Day 31, Jan. 31: 2nd Worst Month

My Favorite Months

Now that my second least favorite month is almost finished, I only have the dreaded heat, humidity and bad memories of July to get through for 2011. Here are my 10 favorite months.

1. October (There's nothing like putting on a sweatshirt

on a cool fall day and jogging with autumn leaves as a backdrop.)

2. September (Summer is done, cool air and football have arrived.)

3. April (Winter in the Midwest is finally finished

and it's starting to get warm - but not too warm.)

4. March (There's Madness on the basketball court

and spring is in the air - eventually.)

5. December (Christmas and winter's first pretty snow.)

6. February (My birthday and the shortest winter month.)

7. November (Thanksgiving and family gatherings.) 

8. May (Early on it's nice, but it starts getting hot too soon sometimes.)

9. June (As you've figured out, I don't like heat and humidity.)

10.August (Ditto)

Day 30, Jan. 30: Sticky Floors

Favorite Young

Movie Experiences

Our movie club just went to see "The King's Speech." Great film-making and acting, but it only ranks about fifth on my favorites list of 2010. As we sat in the Mindframe Theater, I realized the venue we were in was almost identical to the size and shape of the theater of my childhood. Here are younger movie memories:

1. Handing over two quarters to the old guy in the ticket window

and finally going to a showing without Mom or Dad.

2. Walking the length of a middle row and tossing  paper wads 

into the face of Nancy, the preteen girl I liked.

3. Holding my tennis shoes down on the sticky floor

and picking them back up to make a cool noise.

4. Buying Cherry Drops, Junior Mints and Twizzlers,

and wondering why anybody would buy popcorn.

5. Being old enough to fully appreciate the  Road Runner

during the pre-movie cartoons.

6. Getting told by the old guy at the ticket window

to move back to my own seat after getting in trouble.

7. Watching junior high classmates Ron and Karen smooch.

8. Sitting in the front row, noticing holes in the floor

where other seats used to be and imagining
 how cool  it would be to sit even closer.

9. Rolling Cherry Drops down the floor

and wondering how many rows they would go.

10. Waiting for Mom to pick me up out front

after the movie ended, thinking I was pretty grown up.

Day 29, Jan. 29: Why I Blog

These are the Top 10 Reasons

I've Decided to Blog in 2011

1. I keep lists of everything and wanted to share them

2. Kris, my wife, and co-worker Rachel both suggested I blog

3. It's a challenge, and I've always liked challenges

4. I love to write, and this is just another outlet

5. Someone said I couldn't stick with it every day, all year

6. I thought it might be fun and it has been

7. Maybe a few people will follow me

8. Perhaps the 365 posts I make this year

will remain indefinitely in cyber-space

9. It's a project, and I love projects

10. It's something to do

Day 28, Jan. 28: Hooray!

Photo from FreeImages.co.uk

I'm Back to Normal

Throughout 2011, I've been sick. What started out as a nagging cold turned into a sinus infection and next to laryngitis. Today, after tons of tissue, cold tablets, Nyquil, Vicks, OJ, hugs from Kris, antiobiotics and finally steroids, I'm finally feeling better. I'm most happy today because I can now ...

1. Fully bless my wife Kris with my normal,

healthy and bountiful charm

2. Whistle loud and strong again

3.Run

 4. Get back to writing my newest book

5. Talk, talk, talk to Kris

6.Fall asleep at night

7. Lift weights and throw darts

8. Shovel snow without getting light-headed

9. Tease my co-workers

 10. Take care of Kris

Day 27, Jan.27: Teacher's Pet

My Favorite
All-Time Teachers
Throughout grade school, I was a teacher's pet. Good kid, solid student and able to pull the wool over my teachers' eyes (since I also was mischievious). By junior high, some of my teachers figured me out and, in high school, it was hit-and-miss. College was an unfortunate blur - not because I partied all of the time, though I did my share. I just wasn't mature or outgoing enough to fit in. My senior year in high school was my pinnacle. Sad, huh?
1. Mr Lawrence, 10th-12th (Also a coach, I had him in a few classes. History of the West was my favorite. When he wasn't telling us stories about Tecumseh, he was telling us about his high school friend Killer.)
2. Mrs. Schue, 5th grade (The only teacher to ever address me by "James," her strict, no-nonsense approach helped me grow up just enough to handle the next level.)
3. Mr. Donatell, 7th grade (Short, powerful and intimidating - he had one wooden leg - this algebra teacher was unforgettable. His weapon of discipline was a wooden paddle with holes drilled in it.)
4. Mrs. Grefsheim, 3rd grade (She made reading wonderful by reading to us every day. I especially remember the Pippi Longstocking books.)
5. Mr. Fortney, 10th-12th (I took journalism and Philosophy of Religion from him. I became a newspaper man and learned that it was OK to question the Bible and still maintain your faith.)
6. Mr. Stokes, 9th grade (A science teacher, he also was tough but very fair. One of the few teachers I remember showing a soft side of himself in front of the students.)
7. Mr. Cahee, 7th-9th (A macho gym teacher and former football coach, he was also our chum. An unfortunate episode after we had moved on to high school caused us all to view him differently.)
8. Mr. Goedel, 11th grade (He taught geometry and was one of those unfortunate teachers we took advantage of (but it was fun!) I later dated his daughter for a while.
9. Mrs. Rollie (1st grade - really!) I have fond memories of learning to read and do math. I also remember the day we learned that John F. Kennedy had been shot.
10. Name forgotten (junior in college) I said college was a blur! This man taugh Criminology. I learned to look at both sides of every issue from this professor after he one day brought in a stack of books that said capital punishment was not a deterrent and the next day a stack that said it was.

Day 26, Jan.26: The Runs

My Favorite Running Routes

of All-Time

1. Heritage Trail, outside Dubuque (The natural surface, shaded stretches and running brooks make it a perfect place to run. I truly believe it's provided me a glimpse of heaven, especially after I lost my first wife Jane to breast cancer.)

2. Snake River, Idaho Falls, Ida. (A path along the river near downtown was book-marked by two bridges. With mountains in the distance and clear air everywhere ... what more can I say?)

3. Peddle Hollow Road, near Kieler, Wis. (It's only about a 4-mile run, but starting at the bottom of Dry Hollow Road and winding up to Hwy 151, you're almost always alone in rural beauty.)

4. Farm field, outside Stoughton, Wis. (The field was adjacent to our home on Starr School Road. I would run around it to practice for high school cross country - I didn't like running on roads back then.)

5. Roosevelt Road, Dubuque (Kris taught me this one. You head out 32nd Street to Peru Road and take Roosevelt. At the top of the long hill, you get a majestic view of Dubuque to the west.)

6. Grandview Avenue, Dubuque (It's my current most common route and the busiest one I've ever regularly taken - I usually like to run alone with my iPod and music. But seeing others isn't so bad.)

7. Along railroad tracks, the Black Hills (I only ran this route twice, during a family vacation. But I'll never forget it. This was a special place for the Lakota Sioux Indians.)

8. Kaufman-Chaney-Asbury, Dubuque (My favorite run when I lived on Napier Street. Most of the time, I'd reverse it and go down Kaufman. I felt proud when I could run all the way up
... and keep going.)

9. Stoughton High School (One of our practice runs - as well as our home race site - was on grass around the school. One long hill made it challenging. Running with teammates was fun.)

10. An old track, Wahlert High School, Dubuque (I don't like running around tracks, but I'd often run this at night during the first few months after Jane died. The repetitive laps were therapeautic.)

Day 25, Jan. 25: Super Bowls

 My Favorite Super Bowls

I've seen every Super Bowl. Many of them are forgettable. In fact, when I went through the list,

I had a tough time finding more than a dozen I really liked. It doesn't help

that I dislike the Patriots, Cowboys and Steelers - that eliminates many.

My beloved Green Packers will play in their fifth Super Bowl in two weeks.

So, I thought it fitting to list my all-time favorites.

 1. Super Bowl XXXI (1997) Packers 35, Patriots 21 (Great win over a hated team. Had a nice party at my house, and saw Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman and Desmond Howard at their best.)

2. Super Bowl XXXIV (2000) Rams 23, Titans 16 (Almost the only OT in SB history. Titan Kevin Dyson tackled at the 1-yard line by Mike Jones as time ran out.)

3. Super Bowl XXIII (1989) 49ers 20, Bengals 16 (Watching QB Joe Montana direct that game-winning 92-yard drive in the last 3:20 ...
it was breath-taking.)

4. Super Bowl XXXII (1998) Broncos 31, Packers 24 (The outcome wasn't great, but at least we made it. And, unlike many people,
I thought John Elway was OK)

5. Super Bowl XX (1986) Bears 46, Patriots 10 (I don't HATE the Bears. In fact, this season, as a sports reporter, I talked to many during preseason camp in Platteville, Wis.)

6. Super Bowl XLII (2008) Giants 17, Patriots 14 (Great game and, believe it or not, I was sad the Patriots didn't go undefeated. The only team I hate more is the loud-mouth 1972 Dolphins.)

7. Super Bowls I & II (1967/1968) Packers 35, Chiets 10 and Packers 33, Raiders 14 (I was so young, these two blend together.
I remember my dad celebrating.)

8. Super Bowl XLIII (2009) Steelers 27, Cardinals 23 (Very competitive game down to the wire. And, I'm a Kurt Warner fan.)

9. Super Bowl III (1969) Jets 16, Colts 6 (I was old enough to admire Joe Namath living up to his pre-game prediction and knowing the Packers hadn't lost to the AFL the two years before.)

10. Super Bowl XIII (1979) Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 (Yes, I don't like either team, but this was a wild and crazy game. It's still the most points scored by a losing team.)