Winter Vacation

I'm on hiatus and so far it's been wonderful. Yesterday, I drove ten hours to see my college baseball coach and his wife. He's in his eighties but gets around like a twenty year old. Every time we're together I learn new things about him. Last night, around the kitchen table, he told how he proposed to his now wife of sixty years. It was in the eighth grade. The next year he moved to California but returned to Iowa two years later. They took up right where they left off. The special part of being with them is they are truly and faithfully in love. I marvel listening to his stories about being the starting quarterback for the U of Iowa in 1951. They played in the Rose Bowl. Not actually though, since it was a regular season game but they did play in that arena.. He also said that when they played the University of Miami there was tremendous tension. Iowa had black players, Miami didn't. It was that period in our history. After dessert it was off to Ma's house. I'll be here for two days. The great tour continues to Minneapolis where I'll watch the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. My buddy is a VP with the team. He's set up my friends and me with floor seats for the event. I could care less about the game but I do want to be close to the T-Wolves cheerleaders. Maybe I'll get some pictures. Next stop will be to one of my dearest friends in Lake City, Minnesota. Trivia time. That is where the water ski was invented. Finally, I drive to Springfield, Illinois to see a man coach his last high school basketball game before retirement. I haven't seen him for twenty years and have only spoken with him three times in that period but he is a real gentleman and one of the best coaches I have ever been around. After that--back to Ohio and thank you, Chrissie Hynde.