There is an old wise proverb that has been passed on down through the ages: “With mice and men, no matter how much planning ahead has been done, if something can go wrong, it will.” This also holds true for fishermen.
This is a sad saga of four fishermen, Bob Goetz from Austin, Bob Hanson from Albert Lea, Gary Oliver from Fairmont and Paul Proft from Owatonna.
Santa Claus sent each of them a text message on Christmas Day 2018 that read: “You’ve been just barely good enough to deserve a two-day, three-night ice fishing trip beginning Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. If you want to get a better approval rating in 2019 from me, you will have to improve your relationship with your CEO.”
All four sent a text thanking Santa and promised to improve their relationship with their CEO. On they went for their fishing trip to Brindley’s Resort on Leech Lake by Walker, Minn. Three hundred miles of good roads, very little snow and they arrived with no problems.
Each day was a day of great enjoyment, catching fish, donating to the local casino, playing cribbage and wanting to go again in 2019. Each day was also a reminder of what one must do in 2019 to get a better approval rating from Santa to go again.
Every day in 2019, each one worked on improving his relationship with his spouse as per Santa’s warning. Please and thank you were the common terms along with yes dear, O.K. dear, and can I help? They were just a few of the English language words used for improving the relationship. Flowers, candy and more were the usual for birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions.
As the year went by the four guys even improved their relations with other relatives, neighbors, church members, etc.
Finally the day of December 25 came along with the much anticipated text from Santa reading, “Well done. You have earned my approval of a two-day, three-night ice fishing trip to Brindley’s Resort on Leech Lake.”
Immediately, the four went into action and booked the two-day, three-night fishing trip staying at Brindley’s Resort on Leech Lake, with arrival Sunday, Dec. 29 and departure Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Each one was reminded to bring: warm clothing, boots, cell phone. Each was reminded to check his fishing equipment including fishing license, New Year’s Eve beverage, snacks, towel, wash cloth and soap. Paul would bring food and beverage for lunch and I would bring a carrot cake. The evening meal would be at the casino in Walker, then cribbage would be played in our cabin.
We would cut a piece of carrot cake, put candles on it for Gary to blow out while we sang Happy Birthday as it was his birthday and anniversary on the same day.
I packed about two ounces of Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry as I would call Genie and we would bring in the New Year with a toast via our cell phones.
Remember the wise old proverb at the beginning of this column: “If something can go wrong, it will.” It did. Ten inches of wet snow created a blizzard and treacherous driving both on and off the lake, forcing us to cancel about 9 a.m. the scheduled day we were to arrive. Uffda!
— — —
Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.