DISPATCHES FROM THE GHOST MOOSE

I hadn't planned to write anything tonight (not that I am on a schedule) but....... . I have been accused by one of my ex wives (actually I fortunately only have one) of not letting issues go and rather picking at them.  Which I will admit is true, however this one has me pissed. Yesterday I was trying to order flowers for my daughter to celebrate my grandaughter.  Once I placed the order I realized I did not put "Love, Grandpa Dave" on the card.  I called the store (Ava's Flowers) within a minute of placing the order, gave them the correction, and got an email the change was made.  I got a verificaion the flowers were delivered.  but did not hear from my daughter. This morning I texted her to make sure she got them.  Yes she got them but they had not added my name to the card so she didn't know they were from me - the dumb fucks. So, I call them this morning.  They tell me that it is their mistake and they would credit me $7.28.  Yes - 7 dollars and 28 ce

Today was the first day back at work.....but the first day of my last week.  So it doesn't really count, does it?  are you jealous?  It was the first day in the new office building.  A nice office with a good view.  and one that I will be glad to not go to after this week.  No golf simulator, and  no friendly face to see every morning.  it sucks. As I do on every fishing trip, I sat in the boat in solitude, and thought about how when I get home , I will lose weight, exercise more, get healthy, and generally be a much better version of myself.  and tomorrow, I will start right in on that.  For today, I can at least let the last vestiges of a wonderful vacation wear off before I immerse myself in the morass that is every day life.  kind of like blowing a smoke ring and watching it dissipate into nothingness.  When I smoked, I could blow good smoke rings, so I know of what I speak. and an update...on the drive to Canada, my knee was killing me.  After an hour, I could not get c

ok...much more awake (or is it woke?) than last night when I attempted to write last night. At 59 yrs old (60 in 3 wks) I don't have any staying power anymore.  Never really did. after a week in paradise, back to work tomorrow.   for a week until I am done at my current job, and have to find a new  imagine how nice a week of no phone, no text, no email, no talking to assholes....how nice would that be?  And......you get called on the radio to tell you that you are now a grandfather....yea...it was that nice. Maybe that is why me and the crew are going 36 yrs and counting.  and hopefully a few more years before we call it.  The conversations we have at dinner, or those I have with my boatmate have now changed...what if one of these years not all of us are able to go?....how long do we all think we can go? what if one of us checks out? ....we laugh about it, but we all know.  We are blessed to have made it to that age, but are now at that age. I showed my bud (who has spent

There's tired, and  there is this...got up at 4:30am, picked up by the plane at 5:15 on the road before 7am and just got back to my place at 9:15 pm. Once again, it was an outstanding trip.  good fishing, huge lake, and great friends.  The 4 of us have a routine that works.  We hit the road at 3am last Thursday, got there Friday around 6pm and have been on the run (if on the run means fishing, playing cards, etc) since then. We fished about 8 hrs a day, ate too much and chilled.  There was a horseshoe pit on the sand bar, and we played shoes every day.  really nice to be playing shoes in the wilderness with tunes blaring and a beer sitting off to the side.  A week should not pass so quickly.  but that means a good time was had by all. and the next year before we go fishing again will pass even quicker. until then, it's back to the shitshow that is society.  not much else to write of tonight.  I do have plenty of nice pictures to post.  I suppose to most they are just pictu

so here I sit.  6 hrs til I have to leave to meet the boys and load up.  it's 8pm, leaving at 2am.  so what does one do?  besides eat pizza and have a glass of wine?  Alone is on at 9, will try to catch a few winks after the news and get up at midnight or so. very interesting day today.  It was my last day in the current office building - the company is moving next Friday (I will be in a boat a million miles from here at that time).  I said goodbye to my friend that manages the conference center, of which the golf simulator is part.  and foosball.  I had grown accustomed to seeing her each morning then hitting golf balls at 8am.  and today was the day to say goodbye.  We will remain friends, of course, but it was nice to see a friendly face each morning to start the day.  You don't quickly replace someone like that.  She had offered advice through my divorce, and also about other things.  as I told her, she's the little sister I never had.  I was quite sad making the last

I unpacked and repacked again.  There is a windbreaker I was looking for but can't find, so I will take a fleece jacket that already has a cigar hole burned into it.  Otherwise all the same gear.  In the early years we brought next to nothing in terms of extra clothes, even fishing equipment.  then we started bringing a boom box and CDs.  We'd go through about 40 D batteries in a week.  Then I brought an Ipod and cheap speaker and the Ipod would last most of the week.  Now we take an XM radio, mp3 player (with 1000 songs on a tiny player), and bluetooth speaker.  The cabins now have a charger we can hook up the electronics to, or run the XM radio off.  We used to use about $50 in batteries for the XM radio, now we don't need any because we can run it off the plug. I look at the previous paragraph I wrote and conclude that I am now an old man.  but with a 36 year period of fishing trips, you can't help but take notice of the changes. We used to drive to Ely, MN, abou

I noticed I had no pageviews today or yesterday.  From that data, I would conclude you have to put fresh content out there to get pageviews.  brilliant deduction. Sunday night....I was talking to a friend at work who said he stresses out on Sunday night thinking of work on Monday.  His job is different than mine (was) but having spent too many Sunday nights stressing out about Monday at work is the most colossal waste of energy ever..  Easy for me to say, I know.  but you don't get combat pay for sitting around on Sunday night dreading Monday. I do have an interview tomorrow, but it will be for a job at a lower level than I want.  one never knows. I played golf today and what a wonderful day it was.  I do love summer. I was disappointed in how I played, and how my knee felt.  But no golf for 2 weeks, and I will spend the 21st to 27th sitting in a boat soaking it from the inside.  I should be in top form when I play in early August.  If top form means really sucking. and wit

I have been too lazy to write the last few days.  Too lazy to do much, and that is no excuse.  I did take a walk tonight, so the needle is pointing up.  If pointing up means doing slightly more than nothing. But, today was 3 weeks since knee surgery.  It feels better by the day - still painful at times but way better than before surgery.  I am playing golf Sunday, and hopefully I shoot like I did last Sunday.  I stopped in at the physical therapist office today.  I was supposed to book an appointment Friday but got tied up doing not much.  Anyway, I saw the PT and told him I golfed and all was well.  He didn't care and only feigned interest, minor at best.  But, yours truly golfed 2 weeks after surgery after being told to wait 6 weeks.  so there. actually he said he loved hearing that.  I saw one of the most alarming things yesterday.  I was walking to the train station at the end of the day, had my ear buds in, listening to the same songs I have heard a million times...and I s

I haven't posted since 7/3 - the summer doldrums have set in.  Went to a very nice graduation party yesterday.  Lots of old friends, good times.  The 4 old warhorses were there to discuss the last minute details of the fishing trip - as if there were any.  We have done it too many years.  less than 2 weeks to launch. funny how you talk to folks you have known for decates at parties over the course of decades.  and how conversations change.  and......I played golf today.  2 weeks from the surgery.   if I can have surgery that would make me a better putter, I would do so. 

Having a day off mid week has me confused.  I had no plans tonight so planned to watch the finale of the Ultimate fighter, then Alone is on tomorrow.  Except when I looked at the channel listings, Ultimate Fighter was not on.  then I realized it is on tomorrow, and Alone is on Thursday.  sad when your day off is build around what shows you will fall asleep watching.  but such is life.  On Thursday it will be 2 weeks post op.  Things coming along well - not too much soreness remaining, and the physical therapy has helped.  More on Friday.  I really need to commit to losing weight to take some weight off the knees.  but as the old saying goes (that I just made up) is the best time to diet is 20 lbs ago, the second best time is a month from now. 2 weeks from Friday we leave for Canada.  then I have one week of work left after I get back - my end date is Aug 3.  I haven't really looked for a job too hard - other than blindly emailing resumes I know won't get seen.  but, as with

since my last post, the year 2018 is now more than 50% elapsed.  It's hard to believe how quicky a half year can pass.  Far too quickly, especially at this point of my life where my next birthday will be my 60th, Watching Inglorious Basterds,  which I have seen several times.  meh...was good the first time I saw it, the 3rd, not so much. marking time until I am done at work.  I got rejections from the interviews I had, which is good since each of them looked like another job that wouldn't be too good.  But what job will be?  I guess the trick is to be able to eat a lot of shit and not let it bother you.  at any rate, fishing trip is 2 weeks away.  maybe I can figure out my next move while sitting in a boat in a wilderness lake.  I have not been able to do so in the previous 30 some trips...but maybe this is the year.