Are You "Sirius"?

A beautiful Florida morning - our goals were some walking, some caching, and activating our new Sirius radio.  This first picture is on Green River  Parkway - good for both walking and caching.  This is my own slow motion version of taking a walk:

Dick wanted to find a cache at Savannas State Park, so I took the opportunity of dialing Sirius to accomplish activation.  Ha!  I was connected to a man who had no idea how to do his job.  He not only didn't speak English well, he didn't understand it well either.  After an hour, he still had not completely mastered my home address.  I'm not kidding!  I repeated everything five times, and he never got it.  Finally, after wasting an hour, I just hung up.  This picture shows me in ultimate frustration mode - a new record for horrible corporate communications.  We finally did achieve activation later in the day - it was very stressful.

A gopher tortoise home?  Most likely.

I don't think we're in East Bay Township anymore:

Dick found three caches - Don't Fence Me In, Bike and Grab #4 and Bike and Grab #7.

Trains and Bridges

Here is the railroad bridge over the South Fork of the St. Lucie River.  It's a drawbridge, and it stays up all of the time except when a train comes through.  The trains are part of the Florida East Coast Railway system, running from Jacksonville to Miami, and right through my bedroom.  Well, it sounds like it anyway.

"Florida East Coast Railway operates 351 miles of mainline track along the east coast of Florida with direct rail access to South Florida's ports and the best reliability record in the nation. FEC also serves five intermodal terminals and provides drayage services for our customers."

Dick caught this white boat going under the railroad bridge, and then again going under the traffic drawbridge:

Another shot of my favorite fountain.

Today while he was out for his morning walk Dick found three caches, and that's when he got the great pictures.  The funny part was that he forgot to take a pen with him, so we drove back over there later so he could sign the logs.

Our Stuart Home

The Harborage condo that we have rented is very enjoyable, convenient, and scenic. Our building is the yellow one. We're on the third floor, which is really the second floor because floor number one is the parking garage.

We are very close to three different bridges - the Roosevelt Bridge across the St. Lucie River, and two drawbridges across the South Fork. One of the drawbridges is for cars and fishermen, and the other is (gulp) a railroad drawbridge. The tracks for said railroad run right in front of our building, and the track is the main line from the north to Miami. Ye gods. In the daytime it's not a problem because we're often out and about and away from home - but overnight it can be a problem. The trains are long, long freight trains, and the horns are very, very loud. At night it sounds like we have a train going through the living room. At various times we have heard five separate trains go by at night. On a good night, we can sleep through most of them - but we usually hear at least two overnight. I usually hear the two that go by around three and three thirty a.m. It's not a deal breaker, but it's something that was not mentioned when we paid the rent. In this picture you can see the railroad bridge in front of the car bridge.

Dick was walking on the Roosevelt bridge - called me and told me to wave from the balcony. How much fun is that? Love that early morning Florida sunshine in December!

Our building has its own small pool - we haven't seen anybody in it yet, and I don't know whether it's heated or not, but it's there and it looks nice - it's well-maintained.

Our lovely Harborage building.

This great splashy sailfish fountain is out in front of our place. Stuart calls itself "The Sailfish Capital of the World". So we have gone from the Cherry Capital to the Sailfish Capital.

Today we had a chance to go see the Ocean - Oooooh - it's so beautiful and powerful! A short walk over the dune and you're there.

Florida dunes are patrolled by flocks of pelicans!
On our beach expedition we found three caches: Wild Animals, House of Refuge, and one called A Cache With No Name is Still a Good Time to Have. Don't you just love that title?

Flagler Views

Early morning view from our balcony:

View from our front door:

Sailfish fountain at night:

Sharron

This morning we learned of the death of our friend Sharron. She and Tony had been seatmates of ours at the Michigan Stadium for many, many years. She had thought that she was cured of cancer, but it insidiously returned, and made her life miserable at the end. She deserved better. She and Tony were inveterate Michigan fans, and it was a delight to have known them. She's gone too soon.

Sharron Ann Vescio


KALKASKA – Sharron Ann Vescio, of Fife Lake, passed away Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at her home. She was 66.

She was born on April 18, 1945, to the late Felix and Esther (Ferguson) Laskie. She married Anthony M. Vescio on Oct. 9, 1999, in Plymouth.

In 2001, she retired from Gorno Ford in Woodhaven. Anthony and Sharron moved to Fife Lake in 2003 from Ypsilanti.

Her passions included flower gardening, interior design and decorating for the holidays. She was an avid snowmobiler and loved playing on the sandbar at Torch Lake. She loved giving her baked goods to family and friends to enjoy. She was a member of St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church.

Surviving Mrs. Vescio is her devoted husband, Anthony; her cherished siblings, Janet (Gary) Holik of Plymouth and Phil Laskie of Willis; sisters-in-law, Pam Cittan of White Lake and Alice (George) Kontos of Southgate; her nephew, George Kontos of Southgate; her niece, Aylin (Peter) Samoray of Pleasant Ridge; and 2 great-nephews, Luc and Max Samoray.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, Dec 6, 2011, from 2 until 8 p.m. with the Rosary at 6:30 p.m. followed by a scripture service at 7 p.m. at Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home in Kalkaska. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, instate at 10 a.m., at St. Mary of the Woods with the Rev. Norman Dickson officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary of the Woods Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to St. Mary of the Woods, 438 County Road 612 NE, Kalkaska, MI 49646, or Munson Hospice, 1105 6th St., Traverse City, MI 49684.

Condolences can be left online at www.wolfeoneill.com.

Arrangements were made by Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home, our family serving yours.

Her passions included flower gardening, interior design, and decorating for the holidays. Sharron Ann Vescio

The Journal Continues

Some humor from North Carolina:








More of Dick's Journal

Day 3

We started the day as we always do on the road, with a check of the motel's breakfast buffet. Finding the decaf decanter empty, I set off in search of the attendant while Nancy looked over the goodies. The room was filled with men in work clothes on the same mission. She asked one of the fellows where the plates and bowls were. No success. They did not speak English! (In the parking lot were seven trucks from the Asplundh tree trimmer company - these were the workers.) Determined that she could use sign language and mime as well as her son, she soon was pointed in the right direction.

Yesterday toward the end of the drive, we got out of the rain but overnight it caught up with us. It was a very light mist and the traffic was light so it wasn't a problem.

Nancy is becoming more adept with her phone. I'd make an observation or suggest a question as in "I wonder why - - " Out comes the phone and pretty soon an answer or comment. Two observations; 1) While the barns in Michigan are mostly red, from the middle of Ohio on, they are mainly white. We decided that in the southern climes, white barns would be cooler. I knew why our barns are red, red paint was cheaper. 2) While northern Ohio is cornfield - cornfield - cornfield - mosque, where the white barns start and proceeding south, the exits are church - adult entertainment or lingerie - church.

In Virginia we had our first experience with fog in the mountains. Visibility was severely limited. So what is the better option? Drive in the right lane and chance running up on extremely slow traffic or the left lane and chance being rear ended? We opted for the left with the plan to pull over if headlights were approaching from the rear. One note, it does not rain in the fog. We came down out of the mountains and entered North Carolina. The rain ended, the sun came out and the temp hit 75. We actually turned on the air. Tomorrow I wear shorts.

Now being an old goat, my philosophy has become to roll in the right lane a mile or two over, just keeping up with traffic. It worked for me earlier, in Ohio we went a couple of hours and only passed 2 or 3 vehicles. It wasn't working today, the limit was 65 and at 67 I couldn't keep anyone in sight. Not enjoying having the trucks breathing down our necks, we cranked it up to 72 and still had a few blow our doors off.

Nuvi started talking to us. "Severe traffic - recalculating" and then told us to keep doing what we were doing. We didn't see any severe traffic but we finally figured that she was looking for an alternative route. If she had suggested one we sure wouldn't have taken it. Talk about "Death by GPS"! After about an hour of this, we found the back up. About 15 to 20 miles of slow creep. There were periodic cop cars with flashers going in the median but not appearing to be accomplishing anything. Towards the end, we saw a cop talking to a young woman on the side whose car had been in a fender bender but I think that was the result, not the cause of the back up.

Anyway, the traffic cleared, the rain kept falling and we stopped on the outskirts of Charlotte, SC for lunch at Bubba's Barbecue. As usual I ate too much but it was sure good. There were some funny signs in the parking lot like "Don't read this under penalty of the law". I said "I'll bet there's a cache here." Out came the phone and the cache was found.

After lunch, back on the road and the traffic was even heavier. We were making the turn on the x-way in Columbia, 8 miles from the motel when the sky opened up and there was a deluge, we pulled off at the next exit and waited it out at McDonalds. There was a river flowing through the parking lot. It let up and we came on to our home for the night.

At the exit, there was a traffic light, we had to make a left. We waited more than 5 minutes and the light did not change for us. Finally, the car in front of us ran it. The semi behind pulled partially along side and shouted something indiscernible at Nancy. Well, I'm not going to get run over, to Hell with it! I ran the red light.

St Augustine tomorrow.

Southern Trip Day 2

Dick's Travel Journal (continued)

Southern trip, Day 2

We spent a lot of time in the motel room looking for highlights of the
Michigan/Ohio State game. Nobody showed the TD that wasn't. A few didn't even mention it. Jim Branstatter was sure that it was was a TD and a flat out bad call. He
said that even if it wasn't a score, the spot should be inches, not on
the 1 yard line.

We got an early start. Apparently this area of Ohio is not on daylight
time. We got up and found that it was raining steadily all over the
State but TV showed that we might drive out of it in WV. Anyway, we
loaded the car and drove off.

Usually we fill up either first thing or the night before but we were only down an eighth of a tank and it was raining so we just drove off. Nancy loaded the address of the motel in Beckley WV into Nuvi. Apparently the Nuvi decided that it would not be a
good idea for us to drive through Columbus and so she picked a
different route for us. We discovered this when she sent us past the
Columbus exit and 3 exits later took us on a scenic tour of an
industrial area of Dayton. Stop signs, yield signs, traffic lights
left turns, right turns. traffic circles, just about everything at 35
MPH. Since it was still dark and raining we didn't see much. The most
interesting thing I saw was an old run down strip mall with The Love
Boutique at one end and the something or other Tabernacle World
Headquarters at the other. Since it was Sunday morning, both were
empty.

We were routed on US35 which is usually a divided highway but not
limited access. Although it was raining, once we got out of town,
except for the 55 mph speed limit, it was a fine drive. We made a
potty/coffee stop at a McDonalds where they had a rack of papers which
had the headline - Wolverine It's what's for dinner. It had a picture
of Brutus with a shotgun aiming at a maize and blue turkey with Hoke's
picture for its head. It's worth a giggle.

As time and the miles passed, both the rain and the traffic increased.
At the same time our gas gauge was dropping. When we got below a
quarter, I decided to stop and refuel regardless of the price.
Unfortunately, the exits were few and the gas stations were non
existent. We were down to about an eighth when the Gallipolis exit
came in view. It said there were stations there but none were visible
from the x-way. Of course I drove to the next exit. There was a
town/shopping area on the left but no discernible way to get there. In
front of us was the bridge over the Ohio River. There's got to be a town
over there. We cross the river and take the exit into Henderson, WV.
What a sad place. Not only is there no gas, there's no store. We
proceed on and ask Nuvi for help. She says most of the gas is behind
us but there is a General Store about 10 miles in the direction we are
traveling. We proceed. The road she wants us to take is up a mountain.
The low gas warning light comes on. Does AAA make road assistance
calls in West Virginia on Sunday morning? Finally, good sense
overcomes the driver. We turn around, drive back over the bridge into
Ohio, pull into a BP and pay $3.39. I put 12.976 gallons into a 13
gal. tank.

This has been a white knuckle day. We get some comfort food at the
Biscuit House and proceed to Beckley.

In the motel I called Dan. He says it was a TD.

On The Road Again

Blog Break - I'm using Dick's Travel Journal


First night - Wapakoneta Ohio.

We pulled out of the drive at 9 AM. Drove with coffee/pit stops to
Williamston for lunch.

It's hunting season but we didn't see any
bambis on cars, only xmas trees. Did see a lot of deer by the side of
the road, 15 in Michigan, 4 more in Ohio. Gas ranged from $3.34 to
$2.99 here in the Buckeye State. It was $3.22 when we filled up in TC.

Traffic was not bad, setting the cruise to 75 let us lay back in the
right lane and just keep up with most traffic.

We were listening to the Michigan/Ohio State game on the road after lunch. We couldn't
find it on our new Sirius radio so we found it on an AM station out of
Detroit. On I96, when we scored, the guy driving the car in front of
us rolled down his window and shook his fist in the air.

The game was quite a series of ups and downs. Soon the station was
breaking up so we pulled into the Macland parking lot in Bluffton for
the last few minutes. It's a good thing we did because I might have
run off the road. We can't wait to see the replay of the TD that
wasn't.

The plan on this trip is to avoid Cincinnati and Atlanta so tomorrow
we drive through Columbus (Nancy suggests that I wear a different
shirt and hat) on our way to WV.

Season Tickets

We have decided that we won't be buying season tickets anymore because: 1. The stadium is so different; 2. Our seats have been changed; 3. It's uncomfortabl to access the new seats; 4. Our old seatmates are scattered, 5. Our parking situation has changed; 6. My mobility makes stadium access a challenge, 7. We had trouble this fall finding an apartment to rent for 5 weeks - our regular place was all booked up and we ended up at a most unsatisfactory place.

The shorter answer is no, we aren't going to the Big Game - we sold our tickets to Justin and will cheer from T.C.

Happy Thanksgiving

Gobble.gobble. gobble!

We went to the Great Wolf Lodge for the Thanksgiving buffet. They do a very special buffet - one of the best we've seen. It was very extensive, and we both enjoyed it immensely. Saw Bev there.

We're leaving for Florida on Saturday, so we didn't want to do a turkey at home and have a lot of leftovers, even though we used to think that the leftovers were the best part! (Cold giblet dressing at 11:30 p.m., for instance.)

Dick wrote a little essay for the MiGO forum, and I liked it so much that I got permission to put it on my blog - he is such a good writer!

What are we thankful for in 2011? Well let’s start with our parents who experienced the Depression and taught their children the value of thrift and education. We are grateful also for the lessons we were taught by the wonderful teachers in the Traverse City Public Schools. We are grateful for the community and the time in which we grew up, where as children we were safe to explore and play as we wished as long as we got back home when the street lights came on. We are grateful to Hermie who, 60 years ago fixed us up on our first date and thus introduced us to our best friend.

We are grateful for the society in which we grew up which believed that education beyond HS should be affordable to everyone. When we were kids, the citizens of this state kept the cost of public colleges reasonable. We were able to pay for college with minimum wage summer and campus jobs. Because of a federal program, we were able to purchase a home in which to raise our family. Because of the actions and advice of our parents we were able to live frugally and invest in both our and our children's futures. Because of the success of our country through the years, we are able to enjoy a satisfying retirement.

We are grateful for our families, our children, brothers, nieces, and nephews. Grandchildren? We only have one, but if you have a spare 4 or 5 hours, we’ll explain to you why he’s the very best one there is. We are also grateful for our MiGO family. Geocaching has become a large part of our lives. It gives us an excuse and rationale for doing what have always been our favorite activities, going for a ride in the car and taking a walk in the woods. We treasure the many friends and acquaintances with whom we share this passion.

We are grateful that we live in Traverse City, one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been to, with health care second to none. It seems that every day we come across something that brings a smile to our faces and another bit of joy in our lives.

11/11/11 11:11:11

Happy Veteran's Day.

When I was a kid, it was called Armistice Day because it was the day that saw cessation of hostilities between Germany and the Allies to end World War I. It was signed on 11/11/1918 at 11 a.m.

Today there was a geocaching flash mob. We met at the Veterans Memorial on 11th street. It was well attended - 30 - 35 people came. At 11 a.m. we observed 2 minutes of silence, at at 11:11 a.m. it was over. We passed out flags, and Charlie and Marty handed out red, white and blue beaded key chains. A little boy named Cooper was celebrating his 7th birthday, and one team was celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary! It was our first flash mob, and it was meaningful, successful and fun.

Afterwards most of us went over to Cuppa Joe for beverages. We sat with Tim and Susie and had a great time exchanging family news and events since we were together last. Somehow it seems that the four of us can talk forever!

The dermatologist was next on the agenda. I've had a bump on my hand that I thought was a wart, but it turned out to be a squamous cell carcinoma, the "good" kind of skin cancer - it doesn't spread. Now it has been removed, and I'm so glad I went. No wonder the Compound W didn't work!

Tim and Susie were out caching - we called them and said we were ready for lunch and met them at the Olive Garden for a super lunch and more fun than you can shake a stick at. A memorable day.

Purdue and Fritz

My bum knee is keeping me on the sidelines for this game...or rather, by Snider's cozy fireside.

Dick met Todd and Fritz at the Meijer parking lot, and they drove on in to our AAA parking. Fritz wanted to see the band march in, so Todd took him all around the outside of the stadium. They saw the band march down the street, and had a chance to see the drumline up close and personal. Then the two of them entered the main gate - Gate 1 - and watched the band enter the field through the tunnel. What a lucky little boy! What a super birthday treat!

Toussaint Spearheads U-M to Homecoming Victory over Purdue


Oct. 29, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #17 Michigan 36, Purdue 14
Records: U-M (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten), Purdue (4-4, 2-2 Big Ten)
Attendance: 112,115
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Nov. 5 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 11 a.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior/sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (Youngstown, Ohio/Liberty) and the University of Michigan football team (No. 17 AP/No. 17 Coaches) entertained the Homecoming crowd with a 36-14 rout over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 29) at Michigan Stadium. Toussaint set career highs for carries (20) and rushing yards (170) and matched his career high with two touchdown runs. It is the second time in Toussaint's career he has eclipsed the 100-yard threshold.

As the game went on, there was some rainfall. In the fourth quarter, with the game definitely well in hand, they were a little damp and decided to leave a bit early. Dick never leaves early, but he was thinking of my cousin the Kindergartner. They all enjoyed a great game, and it was a super experience for Fritz.

I enjoyed my time at Snider's resting my knee and watching the game in comfort and warmth.

Shore Signs

Our tourists who go to the beach are well-educated if they read all of the signs. These colorful signs are interesting to read, and fun to look at.

There are many signs by our rivers, lakes and Bays. These three are at the State Park Beach on East Grand Traverse Bay:

This one is not educational, unless you want a snack at the Clinch Park Beach. I stuck it in here because I just really like the sign.

There are also informational signs about the watershed along the TART by the Bay. The Traverse area is doing a good job trying to maintain the health of our many waterways.

Dick and I support The Watershed Center every chance we get. I think we must have paid for at least one of these signs by now!

October Meet and Greet

How embarrassing! After reminding everyone that this month's Meet and Greet was on a Thursday instead of Wednesday, we forgot about it our very own selves!

Our excuse is that we had a very busy day, beginning with a Doctor's appointment for Dick and followed by errands, and lunch, and getting home kind of late in the afternoon.

At six o'clock I got a text from Suzie - "Are you guys all right?" Duh! Then we remembered! We got there before 6:30, but we were in for a lot of kidding. Anyway, we had a good time, good pizza, got some good information about the iPhone (talking to google), and were glad we came.

Some posts for the evening:

DinoDuo
[Caches Found] 5116
Attended Attended
10/13/2011

Another fun meet and eat. Glad that we made it this month and we weren't the last ones to arrive. Next month's event sounds interesting, hope we can be there. btw, thanks to BWB for the 2 reminders that this event had been moved to Thursday.


basswoodbend
[Caches Found] 3101 · [Challenges Completed] 2
Attended Attended
10/13/2011

Thanks to the Dino's for the last minute reminder. Can we use age as an excuse? Message came in at 6, we made it by 6 1/2. Thanks for the reminder and thanks for the event. Now to figure out what a flash mob is.

Fall Colors

The colors seem more intense this year, and longer lasting too. We have taken color tours in Leelanau County, and out on the peninsula - but River Road seems the most beautiful to us.

Here's a tree in our own backyard!

What a Treat !

Little Brown Jug

Gee, we had fun - Tim and Suzie went with us, and it was a perfect day for football.

mgoblue:

Smith Earns Rare Feat, U-M Blanks Minnesota to Retain Little Brown Jug

Oct. 1, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #19 Michigan 58, Minnesota 0
Records: U-M (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten), Minnesota (1-4, 0-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 111,106
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Oct. 8 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 6 p.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior running back Vincent Smith (Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee) had touchdowns rushing, passing and receiving in his team's first four drives as the University of Michigan football team (No. 19 AP/No. 19 USA Today Coaches) rolled past Minnesota, 58-0, on Saturday (Oct. 1) before a Michigan Stadium crowd of 111,106.

Afterwards we all went to Joe's Crab Shack, which we all love.

Then home to watch MSU amaze us against OSU - wish we could do that!

I Don't Know How She Does It

Movie Day! Went to the Rave with Jan and Diane Z. The movie was very much fun - just some relaxing and entertaining fluff. Sarah Jessica Parker is beginning to show her age - I was surprised. Also, for a spokesperson for hair products, her hair was remarkably messy. In one elevator scene her hair looked silky and shiny, but just in one scene. Now I'm thinking that I might be a tad too picky! It's a cute movie and I enjoyed it.

Afterwards we went to Red Robin for dinner and had a great visit - it's always nice to reconnect with people.

Byline:Jana

Our daughter Jana is an excellent writer. (She gets it from me!!!) Recently she was irritated by a interview which she heard on NPR. Not content with just expressing her viewpoint to those around her, she wrote this essay to submit to NPR. It's a marvelous essay, if I do say so myself!

By Jana Steiger, world class essayist:

On Sept. 14, I listened with gritted teeth as NPR's Melissa Block
interviewed Taylor Branch, the author of an article alleging that the
NCAA is a cartel which exploits student athletes, and that amateur
status has 'the whiff of the plantation.'

Saturday, I had a reminder of why this idea offends me so much as I
attended a football game at my alma mater the University of Michigan
-- with the largest football stadium and most numerous alumni in the
country, surely one of Branch's major cotton fields of student
exploitation.

Before kickoff, Michigan honored its other varsity teams that have
achieved division or national championships this year. I suppose
Branch would have yawned and fidgeted as swimmers and divers, gymnasts
and the softball and hockey teams ran out through the tunnel and
leaped to touch the M Club's Go Blue banner. But we in the stands
cheered for our champions, many of whom compete before scant crowds of
parents and roommates when they are lucky.

These student athletes work just as hard as those in the money-making
sports. They have pushed themselves -- without benefit of TV cameras
or record-breaking crowds -- to make it to the peak of their sport.
And their programs and coaches, facilities and uniforms, travel and
lodging and scholarships are all made possible by football profits.

In fact, a quick Google shows that Michigan currently has 765
scholarship athletes, 365 of whom are women, in 26 varsity sports. For
some, this is their ticket to an education they could otherwise never
afford; for others, it's the pride of the letter jacket and passion
both for the sport and their school that keeps them pouring everything
they have into cross country or field hockey, wrestling or rowing.
Certainly most of them never expect to be professional athletes. Even
at Michigan, which produces more pro athletes than any other school in
the country, in 2009 the number of Michigan alumni pros in the 5 major
leagues was a whopping 68 out of the thousands of student athletes who
had graduated in the previous 15 years or so.

So, if we pay student athletes, for the vast majority of them it will
be the only time in their lives they are being paid to play their
sport.

Later in Saturday's game, during a TV time out, our women's gymnastics
NCAA all-around champion Kylee Botterman bashfully stood in the end
zone as the loudspeaker resounded her achievements. 110,000 fans
stood and cheered, thrusting our fists into the air as we sang The
Victors just for her. I wonder how much Branch would pay Botterman.
Do you pay her for what she has achieved (and what dollar figure do
you put on that?), or do you say sorry Kylee, we only pay those
athletes whose sports generate millions in ticket and concession sales
and lucrative TV deals?

Even if you limit the discussion to football, I counted on the
sidelines Saturday nearly 100 suited-up players, the vast majority of
whom have no realistic NFL dreams. In fact, many of these players
never really hope to get in a game, on a team as deep and competitive
as Michigan. These guys practice just as hard as the first string
players, and suit up every game. They do it for the opportunity to
wear the maize and blue, and because what they learn on the field
about teamwork and collaboration, about discipline, and
sportsmanship, and about themselves, will serve them as much in their
future careers as what they are learning in Michigan classrooms.

In the interview, Branch dismissed this kind of thinking as
"romantic." What he doesn't understand is, the players are not there
for our benefit. They are students. They are learning, and we are
watching them learn and cheering them on. Amateur status makes this
clear -- students, you are here to learn and train and raise the bar for
yourself and your sport. Your school is here to teach and coach and
inspire you to greater levels of excellence. Those people in the
stands? They are here to support you and live vicariously through
you, because of the shared love you all have for your school. Those
people at home cussing at their TVs? Who cares. They have no place
in your education. You owe them nothing.

That relationship between the school and the athlete and the fans gets
turned on its head if the students become paid employees, which I
think is Branch's real goal. I don't believe Branch is bothered by
exploitation, I think he's fine with it as long as students get a cut
of the profits he believes it is their purpose to generate. If Branch
were really upset about exploitative athletic programs, perhaps he
would work to prevent bloodsucking parasites from lining their pockets
by turning amateur athletics into a multi-billion-dollar industry
where profits come before the needs of the sport and the students.

Branch is confusing college stadiums with box offices, where revenues
are driven by star power. In college football -- at Michigan, anyway
-- that's not what people are paying for. Sure, we like to see our
stars make great plays with fancy moves and lots of razzle dazzle. But
nothing chokes us up so much as seeing a 4th-string senior finally get
in for just one play. We cheer ourselves hoarse when this happens,
out of respect for that player's persistence and love of the game.

I guess that's because we're romantics. I think Branch could use a
healthy dose of romance.

Brunch at Weber's

What a pleasant day this was. Once again the predicted rain never materialized, and we had perfect weather.

We met James, Tara and Lauren along with Leslie and Rose at Weber's at 10:30.



They do a very nice brunch, and we all filled our plates.




I haven't seen Leslie and Tara for years, and it's true that old friends are the best. We all share many, many memories from the seventies when the girls were growing up. It's such fun to remember everything. Their daughters are so enjoyable - polite and interesting. We all had a great time.

After brunch we all went to Wasem's Fruit Farm. Perfect early fall day for cider - and yes, we bought doughnuts for breakfast!

Jana' Birthday Game

At first, rain was predicted, but for once they were wrong! It turned out to be the perfect football day - moderate temps and blue skies.

The traffic was horrific on the way to the stadium. This year in a kerfuffle over who will pay for what, the University and the City of Ann Arbor have changed the traffic control on game days. Before the game, incoming traffic is controlled by traffic lights only - nobody directing traffic. This results in 30-40 minute back-ups on the freeway while we're all waiting for the light to change.
It's really awful, and I hope they resolve this issue soon.

We loved the game and its outcome, but Jana especially enjoyed all of the sidelights. The band played Bullwinkle - twice - they also did the pony thing, and sang Don't Stop Believin' and Sweet Caroline. The students started the wave, and post-game, the band played the alma mater. She got a chance to participate in all of her favorites. It was a real birthday treat.

This from mgoblue:

Robinson, Michigan Rush Past San Diego State in Non-Conference Finale

Sept. 24, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Michigan 28, San Diego State 7
Records: U-M (4-0), SDSU (3-1)
Attendance: 110,707
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Oct. 1 -- vs. Minnesota (Michigan Stadium), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior quarterback Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) and the University of Michigan football team (No. 22 AP/No. 21 USA Today Coaches) rushed out to a fast start against San Diego State in a 28-7 victory Saturday (Sept. 24) at Michigan Stadium.

After the game, Alice and Kim came over to say hi - we don't sit together any more, sadly. It was fun to chat with them.



Amazingly, Carol from our gym in T.C. also came to say hi. I don't know how she found us in that stadium full of 110,000 people! We were so surprised we forgot to take a picture!

Birthday girl after the game:

Odette's Funeral

A sincere and moving service. The most memorable part for me was the reading of Proverbs 31:27:
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." It is the perfect Bible verse to describe Odette.

The service was followed by a lovely luncheon in the church parlor. It was nice to have a chance to wind down from the emotional service and focus on Odette's life and influence by talking with friends and family.

ODETTE'S EULOGY:

Odette Steiger was born September 5th, 1929 in Jackson, Michigan to Yoel Pera and Fahima Mirza and she died September 18, 2011 in Troy, Michigan. Odette’s family were Assyrians who had fled their historically Christian community in Mosul, Persia, following persecution for their faith. After a brief time in Baghdad, the family immigrated to Michigan. Odette had an older sister, Yvette, and a younger sister, Annette. In her quiet way, Odette was the peacemaker in the family. As a young woman, Odette entered Michigan State Universitywhere she studied industrial psychology. It was there that she met Doug, and apparently she accepted his request for a date because she felt sorry for him. The two would do their homework together and Odette found Doug to be quite helpful with her math. Also, neither of them was a dancer, so they often found themselves being wallflowers together. And, as they say, the rest is history. The two were married for fifty nine years. They had three children together: Susan, David, and Roger. Doug had a job with Chrysler and the family moved several times in those early years, living in Highland Park, Royal Oak, and New Orleans, before settling in Rochester Hills in 1968.

At the age of 32, around the time of Roger’s birth, Odette was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition which she lived with for fifty years. Her son Roger said of her: “I never saw her run or jump or raise her arms or complain about any of that.”

Odette was a person of great faith and strong values. Her mother was Roman Catholic and her father was Presbyterian. Odette’s grandfather was actually a Presbyterian minister. So Odette grew up with an ecumenical view of things. Her parents never argued about matters of religion, and Odette grew up knowing Christ, reading the Bible, and attending church. Odette told her children that the church was her home. Sometimes you don’t like this hymn or that sermon, but it is your home. It is your family.

Odette was fundamentally a thankful person, and I believe that she was one of those people for whom suffering only brings them closer to God. She would pray with her children before bed. They said the Lord’s Prayer together, and then they would ask God to bless all the people in their life. One of the children began to add, “And God, please make mommy’s hands feel better.” Soon the other children were praying this too, and then her niewces began also to pray for this every night. Odette’s daughter Susan once asked, “Mom, what did you think when those prayers were never answered?” Odette replied, “Those prayers were answered; I was blessed.” For Odette, the cup was not half empty, and not even half full. Her cup ran over. Recently I visited Odette and afterward she spoke with Susan and said how nice it was that I spent a whole hour with her, but then she said, “Susan, I feel badly that she spent a whole hour with me; there are sick people in the church that need to be visited!”

Odette is survived by sister, Annette, her husband Doug, and three children: Susan married to John, David, and Roger married to Megan, and Odette also had five beloved grandchildren, Kristen, Molly, Jackson, Fay, and Lauren, and many nieces and nephews. Family was very important to Odette. She would always say that she did not want gifts, she just wanted to have her family with her. And the family was always centered around the children. The family joked that Odette’s interior decorating style was “pictures of grandchildren."

She lived the life that she wanted to live and it was a life of abundant happiness. She and Doug were deeply devoted to one another and had great joy in each day together. After Doug retired they were able to travel together to Europe several times, and this was the first time Odette was willing to spend money on her self. As her health declined, they toured the US together. She lived life to its fullest and she enjoyed each moment.

As I think of Odette, I think of this passage of Proverbs: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious thanjewels. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Odette was the ideal woman described in Scripture. The Scripture says, “She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” Odette did many works of charity through the Meadowbrook Woman's Club and PEO. Odette was a servant in the church, always doing what needed to be done, not a person to seek her own glory or even push for her own way, but a person seeking to help wherever help was needed. She and Doug would go through the church and refill the pencils and envelopes in the pews, straightening things up. The Scripture says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” She was a quiet person most of the time, but when she said something, people listened. If you watched closely you noticed that nobody pushed her around. Proverbs says, “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Of Odette’s care for her family I will say only this: she served Christmas dinner every year for the entire family often over twenty five people and no one was allowed to help. She maintained that she did not want any help, she would say, “I have my lists, I do a little bit every day, and the doctor says it’s good for me.” This past Christmas she did make a big concession; due to her health, she allowed paper plates. Proverbs says, “She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.” Odette was a tiny person who could not open jars by herself. Yet we will all remember Odette as a person of colossal strength. The Scripture says, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” Odette was nothing if not dignified, and she had no fear of death and did not worry about the future. Looking at such a life I can only conclude, based on the Scripture, that Odette was the ideal woman of God. Where did such a gift come to all of us? From the hand of God. Odette loved God, and honored God in all she did.

The Scripture says that “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Life is fleeting; we have learned that all too well this week. Life is fleeting, but God is steadfast. Odette’s faith in God was steadfast. Her commitment to Christ was steadfast. Her daily life of honoring God through loving others was steadfast. And now God is steadfast in his love of Odette. Now Odette is basking in that love in all its fullness, and she is lifting her arms high, opening perfect hands in praise. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Rev. Marianne Grano
University Presbyterian Church
1385 S. Adams Rd.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
Office: 248-375-0400 x 204
Cell: 313-585-1211
Reflections on life: www.the-sermonator.blogspot.com

Tom left from the church back to Metro for his flight. Laurie and Jana came back with us to Ann Arbor. Laurie is leaving tomorrow, and Jana is staying for the weekend as previously planned. In the evening we ordered pizza and had birthday cake for Dick. Today is Dick's birthday. Both Jana and Dick will have no trouble remembering their birthdays this year.

Just happy to be together no matter what:


Odette had the ability to make everyone feel special. She would concentrate on you and give you her full attention as if you were the most important person around. In reality, she was the special one. For the past forty years she lived with pain, stiffness and discomfort, and never ever complained. She put herself out at every opportunity to be helpful. She created many traditions for her family year after year. It was hard to understand how she could accomplish what she did with her limitations. Christmas dinner for more than 20 people every year! She would say, "Oh I just do a little at a time - just do a little something every day." But the cooking and serving on Christmas Day must have been a huge effort for her. She was a terrific role model, and an inspiration to everybody. We are all better for having known her.

Steiger, Odette
Steiger Odette Age 82, September 18, 2011 of Rochester Hills. Loving wife of Douglas. Dearest mother of Susan (John) Lichtenberg, David Steiger and Roger (Megan) Steiger. Proud grandmother of Kristen, Molly, Jackson, Fay, and Lauren. Also survived by her sister Annette (Bruce) Chambers. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the University Presbyterian Church, 1385 S. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills, MI 48309. Memorial Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the Pixley Funeral Home, 322 W. University Dr., Rochester, MI 48307. Memorial contributions are suggested to the University Presbyterian Church - Memorial Gifts Fund.

Remembering Odette

Loaded with suits and black socks, we headed back to Ann Arbor. Not such nice weather today, but traffic was light. The kids have convinced us to stay in Rochester overnight tonight, so we all have rooms reserved at the Spartan Inn. Odette would have loved it!

At the Memorial gathering this evening, we had a chance to see Odette's side of the family - Annette and Bruce along with their children Steve and Chris - Jackie, and "Baby" Annette. We have only seen them at weddings before. We all had some good memories to share.

Doug and Odette's family were all able to be welcoming and appreciative - I was very proud of them - Susan, David, and Roger were terrific hosts. Doug was a little overwhelmed at seeing all of his friends and acquaintances from so many years all in one place! We hadn't seen Kristen and Molly for ages, and it was pleasant to reconnect with them. Jackson, Fay and Lauren were just as delightful as always, and it was nice to have them there. Barb and Jim came from T.C. and Sharon and John from Lansing. It's always wonderful to have friendly faces around you in sad times.

Of course we were very glad to see our three kids arrive, and it was lovely to be together again, if only it hadn't been for such a sad reason. We had just seen the Steiger half of the family at GenFest, but it was wonderful to be able to give many hugs and messages of support. There were so many people to talk to, and the time passed quickly.

At eight o'clock, the five of us were ready for a late dinner. Roger suggested Kruse and Muer on Main Street, and we had a very nice late night dinner. It was a great suggestion. It was kind of a birthday dinner for Jana - today is her birthday.

Funeral Attire

Our football game outfits just might not be quite the right thing for a funeral, so we're driving up to T.C. to get more formal attire. It's a nice day for a drive and it will be nice to be home even for one night, but we need a lot of hand-holding to get through this.

Today we found out what kind of kids we have raised. All three are flying in for Odette's memorial and funeral - Tom from San Diego, Laurie from South Florida, and Jana from D.C. We never suggested that they do this, we just provided them with the info and updates, and all of a sudden we were getting emails with flight information. It's a tribute to Odette and how much they valued her influence during their lives.