And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that there is an old witticism, so old it probably precedes vaudeville. It’s the one about the guy who is telling his friend about the awful setback he has experienced.

The friend says that while that’s bad, his friend should cheer up, because things could be a lot worse. So the guy cheers up and sure enough, things got worse!

I thought about that when I lost telephone land line service and was told it would be a week before a service call could be scheduled. I have a cell phone, but I am enough of a Luddite to miss the comfort of the land line, and my name in a phone book. I have yet to see a listing of cell phone numbers, so those not listed cannot be contacted.

But while I was feeling sorry for myself, I kept hearing about those folks in the Florida panhandle affected by that hurricane. They not only do not have telephone service, land or cell; they have no electricity or TV. And sometimes, no access by road. Things are a lot worse than in my situation.

It was a great weekend to be a football fan for many of us.

First, the Waukon high school team earned a playoff spot by winning the district title Friday night.

Then Saturday, all three of the state’s major college teams won, two as underdogs against rated teams, ISU and UNI, and the other, Iowa, in a rout over what was touted as a pretty good opponent.

Continuing, sort of, the theme of the opening joke, Sunday evening there was enougn snow to cover the recently-mowed lawn!

But even unwelcome events sometimes have saving graces.

There is a burning bush shrub on a neighbor’s lawn, and it is in full red color right now. Monday morning, the new snow on top made it appear like a bowl of strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar on top.

But pretty or not, I am afraid poet T.S. Eliot was right, “winter is a comin’ in.”

Which means athletic events will be moving inside, for the most part.

Title 9 required a college to offer as many sports for females as for men.

I watched on TV a large portion of a field hockey game played in Iowa City Sunday with Iowa facing Maryland. It was cold, and the girls were dressed in short-sleeved tops and short skirts over short shorts. They looked very cold. Some in the stands were wearing hoodies or stocking caps.

I don’t know the rules, but just like ice hockey or soccer, scores are rare, and too few to keep spectators warmed up.