Author: bigdaddc@comcast.net

So, on Thursday I thought I would explore the bus system of Thun. Since the Swiss are the masters of the mass transit systems – yup … bus, train, trolley, and even boats all work in synch.

They all mesh beautifully. All tying in together without a problem.

Oh …whoa now! Not exactly perfectly in my eyes. For someone who lives at Strattlighugel 46 which sits atop a “steep hill” according to locals (To me it is a small mountain!) The system has a flaw.

So, on Thursday I thought I would explore the bus system of Thun. Since the Swiss are the masters of the mass transit systems – yup … bus, train, trolley, and even boats all work in synch.

They all mesh beautifully. All tying in together without a problem.

Oh …whoa now! Not exactly perfectly in my eyes. For someone who lives at Strattlighugel 46 which sits atop a “steep hill” according to locals (To me it is a small mountain!) The system has a flaw.

It takes me as long to wander down the – whatever you want to call it … steep hill or mountain – as it does for the fifteen-minute ride into the city of Thun.

However I promise you there aren’t going to be any busses zipping up those narrow streets to where I live.

Anyway, I have the #1 bus down. I can get from my bus stop at Gwatt Deltapark into Thun Bahnhof (Thun Train Station) without a problem. I have even mastered a few of the stops along the way. Getting back – same deal.

But to get to football training sessions on my own I have to change busses at the station. I already know it is Bus #3. No problem!

Right??? Nah!!!

OK I know I have to take the #3 bus to Stockhorn Arena where the Tigers practice. The #3 to Allmendingen.

So, now all I have to do is find the #3 bus to Allmendingen and jump off at the Arena Thun stop and I am there at the stadium. Piece of cake for the old broken-down coach.

Right??? Nah!!!

Right there in front of me …there it is! Now, I swear I read the electronic sign on the #3 bus correctly. I swear I did. I know I read “Allmendingen” so I board the #3 bus and proceed to my destination. I have these busses down pat right?

Right??? Nahh!!!

I am watching Google Maps seeing where we are in relationship to Stockhorn Arena. Initially I am not concerned that we seem to be moving away from the marker on my phone. Probably going to loop onto a highway right?

Right??? Nah???

After a few stops and about 15 minutes I am getting just a wee bit concerned as my phone shows us moving even farther away from Stockhorn. So, I decide to get off and wander around looking for something that looks familiar.

Now, why I thought anything would look familiar in a place I have never been before is beyond me. Obviously nothing did look familiar … so much for thinking! Thinking can be overrated you know.

As an old coach of mine once said. “Clemons every time you think you hurt the nation … so don’t think!”

Anyway, I hop back on the next bus going on same route hoping beyond hope we are going to get on some freeway and head to the stadium.

After watching my phone read that we were 10 kilometers from Stockhorn arena I said “enough is enough.” I got off at the next stop – walked across to the bus stop for the #3 going the other way.

Fifteen minutes later I was back at the Thun Bahnhof.

As I walked off the bus my decision was this … should I try it again and get it right???

Right??? Nah!!!

I walked across to the Coop in the station. Bought an 8-pack of 50cl Heineken cans jumped on old reliable #1 back to Gwatt Deltapark.

Climbed off at my stop and trudged up the what seemingly became a steeper “Big Hill” to Strattlighugel 46. Sat my ass down on the sofa and drank some beer.

“Donny the C” does know when it’s time to sit down and reevaluate the situation!

 

By the way – in case you didn’t know yesterday was a holiday here in my second homeland.  After talking to several people, I am still not quite sure what the name of the holiday is – just that it is a religious day here in Switzerland.

I looked it up on my new favorite source – Wikipedia!   From I can understand it is called Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday and has to do with the Holy Ghost.  All businesses shut down and people have a day off.

I was warned by our new president of the Thun Tigers – Nadia to make sure I got beer ahead of time because the groceries would all be closed.  Now, that’s what I call being a good friend – a warning about a potential beer shortage!

Nadia will do a fantastic job leading the team.  Although I feel bad that my good friend Dan is stepping aside – he can certainly feel great of what he has done for the Tigers.  It will be fun to watch Nadia work with the club.  In the short period of time I have been in Switzerland I could see that she has the qualifications, personality and the charisma to be a great director.

I also know that everyone associated with the club … the players, coaches and administrators will all step in and make this a smooth transition.  Since everyone in the club works at jobs or goes to school – and I don’t (wow imagine that – me with just football to work on) it will be my job to make sure that anything needs to be done during the working day is handled and to make sure the club runs smoothly under her leadership.

Perhaps we should think of it like me being a bouncer in a bar.  Hey, wait a minute I already have done that!  You make sure everyone is behaving and you clean up any problems.

But, back to the beer situation.  (Why does that always seem to come up with me??)  Well, I did have some in my mini-mini-mini fridge (It holds six).  But, hey wait a minute.  My friend Daniel and the lovely Tamara came by to visit.

Tamara spent time visiting with my pal Ruedi and well “Danou”  (DAN ou – the “ou” is like in caribou) and I spent a few hours talking about football.  (Apparently in Bern the “ou” thing on the end of a first name is a term of endearment.  OK – so think Daniel is “Danou,”  Mattias = “Mattou” … I guess I am “Donou”)

I certainly have a tendency to get off subject.  Well, tough it’s my post!

So, Daniel and I have a great time swapping ideas about football.  It was a great couple of hours and I can’t wait to do it again.   He is a great young coach and a thing I like about the Tigers … they have some really outstanding people from top to bottom.  Their coaching staff is top notch and continues to evolve and improve all the time – a great blend of youth and experience.

But … Daniel and Tamara – the saints that they are (on a Holy Day as well).  They brought me six bottles of beer …two from Belgium and four … and yes (drumroll in background) … four bottles of Coors Light!

What a day!

So, our football session ends Danou and the lovely Tamara depart for Bern and my pal Ruedi takes me to his wellness class called “Brain Training!”  Although somewhat apprehensive it turns into a fantastic time.

I wish I could explain the things we did.  It is a combination of using visual, movement, concentration and focus, coordination and also communication in various exercises.  It was a terrific experience.

The instructor – well she was absolutely great in helping the six of us work through her regimen.  That was a really quick hour session and I am looking forward to doing it again next Monday.  As I suspected … I am not very well coordinated, not very smart, can’t focus and have a hard time concentrating when doing several things at once.

In other words I am an uncoordinated unfocused dumbshit!

Hah … What a life!

Ok, so tomorrow I am going to have to get over to the Stockhorn Arena on my own. Have to get over there for the U16 team practice at 6:30 (18:30 Swiss time by the way – hey, I am learning!) That will be followed by the Juniors practice as we begin preparations for the season opener in Basel this Sunday.

So, I have to figure out how to do this! Easy, like Chick Harris says “We do what we do!” We practice.

So that’s what I did – I practiced.

Well, I jumped on my regular bus – old reliable #1 at Gwatt Deltapark and we made our way down Spiezstrasse  which is Route 6) to the Thun Bahnhof. (Oh by the way I mislead you a little – I have been saying Bahnhof meant Bus Station – nay, nay – it means Train Station….sorry about that!)

Not a problem getting to Bahnhof …. but now getting on the right Bus #3 to the “Arena Thun” is the challenge. Hey – I might not be smart (but I want to be) however, after screwing up and taking the wrong bus last time I tried this same experiment I figured I follow my friend Walti Tgetgel’s solid advice – just ask the bus driver if it is the right bus!

Damn good advice. I asked the driver. He just grinned, shook his head and pointed to the next bus!

And…..off I go on the right bus. Ten minutes later I am at “Arena Thun!” A miracle.

Now, they have a nice shopping complex right next to the Arena. So, after wandering around the field and stadium I do what everyone expects I should do. Yup, go in and do some shopping …yes for beer of course.

After exploring a few stores I walk into the old reliable “Denner” and by a six pack of “Boxer Old” 50cl cans. A nice beer that my friends Bradley Antolovich and Peter Harvey turned me onto this past weekend while watching the Flag football games.

Then … walk to the bus stop and climb on to the bus heading back to the Bahnhof. Yes, I got it right again!

After 10 minutes I board my bus home to Gwatt. Once there I get off and begin the 25 minute haul up the mountain to Strattlighugel 46!

As John Steinbeck wrote in his book Cannery Row (Also a great movie with Nick Nolte and Debra Winger by the way)

“Once more, the world was spinning in greased grooves.”

 

I owe the Tigers!  Here’s why.

So, I got an email from a good friend of mine and he asked if all I do is have fun while I am here in Switzerland.  Well, it’s a pretty damn obvious answer if you ask me.  Yes, all I do is have fun –  that’s my job!  However – there are many different definitions of fun.

First off – football has been fun to me since I started playing when I was ten years old or so.  (Remember many years ago Garrett Morris in Saturday Night Live saying “Baseball been berry, berry good to me!?  Just insert football for me.)  Hell, it’s a tremendous game and it teaches so many great lessons you will use all through life.  There isn’t a single day that goes by where something I learned from the game cannot be applied.

Well the Tigers thru Dan Frey went out of their way to make me a part of their organization here in Switzerland.  There were others involved and my thoughts are that Stephan Pulver and Daniel Gygax were in the mix.

There were a lot of moving parts to get this collaboration organized and pulled together.  Passport checks visa applications, City, Canton and Federal government approvals and many other little details.

Dan did a tremendous job in handling the process of attaining the proper paper work and explaining to me what needed to be done.  We had many emails, several Zooms, a few Skypes and some other transatlantic contacts.

Trust me, he is a very patient man.

Honestly, I never worried about the entire operation because it was done so professionally.  However, my point is that for all of the work that many people (including government officials) put in – well I am grateful.

I owe the Tigers!

So, back to the “fun” part.  I have an opportunity here to spend many months in this fantastic country which is “fun” by the way.  Plus, I have an opportunity to share some experiences I have had … connect the Tiger staff with information that many of my coaching compadres in the US have shared with me and to hopefully contribute a little to the organization as a whole.

The least I can do is spend a few hours of the day preparing any football information I can put together and assemble it for the staff.  I mean, that isn’t very hard.  In fact, it is fun going back thru old playbooks and lectures trying to dig up information that the Tigers might be able to use.

Unfortunately, my “Hudl” doesn’t work real well here for whatever reason so I cannot dig up some old videos.  But, there isn’t much I can do about that.  But, I am the one making out on this collaboration.  There is no doubt that I am lucky to be here.

I owe the Tigers for sure!

 

 

Well, woke to an absolutely gorgeous morning here in my  Gwatt, Switzerland mountaintop (OK “Steep Hill” according to the locals) abode.  Sun was shining – not a cloud in the sky.  The temperatures were going to be awesome without a doubt.

First game of the season for our U-19 Junior team – road trip to the city of Basel to play the Gladiators.  (Check out the blog Konkretekidinfootball.com for a run down on that city along the Rhein in Switzerland.

I wandered partway down the hill where my pal Arne Denecke – the Head Coach of the Tigers picked me up on the way to the bus.  We took the quick ride to the Bahnhof in downtown Thun.

There, we met the team and climbed on board for the two-hour ride past Bern and over to Basel on the boarder of France and Germany.

There was no doubt that there was a noticeable nervousness mixed with excitement for the first game of the season.  Openers are interesting because the is always a lot of thinking being done – especially by the least experienced players.  It’s like that everywhere and at any level of sport you can think of.

Each player and coach is reflecting on the off season and preseason work performed.  Did we do enough?  Did we do too much?  Did we prepare for the right offense or defense for this game?  Players are wondering how they will measure for to their individual battles.  How they will stack up against an unknown opponent.

Well, we hopped on that bus through the magnificent scenery of Switzerland trying to imagine just what would happen after that 11:00 kickoff.  Just how would we handle the competition against a tough opponent.

Like everyone who takes sport – once you get to the arena and start warming up … the jitters can be put in to a box as you loosen up tight muscles that were locked up during a bus trip.  You start to concentrate on your own individual assignments and positional requirements.  You get into the flow of the final preparations.

Then, suddenly there is the coin toss and next thing you know we are lining up to receive the first kickoff of the first game of the year.  Here we go!  We manage to drive the ball right down the field for twelve plays.  Get stopped on downs and have to give it up.

Basel drives it right down on our defense but we make a big play and next thing we know we have it back and again work out way down the field.  Bingo we get into the end zone and we suddenly find ourselves ahead 6-0 after a failed extra point.

Unfortunately, the rest of the day didn’t go our way as we ended up falling to the Gladiators in the end. Dropping a 35-20 game which was much closer that a 15-point divide.  There were plenty of opportunities for us to take advantage of the home team … but every time we got to make that critical we just fell short.

A very frustrating day where – big mistakes hurt us throughout the game – whether it was special teams, defense or offense.

Obviously let’s give the victors the credit they deserve.  They made the plays when we couldn’t.  Sometimes that is the way a game plays out.  I will say this though it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the Tigers.  They got after it the whole game.  I think it will be interesting to see how it plays out the next time we meet.

Personally, I love working with these guys.  They just want to improve – to find a way to become better players mentally and physically.  I am looking forward to see their improvement as we work our way through the season.  Each practice there is more progress being made.

As for the coaches – you couldn’t find a finer bunch of men who are sacrificing their time and effort to give the young men on this team a great experience.  Their priorities are in the right place and I am so grateful to be accepted into the group and hope I can add just a little bit to make this organization continue its upward trajectory!

Well, woke to an absolutely gorgeous morning here in my  Gwatt, Switzerland mountaintop (OK “Steep Hill” according to the locals) abode.  Sun was shining – not a cloud in the sky.  The temperatures were going to be awesome without a doubt.

First game of the season for our U-19 Junior team – road trip to the city of Basel to play the Gladiators.

I wandered partway down the hill where my pal Arne Denecke – the Head Coach of the Tigers picked me up on the way to the bus.  We took the quick ride to the Bahnhof in downtown Thun.

There, we met the team and climbed on board for the two-hour ride past Bern and over to Basel on the boarder of France and Germany.

There was no doubt that there was a noticeable nervousness mixed with excitement for the first game of the season.  Openers are interesting because the is always a lot of thinking being done – especially by the least experienced players.  It’s like that everywhere and at any level of sport you can think of.

Each player and coach is reflecting on the off season and preseason work performed.  Did we do enough?  Did we do too much?  Did we prepare for the right offense or defense for this game?  Players are wondering how they will measure for to their individual battles.  How they will stack up against an unknown opponent.

Well, we hopped on that bus through the magnificent scenery of Switzerland trying to imagine just what would happen after that 11:00 kickoff.  Just how would we handle the competition against a tough opponent.

Like everyone who takes sport – once you get to the arena and start warming up … the jitters can be put in to a box as you loosen up tight muscles that were locked up during a bus trip.  You start to concentrate on your own individual assignments and positional requirements.  You get into the flow of the final preparations.

Then, suddenly there is the coin toss and next thing you know we are lining up to receive the first kickoff of the first game of the year.  Here we go!  We manage to drive the ball right down the field for twelve plays.  Get stopped on downs and have to give it up.

Basel drives it right down on our defense but we make a big play and next thing we know we have it back and again work out way down the field.  Bingo we get into the end zone and we suddenly find ourselves ahead 6-0 after a failed extra point.

Unfortunately, the rest of the day didn’t go our way as we ended up falling to the Gladiators in the end. Dropping a 35-20 game which was much closer that a 15-point divide.  There were plenty of opportunities for us to take advantage of the home team … but every time we got to make that critical we just fell short.

A very frustrating day where – big mistakes hurt us throughout the game – whether it was special teams, defense or offense.

Obviously let’s give the victors the credit they deserve.  They made the plays when we couldn’t.  Sometimes that is the way a game plays out.  I will say this though it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the Tigers.  They got after it the whole game.  I think it will be interesting to see how it plays out the next time we meet.

Personally, I love working with these guys.  They just want to improve – to find a way to become better players mentally and physically.  I am looking forward to see their improvement as we work our way through the season.  Each practice there is more progress being made.

As for the coaches – you couldn’t find a finer bunch of men who are sacrificing their time and effort to give the young men on this team a great experience.  Their priorities are in the right place and I am so grateful to be accepted into the group and hope I can add just a little bit to make this organization continue its upward trajectory!

So, on my usual walk down the mountainside from Strattlihugel 46 to my grocery or to the gym I always walk past this fenced off area that has a winding stream with a fairly good-sized pond near the walkway.  There are the usual aquatic plants and the land is made up of high grasses.

It’s a pretty cool looking area and obviously the conservationists must be a serious bunch here in the Gwatt – Moos area.  The fence is backed up by an “electric” fence behind it!

There is a sign explaining the area inside of the fence – It has a big frog (I discovered today it is really a toad) and a dragonfly (wrong on that one too!) on it as well.  Unfortunately, it is written in German and that does a “non” multilingual guy like me little good.

But, then I think “hold on there Batman”  – I have that fancy translating whatchamacallit on my computer.  But, that would require me to type all of the words into the computer.  Well, that isn’t that hard.  Oh yeah … no offense here … but typing German for a simpleton like me!  Hmm…it’s not so easy when you have to type in words that have 18 letters such as “Altlastensanierung” or “Baurechtsvertrag” which is 16!

I did get it accomplished though.

Turns out this is a patch of land was once basically a dumping ground.  In 2012 the “Pro Natura Region Thun and Bern” were given the go-ahead to clean up the area.  I’m guessing it took a pretty good while to get that done.  But, they did it.  Now, it is a thriving section of Wetlands which has added quite a bit to the Gwattmoos protected grounds which also includes some wooded areas as well.

At first when I saw the sign I figured it had something to do with the frogs that are abundant in the pond near the fence.  They bob up to the surface and nail low flying insects then sink back down.  Since the water isn’t clear I can’t tell if there are any fish in there.  But, I figure there have got to be right???

Anyway, I haven’t seen any frogs get gulped up by a fish (wonder where the bass are?) as they rise to the surface slowly and leisurely float there.  Incidentally these guys make a great deal of racket at night (a veritable cacophony of “froggy” music you might say!)  A few bigtime words in that parenthetical phrase – there, I just did it again just can’t help myself!

Well, it turns out – these guys are pond frogs – from what I understand.  But, also in this pretty marshy area there lives the “Yellow Bellied Toad” as well.  Now this guy is not a common occurrence apparently.  So, these wetlands are important to the recovery of these amphibians.

On another part of the sign there is a picture of what appears to be a dragonfly – but actually it is not!  The explanation here reads:

“Ober zwanzig Libellenarten profitieren von neu geschaffenen Lebensraum und den vielfaltigen Gewassern. Eine davon ist die Zweigestreifte Quelljungafer.  Sie ist fur de Eiablage auf quellartige Kleingewasser angewiesen.  IhreEntwicklungszeit dauert bis zu sechs Jahre.”

Good luck!

OK, I know those of you in the US won’t try to find the translator so I’ll summarize.  According to this sign there are 20 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies in this habitat.  (Yup, they are different – it has to do with the shape of the wings.  No, I do not know which is which!)

How would you have liked to be the grad student writing her (or his) dissertation on dragon/damsel flies while you traipse through this area falling down, getting muddy and counting the different types while patiently taking pictures?  Yeah, my life is way easier than that.

Well, this guy on the sign is the “Two-striped Spring Damselfly” and is a protected bug (sorry species).  The GwattMos wetlands is an ideal place for them to raise a family I guess!  These bad boys can be as large as 85mm.  Go ahead … ask me …  come on … 3.46 inches.  They may dive bomb you – but they do not bite or sting.

So – there is your science lesson for the day.  Given to you by a broken down old football coach!

OK … there are so many reasons why I feel so great about being here in my second homeland of Switzerland.  (Maybe it becomes my new homeland who knows??)  …. I did find a nice apartment in the Gwatt Deltapark  …  well there is no way the Swiss government would let a broken-down football old coach like me stay here!

Think about it … what would this country do with someone who spent his life more worried about containing the end run or zone blitzes than cleaning his own truck.  Easy answer …  no need for me here.  Well, hold on there for a second Batman! …  I do have a secret for beer drinking.

I learned a few years ago that eating a frozen peanut butter cup with beer is really good.  My coaching mate at Moravian College and good friend Jim Newhard has done an extensive study of this using Guinness.  He is right!  I carried his peanut butter cup eating theory over into a look at Coors Light (Imagine that!?!) and also another quality beer – Miller High Life.  Bingo … you got it… estupendo!

Although this study might be biased to some degree (Jim and I are somewhat stilted in our approach to beer drinking – albeit good at it!) – plus a limited pool of actual subjects (Just two … Jim and I) might influence this academic research it some way.  However – I challenge you  – all of you out there in the real world to try it and give me your results!

Maybe the Swiss government might give me a grant (thus allowing me to stay here indefinitely) to try the peanut butter cup theory with my favorite Swiss beer Feldschlosschen – which should have two dots over the “o” by the way.  OK – highly unlikely that would happen.  But, if I could just find some peanut butter cups I would do it on my own.

Could you see me on the cover of Time Magazine for some Nobel award in science?  Why not?  They give them out for everything else.  Is the study of peanut butter cups and beer drinking that far out in this day and age?  I think not!

Well, anyway – that wasn’t what I had in mind when I started this post.  But you know me – pretty hard to prevent me from wandering around with my thoughts.  Come on now Donald just for a minute or two …. Focus!

Sure, living here fulltime would be pretty much awesome.

But, I started out thinking about how great my situation is right now with the Thun Tigers.  I get to work with their Junior team (U-19) on Wednesday and then the 16 and under team in an early practice followed by time with the Erste Mannshaft (First Team) on Friday.

We do Zoom and Skype meetings several times each week with the team and now we are gradually pulling my coaching friends from the US into our circle via these worldwide connectors.  It is just fantastic.

Next week we are having my friend Steve Saulnier from the University of West Florida talk with our coaches and team about offensive line play.  Steve is a great man who happens to be an excellent football coach.  Oh yeah, by the way the University of West Florida won the last real Division II National Championship in 2019 (Covid cancelled out last year!)  Can’t wait to hear his lecture (or theory session) as we say here in Europe.

I get to visit with our Defensive Coordinator Albin Rosti (two dots over the “o” by the way?!?) each Thursday for a few hours.  Yeah, OK we meet at a bar.  Maybe, just maybe we have a beers (no peanut butter cups though) or two as we talk.  But, honestly – we have great conversations about the “First Team” players and football in general.

Every single coach has gone out of their way to get me to practice.  To make sure I was comfortable (I am living in Daniel’s Dad  – Ruedi’s home which is a little out of the way so its either a ride or the bus) – Rolph Zybach the linebacker coach gave me a bigger refrigerator (for beer as you know ….  peanut butter cups not so much) – Martin Schweizer bought beer after our game in Basel and gave me a laptop to watch video on.  Christian, Renato, Simon, Arne and Daniel go out of their way to drive me to practice.  Actually, so did out retiring President Dan and our new President Nadia.

You can’t mention everyone.  But, there are so many others who have done so much and been so gracious.

What more can you want?

Well, let me mention one more thing.  The guys … the troops…the players who line up for the Tigers.  From the young guys on our 16 and under team to the players on the First Team.  Awesome to a person.

I’ll tell you just how aware and interested this group is.  After our work-out Friday a week ago they presented me with two cases of Coors Light.  Why?  Because they knew I always refer to my sponsors in jest.

It may be a silly thing to many of you.  But, to me – well it just let me know that collectively they have a great sense of humor.  But, more than that they appreciate me.  How could I possibly not want to spend as much time with this organization as I can?

Absolutely just love the opportunity to be here with these people.

One of the greatest things the Swiss people have is their warmth.  Often, I don’t think they realize how kind they are.  But, truly I see it every day!

Lastly, .… Nic, Noah, Nadia, Renato …  I am guessing you and a few others of the “usual suspects” are behind this gift!  But whoever it was  – thanks and I owe you – I will get back at you by the  way!

OK, so apparently some of the board of directors of the Thun Tigers are worried that I am bored on the days with no football training sessions here in my “mountainside retreat.” They may call Strattlighugel 46 a homestead on a big hill – but as some baseball umpire once called out … “I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.” This is a MOUNTAIN I live on!

Trust me, I am not bored. I found a nice gym to workout in. A lot of equipment – not many people.  So that is an everyday occurrence for me.  A seventeen-minute walk down the MOUNTAIN …. a little bit more going up.

After a workout usually drop by Lidl (LEE del) to buy some food for the day (OK beer as well!) then trudge up the hill … It is pretty damn steep I assure you.  Work on some football stuff when I get home.  Sometimes walk back down the slope and take a cruise on Bus #1 from Gwatt Deltapark into the Thun Bahnhof (Thun Train Station).

Thun is a nice place to wander around – there are a lot of neat little places to explore and several nice outdoor places to eat as well.  And now that you can eat indoors things should start to pick up.

I had fun sitting under a small umbrella a few weeks ago trying to eat a pizza in a driving rainstorm.  (They gave the dumb broken down American football coach the table closest to the edge of the covered area – even with several others well under an overhang were available?!?)  I did get soaked and maybe they had a laugh.

But, the pizza was really good and the three-dollar tip I left was purposely short.  OK I am a dumbass – they must have been really laughing as I walked away.  They watched me get totally rain soaked without complaining and since you really don’t have to tip in Switzerland.  Well …  just maybe I am not really smart.

Which brings me to overcoming my mental deficiencies with “Brain Training!”

My landlord (really my friend as well)  .. Ruedi has convinced me that I need to take a class he takes called  “Brain Training”with him.  Now … imagine this.  It is comical for him trying to convince me to go.  He speaks just a little English and my meager knowledge of Swiss German is counting to ten …knowing how to say the word “shit”… and the words for left, right, up and down!

If we could video our interactions and conversations it would be hilarious.  But, we get along famously.  Beer brings everyone closer!

OK so I know …  back to “Brain Training.”  It really is fascinating and makes sense.  Obviously I am not an MD and what do I know?  But, I will tell you it is truly a mentally exhausting hour.

Our instructor Mareke Banzinger – Plocher.  She is an excellent tennis player here in Switzerland (also played at Kansas State for a year by the way) who teaches this course.

Trust me it will wear you out.  We flip balls in the air … then to each other, Then we flip them to ourselves changing hands.  flip the balls while doing simple (no – hard) footwork drills.  Play games throwing balls, bouncing balls, kicking balls to each other calling out colors, numbers, code words etc.  You have to remember what colored ball means what and what names (animals, colors numbers you have to say!)

There is coordination, memorization, movement, combination skills. It is really hard.  But, it is fun as well.  If you aren’t ready to laugh at yourself – well forget this because you are going to screw up!  Awesome stuff.

Constantly thinking and working with other people!

OK have to stop for a second here even harder for my classmates.  The other people in the class speak some English .. but they are Swiss German!  (They realize I only know how to count to ten  …  say “shit” and know right, left, up and down in Swiss German) so they do this in English for me.  How amazing is that??!!

The nicest people in the world!

So, The board of directors of the Tigers  should know I am not bored.  Losing money by the minute … but certainly not bored!

Thinking about expanding my blog with stories about my years with the Lions and other football (mis)adventures.  My close friend Terry Copacia has always encouraged me to right down these stories for our other friends.  He says to write a book.

However, I am not disciplined enough to do that.  You have to work at writing a book.  All I do well is drink beer.  Any way have to think about putting this down in my blog!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Billy Jim Baker wrote a song that Jerry Jeff Walker recorded called “Contrary to Ordinary.”  Billy Jim, by the way, is a professional clown and a member of the Clown Hall of Fame.

Baker was a friend of the late Jerry Jeff and actually once convinced him to work at a circus with him.  A picture of Walker in full clown regalia can be seen on the back of album he made by the same name “Contrary to Ordinary.”

Anyway, some of the lyrics that Billy Jim wrote and Jerry Jeff recorded (yeah, I know Billy Jim and Jerry Jeff – who he affectionately called Jacky Jack – the names can make your mind spin) are the inspiration for this collection of things that happened as I stumbled through life.

This journal is just that – a collection of stories – or (mis)adventures as I say.  They aren’t anything special in the scope of the real world as it is.  However, here they are for those who want to see them.

Really, they aren’t stories as much as episodes that have played out throughout my life.  Stealing from Billy Jim’s writing and Jerry Jeff’s singing comes Joe Don Clemons’ (mis)adventures in football – the greatest team game in the world.

Some lines from Billy Jim’s writing and Jerry Jeff’s singing:

                        And I was contrary to ordinary Even as a child Fast freights made me wonder The full moon still drives me wild And stories do come true You just got to live your life in episodes With one eye on a lady And one eye still on that open road

I hope you like some of them.  Like my close friend Bert Hill says they are true (well mostly), but … well life still is “stranger than fiction!”

“Stranger than fiction” …. Bert Hill