"They really know how to
hurt a guy," Ivan said. "They talked about all the media attention that was being given the St. Francis/Smith Center football game. I think they said something about nine major media representatives. And never once was Echo mentioned. But one nice thing about it, I can handle rejection. It's praise and flattery that I can't handle. Haven't had enough of it to learn what to do. When someone says something nice about me, I just rub my toe in the dirt and say, 'Ah, shucks.'"
"If south of Harlan Kendall Nichols approaches you with an 'I want you' look," Ivan said, "you better be careful, or you will be the new secretary of the Way We Were group."
"Here is kind of a sneak preview," Ivan said. "The local Kiwanis Club will hold their annual spaghetti feed on January 23th. That is a long time away, but it will give you time to round up a bib. You remember the luscious spaghetti sauce the Kiwanis serve has a tendency to freckle your shirt front."
"The local Heck's Angels, David Grey and Lyle Morgan, parked their mortorcycles in last Wednesday's wind," Ivan said, "and took a safer mode of transportation to Paul's Cafe in the afternoon. Morgan didn't complain to the waitress that the table was sticky. She had other things to do. So he grabbed a damp cloth and wiped down the table himself. Done a good job. You can't say enough about the job he done. Probably is handy around the house."
"I don't thinking putting Beano in everything is a good idea all the time," Ivan said. "You know you have to check your compression ever once in a while."
"The teacher," Ivan said, "told Johnny to use the word triangle in a sentence. Johnny said, 'If the fish ain't bitin on grasshoppers, triangle worms.'"
"You know," Ivan said, "I guess about every high school football team I have seen always had one or two weaker players. Players you would try to 'hide' from the other team in hopes they won't discover your team weakness. Tain't so with the Smith Center Redmen this year. We have a quality player at every position, on both offense and defense."
"I used to go pheasant hunting," Ivan said. "Got up when dawn cracked, pulled on heavy clothes. Grabbed a heavy double-barrel shotgun. Waded through grass, weeds, and timber. And, you know, I convinced myself that I was having fun.... But I wasn't. I was working my butt off to kill something that was a lot prettier than I was. You ever see a cock pheasant when he is strutting around, looking like the cock of the walk? His feathers have a sheen to them. Then you shoot him. Suddenly the feathers have lost their sheen. He no longer looks like the king of the hill. It is then that you realize you have shot something that is really better than you are."
"Jason Blevins, Staff Reporter for the Denver Post, and Helen H. Richardson, Staff Photographer for the Denver Post, joined us at the As the Bladder Fills Club last Friday morning," Ivan said. "They were here covering the Smith Center/St. Francis football game. Jack Benn and Jason had a nice visit about football, Smith Center football in particular, and Helen had a nice visit with Bruce and Bobbi (with one O) Miles. Bruce and Bobbi and Helen were visiting about various places in Denver. The Miles had lived in Denver for several years before coming to Smith Center. Jason and Helen had come down I-70 from Denver. Jack and Bruce and Bobbi and Dick Stroup talked them into returning via Highway 36. Don't be tellin' this around, but our coffee was on the Denver Post expense account."
"I didn't shave Friday," Ivan said. "Now I'm not superstitious, but whenever I don't shave on Friday, Smith Center wins. I'm not superstitious, but I just don't like to temp fate."
"You know why a chicken crosses the United States?" Ivan asked. "To get to the other tide."
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