To all our friends and family,
Some long time recipients of this letter may remember me mentioning several years back that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was going to allow a Break-dancing demonstration in the 2024 summer games. So I figured, based on the weight of the IOC, Break-dancing was going to make a huge comeback. Really, the only thing making it more of a sure thing is if Bobby and Cissy from The Lawrence Welk Show started doing Break-dancing numbers.
So, being one to never miss out on a good investment opportunity, I purchased 25K Break-dancing cardboard mats. These were carefully constructed to Olympic specifications. At least this is what the prospective stated, I think. My reading of Chinese is rather limited. Unfortunately, after this year’s games, the IOC announced Break-dancing would not be in the 2028 games. Win some, you lose some, I guess.
On a brighter note, AC/DC has announced that they will tour the US next year. I sure hope the tickets are going to be cheaper than our Taylor Swift tickets from this summer. Then again, they were worth it. She put on a great show; it was the bee’s knees and I do not think I have seen Anne Marie so happy since we saw the double header of John Tesh and Box Car Willie at the Holiday Inn in Cedar Rapids.
In the same vein of good news, the US election is over. No more political ads. I bet you never thought you ‘d be happy seeing commercials for Supplemental Medicare ads.
As far as things here go, well, not much has happened other than two family medical emergencies, one major weather calamity, one of us passing out, and one dog deciding he was part cat and could climb trees.
In July, my mom had a weird medical episode. Doctors still are not sure what happened, but it might have been a drug interaction. So I made a second trip down to lovely Florida, in July (why doesn’t anyone retire where the weather is nice and there is decent surfing, like Tahiti?) to help out. We decided my parents needed to move into Assisted Living. That was a fun conversation.
Thankfully, my parents acquiesced and are now happily moved into the nicest place in Panama City Beach Florida. All told, I spent 5 weeks there during the last year. The humidity was so bad that five minutes after a shower, I felt like I needed another shower.
The first time I was in Florida, dodging thunder storms and the odd gator attack, Anne Marie’s brother had a severe medical event. He hadn’t been to a doctor in years, and he ended up face down in his work parking lot. With specialized care, he’s recovered a lot, but damage remains. After the event, Anne and her siblings took turns flying out to Vegas to help him with everyday living, insurance issues, the doctors, and his card counting skills. They continue to visit every month or so, while he does a lot of PT, living in a specialized facility.
The second time I was in Florida, there was a major wind event in Missoula, Montana. The winds were at hurricane speeds and knocked down hundreds of trees. Anne Marie got the call to form up a quick response force for Team Rubicon at 11:30 that night. She got it organized and was up there cutting trees and drinking beer before the city government knew what was going on. The operation lasted two weeks, with her slinging chainsaws all day and then driving back home to take care of our mutts.
I got home in time to help on the last couple of days and was beat; I do not know how she did it. Some of the cutting was real engineering type stuff, trying to figure out how to cut and remove a hundred and fifty foot spruce without doing more damage to a house or car. Or you know, getting someone killed.
Then, Anne Marie was in Vegas helping her brother when I decided to inspect the floor at the local grocery store. I got out of the truck and felt a little dizzy. Nothing terribly new for me. I had this happen years ago and come to find out, I had loose marbles in my head. My inner ear, to be exact. It is an easy fix with head turning exercises to maneuver the marbles back into the right spot. So I made a mental note to start those exercises again and headed into the store.
I got the basics, like a family size bag of Chips Ahoy cookies, a gallon of whole milk, and a carrot. One needs to have a vegetable. I stopped to peruse some magazines–too cheap to buy them–and as I was putting one back, I looked over at my basket to make sure the milk was not crushing the cookies… The next thing I know, I feel like I am waking up from a deep sleep and I am trying to figure out why I am looking at the floor. I was amazed at how clean it was.
As I was getting up, a lady asked if I was OK. I said yes. After all, how long can you lay in a grocery store aisle before someone comes along? Fifteen seconds maybe? So there is no way I was unconscious. I then decided I should leave, but by the time I go to the checkout I was pretty ditzy, I mean dizzy.
So I dumped my stuff on the counter making sure the cookies were safe, and then just leaned against the counter. By the time my stuff got to the register I was on my knees. The checker asked if I was all right. Yep, I am fine, just trying to keep the wear on the soles of my shoes to a minimum. Sensing there was an emergency, she summoned management and they sat me in a chair.
A week earlier, my doc had changed my blood pressure meds and I was back in the normal range after a couple of days. Well guess what, that medication really, really works well. Like my BP was 70ish over 70ish while sitting in the chair. So I got an ambulance ride. I have stuffed a lot of people in ambulances, but have never ridden in one.
Now the hilarity starts. I had been to the shooting range earlier, so I asked the handsome paramedic what should I do with this weapon, as I pulled it out. He asked if it was loaded. No, I just carry it around in case I need an improvised hammer. They spent the majority of the ride trying to figure out what to do with the pistol and making sure my insurance was up to date.
To make a short story longer, the nurses were cute, except for the guy with a beard, and the cop at the hospital was perplexed about the weapon. I lied and said I was not unconscious at any point. They did some tests, then I called a friend to pick me up. A nurse and cop walked me out of the hospital, where I got my weapon back, my friend gave me a ride back to my truck, and I drove home without my milk and cookies or the carrot. All told, four hours shot. (Pun intended.)
On to more exciting things. As a result of a wet spring, hot summer, and the above mentioned stuff, we managed to get a whopping four hikes in and about 400 miles of motorcycle riding. We hope next summer is better.
When Anne is not out teaching Team Rubicon members how to deforest the planet, or deployed to disaster zones (she’s gone to the South twice this year for Hurricane Helene cleanup) she continues writing science fiction. Anne has also branched out to writing exciting military veteran romantic suspense, plus vampire stories; those are on her website, too. I think she uses our relationship as inspiration for her stories; the romance ones, not the vampire ones. If she starts on Werewolf stories I will keep my distance during full moons.
We also have a YouTube channel: The Amazing Sleeping Man – YouTube. I recommend you watch, “Who Needs a Cat.” It is kind of different. Yes, both of those dogs are ours and nothing was harmed in the making of the video. I also recommend the 24 March 2023 video. There is some awesome dancing at the end and contrary to what many think, no alcohol was involved. We just need a few more subscribers and then we can be classified as “Influencers.” Yep, sure sign the world is ending is when I am a recognized influencer.
I also met up with an old friend from school. We had not seen each other since about 1986. He is still trim, fit and other than a few gray hairs, looks the same. (Yeah, I hate him.) What are the odds that two guys from Sumter High School, Sumter, SC, would end up in Montana? I do not ever remember us talking about living in Montana. Great minds and all that.
Well, I need to go. I have an appointment with a guy about buying some cardboard. With any luck we will be “Back in Black” soon.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, bla bla bla…!!!
Anne Marie, Zoe, Shepherd Book, and Me.