Recombobulated

Hello World!  Good bye, LA!  This is my first blog.  And, tomorrow is the day we leave Los Angeles and start our trek across the US to our new home in Madison, Wisconsin.

There are a few things that I’ll miss about living in Southern California:

• The Rams (But, there is Direct TV in Wisconsin.)
• Del Taco (But, then again, I’ll likely live longer.)
• Friends and family that will stay here (Hello FaceTime!)

There is one thing that I know I can’t take with me to Wisconsin that I will really miss; that’s my koi pond.

We’ve had koi ponds at all of the homes we’ve lived in going back to when the kids were young.  Our first attempt was a pretty disastrous algae catastrophe that nearly required a HAZMAT crew to clean up on a regular basis – but after that intense learning experience, we’ve had the most gorgeous ponds and waterfalls in our back yards.  It’s something I’ve come to look forward to whenever I make the return trip home from places like Laramie, Wyoming or Ames, Iowa.  No matter what happens each week, I know by Saturday morning I’ll be sitting in the sun, listening to our waterfalls, and feeding my koi.

I’m not sure you can keep koi in Wisconsin, and even if you can, I’m not sure I want to.  I can’t even imagine what you would need to do to get a pond or a bunch of expensive, exotic fish through the winter.

I’m told there is a lake at my new home.  Although, I haven’t actually seen it, yet.   And, I’m told that there is one thing you can and should do in the winter in Wisconsin … go ice fishing.  I have to be honest, I’ve had several people try to sell me on ice fishing and it sounds like the opposite of fun to me. Not really my scene at all.  When I think of it, the following kind of mental image comes to mind:  being outside in the elements freezing and trying to saw a hole in foot thick ice with an inadequate tool.  And, then fishing.  Fishing?  I really don’t understand fishing.  I’m the guy who recently jumped out of the car in traffic at LAX because I decided to walk instead of sit in traffic for 15 minutes.  Sitting around all day watching a pole is not my idea of a good time.

People are trying to convince me that I am totally missing the point and that I have to try it some time.  I am told that the best ice fishing involves dragging a whole shed out on the ice with a truck, starting a roaring fire, drinking enough to keep warm, and using ridiculous power tools.  Okay, I’m game.  I’ll try any stupid thing at least once.  And, if it’s fun and I don’t die, I might try it again.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, good bye Los Angeles.  Go Rams!  Good riddance, Del Taco.  I will miss you.  Farewell, friends.  I will stay in touch.  And, good bye to my koi.

Steve Kish.  Out.