I’ve got a mind to see the headlights shining
On that old white line between my heart and home.
Sick of spendin’ Sundays wishing they were Mondays
Sittin’ in a park alone.Kris Kristofferson
There was an article in the times the other day that illustrates the madness of the current Republican Party. A business owner in Springfield OH, a Republican who twice voted for Donald Trump, was interviewed because of all the drama that Trump and JD Vance have stirred up by claiming Haitian immigrations are eating people’s dogs and cats. Seriously, that’s where we are in American politics. Anyway, this Republican manufacturing manager mentioned that he had hired some of the immigrants and noted that they were good workers. They showed up on time and did their jobs and had assimilated into the workforce and the community. These were Haitians who were living here legally and had work permits. But the MAGA crowd turned on this guy simply because he spoke honestly about the work ethic of these employees. He and his entire family, including his teenage daughter, have received death threats. This guy was not previously a gun owner but now he and his entire family have guns and are taking shooting classes — all because fellow extremist Repubs savagely attacked him for doing what he needed to do for his business.
Go America. Elect that fucking clown a 2nd time and see what happens.
Anyway. No more politics. It’s in our face enough. I just found that article somewhat incredible.
“I have been to see the great enemy,” he said, “and walked around him, and talked to him, and he is not to be feared. I promise.”
Philip Roth
I had to come to Lewisburg the other day for a meeting. Brittany was not with me. I went to the Ascend co-working space which is beautiful and very functional. After work, I met 5 or 6 people for beers at Briergarten. It was also ‘game night‘ for Ascend. But here’s my thing. And I take no joy from this admission. I really like the people from Ascend a lot. A lot. But I also have fairly significant introverted tendencies. So after the 75 or 90 minutes together having after-work beers I was ready to move on. Also, I had Marti with me and that’s a long time for a little dog to sit under a table and be a good dog — which she very much was. I was invited multiple times to join the larger group for game night. But truth is I needed time alone. That is my revitalization. So I took Marti on a long walk, fed her, changed my clothes and then went to dinner alone. Which I cherished. I thought about joining the crew, who are again an amazing group of people, very lovely, but I needed that time to myself. It keeps me in a good place. That sentiment in itself is not super unique. I get that. But what I do find interesting, is that if Brittany is with me, I am more inclined to go participate. I think it has something to do with having someone to share the energy exchange with. I can’t absorb all that social interaction and energy alone, but Brittany has a huge capacity for absorption in this sense. And that shields me a bit from a lot of it.
So. Another long pause in my blog activity. When I last posted, around 6 weeks ago, we had just finished up a long weekend in central West Virginia and were headed for Namibia. We were there for 3 weeks and then soon after coming back headed to Utah and Idaho and Vegas for a week and then to Nashville for a long weekend and a wedding. Now I am back at Black Dog Ridge and Brittany is in Columbus, but she will be here tonight for the weekend. End of this month we go to Toronto for a long weekend to see Springsteen and then Tampa for Christmas to visit with Brittany’s dad. If Tampa still exists of course, post Hurricane Milton.
Namibia and South Africa trip was excellent. Amazing. Being back around the kids renews me like nothing else. I should live there. Perhaps I will again one day. We spent a good bit of time with some of the alumni. Young adults now whom I knew when they were in grades 4, 5, & 6. They are killing it. And I am like a proud papa. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, entrepreneurs, writers and business professionals. These kids from the township who know real poverty and they have risen up and persevered and are beating the odds. They are funny and kind and thoughtful young adults. It was amazing to be around them and hear their stories and remember the old days when MYO was a young start-up.
We spent a week in Swakopmund preparing for the 20-year celebration. Terri and Brittany loved being around the kids and the school. The energy there is addictive. Nights we went for good meals to all the places I used to go to and we found some new ones. Sjoerd and Freddy were around a couple of days — down from Amsterdam.
After the 20-year celebration we drove north to Etosha for 3 days of safari. We stayed the first night inside the park at Okakuuejo and the next 2 nights at a lovely safari camp on the far northeastern corner of the park. After that we spent a night in Windhoek and had a braai at Beverly’s house. Ndeshipanda, Ester, and Frieda joined us for some drinks and dinners and we all had a great time. Next we flew to Cape Town. Weather was not great but we had fun anyway of course. It is such a beautiful city. We took long amazing drives and visited Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. Then a few days in Franshoek for wine tasting and great meals and that was it. 3 fast weeks.
It’s been a power-packed 2nd half of the year for travel. More than usual for Brit and I but we’ve managed it.
Think of all the poetry and picking down the line. A good line from TVZ that comes to mind when I contemplate travel.
Kris Kristofferson died. One of the greatest of the greats. A real renaissance man and from all accounts a gentle and compassionate soul. A very unique man. He will be missed. I’ve spent a lot of nights digesting his wisdom.
I’m no fan of Vegas but it was important to network as I look for a new contract. I wound up getting a little sick the last two days but still managed a couple of good contacts.
I did go to an urgent care in Vegas and it was a trip. I got there at 5:45 am and was the only one there. Still it took 45 minutes to get checked in and in that time they could ‘not find a mailing address or PO Box for my insurance company’. How can that be? It’s a legit healthcare provider through the federal exchange and I gave them my member number etc. Anyway, I just paid the fees myself. That’s the outcome. I pay dearly for health insurance, but in the end because I was feeling lousy and they would not let me see a doctor without some guaranteed form of payments it was easier to just pay them.
I saw a PA for about 90 seconds who said I had an allergic reaction and asked me if I had changed soaps or eaten anything I am allergic to. I told I have no known food allergies and never had any issues before, but he basically told me I must be mistaken and that was that. He prescribed steroids and I was back on the street.
Given his age he could not have been a PA more than a few years. But he seemed remarkably confident in his diagnosis after the 90-second examination. He never considered any alternative view or even asked me any detailed questions. Healthcare in America is like drive through doctoring. Wait an hour in the lobby even when I’m the only one there, pony up $225 and see an almost doc for a few seconds and assigned a prescription that I hope doesn’t send me into cardiac arrest.
I’m 61 years old and now and finally beginning to accept I will never again be able to play rugby. Perhaps I should have accepted it years ago but….. I still dream about it and that is nice. In my latest dream I was not playing but teaching some young boys to the game. That is a twist. Usually I am a player in my dreams, albeit it with the distorted quirkiness of dream state.
It dawns on me that every American should be required to watch John Oliver’s show. If you don’t watch, you can’t vote. That’s the law of the land. He is brilliant and the show is the most informative deep-dive option out there and with great comedy to boot.
So much time has passed between blogs posts here, that we will just have to accept some gaps in the record. But the pictures will help tell the story. I apologize for the uninspired writing. I will come back to it but needed to get this update in.
I did get the chance to briefly catch up with Jon Bolton at Salt Lake Roasting company. One of my favorite people on the planet. I had an amazing mocha latte and croissant. The best in the west. In Pocatello, Brittany and I had a great night with Carla, Kelly and Jose and a few other friends. Then we met up with some rugby mates at Mama Inez for a little day drinking.
I wonder how many times I’ve made the drive from Pocatello to Salt Lake City and back. At least 200 times I would think. Back and forth for rugby or the airport — time and time again for many years.
I’m sitting now on the deck at Black Dog Ridge. Looking across at the mountains and down at the river. I am grateful for my blessed life. More than I ever expected and better than I deserve.
Humbly Submitted
Robert Myres – Flanker, Portneuf Valley Rugby Football Club (ret.)
The Martini Tales 