Cast it to the wind
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 29, 2000
Well, I am glad to say that I made it through the
Thanksgiving holiday without a hitch, although I didn’t obey
the recommendations of medical advice.In other words, I ate
like I wanted to, and cast all care to the wind-at least
until the holiday season has passed.I enjoyed being the good
armchair quarterback that I always knew I could be, and then
the holiday was over.The focus has now shifted straight into
high gear. People are going absolutely crazy out there,
rushing to beat the sales, and grab all of those gifts.We
all really have great intentions, don’t we? We start out, in
good faith, planning to get everything early, and then, at
the last minute, we are getting those gifts of convenience,
then ones you can buy anytime that you wish, and so where
did all that smooth planning go?Imagine if you will, Clark
Griswald. For those of you not privy, Chevy Chase plays
Griswald. He was the sap that wanted to make the perfect
Christmas Vacation for his family.The reason that I ask is
that I was reminded of him when I was putting up Christmas
lights Saturday evening. More specifically, I really was
reminded of him as I was hanging my head over the edge of
the roof, reaching my industrial stapler across what felt
like a mile, trying to staple that last wire down.The best
part was the dizzy feeling that came with sitting back
upright. I was reassured that everything was going to be
alright, after I had a vision of the paramedics putting a
splint on both of my legs and tying me down to a backboard.
You see, the vision made me realize, I was not going to
spend this holiday season in a cast.So, once the lights were
all up, I could once again concentrate on the important
things in life.I had skipped lunch, to work during the
daylight hours on the house, and now it was time, once
again, to cast into the wind those words of caution from
medical advice.And so, before I was through, I had eaten two
humongous homemade hamburgers, along with a beans and franks
casserole that I couldn’t get anyone else to partake of with
me, and before the night was through, I had my ritualistic
Blue Bell Buttered Pecan Banana Split.You know, the kind
with that extra rich aerosol whipped crme covered with
hershey’s real milk chocolate syrup?Sometimes I wonder if it
wouldn’t be just a little bit easier if you could buy
cholesterol in a bottle, and mix it into milk, just like
chocolate syrup.Anyhow, I am going to be covering basketball
games this evening at Ft. Dale Academy, during the first
cross-town rivalry of the round-ball season this year, when
the Tornados of Greenville Academy come knocking.Its been a
while, I wonder if I should stop at the frying frisbee
before I go to the game-you know, to pick up a couple of
&uot;Big Ones&uot; and fries, or maybe a good old
milkshake.Seriously, I will be following doctors’ orders,
just after the Christmas goose is polished-off.I’ll see you
at the courts, should be an interesting week.