VansOpinion - BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS

Last year it was six weeks on the other side of the globe, camping and generally goofing-off. This year it has been our kids and grand kids visiting from California and Ireland, several days camping with our Omaha grand kids, a family reunion and a 50th high school reunion. Oh yes, and an ill-fated political campaign. But, now I'm back and rearing to go. I have saved up a number of "opinions" which most certainly deserve public revelation. If anyone has the unmitigated gall to think his or her opinion would trump mine, send it along and I might put it on this now very well read web page. I should add, you do so at your own risk of being found to be intellectually challenged.

Just a bit about what has been consuming my time in the last several months. Most recently, my eldest daughter Geri, a Nebraska Football Fan of the first magnitude, flew back from California to see first hand how the "West Coast Offense" would turn out when first displayed in the "Husker's" home stadium. As always, the first team we play is not likely the toughest challengers we will face in the balance of the season. We won the first game, but a week later, a bunch of rowdy southerners cleaned our clock. Word has it that our new head coach thereafter, engaged in an abundance of therapeutic butt-chewing and the team fared a bit better at game number three.

Mahoney Park is a great place to take grandkids camping. In keeping with what has now become somewhat of an annual tradition, we took Emily and Will (our Omaha grandkids) and the Scamp camper out for several days to "rough it" at the crown jewel of Nebraska parks. There was so much fun had at "Mahoney", it would take a dozen inches of space to cover it all in detail. In addition to camp fire building and chats, paddle boating, plenty of grub, swimming, etc. etc., at this year's outing, "M" and Will each caught their first fish. In fact, the old guy - grandpa - only caught one fish and the kids each caught several. But just wait until next year, I'll be the one who catches the biggest and the most then we'll see who gets to tease who.

Our eldest granddaughter, Victoria (Tori), a fifteenieboper, spent a number of days with us. Of course shopping with her mom, grandma and girl cousin consumed a great deal of time. I have learned to dodge shopping whenever possible. Tori and I did have a number of hours of granddaughter-grandpa bonding as a result of my helping her take the requisite steps and get the necessary documents to get that most important document - a beginner's driving permit, just before she went for a couple of weeks with her other grandparents to their place in Arkansas. And so it was, grandpa #2 got to give the young lady "dual" time at the wheel before it was my turn. Was that good planning, or what? Upon returning to Lincoln, the brown-eyed chick and I managed to get in ten hours of driving time. We did, country, in-town, and even interstate driving. Now comes the fun part. Tori lives in Sligo, Ireland where they drive on the "wrong" side of the car and on the "wrong" side of the street. I wonder how her dad and mom will "cope" with that.

A couple of weeks ago, we attended my dearly beloved's "Cousins' Reunion" in Kansas City. What a great bunch of folks. In addition to more than plenty of "chow", there was lively discussions on matters of earth shattering importance, like for instance, the presidential race, football, and structure of the Oldehoeft "family tree." Liberals and Democrats were most certainly in the minority, which was to be expected since these folks, with few exceptions, were and are smart, patriotic, thinking, concerned Americans.

A week ago, I traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend my 50th high school class reunion. We were the "Golden Class", the fiftieth class graduating from Tulsa Central High School, which this year is 100 years old. More on this subject later, since I want to reflect upon a number of subjects relating to public education then and now. Let it suffice for the moment to say, I strongly recommend that everyone attend class reunions, particularly after around 25 years out in the world, to maintain friendships with "kids" who seem to start "slipping away" at ever increasing numbers.

In the days and weeks to come, I invite you to log on to vansopinion.com for my usual less than humble opinion on a variety of subjects. The mayor's moaning, the bond boondoggle, the elections, our city council's chaotic confabs and a whole lot more will be coming your way. So, after you have had your daily dose of Limbaugh and the local "Liberal Daily Journal Star" tune in for a bit of wit and wisdom, right here. On the average, over 1,000 people per week do, so join in the fun.

By the way, I wrote this one in my sleep, so Kathy, if your editorial eye catches any screw-ups, please let me know.


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