TeamReedBlog.2020

"Let's go to Lafayette and take a bike ride with Ali," I said. I'd envisioned a trek through Celery Bog , maybe some other trails in and around Lafayette and West Lafayette. She's starting her senior year at Purdue, so she's got a far better sense of the local geography now. She neglected to remind me that the western portion of Indiana isn't as flat as central Indiana. It was in the mid-80s with a slight breeze as we pedaled from her new studio apartment following her. It was super pleasant, and then, she took a turn through a residential area muttering to herself about how she thought this was the top of the hill.  We dutifully followed her and then were flying down a mile-plus long, gorgeous, curvy strip of Happy Hollow park, braking to avoid the families and walkers who were also out enjoying the weather. It was just  dangerous enough to be exhilarating without scaring the pee out of you.  We survived to the bottom without injuring anyone. And then, sh...

I can't say that I really knew my Uncle Bill - my father's brother. He was an intimidating figure to me in my childhood, and made even more exotic because of his wife, Gudrun, who he'd met while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany and convinced her to move home with him. If my memories of family stories serve correct, she didn't speak English when she arrived, and their union caused quite the stir. She was, and remains, drop-dead gorgeous with an accent that captivated at least one little redneck girl who had yet to wander far from the Clay-Greene-Sullivan county confines of Indiana. He rejoined the Army after a short stint home, went to Officer Candidate School, flew helicopters in Vietnam where he earned the Bronze Star and probably a chest of other medals (He rarely discussed his service) and traveled the world as he advanced to the rank of Colonel. He passed away last week after his last battle, this one with Parkinson's disease.  I hope you have time to meet hi...