I left work early today and we hauled the Lyme Lounge up to its winter berth at Uncle Bare’s Bear’s house here in Gaylord. It fits nicely in Uncle Bare’s Bear’s garage. We peeled off the I75 SUV Speedway just north of Bay City and took “old” highways up to West Branch, past the Giant Mouse at Wilson’s Cheese Shop and other various attractions.

When we got to West Branch, as we were approaching a traffic signal, a po-leese car drove into the intersection and stopped traffic. What for? To let the football team through! It was a parade, albeit a small one with two cop cars, two school buses, and an SUV pulling an equipment trailer. We followed right along with our Frog Hopper and Lyme Lounge. The GG was a little annoyed at first but actually it was kind of fun. You can’t really tell in the crappy photooo but there are people all over the place, out to wish their small-town heroes well in tonight’s conquest. I have mixed feelings about football and the culture that sometimes goes along with it but I grew up in a small town too and I remember some awfully good times during the football season. Hmmm, maybe it helped that I, as a nerdy band kid outsider type, wasn’t wrapped up in that culture too much. I will have to think about that. Anyway, go Falcons of Ogemaw Heights High. Beat Cadillac! And go Sault High Blue Devils tomorrow. Beat Mt. Pleasant! Wait a minute? We play Mt. Pleasant now? Oh wait. I guess that’s the playoffs.

So we are here at Uncle Bare’s Bear’s house and yes there is snow on the ground. I am playing a dangerous game coming up here WITHOUT WINTER BOOTS! (Note to KW: you have some boots all picked out and saved in your stooopid phone. ORDER THEM ALREADY!) I mean, it is okay here at Uncle Bare’s house. The streets are just wet and my shoes are fine. Tomorrow? Let’s just hope that the forecast for rain and 40s holds and that there isn’t a lot of snow on the hiking trails.

Mr. Bare Bear Nature? Has the statute of limitations run out on this story from something like 1972 yet? Okay. So, I was in high school and I had a new boyfriend (who wasn’t from the proverbial “wrong side of the tracks”). He was a couple years older than me, in college and working to put himself through. My parents liked him. I’m not sure they were all that crazy about some of his friends. There was this one guy we called Chewy and he and his wife (yes, he was married at 20 and there was one baby and another on the way) lived in this teensy tinesy wee little *messy* house. I was over there with my boyfriend and his friends having beer one night. His wife was really really nice but I’m sure she probably got frustrated having a bunch of teenagers at her house. Anyway, we were having beers and I did not get drunk but some others, including Chewy, got plastered. When my boyfriend and I left, Chewy was lying outside in the snow beside his car. He was fully clothed, wearing a winter jacket and everything. My boyfriend took me home and then circled back to check on his friend, who was, at that point, lying NAKED in the snow… He got his friend back inside the house (the wife had probably gone to bed) and everything was fine except that everybody called him Mr. Bare Bear Naked for a while. My boyfriend and I grew up and I broke up with him. Chewy grew up and became a po-leese-man and moved to a different house and the teensy tinesy wee house is no longer there. My boyfriend took his hard-earned accounting degree and moved to the PAC northwest and by what accounts I have heard, has a wonderful family and career. By the way, I am not trying to make a point with all this, just a little peek into my childhood.

Good night! We are having a cocktail before heading out to Benethums for dinner! Good times in Gaylord!

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