It's Stupor Bowl Weekend...

...when the Lions, led by Hall Of Fame quarterback Dutch Clark:

a little athletic tape on that broken nose should do the trick

...will take on the Bears and their bruising All-Universe fullback, Bronko Nagurski:

footballs were bigger back then; look at the size of his hands

Game starts when the meatwagons arrive, and I'll bet you a sawbuck it's going to be aces for the Lions.  1935 is their year.

So give your calico a honey cooler, then sit back and have a swell time.

Just remember, if you're driving your flivver home, don't get spifflicated or you might get pinched by a bull.

Back in the real world I'm pretty sure it's the whoever's vs the who cares...

...which this year equates to the Seahawks vs the Patriots.

The game will be on since Karen likes to see the commercials, and I'll glance at it now and then, but don't have a dog in this hunt, so don't care who wins.

I'm just glad Liberal Bubble Girl ("F* the patriarchy!", "vote for Kamala!") and the future Mr. Liberal Bubble Girl...

After he lost the big game and she was booed for the 1st time in her career, T&T ditched the spotlight and settled into a sedate middle class existence somewhere in suburbia.

...aren't involved in any way this year.

Go Lions!

As promised, I read Distant Replay...

...Jerry Kramer's third book in a trilogy that covers his epic journey from obscurity in a little Idaho town to the top of he NFL world - oddly enough, in a little Wisconsin town - and ending with a reunion of his fellow champions two decades later.

In some ways this is the best of the three.

It details how these very different, highly competitive individuals, with a shared past rooted in the Lombardi legend, embraced the victories and endured the losses of life after football.

And there were far more victories, at least on a business level, than losses.

The reason given for their successes by almost all of them is the same:

Vince Lombardi.

His impact on them re: pursuing and achieving excellence - no shortcuts, no cheating - in every aspect of life was both undeniable and far reaching.

But Kramer's recounting of this reunion isn't all happy talk.

The parts about Hall Of Fame running back Jim Taylor are tough to read, and the sad fate of Lionel Aldridge reminds us life is hard and we all struggle.

Even if football and sports are not your thing, these three books - Instant Replay, Farewell To Football, Distant Replay - are worth your time.

Together they provide a window into a world very few of us will ever experience, while expounding a set of principles all of us would do well to emulate.

Don't say I never did nuthin' for ya.

Enough football already!  Let's 23 Skidoo:

as if we needed it, a fresh snowfall reminds us it's still winter

this is by far the cutest little deer we have hanging around...

...joined here by his friends and relatives

a look at what they do while we're sleeping

a good Harry Edison jazz album recommended to me by #1 grandson

Loki - aka Mr. Imperious - in a feisty mood.  in the middle of the night when he wants to go outside he jumps on the bed and perches on my chest, waiting for me to obey.

I could tell when reading Distant Replay that Jerry Kramer was searching for something all his success in athletics, writing and business were unable to give him.

He said, "My dream is to strike a harmonious balance among work, family and my own personal quest.

"I don't know if it's spiritual or emotional or what, but I do know that I'm searching for some kind of answers that will bring me a certain measure of peace." 

It's the "same old story in our fight for love and glory" - we have a hole in our souls that nothing can fill except God Himself.

That's by design.

Jesus said,

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."

    - John 14:6

I don't know if Jerry Kramer ever came to Christ - I hope so.

He's 90 years old now, so time is running out.

The good news is God's not hiding from us, but we are specifically commanded to seek Him.

"6  Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.

"7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

    - Isaiah 55:6,7

God is present and available; we must be ready and willing.

later, mcm fans...

The Faux Outrage And Political Theater...

...the AWFLs* and paid protesters and apparatchiks and useful idiots <using Signal Chats> to harass federal officers in the performance of their duties...I'm over it.

I'm done with morons in sub zero weather attacking federal agents who are trying to arrest and deport illegal aliens charged with murder, rape, sexual assault, child molestation and a host of other heinous crimes.

Yes, it's too bad when halfwits get themselves shot and killed, but what did they expect?

When you drive your SUV into armed federal officers, you get shot.

When you carry a loaded weapon and interfere with federal officers making an arrest, you get shot.

This is called Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes.

If brainless twits want to die defending rapists and murderers who are in this country illegally, if that's their idea of nobility and heroism, that's ok with me.

Just remember, it was the dems who created this disaster, letting millions of unvetted aliens cross our borders illegally during the Biden years.

They don't get to complain now when others have to clean up their dog's dinner.

Yes, it's messy at times, and no, the process isn't perfect.

Dems should have thought of that before creating this invasion of illegal aliens who have killed, raped, robbed and defrauded American citizens.

None of this would be necessary now if they had simply enforced the law then.

Y'know, like Obama did back in 2015 when he <awarded Tom Homan the "Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service"> for deporting a million illegal aliens.

Yes, that's the same Tom Homan who is now called a nazi and regularly receives death threats from the lunatic left.

But the fake news bunch suffer from selective amnesia and that which was laudable then is despicable now, based solely on their incurable case of TDS.**

After four years of the disastrous Biden dumpster fire, Trump was elected to reinstate Law and Order and to deport criminal illegal aliens.

That's what the overwhelming majority of Americans voted for, and that's going to keep happening until the job is done.

*AWFL - Affluent White Female Liberals

**TDS - Trump Derangement Syndrome

Finally finished Jerry Kramer's book...

...Farewell To Football.

It took a bit to get past the recounting of 1968, his last depressing season in the NFL.

After being on top for so long, it was a tough way to go out, and it’s tough slogging through his retelling of it.

But then he switches to his life's story, from childhood through college and his career with the Green Bay Packers.

The mood lightens considerably and it becomes an easy and worthwhile read.

And I daresay it's well written and interesting even to non-football types.

That is to say, it's not a sports book, but rather a "life's lessons" book.

For younger readers it will probably be shocking in parts - children were actually disciplined in his day, and he disciplined his children.

(That's not to be confused with sitting Muffy and Biff’s dainty little behinds in a "time out" chair and hiring therapists to help them self-actualize.)

From his experiences - some of them harrowing - you come to understand how it was possible for a hick from Idaho to ascend to the pinnacle of his chosen profession.

It may not change your life, but then again it might.

He's honest about his struggles and open about his motives, inspirations and methods that helped him become a success.

(Hint: it involves a 4 letter word - "work".)

The last chapter is a bit of a muddle, but you can tell he's struggling with the all important question:

What next?

He's headed full throttle into business, or he might retire to Sandpoint, Idaho and enjoy an idyllic life of fishing, hunting, golfing, skiing, relaxing.

Then again he might give politics a whirl, but if Vince Lombardi - who left Green Bay for the Washington Redskins - asked him, he might just un-retire and play another year.

In the end, however, he seems to make up his mind because he states definitively:

"I'm retired.  I'm through.  I'm going to wear suits and ties, not shoulder pads and cleats...

"Goodbye Football!"

Worth the read; and now on to "Distant Replay" to find out what he - and his championship teammates - actually did after football.

I've mentioned this before - that instead of floundering around in hickory golf as I did starting in 2017 -

my original 1920's hickory playset

- I wish I had first read Harry Vardon's excellent book, "The Gist Of Golf" - 

- and then delved into pre-1900 golf.

my current pre-1900 playset

There still would have been a year or so of experimentation, trial and error and figuring out how it all works.

No matter what you're doing you've got to take the theory out of the classroom - or in my case, off the pages of a book - into the real world and get your hands dirty.

I've gotta believe - under the tutelage of Mr. V -

- there would be many more enjoyable rounds and far fewer lost balls in my past had I started that way.

But that's filed under the "water under the bridge" section; I'm where I'm at now, and we roll on.

Can't wait for <Spring>.

Gentlemen, hold onto your hats...

...it's time to 23 Skidoo:

Happy (I'll never tell) Birthday to my beautiful wife!

know what those are?

deer tracks...

lots of 'em

In light of all the chaos being ginned up by the party of slavery, segregation, killing babies in utero and insurrection, I thought it would be instructive to revisit a quote from WWII General-turned-President, Dwight D. Eisenhower:

"Without God, there could be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first -- the most basic -- expression of Americanism. Thus the Founding Fathers saw it, and thus, with God's help, it will continue to be."

    - Remarks Recorded for the "Back-to-God" Program of the American Legion, 2/20/55

later, mcm fans...

Old Man Winter Has Dropped The Gloves...

...and decided to get serious:  

Yep, the red needle is south of the zero this morning, registering 10 below.

Believe it or not it could be worse.

We're nestled by that great big thermal insulator known as Lake Michigan...

...which definitely helps moderate things.

Twenty five miles east of here they're more like 20 below with wind chills even lower.

That's starting to get dangerous.

In those temps without proper clothing, hypothermia can happen within 10 to 15 minutes, and death follows in a couple of hours.

And in the "Can You Say Ironic?" department, there's this bit of news:

The Grand Rapids World Of Winter festival has been canceled due to, well, winter:

Can't make this stuff up.

Now if you live in Maine like I used to, or here in Michigan but in the Upper Peninsula...well, this may not be shirt sleeve weather, but it's just another day in the salt mines.

10 below zero is nothing unusual; you expect it, dress accordingly and go about your business.

But down here?

All area schools are shuttered and we're busy burning the furniture to keep warm.

Really shouldn't have to say this, but...

Kids!  Do NOT try this at home!

If we ask politely, can it please be <spring now>?

When I was a kid in the 60's, a constant in both print...

...and on TV was cigarette commercials.

Naturally, all of them made smoking look fun, sexy and cool.

The slight drawback that cigarettes are highly addictive and will eventually kill you was, of course, never mentioned.

By the early 70's and continuing into the late 90's a series of laws were passed that effectively banned all cigarette adverting across all media in public spaces.

The result over time has been to greatly reduce the percentage of people who regularly smoke cigarettes...

In the early 50's almost half the population smoked; now we're down to 11%.

As a general rule I'm not in favor of government sticking their nose in the people's business; smaller government is always a good thing.

However, you can't argue with these results, even though people will always find new and exciting ways to ruin their lives via addictions:

But if we are going to restrict advertising for harmful and addictive activities, can we please give the gambling industry the cigarette treatment?

I am sick to death of the constant, never ending onslaught of gambling ads any time I turn on the TV.

Celebrities and washed up pro athletes are used as shills for these slick and blatantly dishonest ads.

Everything is exciting, glamourous, luxurious with the tantalizing lie of getting rich dangled in front of you.

One particularly annoying but ominously accurate one involves a bunch of mindless idiots on a massive tandem bicycle riding headlong into a burning vortex:

The cult like soundtrack in the background endlessly repeats "calling all thrillionaires..." as the zombies disappear into oblivion.

Lessee...thrillionaire rhymes with...oh yeah, that thing you're NEVER going to be by pissing away your money in a casino.

These are not just sheep; they're sheep actually lining up to pay for being sheared.

So, government overreach aficionados:

I may not agree in principle with your motivation...

...but in this case I am in favor of the objective.

Climb onto your high horse and BAN GAMBLING ADS.

Mentioned recently that I re-read Jerry Kramer's "Instant Replay", the hugely successful diary he kept during the 1967 championship season of the Green Bay Packers.

He ended up playing one more year in the NFL, then retired.

Shortly thereafter he published his second book...

...Farewell To Football.

Not finished yet; it's slow going for me, but not because it's a bad or uninteresting book.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Kramer is an insightful writer (with Dick Schaap's help, of course) and he led a fascinating if difficult life up to that point.

It's just melancholy.

After overcoming great medical trauma and reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he and his teammates suffered a precipitous fall and reversal of football fortunes which color the narrative.

So I'm biting it off in small chunks, a few pages at a time here and there, but I will finish it.

And then I will definitely read his final book in the trilogy...

...Distant Replay, published in 1985.

This is a reunion of sorts where he catches up with his old teammates, sharing the victories and losses of life since "the glory days".

More to come.

In deference to Ol' Man Winter who's currently imposing his iron will on us, his unwilling subjects, today's 23 Skidoo will contain only winter scenes:

our telescoping flag pole has been lowered due to recurring high winds

this morning around 9 am

a painting in a local dr's office...I like the farmhouse; the barn, not so much

note the lonely leaf...his many fellows are still buried beneath the snow that began falling before we finished raking leaves in November

oops...how did this get here?

At the risk of being redundant, I'm looking forward to when this is our current reality:

11  For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

12  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come...

    - Song of Solomon 2:11,12

later, mcm fans...