Merry Christmas 2009
Teach
them to fish and they eat for a lifetime: Christmas 2008 we had a big
fishing party at the cabin Fishing was good Lots of flags. We caught a lot of Bass Kelly and
I both caught 3-4 pounders. Roger caught a 241/2" Walleye Friday night. Sara,
Dave & Wendy, Tom, Hubert, Loraine, Sharon & Eric, Kelly, John, Leslie
and the kids Molly Jamie, Mom, Roger& Angie, Bruce and myself.
Slammer: Slam-A-Rama went off with Dan or I this year. Next year is the year; as it will be the 25th annual. http://www.slammercentral.blogspot.com/ or www.slam-a-rama.com
Back Surgery on St. Patty’s day. They do hang green beer in the I-V what a deal. I was a stumbling and a bumbling, so it was time to fix up the back. I had the same operation Tito Ortiz had by the same doctor Dr William Smith. Big Thanks goes out to Johnnie (red pants) Spangler for the hookup. Back feels great; have to work on the bulge in the front now.
The Banning’s come to Vegas: April brought out my cousin and her family Ann, Ted and Walter Banning. It was nice to have family around. Remember to all who receive this letter the door is always open and there is an actual welcome mat outside.
Buenos and Nostrovia: April also brought friends
Mitja Fajdig (Bogotá) and Roger Rearick (Hollywood
Florida) for a little R & R. A good time was had by all.
7th Annual WI fishing opener: We again postponed the opener to a week later. The usual suspects were there minus my hunting partner Jeff Kolstad AKA (Vegas) in the words of Mike Fenocchi YOUR WEAK! I believe next year the slot will be lifted and I may get to keep one. Whoo Hoo! Uncle Tom was the big winner at the poker game. So much so he actually tried to give the money back? The “Male Bonding” hand book clearly states that giving money back is in direct violation of the rules of poker.
Mike
Conley’s Wedding: Mike Conley’s wedding to Jenn
Maresch trumped the Memorial Day Pig Roast this year.
I got to reconnect with my some old friends Roger Behling,
Kyle Kelly, John and Ann Marie Schneider. John was the RA at the Regent who set
me up to be Joe Zweck’s roommate. So a bunch of you can blame him for bringing
me into your lives. Sara is my favorite cousin.
New Roommate: My second cousin Kirsten Farrar is going to UNLV for her Masters in Social Work. Kirsten and her mom Sharon (my cousin) came out to check out UNLV. She drove out with her sister and Dad Eric joined us for a little R & R.
Clintons Big Ditch: We were forced into taking a week off without pay. So I made lemonade and floated the Erie Canal and all 40 of the locks on the Stormy Duchess with Captain Wayne Spangler and old ship mate Kevin McClone. It was freaky to look down at roof tops while floating on a sail boat. I took tons of pictures and waited till the end to drop the camera in the Canal. Count em that’s 2 cameras in the drink for me.”I miss Mitch.”
.
North to Alaska: Yet another
trip of a life time. These trips allow me to visit Carl, Lynn, and family, play
funny Uncle Dave, and visit a college 
roommate
Keith Drummond and his family. This year
we caught a six foot octopus, loads of crab and Silver Salmon. Big thanks go out to Paul Vick the host and
Tim, Caleb, and Eric Hovde for inviting me. Life in Alaska gives you a healthy
dose of perspective after a year like the last year.
Carl’s Karin Wedding: UNLV
classmate Carl Hoffman got married in Murphy’s California of “The Celebrated
Jumping Frog of 
Calaveras
County” fame. I spent a couple days in Reno to play with Barb & John
Giannini and family. Congrats on the promotion to Major John and thanks for the
service. The drive to Murphy’s on CA 4 was incredible. I reconnected with some
hiking buddies, Steve Eng, and Greg Gleason. Beautiful place and great people,
I truly enjoyed the evening. I picked up a couple snowmobiles for Dan and Kim
on the way back. Oh Yeah Twain plagiarized that story the “butt”
I tripped over a rock; The sun was in my eyes: October brings mule deer
hunting in Nevada with Jeff Kolstad AKA Vegas and Paul Vick. I used to brag
that I had the 
same box of
shells for 10 years because it only takes one shot per deer. Well they had to fire up the munitions plant
in Madison to supply me this year. The last thing I needed to do was to give
Paul and Jeff ammunition to harass me with, but I did, and they are, and they will
for years to come. Jeff was successful so it wasn’t a total loss.
Ankle Surgery: Back when I was a stud I severally broke my ankle playing volleyball and the calcium build up required major surgery. The doctor called it arthritis and said something about arthroscopy, but I like my explanation better, though it was an all age’s church group volleyball game. I should shake the boot by Christmas. Doctor says I can’t run anymore. Great now I get a doctor’s note.
Visitors: Cousin Lisa came for a visit to see Brenda Jake and I. Mitja, Claudia and Roger flew in for the gaming show. We watched the fights, went riding quads, and had Thanks Giving at Maloney’s the neighbors. I hit the jack pot with the Maloney’s, Crew’s and Alden’s as neighbors.
Rebels Rebels Rebels: A friend Mark Alden invited Dan and I to a football game in the president’s box. I also go to see the Rebels’ upset Louisville in basketball from the president’s. Now that’s how we should all watch sporting events.
Other Stuff:
Dave, Jessica and Henry: I go to Huntington and they come to Vegas several
times a year. Some day we will have to go for ride in my Porsche.
Barb and John Visit:
Barb John and the kids came
for a visit and the kids went swimming till they grew gills.
Haugen Fun League: Last year Dead Last, this year Second to Last.
Weddings I didn’t
go to: Jackson and Purvi
Ranes got married in Florida, Marcus and Angela got married in Rwanda. I love
to travel so this was pain full for me not to be able to go to these.
Fishing with Bob: Bob Frank and I took a couple weekends off to
soak a line. Both hooked a couple over 22”
Ice Fishing in the Desert? Dan and I did some ice fishing in Utah last December. If we had any moxy we would have limited out.
Locomotive
Football: Dan and I went to a
UFL football game and I saw the o++ld Badger Brooks Bollinger
play.
Car Accident: I got T-boned in a parking lot.
Reconnections: Steve Eng, Greg and Signey
Gleason, John and Ann Marie Schneider, Kyle Kelly, Roger Behling,
White Christmas: I will be in Rice Lake for Christmas so fire up
the snow machines.
Note my new Home Phone
http://picasaweb.google.com/dcharron80/ or www.charrons.com