Friday, January 30, 2009

How About A Chat

Hey......how's about we sit right down on the bench here and have us a friendly, little chat?
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What's that you're saying?? You don't relish the idea of sitting on snow?! Well, what is wrong with you? This bench is here for sitting on, you know.......snow or not.
Perhaps you'd be interested in going bicycling.
What?? You don't like the sound of that idea, either? Hmmph.......you are just no fun at all.

If you can't be coaxed into those outdoor activities, how's about we go indoors and look around. We're here at the Wellness Center on the campus of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. My son had a basketball game here a few weeks ago......on a very cold, snowy evening. It was my first visit to this sports facility, which was built not only for college activities, but also for use by residents of Waverly and the surrounding area. Its quite a place; my photos do not do it justice at all. The first two shots were right outside the north vestibule area.
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Once inside---after my glasses unfogged---this large area full of fitness equipment came into view:
Opposite the fitness room is the swimming pool:
Further within the gigantic facility, right before we reached the basketball arena, we looked down upon this indoor track:
As stated earlier, it was a very cold evening, and we battled blowing snow all the way home. Getting a chance to see the inside of this building made the trip worthwhile, however.

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Hey, I'm almost giddy, sitting here surrounded by tax papers.......and typing on my very own laptop computer! Yes, my daughter's new one arrived by FedEx yesterday, and she drove home from college (only 30 minutes away) to pick it up, and leave her old one. She spent the evening here, transferring "her music" and photos to the new computer. How did I ever survive without having "my music"?
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Due to my cold, I didn't go along with Husband to our son's basketball game. It was pleasant to spend time with my daughter, although she made me watch "Grey's Anatomy" with her, a show I've never viewed before. Good grief......can the show's premise possibly be very realistic? Years ago, I worked in a hospital for awhile as an LPN, so I know a tiny bit about the subject. In last night's episode, the group of young doctors, or interns, or residents---whatever they are supposed to be---suddenly "discovered" the morgue room and decided to sneak down there during lunch breaks to practice surgical procedures. Really? Would something like that ever actually take place?
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And, a very risky heart procedure was being carried out by several of these very young doctors.....without any experienced specialists in the scene. C'mon. Oh, I realize though, that OLDER doctors cluttering up the TV screen would not snatch the big ratings.
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Another thing......most of the cast must have been chosen because of their eyes. There were lots of close-ups of very expressive eyes.......which surely captures and holds the attention of viewers.
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The show is in a similar vein as the earlier fast-paced hospital shows that began---as I recall, anyway---with "St. Elsewhere". Does anyone remember that show? I was in my baby-bearing years back then, and can remember sitting contentedly in the evening, nursing a baby and watching that show. Does anyone remember what saint the hospital was named for?
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Then, after St. Elsewhere's demise came "ER". Lots of drama in lives inside and outside that emergency room setting. I thought that many of the procedures and decisions those ER doctors were making were not very realistic, either, but it made for a riveting show. In my own mind, "St. Elsewhere" and the early years of "ER" are all mixed up in a collage, and I can't recall what actors were in which show. Which one was David Morse in? Ed Begley, Jr.? Of course, I do recall clearly that hunky George Clooney was in "ER".
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Anyhow.......hooray......this is my first post from the laptop. I uploaded the photos from my desktop computer, though.
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Hopefully, you are having a pleasant day......now I must get back to the sorting and filing of tax papers.
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12 comments:

Pat - Arkansas said...

Congrats on your laptop!

Good photos of a very nice facility there at Waverly College. Wish I were in their swimming pool about now. It IS heated, right??? :)

rhymeswithplague said...

Well, I for one certainly do remember St. Elsewhere (St. Eligius, as I recall) and Dr. Westphall and Dr. Auschlander and Dr. Fiscus (Howie Mandel) and even Luther the Orderly.

What I remember most vividly is the mind-blowing final scene in the final episode of the series.

Thanks for helping me recall the memories!

Country Girl said...

Oh, Jeannelle! First off, congrats on your laptop. I'm excited for you.
Secondly, I LOVED LOVED LOVED St. Elsewhere. It was my favorite TV show for such a long time.
St. Eligius is the patron saint of the downtrodden and was the name of the hospital, if I recall. But everyone called it St. Elsewhere. I remember when Helen Hunt joined the cast (at the end). she was someone's girlfriend if I remember.
Good memories.

Jeannelle said...

Hi, Pat,

I would imagine the pool is heated, but don't know for certain.

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Hi, rhymsie,

You have a much better memory than me....(though I did recall "Eligius").....I didn't recall those doctors' names at all, and completely forgot about Howie Mandel being in the cast.

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Hi, Country Girl,

Another person with a great memory.....I had forgotten about Helen Hunt in there, too. She was Dr. Morrison's girlfriend (I just found that on Google.).

Reamus said...

St. Elsewhere is where tom Harmon (known to some earlier as a football playing son of a famous football player announcer and player got his start...he contracted AIDS. I believe it was the first program ever to deal with the subject..He now is the star of his own series after other shows and movies ("NCIS").

I was but a child, but thought it the best show ever...still think it was well written and acted by many who went on to other things.

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I'm so glad you have your laptop. Now you just have to get some of "your" own music. LOL

I never watched either of the shows you mention. I gave up watching TV series something like 20 years ago, and I haven't missed it at all. (I'm not a purist. I do watch some news, movies, and way too much sports.)

Gigi Ann said...

Like Ruth I have never watched either one of these shows. I am more into comedies and mysteries and fluffy movies. lol. I say to each his own...

rhymeswithplague said...

Note to Reamus: Tom Harmon was the father/announcer/football player. Mark Harmon was/is the son. And his sister was married to singer Rick Nelson.

Jeannelle said...

Reamus,

Oh, my goodnes....that's right....Mark Harmon was in St. Elsewhere, too. The first ones who came to my mind were Morse and Begley, and that was about it.

You were a child watching St. Elsewhere.....really.

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Hi, Ruth,

Oh, do I really want my own music? I still like to go the old-fashioned way of turning on the radio and listening to what's playing by chance. Quite often its exactly what I need to hear.

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Gramma Ann,

Actually, there was comedy in St. Elsewhere....but, mystery, well probably not so much.

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rhymsie,

Yes, I knew Tom Harmon was the father. I didn't know his daughter was married to Rick Nelson. Interesting!


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Probably no one will see this, but: Do any of you watch Grey's Anatomy? And, how does that show compare in quality with St. E, and ER?

Anonymous said...

Oh how much you must enjoy your laptop. I sure envy you that! What a joy it must be to sit comfortably and enjoy the net. We still use the old fashioned stuff, with a monitor that weighs 40 lbs or more! LOL.

Russell said...

Nice photos of Wartburg! I always liked this school as it was just a few miles north of Cedar Falls - where I went to school at UNI many years ago.

Wartburg certainly has a beautiful facility now for sports and fitness. A couple of years ago I went with my daughter to look at UNI and was amazed at what they have now, too! Wow! Swimming and all sorts of really nice facilities in a brand new building.

What I was MOST surprised about was how the kids get to eat now! Instead of going through the cafeteria line they walk around to various stations where they can get pasta or salad or ice cream or meat dishes or pizza or whatever they want. It is incredible!

These are GOOD changes that have taken place in colleges!

Take care.

DesertHen said...

Congrats on the laptop. You will so enjoy it...=)

Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite shows. I have watched it from the very start. It is one that I refuse to give up as I have so many others since going back to work. It is my bit of endulgence each week.....=)

Great photos of the center....all of that equipment makes me want to go work out...NOT....he, he.

Happy weekend to you.