Tidbits - January 12, 2023
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- Category: Archives
- Published on Tuesday, 10 January 2023 22:43
- Written by Ralph Shealy
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TIDBITS by RALPH SHEALY
NEW YEAR CHANGE
I used to feel terrible, if I had nothing to do on New Year’s Eve.
I wanted to be partying and dancing. I wanted to wear a funny hat and sing “Auld Lang Syne” at the strike of midnight. Then, I wanted to party on a little longer.
If I didn’t have anywhere to go on New Year’s Eve, I’d watch all the television countdown programs, switching from one channel to another.
I’m so old, I remember as a kid staying up until midnight and listening to Guy Lombardo play his theme song, “Auld Lang Syne.” His first New Year’s Eve special was in 1956, but we didn’t get a TV until 1957, so I started listening 66 years ago. Good grief!
Perhaps my longevity is the reason I have no urge to go out on New Year’s Eve. I don’t even care to watch the TV countdown shows.
This year was going to be different, however. Georgia and Ohio State were meeting in the playoff game, with the winner playing for the national championship. I couldn’t miss that. Yes, I could.....
When I fell asleep, Georgia was losing. I slept through the exciting end of that game and the ringing in of the new year. As it turns out, Ohio State’s kicker missed the game winning field goal just as the ball was dropping at Times Square. With my two TVs I could have watched the irony....
Oh, well. When I woke up during the night, ESPN was still on and I watched the end of the game, over and over, and over again.
The new year came in without me again....
WHO KNEW?
My great-niece Taylor Ann Bowdler turned 11 on December 30.
Her parents, Graham and Sherra, decided to give her a roller skating party at the Celebration Skating Rink in Batesburg-Leesville on her birthday. Of course, they had to reserve the building months ago.
Who could have possibly known when they made the reservations that Carolina AND Clemson would both be playing in bowl games on that date?
As you know, I don’t watch Carolina games live. I tape them for later viewing, if the Gamecocks win.
The Gator Bowl was still going on at the time the party started, and the skating rink had a TV.
When I got to the party, I stayed as far away from the television as possible. I had plenty else to watch.
Of the several thousand birthday parties I’ve attended for my relatives, I have never laughed so hard as I did at this one.
Most of the kids attending had never roller skated, and you can imagine the wipeouts. The younger ones were hanging on to the railings for dear life.
One little boy got about 20 feet out on the rink and couldn’t figure out how to move. He had to be pulled back to safety.
Amazingly, my 2-year-old great-nephew Preston did pretty well on skates.
When it came time to eat, I had to go near the television to get the food. I saw Notre Dame take the lead at 38-31, then saw the Irish march in for the potential score to put the game away, but the Gamecock defensive back intercepted a pass and returned it 100-yards for the score to tie the game.
I knew I had to get out of there before I jinxed the Gamecocks.
I came home listening to golden oldies on the radio, but my ploy didn’t work. I got the notification that the Gamecocks lost 45-38 soon after I got home.
I was disappointed by the loss, but I wasn’t upset. Carolina played without 12 players who played against Clemson, so staying within a touchdown to Notre Dame was one of those patented “moral victories” Gamecock fans are so used to.
The Clemson-Tennessee game was not the barn burner I was expecting. I was really looking forward to watching this game, but it turned out to be a dud.
Gamecocks and Tigers came out losers, but both had good years.
NIL AND VOID
The NCAA has got to do something about the Name Image Likeness deal.
Teams are “stealing” players off of other teams by offering more money.
Carolina has lost its starting running back, two starting tight ends, and two starting defensive linemen. The two tight end are going to schools closer to their homes. I can understand that.
What I can’t understand is Jordan Burch. Burch is from Columbia. He had five star recognition in high school, coming in as the highest ranked recruit since Clowney.
He has basically been a disappointment, so why is he transferring? I guess we’ll find out.
There is no loyalty, it seems, at Carolina.
Many senior players across the land decided to opt out of bowl games to begin training for the NFL.
None of Alabama’s players opted out, and the Tide looked as impressive as any bowl team in killing Kansas State. Saban even allowed his players entering the transfer portal to play in the bowl.
Shane Beamer told his transfers to hit the road.
Unless the NCAA sets some guidelines, the NIL mess it is going to get worse.
PENNY
My sister Elizabeth hosted Dibbie and Voight, Jamie and Allison and me for supper last Monday night.
After we finished eating, we retired to the den, where we talked, took a group picture, then left for home.
As I was walking out of he den, I looked down and said, “Look at this!”
There on the floor was a shiny penny. Now, all six of us had walked by that spot many times during the evening, and Elizabeth said she swept and mopped the floor that afternoon, and there was no penny on the floor.
Many of us are believers in the “Pennies from Heaven’ phenomenon.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, below is a poem Mrs. Mae Salters would have us print. She’d frame the poem, with a penny attached, and give them to her friends.
“I found a penny today
Just laying on the ground.
But, it’s not just a penny
This little coin I have found.
Found pennies come from heaven
That’s what Grandpa told me,
He said Angels toss them down
Oh, how l loved that story. He said when an Angel misses you
They toss a penny down,
Sometimes just to cheer you up
To make a smile out of a frown.
So, don’t pass by that penny
When You’re feeling blue, It may be a penny from heaven
That an Angel tossed to you.”
You may laugh, but Dibbie, Elizabeth and I have found pennies where pennies shouldn’t be, since Daddy died in 1998.
Now, that Mother joined him in May, they are probably teaming up. All their children were together Monday, January 2, after all.