It's a fact, Kansas University shockingly fell in the NCAA basketball tournament. Why? I don't know. Maybe it was punishment for something they did in a previous life. It was a time of remorse and licking the wounds, but I became truly amazed on how many people jumped off the band-wagon and became KSU fans. Merle Green and Lance Wiskeno were the only ones publicly claiming to be Kansas State fans prior to that event. But, of course, flip-floppers aren't new to the sports world. They are like fence-riders in politics.
Unlike humble KU fans, KSU fans weren’t beyond rubbing it in. Sometimes its hard to be a die-hard KU fan. People hate it when KU wins year in, year out and KSU rises to the occasion once in a blue moon. One KSU fan told me “If you're an orphaned KU fan, maybe you could go for Baylor, our bandwagon is full!” I told him “Glad your bandwagon is full, and I decline the Baylor one. I might jump on my hero’s bandwagon – Butler, though.”
I said that because the bubble burst for K-State, shortly after this trash-talk started. They lost to Butler, bleedin purple everywhere. It was a horrible sight! They were just inches away from the Final Four, so close yet so far. They almost put Manhattan on the basketball map. KSU was so close to love and redemption for being an also-ran, but wasn't meant to be.
There were stories circulating that the Governor had dispatched grief counselors to Manhattan Kansas, but I think that was only a vicious rumor. The details were sketchy, but we understand there was a lot of crying and carrying on in the little pear, so it could have been true. Shortly after the loss, we asked for a moment of silence, and asked people to bow their heads. In that momemt of reflection. we mourned those dead cats and what could have been.
Oh, I didn't change my status as a true KU fan, but in the fairy tale world of bracketology, I got some change riding on that Indy horse! He is known by the name Butler.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
If I were a carpenter.....or Hotel Potawatomi
I worked on the big birdhouse after KU lost and I figured this was my therapy to deal with the loss. Also I always wanted to do some carpentry work and so far I made 2 benches, one for my yard and the other I gave to my daughter Martie. Some cynical guy asked me when I had time to do this work. I told him "I make time." Sometimes I work till 9 or 10 doing these little projects. It's fun for me and will give me something to do when I hit retirement.
But to explain the title of this entry: Johnny Cash sang once "If I were a carpenter and you were a lady, would you marry me anyway." Well she married me but I wasn't a carpenter but maybe in my old age I might get close.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Garden time on rez
Well we have survived over 42” of snow this winter. The ground is pretty saturated and Spring rains are causing the creeks to get high. All of this translates to a late garden planting time. I’ve had a garden now for close to 32 years. Oh, I didn’t start to garden because Michelle Obama suggested it yesterday.
Sometimes I had good crops and sometimes I didn’t ,but it’s something I enjoy doing and I reckon I will continue till I can’t anymore. It is really something to get a garden ready, have your grandchildren help you plant it and watch it grow. I tell my grandchildren “if you help, you can help eat it.” That is the biggest reward to get help from them and oh, did I forget to say also to eat the result.
Potatoes (did I spell that right Dan?) are usually in the ground by now but wet ground has prevented this from happening. It will get done though. For the longest time I didn’t grow any potatoes in my garden because my mother-in-law said it was cheaper and easier to buy tators in the store, so i didn’t plant. A few years back I put in a couple of rows and now I plant more each year. I think potatoes out of the garden are hard to beat.
I must have learned something along the way because I cleaned up my garden good last Fall, brought in some more compost and tilled it up so the garden is ready for planting. It must be a Republican bone in me to help myself , but a Democrat bone says it easier to have somebody do the work for me. Sorry for the political injection.
Sometimes I had good crops and sometimes I didn’t ,but it’s something I enjoy doing and I reckon I will continue till I can’t anymore. It is really something to get a garden ready, have your grandchildren help you plant it and watch it grow. I tell my grandchildren “if you help, you can help eat it.” That is the biggest reward to get help from them and oh, did I forget to say also to eat the result.
Potatoes (did I spell that right Dan?) are usually in the ground by now but wet ground has prevented this from happening. It will get done though. For the longest time I didn’t grow any potatoes in my garden because my mother-in-law said it was cheaper and easier to buy tators in the store, so i didn’t plant. A few years back I put in a couple of rows and now I plant more each year. I think potatoes out of the garden are hard to beat.
I must have learned something along the way because I cleaned up my garden good last Fall, brought in some more compost and tilled it up so the garden is ready for planting. It must be a Republican bone in me to help myself , but a Democrat bone says it easier to have somebody do the work for me. Sorry for the political injection.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Observations of one aspect of Indian Life
Over the course of history, a great amount of book space and media time has been devoted to the conflicts between Indians and non-Indians, and while some of it is true, this magnification fails to highlight some important elements of the relationship. What are often overlooked are the many genuine friendships made between the two races, especially when it comes to living side by side for a lifetime.
As the life experience shows, the color of a person's skin is often forgotten when children grow up playing in the school playgrounds, going to school for many years, playing sports and living in close proximity to each other. In that time, people learn to care for one another to a certain degree and to look out for each other. Both races learn they share many things in common and have the same concerns about life. It's not true today, but in past years white farmers brought food to Spring ceremonials because they wanted the same thing as Indian people - rain for their crops. Gestures like that are forgotten by a new generation.
One value prevalent over the years is the ability to help when help is needed: Over the years, I’ve seen large and small turn-outs at our funerals. It is a time of grief, sorrow and feeling s of hopelessness for the people involved. We are lucky that we have people willing to help during these bad times. It isn’t just one but several. And there are no expectations of something in return because those same people will help you if necessary.
And it isn't unusual to see white neighbors, landowners and old school friends show up at the funeral to pay their last respects. Maybe they don’t understand Indian ways, but they still show up. They will bring food, kind words and prayers for the family. It is the way of neighbors and will never be reflected in social statistics. Words can never express the gratitude Indians feel when they are treated right during these times.
Granted these visitations aren't true across the board, but this shows a commitment of a community.
As the life experience shows, the color of a person's skin is often forgotten when children grow up playing in the school playgrounds, going to school for many years, playing sports and living in close proximity to each other. In that time, people learn to care for one another to a certain degree and to look out for each other. Both races learn they share many things in common and have the same concerns about life. It's not true today, but in past years white farmers brought food to Spring ceremonials because they wanted the same thing as Indian people - rain for their crops. Gestures like that are forgotten by a new generation.
One value prevalent over the years is the ability to help when help is needed: Over the years, I’ve seen large and small turn-outs at our funerals. It is a time of grief, sorrow and feeling s of hopelessness for the people involved. We are lucky that we have people willing to help during these bad times. It isn’t just one but several. And there are no expectations of something in return because those same people will help you if necessary.
And it isn't unusual to see white neighbors, landowners and old school friends show up at the funeral to pay their last respects. Maybe they don’t understand Indian ways, but they still show up. They will bring food, kind words and prayers for the family. It is the way of neighbors and will never be reflected in social statistics. Words can never express the gratitude Indians feel when they are treated right during these times.
Granted these visitations aren't true across the board, but this shows a commitment of a community.
Last thoughts on basketball
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a hangover but it sure feels like I’ve had an extended one since Kansas University fell to somebody named Northern Iowa in the NCAA basketball tournament. Talk about a bracket-buster! I don't even know where NIU is located.
On this day, we had over 6 inches of snow fall. That should have been some kind of warning, since it was almost Spring, things weren't going to go our way in Kansas. I decided to work on a wood-working project. As I sometimes do, I lost track of time trying to get some work done. I get obsessive at times. My grandson Hooty came to my work area and said the KU game had already started. I said, no it isn’t suppose to start till 4:40, but I had failed to set my clocks forward so I was way off. I stopped everything and hustled off to the house.
I watched the game in disbelief. KU couldn’t seem to do anything right, but I fully expected them to whip off one of their patented 12-0 runs. It never happened. I thought when they threw a rare full-court press on NIU that they would unravel and it was close to that, but it wasn't meant to be. Some little gutsy guard shot a long, long 3-point shot with a lotta seconds on the clock and it swished through the net and then I knew it was over.
I did say a few words that aren’t meant for publication and I truly believe I went through a spell of shock. I never thought for a second that they would lose. They were destined for greatness, but there were tell-tale signs throughout the year. KU would create huge leads and then go to sleep and other games they would only play half-hearted. Collins struggled more time than not. Aldrich had his ups and downs. Henry looked like a monster player one minute and quite ordinary the next. Am I painting you a picture of inconsistency because that’s what it was this year. Yet, I remain a KU fan. A 33-3 record isn't bad by anybody's standards. Somebody said "now it's only babies and memories."
So now in my hurting stage, I choose to not watch anymore NCAA games this year. I don’t care.
On this day, we had over 6 inches of snow fall. That should have been some kind of warning, since it was almost Spring, things weren't going to go our way in Kansas. I decided to work on a wood-working project. As I sometimes do, I lost track of time trying to get some work done. I get obsessive at times. My grandson Hooty came to my work area and said the KU game had already started. I said, no it isn’t suppose to start till 4:40, but I had failed to set my clocks forward so I was way off. I stopped everything and hustled off to the house.
I watched the game in disbelief. KU couldn’t seem to do anything right, but I fully expected them to whip off one of their patented 12-0 runs. It never happened. I thought when they threw a rare full-court press on NIU that they would unravel and it was close to that, but it wasn't meant to be. Some little gutsy guard shot a long, long 3-point shot with a lotta seconds on the clock and it swished through the net and then I knew it was over.
I did say a few words that aren’t meant for publication and I truly believe I went through a spell of shock. I never thought for a second that they would lose. They were destined for greatness, but there were tell-tale signs throughout the year. KU would create huge leads and then go to sleep and other games they would only play half-hearted. Collins struggled more time than not. Aldrich had his ups and downs. Henry looked like a monster player one minute and quite ordinary the next. Am I painting you a picture of inconsistency because that’s what it was this year. Yet, I remain a KU fan. A 33-3 record isn't bad by anybody's standards. Somebody said "now it's only babies and memories."
So now in my hurting stage, I choose to not watch anymore NCAA games this year. I don’t care.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Basketball thoughts!
It’s time for all the experts, and not so experts, to start putting together NCAA basketball brackets to win that elusive office pool especially for those who couldn’t win a world series pot. The final determination on who win will depend on where you’re from.
Here it’s a given that most people will put Kansas University as their heavy favorite. They were given the toughest bracket with Maryland, Georgetown, Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Ohio State laying in wait for them, but to be the best you have to play the best sooner or later, so bring them on. It was a fun season watching the Jayhawks play all year, and it became a ritual for us to watch them on our television. I like their chemistry and would be damn surprised it they lost out. Oh, wait a second – let me bite my tongue for even thinking like that.
Maybe in Lexington they are figuring on winning the whole shooting match, but I look for West Virginia to upset them and go to the Final Four and then John Wall can go on his merry way to the NBA. Why did I pick West Virginia – it’s a gut feeling with Bob Huggins coaching there. He knew what he was doing when he took that midnight train out of Manhattan, Kansas a few years back, plus Kentucky didn’t play anybody this year anyway. Overrated!
That leaves Syracuse and Duke as the other #1 seeds. Syracuse is struggling and I look for them to fall against Pittsburgh like they did earlier in the year. Duke was handed the easiest bracket and Texas A&M and Baylor will work them over in the South Regional,but they will survive. They have to in order for the t.v. ratings to go up for the NCAA, which means more money for them. That's business though!
In my estimation, which is not worth much in today’s peso, I have Kansas and Duke playing for the national championship. KU will give Bill Self his second championship ring and win by 12 points, if not more. Oh, I was going to invite my friends over that day to watch the big game on my big screen t.v. but I forgot I didn’t have any friends and most of all I didn’t have a big screen t.v. Oh, well you can’t win them all.
After that, it will be transition time for us here and it will go down-hill because the Kansas City Royals will start their baseball season.
Here it’s a given that most people will put Kansas University as their heavy favorite. They were given the toughest bracket with Maryland, Georgetown, Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Ohio State laying in wait for them, but to be the best you have to play the best sooner or later, so bring them on. It was a fun season watching the Jayhawks play all year, and it became a ritual for us to watch them on our television. I like their chemistry and would be damn surprised it they lost out. Oh, wait a second – let me bite my tongue for even thinking like that.
Maybe in Lexington they are figuring on winning the whole shooting match, but I look for West Virginia to upset them and go to the Final Four and then John Wall can go on his merry way to the NBA. Why did I pick West Virginia – it’s a gut feeling with Bob Huggins coaching there. He knew what he was doing when he took that midnight train out of Manhattan, Kansas a few years back, plus Kentucky didn’t play anybody this year anyway. Overrated!
That leaves Syracuse and Duke as the other #1 seeds. Syracuse is struggling and I look for them to fall against Pittsburgh like they did earlier in the year. Duke was handed the easiest bracket and Texas A&M and Baylor will work them over in the South Regional,but they will survive. They have to in order for the t.v. ratings to go up for the NCAA, which means more money for them. That's business though!
In my estimation, which is not worth much in today’s peso, I have Kansas and Duke playing for the national championship. KU will give Bill Self his second championship ring and win by 12 points, if not more. Oh, I was going to invite my friends over that day to watch the big game on my big screen t.v. but I forgot I didn’t have any friends and most of all I didn’t have a big screen t.v. Oh, well you can’t win them all.
After that, it will be transition time for us here and it will go down-hill because the Kansas City Royals will start their baseball season.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The songs go on!
Somebody once said: if you can remember the 1960s, you weren’t there. This is maybe true, maybe not, but what difference does it make?
For me, Larry and Eddie we might have grown up dirt-poor in the ‘60s, but we still were able to get a small radio and we played it all night long literally. We listened to what they call “oldies but goodies” today, CC Revival, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix to name a few.
The last two superstars have been gone for over 40 years now and you can still hear CC Revival in the war movies. Hendrix and Joplin lived some hard lives and didn’t survive long, but their music goes on. A recent article quoted Ernie Isley:
“He was trying to put an apple in your mouth, roll you over a spit for five hours — turning up the heat ever so slowly — and slow cook your ass until you could feel what he was playing. That was the main thing about Jimi. He wanted you to feel him.”
I guess he knew Hendrix in the early ‘60s when Hendrix played with the Isley Brothers. I thought it was a funny, but appropriate quote. That guy really could play the guitar. My brother Eddie had all his records. It was the same way with Janis Joplin – she could belt out those tunes, knock down ‘southern comfort’, party and live life to the fullest. Back then, she was top-of-the-line.
As time went on, we evolved too, we bought a record-player, later a 8 track, eventually graduated to the modern-day ipod, but I still have a turn-table to listen to old albums. You can get them for a song at garage sales, so to speak. Eddie collected them for years. We enjoyed music. When Larry died, in the funeral procession my grandchildren had some oldies playing on the radio. I said, “that’s alright, Larry liked music.”
Maybe the ‘60s were an aberration, but I remember the music. Can you hear Elvis singing in the background?
For me, Larry and Eddie we might have grown up dirt-poor in the ‘60s, but we still were able to get a small radio and we played it all night long literally. We listened to what they call “oldies but goodies” today, CC Revival, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix to name a few.
The last two superstars have been gone for over 40 years now and you can still hear CC Revival in the war movies. Hendrix and Joplin lived some hard lives and didn’t survive long, but their music goes on. A recent article quoted Ernie Isley:
“He was trying to put an apple in your mouth, roll you over a spit for five hours — turning up the heat ever so slowly — and slow cook your ass until you could feel what he was playing. That was the main thing about Jimi. He wanted you to feel him.”
I guess he knew Hendrix in the early ‘60s when Hendrix played with the Isley Brothers. I thought it was a funny, but appropriate quote. That guy really could play the guitar. My brother Eddie had all his records. It was the same way with Janis Joplin – she could belt out those tunes, knock down ‘southern comfort’, party and live life to the fullest. Back then, she was top-of-the-line.
As time went on, we evolved too, we bought a record-player, later a 8 track, eventually graduated to the modern-day ipod, but I still have a turn-table to listen to old albums. You can get them for a song at garage sales, so to speak. Eddie collected them for years. We enjoyed music. When Larry died, in the funeral procession my grandchildren had some oldies playing on the radio. I said, “that’s alright, Larry liked music.”
Maybe the ‘60s were an aberration, but I remember the music. Can you hear Elvis singing in the background?
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