Hurry Up November.

Well, one convention is winding down and the other will fire up next week. How about the Democratic Convention. Barack Obama! Who saw that one coming? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that John McCain will be chosen by the Republicans next week. At least, Denver and St. Paul will get an economic boost. Other than that, I compare the conventions to Spring Break in college. It's a wild time between regular classes (campaigning) and final exams (the election).

By all indications, the rhetoric may get even nastier than it already is. And if you watch TV, it's going to take planning to see what you want to see and avoid the political ads. I hope that people in other countries are paying close attention to our political process. It would help them understand the last 7.5 years.

I did hear that John McCain has a new plan that will increase our supply of cheaper petroleum. He wants to marry Saudi Arabia.

In a related story, here is McCain's economic stimulus package. If he is elected, watch for yours in the mail.

Rough Riders Win

I don't plan on posting Kent Roosevelt football results all season, but since last night was the first game, I thought that at least Mike and Kris would appreciate a little information about their old high school.

Final Score: Roosevelt 35 -Kenston 0 Interesting facts: (1) Kenston had won 4 of the last 5 meetings (2) The "new" Kent coach is John Nemec, who retired in 1998 after 23 years as head coach and now has returned. (3) Those three girls in the band picture may not have been born when Mike and Kris were in high school. (sorry kids, but it makes me feel old too)

The Younger Generation Shows Promise

To continue Kris' food theme:

What's that fish you're eating? I just finished reading a story about teenagers in New York City who collected fish samples (sushi) from area restaurants and sent them to the University of Guelph for genetic barcode testing. Results indicate that up to 25% of the samples were cheaper (or endangered) varieties that had been labeled as more expensive (or non-threatened) types. They are not sure if the restaurants are to blame, or if they were duped by their suppliers, but something smells ........., well, you know. We need to get these youngsters on the trail of other critical issues like: Why is Seth Rogen a movie star?

Chorus At Stan Hywet Hall

Here is a picture of us in front of the Manor House at Stan Hywet with the Goodyear Band. The guy in the blue shirt is not our goalie. He just happened to be in the band and the chorus and the band played first, so he wore blue.

The Good News

As strange as this may sound, my computer was not turned on at all on Sunday, 8/17. And as far as I can tell, there has not yet been a rift in the space-time continuum. Cross your fingers.

It was great having Kris visit us over the weekend. We shared news from Cincinnati and Kent, sampled food in area restaurants, watched some of the Olympics, and visited with Mike. We also just "hung out".

Kris even got to see and hear my barbershop quartet in action. We had a gig at 10:30 on Sunday for the Penn-Ohio chapter of the Model A Owner's Club. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary at The Ledges shelter in Virginia Kendall Park (part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreational Area). It was a beautiful morning, the audience was great and the cars were fantastic. They had over 60 Model A's there. All colors and body styles. We wore our old time outfits and they fit the mood very well.



After that gig, we went to Mike and Kim's apartment and picked up Mike to go out for lunch. (Kim is in Maryland visiting her twin sister Kelly and Kelly's husband, Chuck). It brought back memories, going out with just the four of us. We don't do that very often. I couldn't imagine Mike and Kris in the 3 ft tall range anymore. Those days are gone.

Sue and Kris went home to Kent after lunch and Mike and I continued on to the next barbershop gig. We joined about 40 other chorus members as well as both of our quartets for an afternoon concert on the front lawn of Stan Hywet Hall in Akron. Stan Hywet was built by the Seiberling family, prominent folks in the Akron rubber industry. We had to get there early because the chorus was using our sound system( from the old Time Travelers classic rock band days) and we needed to get it set up and do the sound check. We shared this gig with the Akron Goodyear Concert Band. Folks brought chairs and sat under the big trees on the "Great Meadow" in front of the manor house to enjoy the music. The Seiberlings put a stone above the main door with a Latin inscription saying " Not For Us Alone". I think they would be pleased to see everyone there enjoying their house and gardens.

It was about 5:30 when I finally got home, after dropping Mike off at his house. I was ready to relax by that time, so I did. That helps to explain why the computer never got switched on.

Today, I am catching up on flower and vegetable watering, picking some tomatoes in preparation for making a new batch of soup and doing some reading. No rest for the wicked though. We have have a quartet gig tonight, near Medina, at Rinky Dink's. It's one of those family fun places( mini-golf, bumper boats, batting cages, etc). We stroll and sing and we get pizza. Sue is going along, as are family members of the other guys in the quartet. On Wednesday afternoon, we are doing another stroll and sing at an ice cream social in downtown Akron. Hobbies can be a lot of work, at times. We are sometimes amazed that there are so many jobs available for our quartet. Our pay scale is very flexible (we sometimes do retirement homes for just a snack, etc.). On the other end of the scale, we have a gig like the one we are doing over the Labor Day weekend. The big outlet mall near Lodi, Ohio has been remodeled and they are having a "re-opening" celebration. We stroll and sing from 3-7 on Sat., Sun., and Monday. They are paying $550 plus $50 gas money for EACH DAY!! I love that old, barbershop style.

We don't split up the money when we get paid. It goes into an interest paying quartet checking account. Our lead singer is a financial planner so he set this all up, gives us statements and takes care of filing tax returns. We have been spending money on clothes for our performances, music, out of town trips, and meals before or after gigs. The plan is to save enough to take guys and wives on a trip somewhere like Las Vegas or maybe on a cruise. That should be fun.

Rhetorical Multiple-Choice Question

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

(a) A Jimmy Buffett cover band
(b) The least identical quadruplets ever
(c) Clear Choice, a barbershop quartet
(d) Four escaped convicts, hiding poorly
(e) A bowling team with no fashion sense

Squirrel Talk

On daughter Kris' blog, a question was raised as to the connection between squirrels and Kent. I made a Puddin' Pop explanation, but I thought that maybe a little more information was in order.

In 1961, three years before I became a student at KSU, 10 rare black squirrels were imported from London, Ontario. This was a joint effort by Larry Woodell, Supt. of Grounds at the university, and M. W. Staples. a retired executive of The Davy Tree Expert Company. The myriad of black squirrels that inhabit Kent and the surrounding area are descended from those 10 squirrels.

In 2005, a resident of London, with a strong interest in squirrels, came to Kent to observe the transplanted creatures. He found that the Kent variety is much more aggressive than their docile, Canadian relatives. Any Kent resident would back up that statement. I have watched gray and black squirrels fight over birdseed and nuts in our backyard and the smart money is always on the black. I attribute this nastiness to (1) lingering hate of being ripped from their northern homeland and (2) who-knows-what the KSU students might give these little guys to eat or drink. Think back to some people that you went to college or high school with. 'Nuf said.

The Black Squirrel Festival started in 1981 at Student Center Plaza to introduce new students to the campus and local community organizations.

So now you know the rest of the story