In beat with previous concessions, instead of lacing up walking shoes and working up a sweat, I’m engaged in oldold man Finn’s favorite long-standing Saturday Night tradition: watching The Lawrence Welk Show

My aunt is grumbling over the fact that there’s still 20 minutes to go. My mom is pointing out the comb-overs: “poor guys.” Oldold man Finn is nostalgiaing over the long-since-forgotten details of a show that hasn’t tapef an episode since 1982:

“The spoon player is from Portland, IN.”

“Nope, those guys are twins.”

“There used to be a guy from Gary [IN] on here.”

My uncle inquired,”Lawrence Welk never paid above union scale?”

“I dunno,” answered oldold man Finn, “but he had guys stay on a great many years.”

I’m the de-facto south room iPhone 3G Google researcher so I had to see that Welk was of German immigrants n was born on March 11, 1903 in Strasburg, North Dakota. My uncle – who is the de-facto north room iPhone 3G Google Resercher and who asked the question – can find out the wages.

Of course, this means that I’m not getting my walk in. I need to get my energy levels up so I’ll have more time in the day to write. I’m getting old.

The trip to Ave Maria University, outside of Naples, FL was a refeshing suprise.

Founded in 2007 by Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, inhabitants of the area told me that Monaghan sold off his stake in Domino’s Pizza in order to fund the completion of the project.

Complete with resort homes n exquisite French Quarter meets beach resort (despite being 10 miles from the gulf) meets a safely-diluted variation of Stepford, Ave Maria University looks to be a resplendent opportunity for financially-priveledged Catoholic kids with college aspirations. (Addendum: I have not researched the denominational qualifications of the institution.)

The Bulls game is in the 3rd quarter. I’ll be walking soon.

As Lawrence Welk would say, “Have a song in your heart.”