Back In Various Saddles, Again!

HOME / Back In Various Saddles, Again!

May 6th, 2021

Hey everyone! It’s actually me today. Remember me? My name is Bob.

Today’s headline is not literal. I do not, by rule, ride horses. I have ridden horses, when I was much younger and the ground seemed much softer, but even that was basically just holding the reins while the horse walked. One time, a couple of friends who actually knew how to ride, gave their horses a nudge as we headed back to the stable and all the horses took off. The 14-year old version of me was as petrified as I’d be today. All I could do was pull on the reins (the horse ignored that idea) and hold onto the horn (thereby letting the horse know I was a newbie who didn’t know how to ride.) I am surprised, to this day, that I held on until we got back. That was the last time I’ve ridden a horse. And thus, it shall remain that way.

What the headline does signify is that it was a big week, and this is a big day.

Over the weekend and early part of the week, we got back to real life. We are fully vaccinated and so are most of our Woodbury besties, so we accompanied our friends Joe and Mary Beth on a four-night trip up to their incredible condo on the North Shore of Lake Superior. They hosted us so that we could all mutually celebrate Barbara’s birthday as well as Mary Beth’s. It was so… How do I put this? It was so… NORMAL! It was like being back in the saddle.

The second reference is the very fact that I’m writing this blog all by my lonesome. Elon Werner and I have had a telepathic connection since shortly after we met. Whenever I think of something, he tends to bring it up. This time it was blog related. I thought “I have enough material to do this one straight through, myself, and I really want to do that again” and no more than 45 minutes later my phone rang. Elon said, “I’m up to my eyeballs this week. I hate to be ‘that guy’ but I don’t think I have a blog in me. Sorry.”

I immediately said, “Well, you and I have done it again. I was just about to call you and say I want to get back in the saddle and write the whole thing myself.”

So here we are. And here’s the next key tidbit that will tell you I might be back off the saddle by next week, which was another big reason why I wanted to write this one solo.

I exchanged lengthy notes with my publisher yesterday, and it went kind of like this:

Ryan: “I’m with you all the way on this book, and all I want to do is get it published and get it out there. But here are some key dates to keep in mind for now. I have you slotted for an October release to make sure we have it out by Christmas. Can you do that?”

Me: “Well, walk me backwards from October and give me a firm deadline for finishing the manuscript.”

Ryan: “Um. That would be June 15th. If that’s not realistic for you, and if you want to push the publishing out to the first quarter of 2022, I’m happy do that, but we’ll miss Christmas.”

Me: “Well, that’s all I need to hear. I will have this done and in your hands by June 15. It’s my full-time job starting now.”

So yes, I made the commitment to have the book finished and gone by June 15. That’s basically five weeks from now. I’m thinking of ordering a custom seat belt for my office chair to keep me in place for these next five weeks. Maybe a HANS Device to keep my neck stable too. I have a lot of ground to cover, but I know I can do it. I mean, the two characters are writing it. I’m just typing what they say. And I swear I’m not nuts. As far as I know. At least I’m pretty sure I’m not. They’re good dudes. I like them. Every few days I say something to Barbara like “Brooks had a big day today” or “Eric took a huge step in this chapter.”

I’ll need help from guest bloggers to keep this thing in place while I finish the book. I know Elon is swamped, so maybe I can enlist some other trusted friends and colleagues to submit some installments. As always, I will lead each one off with a short introduction. Plow forward!!!

Back to the condo on the North Shore…

The North Shore on a gorgeous May afternoon.

We’ve been up there multiple times with Joe and Mary Beth, but never in the spring. It’s a beautiful lake house, and so warm and comfortable. It feels like “home” when we’re there. Also, if “location is everything” it’s priceless. Right on the water with panoramic views. Plus, they are friends of the highest order and this was a special occasion because of our wives’ mutual birthday celebration.

Joe and I handled all the details, which drove both wives a little nuts. We just said “We have this. All you have to do is enjoy it.” We made notes and divided up responsibilities. We even had an actual meeting to go over everything. We had shopping lists, cooking schedules, and every meal mapped out. We also had a plan to make our arrival at the condo a big surprise for the ladies.

Joe ordered flowers, champagne, and chocolate covered strawberries for each of them, and the condo manager put it all in the home, so we knew we’d all have to walk in together for the surprise to work. But, since we were driving in different cars, we had to figure out the timing. It’s a three-hour drive, so it’s hard to stay bumper-to-bumper that far on I-35. The plan we concocted was exquisite.

Glensheen. Amazing!

Barbara and I had never been to the Glensheen Mansion. It’s a museum now, but it has such history. Plus, it’s both famous and infamous, and on top of that it’s simply amazing. It also sits on some of the most prized real estate on the shore of Lake Superior, just outside Duluth. Barbara and I had seen a play about the murders that took place there, but weren’t totally up to speed on the history of the family and the philanthropy they were known for. It’s all incredible. Just Google “Glensheen” to learn more.

We knew if we met at Glensheen we could take the tour and then drive the remaining 20-minutes to Larsmont and the condo. That way, we’d all get there at the same time.

We went up on Friday and the Glensheen gambit played out perfectly. Plus, the entire tour was incredible. We got back in our cars and drove the last bit up toward Larsmont, but in the interest of fair reporting I’ll admit we stopped along the way at a fabulous food truck. I had the street tacos.

Upon arrival at the condo, there was a slight hiccup in our master plan but it was OK. We were all busy opening car doors and trunks and getting ready to load everything into the condo, but Mary Beth went on inside to get the doors opened. She came back out with a sheepish grin and said “Barbara, I think you need to come with me. Don’t carry anything in. Just come with me.”

The birthday girls and the surprise that was waiting for them!

The flowers, champagne, and strawberries were waiting for them. It kinda sorta blew them away. We were two very proud husbands. Yes, the champagne was magnificent. Why wait? “POP!”

And here’s the best part: Like I said before, it all just felt so NORMAL! We masked up anytime we were in public with people we didn’t know, and we’re all so used to that now it’s just second nature and no hassle at all, but when it was just the four of us it was back to normal. Totally and wonderfully normal. It felt incredible. Like turning back the hands on the giant “life clock” and going back to when socializing and vacationing seemed simple and wonderful. My gosh how we’ve missed it. Talk about “back in the saddle.” We were back in the saddle and riding free.

Saturday was our spa and relaxation day. We slept in, had a great breakfast, then had massages at the resort. After that, the coup de grace was having our friend Chef Uriah Hefter do a full Chef’s dinner for us at the condo.

When we had our guys’ retreat at the condo a couple of winters ago, Chef Uriah blew us away with his creative dishes, his knowledge, and mostly his insane sense of humor. He’s a magnificent chef, but he could make a living as a stand-up comedian. (Note to Uriah: I’m just sayin’ dude. You could.)

Our comedian, Chef Uriah Hefter. He’s a pretty good culinary guy, as well. Barb is clearly mesmerized.

We had five courses, each paired with a specific wine that Joe and I had picked out in advance. It was sublime, all while laughing hysterically at Chef Uriah’s nonstop running monologue. Seriously, the guy would slay it on-stage at any comedy club. Plus, he’s basically a doppelgänger for our actor buddy Buck Hujabre. About 10 minutes into the hilarity, I turned to Barb and said “My gosh, he’s Buck!” and she said “I was just thinking the same thing.” Interesting that Buck and Uriah have never been seen together. Hmmmm.

We had red snapper, lamb chops, brisket, and much more. The laughs never stopped, and we learned a ton about creative recipes and what each ingredient can do to the dish. Priceless stuff.

The weather changed after that perfect Saturday, but it will do that up there on the North Shore. We just rolled with it. On Monday, when it was about 45 degrees, Joe took us on one of our favorite day-trips, up the highway to Grand Marais. It’s a beautiful drive up the shore of Superior. We had lunch at the Gun Flint Tavern, and it was fantastic. Best quesadilla I’ve had in years.

For the record, Superior is the largest fresh-water lake in the United States and is “technically” the second-largest fresh-water lake in the world. I say “technically” because the one listed as Number One is the Caspian Sea. It’s a SEA for crying out loud. Superior is a lake! Oh well, it’s a phenomenal place.

The whole thing was just wonderful, and it gave us hope that life will be totally back to normal again soon. If a few more people will just step up, be good citizens, and get their vaccines, we’ll be very close to that. We’re not out of the woods yet, and things in India and Brazil are downright scary, but the vaccine is the way to beat this thing. That’s my rant.

So it was great to be back in the saddle again. And this time the horse didn’t take off galloping on me. That’s a good thing.

The view from the Larsmont condo. Sublime…

I leave you with one final photo from our brief but fantastic trip. This is the view from our bedroom window at Joe and Mary Beth’s condo. It never gets old.

And, if you just read this and didn’t hate it, clicking the “Like” button at the bottom would be greatly appreciated. “Likes” are just like the old S&H Green Stamps. If you collect enough of them, you might get a free pencil.

I’ll be strapped in finishing this crazy book from here on out until June 15. I’ll drop in and say hi every time I can. Be safe, be healthy, get that shot!

Bob Wilber, at your service and wishing I could live at the North Shore until June 15th. Kauai in August and September will just have to do!  More on those plans later, but you know I’m a giver and a great cat-sitter, so there you have it.

Here’s to NORMAL!  Cheers! (clink)