Check Out

Every year, a few weeks before my fishing trip, my wife tells me to let her know when I'm "checking out".  She claims that I leave for my trip mentally, several days before I leave physically.  I leave in 18 days.  I haven't checked out yet, but it's getting close.

Peace-
Matt

Ozark Beach Blues

Happy Birthday to my sister Tina, who has a big one tomorrow. The ones that end in zero can be hard to take. Love you Tina!

I've been spending too much money on audiobooks lately. I put them on my iphone and listen to them when I'm driving. It's a great way for me to get books in and I really get into it. I have a hard time sitting and reading. I always fall asleep. The audiobooks just work for me. The last three books I listened to were Stephen King books. I had no idea that he was such a great writer. That guy is a master at building characters and telling stories. The Stand was incredible. I always thought of Stephen King strictly as a horror writer. Not true at all.

The annual fishing trip is four weeks away. We're going north again this year, to Deer Lake in Minnesota. I miss Taneycomo. It's was 2009 when we last went south for our spring trip. There's still a part of me that lives there on that dock at Ozark Beach on the bottom end of Taneycomo. I've done a lot of grieving there and a lot of laughing there. There's something about that place that recharges me. Deer Lake just doesn't feel the same. Getting away with the Troutslayers is the most important part though, so I will enjoy every bit of it. It just won't feel exactly right.

The reason we ended up at Ozark Beach on Lake Taneycomo 16 years ago was because Scot's (fellow Troutslayer) Grandma and Grandpa lived down there. Ozark Beach is primarily a retirement community. The guy that owns the complex has three cabins that he rents out. That's where we stay. Scot's Gma (Phyllis) and Gpa (Dick) lived at Ozark Beach and owned a nice pontoon boat that we always used. It was convenient and cheap, which is how most good lasting traditions usually start out. When we first started going down there, we always went to Phyllis and Dick's house for breakfast on our last day. Dick would always come visit us earlier in the trip, either on the dock, or in the cabin, have a beer with us and tell us dirty stories. They became a part of the trip that we all looked forward too. One of my favorite fishing trip memories happened maybe five years ago. Scot caught a big brown trout, his biggest one ever. It was pretty late when we came in from fishing. We went to the cabin for a round of whiskey to celebrate. Scot was full of whiskey and general good cheer because of his catch. He wanted to go show his Grandma. I walked over there with him. The lights were off. It didn't matter. Phyllis answered the door in her nightgown. Scot and I carried the cooler in and opened it up to show her the prize fish. The look on her face, so proud of her grandson, is permanently burned into my memory. Phyllis died a year or so later. Dick passed a week ago. Their house at Ozark Beach is now for sale. Our physical connection is gone. Our spiritual one will always remain.

RIP Dick.

Peace-
Matt

Passion

Abby is playing high school golf this spring. She golfed for the first time ever last May at the Miller Open. She did pretty well for her first time and was hooked. She golfed three holes at practice on Friday and tells me that she shot par on all three. I'm not sure I've parred three holes my entire life. Good job kid!

47 days until my fishing trip. 90 days until the Colorado trip.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday for us Catholics; the Sunday before Easter. It's when we read "The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ". It's a long mass. It's also about the time I remember that I need to do some Easter shopping. 40 days comes and goes quick sometimes.

If I don't see you before next Sunday, Happy Easter!

Peace-
Matt

Lingering

Robby died 17 years ago today. We still feel his presence in our lives. We are thankful for that.

Peace-
Matt

Front and Center

What a great week of weather we've had here. It's hit the 80's nearly every day of spring break. Somebody around here has got karma on their side, and I know it ain't me.

My knee is doing ok I guess. I met with the doc a week ago. He told me that I shouldn't run much anymore, and not at all in the next six weeks. He told me to try an elliptical machine and some glucosamine chondroitin. I haven't done a lick of exercise since my birthday, and have been a lazy jerk (Madeline's words). Angie and I have decided to purchase an elliptical machine and will put it in the living room, replacing a recliner. Maybe we'll use it more if it's front and center in our daily routines.

The annual Troutslayer fishing trip is 61 days away. We will be going to Minnesota again this year. I feel like I'm due for a wall mounter. A 15lb Walleye would do.

The big Colorado vacation is still on for the end of June. That should be good fodder for photographs... if I make the time.

It's late and I should be sleeping.

Peace-
Matt

Scoped

I had arthroscopic knee surgery today, to fix some torn meniscus and torn cartilage. I've never had surgery before. Everything went well I guess, but time will tell for sure. The doc says I'll be back to running pretty quick. I'm looking forward to that. I've been a lazy bum since I tweaked it doing Kosama in January.

Not much else to say right now. The pain pills have got me cloudy.

Peace-
Matt

Thoughts

A few thoughts from today...

Children are easy to love but difficult to live with.
Desire leads to unhappiness. To be happy, desire less. (Why can't I get this?)
Old bodies wear out. We all find out first hand.
Everyone is messed up, including you and me, and that's a good thing.

Peace-
Matt

Observation

Parents are funny people.

At Abby's winter formal there were about 20 parents at the pre-dance get together. Every one of the mothers had a camera, and every one of them took a hundred photos. 10 photos of each couple, 10 photos of 10 different poses of the girls and 10 different poses of the boys, on and on and on. Thousands of photos were taken. It was surreal to me. What are they going to do with all of them?

Madeline had a science fair on Friday. She built a volcano out of play doh for her project. It was her design. It worked great and was a lot of fun. This was a project for the kids. They got graded on it. I did help Madeline a little bit, but she did 90% of it. Other kids had science projects that looked college level. No way the kids had anything to do with them. There was a giant volcano down the table from Madeline that looked real, with detailed hand painting. Whatever.

I guess the groundhog saw his shadow this week. Like it matters. Madeline asked me how Groundhog Day got started. I had no idea. What a dumbass "holiday".

Yeah I know. I'm grouchy and cynical. Go Giants.

Peace-
Matt