Ramblings

Last Friday was 24 Aug 07. The wife had foot surgery, yet again, to correct work performed a few years back. Done in Dallas by one of "The Pros from Dover" this time, we're most confidant of a good outcome and recovery though not looking forward to the cost in terms of time and energy invested. Reruns do become boring after a time, particularly when they weren't well done on their first release.

That Friday was also my Grandfather's Birthday (24 Aug 1899) and wherever good souls gather, I'm sure he spent a part of his day pulling for us and the best possible outcome while enjoying a cold beer and spending time with his beloved. That would be his Heaven. For no apparent reason, this year particularly, I spent no little amount of time remembering him.

He (my "Paw") was truly a good man and contributed more than a little to my being. Over time I've learned what I believe to be his shortcomings as well as the successes. There were many of the latter and certainly a few of the former. At family reunions where his wife's kin gather, I've heard more than once from the cousins that: "Everyone should have an Uncle Clarence!"

The eldest of her generation, my Grandmother was either "Sister" to all her siblings or Aunt Edith to the others and was long viewed as the matriarch of the family. But her Clarence, now he was the clan's "go to guy", who always had the solution to a problem and was frequently called upon to effect that solution. All the kids loved him. In return he loved them equally as much. Understand, as close as he was to his Edith, I'm not so very sure that solutions to problems oft didn't come from her and he just put them into action. He was generous to a fault, but subject to fits of sadness and depression. Most everyone has that seminal person or two in their life and in mine he was it. Our birthdays were 10 days apart and it seems curious, almost eerie, how much my life has mirrored his. Yeah, everyone needs an Uncle Clarence in their life; but, who did Clarence have for his?

Katrina's second anniversary was a two days ago, today is the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death and 09/11's 6th anniversary is less than two weeks off. Today a long term employee left taking his retirement.

I may have mentioned I'm not very fond of my birthday. I wonder if that's because I've long had little positive to associate with it? At one point in For the Love of the Game, John C. Reilly (playing Kevin Costner's Catcher) turns to him and says: "Chappy, this just hasn't been your day." Seems I could almost say those days between our birthdays "have never been my fortnight." However, this too shall pass.

Thanks be to God.