RRN Online Volume 378

August 30 '03

Volume 378

Wayne's Day Celebrating Sixty-One

I remember, Popular Game as a child, looking forward to my birthday. Mom wasn't much on birthday parties, but I remember a few, with one of them occurring while we lived in Iuka, MS, where I started to school. I don't remember which friends attended, the presents I received, or the birthday cake I most surely ate. I only remember we played several games, one of which may have been "pin the tail on the donkey," though I don't feel certain of it. Such is my recollection of the first of several Wayne's Days.

Parties or not, birthday's were important events in my life. My sixth birthday is memorable because I remember dreading the thoughts of starting school, especially when I'd heard about things like counting and the alphabet but knew little to nothing concerning either one. Nowadays, we've a whole educational system built upon early childhood education, and I can't see that it's a big improvement over what was available in my childhood, but that's another story for another time.

My birthdays over the next several years seemed to happen slowly, and none of them stand out as memorable. However, I'm sure my seventeenth birthday held the excitement of knowing I was about to begin my last year of high school. I'm also reasonably certain the advent of my eighteenth birthday saw me at an emotional low with worry of what campus life would be like at Northwest Mississippi Junior College in Senatobia, MS. It's true that my Aunt Billie and Uncle Earl would be my surrogate parents for the next two years, but for a youth who'd never been more than one hundred miles from Pontotoc, the seventy-five miles separating Senatobia and Pontotoc seemed more like seven hundred miles.

My twenty-first birthday was a milestone event, but it was not wildly celebrated by me or anyone else in my family. It marked the beginning of my legal manhood, but I felt no differently that particular day than on the one preceding it.

By the time I reached thirty, birthdays were arriving noticeably more rapidly than during my childhood. With the arrival of my daughter the following year, someone set the video tape of my life on fast forward, and most of my birthdays since then are but a blur in my mind's eye.

Two weeks ago, this issue, my sixty-first birthday unfolded much like a typical summertime Saturday. I worked in Sara Sue's yard and mine for roughly half the day, before grinding a large portion of a beef brisket, some of which was required for hamburgers Saturday night.

Thoughts of being another year older had little chance to surface with all the other activities, except for the four birthday card greetings I received in the mail, the birthday wishes from family members, and caramel iced sheet cake brought by Aunt Jo. My niece, Cheryl Radford, phoned on her way to the home of friends to say they'd be sharing a hamburger in honor of my birthday. It was a nice thought, whether or not anyone actually followed through or not.

After Sarah, Jason, Barbara, and I finished supper, Sarah and Barbara drove to Tupelo in search of a birthday present or two for me. Barbara returned with a Polo-styled knit shirt with a Timberland logo. It's pretty yellow as yellow goes, but it's not overpowering, and I think it looks good on me. Since my family was having lunch in Belmont the next day, I figured any additional presents would be presented there.

It was Sunday morning before anyone asked me if I felt any older. I assured Jason that I did not. It's easier to coax me into attending a beauty pageant than it is to get Jason to visit his sister in Belmont. However, Jason made the trip with Sarah, Barbara, and me without a murmur or complaint and seemed to enjoy the visit as well as the food.

Why Rayanne chose chicken and dressing for the entrée in the middle of August, I don't know. We surely didn't raise her that way (we're of a lineage that believes chicken and dressing is best enjoyed in cold weather, much like our peculiar notion about beef stew or chili.) Yet, to her credit, it was quite tasty, even if it did look funny without a crust. She had made it in a huge Crock-Pot or similar cooker.

Before we arrived Rayanne mentioned to her mother-in-law, Beckie Adams, and to her youngest daughter, Katherine, that we were having dressing for lunch. Katherine, aged 2 1/2, hasn't learned all the nuances of the word, "dressing." In her world, dressing, as applied to food, means "Ranch."

Thus, she ran to the refrigerator, grabbed the Ranch Dressing, and declared, "This is the kind I'm having," as if to put everyone on notice she had "dibs" on the bottle of Ranch Dressing.

Midway through lunch, Charles Adams, Rayanne's father-in-law and my granddaughter, Anna Butler, arrived, just in from Georgia, where Anna had been for the purpose of picking up her new car to go with her newly acquired MS Driver's License. Rayanne's husband, Anson, followed approximately thirty minutes later.

After lunch, presents were opened and the chocolate birthday cake, made by Anna and topped with two candles forming the numeral 61, was served. It wasn't a big birthday party, but I appreciated the efforts of all involved in making another Wayne's Day special.

You Can See Mars On A Clear Night

My new niece, Rhea Palmer, sent me the following notice (italicized text below), regarding Mars, the red planet, around the first of August. Sarah, Barbara, and I have been checking out Mars for the past few weeks. With the naked eye, all we see is a bright sphere in the southeastern sky, but it's definitely the brightest object in the area. If you didn't get a chance to view Mars on the 27^th, don't despair, it's still there and only slightly removed from its close encounter with earth on August 27^th.

Never again in our lifetime will the Red Planet look so spectacular! This month and next Earth is catching up with Mars, an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be as long as 60,000 years. The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the East at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. But by the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m. That's pretty convenient when it comes to seeing something that no human has seen in recorded history.

It's a free showing and won't be as spectacular for another 284 years, so when it gets dark tonight, hit the outdoors and view the next planet that man is likely to inhabit.

Readers Respond More Words Of Appreciation

Rick Greene and his wife Leslie were unable to attend the annual celebration honoring another year of publication of this newsletter. However we appreciated his comments shared in a couple of recent emails.

In reading the latest Ridge Rider (Volume 372), I can only imagine the stress you and yours endured prior to and culminating with the party. Although, I was unable to attend (he writes with sincere disappointment), I am certain all those who did couldn't help but marvel at the effort AND accommodation(s). Your party was different than any other; it seems to have more of a family reunion atmosphere. I believe this to be a "perfect" gathering. People are generally unpretentious, are non-assuming, and you can always feel welcome. I've heard it called a "gathering", and now an "event". No matter what it is called, I know now that it is a appointed place and time that I NEVER (Good Lord willing) want to miss again - so I will think of it as a reunion. (8/11/03 7:38 P.M.)

It is a very unique thing you have accomplished: Ridge Rider News (and its "event"). I know that its original charter was to record thoughts, opinions, etc., for your children/grandchildren. However, since it has grown into a weekly periodical, it deserves, respectfully, to be recognized as an accomplishment. I think I can confidently speak on behalf of all RRN subscribers/appreciators that we enjoy each and every volume. It has become something of the "Pontotoc-paper" to my house. I routinely scan the 3-4 pages to see which article I want to read first; my wife almost immediately goes to Bodock Beau. (8/11/03 11:48 P.M.)

Linda Reeves and her husband Martin were among those attending the "event" mentioned by Rick Greene. We appreciate her comments, equally.

The fish fry was such a relaxing and meaningful experience for Martin and me. Thank you both for giving so generously of your time and energy to make it possible. As we were eating, I looked around your yard and noticed that it was immaculate. I realized that a great deal of work had gone into preparing it for the event, and then thought perhaps you keep it that way all the time.

Everything was perfect…your home, the yard, the meal, and the music. Sorry we missed "I'll Fly Away." Although I wasn't able to eat the catfish, I made up for it with the side dishes. The desserts were fantastic! I know, because I sampled most of them. Thank you again for providing a wonderful evening of fun and fellowship for RRN subscribers.

Crown Arrives Tales Of A Tooth

Three weeks ago, readers were left wondering if this writer would survive until his new crown and old partial arrived on August 22^nd. Well, it happened that my wife contacted me in Indianola around noon on August 15^th to let me know everything was ready, if I could get to the dentist's office in Tupelo by four-thirty p.m. After asking to be excused from a conference call scheduled for two o'clock, I hit the highway and sped toward Tupelo.

Traffic was light that afternoon, and, with a strong tailwind, I managed to arrive in Tupelo almost an hour ahead of the appointed time. Vickie was proud to see me arriving early, and she reviewed the colored triangles outside the patient rooms (the ones I recalled in a previous article) and commented that I did good in my remembering their purpose. She had shared the "Sore Mouth" article with Dr. Murphree's assistant who seemed amazed with the level of detail of the article.

I had hardly been strapped into my chair (kidding) when Dr. Murphree came in to deaden the gum area prior to fitting the new crown into place. After cementing the crown to the tooth and replacing my dental partial, it was necessary to make a few minor adjustments in order for everything to fit properly. It's been my experience with crowns, bridgework, and partials that several trips are required in order to tweak all the fittings.

"Don't bite down on anything hard for the next thirty minutes," Vickie admonished as I prepared to leave the office.

There was no cause for her to worry, as I've heard the words of caution many times, and I had no intention of eating anything during the next two hours, and by then, supper would be ready. For unknown reasons, the roast was not ready at suppertime. It was completely cooked, but it wasn't tender, which is the nicest thing to be said of it. In all honesty, it was the toughest pot roast I've ever tried to eat. However, my new crown held fast. Barbara thinks the Crock-Pot is not heating properly, but even when the leftovers were boiled in a stew of vegetables the next day, it was still tough.

At some point during the day Saturday, the crown detached itself, but remained in place thanks to the clasps on the partial. I did not discover the problem until I removed the partial Saturday evening and the new crown dropped out of my mouth. Fortunately, I discovered the crown would stay in place as long as the partial was in use, which served adequately for the next day.

I checked back with Dr. Murphree early Monday morning and he re-cemented the crown using a stronger adhesive, one that requires ultraviolet light to cure quickly. After additional grinding and adjusting of my old partial, I was pronounced ready. I thanked everyone for the service and headed off to Vicksburg for the day.

Since Wednesday, August 20^th was my wedding anniversary (36 years), it was a good time to finally have the ribeye I vowed to eat when my teeth were all back in place. Our romantic evening of celebration was pretty ho-hum in the romance department, but both Sara Sue and Jason enjoyed a ribeye with us at home.

It's been a week since I ate the ribeye and the new crown is doing fine. However, with my dental history, it's only a matter of time until something else breaks down.

Bodock Beau Admirable Athletes

Last week we enjoyed a few laughs at the expense of folks suffering from brain cramps. As this week officially kicks off the College Football Season, it is only fitting to have a few more laughs at heroes of the athletic world.

WHY ATHLETES CAN'T HAVE REAL JOBS

Chicago Cubs outfielder, Andre Dawson, on being a role model: "I wan' all dem kids to do what I do, to look up to me. I wan' all the kids to copulate me."
New Orleans Saint RB, George Rogers, when asked about the upcoming season: "I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first."
And, upon hearing Joe Jacobi of the 'Skins say: "I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl," Matt Millen of the Raiders said: "To win, I'd run over Joe's Mom, too."
Torrin Polk, University of Houston receiver, on his coach, John Jenkins: "He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings."
Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh: "I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes."
Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach: "You guys line up alphabetically by height." And, "You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle."
Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson hooking up again with promoter Don King: "Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton."
Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my clothes."
Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regime of heavyweight Andrew Golota: He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morning regardless of what time it is."
Chuck Nevitt, North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at practice: "My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt."
Frank Layden, Utah Jazz president, on a former player: "I told him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.'"
Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a player who received four F's and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're spending too much time on one subject."
Amarillo High School and Oiler coach Bum Phillips when asked by Bob Costas why he takes his wife on all the road trips, Phillips responded: "Because she's too ugly to kiss goodbye."

Contributed by Dusty Parker

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