Wow! Almost Two Years! But, I'm BACK!

Just a short note to say I stumbled back into my blog. I am about to embark on a memorable journey. Pearl and I are heading North to Alaska in our 2009 Dynamax GS360 RV. I will check back later to explain WHY, WHERE and HOW. You know I like to write, so much has happened and I won't catch up today. Over, and OUT.

Rest vs Unrest

Good morning, my friend. It's well before 4am and here I am sitting at the keyboard. Not sure what's going on but getting a restful night's sleep is becoming a rarity. Maybe it's the nature of change. Are you in control or is someone or something else the boss. I want my Lord to be the boss. But it's always a challenge. The good news is the first ten pounds have departed. I was really out of control. I even hit 250 pounds without an NFL player's contract! Now I'm back in the high 230's and am on a mission. 20 pounds at least before the big train ride. Trying to do something about being so "sick and tired of being sick and tired." I'm fortunate I can organize such a wonderful trip. It's going to be a memorable one. Today I visit an attorney to construct the rules and understanding. Right now, twelve guests are confirmed out of twenty. Check out American Railway Explorer and look at the California and the Kansas. These are the private varnish we will call home for three days and two nights while we journey from Los Angeles to Denver. Hopefully, we can execute the plan without a hitch. I'll keep you posted, my friend.

Checkin' In ... I've Been Gone for a Long Time

Hello my friend. I'm back but barely. It's been far too long. I'd like to say I will visit more often but I won't mislead or over commit. But, I'm back. In the interim, I turned 65 years old. Can't believe it, but I'm a fading senior. My health is scaring me. Over weight, fatigue and lack of fitness remain important issues. I really did myself no favors by allowing an additional ten pounds to accumulate. In fact, I touched an all time record two weeks ago. Weighed in at 250 pounds! If I didn't know better I would say I have a death wish. I have too much to do this summer. Especially, my surprise to Pearl. As the weeks proceed, I will tell you more. But, suffice it to say, it's going to be a "happening." Right now, I am struggling with too many homes and not enough time to use them. I still have homes in Glen Ellyn, Saugatuck, Stuart, and a small cabin in Dexter, Kansas. I have to downsize and soon as the expenses continue unabated. Lauren is doing fine both professionally and personally. Patrick is beginning to grow up. He dropped out of Iowa but is now working full time for a media company in Chicago. Not sure, if he understands the gravity of his decision not to graduate. But, as long as he's happy and self-sufficient, I can handle it. Pearl's doing fine. She's the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. We connect, in almost all ways. I worry about blending our families but distance will allow the issue to remain unimportant. Today is National Prayer Day so I am attending an event in downtown Stuart at noon. So I better close. I'll be back, soon.

Another Start

Greetings, glad to return. It's been far too long. Much has happened. Somethings of importance, much less so. I am stuck in a writer's rut, but my mission is to escape. Hopefully, today. I am back in Glen Ellyn, it's a wonderful time of year. Cold, clear, leaves have fallen and winter is near. Playoff football is on-going. The Hitters made it to the semi-finals. Maybe this is the year. They play Lake Zurich in four days. An excellent "revenge" match-up as this year's senior class has only 1 loss on their total 4 years of football. Guess who it is. Yes, Lake Zurich. So we will see if the state championship and revenge is enough motivation. I predict a Glenbard West blow-out, victory by more than 20 points. I'm confident. I hope the team is. Next topic. Health. One word, shaky. Weight is up, cardiac strength is down. Mental side is not good either. But, things always change. Let's hope "Another Start" becomes my zero marker and I accomplish a 100 miler this time. Focus is on diet and exercise. And less wine. Boy, do I like wine. Next thought. Mental stress kills. Therefore, beware of mental stress. Do something to get that mind of yours back on a positive track, quickly before the strain becomes unbearable. What strain, you ask. The strain of watching your country make a hard "left turn" and become a socialist, almost Marxist, nation right before your eyes. I have already changed my habits. Limit thyself to but one hour of Fox and two hours of talk radio. Focus on things you can control. Do things while you still have your health. Don't give in, grow up, face the music, change what you can and thank God for each healthy day. Read, read, and read some more. Return to that instruction manual. You know the one. B-I-B-L-E, it stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The spirit is forever. I hope my belly isn't. Big news, I am thisclose to buying a land yacht. It cost the same as my Lincoln Park apartment, but it should be more fun and less homeowner assessments. My instincts say the price is right, the vehicle is in solid shape, the decision would get me going again. I always wanted to see the USA in something other than a Chevrolet. Decision day is very near. I will keep you posted. Maybe the biggest news that I have not shared with you is I bought a cabin in Dexter, Kansas. Yes, a cabin. Quaint, small, homey, and extremely important. It is on the exact land that my Great-Grandfather Captain James McDermott homesteaded and then donated to found the town of Dexter. Elton John's "Circle of Life" should be playing in the background. I return to the Flint Hills of Kansas and I am at ease. I belong. I am getting more involved. Bob and Margaret Massey have become my adopted parental figures now that Doris and Ellis have passed. Their mission named "Heritage Ranch" is evolving and I plan to be a part of the team. I have already donated "Whitey" the Mercedes wagon and the Ford F250 may be next. I foresee many trips to Dexter. Well, it's early Tuesday morning and time for another walk outside even though it's cold. Have to, it's a matter of life and death to me. Gotta go. Adios, you illegal voting block.

Non Sibi Sed Patriae.

Hello Blog, how are you my friend. Today's post is going to be a mish-mash of thoughts on everything. I am SO HAPPY. The Latin saying "Non sibi sed patriae" is found over the US Navy chapel in Annapolis and has become firmly ingrained in my brain. America's Knight, Captain John Ripley is smiling down on us today. Wisconsin knows. The system is working, but I still worry that it is far too late to make a difference. Trying to remain balanced and open-minded, but conservative values held fast last evening. Taxed Enough Already is where this country is heading, hopefully. Scott Walker was not recalled and "big labor" lost a great deal of money. I have seen families torn apart over politics. It is a preview of what is coming our way. Greece, Spain, Italy, maybe not that failing but definitely times will get worse before they get better. My friend Wesley, bless him, has the right attitude. He continually reminds me, this country made it through the Civil War in tact, we can handle a failed presidency. But can we? Never before have we been is such miserable financial straights. We are broke AND the economy is getting worse by the week. I am so grateful to Doris and Ellis, why am I the beneficiary of their success and hard work. I much manage their legacy better. I must be patient. I must change my last will and testament. Many "musts" but take them one at a time and pray for guidance. Next reason that I am happy today is very personal. I made it back to the weight I was a year ago. My health is fragile, because I know I am losing some cardiac capacity. But I am fighting back, by walking and eating right. I have a long way to go, but the first 5% is shed, solely by walking regularly. With that in mind, my other friend, Prairie Path, is calling my name. Off I go, to Wheaton today. Over and Out, Ricky.

Summer Time

Well, it's June. The month we associate with summer. It's a month of work and travel for me this year. I'm about half way through clearing my house out for my daughter to return. But even that plan is shaky. You see Lauren succeeded in returning to the work force after almost six months of unemployment. I'm proud of her but can she be really immature and thoughtless is some of the things she says. There are times when I feel she just doesn't get the fact that the world is not built around her interests, her plans and her desires. She is thinking twice about living in Glen Ellyn now that she's employed. Short-sighted little girl. Opportunity knocks to get firmly planted financially and she doesn't look for the door. Patrick now is a different story. I will comment on him at a later date. Today is Saturday. A good start to the day include a five mile walk to Lombard and return. It's nice to use the Prairie Path once more. I know so many people out there from my twenty years of running. I can't spend an hour on it without seeing somebody I know by name. Moving to Florida will be tough. I'm going to miss my Prairie Path friends. June is a travel month. Plans include Saugatuck, Michigan; Rosebud, Missouri; Dexter, Kansas; Cedar Rapids, Iows; and Mellen, Wisconsin. I'm chasing my interests, friends, family and my faith. I'll have more details as the trips unfold. For now, it's over and out. Ricky

Back Home Again

Hello, Friend. Nice to return to something that I like. Journaling, it's good for what ails you. Well, I made it back to Glen Ellyn. It's a long trip but this time uneventful and safe, just the way I like it. What a wonderful time of year, cool, green and lush. Saturday's goal, a five mile walk just to observe. Not much changes in Glen Ellyn from year to year. I guess that's why I like it. It's a place where people know one another, the shops are walking distance and the trains are my friends. Just like it was twenty four years ago when I moved here from Lincoln Park. Quiet and consistent, that's Glen Ellyn. My decision to become a Florida resident this year was a tough one, yet it's the right one. I'm going to turn my home over to Lauren and Patrick and see if they are adult enough to handle the opportunity and the responsibility. I trust both of them to do the right thing, make the right choices and launch themselves into the 'real world' successfully. In order to do this, my plate is full. I have to downsize, clean out the years of accumulated stuff and, slow but surely, cut the ties to a town I absolutely love to call "home." I can do it. But it won't be easy.