February 8

Editor’s note: This missive has been delayed for reasons of extended recovery periods from the ravages of international travel . . .

I think the cruise industry has come of age. And older people my age are attracted to the cruise ship industry. And they are booming right now, and all over the world they are booming. And I think they’re for the golden oldies, and there are more and more of them around. ~ Julian Robertson

Mining created Chile. The story of men who go down into the mountain and chip away at minerals in the darkness and then suffer an accident that leaves them at the mercy of that darkness is part of the DNA of Chile, an integral part of the country’s history. ~ Ariel Dorfman

December 22

When I was growing up, the Spanish-speaking world was Balkanized. We were isolated. We didn’t know what was happening in cultural terms in Ecuador, Colombia and Chile. Nowadays, this has changed a lot – fortunately for writers and readers. There is much more integration. ~ Mario Vargas Llosa

[A view from our window to the courtyard below . . . ]

Chile could work as a double for L.A.; it’s very production-friendly and there’s terrific talent down there. ~ Eli Roth

[Using the windows perpendicular to our room as a mirror on the world . . . ]

If a country like Chile can fix its social security system, there is no reason a country as great as the United States… can’t fix our Social Security system. ~ Bill Flores

[This was a day to roam the city of Santiago unattended and unsupervised. We opted for the hop on/hop off bus located 1/2 mile away from our hotel on Av Presidente Kennedy . . . ]

Only two countries in this hemisphere are not democratic, but many countries in both Central and South America, and in the Caribbean, are really fragile democracies. ~ Warren Christopher

[Said hop on/hop off bus . . . ]

When we say Afro American, we include everyone in the Western Hemisphere of African descent. South America is America. Central America is America. South America has many people in it of African descent. ~ Malcolm X

[Why yes, there are mountains here – the Chilean Coastal Range runs parallel to the Andes . . . ]

When Harvard University opened its doors in 1636, there were already well-established universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. ~ Oscar Arias

[Costanera Tower, the tallest building in Latin America at 300 meters, will be featured often in this post . . . ]

I’ve never been in any country for more than four years, and I’m learning different languages all the time. It gives you a different attitude. ~ Santiago Cabrera

Latin America is not that different from the rest of the world. Some of us have been trying to get from the edges into the centre, but we’re very few. The world is still very resistant to understanding the diversity of human beings. ~ Daniela Vega

[Plaza de Armas decorated for the summer Christmas season . . . ]

There’s nowhere like home for me, but there has been something so interesting about most of the places I’ve visited. One that sticks out in my mind is traveling around South America. It’s a huge continent, and I only got to see a small portion of it, but I’ve always liked going there. ~ Brittany Bowe

[Don Pedro de Valdivia, the guy on the horse, in the Plaza de Armas De San Fernando, and the Metropolitan Cathedral on the right . . . ]

I can promise you that women working together – linked, informed and educated – can bring peace and prosperity to this forsaken planet. ~ Isabel Allende

[The Metropolitan Cathedral . . . ]

Birds born in cages think that flying is a disease. ~ Alejandro Jodorowsky

[Despite all security measures, there appears to be a missing person here . . . ]

I think in South America people are very, uh, they have no inhibitions and wear their hearts on their sleeves – what’s the word? They’re very expressive, demonstrative. ~ Bernard Sumner

The only continent where social movements have led to political parties that have pushed through serious social and political reforms is in South America. ~ Tariq Ali

Two prominent terms, ‘Latino’ and ‘Hispanic,’ refer to people living in the United States who have roots in Latin America, Spain, Mexico, South America, or Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries. ~ Ilan Stavans

[Palacio de La Moneda, or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the president of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency, and General Secretariat of the Government . . . ]

Latin American Art is an operational term used to describe art actually made in the more than twenty countries that make up Latin America and that encompass Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. ~ Mari Carmen Ramirez

[I have reason to suspect the nutcrackers are appendages of the season . . . ]

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it. ~ Andrew Jackson

I realize that humor isn’t for everyone. It’s only for people who want to have fun, enjoy life, and feel alive. ~ Anne Wilson Schaef

[I liked the fire escape . . . ]

I don’t really watch what I eat. I love sitting around with friends and eating loads and drinking loads for hours. Maybe when I’m 40 I’ll worry about my diet. ~ Santiago Cabrera

[Street scene . . . ]

When people refer to ‘Back in the Day,’ it was a Wednesday. Just a little fun fact for you. ~ Dane Cook

You can be childlike without being childish. A child always wants to have fun. Ask yourself, ‘Am I having fun?’ ~ Christopher Meloni

[Central Post Office Building . . . ]

The problem is when that fun stuff becomes the habit. And I think that’s what’s happened in our culture. Fast food has become the everyday meal. ~ Michelle Obama

[Santa Lucía Hill (Spanish: Cerro Santa Lucía), also known in Mapuche as Huelén Hill, is a small hill in the centre of Santiago. An adjacent metro station is named after it. The hill has an altitude of 629 m and a height of 69 m over the surrounding area. The hill is the remnant of a volcano 15 million years old. The hill comprises a 65,300 square metre park adorned with ornate facades, stairways and fountains. At the highest point there is a viewpoint popular with tourists visiting the city and meeting point. (Wikipedia)]

When you start recognising that you’re having fun, life can be delightful. ~ Jane Birkin

Dreams don’t have deadlines. I’m thinking of doing bigger and better things and having more fun with it. ~ LL Cool J

[A big brown building, a/k/a, Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center . . . ]

Technology is so much fun but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge. ~ Daniel J. Boorstin

[Approaching Sky Costanera . . . ]

You must enjoy the journey because whether or not you get there, you must have fun on the way. ~ Kalpana Chawla

[The Super getting tickets for the elevator ride (one minute) to Sky Costanera . . . ]

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

[The view, the view . . . ]

Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance. ~ David Mamet

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. ~ Maya Angelou

[Sky Costanera, on the 61st and 62 floor of Costanera Tower . . . ]

Old and young, we are all on our last cruise. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

[Reeking of American tourists . . . ]

I had a pretty modest upbringing; it was no pleasure cruise. ~ Vanilla Ice

Violence is one of the most fun things to watch. ~ Quentin Tarantino

[Our personal photographer . . . ]

It didn’t get any more glamorous than Havana, Cuba, in the 1950s. I used to go there when I was a waiter on a cruise ship. ~ Sino Maccioni

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind. ~ Taylor Swift

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. ~ Dalai Lama

We do not remember days, we remember moments. ~ Cesare Pavese

I spend six months of the year on cruises. Travelling the world with your mates, it’s such good fun and I hope that comes across. ~ Jane McDonald

I found out retirement means playing golf, or I don’t know what the hell it means. But to me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing. ~ Dick Van Dyke

A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier. That is why Chippendale is famous. ~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

The skyscraper establishes the block, the block creates the street, the street offers itself to man. ~ Roland Barthes

What I like about cities is that everything is king size, the beauty and the ugliness. ~ Joseph Brodsky

The skyscraper style first advocated by Louis Sullivan – a tower of strongly vertical character with clear definitions among base, shaft, and crown – has remained remarkably consistent throughout the history of this building type. ~ Martin Filler

I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

[Continuing the “loop” – the hop on/hop off bus was a two-hour, 12-stop tour of the city. We circled twice hoping the funicular might open on the second pass. It didn’t . . . ]

A culture, we all know, is made by its cities. ~ Derek Walcott

[Headquarters for the hop on/hop off bus, basically an enlarged telephone booth . . . ]

The land created me. I’m wild and lonesome. Even as I travel the cities, I’m more at home in the vacant lots. ~ Bob Dylan

[Appears to be a Lady Bird Johnson-like attempt at urban beautification, i.e., climate induced drought has required the use of attached water bags for new plantings . . . ]

I think there will be a 200-story skyscraper someday. However, it will require a developer who will not think in conventional terms and for whom economic restraints won’t apply. ~ Helmut Jahn

Doing a house is so much harder than doing a skyscraper. ~ Philip Johnson

The one thing that all great cities have in common is that they are all different. ~ Cate Blanchett

[The funicular to the hilltop was closed because of wildfire hazards. (As I type this on February 6, there have been fatal and destructive wildfires in this area.)]

There are certain romances that belong in certain cities, in a certain atmosphere, in a certain time. ~ Sammy Davis, Jr.

[Mapocho River through the city . . . ]

You probably don’t need more weapons than what’s required to destroy every city on earth. There’s only 2,300 cities. So, the United States, by that criteria, only needs 2,300 nuclear weapons – well, we’ve got more than 25,000! ~ Carl Sagan

[Street scene . . . ]

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

[Academia Diplomática Andrés Bello of Chile is the institution responsible for training Chile’s future diplomats and has also contributed to the preparation of diplomats from South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It is one of the oldest Academy on the American continent. (Wikipedia)]

Forget the damned motor car and build the cities for lovers and friends. ~ Lewis Mumford

If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild our neighborhoods. And to do that, we must understand that the quality of life is more important than the standard of living. ~ Harvey Milk

But geography, if used correctly, can be used to redesign sustainable and more livable cities. ~ Jack Dangermond

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges facing our cities or to the housing crisis, but the two issues need to be considered together. From an urban design and planning point of view, the well-connected open city is a powerful paradigm and an engine for integration and inclusivity. ~ Richard Rogers

I would like to use architecture to create bonds between people who live in cities, and even use it to recover the communities that used to exist in every single city. ~ Toyo Ito

I have never felt salvation in nature. I love cities above all. ~ Michelangelo

[Clock tower of the San Francisco Church . . . ]

I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong. ~ Bertrand Russell

[Pontifical Catholic University of Chile . . . ]

I have my own boat, but when I first thought about taking a cruise, I thought, ‘You’re going to trap me on a boat, and I’m going to walk in circles and go crazy,’ but it’s awesome. ~ Guy Fieri

[Known, amazingly, as the yellow spiral sculpture in the central business district of Santiago . . . ]

I tell anyone who will listen to me: On a cruise, you can be with all these people, or you can be by yourself. You can find tranquility, you can find party, you can find new friends. I’m a cruise convert. ~ Guy Fieri

Since the 1920s, when some U.S. cruise ships decided to fly a Panamanian flag to avoid Prohibition regulations, ships have commonly flown the flag of countries foreign to their owners. The benefits are obvious: lower taxes, laxer labor and safety laws. ~ Rose George

I would not want to be on a cruise ship. Some ferry crossings I’m not too thrilled about. ~ Jennifer Connelly

[I really have no idea . . . ]

I don’t believe in nudity for nudity’s sake, but it’s really beautiful when it’s done well, when it’s within a story. I’m very comfortable with my body. I grew up mostly in France, where nudity is not taboo. ~ Leonor Varela

[Tourists on a bus . . . ]

A bigger business is like a cruise ship: There are lots of amenities and you can go a lot further, but it’s harder to turn quickly. ~ Tony Hsieh

[Our Marriott . . . ]

Broke my femur on a cruise with my wife in Italy. I’d walked back to my cabin after dinner with half a plate of spaghetti when I leaned in to open the door. Turns out it was already open, so I fell flat on my face like something from the Keystone Kops. ~ Art Donovan

[Our Marriott . . . ]

I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong. ~ Bertrand Russell

[Our Marriott, placing an unnatural significance on our hotel . . . ]

Someone asked how I feel about Captain Crunch. I’m capable of eating an entire box of it without any milk. It is a sweet taste that is indescribable. Captain Crunch is its own flavour. ~ Pedro Pascal

[Does anyone see any significance in this?]

The idea of elegance and aristocratic indulgence of an ocean cruise was born out of the image of the rich men and women who ruled the British Empire slowly sailing to India and the Far East while sipping gin and tonic on deck – served by men in white jackets. ~ Adam Curtis

[The hotel interior court in the background (see first pic in this post) . . . ]

I’ve never been on a cruise. ~ Philip Seymour Hoffman

I don’t like cruises. Period. My biggest nightmare is being stuck on a boat. ~ Joe Flanigan

[Bottled water from Tuscany?]

I’ll be 65 in September and I work as much as I want to, take cruises with Kay, relax with my family, do everything in moderation, because I want to enjoy my life. ~ Frankie Avalon

[After a long day of touristing, Little Ole was ready to chow down. Say “good night,” Ruthie . . . ]

Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued. ~ Socrates

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~ Mark Twain

Up Next: Day 4

January 22

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked. ~ Bernard Meltzer

Dave, Karin, and their labradoodle daughter Gracie lived on the far NE corner of Lake Carlos. Their little slice of heaven here on earth, home to beautiful sunsets on the classic Minnesota lake. Through the years, however, we always marveled at their ability to join us for in-town social events when they had such a long drive home after 8:00 pm (we were all real night owls). We live about two miles from “downtown” Alex while the Bergs were way out there in the exurbs, maybe 10 miles from downtown. In their last few years there, they did begin consideration of a move closer to town.

Dave and I first met at the Alexandria Golf Club (AGC) double digit years ago. By federal, state, and local law, it is a requirement that first meetings of retirees must take place on a golf course. We had similar games and had many fun times together playing in the AGC’s senior men’s league. Then about eight years ago I was struck by a sudden bolt of sanity and decided that life is short and golf just takes too much time. Fortunately Dave, Karin, Ruthie, and I would still be knit together by mutual love affairs with wine, fine dining, and live music.

Ruthie and I had just started our 3-week cruise around South America when we received notice that Dave had died. ~ Me

August 2012

Fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine. ~ Charles Dickens

[Here Dave (far right) and Karin (middle, putting) are competing in the annual senior men’s league Steak Fry and Bean Feed at the Alexandria Golf Club . . . ]

To like and dislike the same things, that is what makes a solid friendship. ~ Sallust

[Dave and Karin provide the background for two native Alexandrians who returned home in retirement because it was the only place that would accept them . . . ]

Friendship is a wildly underrated medication. ~ Anna Deavere Smith

[At the aforementioned Steak Fry and Bean Feed . . . ]

Friendship is being there when someone’s feeling low and not being afraid to kick them. ~ Randy K. Milholland

[Awards at the steak fry were handed out by Dave’s older brother Loren (standing) . . . ]

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like ‘What about lunch?” ~ A. A. Milne

All you need to do to be my friend is like me. ~ Taylor Swift

I’ll stick to finding the funny in the ordinary because my life is pretty ordinary and so are the lives of my friends—and my friends are hilarious. ~ Issa Rae

November 2013

No man who has once heartily and wholly laughed can be altogether depraved. ~ Thomas Carlyle

[Over the years, a home away from home for the four of us – initially, Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale (SAWA), succeeded-in-name-and-ownership by the Garden Bar on 6th. Lisa Lynn (between Karin and Dave) was a favorite performer of ours at this venue . . . ]

My friends and I are crazy. That’s the only thing that keeps us sane. ~ Matt Schucker

[I think this was an example of flash/no flash . . . ]

June 2014

I don’t like to commit myself about heaven and hell — you see, I have friends in both places. ~ Mark Twain

[If we were not to be found at SAWA/Garden Bar, the likely next choice would be at Carlos Creek Winery (CCW) as always ISO a music venue . . . ]

September 2014

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they’re OK, then it’s you. ~ Rita Mae Brown

[Again at CCW with Bob, Vivian, and Angie Annen at the next table . . . ]

May 2015

Most of us don’t need a psychiatric therapist as much as a friend to be silly with. ~ Robert Brault

[A time of year phenomenon (too cold to be outside), here Karin taking photos indoors at CCW . . . ]

Friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ~ C.S. Lewis

September 2017

The imaginary friends I had as a kid dropped me because their friends thought I didn’t exist. ~ Aaron Machado

[In the Grand Hall at CCW for a music event. Dave discovered a handy holster for his bottle of wine . . . ]

One measure of friendship consists not in the number of things friends can discuss, but in the number of things they need no longer mention. ~ Clifton Fadiman

[I detect a western theme . . . ]

May 2018

Friend is someone to share the last cookie with. ~ Cookie Monster

[A fundraising soiree for Theatre L’Homme Dieu (TLHD) at the Alexandria Golf Club. (Note: It’s Theatre L’Homme Dieu; and Lake Le Homme Dieu. Go figure?)]

It’s important to our friends to believe that we are unreservedly frank with them, and important to the friendship that we are not. ~ Mignon McLaughlin

[TLHD’s executive director Nicole Mulder talks shop with TLHD board member Dave while Karin chaperones . . . ]

Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success. ~ Oscar Wilde

[Looks like a first class beverage . . . ]

Come at once if convenient. If inconvenient, come all the same. ~ Arthur Conan Doyle

[Dave and Karin have left the building . . . ]

June 2018

No one will ever be as entertained by us as us. ~ Your Friend Who’s a Riot

[Younger generation family members joined Karin and Dave for The Killer Vees at the CCW Grand Hall . . . ]

Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends. ~ Virginia Woolf

[Another flash/no flash event . . . ]

Friendship is not possible between two women, one of whom is very well dressed. ~ Laurie Colwin

September 2018

Whoever says friendship is easy has obviously never had a true friend! ~ Bronwyn Polson

[Likely the Grape Stomp at CCW with older brother Loren . . . ]

Friends come and go, like the waves of the ocean, but the true ones stay. Like an octopus on your face. ~ Unknown

[Was that a ’57 T-bird?]

June 2019

Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. ~ Sicilian Proverb

[Another oft visited music, wine and dining venue – the Lure Lakebar patio overlooking Lake Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

Friendship must be built on a solid foundation of alcohol, sarcasm, inappropriateness and shenanigans. ~ Unknown

Instead of the mahi mahi, may I just get the one mahi because I’m not that hungry? ~ Anna Faris

[Another cropping/no cropping example . . . ]

A good friend is a connection to life – a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. ~ Lois Wyse

True friends don’t judge each other, they judge other people together. ~ Emilie Saint-Genis

[Yes, I think it was that ’57 T-bird . . . ]

September 2019

Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives. ~ Alexandre Dumas

[And here we are back at the winery patio again. It must have been a cold September . . . ]

December 2019

Friends make you smile – best friends make you giggle till you pee your pants. ~ Terri Guillemets

[Rockin’ around the Christmas tree, Have a happy holiday – the usual suspects at the winery again . . . ]

A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets. ~ Lauren Oliver

[Fine dining at the Garden Bar . . . ]

Friends should be like books, few, but hand-selected. ~ C.J. Langenhoven

[The Group of 6 (Paul and Deb Trumm are closest to the camera) at the Garden Bar, likely to listen to the musical stylings of Tuesday Night Club . . . ]

Time doesn’t take away from friendship, nor does separation. ~ Tennessee Williams

A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth. ~ Charles Darwin

Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? ~ Abraham Lincoln

June 2020

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

[Another member of the Berg family (left, Dave’s daughter, as I recall) decided to join parental units in all the fun they have on the winery patio . . . ]

Of all possessions a friend is the most precious. ~ Herodotus

August 2020

Awards become corroded. Friends gather no dust. ~ Jesse Owens

[Dave signing in to compete in the annual Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club . . . ]

The only way to have a friend is to be one. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Karin caddied for him in the golf cart . . . ]

There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met. ~ Jim Henson

[The tee off on hole #10 . . . ]

Happiness is a long walk with a putter. ~ Greg Norman

Nobody asked how you looked, just what you shot. ~ Sam Snead

The proper score for a businessman golfer is 90. If he is better than that he is neglecting his business. If he’s worse, he’s neglecting his golf. ~ St. Andrews Rotary Club Member

Don’t sell yourself short Judge, you’re a tremendous slouch. ~ Ty Webb, Caddyshack

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

[The usual sixsome at the winery listening to Erik Schultz . . . ]

September 2020

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

[Listening to Anthony Miltich at the winery . . . ]

April 2021

We just like having fun with everything we do. ~ Young Dolph

[The Grand Hall at CCW for The Bands Played On fundraiser . . . ]

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. ~ Michael Jordan

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

[Dave always had to check with Anthony to make sure Anthony was taking good care of his 8-string guitar . . . ]

June 2021

Life is too short to not have fun; we are only here for a short time compared to the sun and the moon and all that. ~ Coolio

[Road trip to Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud to see Harper’s Chord, a long time favorite area group . . . ]

You just do what you can and you have as much fun as possible. ~ Frank Ocean

August 2021

Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs. ~ Kin Hubbard

[Ruthie and I usually spend the first week of August at summer camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. That week also coincides with our local Resorters Tournament. The two years of COVID cancelled summer camp so we got to follow Dave in the golf tournament again . . . ]

Winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half. ~ Bum Phillips

If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf. ~ Bob Hope

When you start recognising that you’re having fun, life can be delightful. ~ Jane Birkin

[Panorama of the Mick Sterling concert at the Legacy of the Lakes Gardens . . . ]

September 2021

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it. ~ Andrew Jackson

[Dave happy amongst his fellow guitar players, all performers at CCW and other area venues: l-r, Erik Schultz, Jeff James, Robb Justice, Dave, and Anthony Miltich . . . ]

I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints – the sinners are much more fun. ~ Billy Joel

[This, and the above photo, were taken at the Grape Stomp at CCW. Karin and Dave’s friends Sue and Bob from The Cities joined us here . . . ]

December 2021

Aging can be fun if you lay back and enjoy it. ~ Clint Eastwood

[The Those Who Stay Behind dinner at Arrowwood . . . ]

I just like having fun. ~ Katy Perry

[With Warren and Ann Smith to see Elsa Lee at the winery . . . ]

March 2022

We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. ~ William Glasser

[Wednesday night fine dining, at this time of year at Lure Lakebar, and joined by Jim and Mary Pohl . . . ]

You don’t fall in love with people because they’re fun. It just happens. ~ Kirsten Dunst

[And Tom and Jeanne Mulder on the right . . . ]

I realize that humor isn’t for everyone. It’s only for people who want to have fun, enjoy life, and feel alive. ~ Anne Wilson Schaef

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

[And later that same month by an additional cast of thousands . . . ]

Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party. ~ Jimmy Buffett

May 2022

If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s gathering people together to do something fun. ~ Dave Grohl

[Run for the Roses fundraiser for TLHD at CCW Grand Hall . . . ]

The fun for me in collaboration is, one, working with other people just makes you smarter; that’s proven. ~ Lin-Manuel Miranda

Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all. ~ Joseph Epstein

[Jim Pence, the “CEO” and Dave, the “CFO” of TLHD, and yes, I can be blamed for nominating both of them for the board . . . ]

Don’t get older just to get wiser. If you get older, you will be wiser, I believe that – if you dare. But get older because it’s fun! ~ Maya Angelou

July 2022

Astronomy’s much more fun when you’re not an astronomer. ~ Brian May

[An outdoor concert at Theatre L’Homme Dieu . . . ]

When people refer to ‘Back in the Day,’ it was a Wednesday. Just a little fun fact for you. ~ Dane Cook

[An outdoor concert with Josie Nelson at Gathered Oaks . . . ]

I only do this because I’m having fun. The day I stop having fun, I’ll just walk away. ~ Heath Ledger

[A Tribute to Bread outdoor concert at TLHD . . . ]

I like to go to parties where I know everyone. How are you going to have fun with people you don’t know? ~ Mary-Kate Olsen

[TLHD fundraising soiree . . . ]

Skiing combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face. ~ Dave Barry

August 2022

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. ~ Mae West

[Breaking in a new venue – Rolling Forks Vineyards on Lake Minnewaska in Glenwood . . . ]

To love what you do and feel that it matters how could anything be more fun? ~ Katharine Graham

[We were there for the Cheese Bots, another of our longtime favorites . . . ]

As long as I’m having fun, I’m not quitting. ~ Sue Johanson

As a rock star, I have two instincts, I want to have fun, and I want to change the world. I have a chance to do both. ~ Bono

November 2022

Are we having fun yet? ~ Bill Griffith

[Joined by John and Helen Etnier, the prince and princess of Ashby, to see Elsa Lee at the winery . . . ]

January 2023

As long as you’re having fun, that’s the key. The moment it becomes a grind, it’s over. ~ Barry Gibb

[To see Anthony Miltich at Willy T’s . . . ]

Summer means happy times and good sunshine. It means going to the beach, going to Disneyland, having fun. ~ Brian Wilson

The universe is hilarious! Like, Venus is 900 degrees. I could tell you it melts lead. But that’s not as fun as saying, ‘You can cook a pizza on the windowsill in nine seconds.’ And next time my fans eat pizza, they’re thinking of Venus! ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

April 2023

Comedy is a reflection. We create nothing. We set no styles, no standards. We’re reflections. It’s a distorted mirror in the fun house. We watch society. As society behaves, then we have the ability to make fun of it. ~ Alan King

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

May 2023

It’s kind of fun to be sexy. ~ Tea Leoni

[Galaxy Road playing at the winery . . . ]

July 2023

There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it. ~ Mindy Kaling

[Dave, Karin, and super volunteer Janet Baker join the star of the show, Don Shelby, after the play Love Letters at TLHD . . . ]

August 2023

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society. ~ Mark Twain

[TLHD’s annual fundraising soiree . . . ]

September 2023

I walk around like everything’s fine, but deep down, inside my shoe, my sock is sliding off. ~ Anonymous

[The usual suspects gather for an evening of entertainment with Anthony Miltich at Stella’s in beautiful downtown Battle Lake . . . ]

You know you’ve reached middle age when you’re cautioned to slow down by your doctor, instead of by the police. ~ Joan Rivers

[The Berg’s Twin City friends, Bob & Sue, join us at the winery for an afternoon with Anthony Miltich . . . ]

I never feel more alone than when I’m trying to put sunscreen on my back. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

There’s no need to dress like everyone else. It’s much more fun to create your own look. ~ Twiggy

[Or why I’m also more comfortable behind the camera . . . ]

November 2023

When I’m in social situations, I always hold onto my glass. It makes me feel comfortable and secure and I don’t have to shake hands. ~ Larry David

[November 17, 2023, our last get together, dinner at Biaggi’s in Maple Grove. They had recently moved from Alex to Plymouth to be closer to family and health care. They got away before we could take them out to dinner in Alex. Maybe some day we can get together again for a round of golf?]

Love when you can. Cry when you have to. Be who you must, it’s part of the plan. Await your arrival, with simple survival, and one day we’ll all understand. ~ Dan Fogelberg

January 14

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. ~ St. Augustine

In 2003, I almost died of an intestinal blockage when I was on a mountain in Chile, filming a segment for ‘Scientific American Frontiers.’ ~ Alan Alda

[Little Ole signature photo representing the trip with Orsono Volcano in the Chilean Lake District as the background . . . ]

Our first cruise since the summer of 2019 when we went to Norway. My fondest memory of this cruise will be that I didn’t gain a single pound, a singular accomplishment in the world of cruising. It took us a full day to get there: From Minneapolis, to Atlanta, to Bogota, Colombia, to Santiago, Chile. The trip added five new counties to my repertoire: Colombia, Chile, Falkland Islands, Argentina, and Uruguay. I also added a couple of other firsts. I now have to answer the medical question “have you fallen down?” with a yes, twice. The first time was on the last week of the cruise while on the top deck star gazing (I still haven’t seen the Southern Cross) when I tripped over the barrier to the bocce ball court and fell flat on my face, bracing my left hand to protect my phone and will now do shoulder rehab. The last was in the Minneapolis airport when I should have known better than to use an escalator when overloaded with luggage. I took a lovely tumble that chewed up both shins. I made it home and am now on full reclusiveness at home in recovery. We are postponing today’s book club gathering until next weekend – even for lifelong Minnesotans, it was decided that a temperature of 40 degrees below zero wind chill would best be endured in the comfort of one’s own home (and in my case to avoid further injury). And now, our report . . . ~ Me

December 20

Not all those who wander are lost. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

[As usual, the Super graciously volunteered to be the perspective model in our photos. Here in MPLS enroute to Atlanta on the first leg of the journey . . . ]

It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression, ‘As pretty as an airport.‘ ~ Douglas Adams

[In the Atlanta airport for leg two of the journey to Bogota, Colombia . . . ]

Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home. ~ Anna Quindlen

[Readying for the third and final leg . . . ]

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. ~ Mark Twain

[To Santiago, Chile . . . ]

December 21

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust

[Atrium of the Santiago Marriott Hotel . . . ]

Jet lag is for amateurs. ~  Dick Clark

[Little Ole came out to celebrate our arrival . . . ]

Travel far enough, you meet yourself. ~ David Mitchell

[Santiago has a population of 5.6 million and they all passed through the airport this morning!]

I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there. ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

[And a Merry Christmas from Santiago . . . ]

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. ~ Gustave Flaubert

[The hotel patio . . . ]

Why do you go away? So that you can come back. ~ Terry Pratchett

[The hotel restaurant . . . ]

Never did the world make a queen of a girl who hides in houses and dreams without traveling. ~ Roman Payne

[Dinner at said hotel restaurant . . . ]

But that’s the glory of foreign travel, as far as I am concerned. I don’t want to know what people are talking about. I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses. ~ Bill Bryson

[The view from our hotel room . . . ]

I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world. ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

[View from our hotel room side window . . . ]

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

[Our first bus tour, cruising Santiago . . . ]

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home. ~ James A. Michener

[The Super organizes her touring stuff . . . ]

We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. ~ Pico Iyer

[Our tour guide, in seasonal antlers for the upcoming holiday . . . ]

Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? ~ Anthony Bourdain

[Our first objet jour – our hotel . . . ]

Make voyages. Attempt them. There’s nothing else. ~ Tennessee Williams

[Gran Torre Costanera, previously known as Costanera Center Torre 2, and also known as El Costanera (The Costanera) by the locals, and previously known as Torre Gran Costanera, is a 62-story skyscraper in Santiago, Chile. It is the tallest building in South America. The tower was designed by Chilean architects Alemparte Barreda & Asociados, the Argentine architect Cesar Pelli and the Canadian company Watt International. ~ Wikipedia]

Travel brings wisdom only to the wise. It renders the ignorant more ignorant than ever. ~ Joe Abercrombie

[Plaza de Armas is the main square of Santiago. It is the centerpiece of the initial layout of Santiago, which has a square grid pattern. This urban design was accomplished by Pedro de Gamboa, which was appointed by Pedro de Valdivia in 1541. ~ tripadvisor.co[m]

Self-consciousness kills communication. ~ Rick Steves

[Christmas in the plaza . . . ]

It is always sad to leave a place to which one knows one will never return. Such are the melancholies du voyage: perhaps they are one of the most rewarding things about traveling. ~ Gustave Flaubert

[Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva; April 17, 1497 – December 25, 1553) was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. ~ Wikipedia]

Every one of a hundred thousand cities around the world had its own special sunset and it was worth going there, just once, if only to see the sun go down. ~ Ryu Murakami

[STGO = Santiago . . . ]

There is strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today, the Sun will rise again tomorrow. ~ Aaron Lauritsen

[Perfect for kids . . . ]

I saw in their eyes something I was to see over and over in every part of the nation- a burning desire to go, to move, to get under way, anyplace, away from any Here. They spoke quietly of how they wanted to go someday, to move about, free and unanchored, not toward something but away from something. I saw this look and heard this yearning everywhere in every states I visited. Nearly every American hungers to move. ~ John Steinbeck

[Of course you already know the description . . . ]

Travel is glamorous only in retrospect. ~ Paul Theroux

[Our tour guide in photo center explaining all you can see in the plaza . . . ]

Anyone who needs more than one suitcase is a tourist, not a traveler. ~ Ira Levin

[The building on the right is the seat of the municipality of Santiago – the city hall – at the corner of the 21 de Mayo Street. It was built 1785-1790 by the italian architect Joaquín Toesca. First it was the seat of the cabildo, the colonial administrative council of the city, while it also served as the prison of the city. ~ panoramastreetline.com]

If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. ~ Anthony Bourdain

[With City Hall as the background . . . ]

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. ~ Lin Yutang

[A tree not native to Alexandria, Minnesota . . . ]

That’s the place to get to—nowhere. One wants to wander away from the world’s somewheres, into our own nowhere. ~ D.H. Lawrence

Every hundred feet the world changes. ~ Roberto Bolaño

[The Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago is a building located in the north central village of the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, Chile. The building dates back to 1808 and houses, since 1982, the National History Museum of Chile. ~ Wikipedia

The Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago, which today houses the Museo Histórico Nacional (MHN – National History Museum of Chile). It was built 1804-07 by Juan Goycolea for the Royal Courts of Justice of Chile. Later it also served as the seat of the government of Chile. ~ panoramastreetline.com]

We can’t jump off bridges anymore because our iPhones will get ruined. We can’t take skinny dips in the ocean because there’s no service on the beach and adventures aren’t real unless they’re on Instagram. Technology has doomed the spontaneity of adventure and we’re helping destroy it every time we Google, check-in, and hashtag. ~ Jeremy Glass

[The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago . . . ]

You don’t even know where I’m going. I don’t care. I’d like to go anywhere. ~ John Steinbeck

[The Super fronting a flock of lupine . . . ]

The saddest journey in the world is the one that follows a precise itinerary. Then you’re not a traveler. You’re a f@@king tourist. ~ Guillermo del Toro

[Washingtonia filifera, the desert fan palm, California fan palm, or California palm, is a flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the far southwestern United States and Baja California, Mexico. Growing to 15–20 m tall by 3–6 m broad, it is an evergreen monocot with a tree-like growth habit. ~ Wikipedia]

There are two kinds of travel: first class and with children. ~ Robert Benchley

[Simon Bolivar fountain and monument to American Liberty at Plaza de Armas Square . . . ]

Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone? ~ Erma Bombeck

[Again, the cathedral . . . ]

The farther you go, however, the harder it is to return. The world has many edges, and it’s easy to fall off. ~ Anderson Cooper

[Inside the cathedral, where we were allowed a quick photo op . . . ]

Men read maps better than women because only men can understand the concept of an inch equaling a hundred miles. ~ Roseanne Barr

[Now this is an urban street as urban streets should be . . . ]

Travel does not exist without home….If we never return to the place we started, we would just be wandering, lost. ~ Josh Gates

[Another wonderful urban street . . . ]

Only it seems to me that once in your life before you die you ought to see a country where they don’t talk in English and don’t even want to. ~ Thornton Wilder

[Our tour bus. I know that because that’s what the sign says . . . ]

The only way I knew how to live the best day ever was on an expedition. ~ Hendri Coetzee

[The Former National Congress Building (ex Congreso Nacional) is the former home of the Chilean Congress. Congress met in this building in central Santiago until Salvador Allende’s socialist government was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet’s military coup d’etat on September 11, 1973. During the Pinochet dictatorship, Congress was moved to new premises in Valparaiso; the old building was declared a national monument in 1976 and between 1990 and 2006 housed the ministry of foreign affairs. The Senate moved its offices in Santiago to this building in December 2000. On January 26, 2006 the Chamber of Deputies recovered its old offices. ~ Wikipedia]

I heard an airplane passing overhead. I wished I was on it. ~ Charles Bukowski

[Continuing my urban street theme . . . ]

The best traveler is one without a camera. ~ Kamand Kojouri

[Close up of the plaza statue a few pics below . . . ]

I wonder if the ocean smells different on the other side of the world. ~ J.A. Redmerski

[See explanation above . . . ]

You can’t understand a city without using its public transportation system. ~ Erol Ozan

[The official government building, seat to the President of the Republic, is generally known as La Moneda. It also hosts the Home Office, the General Secretariat of the Presidency, the General Secretariat of the Government and the Ministry of Social Development. ~ thesingular.com]

It’s in those quiet little towns, at the edge of the world, that you will find the salt of the earth people who make you feel right at home. ~ Aaron Lauritsen

[Statue of Pedro Aguirre Cerda located at the Plaza de la Constitución. ~ Wikipedia]

[Plaza de la constitución (Constitution Square), Santiago de Chile. Occupying a full square block in the heart of the civic district of Santiago, Chile. It is located in front of the northern facade of the Palacio de la Moneda and is surrounded by other government buildings such as those housing the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Banco Central de Chile and the Intendencia de Santiago. ~ deviantart.com]

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. ~ Clifton Fadiman

It is better to fill your head with useless knowledge than no knowledge at all. ~ Jim Hinckley

[DIEGO PORTALES: (June 16, 1793 – June 6, 1837) was a Chilean statesman and entrepreneur. As a minister of president José Joaquín Prieto Diego Portales played a pivotal role in shaping the state and government politics in the 19th century, delivering with the Constitution of 1833 the framework of the Chilean state for almost a century. Portales influential political stance included unitarianism, presidentialism and conservatism which led to consolidate Chile as a constitutional authoritarian republic with democracy restricted to include only upper class men. ~ deviantart.com]

He didn’t really like travel, of course. He liked the idea of travel, and the memory of travel, but not travel itself. ~ Julian Barnes

Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. ~ Cesare Pavese

[An outdoor craft fair – the Super alleges she didn’t buy anything there . . . ]

Leave home, leave the country, leave the familiar. Only then can routine experience—buying bread, eating vegetables, even saying hello—become new all over again. ~ Anthony Doerr

[Adios, from Santiago . . . ]

Everything I did, all my actions, all of the problems I had I dedicate to God and to Chile, because I kept Chile from becoming Communist. ~ Augusto Pinochet

Chile has done a lot to rid itself of poverty, especially extreme poverty, since the return to democracy. But we still have a ways to go toward greater equity. This country does not have a neoliberal economic model anymore. We have put in place a lot of policies that will ensure that economic growth goes hand in hand with social justice. ~ Michelle Bachelet

Up Next: South America . . .

December 11

The future [of America] is not going to be formed by 76-year old white guys living in Florida.  ~  David Brooks

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~ Lily Tomlin

This is your Christmas card. Due to the vicissitudes of age, time, and health, we will not honor America’s major holiday with the usual “full year in review.” Instead, we will just play blog catch up with what’s left to cover as the year comes to an end. In other words, this is just a regular submission in my diary that doubles as a blog. As the saying goes, stuff happens. At least it ended with, to paraphrase Jimmy V., a perfect day when you can enjoy the symphony, meet for book club, and end with John Cleese discussing creativity on TV . . . ~ Me

Christmas is a box of tree ornaments that have become part of the family. ~ Charles M. Schulz

Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard or too sad when you’ve got a Christmas tree in the living room. ~ Nora Roberts

[Guinie stands guard over the tree (when she’s not trying to climb it) . . . ]

We begin in direct contradiction with what has previously been stated. The Supervisor came upon an old photo disc and placed it on my desk, which I took to believe was a request to “put these in the Christmas blog!” They are photos from Christmas 2004, from a place highly noted for its white Christmases – southern Indiana. ~ Me

I was Christmas shopping and ran into a guy on the street. I noticed his watch and said that it runs slow. He said, ‘So does the guy I stole it from.‘ ~ David Letterman

[Ruthie’s sister Rita’s classic log home in Nashville, Indiana . . . ]

Let’s be naughty and save Santa the trip. ~ Gary Allan

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. ~ Maya Angelou

[Ruthie, Rita, and Beth (Rita’s daughter) in front of stated log home . . . ]

Christmas: It’s the only religious holiday that’s also a federal holiday. That way, Christians can go to their services, and everyone else can sit at home and reflect on the true meaning of the separation of church and state. ~ Samantha Bee

[Walking the city streets of Nashville . . . ]

We celebrate the birth of one who told us to give everything to the poor by giving each other motorized tie racks. ~ Bill McKibben

[On the street where Rita lives . . . ]

I love Christmas. I receive a lot of wonderful presents I can’t wait to exchange. ~ Henny Youngman

[Ruthie greets a neighborhood ungulate coming from Rita’s yard . . . ]

I grew up on a Christmas Tree Farm so this is a good season for me. ~ Taylor Swift

[The sign says “Be careful, there’s a fence under the snowpile.” This was at the home of Rita’s friend and neighbor, famed wildlife artist Bill Zimmerman . . . ]

Were it not for the shepherds, there would have been no reception. And were it not for a group of stargazers, there would have been no gifts. ~ Max Lucado

Meanwhile, back in modern times . . .

November 3

Christmas is such a carefree, low-pressure time—that’s one of the things I love about it. ~ Stephen King

[Alexandria’s football team won the section 8 5A championship (with an 11 – 0 season record) earning a trip to the Vikings’ stadium for the state semifinals . . . ]

‘White Christmas’ is the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ of Christmas songs. ~ Stewart Stafford

Thank you, Stockings, for being a long flammable piece of fabric people like to hang over a roaring fireplace. ~ Jimmy Fallon

[Moving toward field center for the after game congratulatory handshakes with the Brainerd players . . . ]

This holiday season, no matter what your religion is, please take a moment to reflect on why it’s better than all the other ones. ~ Guy Endore Kaiser

[Books not appreciated by Ron DeSantis . . . ]

November 7

I hate the radio this time of year because they play ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ like, every other song. And that’s just not enough. ~ Bridger Winegar

[Terry Kennedy and Erik Schultz entertaining the dinner crowd at the Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]

Christmas sweaters are only acceptable as a cry for help. ~ Andy Borowitz

[Fine examples of Garden Bar on 6th constituents . . . ]

The office Christmas party is a great opportunity to catch up with people you haven’t seen for 20 minutes. ~ Julius Sharpe

[Le Homme Dog . . . ]

November 11

I bought my brother some gift wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping. ~ Steven Wright

[The Cardinal girls hockey team opened the season hosting the Buffalo Bison . . . ]

My wife, like many women, actually ‘likes’ wrapping things. If she gives you a gift that requires batteries, she wraps the batteries separately, which to me is very close to being a symptom of mental illness. ~ Dave Barry

[And away we go!]

I left Santa gluten-free cookies and organic soy milk and he put a solar panel in my stocking. ~ Earthman Adam

[Sophomore Lillian Dutton (26) unleashes a shot on goal . . . ]

More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you’ve been bad and good. ~ Linda Sunshine

[The scoreboard shut down early – final score: Alexandria – 2, Buffalo – 0]

We got so caught up in the little things of Christmas, like love and family, that we almost forgot that it’s buying things that makes our economy thrive. ~ Diana Choksondik

[Mothers’ Day photo . . . ]

November 27

From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it. ~ Katharine Whitehorn

[The Super made a discovery while scouring the “basement” for Christmas decorations. This was a present to her from Basketball Dan commemorating her Hoosiers’ national championship in 1987, a game attended by Basketball Dan and me at the Superdome in New Orleans . . . ]

Got all my Christmas shopping done. Now to shop for other people. ~ Conan O’Brien

[Out of all the great movies this year, still may have been my favorite . . . ]

November 28

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Really? Is it the most wonderful? Have you been outside? Seen the crowds? The traffic? Ever go through security in the airport in December? I’ll tell you one word that doesn’t come to mind: wonderful. ~ Jim Gaffigan

[The season opening game for our Cardinal girl basketballers hoping to reprise their state tournament appearance from last year. Expectations are high as they started the season ranked No. 1 in state class 3A. Here junior center Ashley Thul (11) wins the opening tap against perennial power Marshall . . . ]

Christmas is getting all you can get while the getting is good. ~ Sally Brown

[The ball moved out of the frame when I took the picture . . . ]

Christmas, here again. Let us raise a loving cup; Peace on earth, goodwill to men, and make them do the washing up. ~ Wendy Cope

[A nice opening win against a quality opponent . . . ]

November 30

I’d rather do community service than sit and write a load of Christmas cards. ~ Paul O’Grady

[Two days later the girls hosted conference rival Brainerd. We begin again with Hadley and the anatomy of the jump ball . . . ]

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. But if the white runs out, I’ll drink the red. ~ Anonymous

I’m releasing a holiday song called, ‘All I Want for Christmas is my Parents’ Freaking Wifi Password.’ ~ Damien Fahey 

All I want for Christmas is for my family to stop trying to talk to me while I’m trying to tweet. ~ Robin Wood

[From my courtside location, the Cardinals, as is their wont, push the ball upcourt at speed . . . ]

You know you’re getting older when Santa starts looking younger. ~ Robert Paul

[Hadley had just scored her career 1,000th point . . . ]

There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor. ~ Charles Dickens

I don’t want Christmas season to end, because it’s the only time I can legitimately indulge in on particular addiction: glitter. ~ Eloisa James

[Though this is the final score, the game was unofficially over at the half . . . ]

December 1

Christmas makes me happy no matter what time of year it comes around. ~ Bryan White

[Cardinal girls hockey team teed it up against the mighty Moorhead Spuds . . . ]

Christmas is always a problem to the man who has to convince his kids that there is a Santa Claus, and his wife that there isn’t. ~ Evan Esar

[The rest of the game was decidedly not this close. The Cards will nonetheless recover . . . ]

You smell like beef and cheese. You don’t smell like Santa. ~ Buddy the Elf

[The voices of Cardinal sports on KXRA . . . ]

Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing. ~ Grace Noll Crowell

[The Cardinals coaching brain trust . . . ]

Wretched excess is an unfortunate human trait that turns a perfectly good idea such as Christmas into a frenzy of last-minute shopping. ~ Jon Anderson

[A highlight of the game for me was a visit from Nikki Ecklund (front row, right). Nikki was a member of the Cardinals 2008 state championship team, and I had not seen her since then. She was at the game, now as a Spuds fan as she lives in Moorhead with her husband and two young daughters destined to be hockey players . . . ]

December 2

Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere, leave you for dead? ~ Clark Griswold

[On the Saturday morning (6:00 am) doughnut run . . . ]

Christmas is a stocking stuffed with sugary goodness. ~ Mo Rocca

[A good opportunity for a shot of Big Ole with the decorated Christmas tree across the street at The Depot . . . ]

There’s nothing cozier than a Christmas tree all lit up. ~ Jenny Han

Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin – inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night. ~ John J. Geddes

A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! ~ Charles Dickens

[Shortly after arriving home with our doughnuts . . . ]

Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

[The most sought after Saturday morning treats!]

December 6

Christmas and the New Year are actually two holidays. So there is a plural, which in the English language, necessitates the use of ‘s.’ I suppose you could say ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy New Year,’ but you probably have sh*t to do. ~ Jon Stewart

[Self explanatory . . . ]

A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours. ~ John B. Priestly

If you can’t wrap Christmas presents well, at least make it look like they put up a good fight. ~ Unknown

Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present. ~ Unknown

The outdoor Christmas lights, green and red and gold and blue and twinkling, remind me that most people are that way all year round — kind, generous, friendly and with an occasional moment of ecstasy. But Christmas is the only time they dare reveal themselves. ~ Harlan Miller

[The Performing Arts Center stage . . . ]

If you see a sign that says ‘Peep Show’, that doesn’t mean they’re letting you look at presents before Christmas. ~ Father Christmas in Elf

Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling. ~ Edna Ferber

[Shaun and the Big Band . . . ]

Do give books – religious or otherwise – for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal. ~ Lenore Hershey

Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever. ~ Richelle Goodrich

[After the gig, our fellow attendees, Tom Mulder and his daughter Nancy, visited with Shaun as they are longtime friends . . . ]

At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year. ~ Thomas Tusser

I won’t ask for much this Christmas. I won’t even wish for snow. And I’m just gonna keep on waiting, underneath the mistletoe. ~ Mariah Carey

December 8

A Christmas tree, the perfect gift for a guy. The plant is already dead. ~ Jay Leno

[The umpteenth annual “Those Who Stay Behind” dinner last night at Arrowwood Resort. Made up of past and current members of the senior men’s golf league who do not flee to the South at the first sighting of a snowflake. This was the first time in recorded history that this event (always the 2nd Friday in December) took place in a total absence of snow . . . ]

A good conscience is a continual Christmas. ~ Benjamin Franklin

[All partook of either the pasta bar or the stir fry bar . . . ]

My mom and dad always tried to make Christmas special for us. We were poor, but it’s funny because we had no idea. ~ Johnny Mathis

Christmas is a togethery sort of holiday. That’s my favorite kind. ~ Winnie the Pooh

It’s always consoling to know that today’s Christmas gifts are tomorrow’s garage sales. ~ Milton Berle

[I fled the dinner in time to catch the 2nd half of the girls basketball game against Willmar. This was the halftime score, so what I saw was just playing out the string. I should note that at the time of this missive the boys season hadn’t yet started – they will similarly be playing to return to state and are ranked 3rd in the state as the season begins . . . ]

Down the chimney? You want me to take the toys down the chimney into a strange house, IN MY UNDERWEAR? ~ Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause

[This is called “general milling about” . . . ]

You have such a pretty face, you should be on a Christmas card! ~ Elf

[Under the studied-eye of crouching coach Wendy Kohler . . . ]

Why are women… so much more interesting to men than men are to women? ~ Virginia Woolf

December 9

I am dreaming of white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write, May your days be Merry and bright, and May all your Christmases be white. ~ Bing Crosby

[The day after the no snow “Those Who Stay Behind” dinner . . . ]

It’s fruitcake weather! ~ Truman Capote

The ideal Christmas gift is money, but the trouble is you can’t charge it. ~ Bill Vaughan

[Quinie was not put off by the sudden appearance of the white stuff . . . ]

I like indoor Christmas trees. And I like people who decorate their homes with lights and all that crap. I think it’s a healthy outlet for them. If they weren’t covering their lawns with twinkling lights, they’d be doing something that was really, really creepy. ~ Lewis Black

[Laddie, on the other hand, decided I’m not going out there!]

It’s that special time of year when your whole family gathers together in one place to look at their cellphones. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

This past Christmas, I told my girlfriend for months in advance that all I wanted was an Xbox. That’s it. Beginning and end of list, Xbox. You know what she got me? A homemade frame with a picture of us from our first date together. Which was fine. Because I got her an Xbox. ~ Anthony Jeselnik

[And then it was on to Carlos Creek Winery for an afternoon with Elsa Lee . . . ]

Christmas Shopping: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find one gift that you didn’t have to dust, that had to be used right away, that was practical, fit everyone, was personal and would be remembered for a long time? I penciled in “Gift certificate for a flu shot.” ~ Erma Bombeck

[It was good to see her again as it had been about a year since her last appearance here . . . ]

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! ~ Francis P. Church

Do give books – religious or otherwise – for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal. ~ Lenore Hershey

One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books. ~ Professor Dumbledore

Most parents, it turns out, don’t want elected officials dictating how history is taught or what books kids can read, and don’t share the GOP’s anti-trans hysteria.  ~  Jamelle Boule

[Photo by Ruthie . . . ]

Heap on more wood! – the wind is chill; But let it whistle as it will, We’ll keep our Christmas merry still. ~ Walter Scott

December 10

Xmas Trivia: Before it became a major shopping holiday, Christmas is believed to have had a “religious” meaning. ~ Andy Borowitz

I have fun with my clothes onstage; it’s not a concert you’re seeing, it’s a fashion show. ~ Freddie Mercury

If you go to a Christmas concert, you take your wife on a nice evening, people are dressed up a little bit more, and it’s definitely a sit-down event. ~ Bart Millard

[The high school’s Performing Arts Center . . . ]

On Christmas morning, before we could open our presents, we would go to this stranger’s home and bring them presents. I remember helping clean the house up and putting up a tree. My father believed you are responsible for looking after everyone else. ~ George Clooney.

My mom and dad always tried to make Christmas special for us. We were poor, but it’s funny because we had no idea. ~ Johnny Mathis

There are 17 more shopping days until Christmas. So, guys, that means 16 more days till we start shopping, right? ~ Conan O’Brien

I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark. ~ Dick Gregory

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL

[These people spent an inordinate amount of time engaged with the country’s health care system this year. Otherwise, the proud parents of Quinie and Laddie generally behaved themselves . . . ]

Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day. ~ Helen Steiner Rice

All land is stolen land; every piece of dirt has been conquered multiple times.  ~  Noah Smith

November 25

We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. ~ You know who

I’m taking a break from “trying to catch up” due to a plethora of current events. We made our first visit in “decades” to downtown Minneapolis for the high school football state semifinals to see our undefeated Alexandria Cardinals play. It was my first visit ever to the Vikings’ stadium – it will also be my last (don’t get me started). The visit was mostly highlighted by pre- and post-game fine dining with friends followed by more such dining the following morning. We hustled back that next day to catch Fire and Rain, The Music of James Taylor, by our friend Anthony Miltich in Fergus Falls that evening. The next afternoon featured the high school’s performance of Mamma Mia. The kids always hit it out of the park. On Thanksgiving Eve, I joined high school classmate, Little Mayo, for lunch at AJ’s in Glenwood, continuing our ongoing monthly tradition. For Thanksgiving, we picked up Jami and Danny for our holiday repast at the Shooting Star Casino on the White Earth Reservation and then on to Itasca State Park for an overnight at the Mississippi Headwaters Inn. We returned to Alex for all of the day after Thanksgiving activities downtown. ~ Me

I wish the women would hurry up and take over. ~ Leonard Cohen

Whatever inspiration is, it’s born from a continuous “I don’t know.” ~ Wislawa Szymborska

November 12

The Americans are, of all modern peoples, those who have pushed equality and inequality furthest among men. ~ Alexis de Tocqueville

[Outside at the winery in the 2nd week of November?]

Wine … offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than possibly any other purely sensory thing which may be purchased. ~ Ernest Hemingway

[The regular crowd shuffles in . . . ]

Wine is sunlight, held together by water. ~ Galileo Galilei

[We were here for our quarterly wine pick up only to also discover Anthony was playing . . . ]

Anyone who tries to make you believe that he knows all about wines is obviously a fake. ~ Leon Adams

[Long our local favorite, Marquette . . . ]

November 16

Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been. ~ David Bowie

[The American Association of University Women’s annual book shindig at the Garden Bar . . . ]

Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. ~ Pope John XXIII

[OK, a couple of guys crash the party . . . ]

November 17

That’s why I love road trips, dude. It’s like doing something without actually doing anything. ~ John Green

[On the road again, early morning heading SE on I-94 to The Cities . . . ]

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life. ~ Jack Kerouac

[We lunched at Umbra Minneapolis, kitty corner from the Viking stadium . . . ]

A road trip is a way for the whole family to spend time together and annoy each other in interesting new places. ~ Tom Lichtenheld

[We were joined by monthly alum lunch partner, Little Mayo. We all gave Umbra big kudos . . . ]

“Driving is boring,” Rabbit pontificates, “but it’s what we do. Most of American life is driving somewhere and then driving back wondering why the hell you went.” ~ John Updike

A tourist is a fellow who drives thousands of miles so he can be photographed standing in front of his car. ~ Emile Ganest

[The reason for the road trip . . . ]

Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey. ~ Babs Hoffman

I love being on the road. I love that lifestyle, traveling city to city, rocking out and moving on to the next place. ~ Caleb Johnson

No road is long with good company. ~ Turkish Proverb

Sometimes all you need is a great friend and a tank of gas. ~ Thelma and Louise

[Blechhh . . . ]

If you’re on a road trip, you need driving music. ~ Edgar Wright

[The Mpls skyline from the stadium . . . ]

I love road trips. You get into this Zen rhythm; throw the sense of time out the window. ~ Miriam Toews

[The field of play (if you can bivouac through to get to your seats) . . . ]

Road trips required a couple of things: a well-balanced diet of caffeine, salt and sugar and an excellent selection of tunes—oh, and directions. ~ Jenn McKinlay

[The Cards (black and red) warming up; Mpls through the stadium windows . . . ]

The road goes on forever and the party never ends. ~ Robert Earl Keen

Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn’t block traffic. ~ Dan Rather

[The opening kickoff. Our kicker, Daniel Jackson, created a bit of stir in the broadcast booth (as I understand it) when one of his later kickoffs hit halfway up on one of the goalpost uprights . . . ]

Well, we’re not in the middle of nowhere, but we can see it from here. ~ Louise, Thelma and Louise

Road Trips: Because they’re cheaper than therapy. ~ Unknown

[Kickers warming up at halftime . . . ]

Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death. ~ Hunter S Thompson

[Cardinal basketball center, Grayson Grove (who will be a Gopher next year), leading the cheers in the student section . . . ]

Now, on this road trip, my mind seemed to uncrinkle, to breathe, to present to itself a cure for a disease it had not, until now, known it had. ~ Elizabeth Berg

Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take. ~ Angela N. Blount

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. ~ Zig Ziglar

[Quarterback Chase Thompson (12) hands off to Andrew Flaten (28). Receiver Evan Kludt (7) was an early star in the game as the Cards jumped out to a 23 – 0 lead. We eventually lost 42 – 30, largely (in my opinion) due to losing 3 of our 4 wide receivers (including Kludt) before and during the game . . . ]

Road trips are the equivalent of human wings. Ask me to go on one, anywhere. We’ll stop in every small town and learn the history and stories, feel the ground and capture the spirit. Then, we’ll turn it into our own story that will live inside our history to carry with us always. Because stories are more important than things. ~ Victoria Erickson

[We fine dined that evening with our old entertainment partners in Alex, Karin and Dave, at Biaggi’s in Maple Grove. It was another big hit . . . ]

The road is there, it will always be there. You just have to decide when to take it. ~ Chris Humphrey

[They had recently moved from Alex to Plymouth, and they hosted us overnight in their new home . . . ]

November 18

When you come to a fork in the road; take it. ~ Yogi Berra

[The morning drive from Plymouth to Longfellow Grill in Mpls . . . ]

When you go on a road trip, the trip itself becomes part of the story. ~ Steve Rushin

[The Basilica of Saint Mary, a Mpls landmark . . . ]

There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars. ~ Jack Kerouac

[At Longfellow Grill on the Mississippi . . . ]

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live. ~ Hans Christian Andersen

[Having a nosh with the internationally-renowned Basketball Dan from Woodbury and brother Cam from Mounds View . . . ]

On the road again, Goin’ places that I’ve never been, Seein’ things that I may never see again, And I can’t wait to get on the road again. ~ Willie Nelson

[Leaving Mpls, probably should have been the lead photo at the top of the page . . . ]

According to the map, we’ve only gone four inches. ~ Dumb & Dumber

[Back home in time for another road trip . . . ]

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. ~ James Taylor

[On the road to Fergus Falls as passengers with Deb and Paul, usual entertainment partners. An unseen avian bomber left a deposit on the windshield as we motored along I-94 . . . ]

I don’t read music. I don’t write it. So I wander around on the guitar until something starts to present itself. ~ James Taylor

[At the Fergus Center for the Arts with Anthony setting up in stage . . . ]

I don’t take compliments very easily. I think most musicians suffer from low self-esteem to some extent. ~ James Taylor

[After dinner on stage behind the curtain, we settled into our seats for the performance . . . ]

I find it a lot healthier for me to be someplace where I can go outside in my bare feet. ~ James Taylor

I don’t think anyone really says anything new. ~ James Taylor

[Michael Burgraff, executive director, addressed the assembled masses . . . ]

Music is like a huge release of tension. ~ James Taylor

[The star of the show and master guitar tuner . . . ]

Certain things in life are more important than the usual crap that everyone strives for. ~ James Taylor

Though ‘Fire and Rain’ is very personal, for other people it resonates as a sort of commonly held experience… And that’s what happens with me. I write things for personal reasons, and then in some cases it… can be a shared experience. ~ James Taylor

I have a love-hate relationship with the Grammys because I don’t see the music world as a competitive sport. ~ James Taylor

November 19

To succeed in life, you need three things a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. ~ Reba McEntire

When I made a breakthrough as an actor, people started to say, ‘Who’s that bloke with the funny name?’ They advised me to change it, saying it would never be put up in lights outside theaters because they couldn’t afford the electricity. But I would never contemplate changing it. It’s who I am. ~ Pete Postlethwaite

[The Performing Arts Center at Alexandria Area High School . . . ]

Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different. ~ C. S. Lewis

I love being funny! I started in the theater when I was 9 and, believe it or not, always played the funny part! ~ Robert Knepper

A melange of funny, straight drama, television, movies, a little theater here and there wouldn’t hurt. So if I can keep doing that, I’ll be a very happy person. ~ Mary Tyler Moore

At the School of Visual Arts in New York, you can get your degree in Net art, which is really a fantastic way of thinking of theater in new ways. ~ Laurie Anderson

The National Association of Theater Concessionaires reported that in 1986, 60% of all candy sold in movie theaters was sold to Roger Ebert. ~ David Letterman

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else. ~ Will Rogers

The three theater peeps I would love to dine with are Mel Brooks, because he is so funny; Stephen Sondheim, because he is a god-like genius; and Ethel Merman, to compare notes on fabulous belting. ~ Nancy Allen

From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere. ~ Dr. Seuss

The avant-garde theater is fun; it is free-wheeling, bold, iconoclastic, and often wildly, wildly funny. If you will approach it with childlike innocence — putting your standard responses aside, for they do not apply — if you will approach it on its own terms, I think you will be in for a liberating surprise. I think you may no longer be content with plays that you can’t remember halfway down the block. ~ Edward Albee

I was a theater guy growing up and I wanted to be Al Pacino, and I think I just looked and sounded too funny. ~ Charlie Day

My only regret in the theater is that I could never sit out front and watch me. ~ John Barrymore

The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life. ~ Oscar Wilde

November 22

I just go with the flow, I follow the yellow brick road. I don’t know where it’s going to lead me, but I follow it. ~ Grace Jones

[On this date, we must always begin with the Gophers’ No. 1 fan, Uncle Dick, who would have been 102 on this day . . . ]

Pleasant road trips require yummy snacks, good music, fun chatter, and oh—reliable directions! ~ Jenn McKinlay

[AJ’s in Glenwood . . . ]

I climb behind the steering wheel… I drive off immediately without once looking back. It’s a long journey but it leads to freedom. ~ Corinne Hofmann

[Lake Minnewaska in the far background . . . ]

Oh the places you’ll go! ~ Dr. Seuss

[Nice sports bar motif . . . ]

Some roads aren’t meant to be traveled alone. ~ Chinese Proverb

[We’re a lot younger than we look . . . ]

The open road is a beckoning, a strangeness, a place where a man can lose himself. ~ William Least Heat Moon

November 23 (a/k/a Thanksgiving)

I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it. ~ Rosalia de Castro

[Itasca State Park is just about a perfect 100 miles north of Alexandria . . . ]

The freedom of the open road is seductive, serendipitous, and absolutely liberating. ~ Aaron Lauritsen

[I don’t understand why some people somewhere (and they know who they are) would disapprove of living in Minnesota. I mean, this is the typical traffic in the state . . . ]

Get your motor runnin’, Head out on the highway, Lookin’ for adventure… ~ Steppenwolf

[Approaching Sebeka on the road north . . . ]

Not all who wander are lost. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

[And then there’s Menahga, home St. Urho, the beginning of Minnesota’s coniferous forests . . . ]

I take to the open road. Healthy, free, the world before me. ~ Walt Whitman

[Said conifers . . . ]

Look at life through the windshield, not the rearview mirror. ~ Byrd Baggett

[We are now in Itasca State Park . . . ]

In 1903 the Wright brothers invented airplanes, because in 1902 they took a road trip across the country with their family. ~ Bill Engvall

[Where we stayed . . . ]

The only impossible journey is the one you never begin. ~ Tony Robbins 

[They called him “flicker, flicker, faster than lightning” . . . ]

Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns. ~ Susan Magsamen

It’s not too much food. This is what we’ve been training for our whole lives. This is our destiny, this is our finest hour. ~ Lorelai Gilmore

[And now, a short tour of the Inn. Our room (#1) . . . ]

If you think about a Thanksgiving dinner, it’s really like making a large chicken. ~ Ina Garten

[The entry room (lobby?) . . . ]

I can’t cook a Thanksgiving dinner. All I can make is cold cereal and maybe toast. ~ Charlie Brown

[A double kitchen, available for guests. When this was a hostel, we had two Thanksgivings here, with turkey and all the fixin’s . . . ]

Overeating at Thanksgiving is a case in point. It’s a national tradition. ~ Eric Samuel Timm

[The living room . . . ]

Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries, has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. ~ Ambrose Bierce

[The dining lobby . . . ]

A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen. ~ Kin Hubbard

[All the rooms . . . ]

Good mashed potato is one of the great luxuries of life. ~ Lindsey Bareham

[We were heartened to learn we were only .2 miles from the swimming beach . . . ]

Hope my relatives are getting along with the professional line sitter I hired to hold my place at the front of the Thanksgiving food line. ~ John Lyon

[Lake Itasca . . . ]

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a little emotional scarring. ~ Friends

Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, one by one, as each relative goes home. ~ Melanie White

[Along the shores of Lake Itasca the wind chill was . . . well, chilly . . . ]

For those of you who cannot be with family this Thanksgiving, please resist the urge to brag. ~ Andy Borowitz

[There are no TV’s here; but there is WiFi . . . ]

The Thanksgiving tradition is, we overeat. ‘Hey, how about at Thanksgiving we just eat a lot?’ ‘But we do that everyday!’ ‘Oh. What if we eat a lot with people that annoy the hell out of us.’ ~ Jim Gaffigan

[On the way to Thanksgiving dinner, gotta love the traffic . . . ]

A new survey found that 80 percent of men claim they help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Which makes sense, when you hear them consider saying ‘that smells good’ to be helping. ~ Jimmy Fallon

[Shooting Star Casino in Bagley . . . ]

I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage. ~ Erma Bombeck

[Ruthie & I had the basic Thanksgiving dinner, Jami had a salad, and Danny . . . see below . . . ]

Thanksgiving is so called because we are all so thankful that it only comes once a year. ~ P. J. O’Rourke

[The casino is on the other side . . . ]

The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so. ~ Nora Ephron

[Danny’s entree was so over the top I can’t find it on any online menus. It was basically a half pound hamburger wrapped top and bottom by grilled cheese sandwiches. No, he did not finish it here . . . ]

An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day. ~ Irv Kupcinet

[As the sun sinks slowly into Lake Itasca . . . ]

I’m looking forward to seeing pie this Thanksgiving more than members of my own family. ~ Damien Fahey

[Settling down after eating . . . ]

Thanksgiving is America’s national chow-down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty. ~ Michael Dresser

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. ~ Jim Davis

November 24

Cooking tip: Wrap turkey leftovers in aluminum foil and throw them out. ~ Nicole Hollander

[Leaving the Park, heading for home . . . ]

Thanksgiving Day, man—not a good day to be my pants. ~ Kevin James

Pie makes everybody happy. ~ Laurie Halse Anderson

Thanksgiving: Bringing out the best in family dysfunction since 1863. ~ Unknown

Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often. ~ Johnny Carson

[End of the National Route . . . ]

You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out. ~ Jay Leno

[Home in time for Christmas at Fort Alexandria and the lighting of the lights on Broadway. We began our stroll around the Legacy of the Lakes Gardens . . . ]

Thanksgiving—when the people who are the most thankful are the ones who didn’t have to cook. ~ Melanie White

After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations. ~ Oscar Wilde

I’m from Canada, so Thanksgiving to me is just Thursday with more food. ~ Howie Mandel

People who love to eat are always the best people. ~ Julia Child

Even though we’re a week and a half away from Thanksgiving, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. ~ Richard Roeper

There is no such thing as fun for the whole family. ~ Jerry Seinfeld

Turkey for me, turkey for you. Let’s eat the turkey in my big brown shoe. ~ Adam Sandler

I haven’t even finished eating all of my Halloween candy! ~ Sally Brown

Nothing says holidays, like a cheese log. ~ Ellen DeGeneres

[Walking through Fort Alexandria on the way to Broadway . . . ]

Every Thanksgiving I bring the champagne, because in my family we all know what our strengths are. ~ Gloria Fallon

[“They say the LED lights are bright on Broadway” . . . ]

I love spending Thanksgiving surrounded by all these great friends I met in the Best Buy parking lot. ~ John Lyon

[This is the initial lighting of the lights for the season . . . ]

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! It’s the day you forget about all the fighting and division in the world and just focus on all the fighting and division in your family. ~ Jimmy Fallon

I love Thanksgiving traditions: watching football, making pumpkin pie and saying the magic phrase that sends your aunt storming out of the dining room to sit in her car. ~ Stephen Colbert

You can’t have Thanksgiving without turkey. That’s like the Fourth of July without apple pie or Friday with no two pizzas. ~ Joey Tribbiani

My cooking was so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor. ~ Phyllis Diller

[Our actual sightlines . . . ]

Thanksgiving, the day where there’s never enough food. You can’t just have a turkey. No, there has to be a roast beef or a ham too. Or both. It’s the only day we have mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. ~ Lewis Black

[Apparently the symbol of an upcoming holiday . . . ]

You know that just before that first Thanksgiving dinner there was one wise, old Native American woman saying, ‘Don’t feed them. If you feed them, they’ll never leave. ~ Dylan Brody

[To the best of my recollections, this is the first year a parade has been added to this annual event . . . ]

November 24

Thank you, the day after Thanksgiving, or as the makers of sweatpants call it, ‘the busy season.’ ~ Jimmy Fallon

[The arctic blast of the last couple days has put the ice back on Lake H2Obert, I believe this time until April . . . ]

We all have that one friend who is either on a road trip or planning a road-trip or thinking about a road-trip or talking to people who are on a road-trip or posting quotes about road trips. ~ Crestless Wave

A bend in the road, is not the end of the road….unless you fail to make the turn. ~ Helen Keller

Hit the road, Jack! ~ Ray Charles

Up Next: Back to catching up (or, there are two home girls basketball games this week) . . .

November 14

There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line. ~ Oscar Levant

Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts. ~ William Hazlitt

Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? no. Just as one can never learn how to paint. ~ Pablo Picasso

[Appreciate art . . . ]

Bus stops are far more interesting and useful places to have art than in museums. ~ Banksy

Flirting is the gentle art of making a man feel pleased with himself. ~ Helen Rowland

October 17

The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn. ~ Alvin Toffler

[Senior college . . . ]

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught. ~ Winston Churchill

[She was also very good last year talking about water . . . ]

The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one. ~ Malcolm Forbes

Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know. ~ Daniel J. Boorstin

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. ~ Albert Einstein

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. ~ Aristotle

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. ~ H. G. Wells

October 18

The difference is the class clown is the guy who drops his pants at the football game, the class comedian is the guy who talked him into it. ~ Billy Crystal

[Alexandria vs. Elk River as the Cards were playing for a perfect 8-0 regular season record. Nevertheless, the Cards found time during the game for reruns of The Simpsons . . . ]

Why do kids play football? They can get hurt on any play, can’t they? Yet they can’t wait until Saturday comes around so they can play on the high school team, or the college team, and get smashed around. Writing is like that. You can get hurt, but you enjoy it! ~ Irwin Shaw

[The Elks were defending state champs in class AAAAA. Here, QB Chase Thompson (12) on a handoff to Mac Heydt (4) . . . ]

In high school, when I played football I got no respect. I shared a locker with a mop. ~ Rodney Dangerfield

On the last game of the season, the crowd was yelling, We want Youngman! We want Youngman! The coach says, Youngman – go see what they want! ~ Henny Youngman

[Chase on a drop back pass . . . ]

You have just so many holes in a line and you have eleven men playing, and there’s only so many ways you can go through those holes, and those ways have been used for forty, fifty years. ~ Red Grange

[Placekicker Daniel Jackson (9) in the hold of Evan Kludt (7) . . . ]

They don’t have much of a football team, but the half-time show . . . ~ Bill Maher

[The first of a scoreboard chronology . . . ]

I did play two years of high school football and was very short and uncoordinated but the second year I was very tall and skinny and very uncoordinated. ~ Kyle Chandler

I was a halfback on an American football team in Athens, Greece – the Kississia Colts – where I went to high school, and we took the Cup my senior year. The downside, and somewhat unfortunate piece of information I have to pass on, is there were only two teams in the league because of the limited amount of Americans. ~ Greg Kinnear

[The Elks crush people with an overwhelming rush attack. A great comeback by the Cards . . . ]

I’d done some acting in high school. Then I went to Kenyon College and got thrown in jail and kicked off the football team. Since I was determined not to study very much, I majored in theater the last two years. ~ Paul Newman

[The Elks last play of the game . . . ]

For some kids it’s art. For some it’s music. For me, it was strapping on those pads, yanking that helmet over my head, and getting out there with the team. ~ Rudy Ruettiger

[Snuffed out by the Cards . . . ]

I love sports. I was an athlete in high school, and my school was so small we didn’t have a football team, so it’s the one sport I didn’t bother to learn the rules to because I never went to game. ~ Katie Aselton

[Let the celebration begin . . . ]

J.J. Watt is larger than life and Houston’s newest sports hero, in every sense of the word. He is a guy who spends NFL Fridays at high school football games and actively seeks out those in need of his kindness. ~ Hannah Storm

October 19

Teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults. ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Meanwhile, back in senior college . . . ]

Journalism’s been a continuing course in adult education for me. ~ Bill Moyers

[She took me beyond my usual disinterest in royalty . . . ]

My hope was that organizations would start including this range of skills in their training programs – in other words, offer an adult education in social and emotional intelligence. ~ Daniel Goleman

Instead of trying to produce a programme to simulate the adult mind, why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child’s? If this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education one would obtain the adult brain. ~ Alan Turing

October 21

Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do? ~ Matt Groening

[Saturday morning doughnut pick up day with a display of the upcoming holiday . . . ]

October 22

It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon. ~ Sarah Addison Allen

[“Leafing” in the greater Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area . . . ]

Some say fall is the season when the leaves change. I say it’s the season when my sweat pants never change. ~ Katie Nicole Felton

[Lake Carlos on the left . . . ]

The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[More Lake Carlos . . . ]

Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar. ~ Delia Owens

[Rotary Beach, Lake Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go. Growth requires release – it’s what the trees do. ~ Ka’ala

[County Road 120 along the north end of Lake Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

Never jump in a pile of leaves with a wet sucker. ~ Linus

[Ditto . . . ]

Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love—that makes life and nature harmonize. ~ George Eliot

And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves… ~ Virginia Woolf

It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves! ~ Winnie the Pooh

[It wasn’t open . . . ]

A wind has blown the rain away and blown the sky away and all the leaves away, and the trees stand. I think, I too, have known autumn too long. ~ e. e. cummings

[Believe this to be on the north end of Lake Carlos . . . ]

October’s poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter. ~ Nova S. Blair

[Ditto . . . ]

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple. ~ J. K. Rowling

Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground. ~ Andrea Gibson

[In the vicinity of Carlos State Park . . . ]

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. ~ Emily Bronte

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. ~ L. M. Montgomery

Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable…the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street…by a gusty wind, and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese. ~ Hal Borland

[Lake Carlos . . . ]

I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin, and crisp sunburnt leaves. ~ Ann Drake

How beautiful the leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. ~ John Burroughs

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face. ~ John Donne

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year. ~ Chad Sugg

[The north end of Lake Darling . . . ]

Dancing of the autumn laves on a surface of a lake is a dream we see when we are awake. ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

[Lake Darling from the Darling-Carlos Bridge . . . ]

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~ Stanley Horowitz

[Alexandria Golf Club . . . ]

[And then it was on to see Killers of the Flower Moon . . . ]

History is a merciless judge. It lays bare our tragic blunders and foolish missteps and exposes our most intimate secrets, wielding the power of hindsight like an arrogant detective who seems to know the end of the mystery from the outset. ~ David Grann, quote from Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

As Sherlock Holmes famously said, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” ~ David Grann, quote from Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

Up Next: Almost caught up . . .

November 9

It Can’t Happen Here. ~ Sinclair Lewis

It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives. ~ Dorothy Thompson

I’m only about a month behind now. ~ Me

[I can’t remember where this was? Anybody?]

Knowledge isn’t power until it’s applied. ~ Dale Carnegie

October 8

A national park is not a playground. It’s a sanctuary for nature and for humans who will accept nature on nature’s own terms. ~ Michael Frome

[A beautiful day for a drive up to Itasca State Park and to see the kids at The Harn . . . ]

If you drive to, say, Shenandoah National Park, or the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ll get some appreciation for the scale and beauty of the outdoors. When you walk into it, then you see it in a completely different way. You discover it in a much slower, more majestic sort of way. ~ Bill Bryson

[We were still too early for full fall colors . . . ]

When I was 16, I discovered wildlife. My father took me to a place called Algonquin Park in Northern Ontario – it has some 1,600 lakes. ~ Lorne Greene

[These photos are all on the drive through the park . . . ]

I fell down in Hyde Park with a friend who’d had a hip operation, and neither of us could get up again. People must have thought we were a couple of drunks rolling around and walked on by. ~ Ava Gardner

[But it’s mostly coniferous anyway . . . ]

In fact, at Olympic National Park in my district, they 3 years ago had 130 summer employees they brought in for temporary work. This summer they have 25 because they cannot afford more. ~ Norm Dicks

[Check in, please, where we also ran into some Alexandrians . . . ]

The coniferous forests of the Yosemite Park, and of the Sierra in general, surpass all others of their kind in America, or indeed the world, not only in the size and beauty of the trees, but in the number of species assembled together, and the grandeur of the mountains they are growing on. ~ John Muir

[Onward . . . ]

I don’t know of a single park without serious environmental problems. ~ Michael Frome

[A U of M research station here . . . ]

I hate small towns because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park there’s nothing else to do. ~ Lenny Bruce

[Once a hostel, now an inn . . . ]

I grew up on the edge of a national park in Canada – timberwolves, creeks, snow drifts. I really did have to walk home six miles through the snow, like your grandparents used to complain. ~ Dan Aykroyd

[We will be here for Thanksgiving . . . ]

I regret the negative press that has come with my climb of the Delicate Arch, but I think that there is a bigger picture. And I would hope that it could open the eyes of the public and the community to the bigger problem of what’s going on, which is the mismanagement of our wild lands and the national park. ~ Dean Potter

[This photo is now my computer background . . . ]

Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. ~ Aldo Leopold

[The entry for the walk down to the headwaters . . . ]

The fundamental idea behind the parks… is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

[As the sign says . . . ]

When I was about fifteen, I went to work at Yosemite National Park. It changed me forever. Nature had carved its own sculpture, and I was part of it, not the other way around. ~ Robert Redford

[Any day is a fireplace kind of a day . . . ]

I need to be outside. I need to be in the world and to remember that I am of it. ~ John Green

Every other civilized nation in the world has been compelled to care for its forests, and so must we if waste and destruction are not to go on to the bitter end, leaving America as barren as Palestine or Spain. ~ John Muir

[Without me pointing at it, people could get lost . . . ]

We should just have a lottery. If you lose, you have to be speaker. ~ Rep. Mike Collins

In Yellowstone National Park, there are more ‘do not feed the animals’ signs than there are animals you might wish to feed. ~ Natalie Jeremijenko

[Like the sign says . . . ]

In a world that is becoming increasingly virtual, the parks remain places of visceral beauty. Places where we can remember that we are but a small part of the life on this planet, and that it is a truly wonderful planet and the only one we’ve got. ~ Nevada Barr

[It is a state law that Minnesotans must visit here not less often than every five years . . . ]

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. ~ Aldo Leopold

[Where the mighty Mississippi begins its trek to the Gulf of Mexico . . . ]

People don’t remember each tree in a park but all of us benefit from the trees. And in a way, artists are like trees in a park. ~ Yoko Ono

Without wilderness, we will eventually lose the capacity to understand America. Our drive, our ruggedness, our unquenchable optimism and zeal and elan go back to the challenges of the untrammeled wilderness. ~ Harvey Broome

In wilderness is the preservation of the world. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[As the river leaves Lake Itasca . . . ]

If the national park is, as Lord Bryce suggested, the best idea America has ever had, wilderness preservation is the highest refinement of that idea. ~ Wallace Stegner

Wilderness is a necessity… there must be places for human beings to satisfy their souls. ~ John Muir

The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you’re off it. ~ Jackie Gleason

[When hiking in the wilderness, one must maintain a high calorie intake . . . ]

The parks attract us in a deeply spiritual way; they are a place where so many of us have had a transformative moment; where we had our sense of place in the universe confirmed, or at least we were awakened to. ~ Ken Burns

[Beginning the park “roundabout” . . . ]

The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. ~ Ernest Hemingway

[Both this and the record red pine lost their tops in storms . . . ]

It is my dream to build a park… that I one day visit with my White House staff on my birthday. And they say President Knope, this park is awesome. ~ Leslie Knope

As a woman of color, my history with the park is a bit different. My experience was not as a Rosie the Riveter; that tended to be a white woman’s story. Black women had been working outside their homes ever since slavery. ~ Betty Reid Soskin

[The identifying bark of the red pine . . . ]

The generation of our kids are more mindful of how we haven’t always taken care of the planet, and with climate change affecting everything, they are demanding action. Nature is more resilient than we think, if we are intentional about it. ~ Barack Obama

God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools. ~ John Muir

Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life. ~ John Muir

If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you’ve created a special little thing, and that’s what I’m looking for, because if you get pompous, you lose everything. ~ Paul Simon

Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong. ~ George Carlin

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~ John Muir

Listen to the sound of silence. ~ Paul Simon

[Mary Lake . . . ]

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. ~ William Shakespeare

[U of M research facilities . . . ]

The scenic ideals that surround even our national parks are carriers of a nostalgia for heavenly bliss and eternal calmness. ~ Robert Smithson

The same people in the Congress who are busy kicking holes in the social safety net are also those who would sell off the nation’s forests for a song, give away its national parks, and trash its wilderness preserves; there is a connection between the two impulses. ~ Paul Gruchow

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads. ~ Henry David Thoreau

…Skyscraper National Park ~ Kurt Vonnegut

[Then we left the park from the north entrance on the way to Jami and Danny’s, “The Harn,” about 9 miles farther up the road . . . ]

Glaciers are almost gone from Glacier National Park. ~ Donella Meadows

[Along The Harn way . . . ]

I don’t really think, I just walk. ~ Paris Hilton

[Danny leads Ruthie, Jami, and me on a nature walk through their property . . . ]

Obviously the movement to save the Everglades runs up against agricultural concerns. ~ Carl Hiaasen

[‘Shrooms . . . ]

Folk music isn’t owned by anybody. It is owned by everybody, like the national parks, the postal system, and the school system. It’s our common property. There is nobody’s name on it. Nobody can make money on it. It’s not copywritten. ~ Utah Phillips

This is an especially good time for you vacationers who plan to fly, because the Reagan administration, as part of the same policy under which it recently sold Yellowstone National Park to Wayne Newton, has “deregulated” the airline industry. ~ Dave Barry

[Still hiking . . . ]

I’ve been through legislation creating a dozen national parks, and there’s always the same pattern. When you first propose a park, and you visit the area and present the case to the local people, they threaten to hang you. You go back in five years and they think it’s the greatest thing that ever happened. ~ Mo Udall

[The Harn . . . ]

Nature is located mainly in national parks, which are vast tracts of wilderness that have been set aside by the United States government so citizens will always have someplace to go where they can be attacked by bears. ~ Dave Barry

The earth is the very quintessence of the human condition. ~ Hannah Arendt

Wealth is the ability to fully experience life. ~ Henry David Thoreau

I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know? ~ Ernest Hemingway

[Remaining photos by Jami, here starring Mr. Nature . . . ]

I get half a million just to show up at parties. My life is, like, really, really fun. ~ Paris Hilton

[Zeroing in on the ‘shrooms . . . ]

I haven’t been to Tasmania. I haven’t been to the South Pole, and I haven’t been to the North Pole. I want to see the polar bear migration before there are no polar bears. I want to see Glacier National Park before the glacier melts. ~ Martha Stewart

October 10

The past is never dead. It’s not even past. ~ William Faulkner

[One of our favorite senior college professors. The “poster” below is of another event, but something I could use to display his bona fides . . . ]

What we think, we become. ~ Buddha

[“The Increasingly Complex Global Challenges Facing US Foreign Policy” ~ Tom Hanson, Diplomat in Residence, UMD . . . ]

Never regret anything that made you smile. ~ Mark Twain

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. ~ Albert Einstein

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

[China’s population will continue to shrink; India’s population will continue to grow; Nigeria will become the world’s 2nd most populated country surpassing China . . . ]

The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

[(From other sources: 7 out of 9 people on the planet will be Asian or African; “white” people will represent 1/20th of the world’s population . . . ]

As long as I’m learning something, I figure I’m OK – it’s a decent day. ~ Hunter S. Thompson

The top experts in the world are ardent students. The day you stop learning, you’re definitely not an expert. ~ Brendon Burchard

You can never be overdressed or over-educated. ~ Oscar Wilde 

October 14

The instinct to worship is hardly less strong than the instinct to eat. ~ Dorothy Thompson

[The first batch of chili of the season . . . ]

October 15

I’ve been in companies where they have galas. U.S. companies aren’t government-funded, so they invite wealthier people to come to these events. It’s a very glamorous art form. ~ Sarah Hay

I don’t have a life where it’s galas, posh affairs. It’s me, my dog and a sofa. And a TV. ~ Phillip Lim

[We were late arrivers. The Super scanned the room looking for empty seats . . . ]

I don’t like ostentatious galas and stuff like that, but if you get to the Oscars, you’d better get used to it and you’d better enjoy it. ~ Philippe Falardeau

[The telephoto view from the back row . . . ]

In designing for the first lady, I tried to sort of be in her shoes, but I didn’t really look at her as an important political figure. I looked at her as a woman who would like to wear a beautiful dress to an important gala. ~ Jason Wu

The director is simply the audience. So the terrible burden of the director is to take the place of that yawning vacuum, to be the audience and to select from what happens during the day which movement shall be a disaster and which a gala night. His job is to preside over accidents. ~ Orson Welles

The returning troops marched up Fifth Avenue and girls were instinctively drawn East and North toward them – this was the greatest nation and there was gala in the air. ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t. ~ Douglas Adams

In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people angry and is widely considered a bad move. ~ Douglas Adams

[Musicians with a sense of humor . . . ]

War is the unfolding of miscalculations. ~ Barbara Tuchman

Man is made to adore and obey; but if you give him nothing to worship, he will fashion his own divinities and find a chieftain in his own passions. ~ Benjamin Disraeli

An intellectual is a man who doesn’t know how to park a bike. ~ Spiro T. Agnew

Up Next: Something old . . .

October 30

I don’t know that I can disrespect someone more than J. D. Vance. ~ Mitt Romney

Josh Hawley is one of the smartest people in the Senate, if not the smartest, and Ted Cruz [R-Texas] could give him a run for his money. “They know better” (than to believe Trump’s claim that massive fraud cost him a second term). ~ Mitt Romney

No one has been more loyal, more willing to smile when he saw absurdities, more willing to ascribe God’s will to things that were ungodly than Mike Pence. ~ Mitt Romney

[‘Tis the season . . . ]

Ron (Senator Johnson), is there any conspiracy you don’t believe? ~ Mitt Romney

A very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution. ~ Mitt Romney

Almost without exception they (GOP colleagues) shared my view of the president. ~ Mitt Romney

Trump is an idiot. ~ Mitt Romney (quoting Mitch McConnell)

September 17

What’s the point of having a book club if you don’t get to eat brownies and drink wine? ~ Jami Attenberg

In the end, we’ll all become stories. ~ Margaret Atwood

[Nonfiction book club talking about “real” stuff . . . ]

If you’re going to do a job, do it right. If you’re going to throw a birthday party, make it amazing. ~ Jimmy John Liautaud

I first met Erik Jacobson when he played at our wedding 26 years ago, and another thanks to Erik — this time with a couple Southside Aces compatriots and other friends — for helping usher in a new decade! (Thanks also Matt and Amber for the gumbo and fixings and Tom Obert for photos!) ~ Michael Tisserand

[The Tisserands enjoying the dance floor . . . ]

In the world of online invitations, nothing is sacred. People will invite all 500 of their ‘closest’ friends to their birthday party – and 485 of those people will RSVP ‘yes’ without intending to show up. ~ Susannah Cahalan

It’s odd the things that people remember. Parents will arrange a birthday party, certain it will stick in your mind forever. You’ll have a nice time, then two years later you’ll be like, ‘There was a pony there? Really? And a clown with one leg?’ ~ David Sedaris

My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 – or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of rubbish. ~ Harold Pinter

In January 1962, when I was the author of one and a half unperformed plays, I attended a student production of ‘The Birthday Party’ at the Victoria Rooms in Bristol. Just before it began, I realised that Harold Pinter was sitting in front of me. ~ Tom Stoppard

I had the worst birthday party ever when I was a child because my parents hired a pony to give rides. And these ponies are never in good health. But this one dropped dead. It just wasn’t much fun after that. One kid would sit on him and the rest of us would drag him around. ~ Rita Rudner

I gave a funny speech at my wife’s birthday party, and I’m thinking, ‘Hey, I’ve still got it.’ ~ Larry David

[Ragtime music provided by the Southside Aces . . . ]

I had a wonderful childhood, which is tough because it’s hard to adjust to a miserable adulthood. ~ Larry David

As a kid, I would wake up, and there’d be a jazz funeral while I’m walking to school. And when I come home, you can find Rebirth band playing for a birthday party the same day. ~ Trombone Shorty

[I’ve been advised this is called dancing . . . ]

Sinatra invited me once to his birthday party in L.A. I was young, and I felt great about it. But when I got there, the Rat Pack were all in the kitchen laughing their heads off. ~ Tony Bennett

One of my favorite memories was one time Prince picked me up and said we were going to Michael Jordan’s birthday party. ~ Tamron Hall

September 20

To reminisce with my old friends, a chance to share some memories, and play our songs again. ~ Ricky Nelson

[The Boys of ’65 hit the road Wednesday for another new venue – Hot Shots Bar & Grill in New Munich (population 320). Bradley decided it was a tad too far for him to handle (94 miles round trip), so it is was just Mayo and me again. We did not know the bustling main street had been all torn up since May, but Mayo & I were able to find out way there by deftly following the detour signs. The detours were so much fun, I decided to take the back roads on the way home. On the way I passed past dining spots for the boys from Sidewalks in West Union; to the old Corral site in Nelson; to the legendary Carl’s; Sonny’s; Weston Station on the far outskirts of Alex. Mayo suggested a place for next month that I can’t find on maps issued after 1795.]

[Main Street, New Munich . . . ]

The essence of nostalgia is an awareness that what has been will never be again. ~ Milton S. Eisenhower

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one. ~ C. S. Lewis

Friends: people who borrow my books and set wet glasses on them. ~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

Some people only get called by their nicknames. Usually, it sounds weird to even say their real name. ~ Kishore

Honestly, I just go to restaurants to eat so I won’t die. If there was a pill I could take in January and then I wouldn’t have to eat again for the rest of the year, I would take it. Of course, I wouldn’t want to sacrifice my chocolate cake and ice cream. ~ Steven Wright

[Sidewalks on West Union . . . ]

Murals in restaurants are on a par with the food in museums. ~ Peter De Vries

[Where the Corral in Nelson used to be . . . ]

I think fine dining is dying out everywhere… but I think there will be – and there has to always be – room for at least a small number of really fine, old-school fine-dining restaurants. ~ Anthony Bourdain

[Carl’s Fireside Steakhouse, then Sonny’s, then Weston Station, enjoyed a 50-year+ run . . . ]

Neighborhood restaurants matter. ~ Ayanna Pressley

[Lure Lakeside Bar in the west shore of Lake Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

True friends don’t judge each other, they judge other people together. ~ Emilie Saint-Genis

[The Wednesday night fine dining crew had moved on since the Alexandria Golf Club closed for the season . . . ]

There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money. ~ Benjamin Franklin

September 21

Friends make you smile — best friends make you giggle ’til you pee your pants. ~ Terri Guillemets

[Fine dining at Longtrees Woodfire Grill with the Prince and Princess of Ashby after another addition of Senior College . . .

When we think of classic American desserts, we tend to imagine apple pie and ice cream. However, the most classic American dessert of all might be the chocolate chip cookie. ~ Homaro Cantu

Eating a lot is an occupational hazard but it’s a pretty great problem to have. I spend a lot of time eating sweets on TV – cake, cupcakes, donuts, and pudding. It’s a dream job, but at the same time there will be days where I wake up knowing I will eat 15 desserts! ~ Gail Simmons

I don’t think I’ve ever seen pie advertised. That’s how you know it’s good. They advertise ice cream and other desserts. They advertise the bejeezus out of yogurt, but I haven’t seen one pie commercial. ~ Adam Carolla

September 22

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. ~ Robert A. Heinlein

[The Super tending to the babies on their daily search and destroy missions . . . ]

The more cats you have, the longer you live. If you have a hundred cats, you’ll live 10 times longer than if you have 10. Someday this will be discovered, and people will have a thousand cats and live forever. It’s truly ridiculous. ~ Charles Bukowski

There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats. ~ Albert Schweitzer

‘Meow’ means ‘woof’ in cat. ~ George Carlin

Sleep is like a cat: It only comes to you if you ignore it. ~ Gillian Flynn

To err is human, to purr is feline. ~ Robert Byrne

September 25

I like storms. I would say I actively like stormy weather. I would not be afraid of them. I think that if I had not pursued journalism, I think storm-chasing would’ve been a really fun career. ~ Chuck Klosterman

[Just because it’s an interesting sky . . . ]

Rainbows are birthed in storms, not in sunshine. ~ Matshona Dhliwayo

September 29

When a cat adopts you, there is nothing to be done about it except to put up with it until the wind changes. ~ T.S. Eliot

[The babies waiting for Mom to come home . . . ]

September 30

Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. ~ Francis Bacon

[The music group at Rolling Folks Vineyards for Anthony Miltich . . . ]

A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world. ~ Louis Pasteur

The perfect lover is one who turns into a pizza at 4:00 A.M. ~ Charles Pierce

Unless you are a pizza, the answer is yes, I can live without you. ~ Bill Murray

[The group and the aforementioned Anthony all in one picture . . . ]

There’s no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box in your lap. ~ Kevin James

[It was a tad breezy as usual situated many goldfarbs above Lake Minnewaska . . . ]

If the king loves music, there is little wrong in the land. ~ Mencius

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. ~ Plato

I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music. ~ Billy Joel

Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart. ~ Pablo Casals

If music be the food of love, play on. ~ William Shakespeare

And although our bodies are bounded with skin, and we can differentiate between outside and inside, they cannot exist except in a certain kind of natural environment. ~ Alan Watts

[The aforementioned Lake Minnewaska in the far background . . . ]

October 1

Champagne is appropriate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. ~ Madeline Puckette

[Long overdue visit to Polly and Dave at L’Etoile du Nord vineyard on Lake Irene . . . ]

Either give me more wine or leave me alone. ~ Rumi

[Said Lake Irene . . . ]

The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn’t know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret. ~ Basil Fawlty

[Polly planted these red pines some 60 years ago . . . ]

Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle. ~ Paulo Coelho

[The road home . . . ]

But there was a kitten on my pillow, and it was purring in my face and vibrating gently with every purr, and, very soon, I slept. ~ Neil Gaiman

[Catnapping trio . . . ]

Cats are connoisseurs of comfort. ~ James Herriot

October 2

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Coming out of the Y one morning at sunrise . . . ]

The sky is an infinite movie to me. I never get tired of looking at what’s happening up there. ~ k. d. lang

Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend’s success. ~ Oscar Wilde

[Making a mockery of not wearing white after Labor Day . . . ]

October 4

After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value. ~ G.M. Trevelyan

[With Friends of the Alexandria Nature Trail (FANT) . . .

Hiking—much like drinking—is something that sounds more fun to the uninitiated than it actually is. ~ Mindy McGinnis

[The meeting place for a walk of the part of the trail behind Discovery Middle School. I had no idea a lovely ballpark was hidden in the woods behind the school . . . ]

Hiking’s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty. ~ Sonja Yoerg

[“Friends” gathering for the walk . . . ]

Fact: Hiking is actually just walking, only on dirt or rocks or other uneven surfaces. Or walking where an animal larger than you can kill and eat you. ~ Brendon Leonard

[The ballpark from the outfield side looking back at where our walk began . . . ]

I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[We’re rolling now . . . ]

It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe. ~ Muhammad Ali

[Approaching the back of the school was football practice was taking place . . . ]

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. ~ Edward Abbey

Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee. ~ Demetri Martin

Never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost, and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that. ~ Ellen DeGeneres

[John Riggle, a member of the Audubon Society among other things, narrated the walk . . . ]

Let’s not mince words: Everest doesn’t attract a whole lot of well-balanced folks. The self-selection process tends to weed out the cautious and the sensible in favor of those who are single-minded and incredibly driven. Which is a big reason the mountain is so dangerous. ~ Jon Krakauer

[Appears to be a wasp nest . . . ]

I can’t understand why men make all this fuss about Everest — it’s only a mountain. ~ Junko Tabei, first woman to climb Everest

[Meanwhile, back at practice . . . ]

If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet. ~ Rachel Wolchin

[It’s a wrap!]

I don’t understand how someone who has said and done such mean things can win. ~ Adam Russell Taylor’s 5-year old son

Nazism has nothing to do with race and nationality. It appeals to a certain type of mind. ~ Dorothy Thompson

Up Next: More o’ the same . . .

October 27

I don’t appear to be making much headway in my backlog, but I’ve finally made it to Homecoming. ~ Me

I’m still a month behind and wondering if I’m ever going to catch up. ~ Me

[Certainly one of my all-time favorite photos. This is Denali (nee Mt. McKinley) in Alaska shot at midnight on the summer solstice, June 21, 2008 . . . ]

I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot. ~ Marilyn Monroe

September 10

I read a funny story about how the Republicans freed the slaves. The Republicans are the ones who created slavery by law in the 1600’s. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and he was not a Republican. ~ Marion Barry

[Our local storyteller, Paulette Friday, and her band of merry minstrels, produced what we thought was their best show yet . . . ]

No story lives unless someone wants to listen. The stories we love best do live in us forever. So whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home. ~ J.K. Rowling, author

I’m obsessed with giving the audience something they don’t see coming. ~ Jordan Peele

You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it. ~ Margaret Atwood

The most amazing thing for me is that every single person who sees a movie, not necessarily one of my movies, brings a whole set of unique experiences, but through careful manipulation and good storytelling, you can get everybody to clap at the same time, to hopefully laugh at the same time, and to be afraid at the same time. ~ Steven Spielberg

[The venue: The Performing Arts Center at Alexandria Area High School . . . ]

We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories. ~ Jonathan Gottschall

Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution — more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to. ~ Lisa Cron

September 12

Does college pay? They do if you are a good open-field runner. ~ Will Rogers

[The first class of senior college for the fall semester . . . ]

We spend the first twelve months of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up. ~ Phyllis Diller

[Tim Cochran and Doug Tatge as Sound Idea, a/k/a, our first contact with Doug . . . ]

Colleges don’t make fools they only develop them. ~ George Horace Lorimer

[Doug Tatge, retired dean of student affairs at Alexandria College, presented the history of the college . . . ]

A senior always feels like the university is going to the kids. ~ Tom Masson 

Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated. ~ G. B. Trudeau

Never get married in college; it’s hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you’ve already made one mistake. ~ Elbert Hubbard

At graduation you get to wear a cap and gown, but it’s a good idea to also wear something underneath it. ~ Greg Tamblyn

[After class fine dining at The Depot . . . ]

I could have said something profound, but you would have forgotten it in 15 minutes – which is the afterlife of a graduation speech. ~ Art Buchwald

A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car. But if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

[A first visit to the upstairs makeover at The Depot . . . ]

You are the nerds who are going to make some serious bank, which is why I am here today… to marry the best-looking amongst you. ~ Minday Kaling

[Updating Alex: This is where D. Michael B’s used to be. On the plus side, the long forgotten potholed mall parking lot has been resurfaced (though not yet in this photo) . . . ]

September 13

In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this. ~ Terry Pratchett

[The babies, waiting for Mom’s return, in the guest bedroom . . . ]

Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is. ~ P. J. O’Rourke

[Approaching the entrance to the golf club for Wednesday night fine dining . . . ]

Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage. ~ Woody Allen

[Said fine dining . . . ]

September 15 – HOMECOMING

Poetry is a sort of homecoming. ~ Paul Celan

[Pre-homecoming events began in the early afternoon with Anthony Miltich at Carlos Creek Winery . . . ]

I got suspended for 90 days for fighting beginning my freshman year, so I missed Homecoming, and that’s when I turned the page. I went on honor roll and had good grades after that. It was the changing point. ~ Tyron Woodley

In 1985 I graduated from Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, Alabama, and I was their first African American homecoming queen. You would have thought I won Miss America or Miss U.S.A. (wink), because of my excitement. ~ Cynthia Bailey

I was homecoming queen. I was star of my basketball team. ~ Marla Maples

For a time in high school, I had glasses, braces, and a cast. I like to call this look ‘no date for homecoming.’ ~ Lauren Graham

Sometimes you just have to throw on a crown and remind them who they’re dealing with. ~ Marilyn Monroe

Before the Colts arrived in 1947, the best athlete in town was a woman duckpin bowler named Toots Barger. Football? The biggest games in Baltimore had been when Johns Hopkins took on Susquehanna or Franklin & Marshall at homecoming. ~ Frank Deford

[The usual suspects eventually arrived to join us . . . ]

Football teams represent cities and colleges and schools. The people have built great stadiums, and the game is culturally intertwined with our calendar. We don’t go back to college for the college. We go back for a football game, and, yes, we even call that ‘homecoming.’ ~ Frank Deford

I always thought of Caesars as the gold standard. I had exactly one date in high school, and my father knew someone who got us comped here for the Sammy Davis Jr. show. We heard ‘Candy Man,’ ‘Mr. Bojangles’ – the whole list. And then my date and I went off to the dance – homecoming, I think – where she pretty much ignored me. ~ Charles Bock

Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn. ~ Orson Welles

One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art. ~ Oscar Wilde

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~ Danny Kaye

[Jeff James arrived to begin set up to relieve Anthony of entertainment duties . . . ]

I said, ‘Oh my, what a marvelous tune.’ It was the best night, never forget how we moved. ~ Taylor Swift

[“OK Jeff, your turn” . . . ]

The Parade

Raining on parades requires no skill or effort on the part of a politician. ~ P. J. O’Rourke

[We left the winery to blitz downturn to stake out a spot to watch the homecoming parade, which I believe has become the largest parade (both in terms of participants and crowd size) held annually in Alexandria . . . ]

I’ve got a motto. When the posse’s chasing you out of town, you just act like you’re the head of a parade. ~ Mike D’Antoni

[It’s about young sisters and brothers anxiously awaiting parade commencement . . . ]

Group conformity scares the pants off me because it’s so often a prelude to cruelty towards anyone who doesn’t want to – or can’t – join the Big Parade. ~ Bette Midler

[The classic county courthouse a mere block and a half away . . . ]

I tell you, if you’re in the front row of the parade and you stop walking, pretty soon you’re back in the tuba section. And if you want to lead the parade you’ve got to keep moving. ~ Phil McGraw

[Here comes the parade with lights flashing, sirens blaring, and horns honking . . . ]

Lots of times you have to pretend to join a parade in which you’re not really interested in order to get where you’re going. ~ Christopher Morley

I’m still passionately interested in what my fellow humans are up to. For me, a day spent monitoring the passing parade is a day well-spent. ~ Garry Trudeau

If you’re not in the parade, you watch the parade. That’s life. ~ Mike Ditka

[The Super staked out our position at 8th and Broadway right across the street from our bank. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your money . . . ]

No journalist has ever been in my house and no photographs have ever been taken of where I live. I don’t parade my family out for display, which is the way it will stay. ~ Tom Hanks

[Carol Dittberner took the Hall of Fame inductee ride on behalf of her late husband Dave . . . ]

War coverage should be more than a parade of retired generals and retired government flacks posing as reporters. ~ Amy Goodman

It’s always the generals with the bloodiest records who are the first to shout what a hell it is. And it’s always the war widows who lead the Memorial Day parades. ~ Paddy Chayefsky

[Homecoming royalty . . . ]

In the subprime mortgage industry, bankers handed out iffy loans like candy at a parade because such loans meant revenue and, hence, bonuses for executives in the here-and-now. ~ Thomas Frank

[The Cardinal girls soccer team, who by the time of this writing are in the state tournament with a 15-1-2 record . . . ]

I’ve been marching in every single ethnic nationality parade all throughout the City of New York. We’re all Americans first and foremost, but people understand their heritage and it’s good to see. ~ Joe Lhota

Parades are man’s attempt to make traffic exciting. ~ Demetri Martin

[Hockey!]

A procession is a participants’ journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience. ~ Rebecca Solnit

Some of us are like a shovel brigade that follow a parade down Main Street cleaning up. ~ Donald T. Regan

[DMac, KXRA’s sports announcer . . . ]

The one thing I never want to see again is a military parade. ~ Ulysses S. Grant

[The football team, undefeated at regular season’s end . . . ]

If you wait for inspiration you’ll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street. ~ Ben Nicholas

As I think of it, democracy isn’t like a Sunday suit to be brought out and worn only for parades. It’s the kind of a life a decent man leads, it’s something to live for and to die for. ~ Dalton Trumbo

With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches. ~ Adam Smith

[Alexandria Mountaineers, with several peaks to choose from in West Central Minnesota . . . ]

I like parades. ~ Jim Nantz

I never thought that I would share a hit parade with the Beatles. ~ Vera Lynn

Opportunity is a parade. Even as one chance passes, the next is a fife and drum echoing in the distance. ~ Robert Breault

[The girls cross country team ranked #1 in the state Class 2A . . . ]

Poetry is a string of words that parades without a permit. ~ Linda Hogan

[The worn out training shoes . . . ]

We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Appears to be the volleyball team . . . ]

Leadership involves finding a parade and getting in front of it. ~ John Naisbitt

[Appears to be the band . . . ]

Language is the apparel in which your thoughts parade before the public. ~ George W. Crane

[Dance team . . . ]

He looked like something that had gotten loose from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. ~ Harpo Marx

[Wrestling . . . ]

The loneliest feeling in the world is when you think you are leading the parade and turn to find that no one is following you. No president who badly misguesses public opinion will last very long. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

[Swim & dive . . . ]

I think everyone, once in his life, should be given a ticker-tape parade. ~ Gene Kranz

[Figure skating . . . ]

The Republicans could mess up a two car parade. ~ William J. Clinton

[Appears to be the balloon team . . . ]

Remember to lean back in a parade, so that people can see your husband. Don’t get too fat to ride three on a seat. Get out of the way as quickly as you’re not needed. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

[FFA . . . ]

If you are being run out of town, get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade. ~ Sally Stanford

[Tennis . . . ]

I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade, into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way. ~ Bob Dylan

[Gymnastics . . . ]

Never let the guy with the broom decide how many elephants can be in the parade. ~ Merlin Mann

[Believed to be gymnasts . . . ]

I’m from New Orleans, which is all about direct engagement out in the street with all the parades and Mardi Gras Indians and jazz funerals. ~ Jon Batiste

[The pirate team . . . ]

It will be celebrated… with pomp and parade… bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other. ~ John Adams

[As the masses disappear to the south . . . ]

He who parades his virtues seldom leads the parade. He who puts up with insult invites injury. Health requires this relaxation, this aimless life. This life in the present. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Parades should be classed as a Nuisance and participants should be subject to a term in prison. They stop more work, inconvenience more people, stop more traffic, cause more accidents, entail more expense, and commit and cause I don’t remember the other hundred misdemeanors. ~ Will Rogers

[And the crowds rush the playing field . . . ]

In the public restroom, I always stand behind the teen-ager who is changing into her band uniform for a parade and doesn’t emerge until she has combed the tassels on her boots, shaved her legs, and recovered her contact lens from the commode. ~ Erma Bombeck

[Always in search of more height for the basketball team . . . ]

The Game

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. ~ William Blake

[The Cards hosted St. Cloud Tech . . . ]

What I remember most about high school are the memories I created with my friends. ~ J. J. Watt

I think a winner has to be a master of preparation, they have to be a master of connection, extremely competitive and have really high standards for themselves and the people around them. ~ Maya Moore

[The pre-game discussion about post-game dining . . . ]

Once you get on the playing field it’s not about whether you’re liked or not liked. All that matters is to play at a high level and do whatever it takes to help your team win. That’s what it’s about. ~ LeBron James

[The opening kickoff starring Daniel Jackson (No. 9) . . . ]

The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more. ~ Jonas Salk

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. ~ Albert Einstein

[As young Mr. Jackson’s kickoff sails past the goal post . . . ]

For NASA, space is still a high priority. ~ Dan Quayle

[The Cardinal defense in action . . . ]

There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable application of high explosives. ~ Scott Adams

I actually think I think better in high heels. ~ Theresa May

[6’8″ junior quarterback, Chase Thompson (No. 12), in action . . . ]

What you wear – and it always starts with your shoes – determines what kind of character you are. A woman who wears high heels carries herself very different to a girl who wears sneakers or sandals. It really helps determine how you carry yourself. ~ Winona Ryder

[Chase rolls left . . . ]

I went to the University of Vermont because I had a kind of unrequited love for this high school girlfriend. She wasn’t even at the University but at another school nearby. But I thought if went to a school near her, just maybe… I was really remedial about girls in so many ways. ~ Ben Affleck

[Homecoming royalty, fresh off the parade float . . . ]

Their houses are all built in the shape of tents, with very high chimneys. ~ Christopher Columbus

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. ~ Vince Lombardi

[Chase in a drop back . . . ]

If you are humble, your concentration will be very high. That’s the way to go in sports. ~ Eliud Kipchoge

[Setting up a screen pass . . . ]

People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~ Rogers Hornsby

[To running back, Andrew Flaten (No. 28) . . . ]

The leader must aim high, see big, judge widely, thus setting himself apart form the ordinary people who debate in narrow confines. ~ Charles de Gaulle

[Field goal by Daniel Jackson . . . ]

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. ~ Archimedes

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. ~ Wayne Gretzky

Let’s face it. No kid in high school feels as though they fit in. ~ Stephen King

[Leaping into the future, the Cardinals finished the regular season 8 – 0. The section tournament begins October 28, with a home game (as the No. 1 seed) against Bemidji . . . ]

September 16

Laughter is the best medicine – unless you’re diabetic, then insulin comes pretty high on the list. ~ Jasper Carrott

[The Saturday morning doughnut run . . . ]

High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead. ~ Christopher Morley

White collar conservative flashin down the street, pointing that plastic finger at me, they all assume my kind will drop and die, but I’m gonna wave my freak flag high. ~ Jimi Hendrix

I grew up Jewish. I am Jewish. I went to an Episcopal high school. I went to a Baptist college. I’ve taken every comparative-religion course that was available. God? I have no idea. ~ Michael Eisner

Up Next: A continuation of the same thing.

October 21

Don’t worry too much! ~ Keith Richards

Yes, still in catch up mode. ~ Me

[Back in the day as a Speedo model, Fenwick Island, Delaware, 1963, body surfing with my Delaware cousins. The photo was taken by their mother which is why I’m missing the top half of my head. Aunt Louise, the first woman state senator in Delaware, was apparently noted for her ability to not quite capture the entire head in photographs . . . ]

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy”. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. ~ John Lennon

August 29

Puffballs are distinguished from other mushroom groups by the fact that they lack many of the features or characteristics that other common mushrooms possess. A puffball has no stem. It has no cap. And no external gills. All of the spores are produced inside of the fruiting body. (adirondackalmanack.com/)

[I thought Harvey had brought a Neanderthal skull to the gym that morning . . . ]

September 1

Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated. ~ Lou Holtz

[The Alexandria Cardinals opened the 2023 football season by hosting the Chaska Hawks on a beautiful day in Vacationland USA . . . ]

Being a woman is of special interest only to aspiring male transsexuals. To actual women, it is simply a good excuse not to play football. ~ Fran Lebowitz

[And it was Mom & Dad Day . . . ]

There are several differences between a football game and a revolution. For one thing, a football game usually lasts longer and the participants wear uniforms. Also, there are usually more casualties in a football game. The object of the game is to move a ball past the other team’s goal line. This counts as six points. No points are given for lacerations, contusions, or abrasions, but then no points are deducted, either. Kicking is very important in football. In fact, some of the more enthusiastic players even kick the ball, occasionally. ~ Alfred Hitchcock

[The Ever Amazing Mr. Ripley . . . ]

If the Super Bowl is really the ultimate game, why do they play it again next year? ~ Duane Thomas

[A sign from above?]

You guys line up alphabetically by height. ~ Bill Peterson

[Chaska, a suburb of Minneapolis, had allowed an average of only 11 points a game over the last 4 years. Granted, high school teams graduate players every year, but there’s always a lewacy carryover . . . ]

The reason women don’t play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public. ~ Phyllis Diller

[We knew the Cards would have at least a couple “high-value” players in 6’8″ quarterback Chase Thompson (No. 12) and placekicker Daniel Jackson (No. 9) . . . ]

If I drop dead tomorrow, at least I’ll know I died in good health. ~ Bum Phillips

[When Alex scored touchdowns on its first five possessions we got the idea this could be a really special season . . . ]

I don’t know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf. ~ Joe Namath

[Jackson’s opening kickoff – the first of almost all that go through the end zone . . . ]

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~ Jim Bouton

[The first play from scrimmage of the season – Chaska held to a short gain . . . ]

You need 1 yard. Run the ball. Run the ball! ~ Richard Sherman

Kicking is very important in football. In fact, some of the more enthusiastic players even kick the ball, occasionally. ~ Alfred Hitchcock

[A Jackson PAT . . . ]

Most football players are temperamental. That’s 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental. ~ Doug Plank

Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck. ~ Don Shula

[Chase on a rollout . . . ]

When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they’ll tell you. ~ Walter Payton

Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football. ~ John Heisman

[Running back Andrew Flaten (No. 28) scores . . . ]

We can’t run. We can’t pass. We can’t stop the run. We can’t stop the pass. We can’t kick. Other than that, we’re just not a very good football team right now. ~ Bruce Coslet

When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team. ~ George Raveling

[Follow the flight of a Jackson kickoff with the Chaska returners. Going . . . ]

If you’re mad at your kid, you can either raise him to be a nose tackle or send him out to play on the freeway. It’s about the same. ~ Bob Golic

[Going . . . ]

Do you know my favorite part about the game is? The opportunity to play. ~ Mike Singletary

[Gone . . . ]

It’s ridiculous for a country to get all worked up about a game—except the Super Bowl, of course. Now that’s important. ~ Andy Rooney

No one has ever drowned in sweat. ~ Lou Holtz

[The sequence of a quick out . . . ]

Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. ~ Peyton Manning

The fewer rules a coach has, the fewer rules there are for players to break. ~ John Madden

Great football coaches have the vision to see, the faith to believe, the courage to do—and 25 great players. ~ Marv Levy

I feel like I’m the best, but you’re not going to get me to say that. ~ Jerry Rice

Don’t worry about it. It’s just a bunch of guys with an odd-shaped ball. ~ Bill Parcells

In high school, when I played football I got no respect. I shared a locker with a mop. ~ Rodney Dangerfield

[Another PAT . . . ]

The difference is the class clown is the guy who drops his pants at the football game, the class comedian is the guy who talked him into it. ~ Billy Crystal

On the last game of the season, the crowd was yelling, We want Youngman! We want Youngman! The coach says, Youngman – go see what they want! ~ Henny Youngman

I did play two years of high school football and was very short and uncoordinated but the second year I was very tall and skinny and very uncoordinated. ~ Kyle Chandler

High school football in Detroit was not easy at all. There were talented players everywhere. ~ Antonio Gates

[And the final score . . . ]

September 4

You know you’re getting old when you get that one candle on the cake. It’s like, ‘See if you can blow this out.’ ~ Jerry Seinfeld

[Happy Birthday to me!]

Put candles in a cake, it’s a birthday cake. Put candles in a pie, and somebody’s drunk in the kitchen. ~ Jim Gaffigan

[Photos with my collective booty . . . ]

I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don’t have to respect anybody. ~ George Burns

[A Southern Virginia writer championed by my Southern Virginia brother and as a gift from my Washington, D.C. sister . . . ]

Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act. ~ Truman Capote

[Laddie enjoying a piece of birthday paraphernalia . . . ]

The really frightening thing about middle age is the knowledge that you’ll grow out of it. ~ Doris Day

[Birthday excitement with Anthony Miltich at Lure Lakebar . . . ]

Last year my birthday cake looked like a prairie fire. ~ Rodney Dangerfield

[Anthony joined us for some pre-performance scuttlebutt . . . ]

If you survive long enough, you’re revered-rather like an old building. ~ Katherine Hepburn

[Here comes the champagne . . . ]

From our birthday, until we die, is but the winking of an eye. ~ William Butler Yeats

I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn’t have one. So, I got a cake! ~ Mitch Hedberg

[Just a group of regular people who enjoy a taste of the bubbly . . . ]

It’s sad to grow old, but nice to ripen. ~ Brigitte Bardot

Why is a birthday cake the only food you can blow on and spit on and everybody rushes to get a piece? ~ Bobby Kelton

Thanks to Facebook, I never forget the birthdays of people I don’t really know. ~ Andy Borowitz

[An assistant women’s basketball coach from St. Ben’s was there scouting the event . . . ]

Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other who never forgets them. ~ Ogden Nash

[Thanks, Anthony!]

You know you’ve aged when you read events you lived in a history book. ~ Will Ferrell

September 7

We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics. ~ William (“Bill”) Vaughn

[Tom McDermott plays Scott Joplin at a Theatre L’Homme Dieu shindig to thank its donors and patrons . . . ]

I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. ~ Benjamin Disraeli 

[Just a group of regular people who happen to like ragtime . . . ]

Though I am grateful for the blessings of wealth, it hasn’t changed who I am. My feet are still on the ground. I’m just wearing better shoes. ~ Oprah Winfrey

[Even more regular people . . . ]

So long, and thanks for all the fish. ~ Douglas Adams 

[A plethora of regular people . . . ]

Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed. ~ Mark Twain

[Some regular people even enjoyed from the theatre seats . . . ]

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~ Woody Allen

[And now the thanks from theatre hierarchy . . . ]

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. ~ Alphonse Karr

Got no checkbooks, got no banks. Still I’d like to express my thanks – I’ve got the sun in the mornin’ and the moon at night. ~ Irving Berlin

[Gotcha three times Nicole!]

So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I’ll see you at the movies. ~ Roger Ebert

[Theatre operations manager Sidney Imsande . . . ]

Life is short, wear your party pants. ~ Loretta LaRoche

[Theatre board member Michael Tisserand . . . ]

Parties are the nightly ritual of the sophisticated society. ~ Dominick Dunne

[Thanks for bringing in Mr. McDermott . . . ]

It’s not about going to a party. It’s life as a party. ~ Diane Von Furstenberg

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

[Regular people reflected in the shiny piano . . . ]

Never miss a party…good for the nerves–like celery. ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Hear no evil, speak no evil, and you won’t be invited to cocktail parties. ~ Oscar Wilde

[Ruth’s photo of Tom McDermott . . . ]

Life is a party. Dress for it. ~ Audrey Hepburn

Canada is like a loft apartment over a really great party. ~ Robin Williams

In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured. ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

[He was a true joy (OK, I will admit to having visited the Scott Joplin house in St. Louis) . . . ]

At every party there are two kinds of people – those who want to go home and those who don’t. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other. ~ Ann Landers

[The Super joins in as a member of the regular people . . . ]

The best parties are the ones you never want to end. ~ Beyoncé

September 9

I’d rather get a hot dog or a doughnut than write a song. ~ John Prine

[Saturday mornings always begin with . . . ]

Don t play this piece fast. It is never right to play ragtime fast. ~ Scott Joplin

Ragtime was my lullaby. ~ Hoagy Carmichael

One day the ‘Maple Leaf’ will make me King of Ragtime Composers. ~ Scott Joplin

Up Next: The never ending supply of events long past . . .