That day I saw Sue Vann on television

 

While writing about my old tradition of watching college football games on New Year's Day, I remembered the day I saw Sue Vann on national television. 

Vann isn't her real last name, but Sue is her real first name. I changed her last name for this account, because she is a nice person, married and with children of her own. I wouldn't want her or her family to be embarrassed or troubled because I publicly associated myself with them, and that's typically how decent folk react when I tell others I know them. 

Sue and I attended the same middle school and graduated from the same high school. She was smart, attractive and charming; I wasn't any of those. Sue was polite to me in public, but also had the good sense to keep a safe distance from me, both physically and socially. 

I admired Sue, but also knew enough to understand we were in too completely social groups - her's being the equivalent of local gentry, and mine being widely recognized as the unwashed and unstable. Consequently, my admiration for Sue was harbored and unexpressed.

People today do not believe me when I describe for them the winters of the 1970s and early 1980s in the upper Midwest, but you can trust me when I tell you the winters then were bitterly cold. 

The winter of 1981-82 was little different from the 10 previous winters. Legendary Chicago meteorologist Tom Skilling reported that January 1982 was the fourth coldest January in Chicago's recorded history.

 

On Friday, January 1, 1982, New Year's Day, Chicago's high temperature was minus 26 degrees. January started bitterly cold and it remained that way for the entire month. 

The brutal weather that January 1 wasn't troublesome to me and my family because we spent most of the day indoors, doing what we did most New Year's Day in those years - watching the college football bowl games. 

We were (and I still am) fans of Big Ten football, so we made certain to watch the Rose Bowl game in those days. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes played the University of Washington Huskies in the 69th edition of the Rose Bowl. 

Elroy Barnes, a close friend from high school, joined us to watch the game. BTW, that's not his real name, but I can't use his real name for the same reasons I can't tell you Sue's real name. 

Elroy attended the University of Illinois and did not consider himself a Hawkeyes fan (neither did I, for that matter), but everyone in my TV room that day was pulling for Iowa to win, simply because the school represented the Big Ten that day. 

The great Hayden Fry coached the Hawkeyes that day, but Washington was at the top of its game, and that became apparent early on.  It was not the happiest of contests for a Big Ten fan, but then it happened. 

Just before going to a commercial break, the camera locked on a smiling, blond haired girl. She captured my attention and then recognized her. 

There on my TV screen, on national TV, was Sue Vann. There was some doubt in my mind, but then memory kicked in, and I recalled Sue was attending the University of Iowa. 

The striking blond, smiling and looking radiant in the warm sun of Pasadena, CA, was Sue Vann, a girl I was certain would love me if only she gave me half a chance.

And then the camera shot ended and a commercial started. I pointed to the TV and yelled, "Sue Vann! Sue Vann was just on TV." My Dad and Elroy stared at me blankly. They had been debating the merits of an official's call from earlier in the game and hadn't seen Sue's appearance.

I repeated that Sue Vann had just been on the TV. 

"Who the hell is Sue Vann?" asked Dad. He didn't wait for an answer, returning to his debate with Elroy, who was still deep in the grips of a hangover from a party the night before and could not multitask. 

I sat in silence, staring at the TV.

In the few years that had passed since last saw Sue, probably in 1979, I had all but forgotten about her, concerned more with the immediate demands of life. I was about begin classes in a few weeks at Northern Illinois University, following a couple of years at community college. 

But at that moment, everything I had ever thought, even fantasized, about Sue came rushing back from memory. Just a few years earlier my adolescent daydreams involved taking Sue to the movies, or out to dinner, maybe inviting her to prom. Crazy, heady stuff produced by the mind of a 17-year-old boy. 

The thoughts I considered long dead all flooded back at that moment. Was it unrequited lust, the remnants of adolescent infatuation, or authentic passion? Didn't matter. Anger and primal jealousy overwhemled those warm memories. 

Sue Vann was sitting in the warm California sun, having fun and looking beautiful. I was sheltering from a frozen hell, watching football with my Dad and Elroy. It wasn't fair. It wasn't real. It was beyond absurd. 

But reality set in. Anger passed, replaced by bitter acceptance and self pity. It wasn't absurd. It was real, and it was fitting. The breath-taking girl escaped the bitter cold, for at least a few days, and appeared on national TV, flashing a brilliant smile and looking stunning. 

Doesn't that just figure, I thought. I spent the remainder of the game waiting for shots of the crowd, perhaps the cameraman who had first focused on Sue would feature her again. It didn't happen. 

That one image was the only one I would have of her that day. It was soul crushing, but I found some pleasure in watching the Huskies top Iowa, 28-0, and life went on. 

I've held that image of Sue in my mind from that day to this. 

I crossed paths with her a few years ago and found the courage to ask Sue if she attended the 1982 Rose Bowl. Yes, she had attended that game. I said I believe I saw her on TV during the game. I had, she said. Family and friends who watched the game on TV that day told her later they had seen her bright, shining moment.  

It was a memorable day, she said, but Iowa's loss made it a disappointing day.

Not for me, I thought. Not disappointing at all. 

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome and may be posted or emailed to kbotterman@gmail.com.

Remembering a New Year's Day tradition

 

I am sitting on my sofa, watching snow fall and listening to Otto snore. Lori is involved in a phone conversation with a friend. I mourn my late tradition of watching the major college bowl games on New Year's Day.

The adoption of the college football playoff system a few years back killed a tradition I observed since childhood. In those years, my family would gather in our TV room on New Year's Day, eat food, nurse hangovers (some of us, at least), nap, and watch hours of football. 

The day might involve four, maybe five different bowl games and several arguments over the calls officials made during those games. Friends would sometimes join us, a few carried with them gifts of seasonal spirits. 

The day involved a lot of TV, starting first with coverage of the Tournament of Roses parade, followed by games. It might be 11 p.m. before the last man sitting in front of the TV called it a day and shut things down for the night - and for the season, because New Year's Day bowl games in those days also signaled the end of college football for several months.

That's all gone now. Done in by a variety of factors, but mostly because the powers behind college football adopted a playoff system that took some of my favorite bowls and moved them to New Year's Eve and extended the college game schedule to well beyond January 1. 

The Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the Peach Bowl were my New Year's Day favorites. Some are still played today, but not on New Year's Day, and so the day is not the same for me. 

During the years when my daughter attended high school and college, we would watch the bowl games and enjoy what we titled the "Festival of Salty Snacks." A table in our TV room was set with bowls of our favorite snack foods and crackers. I'd add chicken wings, pizzas, and other items throughout the day and night. We'd even eat a few vegetables to relieve some of the guilt we felt about eating so poorly for hours. 

We'd watch our favorite teams from the Big Ten Conference, the Big 12, the SEC, and discuss everything from individual plays to our favorite brand of snacks. 

My daughter graduated from college years ago, resides in a big city, and is rarely able to join us for New Year's Day. Some of the relatives and friends who once shared in our annual ritual have passed away, and others have moved to distant parts.

My wife and I still enjoy the small plates, but now we celebrate the Festival of Foods - vegetables and sliced fruit replaced corn chips and pretzels, and baked chicken replaced the chicken wings featured in years gone by. Change is part of life, and we adapt to the changes we encounter.

Still, I miss the tradition of viewing a New Year's Day college football marathon and remember it with warm fondness.

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Share a comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few thoughts while reflecting on the year 2021

 

I am sitting on my sofa, a small dog sleeping at my side, following the time-honored tradition of reflecting on the past year and preparing for the year 2022.

I consider 2021 to be a good year, in spite of the challenges and trials that visited the nation and the world. 

Lori and I purchased a new vehicle (used, actually, but new to us), we enjoyed a summer trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and we celebrated Christmas with a sibling we haven't seen since Covid-19 arrived in the U.S. 

Most importantly, we end the year with all of our family members in good health. A few good friends joined the ranks of the departed, and they are missed. We give thanks for having shared their journey, if even for a brief moment, and pray we will meet with them again.

Lori and I will celebrate tonight with dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, a tradition we have followed for more than a decade now. A movie at the local theater was included in years past, but the pandemic forced our moviehouse to close its doors for good. I'm OK with that. My celebration is complete with just a quiet meal with my lovely wife.

I enjoy standing outdoors at midnight, listening to neighbors welcome the New Year with firecrackers (and a whole lot more). My days of playing with explosives are done, but I still get a kick from all the noise others produce. It is a challenge lately to stay up until midnight, but I plan to be outside, observing this tradition tonight, as I have for at least 40 years. 

We parted company with the late-night partying years ago, nearly 20 to be exact, and prefer the low-profile approach to the New Year. I enjoyed those gatherings as a younger man, but I don't miss the hangovers. We focus our energies now on celebrating the first full day of the New Year.

We celebrate with a variety of small plate foods. It's a tradition I picked up from a friend's family, after attending a gathering in their home in the early '70s. The party included some wonderful food and fun activities. It occurred to me that so much emphasis is put on the celebrations of the Eve that the day itself is overlooked. So I embraced and adopted a new tradition. 

We revised and changed the New Year's Day menu options over the years. When my daughter was in high school and college, we spent the day watching the college bowl games and enjoyed the Festival of Salty Snacks. It was mostly junk food, but we did include a few healthy options and some actual food, usually chicken wings and pizza. The eating would commence in the morning, while viewing the Tournament of Roses Parade and continue throughout the day.

Time and my doctor recently forced another menu revision. We now offer more healthier options (veggies, sliced fruit), but we still have a few salty items, and the creamed herring, of course.

Garrison Keillor, one of my favorite writers, offered the following this morning. I will end with this, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

    

"Today is New Year's Eve, a day to take stock of the old year and make changes for a new year.

People across the world tonight will be linking arms at the stroke of midnight and singing "we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne," from the Scottish folk song popularized by Robert Burns (books by this author). In Scotland, New Year's Eve marks the first day of Hogmanay, a name derived from an Old French word for a gift given at the New Year. There's a tradition at Hogmanay known as "first-footing": If the first person to cross your threshold after midnight is a dark-haired man, you will have good luck in the coming year. Other customs vary by region within Scotland, but most involve singing and whiskey.

English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (books by this author) wrote: "Ring out the old, ring in the new / Ring, happy bells, across the snow / The year is going, let him go / Ring out the false, ring in the true."

Here in the United States, the custom of raising and dropping a giant ball arose out of the time when signals were given to ships at harbor. Starting in 1859, a large ball was dropped at noon every day so sailors could check their ship chronometers.

The Times Square celebration dates back to 1904, when The New York Times opened its headquarters on Longacre Square. The newspaper convinced the city to rename the area "Times Square," and they hosted a big party, complete with fireworks, on New Year's Eve. Some 200,000 people attended, but the paper's owner, Adolph Ochs, wanted the next celebration to be even splashier. In 1907 the paper's head electrician constructed a giant lighted ball that was lowered from the building's flagpole. The first Times Square Ball was made of wood and iron, weighed 700 pounds, and was lit by a hundred 25-watt bulbs. Now it's made of Waterford crystal, weighs almost six tons, and is lit by more than 32,000 LED lights. The party in Times Square is attended by up to a million people every year.

Other cities have developed their own ball-dropping traditions. Atlanta, Georgia, drops a giant peach. Eastport, Maine, drops a sardine. Ocean City, Maryland, drops a beach ball, and Mobile, Alabama, drops a 600-pound electric Moon Pie. In Tempe, Arizona, a giant tortilla chip descends into a massive bowl of salsa. Brasstown, North Carolina, drops a Plexiglas pyramid containing a live possum; and Key West, Florida, drops an enormous ruby slipper with a drag queen inside it."

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Feel free to comment here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. May you enjoy a blessed and healthy new year.

Another round of quick hits

 

I read a report last night in which some blamed Walmart for the killing of "mom and pop" stores. It's an interesting myth, in my opinion, and one that refuses to die. Walmart, as the story goes, used its huge stores and vast inventory from China to wipe out small, independently owned shops and stores.

It was a storyline developed by unions back in the mid-80s. Organized labor has long hated Walmart, mostly because the company had no unions for decades. The myth had legs, but it wasn't true then and it isn't true now. I won't rehash all the economic data that dispels the myth - there's just too much of it. 

If you're really interested in pointing a finger at who helped Walmart succeed and take out some of its competitors, look around you. The American consumer - your family, friends and neighbors - opted to shop at Walmart. The marketplace worked as intended. It is that simple. And then the Internet came along.

Time with Fezziwig and company:

Fulfilled one of my Christmas traditions last night with my annual viewing of "A Christmas Carol" (1938). It's my favorite version of the classic story. It's just over an hour in length but manages to remain loyal to Charles Dickens' story and entertain audiences. 

I first saw this version in the early 1970s, on Channel 9, WGN, out of Chicago. It was screened annually on "Family Classics," a Sunday afternoon program that featured old classics from the 1930s and '40s. My siblings and I watched this version nearly every year and enjoyed more with each passing year.

One a more serious note:

There's not a lot that frightens me at my age. I understand I have more days behind me than in front of me. I get it. Not looking to end things early, but I know the show will end at some point. The older you get, you find yourself making peace with certain facts. There is one thing lately that I find unsettling as I learn more about it - fentanyl, a deadly form of synthetic heroin. 

It's present and available in my home county. It is cheap and lethal, according to authorities, and it's impact is devastating to individuals and communities alike. I try to read as much about it as possible, and there are many good documentary productions available. I recently watched an expectional one, "Opioid Tragedy: Inside the Fentanyl Crisis." It's not an easy film to watch, but it is interesting and informative. 

-- Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few quick hits to start December

 

I don't know about this:

Brian Kelly accepted a 10-year deal worth $95M to coach the LSU football team, leaving Notre Dame behind. It makes sense Kelly would make the move to the SEC. Although Notre Dame is ranked in the Top 10 at present, it is not a contender for the National Championship and probably will not be a contender next year.  LSU, a top-tier SEC program in years past, is a good shot of at least making the college football playoffs under Kelly. 

The move looks good for both Kelly and the school. But it doesn't seem like a good fit to me. Time will tell. But $95M for Kelly seems absurd to me, and might force me to rethink my interest in college football. 

A bad idea is a bad idea:

Four members of Congress recently introduced a bill that would provide government support to newspapers, mostly by making it easier for their owners to list the publication as a non-profit. The politicians contend that newspapers are vital to public accountability. It's a bad idea, I think. If you want to alter the tax code to assist all businesses, I'm all for that conversation.

Revising the code to assist newspapers is a step in the wrong direction, because it ignores and attempts to override what the marketplace already has accomplished - the natural elimination of unprofitable, unpopular operations. If a newspaper was popular, readers might subscribe to it. I can't see why taxpayers should prop up a business that consumers have rejected. But that's me.

Are they truly offended or just partisan?

During the past few weeks several friends who self-identify as Democrats shared concerns they have about seeing the "F" word in anti-Biden flags and bumper stickers. Many express dismay at the vulgar word, decry the erosion in the quality of public discourse, and label those who use a variety of derogatory names (frequently unaware of the irony).

I question the sincerity of their concerns, because each of them were as silent as rocks when the Left threw nearly every vulgar word in the book at President Trump during his time in office. They didn't seem concerned then about coarse words in public speech, but are worried today. Could it be it's because the harsh language is now directed at a Democrat. Yeah, probably. For the record, I try not to use such language and would not fly a flag that contained a vulgarity. But political speech often is not pretty or polite, and it's not up to me to dictate how others express themselves.

A quiet and pleasant Thanksgiving celebration:

My wife and I celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving Day this year. Our observation involved just the two of us, and Otto, our family dog. It was a calm and pleasant time. I enjoy time spent with our extended family, but this quiet before the hectic days of the Christmas season was much appreciated. We enjoyed a traditional, homemade dinner, and I enjoyed a short nap after dinner. We spent Friday putting up our Christmas tree and other decorations. I can't say I'm ready for the frantic pace of the weeks ahead, but I am rested.

And now for Christmas music:

I am enjoying the 2021 installment (and each of the previous installments) of the London Symphony Orchestra's collection of Christmas music. Some commercial radio stations started playing "seasonal music" in October or early November, but that's far too early for me, and I can't stand what they air.  Now that Thanksgiving 2021 is in the books, I shift my attention and my ears to traditional Christmas music. I hope you enjoy it, too.

-- Thank you for reading. I always appreciate comments and feedback.

Stay up on Ag issues with the Farm Bureau's winter report

The Illinois Farm Bureau's winter edition of its "Partners" magazine recently arrived and it's filled with interesting agriculture related articles. I always enjoy learning about agriculture, and a favorite winter pastime is daydreaming about what next year's garden might look like. 

The publication's winter edition helps me do both. Much of its content is available online, and here are a few of the reports I found particularly engaging:

Celeste Huttes tells us about the Richardson and Helmig farms in her cover story about Illinois Christmas tree farms. The report includes tips on how to care for a fresh tree after its set up in its new home.

Columnist Joanie Stiers details how technology helps farmers collect data involving everything from planting to harvesting. Stiers says many farmers (herself included) spend the winter months analyzing the data to determine how best to use the information next season. 

Farmer Aaron Mitchell explains the steps farmers follow to ensure cows are warm and healthy during harsh midwest winters. Did you know farmers can tailor coats to keep calves warm during winter's coldest weather? 

Insects play an important role in providing protein to animal feed, and soon will also provide jobs for Illinois workers, according to a report from Carisa Ownby. Construction of the world's largest insect protein facility is scheduled to begin soon in Decatur and is expected to create more than 200 jobs. 

Jan Phipps offers advice for selecting and caring for Poinsettias, a favorite plant during the holiday season. 

And winter is a good time to start planning a garden for next spring. Seed catalogs, both print and online versions, are available in January, reports Carisa Ownby, providing veteran gardeners and newbies food for thought on what flowers, fruits and vegetables include in next year's effort. 

If you enjoy learning about agriculture as much as I do, be sure to take a look at the Illinois Farm Bureau's offerings.

--Thanks for reading, and I always welcome your comments and feedback.

Oh, the bounties of November in the upper Midwest

 

Here are my Top 10 reasons why November is my favorite month of the year:

10. If October didn't give us an overnight frost, November will, and that means those of us suffering with seasonal allergies can enjoy breathing again.

9. Geese and other migrating birds take flight. I love the "honking" sound geese make as they fly overhead in November. I live near a river and geese frequently fly so low over my backyard that I hear their wings flapping. It's music to my ears. 

8. Autumn continues its magic. The last of the leaves fall from the trees. Backyard firepits beckon, and daytime temperatures still reach the upper 50s, sometimes the mid '60s.

 

7. Beautiful sunsets. November in the upper Midwest offers azure skies late in the afternoon and startling sunsets. I wait all year for such sights.

6. Illinois High School Association football playoffs continue, culminating in the state championships games Thanksgiving weekend. Great days indeed. My local high school was eliminated during the second round of games, but I'll continue to follow the games right through the championships. 

5. In anticipation of the start of the high school basketball season, I watch "Hoosiers" (1986), my favorite basketball film. My Dad played high school and college basketball, and enjoyed watching "Hoosiers". I enjoy watching basketball, but was never any good at playing it. I enjoyed watching the movie with Dad and made a tradition of kicking off the basketball season with a viewing. The movie always reminds how much I enjoyed attending basketball games during my high school years, and I never tire of the film. Pass the popcorn, please. 

4. IHSA and NCAA basketball begins play, mostly non-conference games and tournaments. I enjoy sitting in a high school gym and taking in the sounds and sights of a game - ball bouncing off the hardwood floor, the horns and buzzers. The crowd in the gym always sound so different from those at football games. I attend few college basketball games these, but I enjoy watching them on TV or listening to one on the radio. I follow Illinois and the Big Ten closely, but enjoy the action in other conferrences. Give me a bowl of fresh popcorn and a cold soft drink, and I'm ready for some roundball action. 

3. College football's regular season winds down and that means the traditional rivalry games that appear last on the schedule. For Big Ten Fans, that means Illinois-Northwestern, Michigan-Ohio State, and Minnesota-Wisconsin. It's a great way to close out the season.

2. Our diet shifts to winter mode - Our meals during the summer months when I was child (and today) were heavy on vegetables, fruit, hot dogs and hamburgers. Good stuff that was easy to prepare and serve. But late autumn and winter were the months we shifted to roasted meats, sausages, soups, fresh bread, and baked goods. It's a dining tradition I follow today. Vegetables and fruit remain a key part of our meals, but we do fewer salads and more roasted squash or roasted brussel sprouts. Chili is a good Sunday dish, and nothing says a hearty fall meal like a roasted pork chop, sauerkraut, red cabbage and potato wedges

1. Thanksgiving Day holiday and the feast - Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. The act of giving thanks for all the blessings I enjoyed during the past year is important to me. I spend as much time as possible during the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day reflecting on all that God has provided me and my loved ones. I think it's important to acknowledge these gifts and offer thanks. And it nice to be able to do all of that and enjoy a traditional holiday meal, too.

-- Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. Leave a comment here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.