Really Old Gum & Other Ruminations
I turned 45 years old this week. I did an online search on what you’re supposed to do when you turn 45. The internet responded: “Begin screening for colorectal cancer.”
Darn it, I was hoping for something more fun.
It may be my age catching up with me, but I was having trouble composing a column on one coherent subject, so here’s a compilation of several random things I’ve been thinking about: *** I was saddened by two recent passings in the sports world, one local, one national.
Carmine’s Bob Springer passed away Nov. 30. He created the Texas Basketball Museum in Carmine right next to his antiques shop, and it was an amazing collection of hoops history. I was blown away when Bob first showed me the place several years ago. He was so passionate about sharing his love of Texas basketball that he had a sign on the museum door with his personal phone number. He’d give tours on the spur of the moment to anyone who showed up.
Football coach Mike Leach also passed away this week. He was a successful football coach at several places but most notably at Texas Tech. It was in that capacity that he was making a swing through West Texas towns about 20 years ago when I covered his speaking engagement at the San Angelo Red Raider Club at Zentner’s Daughter, a legendary steakhouse, that’s now closed. At the conclusion of his talk, the club presented him with this gift basket of pecan items. Leach was such a character that instead of just accepting the basket and going to sit back down, he gazed a the basket, gave it a kiss and held it aloft above his head like it was some sort of championship trophy. “I feel like Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon,” he told the crowd.
I had a great conversation with him afterwards. He was really nice to a young reporter.
The sports world could benefit from more characters like him. *** In the aftermath of my Astros column a few weeks ago someone brought by a complete 48-page section of the Houston Chronicle’s commemorative Astros World Series section and left it on my desk. Whoever did so, thank you for your kindness! I love it. *** For the second consecutive year my wife, kids and I made a day of it going to the Christmas at Winedale event followed by the Fayetteville Lighted Christmas Parade. The Christmas Tree forest and Christmas village (both set up in the old firehouse on the square) is in itself worth the trip.
*** It’s funny how things can have a domino effect.
Since we moved out to the country four years ago, we’ve had some bad luck with having outside cats. Something has nabbed a few of them (coyote? bobcat?) so a few months ago we made the decision to bring the two survivors, Perry and Wallis, and make them inside cats. It’s been fine, for the most part.
Except they want to drink out of the toilet, and Wallis actually eats paper. We’ve got three boys in the house so these kind of quirks are nothing new, but I digress.
But then a few weeks ago my wife’s car wouldn’t start, and there wasn’t anything wrong with the battery. I noticed a couple of acorns on the engine cover. I swiped them off. The next day when I popped the hood again to re-examine, there were some more acorns on there. A rodent had arrived, clearly taking advantage of our now catless exterior.
Challenge one was to catch the culprit, which was accomplished via a glue trap put under the hood.
Challenge two was to locate the electric line which the little guy had bit through. I was pretty proud of myself for finding and fixing that. The car started right up and I was going to take it for a loop around the neighborhood just for good measure. Well I hadn’t gone very far down Lane Pool Road when all the warning lights on the dashboard started lighting up, and I had to retreat home quickly.
Turns out that little rat had chewed through several wires, visible and not, all throughout the car.
Hundreds of dollars in car repairs later, we’re back on the road – and the cats are spending their nights inside but their days outside (hopefully working). *** My top three favorite Christmas movies: 1. It’s a Wonderful Life 2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 3. White Christmas *** I thought the way the La Grange School Board handled the whole Hydrogen Power Plant issue was great. With a chance to get $4 million in extra funds for the school, they would not have been doing their job if they hadn’t explored the proposal, but when the community came out in such force against it, they listened. Special credit to board president Gary Drab for his reminder to speakers Monday that opinions can be expressed while being respectful to all involved. *** A few weeks ago our boys and I went into Kats Antiques on the Square and they have some really cool old sports memorobilia in there. They even had unopened wax packs of baseball cards from the 1980s, just like the kind I used to buy at Perry’s as a kid. I couldn’t resist. I bought the boys a few packs and we got home and opened them up. Those baseball card packs still had the bright pink sticks of bubble gum in them.
The smell transported me back to childhood.
And the gum seemed ok. So yes, I popped a 35-year-old stick of Topps gum in my mouth. Instead of being chewy, the thing instantly disinegrated. It tasted like a museum smells. My stomach felt a little weird the rest of the afternoon, but nothing more serious. I wonder how that will affect the colorectal cancer screening?
Here’s wishing all of you a Merry Christmas!
Jeff Wick is the editor of The Fayette County Record. He believes anybody who doesn’t like fruitcake just hasn’t tried the right kind yet. He can be reached at jeff@fayettecountyrecord. com