Monday &c
Not that we've lived there in forty years, 1984-2024, but it's great to see Penn State relatively high in the CFB rankings this morning. When we moved to Pennsylvania early summer of 1976, the state hero was Joe Paterno, who ended up serving as head coach for 46 years. Is that a record? Every restaurant in Harrisburg where Paterno had eaten proudly had his autographed photograph hanging in the front lobby. Believe me, I only asked, "Who's that?" once. And I remember: we were with new church friends at a really nice restaurant on the west bank of the Susquehanna River, and as we were leaving I saw the coach's picture. That would have been now 48 years ago, who would have thought!
We loved our Pennsylvania years, and easily could have ended up staying there. No sooner had we moved into our new house on the Conodoquinet Creek - - creekside they call it there, like bay-front or gulf-front here - - than Linda scouted out and found our new church.
We tried out two before settling on Mount Calvary Parish in Camp Hill, the other one was sort of feigned "anglo-catholic" with the priest and deacon greeting everyone at the door after Mass wearing those absurd little hats with a black pompom on top, that high church clergy have envied RC priests wearing. A biretta: why wear it? Because it adds a bit of humility: if you're ridiculed for it, so much the better, like Jesus taunted on the Cross.
No, really. You can order one from Almy's for $225. No, I'm serious.
I'll stick with my U S Navy (Retired) baseball cap with scrambled eggs on the bill. If I want to be ridiculed I'll turn it around and wear it backwards, nomesane? I wear my Navy hats when I feel like being thanked for my service, eh? - - which nearly always happens.
Harrisburg. It was a beautiful place to live our years there, especially west of the River, there were a couple of high neighborhoods where we could have lived, overlooking the River and Harrisburg.
One of them, near a hospital, there was a restaurant where we sometimes went after church for Sunday dinner: it was buffet and they always had two huge bowls of caviar, one black caviar, one red caviar, serve yourself. Bubba could eat a LOT of caviar.
Since we're on the subject of food, Monday breakfast: cole slaw with chicken salad mixed in, bit of extra mayo, NoSalt, my potassium substitute, sprinkled on; and the rest of my mug of hot & black.
It was standard coffee, my October shipment of elegant club coffee should arrive, maybe today. I ration it out, one 8 ounce magic mug a day, and manage to make it last until just before the next bag arrives.
What's so great about living into extreme old age? Well, for one thing, you get to wake up mornings.
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TJC were here Saturday and worked like beavers getting things out that could help Caroline settle into her new townhouse in Tallahassee. They left 7H delightfully, incredibly spacious feeling. Lots of room in the living room and dining room and 7H porch, the apartment no longer feels crowded. And I got to have my main chair back right next to the front window, looking out across the Bay at the Pass. And the wrought-iron tea cart from Linda's childhood is back over by the sliding glass door so she can load it up with inside plants, which is underway even as we speak. I think it gets decent sunshine for plants in that spot, not too sunny.
When we were teenagers, Linda's father had that teacart sitting next to his chair by the television. Pete had the TV clicker (black & white television in those days), he sat there evenings sipping his bourbon highball, and sitting it down on the teacart between sips.
Like me, Linda's father was a Buick man. In my days involved with them, he drove a 1950 Buick Super straight eight, a 1953 Buick Super V8 that I absolutely loved; and a 1958 Buick Roadmaster. We borrowed the Roadmaster when the Navy transferred me to Mayport early 1960, and we moved into our house in Neptune Beach. I was used to paying $2.40 to fill the gas tank of my Opel, and nearly fainted when we stopped for gasoline and it cost $7 to fill the tank of that enormous Buick Roadmaster.
I was a Navy LT(jg), made full lieutenant while we were at Mayport and before we moved to Ann Arbor for MBA at the University of Michigan.
Michigan, which finished last season as #1 is ranked #24 in the AP top 25 CFB poll this morning.
But at least Ohio State finally lost a game, and dropped.
Alabama, ranked #1 for one week a couple weeks ago, is back down. So then M Go Blue and Go Gators, but don't Roll Tide and don't Go Dawgs.
Rambling again, Bubba. Time to sign off.
That's son Joe's motorcycle parked at his office building in Louisville, Kentucky.
And just now, a new calf at Wyldswood.
Summer 1984 we relocated from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Apalachicola, Florida and Trinity Church. I think for Linda and Tass, who was 12 years old, it was severe culture shock; but for me, it was home at last, home at last, thank God Almighty, home at last.
RSF&PTL
T89&c