My Surgery to repair my incision hernia is scheduled for January 22. This is the last if all goes well and I can begin healing for the long term. They phoned to say it was January 17th and Tanya said she dreamed it was to be January 22. When they called back to reschedule to the 22nd, Tanya looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. My friend Enoch will be in the following week to get a second hip replaced. If he ends up in my room we will terrorize the nurses though we will not be in any position to chase them.
Tomorrow I had to Saskatoon by bus for the 50th reunion of the Agriculture class of 1969. Not sure how many will make it but it will be good to see old familiar faces. I don't expect to see them again as it is highly unlikely I'll be back in 5 or 10 years when the next reunion will be. We are not getting younger, any of us. Winters in Saskatchewan are not much fun for me.
On Sunday, Kylee-Anne and I will drive up to North Battleford to see Grandma L. It will be four and a half years since I was to see her. She will be glad for the visit though she won't know who we are. She turned 99 last week, not something she wanted but had no choice in the matter. She has been ready to go for many years and it makes me sad to see this once vibrant woman, full of life, dedicating herself to looking after everyone else, to be so lost and helpless.
Sorry about the personal stuff. Not very interesting and certainly not funny but not much happens around here from day to day.
Western novels and movies are my go-to for relaxation. By and large, they all have happy endings where the bad guy gets his and the good guy gets the girl and sometimes even the ranch. Usually the movies are totally unrealistic. There are occasional stories that try to paint a less stereotyped picture. Monte Walsh, The Oxbow Incident and many of Dorothy Johnson's short stories (A Man Named Horse, the Man who shot Liberty Valence, the Hanging Tree). I watched Lonesome Dove finally, thirty years after it was made. The first three episodes were powerful enough but I was not prepared at all for the final episode. No happy endings for anyone. So I bought the books, a series of four novels of which Lonesome Dove is the third.
Damn movie made me all melancholy and philosophical. Are there ever happy endings in this life? In the end, we all die. Whether that is happy or not, I'll let you know when it happens. There are happy beginnings and middles, I guess, for some folks but not for others. Didn't sleep until 6 in the morning, thinking about it all night. My head sounds like this:
Tomorrow I had to Saskatoon by bus for the 50th reunion of the Agriculture class of 1969. Not sure how many will make it but it will be good to see old familiar faces. I don't expect to see them again as it is highly unlikely I'll be back in 5 or 10 years when the next reunion will be. We are not getting younger, any of us. Winters in Saskatchewan are not much fun for me.
On Sunday, Kylee-Anne and I will drive up to North Battleford to see Grandma L. It will be four and a half years since I was to see her. She will be glad for the visit though she won't know who we are. She turned 99 last week, not something she wanted but had no choice in the matter. She has been ready to go for many years and it makes me sad to see this once vibrant woman, full of life, dedicating herself to looking after everyone else, to be so lost and helpless.
Sorry about the personal stuff. Not very interesting and certainly not funny but not much happens around here from day to day.
Western novels and movies are my go-to for relaxation. By and large, they all have happy endings where the bad guy gets his and the good guy gets the girl and sometimes even the ranch. Usually the movies are totally unrealistic. There are occasional stories that try to paint a less stereotyped picture. Monte Walsh, The Oxbow Incident and many of Dorothy Johnson's short stories (A Man Named Horse, the Man who shot Liberty Valence, the Hanging Tree). I watched Lonesome Dove finally, thirty years after it was made. The first three episodes were powerful enough but I was not prepared at all for the final episode. No happy endings for anyone. So I bought the books, a series of four novels of which Lonesome Dove is the third.
Damn movie made me all melancholy and philosophical. Are there ever happy endings in this life? In the end, we all die. Whether that is happy or not, I'll let you know when it happens. There are happy beginnings and middles, I guess, for some folks but not for others. Didn't sleep until 6 in the morning, thinking about it all night. My head sounds like this:
We just saw a recent Western (rented from the cable company) called "The Sisters Brothers." Although set in the US during the California gold rush, the book it's based on was written by a Canadian. Anyway, the movie was quite good in many ways and is worth a viewing!
ReplyDeleteI will check it out. I say the Trailer and it looks good
DeleteI read the book! (Olya)
ReplyDeleteI bought the set as eBooks. Finished Dead Man's Walk and 2/3 Comanche Moon. Not your typical Westerns. Very good. Keeps me awake at night reading
DeleteOne thing you can count on is things change. I am also of that age that the end is in my near future - hoping for one more decade; but out of my hands. One thing for sure, if you dwell on it you will be miserable in the short time. Think about the future is while most older people have trouble sleeping.
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted on your condition
your friend
the Ol'Buzzard
You are right. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. I don't worry too much but am just conscious that the Abyss draws nearer every day. Life is like those moving belts in the airport to save walking. Once you are on, you can't get off and there is a curtain in front of you so you can't see ahead. So I look side to side and it is a fun and interesting ride.
DeleteHello. This is not directly related to this post but I just came across your blog from July 2015, about my dad Dennis Wobeser. What a treat it was to come across this. Albeit a few years late, thank-you for these kind words.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly
DeleteGlad you found that post and approve. Your dad was a wonderful man. I have not had opportunity to meet you but have heard good things about your pasture management skills.
In my darker moments I realize that, like all living organisms, we exist only to eat, shit, reproduce, and die. And I haven't even reproduced.
ReplyDeleteThen I look around, laugh at the absurdity of it all, and get on with making my life as productive and enjoyable as I can. To quote Albert the Alligator from the Pogo comic strip: "Don't take life so serious, son; it ain't nohow permanent". :-)
That is good advice. Miss Pogo's philosophy. Yes, when you try to make sense of humanity, it beggars the mind how driven we are to reproduce (the rest is merely to allow reproduction). Every species of every living organism is driven to reproduce, on and on into eternity. For what purpose? Do you suppose other creatures have invented their own religions to explain it, too?
DeleteI like to think animals are smarter than that. ;-)
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