June 2

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.’ ~ Dave Barry

Spring venues have pretty much expired. As the weather warms and daylight lingers, reporting turns mainly to outdoor eating and music. Let the new season begin . . . ~ Me

Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it. ~ Dave Barry

May 7

It’s All Anthony . . .

We’ll try to cooperate fully with the IRS, because, as citizens, we feel a strong patriotic duty not to go to jail. ~ Dave Barry

[An afternoon with Anthony Miltich at Carlos Creek Winery . . . ]

The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl. ~ Dave Barry

Fishing is boring, unless you catch an actual fish, and then it is disgusting. ~ Dave Barry

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. ~ Dave Barry

Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night. ~ Dave Barry

Auto racing is boring except when a car is going at least 172 miles per hour upside down. ~ Dave Barry

Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. ~ Dave Barry

It is a scientific fact that your body will not absorb cholesterol if you take it from another person’s plate. ~ Dave Barry

‘Escargot’ is French for ‘fat crawling bag of phlegm’. ~ Dave Barry

The simple truth is that balding African-American men look cool when they shave their heads, whereas balding white men look like giant thumbs. ~ Dave Barry

The Sixties are now considered a historical period, just like the Roman Empire. ~ Dave Barry

The real threat to whales is whaling, which has endangered many whale species. ~ Dave Barry

In fact, when you get right down to it, almost every explanation Man came up with for anything until about 1926 was stupid. ~ Dave Barry

May 8

The Class of ’65 Goes to Lunch . . .

If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there are men on base. ~ Dave Barry

[The Class of ’65 got together for lunch for the first time since 1936, as a result of things COVID and excess wintery. 17 of our brethren and sistren showed up at Boulder Tap House for food and discussion. Some people came from as far away as Alexandria. Several seemed to be amazed that you could both graduate from high school and still be alive at age 75. There were, however, significant lapses in the retention of teacher names. We pledged to do better next time . . . ]

If God had wanted us to be concerned for the plight of the toads, he would have made them cute and furry.  ~ Dave Barry

Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73 percent of all accidents involving falling objects.  ~ Dave Barry

Violence and smut are of course everywhere on the airwaves. You cannot turn on your television without seeing them, although sometimes you have to hunt around. ~ Dave Barry

There is a breed of fashion models who weigh no more than an abridged dictionary. ~ Dave Barry

[p.s. Ruthie snuck in as a spouse – I’m not sure if that’s legal?]

The leading cause of death among fashion models is falling through street grates. ~ Dave Barry

Have you noticed that whatever sport you’re trying to learn, some earnest person is always telling you to keep your knees bent?  ~ Dave Barry

It’s Me, Margaret . . .

We journalists make it a point to know very little about an extremely wide variety of topics; this is how we stay objective. ~ Dave Barry

[The best movie reviews I had seen in a long time. Thus, it was a must see movie. The reviews were correct . . . ]

You should not confuse your career with your life. ~ Dave Barry

[OK, the movie held our attention better than the expressions here . . . ]

You can only be young once. But you can always be immature. ~ Dave Barry

[The day ended with a pie invite from friends – first pizza, then ala mode for dessert . . . ]

May 10

Eating rice cakes is like chewing on a foam coffee cup, only less filling. ~ Dave Barry

[Wednesday night fine dining at the golf club. The turkey commercial allegedly had fewer calories than a week’s worth of sales at DQ . . . ]

The only kind of seafood I trust is the fish stick, a totally featureless fish that doesn’t have eyeballs or fins. ~ Dave Barry

[OK, we took them home and made three more meals out of them . . . ]

May 13

When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy. ~ Dave Barry

[“Now why do cops Love donut shops Donuts tend to make them big and strong and tough-n” ~ Jack Ellison]

May 14

The best baby-sitters, of course, are the baby’s grandparents. You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida. ~ Dave Barry

[Jami dropped by for a visit from “up north” . . . ]

May 16

I am not the only person who uses his computer mainly for the purpose of diddling with his computer. ~ Dave Barry

[It’s the summer of roundabout construction in the Alexandria metropolitan area . . . ]

He was distracted by a giggle, and turned to see a rare sight: a girl. ~ Dave Barry

[The grass is green, the trees are greening, but the shoreline reed and cattail beds are still a work in progress . . . ]

Tuesday Nightclub

A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. ~ Dave Barry

[With Tuesday Nightclub at the Garden Bar on 6th – I enjoyed the salmon . . . ]

Aside from velcro, time is the most mysterious substance in the universe. You can’t see it or touch it, yet a plumber can charge you upwards of seventy-five dollars per hour for it, without necessarily fixing anything. ~ Dave Barry

[Emeritus musicians Jim, Terry, Bill, and Al . . . ]

Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza. ~ Dave Barry

Meetings are an addictive, highly self-indulgent activity that corporations and other large organizations habitually engage in only because they cannot actually masturbate. ~ Dave Barry

[The one thing I know for sure is that this does not fall within the scope of my “sticks and twigs” diet . . . ]

Scientists tell us that the fastest animal in the world, with a speed of 120 mph, is a cow dropped out of a helicopter. ~ Dave Barry

Guys care about sports teams. I’m not talking about simply rooting; I’m talking about a relationship that guys develop, a commitment to a sport team that guys take way more seriously than, for example, wedding vows. ~ Dave Barry

He felt a momentary pang of regret that he had not spent more time with his beloved wife. But it passed when he remembered that the reason he’d gone to sea in the first place was that he had never really liked his beloved wife. ~ Dave Barry

“In our language,” he said, “Alf means squid poop.” ~ Dave Barry

We idolized the Beatles, except for those of us who idolized the Rolling Stones, who in those days still had many of their original teeth. ~ Dave Barry

May 17

Electricity is actually made up of extremely tiny particles called electrons, that you cannot see with the naked eye unless you have been drinking. ~ Dave Barry

[The Alberta wildfires as seen from Alexandria . . . ]

A sense of humor is a measurement of the extent to which we realize that we are trapped in a world almost totally devoid of reason. Laughter is how we express the anxiety we feel at this knowledge. ~ Dave Barry

American consumers have no problem with carcinogens, but they will not purchase any product, including floor wax, that has fat in it. ~ Dave Barry

Scientists now believe that the primary biological function of breasts is to make males stupid. ~ Dave Barry

I realize that I’m generalizing here, but as is often the case when I generalize, I don’t care. ~ Dave Barry

[The Resorters on my birth year . . . ]

Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can using only their hands and feet make some of the worst movies in the history of the world. ~ Dave Barry

May 18

The Babies

Spiders so large they appear to be wearing the pelts of small mammals. ~ Dave Barry

[The babies in the guest bedroom waiting for Mom to come home . . . ]

I had no shoes and I pitied myself. Then I met a man who had no feet, so I took his shoes. ~ Dave Barry

May 19

The Boys of ’65 Have a Nosh . . .

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

Sharks are as tough as those football fans who take their shirts off during games in Chicago in January, only more intelligent.  ~ Dave Barry

[The Boys of ’65 had a rare Friday get-together yesterday. Mayo and I hadn’t seen Bradley for quite a while as he has been on the medical reserve list for some time. Although he appeared to be in fine fettle, he still wasn’t ready yet to be extradited from his apartment. So, I gathered some individual pizzas from Zorbaz and we ate in. As usual we spent most of the afternoon discussing the bathroom habits of elderly people, and what pharmaceuticals are best for what symptoms. We are hopeful Bradley will be available for a road trip next month. You will note that his dining room has the appearance of the flight deck of the starship Enterprise – maybe for our next engagement, we can “beam” ourselves to Paris for lunch . . . ]

Don’t you wish you had a job like mine? All you have to do is think up a certain number of words! Plus, you can repeat words! And they don’t even have to be true! ~ Dave Barry

If, when you talk to people, they keep backing away from you, it’s because you’re TOO CLOSE, alright? SO DON’T KEEP ADVANCING ON THEM LIKE A HUMAN GLACIER. ~ Dave Barry

He could even think about how fast he was thinking about things. ~ Dave Barry

The Democrats seem to be basically nicer people, but they have demonstrated time and again that they have the management skills of celery. ~ Dave Barry

My problem with chess was that all my pieces wanted to end the game as soon as possible. ~ Dave Barry

Thus the metric system did not really catch on in the States, unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine-millimeter bullet. ~ Dave Barry

The word aerobics comes from two Greek words: aero, meaning “ability to,” and bics, meaning “withstand tremendous boredom. ~ Dave Barry

The information encoded in your DNA determines your unique biological characteristics, such as sex, eye color, age and Social Security number. ~ Dave Barry

All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears – of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, of speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words “Some Assembly Required”. ~ Dave Barry

The only really good place to buy lumber is at a store where the lumber has already been cut and attached together in the form of furniture finished and put inside boxes. ~ Dave Barry

In the words of a very famous dead person, ‘A nation that does not know its history is doomed to do poorly on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. ~ Dave Barry

We constantly see surveys that reveal this ignorance, especially among our high school students,78 percent of whom, in a recent nationwide multiple-choice test, identified Abraham Lincoln as ‘a kind of lobster.’ That’s right: more than three quarters of our nation’s youth could not correctly identify the man who invented the telephone. ~ Dave Barry

[For the first Mayo (top row, 3rd from the left) reported that he was in the same basic training unit as Darrell Maloney, Alex class of ’64 . . . ]

The big problem with pornography is defining it. You can’t just say it’s pictures of people naked. For example, you have these primitive African tribes that exist by chasing the wildebeest on foot, and they have to go around largely naked, because, as the old tribal saying goes: “N’wam k’honi soit qui mali,” which means, “If you think you can catch a wildebeest in this climate and wear clothes at the same time, then I have some beach front property in the desert region of Northern Mali that you may be interested in. ~ Dave Barry

So it’s not considered pornographic when National Geographic publishes color photographs of these people hunting the wildebeest naked, or pounding one rock onto another rock for some primitive reason naked, or whatever. But if National Geographic were to publish an article entitled “The Girls of the California Junior College System Hunt the Wildebeest Naked,” some people would call it pornography. But others would not. And still others, such as the Spectacularly Rev. Jerry Falwell, would get upset about seeing the wildebeest naked. ~ Dave Barry

What I look forward to is continued immaturity followed by death. ~ Dave Barry

[Since we’re back in basic training again, I can report that Fort Bragg (where I did basic in August 1969) is now named Fort Liberty. Bragg was a confederate general, slave holder, and loser of many battles. We did not have the yearbook photo sessions that Mayo had in Ft. Campbell . . . ]

May 20

The Saturday Morning Doughnut Run . . .

It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity. ~ Dave Barry

[A double caramel roll gift from Mayo on his visit yesterday almost superseded the Saturday morning doughnut run. Nevertheless, the doughnuts persisted. So, we doubled our pleasure, doubled our fun . . .

I like the relaxed way in which the Japanese approach religion. I think of myself as basically a moral person, but I’m definitely not religious, and I’m very tired of the preachiness and obsession with other people’s behavior characteristic of many religious people in the United States. As far as I could tell, there’s nothing preachy about Buddhism. I was in a lot of temples, and I still don’t know what Buddhists believe, except that at one point Kunio said ‘If you do bad things, you will be reborn as an ox.’ This makes as much sense to me as anything I ever heard from, for example, the Reverend Pat Robertson. ~ Dave Barry

Panicky despair is an underrated element of writing. ~ Dave Barry

Up Next: Getting closer to being all caught up . . .

May 30

Civilization is drugs, alcohol, engines of war, prostitution, machines and machine slaves, low wages, bad food, bad taste, prisons, reformatories, lunatic asylums, divorce, perversion, brutal sports, suicides, infanticide, cinema, quackery, demagogy, strikes, lockouts, revolutions, putsches, colonization, electric chairs, guillotines, sabotage, floods, famine, disease, gangsters, money barons, horse racing, fashion shows, poodle dogs, chow dogs, Siamese cats, condoms, peccaries, syphilis, gonorrhea, insanity, neuroses, etc., etc. ~ Henry Miller

This was the annual spring fundraiser for Theatre L’Homme Dieu (TLHD). It always coincides with the Kentucky Derby (I am not a horseracing fan – nor am I a fan of auto racing. I do, however, reach a level of excitement over turtle racing.) After six years of being a TLHD board member, I was, unlike members of SCOTUS, term limited. It may be because of that that I totally forgot to process these photos until a month after the event. Uff da! But the event was fun, as usual, and we look forward to another summer of great entertainment at the theatre. In other news, I have now completed my 36 sessions of cardiac rehab and plan on hitting the trail with the Fat Boys Walking Club asap . . . ~ Me

There is only one thing we do know and that is that we do not know anything. ~ Gertrude Atherton

May 6

Once they witnessed one of his painting sold at auction for $100,000. And asked how you do it, he said, ‘I feel as a horse must feel when the beautiful cup is given to the jockey.’ ~ Edgar Degas

[The Grand Hall at Carlos Creek Winery was once again the venue . . . ]

The reason I wanted to become an organ player was because I heard Ray Charles play on Quincy Jones’ arrangement of “One Mint Julep.”  ~ Booker T. Jones

[The Salty Dogs provided the entertainment . . . ]

If you’d asked me at 30 where I’d be during the Masters when I was 46, I’d have pictured myself on a boat fishing, smoking a cigar, drinking a mint julep and watching it on television. ~ Jack Nicklaus

[The bar, necessary for such occasions . . . ]

I am not one of the people who believe that the main reason why a chap becomes a bookmaker is because he is too scared to steal and too heavy to become a jockey. ~ Noel Whitcomb

[The set up, including the big screen for the horse race . . . ]

I wanted to be a jockey. I’m serious. First time I got on a horse, I loved it. That’s what I wanted to be, but my dad asked me to start performing with my family. ~ Janet Jackson

I was too heavy to be a jockey and too honest to be a producer, so I became a writer. ~ Leon Uris

[Janet and Becky, in charge of the things that need being in charged of . . . ]

Actors are the jockeys of literature. Others supply the horses, the plays, and we simply make them run. ~ Ralph Richardson

That the mounds of ices, and the bowls of mint-julep and sherry cobbler they make in these latitudes, are refreshments never to be thought of afterwards, in summer, by those who would preserve contented minds. ~ Charles Dickens

[The usual suspects at our table . . . ]

I’m lucky because I have an athlete between my legs. ~ Willie Carson

[The Salty Dogs doing sound checks . . . ]

I have no intention of watching undersized Englishmen perched on horses with matchstick legs race along courses planned to amuse Nell Gwynn. ~ Gilbert Harding

[The “hat ladies” at the bar . . . ]

From the circumstances of my position, I was often thrown into the society of horse-racers, card-players, fox-hunters, scientific and professional men, and of dignified men; and many a time have I asked myself, in the enthusiastic moment of the death of a fox, the victory of a favorite horse, the issue of a question eloquently argued at the bar, or in the great council of the nation, well, which of these kinds of reputation should I prefer? That of a horse-jockey, a fox-hunter, an orator, or the honest advocate of my country’s rights? ~ Thomas Jefferson

[Table mates Dave and Karin in the chow line . . . ]

I’ve always thought I could use my brain and my heart to jockey everyone around to the good. But life is not jockeyable. When you try, you make people infinitely crazier than they already were, including or especially yourself. ~ Anne Lamott

[Our table, lucky number 12?]

The sport of horse racing which, at its best, showcases the majestic beauty of this animal and the athleticism of jockeys, has reached an alarming level of corruption and exploitation. ~ Tom Udall

[The raffle ticket line . . . ]

This is a really lovely horse, I once rode her mother. ~ Ted Walsh

[Up and running . . . ]

The best jockey in the world is never going to win races riding a lame horse. But even a mediocre jockey can win races riding a champion. ~ Warren Buffett

I love horses. I spent seven years as a racing commissioner on a horse-racing board. ~ Bo Derek

[Our neighbor table (we generally had no complaints about them) . . . ]

You know I have about the same interest in jewelry as I have in politics, horse racing, modern poetry, and women who need weird excitement – none. ~ Cary Grant

[Seen wandering the facility . . . ]

I like horse racing but I’m not an All-Star in horse racing. I’m an All-Star fan in horse racing. ~ Nikola Jokic

I follow the horses. And the horses I follow, follow horses. ~ Joe E. Lewis

[Folks settling in . . . ]

In a lot of people’s minds, a girl jockey is cute and delicate. With me, what you get is reckless and aggressive. ~ Julie Krone

[The photographer of those “seen wandering the facility” . . . ]

If horse racing is the sport of kings, then drag racing must be the sport of queens. ~ Bert Sugar

A good jockey is one who settles his mount into a rhythm that even the most casual observer can notice. If a jockey is bouncing around on a horse like a pinball machine, then the horse has something to think about other than running. ~ C. N. Richardson

[Eat, drink, and be merry . . . ]

I wanted to be a jockey. ~ Davy Jones

[Another perspective on the Dogs . . . ]

If horse racing is the sport of kings then surely bowling is a very good sport as well! ~ Homer Simpson

[The Dogs, close up and personal . . . ]

I’ve had a passion for horses since I was very young – I used to sit on the floor in front of the races on television and pretend to be a jockey – and I first began reading the racing form on the set of ‘The Partridge Family.’ ~ David Cassidy

[Nicole, the executive director of TLHD, a/k/a, the person in charge . . . ]

A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries. ~ Will Rogers

[Nicole visits our table . . . ]

A Thoroughbred racehorse can go from 0 to 40 in a matter of three strides. It’s exhilarating the feeling of power underneath you is incredible. I love to learn what makes a Thoroughbred tick. ~ Chris McCarron

[TLHD board member Michael (later seen dancing) shooting the “hat ladies” . . . ]

If someone offers you a breath mint, accept it. ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

[Serious dining taking place . . . ]

You don’t want to wait for that aged jockey role. ~ Billy Crystal

[ . . . across a crowded room . . . ]

Regrettably, there are more bad juleps than there are good ones. ~ Chuck Stinnett

[The bar, from afar . . . ]

I am too fat and tall to be a jockey. This is not self-deprecation – I realise that I am neither too fat nor too tall – but I am too fat and too tall to be a jockey. ~ Aisling Bea

[Nicole addresses the crowd . . . ]

When you are on a great horse, you have the best seat you will ever have. ~ Winston Churchill

I don’t know how anything could be bigger than the Kentucky Derby. If you hear of something, let me know… ~ J. Paul Reddam

[The perspective of the band stand from our table . . . ]

‘Open the whisky, Tom,’ she ordered, ‘and I’ll make you a mint julep. Then you won’t seem so stupid to yourself … Look at the mint!’ ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald 

[I had to pay a personal visit to the “hat ladies” . . . ]

‘Did you know say the true cause of the Civil War was some Northerner adding nutmeg to a mint julep?’ Lucy asked. ~ Mary Jane Hathaway

[I saw a man (Michael) who danced with his wife . . . ]

When you touch the dirt on the track you have the feeling, at that moment, that you are on the center stage of the universe. ~ Steve Cauthen

A horse never runs so fast as when he has other horses to catch up and outpace. ~ Ovid

I tell you waiting for the Derby to start is the longest day of your life… It’s just a unique time of thrill and tension and worry. ~ Penny Chenery

When a jockey retires, he just becomes another little man. ~ Eddie Arcaro

Hopefully you can catch that lightning in a bottle again. 44,000 registered foals and only 16 or 18 of them make it to the Derby. ~ John Sosby

[People began moving into the “stands” for the race . . . ]

The only sport I’m not interested in is horse racing. That’s because I don’t know the horses personally. ~ Nat King Cole

[The view from beyond the “stands” . . . ]

A horse doesn’t know whether the rider on his back wears a dress or pants away from the track. ~ Diane Crump

[“Down in front” . . . ]

Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. ~ W. C. Fields

[Ready, set . . . ]

I think one of the most humiliating moments of my life was putting on spandex, personally. It’s always nice when four women pull you into spandex when you’re in jockey shorts. Yeah. ~ Michael Chiklis

[GO!!]

The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business. ~ John Steinbeck

[“And the race is on” . . . ]

The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip. ~ Henny Youngman

[Ruthie got place and show in the raffle . . . ]

Protected by a no-fly zone, surrounded by protesters, Trump Tower is buzzing with intensity. The president-elect’s family, loyalist advisers and wannabes all jockeying for position. ~ George Stephanopoulos

[And a drawing for a prize . . . ]

At first I wanted to be a jockey. I rode horses in Cleveland but I kept falling off and I was afraid of horses. So there wasn’t much of a future in it. ~ Tim Conway

[The young lady drew her parents ticket!]

I had dinner in Washington way, way back. This goes back to the nineties. It was the Jockey Club which was the restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, and I can’t mention the names, but boy, would I love to. ~ Rush Limbaugh

Sometimes you buy the horse, sometimes you invest in the jockey. It really comes down to the actual business and the upside. ~ Mark Cuban

[And then we were done.]

Money, horse racing and women: three things the boys just can’t figure out. ~ Will Rogers

[Congratulations, Paulette! Say goodnight, Ralph!]

We should not feel so sorely grieved if no man who had not attained the full stature of a Webster, Clay, Van Buren, or Gerrit Smith could claim the right of the elective franchise. But to have drunkards, idiots, horse-racing, rum-selling rowdies, ignorant foreigners, and silly boys fully recognized, while we ourselves are thrust out from all the rights that belong to citizens, it is too grossly insulting to the dignity of woman to be longer quietly submitted to. ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Until a drag queen walks into a school and beats eight kids to death with a copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” I think you’re focusing on the wrong shit. ~ Wanda Sykes

Up Next: Going back to catching up again . . .

May 26

All we have to do is to wake up and change. ~ Greta Thunberg

I hope you’ve all been marvelling at the ongoing debates regarding the relative merits of living in Minnesota versus Florida. Apparently some are fleeing the Land of 10,000 Lakes for the sunshine state allegedly for lower tax and crime rates. While this is a discussion for another time and place, for the record, the facts actually are Minnesota has lower cost of living than Florida as well as lower crime rates. I would not mind as much if those moving to Florida would just cite their obvious reason – they prefer warm weather to cold. As a reminder, however, you can dress for cold weather; you cannot undress enough for hot weather. We are now, unfortunately, heading into the hot and muggies in the Gopher state – and I’m within a month of getting caught up in this blog . . . ~ Me

Fiction is where I go to tell the truth. ~ Pat Conroy

America has everything, why should they want us? ~ George Harrison

April 22

The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard. ~ Gaylord Nelson

We haven’t yet learnt to take care of Earth, yet we are now headed for Mars as colonizer. With the money it’ll take to get to Mars, we can literally end world hunger. ~ Abhijit Naskar

Earth has plenty resources to suffice our need, but no planet has enough resources to suffice our greed. ~ Abhijit Naskar

[Van Gooch discusses his EV car with John Huseth . . . ]

Earth was such a little, vulnerable thing in the grand scope of the universe. ~ Laura Lam

There is only one way to keep ourselves alive and that is to keep the earth alive! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan

[The guardians at the door: Ken and Jeanne Howell . . . ]

What you do matters. Like a stone tossed into a lake, your actions have ripples that carry far and wide. ~ Jeffrey Blander

You are an indispensable and irreplaceable asset to the human family. ~ Ilchi Lee

It is a privilege to exist, it is a privilege to live and all this made possible by our Earth, our beautiful warm home in this cold universe! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan

When we look at the space at night, the deep emptiness and the frightening darkness in the universe motivate us to love our Earth even more! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. ~ Robert Swan

If every day were Earth Day we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

[Our neighbor . . . ]

I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use. ~ Mother Teresa

We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it. ~ Barack Obama

You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you. ~ Vandana Shiva

Land really is the best art. ~ Andy Warhol

The Earth is what we all have in common. ~ Wendell Berry

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~ Albert Einstein

To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash. ~ Bill Nye

It looks big, Earth. But there are lots of us on here (7,523,458,567 and counting) so be kind. ~ Oliver Jeffers

The wanting was a wilderness and I had to find my own way out of the woods. ~ Cheryl Strayed

What about naming trees?…if we have a tree in our name, we want that tree to live. ~ Jane Goodall

Every day is Earth Day, and I vote we start investing in a secure climate future right now. ~ Jackie Speier

The miracle is not to fly in the air or to walk on water, but to walk on the earth. ~ Chinese proverb

No one comes from the earth like grass. We come like trees. We all have roots. ~ Maya Angelou

Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known. ~ Carl Sagan

You can never see a plant grow, but they do. ~ Carol Plum-Ucci

We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us. ~ Albert Einstein

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

[Keepers of the flame: Gene Rose and Steve Henry . . . ]

You don’t live on earth, you are passing through. ~ Rumi

The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn’t buy. ~ Joshua Becker

[The proposed Alexandria Nature Trail . . . ]

It is a blessing to be the color of the earth; do you know how often flowers confuse me for home? ~ rupi kaur

If the environment is happy, people will laugh and your grief will go away. ~ Srinivas Mishra

Nature is an infinite sphere of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference nowhere. ~ Blaise Pascal

[Fearless leader Jon Koll . . . ]

If you can’t be in awe of Nature, there’s something wrong with you. ~ Alex Trebek

An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment. ~ David Attenborough

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and my soul. ~ John Muir

[The aforementioned Van Gooch talking the science of climate change . . . ]

The sun does not forget a village just because it is small. ~ African Proverb

Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished. ~ Lao Tzu

Look after the land and the land will look after you, destroy the land and it will destroy you. ~ Aboriginal Proverb

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. ~ E. E. Cummings

Let us permit nature to have her way. She understands her business better than we do. ~ Michel de Montaigne

[Bryan Van Gorp discussed the necessity of reducing our carbon footprints . . . ]

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. ~ Robert Swan

I really thought love would save us all. ~ John Lennon

[And then it was on to the winery for an afternoon with Jeff James . . . ]

We’re just trying to write songs about prostitutes and lesbians, that’s all. ~ Paul McCartney

When I feel my head start to swell, I look at Ringo and know perfectly well we’re not supermen. ~ John Lennon

We just get together and whoever knows most of the words sings the lead. ~ John Lennon

We don’t set examples. We smoke because we’ve always smoked. ~ George Harrison

[Ruthie and Karin rush up to put bread in the jar during “Piano Man” . . . ]

We’re more popular than Jesus now. ~ John Lennon

If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or my music, then in that respect you can call me that…I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it. ~ John Lennon

When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps. ~ John Lennon

April 23

Spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush. ~ Doug Larson

April 24

Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring. ~ Lilly Pulitzer

[For those keeping track at home, yesterday was ice out on Lake H2Obert . . . ]

In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. ~ Mark Twain

In those days, though, the spring always came finally but it was frightening that it had nearly failed. ~ Ernest Hemingway

I’ve never been to a class reunion or anything because I’m always afraid of that one – there’s going to be some ‘Carrie’- like incident.” ~ Paul Feig

[The Boys of ’65 had had only one lunch together in the last 6 months. A combination of COVID, a long and icy winter, and personal health issues (for all of us) were at fault. Bradley was still indisposed this week, but Mayo and I decided to give it a shot anyway. Do not ask about his beverage. I don’t recall its name. And even after it arrived, we googled the ingredients and still couldn’t figure it out. He wasn’t even sure if it contained alcohol, but if it did we presumed it would be Tequila. He liked it. We visited for the usual 2 & a half hours, during which I learned he had traced his family tree back to 300 B.C., and then we went home for late afternoon naps . . . ]

Thank you Facebook for making a class reunion entirely unnecessary. ~ Anonymous

What’s the point of a high school reunion? I have Facebook. I already know you got fat. ~ Anonymous

If you went back to your reunion from school, you would probably find that if you ranked everyone in your class into terms of levels of introversion and extroversion, you’d still be the same rank. ~ Susan Cain

Never go to your high school reunion pregnant or they will think that is all you have done since you graduated. ~ Erma Bombeck

April 25

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art. ~ Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

[Senior College of West Central Minnesota: “10,000 Lakes and More: Minnesota’s Aquatic Ecosystems” ~ Miriam Gieske, University of Minnesota]

The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

[“Minnesota has over 14,000 lakes and innumerable wetlands . . . “]

You can live to be a hundred if you give up all things that make you want to live to be a hundred. ~ Woody Allen

[“Come learn about the force that created these bodies of water, the plants and animals that call them home today – the threats they face, and what we can do to preserve them into the future . . . “]

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

It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone. ~ Andy Rooney

[After Senior College, we went to D. Michael B’s for dinner – as we have been doing for years. Lest you didn’t know, D. Michael B’s is a 37-year old iconic restaurant in Alexandria that is closing soon to make way for a mall makeover. And since yesterday was a beautiful sunshiny day (though temps in the 40’s, with wind), all of Alexandria went “out” for dinner. The wait at D. Michael B’s was an hour and a half; the wait the neighboring Pike & Pint was 45 minutes; we ultimately ended up at Willy T’s where a good time was had by all . . . ]

April 26

Some guy said to me: ‘Don’t you think you’re too old to sing rock n roll?’ I said: ‘You’d better check with Mick Jagger.’ ~ Cher

[The last meeting of the Wednesday night fine dining group at Lure Lakebar for the season. We will move on to the Alexandria Golf Club until the cold winds blow again . . . ]

Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

We don’t grow older, we grow riper. ~ Pablo Picasso

April 29

There are always going to be bad things. But you can write it down and make a song out of it. ~ Billie Eilish

[Robb Justice at the winery . . . ]

A goal is just a dream with a deadline. ~ Drake

May 3

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already. ~ Dave Barry

[Ruthie abandoned me and the babies for 6 days. She redeemed herself on return with a loaf of peasant bread from Cossetta’s in St. Paul . . . ]

Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche. ~ Lewis Grizzard

[This is the first of the aforementioned Wednesday fine dining nights at the golf club . . . ]

I would like to find a stew that will give me heartburn immediately, instead of at three o’clock in the morning. ~ John Barrymore

Vegetarians are cowards. They just kill things that can’t move. ~ Anonymous

[A table is reserved for canes and walkers . . . ]

If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. ~ Katharine Hepburn

Why should I care about posterity? What has it ever done for me? ~ Groucho Marx

Every life is a novel for those who are curious enough to look into it. ~ Anne Berest

Up Next: Same ole, same ole . . .

May 22

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe. ~ Albert Einstein

As I type this, I only have two rehab sessions (out of 36) left to complete. We’re stretching out the ole lifestyle again – outdoor music at the winery in the afternoon and symphony concert that night on Saturday; and a mini-road trip on Sunday to Long Prairie (to see “The Pole”) and lunch at Rock Tavern on Birch Lake in Grey Eagle on Sunday. And I sacrificed my ability to avoid future Job Jar lists by hefting a 40-pound bag of salt into its water softener container this week – all my new interior connections appear to have held up under the strain . . . ~ Me

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. ~ Isaac Asimov

April 6

I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it’s true lightness. ~ Alicia Silverstone

[A beautiful clear ice frost on this day . . . ]

Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life. ~ Brooke Shields

Movie acting suits me because I only need to be good for 90 seconds at a time. ~ Bill Murray

I love the smell of diapers; I even like when they’re wet and you smell them all warm like a baked good. ~ Sarah Jessica Parker

I think gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Detroit, the heart of the country… I grew up on 10 Mile, 2 miles better than 8 Mile. ~ Kristen Bell

[A reminder why icicles make perfect murder weapons . . . ]

April 7

The more our leaders must fear their own constituents, the more removed they will be from the people they serve. ~ Susan Caskie

[Unbelievably, in less than one week our front door bench escaped from its ice prison . . . ]

We need help. ~ Mike Lindell

April 8

Men should be like Kleenex, soft, strong, and disposable. ~ Cher

[This was the first doughnut run in the light of day since Daylight Savings Time started. Sunrise over Lake Agnes and a full moon over Kincaid Cemetery . . . ]

The cool thing about being famous is traveling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff. ~ Britney Spears

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

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx

[Why not? It was a balmy 42 degrees.]

The whole aging thing is so boring. ~ Martha Stewart

April 9

I don’t know if this is too much…but I can actually mentally give myself an orgasm. ~ Lady Gaga

[We noticed this strange green substance in the yard today. We took a sample and sent it off to the Department of Agriculture for identification. A neighbor heard a rumor it may be something called . . . “grass”?]

April 12

I’m sure wherever my Dad is, he’s looking down on us. He’s not dead, just very condescending. ~ Jack Whitehall

[I told our rehab overseers at the hospital yesterday that I’d burned so many calories in the session that I was going home for a doughnut . . . ]

April 13

I really don’t think I need buns of steel. I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~ Ellen DeGeneres

[The aforementioned un-iced bench . . . ]

I’m an environmentalist. Most of my jokes are recycled. ~ David Letterman

[Spring cleaning – or the babies thought we were going on a trip . . . ]

April 15

There is nothing so annoying as to have two people go right on talking when you’re interrupting. ~ Mark Twain

[Galaxy Road, yet another music group from St. Cloud and environs, performing at Carlos Creek Winery. It was a group of first impression for us . . . ]

He’s always asking: ‘Is that new? I haven’t seen that before.’ It’s like, Why don’t you mind your own business? Solve world hunger. Get out of my closet. ~ Michelle Obama

[The Super ISO I have no idea . . . ]

Confidence is 10% work and 90% delusion. ~ Tina Fey

When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick. ~ George Burns

I asked my brother-in-law, the father of four boys, ‘If you had it to do all over again, would you still have kids?’ ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Just not these four.’ ~ Sheila Lee

[The Super lining up her “Missing you at . . . ” photo . . . ]

Never doubt the courage of the French. They were the ones who discovered that snails are edible. ~ Doug Larson

If you can’t beat them, arrange to have them beaten. ~ George Carlin

[Nice harmonizing a la the Everly Brothers . . . ]

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. ~ Kate Moss

If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure. ~ Dan Quayle

When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. ~ Richard Nixon

For all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white… Just because it makes you uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to change. Jesus was a white man, too. ~ Megyn Kelly

We are not ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur. ~ Dan Quayle

[It snowed – again . . . ]

Fiction writing is great, you can make up almost anything. ~ Ivana Trump

April 16

The secret to a happy marriage? Do whatever your wife tells you. ‘Yes, dear.’ And breathe. ~ Denzil Washington

[Result of aforementioned snow . . . ]

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. ~ Maya Angelou

April 18

Camp is the kind of comedy where they imitate me. ~ Mae West

[As students of senior college, we generally go out to dinner together after class. On this date, Tuesday Nightclub was performing at the Garden Bar on 6th. A perfect combination . . . ]

A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. ~ Herbert Simon

One of the most significant shifts in American politics just took place and it barely got any notice. ~ Ryan Burge (religious affiliation dropped by 11 points between 2010 and 2020)

These days, we need to worry about the much more dangerous misinformed (vs. uninformed) voters who are often wrong, never uncertain. ~ Brian Klaas

I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth – they always look polished afterward. ~ Catherine Zeta Jones

[Kilroy wasn’t here . . . ]

I’m now convinced that I’m a doctor. I mean, if someone says they have a pain, I’m like, ‘Well, that’s your spleen.’ ~ Olivia Wilde

[But I was . . . ]

Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep, nine if you’re ugly. ~ Betty White

[After first checking to see if any copyright lawyers were lurking around the place, I did my cover of the famous three-note bass on Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” . . . ]

I like women, I don’t understand them, but I like them. ~ Sean Connery

[The aforementioned senior college students . . . ]

Instant gratification takes too long. ~ Carrie Fisher

I am odd-looking. I sometimes think I look like a funny Muppet. ~ Angelina Jolie

My father always said, ‘Never trust anyone whose TV is bigger than their bookshelf.’ ~ Emilia Clarke

April 20

So, where’s the Cannes Film Festival being held this year? ~ Christina Aguilera

[The babies . . . ]

April 21

If you’re living in an area with a bad school, move to a place where there’s a better school. ~ Lamar Alexander

[Winter refuses to leave . . . ]

You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours. ~ Yogi Berra

Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing – but none of them serious. ~ Alan Minter

And now the sequence of events, in no particular order. ~ Dan Rather

April 22

This book was written using 100% recycled words. ~ Terry Pratchett

[It was, of course, doughnut run day this morning. I started out from home not realizing it’s still mid-January here. The wind chill was unimaginable as snow snakes scuttled across the roads. Of major surprise was along the way it appeared Lake Winona was now ice free? A further surprise upon arriving at the bakery I learned Doug Hasz had already paid for my doughnuts. He was off to an early start to set up kettle corn operations in Clara City. If you’re in that neighborhood, drop by and give him the business . . . ]

The man who says his wife can’t take a joke, forgets that she took him. ~ Oscar Wilde

Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do? ~ Homer Simpson

Mmm… donuts. ~ Homer Simpson

I owe it all to little chocolate donuts. ~ John Belushi

With a doughnut in each hand, anything is possible. ~ Jameela Jamil

Up Next: Still catching up . . . but getting closer . . .

May 5

I like to think I get better with age, but maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder. ~ Bonnie Raitt

There’s a three-month recovery period after triple bypass surgery. It’s now been a little over three months for me – and I feel fine. I don’t really feel any better than I did before surgery (but I had no symptoms beforehand), which may just be a function of age. I’ve been great on the exercise machines during the two-months of rehab so far, but distance walking endurance is a work in progress. And I used to pump out three blog posts a week, now it’s more like one every three weeks. Seems likely I’ll never run the Boston Marathon. ~ Me

Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement. ~ Ronald Reagan

March 17

The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously. ~ Hubert Humphrey

[Here’s looking at you, kid!]

March 18

Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera. ~ Yousuf Karsh

[Ruthie and Quinie . . . ]

March 19

Cats are connoisseurs of comfort. ~ James Herriot

[Laddie awoke one morning with a limp. We thought we may have to bring him to the vet. We brought the carrier in the house for acclimatization. It worked for Quinie. Laddie got better on his own . . . ]

March 22

Either give me more wine or leave me alone. ~ Rumi, circa 1200’s

[A wine tasting at the Garden Bar on 6th hosted by Tania Kranzler . . . ]

Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

[The aforementioned Tania Kranzler . . . ]

Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine. ~ Joan Collins

[The aforementioned Ruthie . . . ]

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 aforementioned Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]

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

[Ditto . . . ]

Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages. ~ Louis Pasteur

[The winery owner, the restaurant owner, and Tania . . . ]

A gourmet meal without a glass of wine just seems tragic to me somehow. ~ Kathy Mattea

Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy. ~ Alexander Fleming

[Tania’s folks in the back with assorted friends . . . ]

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures. ~ Michael Broadbent

[Were released on their own recognizance for this event . . . ]

March 23

We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag. ~ RuPaul

Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects. ~ Nikola Tesla

[The parents and spouse of the aforementioned Nicole . . . ]

People like to put you into a box. I’m afraid I don’t sit in a box. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

[Sprinkled throughout assorted local fans of the theatre . . . ]

The regrets in the theatre have always been the shows that you know ought to have worked but for one reason or another haven’t. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

The one thing I have always felt about musical theatre is that it is, to an extraordinary degree, about construction. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Two pieces of advice for young composers: Go away during technical rehearsals. And do not have a back operation. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Well the least favourite question is the one that one’s asked particularly about in Japan is what’s the difference between theatre and cinema and I think, well, that’s about eighty bucks. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

You never know what will happen. There is a thing called zeitgeist. You have to hit it. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Musical theatre history is littered with bad reviews for now classic pieces. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. ~ Joe DiMaggio

[Sidney and Nicole make sure the trains run on time at TLHD . . . ]

Go out there like every day is Opening Day. ~ Aaron Judge

I think a gentleman is someone who holds the comfort of other people above their own. ~ Anna Kendrick

You cannot help but notice that schools that take music seriously tend to be more academically successful. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment. ~ Carl Sandburg

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ is the biggest thing I’ve ever done, bigger even than ‘Cats’ which, in itself, I never thought we’d top. ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Leftovers

A lot of political music to me can be rather pedantic and corny, and when it’s done right – like Bruce Springsteen or Jackson Browne or great satire from Randy Newman, there’s nothing better. ~ Bonnie Raitt

[Photos by Alexandria’s volunteer, Janet Baker . . . ]

I finally learned to accept that I can’t make radio play blues any more than I could get Reagan out of the White House. ~ Bonnie Raitt

One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is to shut their eyes to facts. ~ C. S. Lewis

March 25

I have never made fun of religion. Religion is something I don’t even want to mess with, because I am really afraid of the clouds opening up and my being struck by lightning. ~ Alice Cooper

[And because the highlights of the winter months were always to Saturday morning doughnut runs . . . ]

Seen going and returning from the doughnut run: Alexandria’s famed and beloved Viking statue Big Ole, now 51 years old, has a long history including different looks and locations. [https://explorealex.com/big-ole-years]

March 26

There’s a terrific power to music.  You can run any of these pictures and they’d be dragging and boring, but the minute you put music behind them, they have life and vitality they don’t get any other way. ~ Walt Disney

Cartoonist Walt Disney has made the twentieth century’s only important contribution to music.  Disney has made use of music as language. ~ Jerome Kern

But credit for the memorable songs and scores must, of course, go to the brilliant composers and musicians who have been associated with me through the years. ~ Walt Disney

You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway. ~ Walt Disney

[Brad Lambrecht with his pre-concert Maestro’s notes . . . ]

I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained. ~ Walt Disney

[Noting that cartoons of days gone by always featured classical music . . . ]

Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive. This facility makes it the most versatile and explicit means of communication yet devised for quick mass appreciation. ~ Walt Disney

Music had always had a prominent part in all our products from the early cartoon days.  So much so, in fact, that I cannot think of the pictorial story without thinking about the complementary music that will fulfill it . . . I have had no formal musical training.  But by long experience and by strong personal learning, I’ve selected musical themes, original or adapted, that were guided to wide audience acceptance. ~ Walt Disney

Fantasia, to me is a whole new opportunity. For my medium it opens up unlimited possibilities.  Music has always played a very important part since sound came into the cartoon. Now, the full expression that comes from the new Fantasound opens up a whole new world for us. ~ Walt Disney

Laughter is America’s most important export. ~ Walt Disney

[Brad seriously plucked this unknown-to-him young woman from the front row to conduct for a while. She was appropriately dressed in black . . . ]

I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse. ~ Walt Disney

Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource – the minds of our children. ~ Walt Disney

[A cartoon was acted with the music background . . . ]

I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I have ever known. ~ Walt Disney

March 27

I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It’s not. Mine had me trained in two days. ~ Bill Dana

[The babies enjoying the sunroom together on a sunny winter day . . . ]

Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose. ~ Garrison Keillor

The cat is above all things, a dramatist. ~ Margaret Benson

Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them. ~ Jim Davis

March 28

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

[This was a Senior College class – by mere coincidence, our nonfiction book club had recently read this book. Now, we were being taught live by the author . . . ]

Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art. ~ Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. ~ Eartha Kitt

The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. ~ Albert Einstein

March 30

When I hear of nationalism in my country today from the youngsters, I want to sit them down and tell them that flags and songs are not nationalism. Stopping at the traffic signal, opening the door for a lady, doing something for your country is nationalism. ~ Anubhav Sinha

Stages of life are artifacts. Adolescence is a useful contrivance, midlife is a moving target, senior citizens are an interest group, and tweenhood is just plain made up. ~ Jill Lepore

In this country that grows more food than any other nation on this earth, it is unthinkable that any child should go hungry. ~ Sela Ward

Modern art is what happens when painters stop looking at girls and persuade themselves they have a better idea. ~ John Ciardi

Before Social Security existed, about half of America’s senior citizens lived in poverty. ~ Bernie Sanders

We don’t grow older, we grow riper. ~ Pablo Picasso

Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket. ~ Eric Hoffer

[And something noteworthy also took place on this date . . . ]

I put a dollar in a change machine. Nothing changed. ~ George Carlin

The world is not drive by greed. It is driven by envy. ~ Charles Munger

Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there. ~ Bonnie Raitt

[And he received an advertising contract from Calvin Klein . . . ]

April 1

It was April in Minneapolis and snowing, the flakes coming down in thick swirls enchanting the city. ~ Cheryl Strayed

[The Saturday morning doughnut run continued to be a feat of derring-do. March 31 travel was restricted by ice; in the afternoon into the evening more snow created further issues for April 1 morning. At least it was too cold for tornadoes!]

“Snow in April is abominable,” said Anne. “Like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss.” ~ L.M. Montgomery

How strange it is, sometimes, which conversations or events stays with us while so much else melts as fast as April snow. ~ Marlena De Blasi

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. ~ William Shakespeare

April 3

Globalization is simply opening the free marketplace to encompass the entire world. ~ P. J. O’Rourke

[Fine dining last night after the CommEd movies, a/k/a, the meatball that didn’t make it all the way to the table . . . ]

The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid. ~ G. K. Chesterton

Everybody should work in their nation’s capitol and see how politics actually work because it was the most eye opening experience of my life. ~ Jake Tapper

Up Next: Getting closer to catching up . . .

April 13

The conservation movement, born in the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, came late, but mercifully not too late to save what is left of our fauna and flora.  ~  Edward O. Wilson

The Saturday morning doughnut run pretty much defined the winter . . . ~ Me

There is a new epoch for individuals over the age of 75.  It’s called the Age of Major Surgeries.  ~  Me

March 4

Follow up: Our Alex Cards hosted the Willmar Cardinals in section playoffs yesterday afternoon (March 5). As usual, Willmar got Hadley Thul in early foul trouble and she had to sit out a good portion of the 1st half. That must have made her mad. The 2nd half started with Hadley making a layup and then a 3-pointer as the Cards erupted for a 54-point 2nd half. (We played so well that one of my teammates from the Fat Boys Walking Club opined that our girls team would have beaten his high school boys team (of which he was a member) from the 1960’s.) We host Sauk Rapids-Rice for the section championship next Thursday.

[As noted in the previous post, I went to the Alex-Willmar game on January 27. It is now over a month later and this is the next game I was able to attend – once again the opponent is Willmar and it’s the first game of the section tournament . . . ]

When I was in high school, I was certain that being an astronaut was my goal. It was a very important time – Sally Ride was making her first flight into space and she had a real impact on me. ~ Karen Nyberg

[Pre-game warm ups. That’s 8th grader McKinley Hoelscher in the boot – she actually had regular playing time with the varsity this year . . . ]

I used to not like being called a ‘woman architect.’ I’m an architect, not just a woman architect. The guys used to tap me on the head and say ‘you’re OK for a girl.’ ~ Zaha Hadid

[Final instructions from Coach Kohler . . . ]

Mankind has made giant steps forward. However, what we know is really very, very little compared to what we still have to know. ~ Fabiola Gianotti, Higgs Boson physicist

[Overseen by the Amazing Mr. Ripley . . . ]

When you put the helmet on, it doesn’t matter if you are woman or man: your mission is to compete to win. ~ Milka Duno, Race car driver

[Sophomore Hadley Thul practicing free throws . . . ]

 I’m not a woman at Google, I’m a geek at Google. And being a geek is just great. ~ Marisa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo

[And again, with freshman Kate Hennessy practicing 3’s behind her . . . ]

Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going. ~ Nichelle Nichols, former NASA ambassador & actor

[SCORE!]

I have never let gender get in my way. ~ Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder of Biocon

[Mr. Ripley practicing his craft . . . ]

If you’re beautiful, you’re led to believe that you can’t also be smart. ~ Danica McKellar, Mathematician

[Exiting, stage left . . . ]

When I was young I was very interested in science and technology, and my dad brought home the first computer. I played pac man and I was hooked! ~ Regina Agyare, Founder of Soronko Solutions

[Hadley wins the opening tap . . . ]

I believe every single woman could accomplish what I’ve accomplished. ~ Weili Dai, Co-founder of Marvell Tech

[It looks like the ref is pointing in our direction, a turnover caused by Ms. Thul (11), perhaps . . . ]

Now we’re in an age where technology is mandatory, and we wanted young girls to have this understanding and know how to build an app. ~ Peta Clarke, Technical lead at Black Girls Code

[The stylish Coach Kohler . . . ]

When I was a kid we’d rent Indiana Jones movies on VHS tapes. It inspired a whole generation of scholars because we saw the excitement, and the passion, and the drama. ~ Dr. Sarah Parcak

[Hadley passes right; sophomore Chloe Scholl (15) sets a pic . . . ]

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. ~ Marie Curie

[Another committee meeting . . . ]

Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated. ~ Rosalind Franklin

[Sophomore point guard Allie Haabala (33) walks it up. Her strength is the transition game, after a rebound or turnover, she will race the ball up the court looking for an easy basket . . . ]

We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained. ~ Marie Curie

[Hadley takes advantage of her height to pass over the opposition . . . ]

For whatever reason, I didn’t succumb to the stereotype that science wasn’t for girls. ~ Sally Ride

[KXRA broadcasters DMac and Russ Hinrichs . . . ]

Don’t let others discourage you or tell you that you can’t do it. In my day I was told women didn’t go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn’t. ~ Gertrude B. Elion

[Willmar shoots; Hadley and Kate (43) have inside rebounding position . . . ]

Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise. ~ Grace Hopper [Aside: I had a Nerdanian clock in my office.]

[A very impressive display by our Cards . . . ]

I once wrote a book on women in science. I realized when I was interviewing them that they were the equivalent of writers, or anyone else who tries to make art out of life. Through science they had reached the expressive. ~ Vivian Gornick

[Celebrate!]

Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated. ~ Rosalind Franklin

[As next year will be a season of Great Expectations . . . ]

March 8

Persons of genius, it is true, are, and are always likely to be, a small minority; but in order to have them, it is necessary to preserve the soil in which they grow.  ~  John Stuart Mill

[Yup, here I am in the St. Cloud hospital again, supposedly for the insertion of a single stent. A preceding angiogram determined, however, that it would be too risky and I would be better off without it. And so it goes . . . ]

March 11

It’s March! It’s Minnesota! It’s the time of year the natives follow the girls and boys state hockey and basketball tournaments. And those confluence of events, by state statute, conspire to place the entire month in a hazardous weather warning. This morning’s doughnut run, for example, was a death defying endeavor. The latest storm of the century was just beginning with continuous wind and snowfall until 9:00 tonight (possibly beginning again after midnight). But the Alex boys team is in the state hockey tournament, the girls basketball team will be in the state tournament next week, and the boys basketball team will play for the section championship next week . . .

America’s national parks are “the best idea we ever had . . . ”  ~  Wallace Stegner

Spring beckons! All things to the call respond; the trees are leaving and cashiers abscond. ~ Ambrose Bierce

Spring is nature’s way of saying, Let’s party! ~ Robin Williams

The promise of spring’s arrival is enough to get anyone through the bitter winter! ~ Jen Selinsky

In those days, though, the spring always came finally but it was frightening that it had nearly failed. ~ Ernest Hemingway

Yes, I deserve a spring – I owe nobody nothing. ~ Virginia Woolf

Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn. ~ Lewis Grizzard

In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. ~ Mark Twain

Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment. ~ Ellis Peters

March 12

Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer. ~ Anita Krizzan

[Again, so delighted the doctor persons forbade me from shoveling snow all winter – working on a lifetime exemption!]

She turned to the sunlight, And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbor: “Winter is dead.” ~ A.A. Milne

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~ Anne Bradstreet

Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again. ~ Gustav Mahler

March 14

Tennessee has now given the entire country an object lesson in critical race theory better than any AP history course ever could have. Everybody sees it now. Everybody knows it now. Everybody gets exactly what is going on. ~ Elie Mystal

[In a twist of fate, senior college fell on the same day as Tuesday Nightclub was performing at the Garden Bar. So we students all decided to dine here, but in the excitement forgot it was National Pi Day . . . ]

March is the month God created to show people who don’t drink what a hangover is like. ~ Garrison Keillor

I’ve been arrested for ‘stealing’ my own car, only to be released. ~ Congressman Jamaal Brown

[Other admirers of the local entertainment scene . . . ]

Everything is everywhere, but the environment selects.  ~  Lourens Bass Becking

[Clap while you eat . . . ]

Nature is wild, nature is ancient, nature is pure, this essentially American credo [conservation] declared, and nature should not be managed except to blunt the corroding effects of human interference.  ~  Edward O. Wilson

[The aforementioned Tuesday Nightclub . . . ]

The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world.  ~  Alexander von Humboldt

[Joined on this occasion by a tenor, fresh from his attendance at Senior College . . . ]

. . . even though extinction rates are soaring, a great deal of Earth’s biodiversity can still be saved.  ~  Edward O. Wilson 

Both teachers and learners go to sleep at their post as soon as there is no enemy in the field.  ~  John Stuart Mill

[Well-known local theatre folk . . . ]

I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it. Suppose any party, in addition to whatever share it may possess of the ability of the community, has nearly the whole of its stupidity, that party must, by the law of its constitution, be the stupidest party; and I do not see why honorable gentlemen should see that position as at all offensive to them, for it ensures their being always an extremely powerful party. ~ John Stuart Mill

March 18

My problem is white comfort with Black death. I am personally tired of white comfort with black death. ~ Congressman Jamaal Brown

[The Saturday morning doughnut run is still taking place in the dark of night in single digit temperatures. Probably has something to do with “wokeness.”]

Spring is the time of the year, when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade. ~ Charles Dickens

Generations of have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell; the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.   ~  Gerard Manley Hopkins

Our life is March weather, savage and serene in one hour. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

POOR MARCH. It is the HOMELIEST month of the year. Most of it is MUD, Every Imaginable Form of MUD, and what isn’t MUD in March is ugly late-season SNOW falling onto the ground in filthy muddy heaps that look like PILES of DIRTY LAUNDRY. ~ Vivian Swift

Up Next: I believe there’s about two catch-up posts left . . .

April 3

I’ve always had a problem with Archimedes’ equation for the circumference of a circle. He posited it’s “pie are squared.” But since pie is singular, shouldn’t it be “pie is squared?” ~ Me

I believe the great majority of people on Earth would agree with the following goals: an indefinitely long and health life for all, abundant sustainable resources, personal freedom, adventure both virtual and real on demand, status, dignity, membership in one or more respectable groups, obedience to wise rulers and laws, and lots of sex with or without reproduction. There is a problem, however: These are also the goals of your family dog. ~ Edward O. Wilson

We are as gods and have to get good at it. ~ Stewart Brand

January 27

Fun is one of the most important – and underrated – ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else. ~ Richard Branson

[A Cardinal girls basketball game between the Willmar Cardinals and the Alexandria Cardinals. If you’re going to stay in Minnesota for the winter, one is often dependent on the local basketball and hockey teams for entertainment. Between my health issues and the obnoxious winter weather I wasn’t able to make it to very many games. Too bad. I knew at the start of the season both the boys and girls basketball were going to be very good. And in fact both teams made it to the start tournaments in March . . . ]

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

[DMac and Russ Hinrichs provide play-by-play on KXRA, 1490 AM on your radio dial . . . ]

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

[Ruth (my high school classmate) and Bud seem to make all the home games . . . ]

Just keep taking chances and having fun. ~ Garth Brooks

[When the team made it to the state tournament much was made of the fact that our starters were four sophomores and a freshman (as Yogi would say, their future is all ahead of them). But the reason for that was senior Morgan Seesz (seated in the white hoodie) had been the starter until she reinjured her leg which caused her to miss all of her junior year. Fortunately, she was able to play in games, including state, at the end of the year . . . ]

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

[From the JV game prior to the varsity game. I believe that’s junior Kaia Emter (#25) on the free throw line. Kaia also plays on the varsity as a 3-point shooting specialist . . . ]

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

[Morgan oversees the varsity warm-up drills . . . ]

As long as you are doing things with a smile on your face, and you are having fun, then you are being unfiltered. ~ Bretman Rock

[This is freshman Kate Hennessy, a 6-footer, who replaced Morgan in the starting line up. Kate is a budding star who played terrific defense with shot blocking abilities and with the footwork to do well offensively . . . ]

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

[Kate, on the left, with 6’2″ sophomore center Hadley Thul. The two 6-footers gives Alex decent size up front . . . ]

I think that success is having fun. ~ Bruno Mars

[Pre-game warm-ups . . . ]

When you work out or you’re doing anything active, it’s more fun as a group. You may lose track of the time, and the next thing you know, you’re working out for two hours because you’re having fun. ~ LeBron James

[“Fight to the Finish” . . . ]

Just keep having fun. It’s basketball. So that’s what I’m going to keep doing. ~ Jayson Tatum

[Hadley practicing 3’s from the corner . . . ]

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

[It must have worked – she made the all-state team!]

I just like having fun. ~ Katy Perry

I just want to keep hooping, having fun out there playing basketball. ~ Luka Doncic

[The final committee meeting before the game begins . . . ]

The trick is to find the style that is right for you. When it comes to trying new clothes, my advice is not to take it too seriously – it’s all about having fun. ~ Twiggy

[And there to capture it all, the Amazing Mr. Ripley . . . ]

That’s the object of going to a gym, having fun. ~ Joe Gold

[The opening tip, as usual controlled by Hadley . . . ]

Having fun is fantastic and I never want to lose a sense of that – and also, I think, you have to have that to put into your work or else it’s going to feel stiff. ~ Drew Barrymore

The fun of the game is right now. ~ Christian Kane

I’m all about having a laugh, having fun, loving being around people who are like that, who give off that positive vibe. ~ Tenille Dashwood

[Hadley shooting free throws. My prediction is if the team can improve their free throw shooting percentage by 10 points, they will be state champs next year . . . ]

It’s hard to give tips to skiers if I don’t know how they ski, but I think the most important thing in skiing is you have to be having fun. If you’re having fun, then everything else will come easy to you. ~ Lindsey Vonn

[Sophomore Chloe Scholl (#15) with a free throw. This may have been the game where Chloe stole two passes in a row and took them in for lay-ups that really blew the game open . . . ]

I try to transition my energy into just having fun. ~ Solange Knowles

[Sophomore MaCee Linow (#21), usually the designated technical foul free throw shooter . . . ]

When you’re really having fun, you’re always doing it a little bit in a way that you’re not supposed to. That’s when great things happen. ~ Annet Mahendru

[MaCee shooting a 3, from about 6 feet beyond the line . . . ]

When you’re genuinely having fun and enjoying yourself, people can feel that, and they want to have a good time with you. ~ Carmella

[Wazzup??]

It doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says. I’m always having fun, talking to other guys. They even come to first base and ask me about hitting. I try to help them out as much as I can in the 30 seconds before the pitcher throws the next pitch. That’s me. I don’t think I will ever change that. ~ Albert Pujols

[Cardinals on defense against the Cardinals in white . . . ]

I was just trying to play the game, having fun. It was a hobby for me at the time. ~ Muggsy Bogues

[At halftime, Cardinal Grayson Grove came out of the stands for some half court shooting. He later in the year made the boys all-state team . . . ]

Many models do yoga, but I find it boring. I’d rather be outdoors having fun. ~ Constance Jablonski

[Sophomore point guard Allie Haabala (#33) prepares to put the ball in play to start the 2nd half . . . ]

It’s a game to be enjoyed. For us, it’s also a business – it’s a job. But you play better when you’re having fun. ~ Cody Bellinger

[Which she does to Hadley (#11) . . . ]

There’s always a dinner to go to. There’re always loads of people around. I was having fun working with my friends. For a while it all just kind of rolled together in a great way. ~ Kate Moss

[MaCee shooting a technical foul shot . . . ]

I’m just playing basketball, the same way I have always played, from juniors and even back to middle school, I’m just doing it the same way. Nothing different. Just a team game, playing and having fun and trying to play the right way. ~ Nikola Jokic

[Hadley shooting a non-technical foul shot . . . ]

I was just having fun because everybody was so much shorter than me. Honestly, my stats in high school were ridiculous. They made no sense. ~ Marc Gasol

[And we have a winner!]

Follow up: Our Alex Cards hosted the Willmar Cardinals in section playoffs yesterday afternoon (March 5). As usual, Willmar got Hadley Thul in early foul trouble and she had to sit out a good portion of the 1st half. That must have made her mad. The 2nd half started with Hadley making a layup and then a 3-pointer as the Cards erupted for a 54-point 2nd half. (We played so well that one of my teammates from the Fat Boys Walking Club opined that our girls team would have beaten his high school boys team (of which he was a member) from the 1960’s.) We host Sauk Rapids-Rice for the section championship next Thursday.

[Photo from the Echo Press: Alex’s Ella Steussy (#1) bringing the ball up the court with yours truly lurking in the upper left hand corner of the photo with fellow Super Fans Don and Gretchen two rows in front of me . . . ]

January 28

All of mankind’s troubles are due to a fact that we do not know what we are and cannot agree on what to become. ~ Jean Bruller

[OK, this is the morning before – with toast. And the morning after – the doughnut run . . . ]

Biologists recognize that across the 3.8-billion history of life over 99 percent of all species that lived are extinct. ~ Edward O. Wilson

January 30

The weather person is the only person that I know, that can be wrong 99.9 % of the time and still have a job the next day. ~ Johnny Carson

[The obligatory snow shot . . . ]

February 14

After the game, the King and the Pawn go into the same box. ~ Italian proverb

[Undeterred by foul weather, recent surgeries, et al, the Super and I decided we would find a way to enjoy our 22nd anniversary (that’s fudge, with nuts) on Valentine’s Day. So, in between another bloodletting and a doctor visit, we raced across the street for breakfast at the Coffee Pot . . . ]

The only reason they say ‘Women and children first’ is to test the strength of the lifeboats. ~ Jean Kerr

February 20

I’ve been married to a communist and a fascist, and neither would take out the garbage. ~ Zsa Zsa Gabor

[This was a CommEd movie night at Grand Arbor. It must have been a challenging weather night as it appears only 5 of us went on to dinner at Longtrees . . . ]

February 21

The best cure for sea sickness, is to sit under a tree. ~ Spike Milligan

[From the Big Ole camera . . . ]

February 22

When a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife. ~ Prince Philip

[Guinevere protects her Dad as he heals . . . ]

February 28

I’m not a paranoid, deranged millionaire. I’m a billionaire. ~ Howard Hughes

[Another evening with Tuesday Nightclub at the Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]

Having more money doesn’t make you happier.  I have 50 million dollars  but I’m just as happy as when I had 48 million. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[Mediterranean zucchini has become a personal favorite . . . ]

We are here on earth to do good unto others. What the others are here for, I have no idea. ~ W. H. Auden

[Terry and Bill, soon to be joined by the rest of the group returning home from the South . . . ]

Hollywood must be the only place on earth where you can be fired by a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a baseball cap. ~ Steve Martin

March 4

If God had intended us to fly he would have made it easier to get to the airport. ~ Jonathan Winters

[It’s March! It’s a change of season. For the first time this year, the doughnut run was made in the glow of sunrise!]

Home cooking. Where many a man thinks his wife is. ~ Jimmy Durante

America is the only country where a significant proportion of the population believes that professional wrestling is real but the moon landing was faked. ~ David Letterman

I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take something for it. ~ Robert Benchley

[Where the doughnuts hide out . . . ]

The standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, hand it over to private capital. ~ Noam Chomsky

Why don’t men think Trump is soft?  He’s always whining, feeling sorry for himself.  He’s never changed a tire, fixed a garbage disposal, cut the grass, grilled burgers or shoveled snow from the driveway, all those essential tasks which have come to define “white American Manhood.” ~ Lisa Featherstone

Up Next: Well, I’ve recovered enough to make it to March. But there’s still some catching up to do.

March 31

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

What is man? Storyteller, mythmaker, and destroyer of the living world. Thinking with a gabble of reason, emotion, and religion. Lucky accident of primary evolution during the late Pleistocene. Mind of the biosphere. Magnificent in imaginative power and exploratory drive, yet yearning to be more master than steward of a declining planet. Born with the capacity to survive and evolve forever, able to render the biosphere eternal also. Yet arrogant, reckless, lethally predisposed to favor self, tribe, and short-term futures. Obsequious to imagine higher beings, contemptuous toward lower forms of life. ~ Edward O. Wilson

January 22

It was a dark and stormy night . . .

If you are lonely when you are alone, then you are in bad company. ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

[The plight of the lonely icicle . . . ]

Leading to a winter wonderland . . .

Nature is full of genius, full of divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[When the morning light appeared . . . ]

Advice is like the snow. The softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon and the deeper it sinks into the mind. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea. ~ Dylan Thomas

The smallest snowstorm on record took place an hour ago in my back yard. It was approximately two flakes. I waited for more to fall, but that was it. ~ Richard Brautigan

It was the kind of snow that brought children running out their doors, made them turn their faces skyward, and spin in circles with their arms outstretched. ~ Eowyn Ivey

The world was furred with late spring snow. It was the soft, thick stuff that excites you unless you are driving or half dead, packing snow already falling in caterpillars off the greening branches. ~ Marian Engel

At the winter solstice, the wind is cold, trees are bare, and all lies in stillness beneath blankets of snow. ~ Gary Zukav

Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. ~ Jeff Valdez

The hard soil and four months of snow make the inhabitants of the northern temperate zone wiser and abler than his fellow who enjoys the fixed smile of the tropics. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers. ~ Kahlil Gibran

To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold. ~ Aristotle

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different. ~ J.B. Priestley

The wind crooned softly as it dusted the snow against the windows, wrapping them in a thick and fluffy cotton blanket. ~ Soheir Khashoggi

When there’s snow on the ground, I like to pretend I’m walking on clouds. ~ Takayuki Ikkaku

January 23

Middle age is when you’ve met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else. ~ Ogden Nash

[After CommEd movies (every other Monday), a variable group of attendees matriculates to Longtrees Woodfire Grill for the evening’s repast . . . ]

Me to 99.99 percent of men: Please speak to me like an intelligent adult. Me to my financial advisor: Please speak to me like I’m the dumbest person ever to live on this planet. ~ Sophie Vershbow

The art of love is largely the art of persistence. ~ Albert Ellis

January 25

The fact that man is capable of action means that the unexpected can be expected from him, that he is able to perform what is infinitely improbable. ~ Hannah Arendt

[Throwing in little family for fun. Brother Cam and sister-in-law Karen from Mounds View (middle) visited relatives in Colorado . . . ]

The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets. ~ Mark Twain

[That Dad’s sister, Aunt Pearl, with Cam . . . ]

A luxury, once enjoyed, becomes a necessity. ~ C. Northcote Parkinson

[Another evening of Wednesday night fine dining at Lure Lakebar . . . ]

You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy. ~ Singer Nightbirde

[The group varies from 8 to 18 depending upon individual availability . . . ]

Hollywood is like high school with money. ~ Michael Ovitz

January 26

Geologists divide the Cenozoic Era into seven epochs, each defined by its combination of distinctive environments and the kind of plants and animals living in them. ~ Edward O. Wilson

[Meanwhile, back at the next winter semester session of senior college, emeritus professor Roger Schultz leads A Travelogue of Western Drama and Theatre . . . ]

First in time was the Paleocene Epoch, an interval of 10 million years during which the diversity of life rebounded through evolution from the end-of-Mesozoic catastrophe. ~ Edward O. Wilson

[In this session, we “students” acted in a play narrated by Roger . . . ]

Then came in succession the Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene Epochs. The sixth epoch in the progression was the Pleistocene, a time of advancing and retreating continental glaciers. ~ Edward O. Wilson

[Here, as noted, the Characteristics of Romanticism . . . ]

The final epoch, formally recognized by geologists and the one in which we live, is the Holocene. Begun 11,700 years ago, when the latest of the continental glaciers began to retreat [i.e., Lake Superior is only 10,000 years old], it brought a milder climate and what may have been briefly the highest peak in numbers of species in the history of life. ~ Earl O. Wilson

[Featured here are students Kevin, Dave, Alice, and John, whose royalty checks may, or may not, be in the mail . . . ]

The dawn of the Holocene also found humanity newly settled throughout almost all of Earth’s habitable land. ~ Edward O. Wilson

Extinction events are not especially rare in geological time. They have occurred in randomly varying magnitude throughout the history of life. Those that are truly apocalyptic, however, have occurred at only about hundred-million-year intervals. ~ Edward O. Wilson

There have been five such peaks of destruction of which we have record, the latest being Chicxulub. Earth required roughly ten million years to recover from each. This is the reason that the peak of destruction that humanity has initiated is often called the Sixth Extinction. ~ Edward O. Wilson

Many authors have suggested that Earth is already different enough to recognize the end of the Holocene and replace it with a new geological epoch. The new favored name . . . is the Anthropocene, the Epoch of Man. ~ Edward O. Wilson

[The irrepressible Dave . . . ]

“The Anthropocene,” far-distant geologists might say,”unfortunately married swift technological progress with the worst of human nature. What a terrible time it was for people, and for the rest of life.” ~ Edward O. Wilson

[A local couple of note . . . ]

The biosphere, compared to the immense bulk of the planet as a whole, is razor-thin and negligible in weight. Plastered on the surface like a membrane, it cannot be seen sideways with unaided vision from a vehicle orbiting outside Earth’s atmosphere. ~ Edward O. Wilson

We remain organisms absolutely dependent on other organisms. People can live unaided by our artifacts only in bits and slivers of the biosphere, and even there we are severely constrained. ~ Edward O. Wilson

[And here are Van, Esther, (I’m sorry), and Dave . . . ]

We obey the Rule of Threes used by the military and others in survival training: You can live for three minutes without air, three hours without shelter or proper clothing in freezing cold, three days without water, and three weeks without food. ~ Edward O. Wilson

A small percentage of invasive species cause major damage, with the potential of reaching catastrophic levels. They include species whose destructiveness has made them household names. Their swiftly growing roster includes the imported fire ant, Asian termite (“the termite that ate New Orleans”), gypsy moth, emerald elm beetle, zebra mussel, Asian carp, snakehead, two species of python, and the West Nile virus. ~ Edward O. Wilson

Human beings are not exempt from the iron law of species interdependency. We were not inserted as ready-made invasives into an edenic world. Nor were we intended by providence ro rule that world. The biosphere does not belong to us; we belong to it. ~ Edward O. Wilson

I am convinced that only by setting aside half the planet in reserve, or more, can we save the living part of the environment and achieve the stabilization required for our own survival. ~ Edward O. Wilson

You know it’s bad when a former president announces that he’s going to be arrested and the general response is, ‘For which crime?’ ~ James Corden

You’ve got to give it to him. It’s not often that everyone sends out a save-the-date for their own arrest. ~ Jimmy Fallon

It’s the calm before the Stormy. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Up Next: Even more of the same – still trying to catch up . . .

March 25

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

So, what do you do in Alexandria during the winter? ~ Everybody

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

January 17

My goal in the classroom was always to make sure they were having so much fun that they didn’t realize they were learning. ~ Rick Riordan

[Senior College of West Central Minnesota, Winter 2023 Program at Alexandria College . . . ]

Standing up and teaching is grueling, but grueling fun. ~ Charles E. Young

[“From Primitive Religious Ritual to Contemporary Postmodern Performance: A Travelogue of Western Drama and Theatre” . . . ]

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

[Taught by Roger Schultz, Professor Emeritus of Theatre History and Dramatic Literature at Texas A&M University and 1963 high school graduate from Alexandria MN . . . ]

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

I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun. ~ Thomas A. Edison

[After college, it was then on to another night with Tuesday Nightclub at the Garden Bar on 6th. In this evening, Terry and Bill were joined by the ever popular Anthony Miltich . . . ]

All women do have a different sense of sexuality, or sense of fun, or sense of like what’s sexy or cool or tough. ~ Angelina Jolie

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

[The joys of eating Mediterranean zucchini . . . ]

Old guys can still do fun things. ~ George H. W. Bush

Most of the time I don’t have much fun. The rest of the time I don’t have any fun at all. ~ Woody Allen

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

[The hands tell the story – these are Terry’s . . . ]

Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead. ~ Hans Christian Andersen

I definitely believe in plastic surgery. I don’t want to be an old hag. There’s no fun in that. ~ Scarlett Johansson

[These are Anthony’s . . . ]

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

Fame was thrilling only until it became grueling. Money was fun only until you ran out of things to buy. ~ Gloria Swanson

‘Sexy’ is being independent, being confident and having fun. ~ Mollie King

[These are Bill’s . . . ]

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

January 18

It’s fun seeing my label on someone’s behind – I like that. ~ Calvin Klein

[The usual Wednesday night shindig at Lure Lakebar . . . ]

The prevailing system of management has crushed fun out of the workplace. ~ W. Edwards Deming

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

January 19

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

[And the usual mini-class reunion with Mayo and Brad, when we’re all semi-healthy . . . ]

I love to go to the zoo. But not on Sunday. I don’t like to see the people making fun of the animals, when it should be the other way around. ~ Ernest Hemingway

[Here we’re at the Pike & Pint in Alex . . . ]

Poop humor is fun. If you do the toilet scenes well and commit to them, they can be really, really powerful. ~ Sandra Bullock

Enjoy today. It is one of the “good old days” you will miss in the future! ~ Etta Sawyerr

[And after senior college, dinner with Deb & Paul at D. Michael B’s . . . ]

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

January 20

Work is much more fun than fun. ~ Noel Coward

[An evening with Anthony at Willie T’s . . . ]

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

To complete my look, I like to add fun accessories such as a dainty necklace, bracelets and a ring. ~ Skai Jackson

College is the reward for surviving high school. Most people have great fun stories from college and nightmare stories from high school. ~ Judd Apatow

Setting a good example for your children takes all the fun out of middle age. ~ William Feather

I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli. ~ George H. W. Bush

January 21

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

[Wrapping it up with the Saturday morning doughnut run . . . ]

Someone once told me that I was 12 inside. The only thing 12-year-olds crave is more Lego. Lego is fun; it’s therapeutic. It’s a beautiful sensation when you click the pieces together. ~ James May

Fashion is all about happiness. It’s fun. It’s important. But it’s not medicine. ~ Donatella Versace

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

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

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

The Four Levels of Comedy: Make your friends laugh, Make strangers laugh, Get paid to make strangers laugh, and Make people talk like you because it’s so much fun. ~ Jerry Seinfeld

Get well cards have become so humorous that if you don’t get sick you’re missing half the fun. ~ Flip Wilson

There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. ~ Jerome K. Jerome

Up Next: More of the same kind of “stuff” . . .

March 18

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

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

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

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

January 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Known gender irrelevant basketball fans . . . ]

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

[Player introductions . . . ]

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

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

I’m the first Simone Biles. ~ Simone Biles

[Hadley wins the opening tip . . . ]

I love a good Netflix binge! ~ Simone Biles

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

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

[Hadley and Allie on defense . . . ]

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

[Ditto . . . ]

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

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

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

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

[Hadley looking all of 6’2″ . . . ]

I am like any typical teenager. ~ Simone Biles

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Morgan shooting a free throw . . . ]

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

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

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

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

I love competing. ~ Simone Biles

[McKinley launches a ‘3’ . . . ]

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

[Playing well at the half . . . ]