[Boomer]

Good Morning,

Sam Elliott, huh. I had forgotten all about him. Remember him in Mask with Cher, back in the 80's. I just looked him up. Still good. And I saw a picture where he even has a gray ponytail sometimes. I guess it does not get much better than that.

I show up in this kitchen most mornings, checking in on TOTV, while I have a little coffee to wake me up. My opening page is msn.com and as of this morning, I am thinking I might just have to break up with that opening page. Why? Well, the first thing I saw on there, just now, over on the left side, there is a stupid headline screaming at me. First :edit: thing in the morning. "Is Your Coffee Killing You?"

What!!!! So I decide I had better find out. And I clicked on that :edit: headline. And it was not really an article. It was one of those :edit: slideshows. Set by some mastermind fiend to go really, really fast. At least for in the morning. And I could not catch it. Could not find "pause." Finally I got it. And my coffee is not trying to kill me at all. My coffee may just be good for me. Except it might thin my bones. But it said I could put milk in it for that. I always do. Besides, I still have the bones of a sturdy peasant. But why is msn.com writing such weenie headlines so early in the morning. Made me click I guess.

And Mr. Boomer has returned from his annual junket. He is still snoozing. The trip was to Oshkosh, WI, for AirVenture. He had been there since Monday. It's all airpanes, all the time. He goes with his buddies. This year he took one of our family. A younger guy. To hang out with the geezers in Oshkosh. And now he is hooked on Oshkosh, too. They are planning already for next year. There are those who call Oshkosh an addiction for anybody who loves flying.

So all day yesterday, Mr. Boomer was flying that little plane. First stop. A small airport near Detroit. Dropping off the young guy. Now officially addicted to Oshkosh. Then flying home to Cincinnati. Smiling all the way home.

And I just have to tell you girls a little story about that. Only the girls will understand.

Mr. Boomer calls me sometimes from Oshkosh. When planes are not roaring overhead and we can hear each other. So Saturday night he calls. . .

And I asked him, "Was today as great as the rest of the week has been?"

"Oh, yeah," he answers, "maybe even better. But there's just one thing wrong."

"And what might that be, my sweet winged man?" I ask. Expecting to hear the usual. You know. The 'I really miss you' line we all get used to hearing when they call us from their junkets.

And you know what Mr. Boomer said to me. To me. His darling wife. Pining away. Keeping the home fires burning. All that stuff.

Mr. Boomer actually said to me. To Boomer. Mr. Boomer said, "The only thing wrong with it is that it is the LAST DAY in Oshkosh."

But I know this man. And I laughed and so did he. And I let him back into the house when he arrived.

So today, I will wait for the dress to arrive. And I will hear all the Oshkosh stories. And I really do like hearing all about Oshkosh. I really do.

Boomer