention my best friend at Purdue---Ray. Ray died about 12 years ago. I really miss him. We entered adulthood together. In many respects we were complete opposites: Ray was from the south side of Chicago, make mine country. He was short and I was much taller. He was a Catholic; I am a Baptist. Ray was in Pharmacy; I was in Industrial Technology. Ray was shy; well, you know I am not. He was a White Sox fan; I'm a die hard Reds fan.

Friendship is not built on differences, but shared common interests. We had a ton of those. Ray R.I.P.


SCROLL DOWN TO THE STORY ABOUT THE CLASS OF 1983 REUNION AT THE REEL 'EM INN MOTEL.
  

THAT OLD TREE

                         THAT OLD TREE

                 That old tree in our front yard
                 Was my castle and my best pard'

                 A place to hide and tell my sorrow
                 A place to dream and plan tomorrow

                Things were smaller from my perch
                Answers came easier in my search

                The house and old tree have all gone
                In my older heart the old tree lives on 

                        Glenn <><  6-12-13   

Class of 1983 Reunion at Reel 'Em Inn Motel

CLASS OF 1983 REUNION AT REEL ‘EM INN MOTEL

 (The events and characters in this story are fictitious and any similarity between persons living or dead is purely coincidental.) 

“Hey Bones, you look like a candidate for a Veggie Diet Systems commercial!”

“Ok Mister Prom King, I hear the drug store has a BOGO sale on Hair Grow for men!”

The good natured jabs and put downs continued for the rest of Friday afternoon as the Class of 1983 checked into the lakeside Reel ‘Em Inn Motel for their 30^th Reunion. The reunion committee selected this motel because of an eye-watering off-season offer to price all rooms at 1983 rates! The motel was within easy walking distance of several mid-price restaurants and the ubiquitous fast food establishments. 

Three tour busses arrived at the motel at 5pm to transport the non-stop talking Class of 1983, their spouses, and in some cases, dates, to a large banquet room at the civic center for an informal catered buffet dinner.


Mayor Gibson welcomed them and said he hoped they would not act like a bunch of Baptists who held their annual state convention in his fair city last month. The mayor said, “Those Baptists came to town with a copy of the Ten Commandments in one hand and a ten dollar bill in the other hand. They vowed not to break either one!”

Bill Henderson, president of the Class of 1983, welcomed everyone and asked all to stand as the class secretary read the names of classmates who had graduated to Eternity. A moment of silence was observed in their honor.

President Henderson next tried his best imitation of Principal Mr. Snider who was “The Man” at good old Eastern Heights High School in 1983. “Students, here’s the schedule for this weekend:

1.      A short business meeting will follow dessert.

2.      After the busses take us back to the motel, a VCR tape of the 1982 District  Football Championship game will be on the lobby TV,  the Rainbow Trout conference room will have a Dutch wet bar, and the Brook Trout conference room will serve complementary coffee and soft drinks.

3.      You are on your own for breakfast. If you signed up for the bowling tourney, be at the front desk at 11am for a bus to King Salmon Lanes.

4.      Two busses will leave the motel at Noon for a two hour mall shopping trip and a short tour of the historic downtown district with a refreshment stop at the Depot Museum and Snack Bar. 

5.      Business Casual dress for the catered dinner at the Elks Club party room. A DJ will play 80’s hits and dancing is optional. All three busses will leave the motel at 7pm with an estimated return around midnight.

6.      Al Binger, one of our classmates and ordained Methodist minister, will hold a short devotional meeting at 10am in the Brook Trout conference room.

7.      At 10:30am, our final time together will be a special Brunch Buffet for our class and guests in the Rainbow conference room.

8.      Motel check out time is 1pm.  

 

“Hey, Henderson, don’t quit your day job! That was a terrible impression of Warden Snider,” shouted Billy Ray McCalaster.

“Right after lunch count Mr. Wise Guy, I want to see you in my office,” the president shot back.

A roar of laughter filled the room of classmates and friends. Billy Ray’s face became very red.

Dessert was served. The treasurer’s report was presented and approved. And five grads were elected to the 40^th reunion committee, with two alternates. The meeting was adjourned and the talking continued unabated until the second announcement to load the busses.

Back at the motel most of the football players made an out of shape rush to the lobby after grabbing a soft drink from the vending machine.


Bill Henderson, class president, made a short stay in the lobby and joked with the players on the team he quarterbacked to a 14-13 victory over the heavily favored cross town rival--- Western Hills.  His last second “Hail Mary” to Buddy Adams in the end zone and dead center PAT clinched it. Henderson said, “Guys, we could do the same play a hundred times and probably never duplicate it again.” All agreed.

He next went to the coffee and soft drinks room and chatted with his wife and listened to all of the stories about children and grandchildren. In addition there was much talk about divorces, second marriages, and tattoos in unusual locations. He was thankful Evelyn, his wife, and he just celebrated their 25^th Anniversary.

In muted, almost inaudible, tones a few women talked of cosmetic surgery and menopause. All of a sudden he felt very out of place. He wondered to himself when his libido would change. He hoped not soon.

His final stop was in the room where beer and mixed drinks were served. When he opened the door the noise and alcohol smell nearly chased him away. Bill and his wife would share a bottle of Champaign on their anniversary. That was their self-imposed drinking limit.

Billy Ray yelled from across the room, “Gents, somebody better hum “Hail to the Chief” for our wonderful class president. *%^&, he was Mister Hero at good old Eastern Heights prison. Here’s some breaking news:  Most of you don’t know he stole Evelyn away from me just three days before I was going to propose to her. Talk about your Trophy Wives, for two years she was my steady Trophy Girlfriend.  She and I were close---I mean very, very close! Now what do you overweight, stressed out, never at home business executives think of that?”

By now Bill had made his way over to confront the obviously drunk Billy Ray.

“Billy Ray, let’s go out into the hall and talk about your inappropriate comments about Evelyn.”  

“No way Jose; I’m staying right here where I can get another double Wild Turkey headache maker. Boys, for two years I was number two on the football team depth chart. Then wham, bam, old Coach Alfred jumps Mister Bill to starting QB. I took a total of 11 snaps my senior year. So it doesn’t take a Detective Joe Friday to see he stole my football position AND he stole the hottest Pom squad girl at Eastern Heights from good old Billy Ray.”   

Bill could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up and a flush of blood filled his face and both hands clinched in an uncontrolled fighting response. Within a few seconds he felt a certain amount of self-control returning. He spoke slowly without looking at Billy Ray or anyone.

“If you look at the ‘82 gold trophy in the school’s trophy case and the gold wedding ring on Evelyn’s left hand you’ll quickly see who the winner is.” 

Lunging toward Bill, Billy Ray shouted, “I shoulda killed you in ’83!  Someday I’ll show you who the real winner is.”

Three classmates and the motel’s security guard separated the fighting mad duo. Billy Ray was led away to his room by the security guard. Billy Ray was shouting and screaming all the way.  

Bill was shaken, embarrassed and regretted the entire situation. But it had happened and his caustic response was heard by everyone in the room.  But after all, it was Billy Ray who was drunk and chose to replay his three decade long grudge in public. And he was glad he had resisted the animal urge to strike back and ruin the weekend for himself and all of his classmates. He had a king size headache and desperately in need of the comfort of Evelyn and a good night’s sleep. He said goodnight to all and retired to his room.

When Bill returned to his room he discovered a note from Evelyn on the bed. She wrote, “I’m in Betty Higgins’ room with the other Pom girls. Don’t wait up for me. Love, Evelyn.”  Bill opened Evelyn’s small cosmetic bag and located the aspirins; took three and within ten minutes he fell asleep, completely dressed, on top of the bedspread, door unlocked, and the TV on ESPN.  

Evelyn tried her key to their room only to discover the door was already unlocked. With only the dim light of the bathroom she proceeded to locate and turn on a small desk lamp.

Her screams of horror did not wake the dead but did empty all of the motel rooms and sent the security guard and desk clerk running to her.

She staggered backward out of the room and collapsed into a trio of guys with their arms extended toward her.

The security guard took one step into the room and saw a body with a blood soaked pillow half on and half off Bill’s head. The room smelled of gunpowder and liquor. A 911 call had been made when Evelyn’s screams were heard.

Within a couple of minutes the EMTs arrived and conducted a triage of the lifeless victim. They radioed their dispatcher and said the victim apparently died from a gunshot wound to his left temple.

A minute later the police arrived and locked down the entire motel. The EMTs turned to help Evelyn.

The police started their crime scene investigation and awaited the arrival of the medical examiner. All of the guests were ushered into the Brook Trout room and their rooms searched. Nothing significant was found.

One by one, each guest and staff members was taken to the Rainbow Trout room and individually questioned. This took just over five hours. Twelve people gave first person information of the confrontation Billy Ray had had with Bill earlier in the evening.

Evelyn and Beth Higgins were permitted to go to the lobby where Evelyn lay on a couch with a cold wash cloth on her forehead. Her sobbing would pause for a couple of seconds and when she would catch her breathe she seemed to cry with even greater intensity.

Billy Ray was still too drunk to be interviewed and was jailed as a person of interest.

Obviously, the reunion was cancelled and all except Billy Ray, Evelyn, and Betty, were permitted to go home. A crime scene yellow tape encircled the motel and the parking lot.

As Billy Ray started to get sober he realized what a fix he was in---it scared him---it scared him a lot.

Meanwhile, Buddy Adams headed home and wondered if Bill’s obituary would mention the ’82 game and his circus catch among five defensive backs. Two of the defenders played D-1 football and one of these super stars played 12 years in the NFL. He quickly dismissed his thoughts because no one remembered his catch in the greatest game ever played by Eastern Heights. Bill’s throw would always be part of the Eastern Heights’ oral football history.

As he drove across the dam road he slowed down, looked in his rearview mirror, lowered his window and tossed a black metal object and an almost full bottle of Wild Turkey into the deep end of Trout Lake.

He smiled and resumed the eight hour journey home.

Glenn   <><   6-9-13

 

 

 

We Should Have Seen It Coming !

This Post Represents My Opinions:

We ignored the warning signs. We should have seen the unprecedented continued assault upon our Constitution many years ago.

What dots did we fail to connect?

The teaching of Western Civilization in our high schools and university has all but evaporated. Thankfully, both of our Shawnee universities still teach the essential elements of this neglected subject.

What is Western Civilization? Dr. Larry Arns, President of Hillsdale College, summarizes it well when he says it is the confluence of two streams: one flowing from Jerusalem and one from Athens.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was removed from our public school many years ago. Prayer is gone; the Ten Commandments are gone; religious symbols and holidays are almost gone; and ethics and morality are considered old fashioned and no longer necessary in this post-God world. And that is just the tip of the problem.

The stream from Jerusalem has been permitted to evaporate like a shallow Oklahoma pond in August. There is an awesome description in the Bible that describes this situation very well:  "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." 

The stream from Athens contained the themes of representative government, government of laws, principals of liberty and justice, safeguards against dictators, public education, and many other concepts that are the very fabric of our Constitution. Our Founders drank long and deep from this stream of liberty, opportunity, individual freedom and accountability.

The serial dams of political correctness, diversity, and multiculturalism have diverted the stream from Athens into so many rivulets the streams are now shallow and superficial.

The diagnosis is easy; the cure is very hard. It requires an unprecedented, long-term, national grassroots determination to elect officials at all levels who have both the will and courage to reverse course and dredge out both streams back to their source. 


  

NEW SHORT STORY COMING !!!!!!

TITLE OF COMING SHORT STORY:

           Class of 1983 Reunion at Reel 'Em Inn Motel


                  WATCH FOR IT !!!

Little Things Mean A Lot !

1. The boss gives you the entire day off for your same day surgery.

2. You find your checkbook in only 30 minutes of worry/searching 

3. Without being asked, a neighbor waters your flowers while you were on vacation,

4. Out-of-town visiting relatives bring their own laptop.

5. A person at the mall parking lot reminds you your lights are on.

6. You remove the dryer lint trap and it is clean.

7. A friend unexpectedly returns a book they borrowed 5 years ago.

8. The person you met last week remembers your name.

9. A toddler in a shopping cart waves at you at Wal-Mart.

10. You receive a fruit cake for Christmas you can actually eat!

Glenn <><

ODE TO THE HONEYSUCKLE V 3.0

                                                      (Photo taken in my backyard)


              From the very portals of Heaven you must have fell
              Your beauty and aroma creates an hypnotizing spell 

              You propel me back to warm Indiana summer nights
              And you wonderfully carry me to the Eternal delights

              Place a sprig of remembrance on my mortal remains
              To remind all of happiness the Honeysuckle contains  

                       

                    I HAVE THIS SAME HONEYSUCKLE PHOTO FOR MY DESKTOP BACKGROUND


     Glenn <><  June 4, 2013

IS YOUR POST OFFICE AS SLOW AS OURS?

I am totally convinced the Post Office uses reruns of Tim Conway playing the slow moving little old man on the Carol Burnett Show for training.

Case in point:

A guy goes into our Post Office and joins a line of 14 people. There are three service windows. Only one is in operation. A few feet away stands another service person leaning against the wall picking his fingernails with a pen knife.

The Postmaster walks up to him and asks, "What are you doing?"

The Gold Bricking employee replies, "Nothing."

To which the Postmaster says, "Keep it up. You are doing a great job."

MORE EVIDENCE YOU MIGHT BE GETTING OLD

1. You need your grandchildren to program every new piece of electronic equipment you buy.

2. When you wake up from an afternoon nap you have no idea what day it is.

3. To open a sealed package you have to use a crowbar.

4. More and more young drivers give you the friendly one-half of the victory salute.

5. You are absolutely convinced an evil spirit hides your keys and the TV Remote.

6. You don't trust anyone under 65.

7. You remember the first names of Lucy and Ricky's neighbors.

8. If you can remember the first McDonalds you visited.

9. You can recall when Five & Dime had nothing to do with illegal drugs,

10. If you stand a little taller when the National Anthem is played.

Glenn <><

Another Milestone Reached

TODAY (6-2-13) THE 5000TH VISIT TO THE BLOG WAS MADE !

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL!


LET'S MAKE 6000 BY AUGUST 15 !

Tornadoes, Hail, & Record Rain Hit Oklahoma (Again)

BRIEF REPORT----MULTIPLE TORNADOES,
HAIL, (SOME SOFTBALL SIZE,) RECORD RAINS AND MUCH FLOODING AGAIN HITS OUR AREA.  (MAY 31, 2013)

MANY INJURIES, 2 OFFICIALLY LISTED AS DEAD. DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE-MOORE AGAIN HIT. SHAWNEE ONLY HIGH WINDS AND HAIL. I DROVE THROUGH GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.

WE ARE OK----PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME-PRAY FOR US.

Glenn <><

PERSONAL DATA MINING

Any 

WHY I LOVE OKLAHOMA

 THIS SUMS IT UP.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi6XK1pbC7Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH03cMlLuIY



GLENN <><

GRAHAM CREEK SABER TOOTH GROUNDHOG V.2.0

           GRAHAM CREEK SABER TOOTH GROUNDHOG

                                     Science Fiction

                               (VERSION 2.0 CONTAINS SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

“There!.... There!..... There it is!” Fourteen year Phillip was hardly able to breathe as he excitedly jabbed at the scratched screen of his iPhone. “I told you it was real!”

Phillip’s father remained silent for several seconds and then hit the speed dial button on his own iPhone that almost immediately connected him to the County Sheriff’s office. “My son has a photo I think you need to send someone out here to examine. …..No, it’s not about a meth lab or dead person…… It looks like a 50-60 pound saber tooth groundhog…..No, I’ve not been drinking……Ok, we’ll wait for a deputy sheriff to come out…..Thanks.”

When the deputy arrived he exclaimed, “If this is the real deal we have a problem that makes that Hollywood Jurassic Park look like a petting zoo.” The deputy took Phillip’s report of exactly where on the banks of Graham Creek he had encountered this strange creature. Phillip said he had seen the creature at about the same place at least three times before today’s photo was taken.

The deputy gave Phillip’s father an evidence receipt and took the iPhone containing the photo back to the sheriff’s office. Furthermore, he advised Phillip and his father not to discuss the situation with anyone. “Fear and rumor are kissin’ cousins,” according to the deputy.

Back at the Sheriff’s office, the sheriff, who was a better candidate for late night cable TV Comedy than a candidate for the ministry, sarcastically remarked, “I’d sure as @*%* not want to meet that *%$#&  dude without plenty of  &*^#$@  backup!”

Both the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and a multitude of federal agencies demanded more proof before they would take the sheriff’s pleas for help seriously.

In desperation, the sheriff called the Indiana University zoology department who acknowledged they had received  a half dozen similar requests from citizens all along the Graham Creek watershed. They politely stated they would contact Dr. Yoshi Kumasi, Tokyo University, who was the world’s leading expert in the field of cryptozoology. Professor Kumasi would be contacting the sheriff directly. (The sheriff was not told this was the weekend of the IU-Purdue game and the entire campus was more concerned about the final score than some snipe hunt on the Graham Creek.)

Three weeks later the sheriff, county commissioner chairman, and a member of the Japanese-Jennings County Friendship Society met Professor Kumasi at the Indianapolis Airport. The sheriff had been practicing his greeting bow and hit it for a perfect ten, but immediately relapsed into his off color language. “Welcome to $#@* Indiana and we sure as &(%$# hope you solve this $#%%& for us.” Professor Kumasi, who earned his doctorate at UCLA, said, “Sheriff, I sure as $%#@^ do too.” After a big group laugh the sheriff forgot all about international protocol and slapped the distinguished professor on the back and said, “Doc, this is going to be the start of a beautiful ^%$&* friendship!”

The sheriff and Professor Kumasi located the 41 motion-sensitive cameras used by the Tri-county Drug Task Force along both sides of Graham Creek for about two miles from where the saber tooth groundhog was photographed by Philip. After two weeks, 11 different saber tooth groundhogs were captured on the digital cameras. The cameras clearly revealed the four to eight inch long saber teeth to be green with yellow tips.

A juvenile saber tooth groundhog was caught in a box trap constructed by a local 4-H Club member. Professor Kumasi took multiple blood and hair samples for DNA analysis. He had earlier collected samples from all of the soil and vegetation near the creek. The young groundhog chewed through the orange crate which served as a makeshift lab cage and made his silent escape.

With the help of the now interested, and Nobel Prize-seeking zoology depart at IU, Professor Kumasi concluded the saber tooth ground hogs were as result of a dormant primeval recessive gene being activated by the large amounts of herbicides and ammonia nitrate that flowed into the Graham Creek from adjacent corn fields. The groundhogs also ate the immature corn ears, which quickly produced gene altering alcohol, and within two reproduction cycles, the saber tooth groundhog resulted. He estimated the saber tooth groundhogs would double in size every other reproduction cycle!

The sheriff asked the professor what could be done to reverse the looming disaster. Professor Kumasi said he would have to return to Tokyo and study the data and return with a definitive plan of action. 

Professor Kumasi smiled, bowed and shook hands with each member of the Jennings County send-off party at the Indianapolis Airport and proceeded to the security screening area. As he put his shoes back on he thought to himself, “If those @#$%^ Hoosiers think I am coming back to this $%#@  place they have another %$#@ idea coming. I’ve seen all of those %$#@^ Godzilla movies and I know how all of this %$#% situation will end!”

 

                                                            ---- Glenn 

 

MEMORIAL DAY 2013 !

                                                                             ALL

                                GAVE SOME


                                      SOME

                                   GAVE ALL

The Song of a Summer Night

Venus and a growing crescent Moon silently sink in the west
On a seldom used road two lovers walk slowly in the new dark
His left arm upon her shoulders; her right arm rests on his back
A gentle squeeze from each communicates more than words

Nature displays its finest sights, sounds, and delightful smells
The lightning bugs in a field of hay flash code to their mates
A blue green meteor leaves a momentary trail of white smoke
Cassiopeia sits regally upon her "W" shaped sky throne

Crickets provide a continuous reassuring clicking melody
Whippoorwills come in on cue to give the song an alto lift
Frogs in a nearby pond boldly sing the repeating bass parts
Far away a  seldom seen owl echoes the refrain in time

The fragrance of new mowed hay calms the stressed mind
Honeysuckle is without peer in delighting all the senses
A parallel creek emits smoke from a camp fire for boys
The aroma of a recent rain unites humanity with the earth

The young lovers are oblivious to summer night songs
Sight has narrowed to the flesh and blood next to them
They hear only the feelings within their bedazzled minds
Her Christmas perfume and his Dad's cologne fill the air

Nature smiles at their love song and Nature plays on

HOT, MUGGY, SATURDAY AFTERNOON

It is a hot, muggy Saturday afternoon in central Oklahoma.

My memories as a teenager seemed to always include hot, muggy Saturday afternoons in the summer.

I always made a bee line for the library when we went to North Vernon on Saturdays. It was cooler there.

The hottest Saturday afternoons I can recall were in Madison. My brother and I tried to walk on the south side of main street underneath building awnings because there was some shade. We seldom got a soft drink or ice cream.
Some of the bigger stores had water fountains. Ingils (Sp) Drug Store actually had air conditioning.

I did a lot of fishing on hot Saturday afternoons, when I was not cutting grass or working in the family garden.

Maybe it is just me, but that's the way I remember it.

THE SUN CAME OUT !!!!!

After several days of rain and tornadoes, the sun appeared just as Tuesday (5-21-13) was coming to a daylight conclusion.  

This certainly helped buoy the spirits of the recovery personnel in Moore and our county of Pottawatomie. 

This probably sounds trite; however, Oklahomans
are the most caring and helpful people I have ever been around. The outpouring of help in every form continues to astound the out-of-state reporters. But hey, that's what Oklahomans do best.

I have never felt prouder to be an adopted Okie !

UPDATE ON TORNADO DAMAGE IN OUR COUNTY/MOORE

UPDATE ON TORNADO DAMAGE IN OUR COUNTY/MOORE

Pottawatomie County officials have confirmed that

Sunday’s tornadoes that tore through our county

killed two people, destroyed 89 homes, and damaged

101 others.

 

The toll from Monday’s vicious tornado in Moore, OK is still being

compiled. Words are totally void in trying to describe the devastation.

Here’s a couple of sites that show many photos:

                          www.newsok.com

                           www.kfor.com

 

Pray for the families, especially those that have lost loved

ones.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT----DAY 2

TODAY, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 A MONSTER, 2-MILE WIDE TORNADO ROARED THROUGH NEWCASTLE AND MOORE, OK. 

The destruction, death and injuries are massive. Even the grass was pulled up as the buildings were destroyed. The search and rescue efforts at a school are going full force. Several young kids are missing at a Moore elementary school. Frantic parents are awaiting word on their children. The scene is beyond description. Reporters are near tears.

The tornado is being described as three times bigger than the May 3rd 1999 tornado which came through this same area.

Thankfully, the storm lifted about 15 miles from our city. We are safe---thank the Lord!