Mr. Fields has arrived

This place is looking more like home now. Mr. Fields has moved in.

Yes, my old ModBlog avatar of W.C. Fields has finally made the move over here, larger and more irascible than ever before.

I was watching an old Fields movie (they're all old Fields movies--he's been dead since 1946) the other day. It was "Tillie and Gus," the one in which he delivers this bizarre parting line: "There comes a time in the affairs of men, my dear Blubber, when you must take the bull by the tail ... and face the situation."

The lines were funny, but so was the way he delivered, sometimes mumbled under his breath. His character was given to a florid speaking style when he wishes to proclaim something, along with bizarre names and situations. "Never give a sucker an even break"--that was his credo in many films when he played a con man--and the title of one of them.

But he was wonderful in ordinary situations, too. If you ever get a chance to see "The Man on the Flying Trapeze," don't miss it--there's a sequence when he's trying to shave and another when he has to get up during the night and tries to put his socks on. "It's a Gift" is another favorite, such as the "maternity hospital" phone call and his night trying to sleep on a swing on the back porch. I could go on.

Fields always seemed to have a shrewish wife and mother-in-law, a no-good, lazy son and a daughter who seemed to be the only one who understands him and loves him as he is. Just the ordinary trials and tribulations of life, as reflected in a funhouse mirror.

Fields originated as a juggler--some of his juggling routines are in his films--and developed into a comedian. But he could play it straight, too, as he did when he was selected to play Micawber in the 1935 version of "David Copperfield"--and played the part very well. There was a lot of interest in having him play The Wizard in "The Wizard of Oz." Frank Morgan got the part instead. He was very good in the role, but Fields would have been an absolute delight.

He did drink a lot--the topic of many of his jokes. As I started laying the foundation of my site over here, I wondered whether to stay with Fields or switch to Groucho Marx. After much dithering, I finally decided to stay with Fields--I look more like him, for one thing, and all the cartoons of Groucho I could find prominently featured his cigar.

I could have made an argument either way. Groucho was a shy person (believe it or not) and had a sharp wit. I identified with that. But Fields was a guy whom life always seemed to dump upon, for no good reason. And I identified with that, too. Besides, I learned about Fields first (maybe when I was 15 years old), and I've been a devoted fan long before even cable TV and videotapes. I recorded his films on tapes, and now I'm transferring them to DVDs.

So there you are. The avatar is now in place, and it's Mr. Fields. The more things change ...

A one-night stress-buster

I guess I'm a little stressed out. It's just work and everything going on all at once. Too much pressure. I needed a break. I needed a bit of luck.

On Friday, I got one.

A fast-moving snowstorm arrived in the area at about lunchtime. By the time school was dismissed, the two basketball games I had to cover (one in person, on the other side of the county; the other by talking to the coach the next day) had both been postponed.

So instead of driving across the county in heavy snow, covering a basketball game and then driving back home, my challenge was to enjoy a relaxed supper at home, sit down on the couch and watch (A) the Winter Olympics and (B) Pink Panther cartoons with my wife. Then we went upstairs, and she said she was feeling a little cold, so I warmed her up. ;) And she slept very soundly and warmly. As did I.

Work has been ridiculous lately. That special section is done, but there have been too many games (volleyball and basketball) and too many meetings lately. Because of the snowstorm, one of the games has been rescheduled for Monday night. That gives me five--count 'em--five events taking place simultaneously that I have to cover on the night of Feb. 27: two basketball games, a volleyball match and two meetings.

Obviously I'm spreading myself pretty thinly. Maybe I'm just too damn conscientious for the money I'm making. And, really, the big thing on my mind right now is getting my mom's Medicaid application completed and shipped out. As I told S in an e-mail a day or too back, it's like a kidney stone that I have to pass. And once it passes, I'll feel a lot better about life. I have to run down to the funeral home to get some papers early next week, and then I think we'll be all set.

I'll be feeling better soon for another reason. The sports seasons are nearly over. The regular season lasts one more week, the girls volleyball districts are next weekend and the boys basketball districts are the week after. True, one team in each sport may go far in the playoffs. But then, again, they may not. That's sports. You never know.

I've got (personal) stuff I want to work on at home (such as preparing for my fantasy baseball draft), I've got to do my taxes, and I like to be with my wife. She enjoys having me around, too. We've got a backlog of good movies to watch.

So I'm looking forward to March, for a number of reasons. And today is Feb. 25. March can't be too far away ... can it?

(I'll try to post some new snowy pictures today. Eight brand-new fluffy inches, and with the sun out this morning, it was quite pretty. Plus, I moved my car out before the plow guy came around.)

Wintertime friends

First of all, winter has returned to my neighborhood. These two pictures tell the story.




OK, we're officially in winter. Which raises a sore point.

The official state bird of Michigan (and nearby Wisconsin, for that matter) is the robin. Ah, the red, red robin who comes bob, bob, bobbin' along. Years back, Many states selected the robin as their state bird at the behest of organized schoolchildren (and their teachers, of course). Government in action. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, etc.

Well, they are pretty, and a harbinger of spring when you see them on your lawn, looking around for worms. And they're a welcome sight because ... they aren't around in winter.

Oh, no, not these guys. When it gets cold, the robin family is out of here. They're flying away to the south, where it's nice and warm in winter. Just like many of our residents. When the weather starts getting cold in fall and the first snowflakes fly, they're gone, too, off to warmer climes. "Brrr! I'm cold!" "OK, then, let's hit the road!" Of course, they're the ones who have the money to travel and stay where it's comfortable.

The rest of us ... here we are, in the cold, shoveling the snow and shivering and trying not to slip on the ice ... either while on foot or while driving. It's really not a lot of fun to drive in winter, you know. You do it because you have to. Like running to the store when it's cold but you need some stuff. Or making the famed pre-snowstorm shopping trip. When you're outside, it's just cold, and you don't want to waste time--you want to get to your destination as soon as you can.

But when you are out there, at least you're not along. There is a friendly voice out there with you, trying to endure till spring, just as you are.

"Chickchickachicka Dee-Dee-Dee! Chickachickachicka Dee-Dee-Dee!" The Chickachickas are high-pitched. The Dee-Dee-Dees are much lower. Here are some of the guys. They sang to me as I walked home from the office today.




They're our little winter friends, the black-capped chickadees, hanging on to branches and peeling paint at ridiculous angles--even upside down. They are small but stocky, like a lot of us are in winter, to better make our ways along in spite of the cold winds of winter.

The birds are related to the titmice and all the various species of birds known as tits. (I wouldn't kid you about tits.) When you go outside on a miserable gray winter day and you wonder if you are the only living creature outside, you hear "Chickachickachicka Dee-dee-dee," and you know that you're not the only one trying his best to make it through to winter and warmer times.

So I think the Legislature ought to get on the ball and name the black-capped chickadee as the official state bird of Michigan. (I see that Massachusetts, Maine and New Brunswick have already done that, and I bet their reasoning is much like mine: to honor a little bird that is tough and won't fly away when times get rough. Someone who will stick it out with us in winter.



I really appreciate that. Here's to you, guys!

No time to watch

I like watching the Olympics. But I've got a big problem with it. Why did they have to stage the Winter Olympics in the middle of winter?

Kinni asked how I am enjoying the Olympics--especially the hockey. I'm enjoying it--when I get a chance to see it. But because I'm working all day and then usually out at night to cover something or another, I really don't get to see that much.

Like this morning. It's Saturday morning, and Canada was just starting its men's game against Switzerland, which had earlier upset the Czechs. Intersteing--but I had to scramble off to the office for an interview.

On another channel, the U.S. men were in a curling match against Germany. They had a good lead--and I hope they were able to keep it, because I couldn't stick around to make sure. In the office, of course, there's no TV. Outside of the internet, you are cut off from the world.

On the cable system where I live, we are extremely lucky to get CBC, which has extensive (and excellent) Olympics coverage. Sure, they focus on the Canadian athletes, but they to a great job of presenting the whole story, and they pay a lot of attention to the Americans.

On this side of the border, NBC has split up its coverage over four networks--and we only get two of them, NBC itself and the USA network. (Of course, NBC wants cable systems to carry all four networks all the time--even when the Olympics isn't taking place.)

USA has been doing a lot of curling and hockey, but they sure let me down yesterday. The U.S. women were playing Russia in curling, and the match was just over the halfway mark yesterday morning when I had to go to work. I started a tape so I could watch the rest of it later. It just so happens that the U.S. scored three in the final end to tie the match and force an extra end to decide the winner.

And THAT's when USA switched over to cover the opening faceoff of the U.S.-Sweden women's hockey semifinal. During the last 15 minutes of the tape, it was all hockey, with no cutaways to the curling match they had covered for the previous several hours ... and which they left on the knife's edge at the very end.

Meanwhile, I got back home for lunch--and the end of that U.S.-Sweden women's hockey semifinal, which had gone into overtime. The Swedes' goalie, who went to school in Duluth, Minn., "stoned" the U.S., which also missed some golden opportunities, and they're going home while Sweden plays Canada for the gold medal.

The U.S. men's hockey team has had a so-so start, but (despite the media excitement) they weren't expected to reach the finals--maybe the semis if they play really well. Canada--well, that's different. Their nation is almost expecting a gold medal from them. That's a lot of pressure.

All the drama will be played out over the next week or so with me getting to see only bits and pieces of it. This week, I had after-supper assignments on four days--it would have been five, if a snowstorm had not canceled everything Thursday night. On two of the other nights, I was far out of town.

Next week, for the last week of the Winter Olympics, I've got basketball on Monday and Friday nights and volleyball on Tuesday and Thursday nights. On Wednesday, I think I get to stay home. But I've also got to take some time off to visit my mom, too.

That's what my life has been like since September. Rush, rush, rush. I missed so much of the baseball playoffs last fall, which I also love, and much of the NFL playoffs.

But the basketball and volleyball will all be over by the time the Stanley Cup playoffs start in April. I understand CBC carries a few Stanley Cup games. ;)

My naughty Valentine

I hope this isn't too racy or scandalous for Efx2. People just don't like to talk about this stuff. Too shy? Too prudish? Too "religious"? I don't know.

But it's the stuff of life. Where would you be without it? Hmmm?

Anyway ... here is the card I gave to my wife on Valentine's Day ...



And here is what it said on the inside ...

Instant Valentine

I really wasn't in the mood for Valentine's Day this year. But Valentine's Day happens. And it turned out pretty good.

For the last few days--maybe a week--I had been worrying about Feb. 14 and what would happen. You know that life hasn't been so cheery for me lately. That's life. So what should I do? Get some flowers? Take her to dinner? A movie? Chocolate?

What do I do--when I have to be off to a boys basketball game right after supper tonight? I was mulling this, and late this morning I opted to visit an area drug store to get a couple Val Day cards.

I discovered a couple cards that made me smile and that I thought would have the same effect on her. Then, at the checkout, I saw they had bunches of flowers at the end of the counter. Nothing special--small roses, carnations, daisy-looking things and various other flowery varieties. The clerk was scanning in the cards when I reached over, grabbed one and added it to the purchase.

Since today is Tuesday, my wife was with her quilting friends at the church. They usually have lunch at about 12:30. So a few minutes before then, I walked in and--with the other women watching and giggling--walked with animated stealthiness (lifted my knees up high at a slow pace) over to where she was cutting fabric. And I brought out the little bouquet I just bought. Everyone said, "Awwww!!!" Someone took a picture of us with the flowers. Someone said she ought to hug me. I replied, "I'm hoping for better than that!" They laughed.

Wife and I went to a local fast food place, where we both had roast beef sandwiches for lunch. I brought out the cards I bought. They both made her laugh. One of them is so clever, I'll be showing it to you later. She said the other quilters (older than her; many widows) would get a big laugh out of them, too.

We were gone for about 45 minutes. Made a quick trip home to get the flowers in a vase, then I drove her back to the quilters. She was smiling a lot and gave me a kiss when I dropped her and her funny cards off.

There! That wasn't so bad, now was it?

What WAS that idea?

My life has been real, real busy lately. OK, I wrote that in the last entry.

Regardless, I have come up with ideas for interesting/intriguing topics to write about. Except my mind is so jumbled up with everything going on that I forget about them later. I mentioned an idea in a reply to another blog a few days later. Now I can't remember what I wrote or what it was about.

Some of you have been asking about my mom. She's still in the nursing home, and we visit at least once a week. Weak but holding her own. Lately, she has been worried about the bills from the nursing home. Her 100 days of residential care from Medicare ended in late January, and now we're on the hook for $1,001 per week. That drains life savings away pretty rapidly.

I am preparing her application for Wisconsin Medicaid. That means the state would take over after her liquid assets reach the $2,000 level. Of course, that money was intended for me and my family, as her sole heir, so you can imagine how I feel about that. Not that there was a lot to begin with, but there will be much less now.

Yeah, I'm a little bitter about it. My wife and I have never had much money, and that won't change when what's left of her estate passes to me. By the way, she signed her house over to me 10 years ago, just after my dad died, but from what I've heard, Wisconsin may have designs on it anyway, once my Medicaid application comes arrives.

Anyway, she seemed relieved when I visited Friday and explained that she won't have to sell the house to raise money for her nursing home bill. That's what she had been worried about.

Someday soon I'll go into a major rant about the spending priorities of our country's government--the president's new budget and what it says about us as a nation. But not tonight.

By the way, my friend S (whom I haven't written about for a while), has been back in Wisconsin for the last few weeks on a short-term visit. We still write regularly--several times a week. But with the way my work is now, I couldn't get a day off to have lunch or dinner together ... much less anything else.

I'm in for another busy one this week. The special section is nearly done, but I'll have assignments nearly every night. And so it goes ...

Coming up for air

Oh, hi. How is everybody? I've been fine. Well, OK.

I know I haven't been around much. No, I haven't defected back to ModBlog. It's just been a rough week. At least I survived till the weekend, so now I have a little time to come up for air. For a day or so.

It's all because of work. I'm at the busiest point of my winter sports schedule. Not only that, but we're also working on a special business edition, and I'm doing those features in addition to my regular assignments. Plus, I'm still looking after my mom--right now, I'm getting the paperwork lined up for applying for Medicaid for her. And my wife needs attention, too--she's usually home all day, so she needs attention when I get home. That's nice, but it takes time, too. Maybe I have to get her some chocolate!

(In fact, I got her a few little chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day yesterday. We shared one of them last night. I didn't have a home game last night, so we went down to (of course) see my mom, collect the mail and take care of some things for her.)

I think the main problem is that I'm mentally tired from the special project. Ironically, I've had the last few nights home, but I have other things I need to do at home, too. There's just not enough blinkin' time! That's what it amounts to.

I had been looking foward to the Winter Olympics for a long time, and now that it's here, I hope I can see some of it--with my night schedule next week, I don't know. Where I live, we get the NBC Olympics coverage, plus more on the USA Network. Plus, we also have CBC, which seems to carry more Olympics than the two U.S. networks combined.

The thing is, it's in Italy, which is seven hours ahead of us. That's the way it was during the World Cup in 2002 and how it will be at the World Cup this summer (in Germany). Some of the most interesting games take place in the middle of the night. Tomorrow morning, for instance, the men's downhill takes place--early in the a.m., when I'm usually sleeping. Some of the hockey and curling matches are in the wee-wee hours, too. And it just so happens that I like hockey and curling.

So what should I do? Sleep deprivation? VCR tapes? Maybe for the most intriguing games. But there just aren't enough hours in February, the way things are. (It's the shortest month, you know.) At least during the World Cup, my work responsibilities will be a lot easier.

I'll tell you, at this time of year I could really use a lot of less frantic. Especially after last week. You just spread yourself so thin, way too thin for my liking.

The winter sports season has one more month of frantic life to it. One of our boys basketball teams is unbeaten three-quarters of the way through the season, and they may wind up in East Lansing (520 miles away) in mid-March. The girls volleyball team has lost one match, and they could go far, too. As far as Kalamazoo (550 miles away)? Time will tell.

Yes, I like the job I have. It's usually fun, if demanding. But it can really take a lot out of me. Maybe you noticed.

How to get along with your wife

I found this at another site, and I decided that, for the good of my gender, I would pass it along, in slightly altered style. (In case you're wondering whether I came up with stuff all by myself. No. Wish I had.)

I'm a man, you know, and my wife and I have been together for--would you believe it'll be 35 years this summer? Obviously, we get along pretty well.

You may wonder why. Well ... I treat her as an equal and as my best friend--because she (thinks she) is. I'm understanding and compassionate (sometimes). I'm interested in the (dumb) stuff she likes. I let her hold the TV remote once in a while. I'll even sit through "E.R." and figure skating (though I'll probably be playing on my laptop next to her). Live and let live. Nobody's perfect. I'm sure not.

So how can you maintain domestic tranquility at your home? Guys, it just comes down to knowing what to say and how to say it.

For instance, let's say you've just gotten home, and you're really hungry. What do you say?

--Asking for trouble: "What's for supper?"
--Safer: "Can I help you with dinner?"
--Much safer: "Where would you like to go for dinner?"
--Ultra safe: "Here, have some chocolate."

Or else you're going out together, and she's wearing something you didn't expect her to wear. How do you handle this question of style?

--Asking for trouble: "Are you wearing THAT?"
--Safer: "Wow, you sure look good in brown!"
--Much safer: "Wow!! Look at you!!"
--Ultra safe: "Here, have some chocolate."

Or else she's in a bad mood--something's bothering her. What's your way to broach the subject?

--Asking for trouble: "What's got you so worked up?"
--Somewhat safer: "Could we be over-reacting?"
--Much safer: "Here's my paycheck!"
--Ultra safe: "Here, have some chocolate."

Suppose she's eating something that isn't really the best for her. What do you say?

--Asking for trouble: "Should you be eating that?"
--Somewhat safer: "You know, there are a lot of apples left."
--Much safer: "Can I get you a glass of wine with that?"
--Ultra safe: "Here, have some chocolate."

Or say you come home from work, and the house looks the way it did when you left for work. She has been home all day. Hmmm...

--Asking for trouble: "What did you DO all day?"
--Somewhat safer: "I hope you didn't overdo it today."
--Much safer: "I've always loved you in that robe."
--Ultra safe: "Here, have some more chocolate."

A soft voice, a kind disposition, understanding of what makes each other tick and a little tenderness are the keys to happiness in any home. Guys, now you hold the keys.

The important sports news

As I start writing, the Super Bowl is scheduled to start in an hour or so. Yeah, I'll be watching it. Last real game of the year, so ...

Since I write sports (among other things) on a very local level, you may wonder whether I feel some regret that I'm not in Detroit, at Ford Field, among the hordes of media types covering the big game.

Well, in fact, I was in Detroit, at Ford Field, a few months ago, covering the high school football state finals. I was there only because one of the teams I cover made it all the way to the finals. It was an OK experience, I guess. But, to answer the question directly, no, I'm not jealous or regretful that I'm not there, at "the biggest sporting event of the year."

It is the biggest, if you're myopic enough to regard the NFL's championship game as the central pivot of the universe. As for me, well, the Winter Olympics start in Italy in less than a week, and the World Cup takes place in Germany this summer. Those aren't exactly tiny, unimportant events, you know.

I suppose, yeah, it might be fun to go there and see what it's like. Once. But I'm a person who really doesn't care for the mass of humanity at such events, watching the same game as everybody else and trying to come up with coverage that is totally unique. I think much of sports writing--and broadcasting--is just a the Department of Redundancy Department. You have your celebrity "journalists" from the big papers, the major networks and, of course, ESPN. All with their own spin on the same game and--naturally--trying to fan the fires of controversy and second-guessing.

Hey, it's just a game. Fun for the wealthy, who can afford the highly inflated tickets, and for the well-connected, who don't have to worry about costs. An item to check off their "life list." I have as much of a place there as I do at a Republican fund-raiser.

The game itself will be fun, as long as it stays competitive. Often, in the Super Bowl, it isn't. Personally, I feel more excitement and intensity in the Stanley Cup playoffs or the World Series. The World Cup, when it takes place this summer, is going to be so complex, with so many subplots and side stories. I have no idea how it's going to come out. (Plus, it takes place in a country that is seven hours ahead of me, so I have to be real creative in being able to watch the games.)

The games are the fun part. When you shake all the hoopla out of it, all the millions of dollars of media hype, all the media types, has-beens and wanna-bes, it comes down to the game and the satisfaction it delivers.

I'm very satisfied to watch it at home on TV. I have absolutely no desire to be there in person. At home, it's warm. My wife will make us a pizza, and we'll have some snackies. We'll examine the ballyhooed commercials and laugh or groan at them. Maybe she'll snuggle up and doze off--she was going to do that this afternoon but never quite did.

After the game, I have to finish an important article: about how our local girls high school volleyball team suffered its first regular season loss in years. Balance the disappointment with the lessons learned about being ready and respecting every opponent. Realizing that it is all just a game, after all, and in the end who wins and loses doesn't matter.

I also have to finish an article about a weight-lifting competition at my other high school. The football team there has been on the fringes of success for years but hasn't quite gotten there, and part of the reason is that the kids aren't lifting weights enough during the summer to get their bodies strong enough for the demands of the season. But now a weight program is in place, and the kids are working on it hard and enjoying it. They had a little tournament last Friday afternoon. I was there, camera in hand. So you can forgive the excitement in the coach's voice as he looks ahead to next fall. This is a major story here.

Outside of our county of about 13,000 people, nobody will care. Doesn't matter. These stories are important here. It's what I am writing about this week. The Super Bowl won't merit even the tiniest mention in my pages. I've got more important stuff to write about.

*****

I'm watching the pre-game show now. Geez, look at the herds of media there with their huge cameras! When I cover a high school football game, I'm usually the only media person there, with my little pop-gun of a camera. No, that doesn't matter, either.

The party

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock, people. Time's slipping away.

No, this isn't about one of my favorite Stevie Ray Vaughan songs. It's about me and us and our region and the weather and our extremely mild winter weather.

Enjoy it now, bucko, because they are pulling the plug. Today, it was cloudy, but temperatures were warm enough to cause some melting icicles this noon. Tonight, snow is in the forecast--it's already snowing down in Wisconsin. Tomorrow, it's not going to be anywhere near as warm. No melting for quite a while, I'm afraid.

And it's not going to get any better. Winter, which has been AWOL from this area for all of January (and not really missed), finally got its GPS out or else called AAA or else finally caught the right bus. Whatever the story, it's on the way now. Next week is supposed to be "colder" (as in, close to normal). The week after that is supposed to be "still colder" (does "still colder"="frozen solid"?). They're talking about highs in the 10sF (about -10C) with lows about -5F (about -20C).

It was fun while it lasted, but the party is over. Time for bundling up again. Time to see our natural gas bills soar. Time for my wife to dig out the mid-winter recipes--chili is a favorite.

The weather had been changing already, as the snow had found us. We had no snow for a while, but in the last week and a half we have had a few snows--the 8-incher last weekend and several 2- and 3-inchers here and there lately, not including whatever we get overnight.

Ah, our generous friends from Canada, who so magnaminiously send down icy air mass after icy air mass to the States! In fact, the Canadian prairies--the main highway for our frigid air masses from the North Pole--have been enjoying nice winter weather too, as the really cold air has stayed up in the Arctic. But they are now getting a chill job, and that means it's in our future. I see that the temperatute in Winnipeg is down to +1F now, and it hasn't been that cold there for a long time.

Winnipeg has it now, so I guess it's on the way for us, too. Time to check the stockpile of kidney beans and crackers. It's going to be chilly chili season again really soon.