SWITZERLAND FORUM

[Emeritus]

Well, at least the OTAs have started. I'm starved for football news. I'm eager to see how much our losses to free agency will effect the team. We lost our best pass rusher (the Bills signed him to a $100 million contract), our inside linebacker and team leader and two Pro Bowl offensive linemen. All of that has to hurt. On the other hand, Wade Phillips says that the defense will be better, because he can install more of his scheme. Since they finished second in the NFL last year, that sounds promising. We still have the league's top running back and Matt Schaub will be back. I'm ready for the training camps to start!

[Emeritus]

ck, was it something that I said?

[cklaurence]

Hey Em! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I forgot to check out when I left Friday a.m. for the weekend. Here I worry about you when you don't check in for a day or two and then I go off for 3 days without a peep. We went to Tampa to visit my daughter and son-in-law and finally see their new home. It is really nice. It's in a new area and they're on a cul de sac. They back up onto woods that are a preserve, so it's just gorgeous and quiet. The families all around are young as well and that's great for a young couple like them. It was a great weekend, but I wasn't around a computer.
Right now I'm on a telephone conference with Steven Ross, listening to season ticket holders fawn all over him. I don't generally even listen to these conferences, much less ask any questions, but I answered the call because it had the phone number, but not the name of the caller and I got curious. I decided not to say anything because I would really be nasty and ask something that he wouldn't answer honestly anyway. He's such a phony!
Your team is in better shape than you give it credit for--you're much like I am; however, my team has lived down to my expectations. I hear he's negotiating for Chad Johnson (at least that's what he just said). If Chad wants to play, he can be awesome, but he's got to be 34, and he hasn't wanted to play for a long time now. I gotta tell you though, when he was young and I watched him in high school, even when my own son was on the field--I could not take my eyes off of him. He moved like no one I ever saw. I used his running as the description for my running back in QBD ("liquid mercury")--incredible!
So, I'm back!!! Sorry about cutting out without notice--I missed you...

[Emeritus]

I'm just glad to know that you're OK. It sounds like an enjoyable visit. We never owned a new home. We had a wonderful home on University Drive in Houston, but it was thirty years old when we moved in. My family home was a century old in 2007. At least I never had to worry about the houses going out of style! Welcome back.

[cklaurence]

Thanks, Em. I looked back over that period and there were several days that neither of us posted in late May and early June. My new p.r. person has been twitting or tweeting that this is a great place for talking football. If they came by during that period, they must have figured it was a great place for mutes to chat...

[Emeritus]

LOL! I'm not sure what twittering and tweeting is, so I wouldn't have gotten the word. I refuse to own a cell phone, because sometimes I don't want to be in touch. Consequently I've never texted (is that a word)? I'm still trying to get up to speed on Facebook. People are always poking me, but I don't know what that means. I keep getting added to groups and I have to go to them long enough to turn off the notifications or my e-mail will be full of them. I did really well when it was all reading and writing and an occasional telephone call. I'm an anachronism in the digital age.

[cklaurence]

I'm just a few genes short of a Luddite myself, Em; however, for writing, I needed to be fairly proficient on the computer and I've just recently learned some of the other terms because of my p.r. person. Jessie has been working with 'social media' to get my name and book out to the greater public, and she throws those words around all the time. I look them up just so I can smile and nod with some sense of reality rather than look like a total dolt all the time. This technology does move fast though, doesn't it?

[Emeritus]

Speaking as a historian, one of our best sources of information about historical figures are the letters that they wrote and received. While the number and quality of the letters varies from person to person - John and Abigale Adams were prolific and able writers, for example - everybody of any historical importance left letters. What will this generation leave? Facebook postings? I used to love to write and receive letters, because writing forces you to organize your thoughts. A cell phone call just doesn't compare. Texting is destroying the language, or so English teachers tell me.

[cklaurence]

Texting, yes, but whatever they've changed about teaching in the early years has a hand in the damage as well. They no longer teach the parts of speech OR diagram sentences. Students haven't a clue about clauses vs. a complete sentence--in fact, most of them don't know what the difference between a run-on and a fragment. As I've said before (frequently), it totally freaked me out when I started teaching so-called "Advanced-Gifted" Language Arts a few years back. I taught high school for a couple of years and was completely baffled, however, two years later I took a job at the middle school level and was able to figure out that it started at the very beginning (a very good place to start)--forgive me for plagiarizing...

[Emeritus]

LOL. I once tried to explain the uses of the colon to some graduate students. I could see their eyes glaze over. I suppose that it is something that you must learn when you are younger. I've seen student papers that contained nothing but sentence fragments. Nobody ever taught them that a sentence must have a subject and a predicate (or whatever they call them now), even if one is understood. "Apres moi le deluge."

[cklaurence]

Sadly, they don't teach any of that stuff anymore. The English language, at least in this Country is dead--it just needs a proper burial...

[Emeritus]

I'm not usually one to talk of the "Good Old Days," but I feel that I no longer fit into American society as it has developed over the last thirty years or so. I simply have no meeting ground with the kids of today. I'm not suggesting that they are bad, but they are just very different from the way that I was as a kid. They are different from the way that my son was as a kid. I don't understand the need to be in constant contact. I always had to have time to myself to make my own decisions. I guess that I'm just an anachronism.

[cklaurence]

I always felt I never wanted to grow old, or rather I always wanted to stay young at heart and never wanted to 'think' old or 'behave' as an old person, but with what has become of people today, I much prefer that I not be associated with the young because they are a different breed than those from my day. I wasn't going to have children because of my fears for which way the world was going, but my cousin talked me into it. Now I think I should have stuck to my guns--not because I haven't loved every second of life with my children/adults--but because I worry so much about what the future holds in store for them and theirs should they have any, and more and more it's looking as though at least Em and Craig are considering it...

[Emeritus]

I said it before, but it bears repeating: "Apres moi le deluge." This just isn't the same world that I grew up in. Technologically we have come a long way, but it seems like everything else has fallen apart. The mores that held society together have been abandoned. The old values have been discarded. Is this the "Decline of the West" that Oswald Spengler wrote about? I feel like a Faulkner character, trying to maintain his place in a society that has disappeared. Well, I've had it a lot better than most people, so I guess that I should be grateful.

[cklaurence]

Agreed, Em. I just worry about my children (and theirs, should they decide to have any). So far only Emily is married. The other three aren't even dating anyone seriously, but that doesn't mean much. I met Peter and was married two years later, but really never looked at another man after our first date. When it happens, it happens, and there is just no turning back. I used to want grandchildren more than anything in the world, but now--I just want to know my children live out their lives in good health and with as much happiness as is possible today. Having children with the direction the world is going might only bring them worry and fear for what is to come...

[cklaurence]

Em? Is it something I said?

[Emeritus]

LOL, no problem, ck. I serve as thesis adviser for some graduate students at the local college, Lamar University. I had an earnest lot and I felt obligated to put in as much work as necessary to keep them on track. Fortunately, I'm done for another year. This is strictly volunteer work for me, but it keeps my mind from slipping, I hope.

[cklaurence]

I understand completely. My friend moved in yesterday (to the guest cottage) but the rains were so bad, she couldn't unload her UHaul and actually had to spend the night in the main house and situate her kitties in the guest house. Her brother came today to unload everything, and they've gone to put stuff in storage and return the UHaul. I've never had a friend living in the back house before--hopefully it will turn out well. We became friends on facebook--she's actually a critic who read my book and loved it and was kind enough to hold off on doing the review until the old, unedited edition was removed from the market and the new, edited edition was released so she could give me a full five stars.
The new edition is finally out. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I'm better than I was... Meanwhile, I'm thrilled to have Pam here. So far she's nothing short of wonderful!

[Emeritus]

So how is it going with your house guest? While I love to have visitors - I seem to have a parade of them, some bringing home-cooked meals - I would be hesitant about letting somebody move in. Sometimes it can be difficult to get them moved out. Hopefully, you won't have a problem. There are some friendships that work better at a distance.

[cklaurence]

Pam's been slowly settling in to the guest house--from a 2,800 square foot home (approximately) to a cottage the size of a postage stamp (approximately). During the past three days she has also cooked us a gourmet dinner, cleaned our entire back yard (after torrential rains), packaged mangoes in bubble wrap to ship to my cousins in NY for me, done a full grocery shopping for our whole family--which is a really substantial job--and it just keeps going on and on and on and on and on! The more I ask her to stop, the more she more shes seems to do! She is also absolutely as lovely as she can be. A total pleasure. So far we have no desire to see her go...

[cklaurence]

[color=#008080C.K. Laurence signing @ City Hall - The Restaurant. For details: http://www.cklaurence.com - see you July 6th from 6-8 p.m. I know you can't make it to the signing, Em, but I thought I'd send you the invitation anyway. You can check it out on facebook at my page as well. I wish you weren't so private, it would be really cool to see you come down here for one of my signings or a game or something like that. Perhaps the Book Fair in November? I keep asking, never know when you're going to come out of your shell...[/color]

[cklaurence]

Well, now--this place gets any quieter, I'm going to have to start calling it 'GHOST FORUM' rather than "Switzerland Forum." This is pretty dismal. Training camp is drawing near and I'm pretty much talking to myself.
Someone was commenting on the picture of my game day face that was done of me--one was done of each of the Demon Divas at the height of Switzerland's popularity. I was going to tell the person who messaged me about it to come on over here and check it out, but really, the way it is now, why would anyone want to stay? It's just a couple of us here now--old friends who have bonded over the years, philosophizing about the nature of things--rarely football, oddly enough.
I've given up expecting that Switzerland is never going to come back, y'know, Em. I went through a period awhile back where I advertised, invited, begged and pleaded our old 'family' members and new folks on a daily basis. I'd get an occasional, "I'll come by soon," from some of our old family, but for the most part, I was just ignored--so I finally stopped, gave in and gave up completely. Decided it was kind of a nice meeting place to have with you, as I don't even think we have any *hooverers left. Oh, and there's the occasional visit from Ms Bags, where we do get some football talk. No more dredwak though, and I do miss his picture posts.
Anyway, hope you're having a good week and all is well. It's really quiet here since my Zach moved out. I miss him so much, I suppose because he lived upstairs with us, whereas the last kid that left from up here was Em when she went away to college some eleven years ago. She never really moved back home, save for a short while during the summers. Josh and Abigail always lived downstairs...

[Emeritus]

I tried cleaning up my computer, running CC Cleaner among other things. When I came back here I had to sign in again and it took me some time to figure out that all that I had to do was log in. Anyway, I'm caught up for now. ck, I assume that Em is still around, even if she doesn't live at home any more. Don't you see her often?

[cklaurence]

Em lives in Tampa, Em , that's about a five hour drive. What with Peter and Craig working five-day weeks, it's difficult to get together often. Em and Craig are busy decorating their house, bottom to top. They are painting all the rooms, doing the window treatments AND getting the furnishings, so they pretty much need to be there, which means we need to make the drive. Peter runs to the clinic 4 days a week, and works there from 7 - 3:30, then runs to his private office till 5, sometimes 6 or 7 at night, plus all day Monday. He's 63 years old and not getting younger. He loves to fly his model airplanes (and build them) on the weekends, so long drives aren't his favorite thing...

[Emeritus]

Perhaps when they get caught up on the house things will easy up a little. Is Abby around?

[cklaurence]

Abby has Josh's old suite at the other side of the house downstairs. She even has her own entrance, although she rarely uses it, as I guess the front door is easier because it has a combination lock rather than keys, so she doesn't have to always be shuffling around in her bags for keys all the time, lol. Now as to whether she's 'around,' that's a different story. She leads a busy, busy life, as do most thirty year olds. She's a teacher, head of the "Gifted" Department; Sponsor for the School's Honor Society; Head of E-SAC, and so on and so forth. She's very committed to her job and to her students, and I, of course am enormously proud of her.
All of my grown-ups have the work ethic that we we raised with, and that I know your son was raised with as as well. As a result, they are valued at their jobs and work and are worked exceptionally hard.
Abby is welcome to stay until she is ready to buy the home of her dreams as far as I am concerned. It's tough in this day and age to survive monetarily and every other way, so why shouldn't a single female be able to take advantage of her family's assistance? She supports herself completely, she just doesn't have to worry about rent--what could be bad about that????? Makes mom feel comfortable and gives daughter a break. Her sister who is a year younger has been married for 3 years, so she has it all taken care of for her and then some...

[Emeritus]

I have read that in these hard economic times a lot of adults have had to move back in with their parents. Often they bring spouses and children with them. It makes me feel a little guilty living alone in a six-bedroom house, but that absolutely was not my choice.

[cklaurence]

My kids know this house is always open to them. Only Abby is left here now and I know she's itching to get out. She's been saving up for down payment on a house and I hold my breath because I know soon enough the day will come. This house is huge since Zachary left and I'd take him back in a heart beat, but he's got a two year lease and I don't think he plans on coming home even when it ends. In fact, if he could move further away, I'm reasonably sure he would.

[Emeritus]

ck, sometimes children have to be away from home for quite a while before they realize how good they had it. My profession kept me away from home for years, but I was always glad to go back. My dad was always my model for what a man should be and I took my problems to him long after I had a family of my own. He didn't give me solutions, but he listened and helped me to find my own. I have so many happy childhood memories of this place!! When I lost my own family, I took early retirement to move back back into the old house.

[cklaurence]

I think my daughter Emily would love to have this house and I would love to give it to her and her husband as our legacy someday. I don't think my other kids have any interest in it at all, yet who knows how they really feel? Having four kids, it's a difficult decision to make.It would feel good to know it was going to stay in the family because I love it so very much, although Peter does not share the same passion for it as I. Life take such strange twists and turns though, doesn't it?