EXTENDED WEEKEND IN MADISON AREA THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE

The road trip started out with family at a surprise retirement party for my first cousin, Bonnie Allbaugh, nurse extraordinaire -- Some 100 people , mostly fellow work associates, showed up to express their love and appreciation for this little fire ball. I, of course, uploaded the photos for this blog in reverse order. Bonnie is the petite gal with the big smile in the second picture. The other photo is from Saturday night's gig with the United Coop employees Appreciation Banquet at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
It was really an uplifting experience for me as I have not had close touch with Bonnie over the years -- to hear the accolades heaped upon her from staff and friends made me really appreciate her and wish that we had been closer over the years. maybe now that she is retired, we can spend more time catching up! Hats off to Bonnie's husband, Stu, who helped organize the shindig and who actually SURPRISED Bonnie!

After a good night's rest at the AmericInn nearby, I joined the Allbaugh's for breakfast at the house before wending my way up to Windsor to spend my off day with the Johnson Brothers.

I arrived at Chula Vista at 4PM to set up and when I found the banquet room I was somewhat surprised to find that there were dinner settings for nearly four hundred people. Dori Lichty, pictured, was chief organizer out of the coop headquarters in Beaver Dam. She was very warm and cordially invited me to dine with the group. I declined as I don't like to eat just before a performance.

Truth be told, I was a bit nervous as it had been expressed that a "clean show" was in order and after having performed for some 32 years, I have no idea what that means as it changes from one group to the next.
But as the how progressed and it became evident that it was going to be one of those nights where I could do no wrong, I relaxed into it and even threw in a new one liner i had written several weeks ago and was looking for the right time to try it.

After the bit about my being depressed I told the crowd that now that we had a new president-elect, maybe things would get better -- I mean with ears like that, Obama's got to be a good listener! It killed! Boffo, Man!!!

So I left the Dells riding high on adrenaline and arrived home to a spousless house about 11:45 PM only to find two very chilly kittens and the temperature at 50 degrees. the furnace fan was running, but blowing cold air.

I immediately put a call in to Smith Service and our great service man, Nick, was there within an hour. After some preliminary checking, he wandered outside and checked the LP tank and returned with the news that it was "bone dry". Chippewa Valley Energy, our carrier, with whom we are on "keep fill" hadn't -- well -- THEY HAD'NT!!!!

Nick apologized for having to write out a service call (overtime for being after hours) and was kind enough to leave me with four electric space heaters.

After an appropriate amount of loud cursing to vent before I called Chippewa Valley Energy, I got their emergency driver on the phone and managed to get to bed about 4:30AM with some heat.

Kim returned Sunday and today we went out and got thing squared away. Fortunately there is a happy ending. Chippewa Valley is picking up the Erv Smith bill by taking it off the bill for LP and they were, in fact, most apologetic.

The secretary said we should check our tank every three weeks or so -- that would help stop this from happening again. that rubbed me the wrong way, but i bit my tongue until we were in the car.

This brings to mind the old rule: If you are going to have anything break down, like a door lock that won't unlock, or a fuel tank that goes bone dry, it will most certainly happen on a weekend night or a holiday!

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Nice to hear from MSPLPCKR in the comment section - and no, that is not a Jim Zorn jersey but rather the jersey of Wisconsin native Dave Krieg who played his high school ball for Schofield High School near Wausau.

On a separate blog, I got a comment from one "Cordelia" who says: "I thought you were supposed to be funny -- at least that's what my brother told me".

Golly, gee, Cordelia, sounds like you have issues with your brother -- counseling?

And, dear, humor is such a subjective thing -- I know that's a pretty big word -- Look it up in the dictionary, babe. How's this for funny?

S-H-H-H-H! THAT'S THE SOUND OF NOBODY CARING WHAT YOU THINK.

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, RAISE YOUR HAND -- AND PLACE IT OVER YOUR MOUTH.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS, BUT I BET IT'S HARD TO PRONOUNCE!

CAN I GET YOU SOMETHING? LIKE A NEW PERSONALITY?

Oh, now, see, Cordelia, you've gone and made me use upper case.

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WHERE'S MY HOUSE BOAT AND OLD GUITAR?

Why is winter harder to handle than it was say even five years ago? There was a time when I looked forward to snow fall as it meant an opportunity to get out the cross country skis, wax 'em up and put in a couple of miles through the woods, communing with nature - reminding myself that it still is out there!

Now my attitude as I trudge from house to office with the frigid air ripping at my lungs is: WELL, WE ARE ONE DAY CLOSER TO SPRING, AREN'T WE?

And that really is not a way to live. I had either best change my attitude or else change my latitude and longitude. something is not working. It is pretty frightening to catch myself saying half aloud while I am making a run for the nearest source of warmth tht I now understand the theory of being a "snow bird", a follower of the sun.

It makes me want to make an old pipe dream of mine come true.

Years ago, I dreamed that one day I would sell the house and auction all my unnecessary stuff and buy a good sized house boat with the proceeds, climb aboard armed with my old guitar and maps of the Mississippi river and simply follow the sun through the four seasons, stopping along the banks of the mighty river to play bars and coffee houses in river towns (I've always been attracted to river towns) to make fuel and grocery money to move on up or down the river as the weather demands.

Talk about the ultimate fishing trip!

Wow! Just putting it down in writing where I can see it brings the dream alive again.

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Going on the road for three days later this week. Taking off for Madison to help my cousin Bonnie Allbaugh retire from nursing. then I have a one day layover which I will spend with the Johnson brothers in nearby Windsor, Wisconsin, before heading north a bit to play an annual farm cooperative meeting in Wisconsin Dells.

Will be difficult to be away from Kim and the kittens for that long. We have grown accustomed to being together! But when I get back, we will be three days closer to Spring!

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Sent out our invitations to the "Bye Bye You Bastard Bush" party this past weekend. So far, two people have confirmed. Maybe nobody wants to go out in this kind of weather? They are all Republicans? Hell, it's too soon to wonder about it!

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IT'S BEEN THIRTY TWO YEARS -- BUT WHO'S COUNTNG?

Today is January 1, 2009 - In addition to being New Year's Day, it is Kim and Larry's thirty second wedding anniversary.

Yeh, thirty two years ago, we tied the knot. Got married on New Year's Day so that I would be certain to remember our anniversary. At the time I jokingly told Kim that this way when I woke up with the biggest hang over of the year, I would know it was our anniversary time again.

Well, the days of going out and joining the throng for New Year's Eve are long gone. We never really did that anyway because most New Year's Eves I was working a club somewhere -- and that will dull the shine of hanging out with amateur drunks to all hours of the night.

Now we are lucky if we make it past the 10 PM news.

My chiropractor, Jerry Retzlaff has the right idea. He goes to a little bar on the north side of Eau Claire where they celebrate New Year's Eve with the Irish -- at 6PM -- when it is midnight in Ireland.

So it is our anniversary. We don't do much to mark it. We both express aloud that we are interested in renewing our subscription for another year and we wish each other well throughout the day, watch a few videos and then I make the same thing for our anniversary dinner that I always prepare.

Since almost all restaurants are closed on New Year's Day (we didn't think about that), I prepare what I would probably have ordered on such a special occasion had we gone out: steak and lobster. This year I have two rock lobster tails and two nice tenderloins in the refrigerator and when I finsih writing here, I will be going over to get the baked potato started.

Truth is, our marriage is still working pretty damn well! There is something to be said about mature relationships. You get comfortable with one another. Marriage becomes like a well worn pair of shoes.

It's a great way to start the new year. To be with the one person I would rather be with than anyone else!

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Unexpected But Appreciated Christmas Gift From Perla

About a week before Christmas I received a very pleasant surprise from Perla Batalla, a very talented, versatile singer from Ojai, California, that I had the honor of opening for some years ago at the Stone's Throw here in Eau Claire. Dedicated to her recently deceased father-in-law, Claud Mann, Jr., the album is as much of a gem as all her other great albums.

Entitled "We Three Kings", one might suspect that it is a Christmas album, but it is so much more. We Three Kings, the first cut, is done with a latin beat and sparse string accompaniment which helps to show case Perla's amazing voice.

The second cut is A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square/Joy to the World, an inventive juxtaposition of two well known songs that Perla weaves together seamlessly.

The third cut, Christmas Time is Here, features Perla's daughter Eva-Batalla-Mann. They sing together and the blend is perfect! Heavy with jazz influences, it is a very soothing, deeply moving Christmas salute that makes one want to sit in front of the fire with a cup of schnapps-laced hot chocolate and take in the beauty of a decorated Christmas tree and the warmth of a good fire. Perla adds Spanish lyrics with the help of Gilberto Gonzalez.

The fourth cut, Noche De Paz/Silent Night starts with a beautiful. jazzy Latin piano and features, once more, Perla's deeply touching vocal style. I am tempted to say that it is one of my favorites, but how does one choose a favorite???

One of the things that makes this CD so very special is that it is a compilation that you can play year round as the fifth cut is a simply scripted, guitar only, version of the old folk ballad The Water is Wide with Marty Van Loan on guitar. Marty Van Loan has been a performing singer songwriter in the southern California area for the past 20 years. In 1997 he was a finalist in the Telluride troubadour contest and after you listen to him play, you might want to look into his own recordings.

Perla teams with daughter Eva again on the old spiritual Mary Had a Baby featuring sweet, sweet harmonies.

The Little Drummer Boy follows with simple yet complex instrumentation of piano, bass, drums, and a special performance by Perla's husband Claud Mann on Congas and bongos.

Eva's Danny Boy blew me away the first time I heard her sing it! And it continues to blow me away each time I listen to this recording which she made in 2005. I can only imagine how proud Perla must be of her daughter!

As Perla was at one time a back up singer for Leonard Cohen, it is only fitting that she includes the song Hallelujah by Mr. Cohen as the next to last cut on the CD.

Perla concludes the CD with a stirring rendition of Auld Lang Syne - one which I will be certain to play tonight, New Year's Eve - and I shall lift a glass to both Perla and Eva and thank the powers that be that I was fortunate enough to meet Perla!

Do yourself a favor and order this CD! You can find it on Perla's site at: www.perla.com.

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Christmas 2008 Laid Back

Christmas 2008 was a pretty laid back affair for me. Kim left for Minneapolis to be with her mom and sister on Friday, December 19. That same day I trekked to Wisconsin Rapids and did a pizza party for a Rapids Urologist.
Christmas eve morning, armed with a brand new Garmin 750 GPS, I went to Madison to pick up my son Jonathan at the Madison airport. I am impressed with the Garmin's capabilities and it was a good purchase for someone who is constantly trying to find out of town addresses. Couple that with my constant thirst for gadetry, and it makes for more interesting road experiences.

My time with Jon was very special this year. We took a day to go over to Menomonie to the cemetery and visit, at Jon's request, the grave site of Grandpa Jack and Grandma Alice. We then drove out and past the farmstead where Jon spent many happy times visiting and jamming with child hood friend, Geoff Keezer.

Since Jonathan doesn't get many chances to experience home cooking, I rustled up a pizza the first night he was in and for Christmas eve dinner we did a turkey with all the trimmings. It was way too much food for two guys, but what the heck!

Jonathan left on Christmas morning and Kim came home later that afternoon.

December 26th we joined Kristi, Joy, and Kim's cousin Bill and his wife Helen and their two sons for lunch in Hudson to celebrate Joy's 76th birthday.

Other than that, it has been a pretty quiet time. We have been renting quite a few movies. Last night we watched Will Smith in "I Am Legend" -- pretty much a downer!

This afternoon I am meeting with the local Veteran's Administration officer to be certain that I am signed up for all benefits as there may be some serious changes as of the first day of 2009.

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I watched the Green Bay Packers final game of the season yesterday and personally I didn't think it very classy of the Green Bay fans to take up a chant of "0-16" towards the end of the game, taunting the Lions, especially since our own team ended up with a 6-10 record - not something to be that proud of!

The Lions, decimated with injuries, (17 players on disabled list!) played with a lot of pride and hung in there throughout the game.

I see the Vikings took the North Division Title -- but I don't think they will get very far in the playoffs.

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HOW CAN I GET THIS REPORTER'S AUTOGRAPH ON AN 8 BY 10 COLOR PHOTO?

In the following story, the reporter states that the shoe throwing "shocked the world". Hell, it didn't shock me in the least. And I am very proud to hear him say that if given the opportunity he would do it again.

George Bush, as the sticker on my automobile says, is a WAR CRIMINAL and should, along with his henchman Dick Cheney, be brought before the world court for murdering untolled numbers of children.

Al-Zaidi is a hero in my estimation, and should be freed immediately without further prosecution.

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Iraqi shoe-thrower: I would do it again
Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:45:11 GMT


The Iraqi journalist who shocked the world by throwing his shoes at the US president reportedly says he would do it again if given the opportunity.

"In a letter to Iraqi prime minister, Muntadhar al-Zaidi has only apologized to Nuri al-Maliki himself," Fardanews reported, citing comments by an Iraqi source familiar with the case.

"He said that he felt no remorse for throwing his shoes at the 'Great Satan', George Bush, and added that he would repeat his actions if he sees him again, because Bush's forces have killed many of Iraq's children," added the source.

Al-Zaidi has told the judge investigating the incident that Bush was the target of his action not Nuri al-Maliki, whom he likes and respects, said the source, who according to Fardanews was close to the investigations.

Al-Baghdadiya satellite channel correspondent Muntadhar al-Zaidi hurled his shoes at US President George Bush during a press conference in Baghdad on Sunday, shouting in Arabic 'this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog'!

News of al-Zaidi's lack of remorse came after several Western media outlets reported that the journalist had written to Maliki apologizing for the incident, and describing it as an 'ugly action'.

Al-Zaidi's brother Uday, however, has rejected the reports, calling them 'incorrect'.

"This apology is not a real one. If they (the government) want an apology, they must first release him so he can do it freely and not under pressure," said Uday.

Fardanews also published comments by an anonymous Iraqi official involved in investigations, who confirmed that al-Zaidi had apologized to Maliki, but said that the reporter did not regret his action.

The official also said that in a written statement to the judge, al-Zaidi had said that he expected to be killed by the Bush's body guards after hurling the first shoe.

"It seemed that his bodyguards were not on full alert at the time, that was how I managed to throw the second shoe," the official quoted al-Zaidi as saying.