Friday August 26th, 2011 - Milwaukee, WI It’s good to have connections. If there’s one thing I’ve done correctly over life’s journey it’s amass an impressive network of quality contacts all over North America I respect and admire, and I work hard to keep in touch with as many as I can. It’s not always easy to do, but it is always worth it whenever I do it. Sometimes we don’t reconnect for a long time. That was the case today as my friend Rick Wey called and said he was going to be up in Milwaukee and had an extra ticket for the Brewers game against the Cubs no less. Rick is from Nashville and a true gentleman. He does comedy and he’s very funny, but also has a career working for a trucking company. He’s on the road more with the job than comedy. He’s in a supervisory position and has quite a few people under his jurisdiction. He’s an outgoing guy and very sharp, and breaks every stereotype about southerners except for the gentleman part. He’s about as nice a guy as I’ve ever met, and we’ve always hit it off well since we first worked together at Zanies in Nashville years ago. We’ve stayed in touch. To make it even better, he’s a huge sports fan so that’s another thing that bonds us. He’s a huge University of Tennessee fan because he went there, and loves baseball too. He had a trip to Milwaukee a couple of years ago and asked me to a game then. It was a blast, and not only was it fun to hang out with Rick - the rest of the staff were sweet people as well. There weren’t as many tonight, but we still had a great time. Rick’s father was with him this time, and he was a treat. Rick is a few years older than me and in excellent shape, but his dad was not far behind. I hope I’m that spry when I get to be that age, if indeed I do. We had a lot of laughs, and it was a real treat to spend a picture perfect summer evening with such a fine group of people. I’m flattered I was asked, and there were no pretenses at any time. Nobody was trying to scam anyone, it was just a night out to enjoy a ball game. The Brewers didn’t disappoint, and won the game 5-2 after getting behind early. I could feel the excitement in the park, even though the Packers were playing in Indianapolis. It’s the first time I ever remember both teams being good at the same time, and it’s exciting. The Brewers were the talk of the town in ‘82, even though they lost the World Series in seven games. I remember how fun it was to watch them then, but the Packers season was cut short by a strike. They went to the playoffs for the first time in ten years, but it wasn’t like it is now. They stunk, and everyone had false hopes. This team is a legit contender. The Brewers look like they’re going to win the division, and I can’t remember the last time that happened. Probably 1982. Since then there have been many years of unbridled futility, and most people lost interest. Not anymore. The town is back in baseball mode, and never left football mode. The Packers are a religion in Wisconsin, and now they are being challenged by the Brewers with the fantastic season they’re putting together. What a relaxing low pressure night out with a group of nice people. This is what life is about.
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