Several of you have asked if I sent out an e-mail last Sunday and I answer that I didn’t. By now, you all know that I write for therapy. I enjoy writing the stories as much as at least a couple of you enjoy reading them. But I’m not a writer. Writers can get an assignment, take out a piece of paper (nowadays a computer) and write a story. I’ve never been very good at that. I write from inspiration, and if it’s not there, I don’t write.  

Last weekend I was in one of those blue funk moods. I know it will take time to sell these two places we have, and it will happen, but I hate being in limbo until something gives. So a realtor called and asked if she could show the place at Crooked Lake to some cash buyers. I set it up to be shown at 10 last Saturday morning. I know it’s an inconvenience to Barry and Rona who are living there, but Rona called back and said that would be fine. The realtor called the next day and said that they would have to reschedule to Monday. I was a little miffed, but I talked with Rona and she said fine but it would be best if it were three. I called the realtor and she said three would be fine. Rona called us Monday at 4:30 and they still hadn’t come and she wanted to get over to the house they are rebuilding to pick out counter top material. I felt like crap for the inconvenience to her and her family.

I’ve not been a great fan of the war, although I admire the men and women who are over there fighting. When I see the President and Congress posturing politically over the current funding bill, I assume the worst. I believe that it will be politics as usual. The Democrats will insist that it will be a showdown, and what I expect to happen is that, after a veto, a spending bill will be passed that has no teeth and the next two years will be like the last two years. Then there’s the State of Michigan and its current budget crisis. The same political posturing seems to be going on there and, ultimately, our kids will suffer from education cuts.

It’s not that I’ve been short on ammunition either. Last night, at our Friday “drop in”, the conversation started out G rated and quickly turned to a discussion of breast reduction surgery (men are lobbying to have that become illegal) and one of our school teachers talked about being asked by one of her eighth grade students why there are flavored condoms.

One of the guys this morning at coffee asked if I had been sending out e-mails the last few weeks. Since I changed my e-mail address, his have been bounced back since I’m not on his list. I told him and the others at the table that I’ve been working on setting up a website (with my son, Matt’s help) to post the e-mails each week. It’s under construction and not really ready for viewing, but I’ve been busy filling the archives with all the old e-mails. I’m back to January, 2004, and have entered a combination of e-mails, eulogies and a section I call ramblings. Currently in the ramblings is TriStory, the original story about how the Trilanders group was formed, Trilanders 2001 and Trilanders 2003 among a few other things.

I’m not setting it up to show off my writing, but rather to provide a place to read the e-mails if you haven’t received them. I get a few kicked back from spam blockers from time to time when I use words that are common in many of the spam e-mails you receive (if I tell you which ones, I’ll get this epistle blocked). Also, if you have dial up, some of the ones I send with pictures take forever to download so I have a section called stories with pictures. A few of you have been added to the rolls recently, and when I make a comment about “my buddy from the Y in Florida” you have no idea what I’m talking about. So I have a section called “Reader Favorites”, which for the time being are “Writer Favorites”. In all, I have 132 posts and, once I get them all in, I’ll let you know how to get on line. No fees. No Advertising. No pop-ups. Rated PG.

Speaking of pictures, along with the e-mail I sent on June 6, 2004 “Week 10 Back In The Groove”, I attached a picture of a half eaten doughnut twist. I’m sure you have deleted them all, but if anyone saved that one, could you e-mail it back to me?

Better go. I rode 47 miles today with Diane. My legs are tired so I’ll probably take Larry and Jon’s advice and stand in a tub of ice cold water for recovery. Either that or it’s nap time.

Just (Back Up And Running) Jack