The Big Easy

Megan & Patrick

I am having a real difficult time getting my buttocks into a reasonably comfortable position on this chair. Maybe I should hire some ergonomics engineer to evaluate and upgrade my home computer workspace. Ok, I'm settled, here we go again. Christmas music would probably be more appropriate this time of year for most folks but I'm listening to Willie Nelson singing "The City of New Orleans". It's been done by many but Willie's approach is so remarkably low key that he gets me right into the rhythm of the rails from the beginning of the song. I am of the opinion that this song was meant to be sung that way, but that's just me.

"Say don't you know me, I'm your native son"

I've been intending to write something for quite some time, but I have just been too busy. I amaze myself at times with how busy I seem to be and how little I seem to get done. A few weeks back I wrote a short piece entitled 'Seoul Survivor' about the Korean War. It's in the blog archives if you want to refer back to it, or if (and I'm sure this is highly unlikely) you never read it in the first place. (For those of you who don't know how to get to the archives, just click on my picture, right on my nose and you will be delivered to a page with my mug shot displayed over on the right-hand side and immediately below it you will see 'Archives". Click on Archives and a list of titles will be provided with just about everything I've written for this blog.) As a result of this piece, I had a reader email me who requested to talk with me. We exchanged a few emails and finally tonight we spoke on the phone. We spoke for several minutes about our families and then he provided me with some information concerning the Korean War. Dale Richard Jones is a Veteran of that war and has a wealth of information to share. We are going to resume our discussion after the holidays and I am looking forward to that with great anticipation.

"I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans"

Speaking of holidays, mine is about ready to start. This coming Saturday, I will be winging my way to Florida to spend Christmas with my Mom. Brother Steve (known to many as Caleb and Cody's Grandpa or the Golfer Formerly Known as Chris & Jeremy's Dad) and his wonderful wife Sheila, will be following me down to Florida on Monday. We just might get a few rounds of golf in while we are there for our visit. As a matter of fact, The Vengeance in Venice Part III or IV (I don't remember which) begins at The Bardmoor at 1400 hours on the 21st. My game is in shambles and I'm just hoping that I don't humiliate myself. Who knows, maybe it will suddenly all come back to me and I'll deliver a thrashing to the old man like he's never seen before. I'd hold back on betting the farm though.

"I'll be gone five-hundred miles when the day is done"

I'll be returning back home on the 26th for our Annual Feliz Navidad Celebration at Matt & Mel's place. This year I will have all 4 of my kids there together along with their partners. This gathering of all four doesn't occur very often and I'm very excited that we can do it this year. Katie Jo and Aden are now home and living in Bloomfield where I can see them just about everyday, but now Jay and Rebekah are in Nashville. I've informed them that I may soon retire and move in with them as a house cleaner and part time dog sitter. I can't even imagine just how thrilled any of my kids would be to find out that they had to live with me again. So no Jay, I was just kidding, I'll stay here...all by myself...alone...for the rest of my life.

"The train pulls out at Kankakee"

Actually the train will be pulling out of Champaign not Kankakee and on this train will be my daughter Megan and her fiancé Patrick. On December 5th, Patrick ran in the Tecumseh Trail Marathon, which winds through the Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests. He carried a ring with him throughout the 26 miles and after the race he gave it to Megan. After Christmas, they will be taking Amtrak's City of New Orleans out of Champaign and on New Years Eve they will be married in New Orleans...Ol' Simmons couldn't be happier. Fortunately, I was able to spend last weekend with them in Indy and, as always, had a wonderful time.

I'll let them settle in as an old married couple for awhile before I spring the "Dad's going to move in with you deal".

"Goodnight America, how are you?"