Saturday, January 02, 2010

WRONG WAY NEW YEAR EXAMINATION

Everybody looks forward on New Year's day, 'cept me. I look backwards at memorable times. This holiday my stream-of-consciousness goes back to:

My Bride Catching the Bass from Hell on her birthday;

Summer School one year at WIU (curious decision). Breakfast was a cup of coffee @ Roe's Dairy and one game of pinball. Sometimes I could make that game last all day, in which case class took gas;

Pheasant Hunting with my Dad;

Being the first member of my family to graduate from College, by about four hours;

Being Sworn in to the Arksanas Bar with Bill Clinton next to me and Hillary Rodham behind me;

Getting three job offers on the same day;

Surviving telling my eventual in-laws I wanted to marry their daughter;

Watching in Awe as the Russian Army occupied Czechoslovakia;

Spending time with Hamilton Jordan;

Spending time with Spencer Haywood;

Going through my first Autopsy;

Putting my favorite dog to sleep;

Innumerable times when the Good Lord put his hand on my shoulder to rescue me from whatever damn fool thing I'd started before I killed myself or some innocent bystander.

14 Comments:

At 9:32 AM, January 03, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You forgot to include the ridiculous letter posted over at the pundit you wrote begging for your career. Must have been what the Clintons taught you.

 
At 1:04 PM, January 03, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sometimes it's important to look back to see where been in order to figure out where you're going.

 
At 2:13 PM, January 03, 2010, Blogger UMRBlog said...

0932,

I can only recall writing one letter in my life that I'd like to have back and it didn't involve politics. Since I haven't been to Pundie in several weeks, I don't know what is posted there or whether it's an accurate reflection of anything I've written.

If worrying about what I write to people in political campaigns is what gets you up in the morning, stay tuned. There'll probably be more.

TYFCB and best postal greetings.

 
At 3:10 PM, January 03, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, after you're done examining what a stand up guy you are, you should go take a peek.

 
At 3:44 PM, January 03, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It gets me up AND to the voting booth when it's a city employee that writes it.

 
At 4:35 PM, January 03, 2010, Anonymous QC Examiner said...

Oh, do tell---how you graduated from law school in Iowa City, but had the Clinton's at your side as you were sworn in to the Arkansas Bar.

How did that happen?

If your Quincy readers know all these details and you don't want to bore them, email me at qcexaminer@msn.com

PS: Also, you owe me some emails about another subject.

 
At 7:48 PM, January 03, 2010, Blogger UMRBlog said...

QX

We were all three sworn in together in September of
73. WJC and I were already friends. HRC was behind me due to an alphabetical accident of history.

The long form is, well, long.

TYFCB

 
At 7:49 PM, January 03, 2010, Blogger UMRBlog said...

1510,

I missed the part where I so diagnosed myself.

TYFCB

 
At 7:53 PM, January 03, 2010, Blogger UMRBlog said...

So your position is that people who work for the government shouldn't write letter to their friends and colleagues about local elections?

I missed that memo. My time, my stamps, my paper, my printer. Somehow, I'm guessing you didn't fall into the "undecided" column anyhow.

TYFCB

 
At 6:27 AM, January 04, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wait...so where did you meet Bill Clinton? Did you go to undergrad together or something? Don't get your hackles up, I'm not a politics troll, just sounds like a good story.

 
At 6:59 AM, January 04, 2010, Blogger UMRBlog said...

We met in LR. We were introduced by a mutual friend who later turned out to be a Clnton Judas. We then took the Ark. Bar Exam and review course together. We thought the review course stunk, so we started our own. Later we dismantled our Bar Review Course while he ran for Congress (lost). When he was out on the trail, I'd teach his Classes at the Law School in Fayetteville.

He lost that race but our friendship was forged. I moved back to Illinois. He ran for AG and I took vacation to work on his campaign. When he was sworn in as AG, I was there.

We used to play golf at a place called Paradise Valley in Fayetteville. He loved it because the greens were always bad. He was a bad putter and the condition of the greens brought me down to his level.

Hillary didn't approve of me, too frivolous, but she did enjoy talking with me about the Otto Kerner case and how it might impact Jim Thompson's career (he was not yet Governor).

That's the short form. We took the bar exam/review course together and then started a business together.

TYFCB

 
At 8:00 AM, January 04, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thats pretty cool really. Thanks for sharing.

 
At 7:43 AM, January 13, 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So did you have a hand in WJC visiting Quincy a few years ago?

I saw him then.... pretty good crowd on a cold day.

I didn't care much for Arkansas, but I was just there one year, and it was Pine Bluff ... flat and smelly from the paper mill. The north parts are nicer.

 
At 10:23 AM, January 13, 2010, Blogger UMRBlog said...

Don't care much for the Pine Timber parts of the State. Like the Delta and love the Hills (although People in the Delta, to this day, look down on the "Hill People").

I probably played a modest role in his Post-SOU visit here. We have talked about it since and that's what WJC says. I think the more important issue was one of his valued staffers is a native of Hancock Co. Whatever, it was a neat little reunion for my bride and me.

I did have him ready to play 18 at Westview a few years ago and then he screwed it up by having heart surgery. Maybe it'll happen someday. It's kind of a rush when your cell phone rings and the voice on the other end says 'Sir, this Raoul, will you please hold for the President." What are you going to say, "Sorry man, I gotta run into CVS and pick up some dental floss before they close?"

TYFCB

 

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