It’s Me Again (Part 7)

March 18

One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats. ~ Iris Murdoch

Hello! It’s been a while. From the time of the cardio stress test on September 29, 2022; to an angiogram at St. Cloud Hospital on October 20; to a meeting with cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Mellinger, in St. Cloud on October 28; to a meeting with vascular surgeon, Dr. Ojo, in St. Cloud on November 27; to carotid endarterectomy with Dr. Ojo on December 8; to an ultrasound procedure in St. Cloud on January 3, 2023; to a surgery video teleconference on January 5; to triple bypass surgery by Dr. Mellinger on January 30 – February 6; beginning cardio rehab on February 27, three days a week; to a coronary intervention by cardiologist, Dr. Kidd, in St. Cloud on March 8; I’ve been living the life of a full-time patient for over 5 months. In other words, the blog has basically been on hold while the blogger was on the injured reserve list. I think it’s finally “over” though rehab will likely last for another month or two . . .

During this time you will note I didn’t have the energy to hit the keyboard. Hence, a lot of this stuff is quite old and thus not really news. Sorry ’bout that . . .

I’ve just learned about his illness. Let’s hope it’s  nothing  trivial. ~ Irvin S. Cobb

January 11

Look around you. Soak up the atmosphere of things. That’s the purpose of life. ~ Collette

[The Wednesday night fine dining group at Lure Lakebar . . . ]

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. ~ Terry Jacks

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. ~ Dr. Seuss

It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. ~ Walt Disney

I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun. ~ Charles R. Swindoll

January 12

If you’re having fun, that’s when the best memories are built. ~ Simone Biles

[My non-snowbird entertainment generally consists of concerts, and the high school basketball and hockey games. Such activities were pretty much curtailed this winter. This was one of the girls basketball games I was able to make – but it was so long ago I have to check the calendar to see who we were playing . . . ]

At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day. ~ Simone Biles

[We were playing the Fergus Falls Otters . . . ]

I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. ~ Simone Biles

Stay healthy, have fun with it, and embrace all the moments. Because anything can happen. ~ Simone Biles

[The meeting at center court between the refs and the respective team captains to decide where to meet for the post game meal . . . ]

If they said, ‘Do five pull-ups,’ I would always want to do 10. ~ Simone Biles

[I watched enough streamed games this year to recognize, from 1-r, Camree Miller, Hadley Thul, MaCee Linow, and Kate Hennessy – 3 sophomores and a freshman, which pretty defines the whole team . . . ]

I was built this way for a reason, so I’m going to use it. ~ Simone Biles

[Known gender irrelevant basketball fans . . . ]

For me, I don’t think about size – I focus more on being powerful and confident. ~ Simone Biles

[Player introductions . . . ]

I feel like I’m small and mighty and pack a powerful punch, just like Tide PODS. ~ Simone Biles

[The Simone Biles quotes reflect recent discussions regarding this best athlete in the world . . . ]

I’m the first Simone Biles. ~ Simone Biles

[Hadley wins the opening tip . . . ]

I love a good Netflix binge! ~ Simone Biles

[Sophomore point guard Allie Haabala on defense . . . ]

Sometimes I hear the crowd cheering, and most of the time your body’s on auto pilot, so sometimes even after I do a floor routine, I’m like, ‘Did I really just do that?’ ~ Simone Biles

[Hadley and Allie on defense . . . ]

I think I’m teaching my teammates that they can still be successful while having fun and enjoying the moment rather than being a stone cold brick. ~ Simone Biles

[Ditto . . . ]

As athletes, we’re always going to have aches and pains, but when your teammates cheer you on, you don’t think about it. ~ Simone Biles

You can still be very good at what you do and have fun. ~ Simone Biles

[Senior Morgan Seesz heading back up court with Hadley after a change of possession . . . ]

The sport is called artistic gymnastics. So you do have to be a little bit of an actress. ~ Simone Biles

[Hadley looking all of 6’2″ . . . ]

I am like any typical teenager. ~ Simone Biles

[Shooting is a skill that keeps developing over time . . . ]

That’s what I love about how diverse our team is – we have such different body types, yet together, we build the best team there is. I think we’re stronger together than individually. ~ Simone Biles

[The Cardinals press on a regular basis and some times more often than that . . . ]

I didn’t get the high school opportunity, but it always worked out. ~ Simone Biles

[Hadley with an in-lane jumper . . . ]

It doesn’t even matter if I don’t win a self-gold – after every meet, I have pizza. Pepperoni pizza. ~ Simone Biles

[Morgan shooting a free throw . . . ]

One of my favorite things to do is compete for a crowd. It’s just really fun for me. ~ Simone Biles

[Waiting for the result of Hadley’s free throw . . . ]

At some point, I’ll have to go get a real job. ~ Simone Biles

[8th-grader McKinley Hoelscher (45) on defense . . . ]

I love competing. ~ Simone Biles

[McKinley launches a ‘3’ . . . ]

The floor exercise is a way to express your personality. ~ Simone Biles

[Playing well at the half . . . ]

The team comes first. ~ Simone Biles

[Chloe Scholl shoots a freebie . . . ]

And it’s like, everybody can say you’re good, but once you acknowledge it, it’s not cool anymore. And I want kids to learn that, yes, it’s okay to acknowledge that you’re good or even great at something. ~ Simone Biles

[Hadley up for a block . . . ]

The unexpected is usually what brings the unbelievable. ~ Simone Biles

[Fast start in the 2nd half . . . ]

We can push ourselves further. We always have more to give. ~ Simone Biles

[Morgan at the line . . . ]

Work hard in silence; let your success be the noise. ~ Simone Biles

[And McKinley . . . ]

It’s inspiring to young athletes that there are more records that can still be broken. ~ Simone Biles

I’m always trying to push myself to the limit to see what I can do. ~ Simone Biles

[Overwhelming victory . . . ]

January 14

It’s Saturday morning. The Christmas lights on Broadway are down. Though we’re still months away from being able to do the doughnut run in daylight, in shorts and tee shirt, standards must still be met. Did you know, the doughnut has been rated nature’s most perfect food? Such has been determined by surveys conducted by the National Institutes of Health, the Minnesota Vikings, and Guns & Ammo Magazine. Enjoy!

[The Saturday morning doughnut run has become a thing . . . ]

If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun. ~ Katharine Hepburn

[Roers Family Bakery . . . ]

I make bad decisions frequently. They’re fun. ~ SZA

[The classis plain old-fashioned . . . ]

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing. ~ Dale Carnegie

Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun. ~ Randy Pausch

Up Next: Catching up with old stuff . . .