REMARKS: DEAD WIPERS CAUSE MILESTONE TO BE MISSED

Four times I have taken a vehicle past the magic 100,000 mile mark. Being the numeral-fancying people that we are, I think we all keep at least a half-conscious watch at the odometer for landmarks. Yet in two of the four instances I have wound up missing the actual "big moment."

The most aggravating one was several years ago with my little Dodge Colt. It was the only one of the four that I basically took from 0 to 100,000. It has 21 miles when I took it off the lot -- and I probably put 12 on it test-driving it. Of course I had a good reason to miss the big event. I was on a date -- and with the success of my social life, that was probably a bigger event than hitting 100,000 miles.

Sunday I missed the mark on tmy current vehicle. A friend had flown in from Oklahoma and would need to be back at Lambert Airport Sunday night. On the way to church Sunday morning, my wipers died. This would not have been a major problem in June ... or July ... or August ... or September or October. On Dec. 12 it was very definitely a problem! We wound up skipping our plan to visit Ste. Genevieve on the way to the airport. Instead I stuck my friend on a BART van. In making it across town to do that -- sans wipers -- my concentration was sufficiently diverted to miss the big event. Upon returning home, I discovered the odometer at 000003. Fortunately it proved to be a $15 repair -- which was probably less than the cost of the date that distracted me in the old Colt.

I must apologize to anyone whose submissions may ahve inadvertently been left out this week. The old cliche about not appreciating someone sufficiently until they are gone has never been mroe true. When Office Manager Tonya Harrell bit the dust with the flu bug this past week, we discovered jsut hwo much we rely on her. We eagerly await her healthy return to the office this week.

It seems strange to have a winning NFL team in eastern Missouri again. Bill Bidwell's garbage about St. Louis (and by extension, the East side of the state) being a "bad football town" still rankles me, 12 years later. When the Big Red (the former St. Louis football Cardinals, for the benefit of our younger readers) won, the fans came. When the Big Red looked like they MIGHT win, the fans came. When the "Big Dead" gave all appearances as an organization of not having the foggiest idea which way was up, the fans stayed away. It was that simple. The baseball Cardinals had up years and down years. Yet their number one draft picks could usually be seen thriving at AAA and generally contributing to the big club within a few years. The Big Red's top picks were usually players no one had heard of. (In at least a couple of instances, this included the head coach!) Then they STILL couldn't sign these mystery men!

It was beginning to look like the Rams were of an equal caliber. Now the management's confidence in Dick Vermeil seems to have paid off handsomely -- as well as the team's draft picks. Add some fine role models like Isaac Bruce and Kurt Warner (Let's hope, for the team's sake that the Rapture doesn't take place during the playoffs!) and you have a professional sports team worthy of the same reverence and respect the baseball Cardinals have had for generations.

My first Christmas season in the Jackson area is almost upon me. So far it has been a fine season. The Festival of Lights, Ye Olde Madrigal Feaste and the annual Jackson Christmas Parade have all added a festive touch. So has the local toy drive and the warm hearts of many individuals, such as Majhon Phillips. Jackson is definitely a pleasant place to be during the holidays.