From Harbal, December 11, 2024. That’s Norwegian for “Merry Christmas”. For me and Kathy, this season stirs our (25% Norwegian) Scandinavian souls. The year past tickled all of our national origins, so here I share with you some of the highlights.
My sweetie loves Christmas. She got down to it after Thanksgiving, finding another tree farm for our 9’ concolor fir, putting it up and decorating, then put the rest of Christmas that we keep in our storage room all over the house. Outside, she liked the Star Shooter that projected all those colored lights (1) and changed the lights on Cecil – her topiary sea serpent – to red and green.
She even whipped up the season’s first batch of glühwein (2), only to have us both consume it all the same day. More is coming. She’d occasionally pause in the Holiday flurry and ask me how that Christmas letter was coming. With The Day just 2 weeks off, I figured I’d better get down to it.
Just like in 2023, Michigan football dominated the start of our New Year. We were finally back in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 20 years. All that was missing from that otherwise perfect afternoon was the voice of Keith Jackson to tell us about it. My best friend Eric, Huck (his old dachshund) and Kathy (his new squeeze) joined us in front of our big screen. In the early going, when Alabama seemed to be on the way to domination, Eric assured us that they’d screw up soon. They did, and we beat them. Related or not, their iconic coach Saban retired after the game. The 3-touchdown win over the Washington Huskies for the championship seemed like an afterthought. Kathy and I watched that one from our living room in Madeira Beach, in a house that since then was buried by Milton. Of course, there were other distractions to be had from that front porch.
We made that trip a road trip, stopping to see friends and family in Nashville, Loudon TN, Clinton SC, Athens GA, Crawfordville FL (panhandle), and Ocala FL (horse country) (3). I think we’ve been floating on that Natty all year. M-Den had the NC gear, and even though we had to wait till the end of the month for it, it was worth it. Trust we’ve gotten a lot of wear out of each and every item.
The farthest we got out of the house in February was to Dee-troit, where on the first Sunday of the month we saw the hapless Pistons take on the Magic, with its two ex-Wolverines, the Wagner brothers, Mo and Franz. Not these guys, but two much
taller and skinnier German kids. They may have not pumped us up, but they sure did pump ‘em in, especially Franz. The Pistons never had a chance. We’d hoped for a Wolverine trio, but the Pistons had traded away Isaiah Livers after I bought the tickets. There was a 4th, with Juwan’s youngest son Jet riding the pine for the Magic. Regarding Little Caeser’s Arena and the Pistons’ basketball product, it befits an operation run by the Illitches that the best feature of the afternoon was the buffet.
Winter in Ann Arbor means Michigan basketball. Alas, not a good year for the boys. We only saw one game in person all year, a loss to Michigan State. Both of us are very fond of the coach (4), but something happened to him this year, not just a major repair of his aorta and aortic valve. We got to see him one last time at Brian Boesch’s Inside Michigan Basketball radio show at the Pretzel Bell. It was the Monday before his last home game. They’d been creamed by Ohio State at Columbus the day before and faced what might be their last week of basketball. Nevertheless, Juwan seemed happy and relaxed. But the following Sunday his team was beaten by 15 points on senior day. Two days later, they’d lose to Penn State in the first round of the Big10. So, they closed with 7 straight losses, this last one giving them some ugly records: their 28 losses were the most in the program’s 107 year history while their winning percentage (.250) was second worst. But I think Juwan got a little boost that Monday night when he and I lined up and he saw that he was again taller than me after my June ’22 car wreck crushed 2 ½ inches of vertebrae.
Warde Manual fired Juwan a couple days later. Looks like he got a winner replacement in Dusty May, but we’ll still miss Juwan. Kathy and I are both fond of Juwan – ever since the Fab Five days – and had high hopes for him as our coach (4). We’re sad it didn’t work out and wish him well with the Nets.
Early in March, I met up with Larry, my freshman roommate, for a beer. Larry had a successful career in tech, operating a consulting business in town while settling in nearby South Lyon. It would be some early steps to the big reunion we’d have in September.
Then, Kathy and I decided to go to Chicago to see just how green they actually got that river for St. Paddy’s Day. We learned they dump the dye in a full week in advance, so what we saw from lunch at Trump Tower was off peak. Home a week, we headed west for Easter in San Diego. The city sponsors a sunrise service in Balboa Park by their 1915 organ pavilion. It makes for a marvelous sight.
My own peak experience in April came well after the 1st, although it sounds like an April Fool’s joke. I’d gotten the director of the Southeast Michigan Tournament of Writers (5) to let me enter, even though the contest is supposed to be restricted to locals. Lo and behold, my entry about how in 1970 we made a movie about the moon landing was a winner! (6) Honorable mention in senior’s non-fiction division. A week later we’re off to Chicago for 3 days, always about music and meeting up with old friends.
May found us diving into the thorny issue we’d been talking about with the family for a while. My now 70-year-old brother-in-law – a freelance writer and editor for financial magazines in his prime – had entered the early stages of dementia. As he could no longer live independently; the family decided it best if he were to move back to the Midwest. He came for a medical evaluation. He wouldn’t come back to check into his new home for almost 3 months.
The summer was otherwise pretty darned quiet. Come July, we got Chicago for 3 days, one of them Kathy’s birthday. We celebrated looking out over Millennium Park from Cindy’s (7), in the Chicago Athletic Club, where we also stayed. Cool place, where used to hang out the likes of Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), Ernie Banks, Muhammed Ali, plus Sport Donnelly and Pudge Heffelfinger (first players to be paid to play football). And many more. The club formed in 1890, building up in ’93. William K Wrigley – not yet owner of the Cubs – was one of the founders (the other 3 were Marshall Field, Cyrus McCormick, and A. G. Spalding), . He helped design the club logo, which bears a striking resemblance to what the Cubbies wear on their caps these days.
Cindy’s is a later addition (7), named after Cindy Pritzker, wife of Jay, one of the high rollers who rescued the CAA in the 70s, son of the man whose name graces my medical school. An Andy Warhol portrait of her hangs over the fireplace in the dining room. Nice lookin’ babe.
The next week we were off to lower brow activities, taking in “Beer n’ Brats” in Vicksburg. Always fun, but not the same as when my old physics teacher was the guy pouring my beer.
We were homebodies in August, save for some in-state trips. September saw a couple more quick local hops. We went to Lake Orion to see Robbie Fulks (8) and then to Grand Rapids to see Tucker Carlson and Kid Rock. The football season was proceeding if not inspiring. After 2023, we were surely spoiled. With Michigan’s last 3 national championships won ’47, ’97, and ’23, I guess we should set our clocks for around 2050. The ReliaQuest bowl in Tampa in New Year’s Eve (to which we have tickets) will have to do. At least we get a crack at Alabama again.
But the big event in September, while football based, was so much more than that. Early in the year, I got to talking to Mark, championship QB from little Mendon (12 miles south of Vicksburg), who lived on my dorm floor. 4th floor of Chicago House West Quad to be exact. Then, it was an “honors house”, for students in the L.S.&A. Honors College. Lotta smart dudes (yes, it was all male at the time). Indeed, at the reunion one of the guys asked me if I was one of the rumored several who had perfect SAT scores. Not me. Mark reminded me that this year was the 50th anniversary of our graduations. I found an outfit that does tailgates (9), hired ‘em, invited all I could find, and by the Minnesota game we had ourselves a party. Of course, we hired a limo to traverse the difficult 3 miles from my house to the stadium. Below see the gang. I know I said Chicago House was all male, but Brigid was our mascot. She ended up marrying my sophomore year roommate (it didn’t last). Next to our group pic, see a smaller pic shot indoors. On the way home, I suggested we stop off at ol’ Chicago House and check things out. Our driver was willing. After hanging out at the very securely locked back door long enough to get some innocent student to let us in, we explored the place. Those stairs to the 4th floor, where we’d all lived, were still there, but steeper than I remember. It was on those stairs a young security guard caught up with us, asking after our business there, He didn’t turn us in, but stayed with us as we climbed those stairs, probably to make sure none of us keeled over. We wandered the halls and happened upon an open door with a couple coeds inside. They were happy to invite us in and explore their room. None had ever heard of “Chicago House”, although one was from Chicago. Project for us to figure out what happened. Home it was snacks and talk till the middle of the nght. A good time was had by all.
We left Washtenaw County 3 times in October. First Saturday was a quick jaunt to Vicksburg to take in a historical tour. Since the ‘burg has been a thing since 1837, there’s a lot of that about. Next was Music City, where we took in the “You Got Gold” concert at historic Ryman Auditorium, original home for the Grand Ole Opry. These have been put on yearly by the Prine family since John died in 2020. Nashville artists lovingly perform some of John’s songs. We didn’t recognize all of them, but Shawn Colvin, Bela Fleck, Todd Snider, RoseAnn Cash, and Jackson Browne were familiar. Trips in that direction always include a stop in Cincinnatti, where we visit with Kathy’s 88 year-old Uncle Chuck.
Our last trip was decidedly non-musical, as we went to hear politico Larry O’Connor speak at Hillsdale College. Since I foreswore writing about politics when I started this blog, there’s a lot about November I won’t write here. Suffice it to say, we’re pretty happy around Harbal these days. Our only outing that month was back to the ‘burg to attend the memorial service of 88-year-old Eddie Knapp. He was my 8th grade basketball coach on a team with 6 strings! He made his name as a baseball coach and is in the Michigan Hall of Fame. His packed service included others, including wrestlers he’d coached and those students who had him for driver’s ed.
Kathy and I have both taken up writing in our retirements. I had a head start, but she has gone whole hog with her children’s books about the solar system. If you care to scrutinize our output, you can check out our Amazon author’s page (10,11). She belongs to a writers’ support group, and they’ve been encouraging her to get out and push her product. In November she started to do this in earnest, with an event at the “Best Life Holiday Arts Sale” at Saline United Methodist Church especially productive. I’ve been sitting in the background but was ecstatic when I learned that the book I’d been working on since 2021 was accepted by a “real” publisher. My latest Amazon book of bundled blogs will be out as soon as it is finished getting formatted. Only the latter will be out anytime soon.
One thing Kathy’s learned from her writer’s group is that promotion is key to sales. So she jumps at any invitation. See her here at Gilbert & Ivy Bookstore in Vicksburg holding the little kids spellbound. The Navy gave her that flight suit when she was a guest on the carrier George Washington and flew an F-18 (from the back seat) on and off the carrier 6 times.
This last month is just started, but all I see ahead are some basketball games and Christmas concerts. We’re off to Tampa on the 29th, but that’s basically next year.
But we mind none the least spending time right here on Harbal, comfy and cozy in our Ekornes Max’s while Regis Pruis’ wood burns, helped along in this 3/22 pic by some masks, but that’s another story (12) Whatever the fuel, we got ourselves a lot of hygge (13).
With the tree up and decorated, thanks to sweetie, there’s that obligatory photo of us in front of it. If we had Christmas cards to address, we’d be up plenty fine to do it after those drinks we’re holding. Not that we needed the energy, but here we go wishing you and yours Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (and God Jul!).
Those are espresso martinis (14). We’re staying up for a while! Like ol’ Ben said “There’ll be sleeping enough in the grave”.
Go Blue!!
References
1. Star Shooter Ultra 9. https://www.ultra9.com
2. Ike B. dying spies. WordPress 2/8/21. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2021/01/08/dying-spies/
3. Ike B. return to Harbal. WordPress 2/21/24 https://theviewfromharbal.com/2024/02/21/return-to-harbal/
4. Ike B. Juwan and Us. WordPress 2/9/20. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2020/02/09/juwan-and-us/
5. Tournament of Writers celebration and awards. South County News May 2024(132):38:7. https://southcountynews.org/2024/05/11/tournament-of-writers-celebration-and-awards/
6. Ike B. da vinner! WordPress.4/19/24. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2024/04/19/da-vinner/
7. Ike B. Cindy’s. WordPress 10/4/22. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2022/10/04/cindys/
8. Ike B. Robbie! WordPress 9/6/24. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2024/09/06/robbie/
9. M/Revel. https://revelxp.com/university-of-michigan
10. Dr. Ike’s Amazon Author’s page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Ike/author/B095CPDZGP?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
11. Dr. Clark’s (Auntie KC’s) Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/stores/Auntie-KC/author/B0CTGGKL5T?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
12. Ike B. burn on II. WordPress 3/11//22. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2022/03/11/burn-on-ii/
13. VisitDenmark. What is “Hygge”? https://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/things-do/danish-culture/what-hygge
14. Ike B. A coffee for ya ma’am? WordPress 12/27/23. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2023/12/27/a-coffee-for-ya-maam/
Bob Ike's blog 