I'm not one to usually write on emotional issues and all that jazz... yet at the same time, I'm just so wiped out from the past week, I think I've let my guard down or become dilerious or something.....

I have a good friend who's father passed away just over a week ago now.  Out of respect for the family, I will only refer to him as PS.  PS was a fun loving, good hearted, do anything for anyone kind of guy who lived up north near Lac du Flambeau.  I only had the pleasure of knowing him the past 4 years, but this was a man that you could know for 3 minutes and he would open his home, watercraft, garage, cold adult beverage, etc. to you.. he was a great man.

A lot of times when you go to a funeral, you hear things like "it's a celebration of life"... if there was ever a true celebration of a great man's life, that was last week.  Hundreds of friends and family came out to pay their respects and truly celebrate PS and his life.... and while there were tears at times, a lot of the night was smiles, hugs, with a big extended network of family and friends generally acting like one big, tight-knit happy family by the end of the night.  While I drove back that night.... I thought about the night, and I am sure PS would have been very happy to see what came out of such a normally sad thing.  I, along with a lot of people, will miss PS very much.

I hit the roller coaster ride back up the hill on Friday... my good friends that used to work in television here (Jason Kratzwald and Leah Hansen) were in town to about do the exact opposite thing.. they were back to get married.  What hit even more, the location of their wedding was up north... about 10 miles away from where I was a few days before for a funeral.

Obviously weddings are a lot different than funerals... and then when you throw in the fact that location of the wedding was about the most beautiful place in the world on Squirrel Lake.. near the water... sun setting in the background... it was just gorgeous.  Bride and groom looked great and we celebrated a wonderful wedding for that night.  I hadn't seen either one of them in just about 2 years... it was great to have them back in town.  And just like PS that I mention from above being the outgoing, fun-loving, do anything for anyone kind of guy... I ran into that in same capacity with the Kratzy/Hansen families.

I used to not worry or wonder about such things like getting married, but now that I'm in my 30's... yikes, 30's!, there's a little nugget of a question in my mind.  However, I would never have to be married to be happy.. and anyone that's ever met me knows that I do just fine on my own.   So, from down to up to down again within a 4 day time span, it's been weird to say the least.  And while I just feel very fatigued and wiped out, I start back up the roller coaster ride again because I got to spend Sunday with great friends... watching football and gearing up for the upcoming football season.  As I am writing this, I am watching the Packers and yelling and screaming at the tv screen, as I always do at football games.  Playing football through college and coaching football in college has done that to me!   LOL  Go STEELERS and Go Pack GO!