My Week that Was - November 14

Downtown Madison.
11/8/2020 dwm photo

The week started with a sense of relief, a fresh breath of air as I joined many (especially in Madison) people relieved that the constant chaos which became the hallmark of the current President is coming to an end.

One thing that caught my attention during the President-elect's speech last Saturday was his citing of Ecclesiastes, "'there is a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal,' this is a time to heal."

He also referenced the hymn that speaks to God lifting us "as on eagle's wings."  A few references don't mean anything on their own, but these comments fit Mr. Biden's remarks seeking a coming together was something I was glad to hear.

Easier said than done?  YES.  However, I like hearing that he want to find it.

Sunday, after my final ride, we took a pandemic Sunday drive around rural Dane County.  There were quite a few people out enjoying the warm weather.  One home we drove past was taking advantage of the warmth to put out their Christmas display.  I hope they don't turn on all those lights until after Thanksgiving.

A sad note Sunday with the news Alex Trebek died of Pancreatic cancer.  The host of Jeopardy! was at the helm of the quiz show for more than 8.200 episodes over 37 seasons.  He was still working just a few weeks ago, those shows will run through Christmas.  

Jeopardy! has been a favorite show for years.  I never tried out, but like you, enjoyed sitting on the couch trying to get the right question before one of the contestants 'buzzed' in.  

Monday early morning was as warm as its been in a long, long time.  It was 62 degrees according to the sign at the Cross Plains State Bank downtown.  I worked up a sweat in no time. 

Winds of change came Tuesday.  The high for the day was at midnight.  It was 60 at 6am and 53 by 7pm.  Heavy rains fell throughout the day and strong winds ushered out the warm front blowing cold temps in.  

My days of running in short-sleeves were over.  

Just one day later it was 30 degrees when I rounded the corner to Main Street.  It wasn't bad; just a little cool the couple times I was running into the wind.

I recorded a couple auditions Thursday using a new technique to improve the sound on tape.  It turns out hydration is a key component to good recordings.

Last day of work was spent writing.  Three scripts for "ads" the foundation is putting on the in-house television.  The ads are intended to complement the mail we're sending out next week.  The final piece was the monthly column we write for the resident newsletter on the Prairie Ridge campus of Oakwood.

Yesterday there was another sad event as Green Bay Packer legend Paul Hornung died.  Coach Vince Lombardi said he was the best player he ever coached.  I met Mr. Hornung at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2009.  The experience was something I wrote about in 2019, you can see it here.  He was in a booth with former Packer teammate Ron Kramer who was selling his book.  After I talked with both gentlemen awhile, Paul asked me if I was going to buy a book, then made sure I did.

The Golden Boy was the tailback for Lombardi's Packers, but also served as the placekicker which is how he set a scoring record in 1961 while playing a 12 game season.  It wasn't surpassed until the NFL  played 16-game seasons.

We've lost a lot of Packers lately - Willie Davis, Zeke Bratkowski, Willie Wood, and Herb Adderley.  If they play football in heaven, I'll take the Pack.

Have a great week!