Bluegill Fishing.

 Today, I went fishing. It has been a while since I have been able to go.  In fact,  I was planning on going a lot this summer, but Haribo, a House Fire, And homelessness have gotten in the way of those dreams.   

But things are much better now.... And I had an entire day free today!   So why not go fishing?  

Technically,  I helped Dave move the HUGE grill for the Union Sunday service tomorrow.  (There will be grilling and fellowship and stuff....  It's kind of a big deal.)  And while I was helping him,  I mentioned that I would appreciate if he "called off the Dogs" for that private pond he took me too previously.  

In case you did not know it.. ( or read the previous blog post...) There is a small pond on a plot of farmland.   It is surrounded by trees and basically is able to go on with no outside influence.   And Nature has used that time to produce some Really Nice Bluegills!

The key is the Largemouth Bass population.   They eat the small fry and allow the surviving bluegills to get really big.   How big?

About 9 inches! 

That is a good bluegill, by my standards!  (Ok,  Technically, I would save something as small as 6 inches if I was in the mood for crunching down some deep fried Bluegills on a Friday...  But 9 inches is a good keeper size.) Dad would think that is a sweet spot if he was still alive....

So I fished the pond until about 8:30 tonight.   In three and a half hours I managed to catch 21 fish.  Many of them in the 8.5 to 9 inch range.   Bare in mind these are not "Copper Nose" Bluegills.   These were almost all Longear.     Which still can get to a decent size, under the right conditions.  

When I got home I spent a bit of time getting my inflatable Kayak  out of the Silver Eagle Subie so it would not smell like a Swamp tomorrow.   No one wants to sit next to a guy who smells like a swamp monster in Church!    ( And I JUST changed out the Air Freshener tree yesterday!)    One thing about that pond is that it is filled with plenty of Muck!  That smells like Skunkweed!  ( That is actually a wetland plant...  a Macro Algae that smells like skunk musk!) And I inevitable had to step in it to get out of the pond. 

FYI...  That crappy smelling silt is actually FILLED with nutrients that are great fertilizer for plants.   If they would suck it out of the bottom and spray it on the fields around the pond,  the plants would thank them!  Phosphorous being one of the main chemicals that are "trapped" at the bottom of ponds... due to the lack of Oxygen and bio-processes that help bring it into the Bio cycle.   But I digress.....

After cleaning out the car,  I set up my "Fish Cleaning Station."   Cleaning fish can be exhausting... If the conditions are not right.    Your back will hurt if the height is not right,  along with the place to put the guts and the finished fillets.   Also... it is important to have a beer close by... to refreshment, hydration, and celebration for a successful fishing venture.... This is how I set my area up.  

Take note!  It was dark outside by the time I got home.  So having plenty of lighting was essential.  Also,  I had a chair.. because I knew I was going to be there for a while. Having Lost my American Angler Fillet Knife in the fire. ( which I had for YEARS!!!!  I miss it so)  I was forced to buy a new one from Walmart this afternoon.  And it worked great!  (All Nostalgia aside...)  

Moments after taking this picture.   I moved the Cardboard cover and dropped the IKEA bowl that was supposed to catch all of the finished fillets!  And it shattered!  It was a MESS!  

And on top of all of that,  I cut my finger on the broken glass!  Picking up the Fillets I had already finished... 

And no!  The Beer was not a factor!   Honestly,   I had barely had a sip before dropping the bowl... Which I did not know was made of glass! 

But I finished the cleaning!   In the end... I have nearly 2 lbs of Bluegill fillets!  Add in that Dave dropped off a single Salmon fillet. ( also , about 2 lbs!) and I will have plenty of fish to toss into my various "dining options" in the upcoming months.   Which is good!   Since I started 2nd shift, I have been missing out on "Friday Fish Fry" at the Clubhouse.  ( And I like "Friday Fish Fry.")

I was a little concerned today if I would actually go through with the fishing agenda.   I mean, it is a lot of work getting things ready,  Hoping the weather holds, dodging the "gatekeeper" Warden of the secret fishing spot, and hoping you have success in catching anything!.  

And then you have to come home and clean the things if you want to eat them. ( which I do!) And that is messy and takes additional time.    

But I did it!   And had fun doing it.   Even though I was all alone on the pond... there was a peace that comes with communing with nature.  and as much as I would love to share that with someone... Having done it alone is still a peaceful experience.   And something that I had almost forgotten  over the years...

Perhaps I will be able to do this again in the future.  I seriously do not mind cleaning the fish... as long as I get to catch a few and end up eating them...   And I know that Fall is right around the corner.   So fishing opportunities will start to become few and far .  

 But Haribo now takes up a large portion of my time.  .So weekends might b the only time to plan another fishing expedition.  We shall see.  

In the mean time...  I will try to make every second count. 

The Places And People That A Song Brings...

 The other day, I was listening to a song from the Moody Blues.   I used to listen to them quite a bit back in the Army days, But there are three songs that I attach to my days in high school.   Whenever I hear those songs, I am taken back to those days in Saginaw Michigan at Michigan Lutheran Seminary.  But the other day,  I heard the song "I know you're out there somewhere."  And it reminded me of a specific person for some reason.   And I am baffled why my brain makes this association. 

The person in question is Sara McArthur.    (Not sure of the spelling of her last name.)   She was a girl in my class that I barely knew.   She was one of those classmates where I shared no classes throughout all four years.   She got a boyfriend her freshmen year ( He was a junior, if I remember properly)  and she pretty much just hung out with him and his circle of friends. ( mostly townies.... Not dorm rats like the majority of us...) In other words.   I knew very little about her. 

And yet,  there are things I do know...  Mostly because we spent 4 years in fairly close proximity to each other at the same high school.  And when you live in a Dorm for 9 months out of the year,   you tend to learn things about the people you live with.  

She did not do sports.  She did not do band. ( that I know if)  Her sister was a senior  back in 1985 and was a Cheerleader.  And was Senior Class Rep!   

 Sara was none of those things....  Sara pretty much kept a low profile the entire four years we were there.  

And the most notable thing I remember about her was that she liked to roller skate.  Particularly, this one time when Rob Hemple and I were walking out in front of the Dorm on a spring afternoon during our senior year.  And Sara was listening to music on her Walkman.... And Roller Skating... 

All by herself.   As if she were dancing alone.  

It was memorable.

Her boyfriend had graduated, and yet, I think he remained in contact with her those two years when he was no longer "there."  (Being a townie meant you can visit the campus when ever you wanted...)    But I don't remember seeing much of him...  Except at maybe an occasional  football game or so.  

And that all brings me back to the original thought.   Why is it that that song from the Moody Blues triggers all of those memories.   Memories of a girl from my past.   A girl I hardly even knew back when I was there. (Heck!  I barely even spoke to her!)  What is it about the magic of Music?   That can transport you to places and bring up memories of people you have not seen or thought about in years.   

Sara married someone who was not that guy in High school. ( I'm not sure.what ever happened to them) But I found her on Facebook a number of years ago.    She occasionally posts things about her life.   And her name has changed since she got married. But otherwise,  I do not contact her.  

You would think that there are songs that you have with your wife that are special and very specific.  And if you were to ask Cheryl about "Our song"   I'm sure she would list a number of songs that "could" be "our song...."  But most likely... She would say "Lady In Red" by Chris De burgh.   It is a memorable moment from Mark and Brenda Noorman's Wedding when the DJ played that song over and over again because the Bride's Maids all wore red dresses.  

And the song stuck.  

Personally,  the song that reminds me most of Cheryl is from the Pet Shop Boys.  "West End Girls".   She was the first person who played that song and knew who sang it.  

It was memorable.  

I'm sure everyone has similar moments where songs trigger a memory....  Maybe a good memory,   Or even a painful one.  (Dan Fogulburg : Same Old Lang Syne comes to mind...)    Either way,  the longer you live, the fuller your library of songs and memories become.  and eventually,  you forget what the connections between the two.

And you write a blog post about it.   At 2 AM in the morning...  Because you work second shift at Haribo  ( And you are are enjoying an IPA from New Glarus....

 And you suddenly realize that you are getting old.    Which is a good thing in that you have acquired a vast cache of knowledge and experiences to draw from....   But your memories of those moments have begun to blur.  And now you try to remember what it was that brought that memory to the forefront of your mind...)

With the music from a song.... 

I'm sure Sara would probably chuckle at my limited thoughts about her.   (If she even remembers me!)  And who knows how much of it is actually truth!  Or just my own perception of how things were back in those foggy, misty days of 1988. 

Back when the music  was filled with the magic of youth and undiscovered dreams.   And it would cling to moments that we would unconsciously  hold on to as adults.

Back when we tried to make every second count.  

A Week Of Reflection....

 This week certainly went by quickly!   And... I worked Saturday!   

I volunteered.   It appeared no one with  the Material Handling job title wanted to give up a Saturday for Haribo...   So I did.   Because I don't really have much else to do on a Saturday.    And, I thought it might be a good time to practice the job without dodging robots or Josiah....  ( The other Material Handler... who tends to be a little "bullish" now and then...)  

And so I showed up on Saturday for second shift.   We only ran one line and it was almost quiet with just the skeleton crew there.   Dare I say... Peaceful!

But peaceful work environments means you have time to think...   And usually about things that are not entirely "job related."    And that can be dangerous.

Or depressing....  because it always seems when I think about the past,  I tend to think about the "bad" things that have happened to me.    And how I would have done them differently.   Or...  Not done them at ALL.. (Think of the Cringy moments in your life...)   Yep!   Those "What the heck was I thinking?!?" moments.

But as I looked over the crew that showed up with me,   I saw something.   Sure,  there were those people who wanted the money.   Overtime pay is nice... And will be nicer, now that it is tax free!   (Or so I hear) And some,  Like Danny or Alex,  are working for their families back home.  

But then there are those people who do it because they get something else out of the job.   A feeling of fulfillment.   Perhaps some Gratitude.  Some satisfaction for helping out their fellow Haribo Family members with a fairly easy,  but time consuming and boring job.   On a Saturday!   Knowing that we are all working together for a common goal.   

Kind of like a Family.  

And that can be detrimental in a different way.   

You see,  I notices that many of the guys who had families at home, would rather stay with those people.   Their wives and sons and daughters.   And I think that is a good thing.    Because you Job will never love you back the way a family does. All you have to look forward to after 30 years of working at the same place is a handshake and a gold watch ( maybe!)   The job will not visit you in the retirement home,   or go on fishing trips with you.  

But to those guys...  who do NOT have a family.   ( divorced,  single,  or simply in a bad relationship.) I think it is fair to assume that the only fulfillment they get is from their job.  "A job well done!"   "Thanks for the help!" "Thanks for coming in on your day off...."  

And so it goes.   Just how powerful a simple "thank you" can be for these types of men. I'm guessing I fall into this category at the moment.   A "Thank You!"  can be priceless if you have not heard it from anyone in a while.  And even if you HAVE heard it...It's nice to be appreciated.  

And so my thoughts go out to all of those men....  Who work to bring home a paycheck for their family day after day.  Only to not be appreciated.  Or worse!   Taken for granted!   Or WORSE!   Taken advantage of.   Like those guys struggling through a custody battle...  Or divorce. Work might be their only refuge.

But that is not me...  At least at the moment.   Those are just the thoughts I tend to think about when the job is easy.   And you have time on your hands..  To think about things internally.    I think about my Dad... going off to distant states for jobs.   Knowing he would be gone for months at a time.  And he did it sending his check back home so my brother and I could go to school.   And so Mom would not have to work and could  maintain the household.   

And I think about all of those times Mom would rant about how Dad was terrible....  Partying, Drinking,  or fooling around all the time he was gone.   With all that complaining, you would think Mom would be happy once Dad cut a break and got to come home for a few weeks.   

But she didn't.   Instead she constantly yelled at him and complained about him not doing things around the home. (He DID do things around the home...  all the time!  Just not to Mom's specifications.) And thus,   for relief...   Dad would accept another job that was out of town.  A Place where he could at least make some money and get a "Thank You! For doing what you do!"  now and then...

They are both gone now...  But the lessons they taught and showed me stuck.  And I can't help but think that all has shaped my world view and my actions over the years.   Sometimes for good... Sometimes for "not so good."   I wonder how things would have been different had I chose  to marry a person like my mother.....  Instead of selecting the opposite. 

All those thought experiments usually only bring back the harsh reality of my current state.   Which is not that bad at all!  To be honest.   I really have no complaints.   I'm fed.  I'm housed'  I have plenty of money.  And I get plenty of "Thank yous!  For doing what you do."  from people.    People from the Job.  People from Church.  Even People from the Clubhouse.   

And that is a good feeling.    And possibly why I chase those moments...  Here in Kenosha.  Because every moment is precious.   And you have to make ever second count.  

Who Doesn't Want A Flat Tire?

 Ummm...  I think EVERYONE?   I seriously can not think of ANY time when a flat tire is a good thing.   Mostly I think of them as "Not as bad as it could have been" moments.   

And that is what happened tonight.    

Two days ago, Silver Eagle Subie warned me with a "Tire Pressure Not Right" light.    Figuring it was only the heat, I went to the local Kwik Trip and filled up the one tire that was low.  

The light went away and I figured the hot temps must have inflated the other three or Something.   ( It is amazing what you will tell yourself after midnight when all you want to do is get home..) 

But yesterday,  the light came back on...   After work.. Again!   All day,   light stayed off.   After work.   Light back on! 

So now I think that it must actually be an issue.   Same tire was low.  Not terribly low,  but lower to the previous days levels.  Again,  I filled it up and the light went away.  

Today,   No warning light as I head to work.   No warning light as I get to work.   

And then....

Flat tire!   

No light required this time.   Even an Idiot.( like myself) could see there was a problem. 

Time to break out the spare tire and get this fixed...  In retrospect... Since it had to happen this way.   this was the BEST possible scenario.  ( Unless it going flat while at the mechanic.... )    The parking lot was well lit.  It was not raining,  i was close to people who could help in a pinch. ( no help was required, thankfully)  And I have a VAST RESERVOIR or knowledge changing tires....  So I was good.  Heck, I almost felt like I was at the some NASCAR event.    

But then I had to drive home....   And at first,   No lights came on.  

And then the dashboard lit up! 

5 lights in all.   Including, ( at the last  mile from home)  the tire pressure light.  

So tomorrow I will be getting my tire repaired.   And with all of this bright lights on the dash,  My car is basically telling me to "Pay attention to this Issue,  Dummy!"    

I Will..... This time.    

And since it is late as of the writing of this. ( almost 1 AM!)   I will save my comparison of Jeeps and Subarus when it comes to leaving you stranded... For another time.  ( Hint,  Subie's win!)  Because no one likes being stranded...  Or Changing tires after midnight.   Because every second counts.

When The Curtain Falls....

 I know I'm a little different when it comes to meeting celebrities. Most people want to see famous people...   That is what makes these people famous to begin with.  I'm not sure why...  
Perhaps they want the "Celebrity Dust" to rub off a little and allow them to find that magical status.   Or just the bragging rights to say that they saw "Celebrity X" live at this location on this date.   I don't really know...

But I DO know that whenever I have met a famous person,  it ended up being a different experience than I had imagined.   And Of Course!   How could it NOT be?    For example:   I met Charlton Heston back in 2000.   It was one of his last public appearances, and he looked VERY different from his days of Ben Hur!  He was old... and shaky,  and.... Normal for a man of 76 years.    If you ever watched the Ten Commandments,  you might think of Charlton Heston as a Great Leader of a Nation... or even GOD!  

But he was not.   He was just a man.   All of that Hollywood makeup and gray hair hid the fact that he was a young man playing an old man.   But in reality,   Age had caught him... and he was Old!   ( And looked it!)  No amount of acting was required at that age.  

And so it went at the concert last night.   Rod Stewart is old.   That is no secret.   And his farewell tour is meant as just that...  a Farewell.    Did I mention he sang 22 songs?    Incredible!   At his age, most people are in a home eating jello!    He is on stage,  dancing!   Singing!    And doing it for 2 hours in the sweltering Wisconsin heat and humidity!   

That!  Is amazing for Any man!   Let alone an aged one.

But human he is... And was,  last night.  He was not the polished person from the MTV videos that I remembered.   And his voice was not as sharp or clear as all of those songs I have playing in my car on my daily commute. ( yes, I play his songs,  mostly the new stuff,   just about everyday.) I never really thought I was a "Rod Stewart Fan",  But looking closely,  I guess I actually am.    

I was looking forward to last night in all honesty.   I wanted to hear him sing his latest songs with the grace and elegance that I have become attached to.   (I personally believe he is the BEST singer for "Time after Time".)   

But he sang HIS songs.   The ones he is known for...   And he had a LOT of them!  (22 songs!)   over the last 40-50 years!  ( That is a long time!)  the last several times I went to a concert  with bands that I knew,   The saved the one or two songs that I knew till the end.   Most of the concert was filled with songs I had never heard of.    

But last night, I knew ALL of the songs! 

But something felt a little "disappointing".   And it is difficult to put my finger on without sounding harsh.   Many of the songs he sang back in the 70's and 80's were young "Sexy" songs.( Do ya think I'm sexy,  Tonight's the Night.)     And watching an old man dance like he was 20 at first was rather entertaining...   But after the third song,  it began feeling a little .."odd."  (Creepy is too harsh of a word....) 

During the late 80's and early 90's,  I think his music had matured into songs about growing up and raising family.( Forever young, Have I told you lately. Young Turks.)   And later,  About memories and looking back on life  (On a Down Town Train.)   

And then his Great American Songbook album.   A masterpiece if you ask me.   Songs from before he was famous, sung by greats like Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.   Songs written by Cole Porter and Jerome Kern, and Gershwin!  And Rod Stewart's voice has aged to perfection for many of these songs.   

But he did not sing any of those songs last night.    Which was rather disappointing for me.   

However,   no one else seemed to mind in the crowd.    They sang along and danced just like they were back in their teens again.  I imagine they saw the event like the first time I watched Styx in concert.   A time Machine to another Era.  And they did not see an old man on stage, but a talisman to their youth.  

I know there are people out there who, when they see a mountain,  feel the need to climb to the top of it to see what is there.   Rather than simply taking in the beauty that the snow caps and towering presents  the mountain brings,  they feel the need to discover its secrets and hidden mysteries.

But far too often in the process of climbing that mountain,  they only find injury, death, or worse:   Nothing!   

No Buddhist monk with all of the answers to happiness or life,   No fountain of youth, or city of gold. Nothing....  Just snow, and cold, and emptiness.   

And for those reasons,  There are times when I choose to keep the magic of beauty a mystery.   I do not need to know the meaning behind the song to appreciate the lyrics or the music.  Sometimes it adds to it,   Other times, it takes away...   But I would rather simply listen to the song and enjoy it what the meaning I give it.  

And the same goes for the Celebrities who sing the songs.   Seeing them in person will most likely not make the music sound any better.   In fact, I think it distracts from the music when you discover that they are just normal people doing a very specialized job.   Singing a song, sounding possibly no better than you when you sing that song in the shower.....  But they are doing it on stage... in front of hundreds or even thousands of people. And making it look easy!  ( Because that is what they do...   Routinely!) 

 Sometimes, looking behind the curtain only takes the magic and wonder away...

So a farewell to Rod Stewart...  Who is Human after all.   And that actually brings a smile to my face.  For rather than focusing on an old man trying to behave as if he were still 20.   By writing this blog post I can appreciate that an 80 year old... was doing things that many 50 year olds can't do! (Hey wait!  I'm 55!)    And Seeing that in person,   makes me still believe that humans can do AMAZING things...   Even when they are old.  Even when they have "out aged" their songs.  Perhaps it is the magic and mystery in the music.... that keeps us young.   And helps him Make every second count. 

A Happy Birthday.

 Yesterday, was my birthday. ( August 8th)  I'm writing this after midnight, so officially,   my birthday ended about an hour ago...   So here is how it went...

I started the day with  enjoying an extra several hours of sleep.   For some reason,  I woke up around 7 am and figured that was way too early...  So I climbed back into bed and grabbed an extra 4 hours of shut eye!   

I then got a text from Helen that she had made me a Pie!   And I could pick it up whenever, as long as it was before she left around 4 pm.  So...  After drinking a pot of  "wake up" coffee,  I headed over there.

She said I should wait 4 hours before cutting into it...  But You only get once shot at "Fresh" pie!   I felt the bottom and it seemed cool enough...  Time to   sample the Birthday Pie!

Blueberries....   Sour cream...  And toasted pecans..  With that signature pie crust that sets Helen apart. I really should not compare this pie to her Apple pie... Because I don't want to start a war within myself...  But let's just say,   I now have a second pie that will be light years ahead of any other pie I had before.   AND...  She still has a French Silk pie that I have not tasted...  So there is a possibility of a third one.  

Bottom line:  That pie will have a short shelf life... So, to Honor Helen's efforts,  I will be forced to eat it all... Probably tonight.   Maybe I'll leave some for tomorrow.   

Oh!  And I did give Dave a piece.   Because eating the whole thing would make me  seem selfish and greedy.... and chubby!  Good thing Dave got that 1/6th of a slice to keep those added calories away from me....

 Shortly after that,   Dave picked me up and we headed to some place in Illinois for a Rod Stewart Concert.   His "Farewell Tour"!    Dave won two tickets on the Radio call in show and offered to bring me along.  

The first band was Cheap Trick!   I remember their songs from the late 70's and all through the 80's.   Although I was not a huge fan,  I did like several of their songs back in the day.  But Age has caught up with them, just like so many other 80's groups.  Still, it was kind of fun seeing them live on stage.  

Then came Rod Stewart.   I was thinking of putting my thoughts down on this blog post, but ti is getting late, and that is a deeper subject I wanted to explore .  So I will see if I can flesh that topic out tomorrow.   In the mean time,  let's just say he sang 22 songs!   And I think most, if not all of them were hits!  From his past.  

He certainly had a lot of songs that I knew.   I personally was hoping he would sing some of the recent stuff that I have become a fan of.  Songs from Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter.  

That being said,  the Man is a legend!   And still does stuff on stage that I believe I would never be able to do.   And it was cool being able to see him on his last farewell tour.  

And now,  I think I will end this post rather abruptly... Because it has been a long day and I'm rather tired.   God Willing, I will wake up once again tomorrow and hopefully will be granted enough time to fill in the details of this birthday day...  Until then.   Let's try to make every second count.