After a nearly disastrous start to the year, the wife and I were both ready to say good riddance 2013 by midnight last night.
March 1st I was finally hired for a full time job after a little over three years of scrounging for work. It’s going to take years to crawl out of the financial hole that was created, but there was now potential for improvement.
Then the wife, who was in the final stages of recovering from rotator cuff surgery, was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis and had to quit working. She’s a tough lady and though it’s hurt her ability to work, she does her best to keep going, sometimes to a fault. There are those moments where she just collapses into bed in pain.
Then in November she had a mild heart attack.
Boy, did that piss her off.
She still refuses to let these things get the better of her and she pushes and pushes. One of these days that will either kill her or cripple her, but that’s the way she wants it.
I’m not going to argue with her, won’t do any good.
So, we’ll see what 2014 brings.
We’ll be moving soon, something smaller and cheaper. That should help a bit. Nice part for me, besides being cheaper, I’ll still be less than a two minute walk to the Fox River.
One must have priorities, even if they are self-serving.
My goals are simple this year.
I hope to enjoy all of these, every day.
And to catch more of these out of smaller and smaller creeks.
I told you my goals are simple.
At the top of this post is one of my favorite images, Leap Into the Void by Yves Klein.
Sometimes, what else can you do.
Of course, there will always be music playing somewhere in the back of my head while I watch those sunsets and fish those creeks.
There always is.
If you’re going to Leap Into the Void, you may as well Jump Into the Fire.
Really, sometimes, what else can you do.
Rickles
1 Jan 2014Best to you both for this new year. My resolutions are to bitch less and fish more.
Hope to see you on the rivers/creeks this year Ken.
Ken G
1 Jan 2014Same to you Rick. If I bitch less, people may wonder if there’s something wrong with me.
I would like to get out your way this year. I never seem to go there anymore. We’ll trade spots.
Rickles
1 Jan 2014LOL! I think they might think the same about me too. The wife will surely wonder!
I did a fair amount on the West Branch DuPage this summer too. Nothing to brag about fish wise, but “a bad day fishing…”
This may be the last summer in Morris as the in-laws are probably going to sell, so it’ll be a lot of plodding in your neck of the woods after that.
(makes mental note to look at Aux Sable Creek too)
Ken G
1 Jan 2014The state record Rock Bass came out of that creek. Don’t know why I know that.
There really is too much water to fish. I’ve always wanted to do much more exploring on the Mazon.
Robert France
1 Jan 2014A couple years ago I was catching some one pound rock bass on the des plaines in des plaines. I looked up the record and I thought for sure that I would catch it… never did.
Kevin Drendel
1 Jan 2014Wishing you a better 2014!
Ken G
1 Jan 2014Thanks Kev. It’s gotta be better.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
walt
1 Jan 2014Glad you’ll be staying near the therapeutic river, Ken, and hoping that you won’t be needing it as much as before because the new year will be kinder to you guys. But even if you don’t Need the river as much, it’ll be good to fish there a lot because it’s fun.
Ken G
1 Jan 2014Happy New Year Walt and I always need river therapy. Wanted to rent a house in the woods on a lake, but it was a little further out. This one puts us within a very short distance of her brothers, a support system that may be needed at times. That became much more important to me.
Upside is shaving 20 minutes off my work commute. That’s 20 more minutes for my sunset cruises or 20 more minutes for a hike down the nearby trail with the wife, if she’s up for it.
Win/win all around I’d say.
Steve Z
1 Jan 2014Happy New Year, Ken! Hopefully the new one will be less of a bastard than the last.
Ken G
1 Jan 2014Same to you Steve. Read your post with the Happy New Year title this morning and thought, well, can’t use that…
So I went with what my wife said last night. The rest just flowed out of that. Wasn’t intentional, just happened.
It’s got to be less of a bastard, right?
bob
2 Jan 2014“It’s gotta be better.” No, it doesn’t. Life ain’t gotta be nuthin’. So let us all work together, and work at it, making 2014 better. That’s what fishin’ friends are for. (I heard a song similar to that – can’t remember what though. oh well)…
I am hoping you find creeks, and fish, and photo ops. I am hoping Di finds some improvements in health and strength.
Ken G
2 Jan 2014I have a long list of small waters I’ve never go to Bob, I don’t worry about me.
Di is determined to stay out of the hospital this year, but then, she said that at the beginning of last year. That didn’t work. It’s her I worry about.
If you and I had all the money and time in the world, you and I would go do a couple of books on my long list of small waters. And that’s just northern Illiinois.
Jim McClellan
2 Jan 2014Your wife sounds like an amazing person. I like her attitude . . . and yours. I’m with you on the goals.
Ken G
2 Jan 2014She’s a ball buster Jim. Being the youngest of 5 and the only girl, she had no choice.
She refuses to give up or give in. I find that extremely attractive.
Daniel "Impractical Fishermen" Roloff
2 Jan 2014Ken, I hope this year treats you better than the past three.
Ken G
2 Jan 2014I’ve got my fingers crossed Dan.