Riverboat Inn

Have you made your reservations?
I think today (Thursday) is the last day to get the special group rate.
Pull the trigger! Call the Riverboat Inn in Madison today and ask for the rate set aside for Linda K..
It's gonna be a relaxing, enjoyable time, visiting while watching traffic go up and down the river.
812-265-2361

Short Notice

"I'm headed your way. You gonna be home?"
He'd be at my doorstep in two hours.
"Yes sir, I certainly will be! Be safe. I'll have a cold beer waiting for you."
It was my own darned fault. When I'm off work I've begun to isolate myself-
The cell phone rings and I let it go to voice mail...
I'll listen to that when I take a notion.
The hard-line phone rings and our answering machine takes a message. Ditto.
I guess it's a sign I'm really retire for retirement...
When I'm off work, I don't want to be bothered. But that attitude leaves me open to this sort of thing...
Tool's shadow will grace my doorstep in two hours.
Odd that I had just called TwoDogs that morning and learned Tools had been in Indy. So I at least was prepared for the idea I might hear from him. It was Sara Jean that finally heard his voice on the answering machine and told me I needed to call him for details.
"Yeah Tools, I'm home for the next couple days and you're welcome for as long as you want to stay."
He said he wasn't on a tight schedule and would play it by ear.
Same old Tools...
A few more character lines on that face, but the smile and booming voice were unmistakable...
"Hey brother, how are ya?"And as you might expect, the next few hours were spent catching up on the "new" news before we started lying to one another about our exploits back in the day.
He's fine. His better half is fine. He sat in retirement for over a year de-stressing before he realized he was going stir crazy and needed something to do other than watch grass grow. So he took a bunch of tough tests and became a licensed insurance adjuster. All these recent Spring storms with hail that has knocked out windshields and made your hood look like someone took a ball-peen hammer to it? Tools is your man for getting that fixed. When the hurricane season hits in full force, Tools will be on his way to the disaster areas to begin helping folks rebuild and heal.
And you know darned well he'll be great at it.

After a few beers we went and ate Chinese and then after a little more visiting he went to bed early.
Coffee and more chat on the patio in the A.M., we then rode the GoldWing to the next town West of us and ate breakfast at a little spot so much like "The Beehive" it would make you smile.
We then stopped at that town's High School and I showed Tools their gymnasium...
A cookie-cutter version of our old gym, except the color scheme is robin's egg blue and white.
Memories.

He's been away from home three weeks. A call to his mate and he said, "Well, if I get on the road right now I'll be home before midnight. I need to start that way."
And so he did.
I see him about once every five to ten years, but between us we have that "CG foundation" that all VK's understand. It takes about 30 seconds to get right back into that Trojan comfort zone.

I'll call today to insure you made it home safe buddy.
God Bless ya.
I love ya.

Back To 1958

Sometimes a little irritation is a good thing.
This week I was irritated in a way that made me smile.
My "work car" has 235,969 miles on it. A '95 Chrysler LHS, it drives wonderfully and still gets over 27 miles per gallon of gas driving to and from work. It has all the bells and whistles and all of them still work, EXCEPT the air conditioner. The A/C gave up the ghost three years ago, and since it would have to be converted to the new eco-friendly refrigerant, in addition to having to replace the ($$$$$) compressor, I chose to just drive with all the windows down during the five or so months I'd normally be using the air. Working nights, when it gets REALLY REALLY hot, I drive Sara Jean's car to work in air-conditioned comfort.
Yesterday I had to drive to St. Louis to teach a student at a time that required me to drive in my old car since SJ would be at work with hers. Windows down, wind whistling all around, the thermometer on the display said "97".
I flew with my student, then did a little "airport bumming"...
Stops here and there on the airport to visit with old friends, culminating with a stop at the shop of a mechanic I've known over thirty years. Time, gossip, and a few beers were shared.

The sun was well below the horizon when I started my 90 minute drive home.
The temperature had fallen to 84 degrees and felt perfectly comfortable in my old luxury-beater. With the windows down I was reminded of how it was back when we were all growing up and automobile air conditioning was something about which we had only heard rumors...
The sounds and smells of life are in your face when the windows are down.
Skunk.
Honeysuckle in bloom.
A dead critter in the road, followed by the unpleasant scent of decay.
Newly overturned earth in that plowed field.
The (pleasant to me) smell of manure as I pass a dairy farm.
And a reminder of long-ago trips home after the movies at the Meridian Drive-In-
The wonderful feel of a sudden temperature drop as I pass through a wooded area, or drop down into a valley.

We all want to avoid being uncomfortable. We've all paid our dues and have a right to avoid being uncomfortable. But in avoiding discomfort, however slight, we've isolated ourselves from some things in life that really WEREN'T so bad on reflection... Windows down, radio BLASTING, the sounds and smells of LIFE encompassing us as we motor through it.

Life is mighty good.
We all could use the reminder now and then.